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Pinal County Press

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Medical, Health &

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THE COMMUNIT

Y”

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EDIT

In Every Edit

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n . . . . . . 70

Home & Garden Sectio

Wellness . . . 28

ART CARLTON

Office er, Pinal County Emergency Plann gency Management of Emer

ion:

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IDORLIVING.C

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THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION ABOUT THE COVER Paula Leslie hiking with her granddaughter Lex. Photo credit: Ron Atwell

• MAR ICOP A

The ROX Interview:

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Art Carlton

Medical, Health & Wellness

Emergency Planner, Pinal County Office of Emergency Management

14 In Memoriam: Tim Kanavel & David Snyder

Out & About

Home & Garden How to Build Raised Wicking Beds

56-58

Economy, Finance & Business

Health, Happiness & Education

Travel, Dining & Entertainment

Businesses Strive to Keep Resilient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Undefeated by Life, Nay Demps Strengthens Other Women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Family Won’t Forget Out of Africa Day Trip. . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

9 Estate Planning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. . . . 24

Art of Moulage Brings Realism to Disaster Drills . . . . . . . . . . 62

Visit Pals at Rooster Cogburn Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

How to Get Forgiveness for PPP Loans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Thrift Shop Gets New Name, New Location . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Pony Ranch Has Fun-Sized Fun for Everyone . . . . . . . . . . 92

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THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION • SPRING 2021

Letter from the Editor

Enjoy and Contribute to Pinal County

W Bea Lueck

e are at the height of spring as this issue reaches the streets, perhaps the greatest of all of the Golden Corridor’s beautiful seasons. Temperatures are ideal, our friends from the east and north are all here, and some of our best seasonal events are happening even if some have been modified this year. It’s a perfect time to get out and explore our area, and we have plenty of ideas in these pages, both our own and from area leaders. We feature two attractions you can bring every generation of your family to, especially if they’re animal lovers: • The Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch has been open to the public at the foot of Picacho Peak since 1999, but its collection of fauna has expanded way beyond the awe-inspiring birds it started out with to include more petting zoo-friendly creatures such as goats, sheep, lorikeets and yes, even stingrays! • The Pony Ranch featuring Tinytown just south of Casa Grande has only been open since November but already has developed a significant following for its Saturdays of pony trail rides, petting zoo and picnics. In case you’re itching to get a little farther out of town for your animal-centered fun, we also have a first-person narrative of one large family’s safari at the Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Camp Verde, just a couple hours north of us. Our area mayors all have their own suggestions for local spring flings, from the ample parks and sports fields of Coolidge to Picacho Peak State Park and the Santa Cruz Valley Historical Museum in the Eloy area and the Boyce

SPRING 2021 • THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION

Thompson Arboretum by Superior. All are well worth a visit in spring and every other season of the year. We should drink in every sunny spring day we have in our beautiful slice of southern Arizona. It’s also a good time to think about how you might be able to contribute to the quality of life in Pinal County. Casa Grande City Councilwoman Donna McBride takes note for us that April is National Volunteer Month, but we can give back all year through actions as simple as respecting everyone you meet, positively reviewing a local business online and picking up litter during your next walk in the park or neighborhood. We also pay tribute to two local leaders I was lucky to know as friends who we sadly lost in the first weeks of 2021: former Pinal County Supervisor and ultimate civic volunteer David Snider, and Pinal County Economic Development Director Tim Kanavel, who almost singlehandedly made the County a contender for high-tech, clean energy employers like Lucid Motors and Nikola. I miss both of them. We are thrilled to embrace the spring bounty of Pinal County with our neighbors and visitors and resolve to continue to serve and promote our radiant Golden Corridor.

–Bea Bea Lueck Editor-In-Chief Golden Corridor Living

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BUSINESS INDEX 911 Air Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Absolute Homes / Vivid Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Academy Mortgage - CG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Alliance Cancer Care Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Annie-Mac Home Mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

G OLDENCORRIDORLIVING .COM EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER

Brutinel Plumbing & Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Elaine Earle, CPA

Capital R Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Casa Grande Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Bea Lueck

Casa Grande Family Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

SALES & MARKETING

Central Arizona College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Julie Turetzky, Director of Public Relations

Chris Buys AZ Houses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Coldwell Banker ROX - Property Management . . . . . 23 Coldwell Banker ROX Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jamie Brashier, Advertising Executive John Stapleton, Account Executive PRODUCTION & DESIGN

5, 19

Tim Clarke, Creative Director

Cypress Point Retirement Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Shannon Price, Lead Designer

Fitzgibbons Law Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Grande Innovation Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Healthmatch Advocacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Honeycutt Coffee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Hospice of the Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Keith Dobie, Social Media Coordinator EDITORIAL Christia Gibbons, Senior Editor Blake Herzog, Staff Writer COMMENTS & IDEAS editor@roxco.com

Iron City Polaris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

CALENDAR INQUIRIES

Machado Hardscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

calendar@roxco.com • goldencorridorliving.com/calendar

Maricopa Contractors LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Maricopa Real Estate Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Norris RV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Pinal County Economic Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Raymond Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 ROX Casa Grande Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 ROX Home Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

info@roxco.com • goldencorridorliving.com/copies ADVERTISING INQUIRIES info@roxco.com • goldencorridorliving.com/advertise (520) 426-2074 442 W. Kortsen Rd, Ste 101 Casa Grande, AZ 85122

Seeds of Hope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Shearer Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Star Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Sun Life Family Health Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Title Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Two Brothers Plumbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Valley Humane Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

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Golden Corridor LIVING is published by Raxx Direct Marketing. Editorial content is provided by affiliates of Raxx Direct Marketing, community members and local organizations. © 2021. All rights reserved. No part of this publication, including but not limited to editorial content, illustrations, graphics and photographic images, may be republished, reproduced or reprinted without the prior express written consent of the publisher. The publishers of Golden Corridor LIVING assume no responsibility for errors or omissions of any advertisement beyond the actual cost of the advertisement. In no event shall the publishers be liable for any consequential damages in excess of the cost of the advertisement. Golden Corridor LIVING shall not be liable for inaccuracies, errors, omissions, or damages from the use of information contained herein. Submitted articles do not reflect the opinions of the owners or management of Golden Corridor LIVING Information contained within submitted articles had not been verified for accuracy and readers are responsible for forming their own opinions. Real estateHEALTH information is&asWELLNESS of 3-1-20 and is subject to current• availability and2021 pricing. THE MEDICAL, EDITION SPRING

At Golden Corridor LIVING Magazine, our slogan is “The Voice of the Community” because we believe the stories in our local region are best told by the people, companies, nonprofits and governments that comprise our community. Here are the “voices” who helped make this issue possible!

Craig McFarland Mayor, City of Casa Grande Born and raised in California, Mayor McFarland has lived in Casa Grande since 2005. He is a graduate of California State University, Fresno and retired from Golden Eagle Distributors in January 2015 as VP of Sales after a 10-year run with the company. He has spent 36 years in beverage business-sales management, marketing and operations. McFarland began his first term as Mayor in December 2016 and just won his election for a third term.

Angela Askey

Gigi McWhirter

Executive Director, Public Relations and Marketing, Central Arizona College Angela is the Executive Director of Public Relations and Marketing for Central Arizona College. Prior to her arrival at CAC, Angela served as the Media Relations Coordinator at Mesa Community College and the Community Relations Coordinator at Idaho State University College of Technology.

Resident Animal Whisperer Conceived in a plane behind the Airport Tavern, Gigi is living proof that it takes a village to raise a kid properly. She is married to the best man and lives in what she calls the “Best Dog House in Casa Grande,” shared with a bunch of dogs, two parakeets and a finch called Rusty. Lived in Alaska, drove on the Arctic Ocean, walked on the Great Wall of China and drank Guinness in Ireland. But none of this compares to her profound love of animals and Flying Leap wines!

Mila Besich

Micah Powell

Mayor, Town of Superior Mila Besich, a fourth-generation resident of Superior, was elected as the Town’s Mayor in 2016. She wears many hats in her community and region, serving as Executive Director of the Copper Corridor Economic Development Coalition and Advertising Director for Copper Area News Publishers.

Mayor, City of Eloy Micah Powell was elected Mayor of Eloy in 2020 after serving on the City Council since 2012. Mayor Powell has always been involved in the community having served as the as ex-officio member of the City of Eloy’s Planning and Zoning Commission and numerous other Boards and Commissions. He’s a strong supporter of Eloy using his time and energy to make life better for all of Eloy’s residents. Mayor Powell is married and the proud father of four, two boys and two girls.

Tiffanie Grady-Gillespie

Christian Price

Certified Physical Trainer, Certified Corporate Wellness Coach, WickedFiTT Tiffanie is the owner of WickedFiTT in Casa Grande, Arizona She is a well-known personal trainer, group fitness instructor and allaround fitness junkie. Tiffanie specializes in weight loss, strength and conditioning, and general fitness.

Mayor, City of Maricopa Mayor Price is serving in his third term as Mayor. Mayor Price is an entrepreneur and small business owner and is a partner of the Sierra West Group, a financial advisory firm. Raised in Tucson and a graduate of Northern Arizona University, he participates in numerous regional and national coalitions including serving as the President of the Arizona League of Cities and Towns until mid-September 2020.

Renée Louzon-Benn Executive Director, Greater Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce Renée became Executive Director of the Greater Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce in May of 2019, bringing over 22 years of involvement with the local business community and the Chamber to her new role. She is passionate about “living local” and loves our community. Renée and her husband enjoy dining at favorite eateries, walking the downtown area and hiking Casa Grande Mountain.

Bob Shogren

Donna McBride

Jon Thompson

Councilwoman, City of Casa Grande Donna is the Program Administrator/Public Information Officer and Supervisor for the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Unit for Pinal County Juvenile Court. She is actively involved as a Board Member for Casa Grande Alliance, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, BlackBox Foundation, Mayor’s Reading Program, Pinal County Town Hall Vice Chair, Parks and Block Watch Captain for the Casa Grande Police Department. She is a current member of the Casa Grande City Council. SPRING 2021 • THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION

Director, Casa Grande Alliance Bob is a longtime resident of Pinal County. He has been an educator, school district administrator, community organizer and nonprofit Board Member. He also served for many years at the state and national level, working with AmeriCorps and other volunteer programs.

Mayor, City of Coolidge Mayor Thompson graduated from NAU in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He was first elected to the Coolidge City Council in 2002 and served as Vice Mayor from 2006 to 2010. He gave up his council seat to run for Mayor and since being elected has retired as Division Director for the Pinal County Adult Probation Department after 30 years.

GOLDEN CORRID OR LI V ING

PINAL COUNTY by Blake Herzog

• A RIZONA CIT Y • CASA GR ANDE • COOLIDGE • ELOY • FLORENCE • M A RICOPA • A RIZONA CIT Y • CASA GR ANDE • COOL

Superior Mayor on National League of Cities Committee

PHOTO: RUSS MCSPADDEN / CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

Resolution Copper Mine Plan Delayed

esolution Copper’s plan to mine up to 1.4 billion tons of copper ore from underneath the Oak Flat area just east of the Town of Superior was put on hold in March after the federal government issued a final environmental impact statement about the project, then rescinded it six weeks later. When issued Jan. 15 during the last week of the Trump administration, the environmental impact statement triggered a 60-day objection period leading up to a mid-March land exchange giving Resolution Copper possession of land it has sought to mine for decades in the Tonto National Forest. On March 1, after President Joe Biden had taken office and issued a memorandum instructing all federal agencies to strengthen consultation and relationships with tribal nations, Tonto officials said they had been ordered by the U.S. De-

GOLDEN CORRID OR LI V ING

partment of Agriculture (USDA) to withdraw the environmental impact statement for a consultation period it estimated could last “several months.” “USDA has concluded that additional time is necessary to fully understand concerns raised by tribes and the public and the project’s impacts to these important resources and ensure the agency’s compliance with federal law,” the statement said. The Forest Service is part of the USDA. The agency also said its authority to protect Oak Flat is limited because the land exchange was approved by Congress as part of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, and it would likely take another act of Congress to reverse it. Resolution Copper, a joint venture of mining corporations Rio Tinto and BHP, seeks ownership of 2,400 acres owned by the U.S. Forest Service. In re-

turn the company would give the agency 5,376 acres in private land between eight locations in Arizona, including 140 acres at Apache Leap near the site of the mine. One of the world’s largest untapped copper reserves is 7,000 feet below Oak Flat, also known as Chi’chil Bildagoteel. The area is considered sacred by the San Carlos Apache and other Arizona tribes as the home of their gods and site of many religious ceremonies. The mining activity was expected to eventually create a crater up to 2 miles wide, destroying stands of oak trees where tribal members obtain medicinal and ceremonial plants and which provide shade for a popular Forest Service campground. At least three lawsuits have been filed by tribal and environmental groups against the proposal.

Continued on page 68...

MAYOR MILA BESICH

uperior Mayor Mila Besich has been named to the National League of Cities’ 2021 Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Federal Advocacy Committee, where she will help give strategic direction to the league’s federal advocacy and policy. She will serve a one-year term as part of a diverse group of municipal leaders steering policy positions and advocating in front of Congress, state and local authorities. League President Kathy Miness of Lexington, South Carolina, said, “Our federal advocacy committees are the voices of what’s happening on the ground in our communities.” Besich said, “I am honored to be appointed to this important committee of the NLC. In this capacity, I look forward to representing Superior and our sister Copper Corridor communities — communities that rely on mineral extraction as well as our beautiful natural environment

Continued on page 51...

THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION • SPRING 2021

PRESS

Visit GoldenCorridorLiving.com for Up-to-date Local News from Golden Corridor LIVING Magazine

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Nikola Exec Leads Hydrogen Vehicle Standardization

ntonio Ruiz, director of fuel cell vehicle code and standards for Nikola Corp., was appointed by the International Standardization Organization’s Technical Committee 197 in February to lead a three-year global standardization project for hydrogen fueling, according to a company press release. Ruiz unanimously was approved as convener of an international core group of experts to implement the fueling protocol standardization initiative after more than two years of building consensus within the global hydrogen community to prioritize this activity. The group consists of hydrogen and fuel-cell technology experts who represent member countries, hydrogen industry and stakeholders throughout the Americas, Asia, Australia

and Europe. The international standardization of technically sound solutions may replace incompatible national requirements to allow for consistency and global competitiveness of high-flow hydrogen fueling. According to Nikola, the fueling standard consists of: • Designing a process for developing fueling protocols. • Defining communications required between the vehicle and the station. • Developing a high-flow f u e l i n g p r o t o c ol f o r heavy-duty vehicles. “Developing these fueling procedures and requirements under ISO/TC 197 (International Standardization Organization’s Technical Committee 197) and its membership ensures that these standards are technically sound,

consensus-based, and adopted on a global scale,” Nikola spokesperson Colleen Robar said. Ruiz worked at the U.S. Department of Energy for 14 years before joining Nikola in October 2018; he was technology development manager and team lead at the time of his departure. He graduated from California State University-Sacramento with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering in 1998, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Phoenix-based Nikola Corp. designs and manufactures hydrogen fuel-cell and electricity-driven vehicles and related equipment and infrastructure. It is building a factory in Coolidge scheduled to begin producing electric batter y-driven, zero-emission Nikola Tre BEV vehicles for its order from Anheuser-Busch in 2022. The factory is to be completed in 2023 and then produce fuel-cell electric Class 8 trucks.

San Tan Valley Has New Utility Owner

ohnson Ut i l it ies is now known as the San Tan water and wastewater districts following the January purchase of the troubled water provider by EPCOR, the company that had been its interim manager since 2018. EPCOR reports it has 29,450 w ater accounts and 40,650 wastewater accounts in San Tan Valley, which will be transferred into the EPCOR customer service system. It plans to proceed immediately with infrastructure improvements beginning with the wastewater system. SPRING 2021 • THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION

One of its first projects, according to a letter sent to former Johnson Utilities customers, will be to build a pipeline for reclaimed water from the Pecan Wastewater Treatment Plant and the New Magma Irrigation and Drainage District. Partially funded by a $250,000 state grant, the project will allow the Pecan plant’s excess treated effluent to be sent to the irrigation district for groundwater recharge, rather than being re-

Continued on page 69... GOLDEN CORRID OR LI V ING

OR LI GOLDEN CORRID CORRIDOR LIV VING ING • THE INTERV IE W

THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION • SPRING 2021

The ROX Interview

Art Carlton

Emergency Planner, Pinal County Office of Emergency Management Interview by Bea Lueck

GC LIVING: This issue’s interview is with Art Carlton, a planner with the Pinal County Office of Emergency Management. Tell us briefly about yourself. ART CARLTON: I tell people I was born in Syracuse, New York. My folks went there for a funeral, and I was born, and then they came back to Arizona. So I missed out being an Arizona native. I was raised in the Casa Grande area, more so La Palma and went to school in Casa Grande. When I was 16, I started working for the City of Casa Grande, doing drafting, civil engineering, architectural work. I would help Rosa Bruce from the City’s housing department with a lot of her architectural drawings. GC LIVING: At 16? ART CARLTON: At 16. I was doing architectural drafting when I was 8 for local friends and families. GC LIVING: That’s an interesting hobby for a very young child. ART CARLTON: My stepfather was a welder and had projects, and we would communicate a lot by drawing. When he was building projects, I would draw them up for him. When the County adopted the building codes in the '80s I would draw plans for family and friends. Primarily small structures. GC LIVING: So, you were doing all of this before you actually graduated from high school? ART CARLTON: I was taking drafting classes in high school, and Tom Pifer was my instructor. He encouraged me to apply for a drafting job with the City. I was hired for the job and started working for them at 16 years old. At noon, I’d go over the city and I would work a

full eight hours. I stayed with them until ‘90, when I moved over to Pinal County. My love was always law enforcement. I really wanted to become a Secret Service agent to protect the President. Because of certain things, health conditions, stuff like that, it never panned out. I was approached by Dean Weatherly, who was Pinal County Supervisor at the time, and Ray Jones, surveyor and city council member, about going over to the County and starting up their environmental investigation program. So, in May ‘90 I moved to the County to be their environmental investigator. I graduated from the Federal Law Enforcement Academy. I became a hazardous material technician and a bomb technician — there are a list of certifications beyond that for all the FEMA classes. I’m not a big person to talk about all that. GC LIVING: And this is all on the investigational level? ART CARLTON: Yes, it’s all investigation. I did criminal and civil investigation, not only on solid waste, but also hazardous waste. You have the three mediums. You have soil, air and water. Air was done by air quality. Of course, the water was done by water quality at the state, but I did the soil and hazardous waste for the County. I did that for about 20 years; we were bounced from one department to the other. Finally landed in emergency management, and I did investigation and emergency management response. After 9/11, things really changed in our world, emergency management wise. My

SPRING 2021 • THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION

career evolved into what it is today — my primary role is training and exercising first responders. I absolutely love it — bringing 30 years of full knowledge, and some adjunct instructing for the state — to the table. GC LIVING: And the training has evolved over the years … From tabletop exercises where you’re penciling paper for the response, to full-out field exercises with hundreds of people in a mock incident. ART CARLTON: I was very much involved with FEMA and Homeland Security on developing what we call HSEEP - Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program. FEMA is all about acronyms. I was one of many people in the nation who helped develop that program. We figured out what didn’t work and we fine-tuned this policy or that plan. In Pinal County, we look at it from an all-hazard approach; we can fine-tune down to hazmat, bomb response, health response, whatever it may be. I actually love doing that. GC LIVING: You’ve taken the exercises to a more extreme level than other agencies by way of your artistic side and using moulage. (Editor's note: see page 62 for the article on moulage) ART CARLTON: Yes. It’s always been a dream once I got in to the training exercise component to actually have a facility in the County to conduct emergency response exercise and training. When the current emergency manager Chuck Kmet came aboard, he asked me, “What do you want to do?” I said, “I’ve got to add more realism to these exercises. I want

OR LI V ING THE INTERV IE W • GOLDEN GOLDEN CORRID CORRIDOR VING

The ROX Interview (continued)

CLOSEUP OF MODEL OF WATER TOWER

MODEL OF WATER TOWER

to add moulage.” Moulage is a French term that we have loosely defined as applying fake wounds to an actor or an individual. GC LIVING: Taking local to the Hollywood level. ART CARLTON: Exactly. He asked, “OK, what do we need to do for this?” I said, “Well, I need to know how to do it, first of all.” Then I said, “There is a class coming in Phoenix. I would like to attend.” Chuck approved myself and Barbara Elliott, emergency planner and paramedic, to attend the class. Shortly into the course, I discovered the moulaging techniques were the same techniques I use when I build my railroading models; just a different application. I absolutely fell in love with it to the point of driving people crazy. GC LIVING: Mostly your wife? ART CARLTON: Yes (laughs) mostly my wife Kim. She ended up being my guinea pig. My daughters were also guinea pigs. I’ve since taught my daughters how to moulage. When I have a big exercise, I call them in to help. Prior to introducing moulaging, we had 8

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CLOSEUP OF MODEL OF WATER TOWER

1/2" x 11" cards attached to the actors detailing their simulated symptoms and wounds. During earlier exercises, I realized the cards were not providing enough realism for the medical responders like EMTs, paramedics, etc. We were not giving them an opportunity to fine-tune their skills. I told Chuck, “Hey, I need to bring this in to make it realistic for them.” Barb helps me set up all the various type of injuries whether it’s an active shooter, hazmat response, nuclear incident, whatever the exercise may be. She says: “We’ll need these made,” and gives me pictures of the wounds we need for the particular exercise. I then make the wounds. Compound fracture, bone sticking out of the leg, femur fracture. I can make any part of your body, or I can cast your whole body. I’ll reproduce an organ, eyeballs, intestines, the whole 9 yards. GC LIVING: So, it starts with liquid latex in rough molds that you then manipulate, carve and paint?

ART CARLTON: It typically starts with a ball of clay I carve and manipulate to make a mold. I have latex. I have silicone. I have a mixture that’s sugar and gelatin because people react differently to products. Some are allergic to latex, somebody might be allergic to silicone. I’ve used white glue on people to make a wound. I use white glue to make people look older. I can reproduce all body fluids, all smells. I could actually reproduce the smell of a burnt hand. Smell, people don’t realize, is very critical. Active shooter incident — you got cops running through a building where the active shooter is going on. You not only have gunpowder, but then you have all those body fluids smells, because things happen to people when they’re in trauma. So, you try to make it as realistic as possible, so if they ever, God, I hope they don’t, run into these things they know what they’re up against. GC LIVING: I saw on your Facebook page that you were making glass to resemble automotive glass.

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ART CARLTON: In a drill exercise involving a car accident, you’re going to have broken glass. So, you add the glass into the wounds so they actually must irrigate and clean out those wounds. I’ve actually had exercises where the patient went from our drill site to the hospital where the hospital emergency room was playing in the exercise. Some of the wounds I make, they can actually be sutured without hurting the actor, because of the way the product is made. If a vein is cut, it will spray blood out until they get a tourniquet on them. Once the tourniquet is applied properly, it will stop the bleeding. All these things are in play. So yes, glass is one of our components and we use it fairly often. If we can train these guys as realistically as possible ... I’ll give you an example. We were going into the basic format of doing an active shooter exercise in 2019. So we did a mass casualty drill. I obtained decommissioned vans from the prison that still had their cages in them. And then we were able to get an old casino bus from Gila River. GC LIVING: I remember the photo. The bus is laying on its side next to an overpass. ART CARLTON: That was the San Manuel one. This drill simulated accident involving the bus and two prison vans. We turned one of the vans on its side. We utilized Pinal County Pubic Works staff as the actors, which included dressing them up like prisoners. And, one

of the wardens looked at me. He said, “You sure some of these guys weren’t actually in prison?” They played the role so well. We did the moulage on them and everything. And we did three days of the same scenario. In those three days, we did a morning session and an afternoon session, so we could capture every EMS, every responder in the County who wanted to participate; we could run them through without hampering with their day-to-day operations. And during those individual sessions, we were actually able to to have the responders switch roles and have them come back through again. So, they went through this whole thing, and it was no more than a few days later when Coolidge had a mass fatality accident involving a bus. And what they learned from that exercise, they were able to process all their injuries, all the patients quicker and faster because of what they learned at the drill. And that to me is saying, we were successful at what we did for them. If it saves one life, I’m happy. GC LIVING: Of course, we’re going to cycle slightly into COVID-19. So illnesses, any health emergencies, this, too, was something that would have been covered in the training? ART CARLTON: We drilled giving vaccines because of the annual flu. We drafted a scenario that was a pandemic or something. You use those tools in your toolbox to make it as realistic as possible.

GC LIVING: Now, Pinal County has actually scored well in Arizona in many ways. We’ve had supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). We’ve gotten ahead of the curve in a few areas. ART CARLTON: Yes, we have. GC LIVING: We are distributing vaccinations in a better fashion than some other counties. ART CARLTON: We were the first county to move into the 1B category. We’re able to supply all of our stakeholders, whether it’s a hospital, doctor’s office, or responding agencies with the required PPEs that they need. All the training and exercises have paid off to allow us to be able to move forward with what we’re dealing with, which makes me feel good. Tells me everything we’ve done is working. GC LIVING: You alluded that your past has helped you with the current: You’ve been a railroad bug long before I ever met you. How did you get into railroading? ART CARLTON: We’ll go back to my young architectural days. As I was drawing structures. I wanted to know what they look like 3D, so I would make models using milk cartons, cereal boxes, Popsicle sticks, wood matches, toothpicks. I always had a fascination with trains. I asked my parents for a train set for Christmas, and it took off from there. I still had that urge to do what we call scratch building. I wanted to know how

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Angel A. Raymond, Esq. GOLDEN CORRID OR LI V ING

CITY

SPEAK O Casa Grande is a city rich in history and resources and offers an economic environment developed and created through well-planned developments.

VOTE UPCOMING FOR CASA GRANDE GENERAL PLAN 2030 by Craig McFarland, Mayor, City of Casa Grande, Co-Chair General Plan Committee

n May 18, you will be asked to vote on Proposition 456, the Casa Grande General Plan 2030. The plan represents 18 months of work. Multiple public meetings were held to create a landuse plan for our community for the next decade and beyond. The new plan incorporates elements of water resource, conservation and recycling. It expands our industrial land-use areas and seeks to revitalize our downtown by allowing for greater mixed land use including new higher density residential developments. It identifies business corridors along Pinal, Florence, Cottonwood, Trekell, I-10, and I-8, which also allows for greater mixed-land use. With the look to the future, the plan identifies needs for electric vehicle charging stations, advocates for enhancement of our trail system and outlines beautification of our City entrances. The guiding principles used in this plan were based on public input. They included: Preserving our rural and agricultural heritage while allowing urbanization to occur in appropriate locations. Strengthening CG’s position as the industrial and commercial center of Pinal County. Increasing housing diversity and support of infill development.

• •

• • •

Creating a sense of arrival at all major City entrances. Linking all land use decisions to available water resources that ensure long-term viability and environmental sustainability for growth and development. Fostering a land use pattern that is multimodal in nature that contributes to an active transportation system that includes walking, bicycling, vehicles, mass transit and electric autonomous vehicles

Casa Grande is a city rich in history and resources and offers an economic environment developed and created through well-planned developments. These are supported by a safe and self-sustaining mix of neighborhoods diverse in people, housing, education and employment centers. It is all supported by a network of transportation choices and open spaces. This will be a mail-in ballot only and will arrive in your mail in May. I ask that you to please “vote yes” for your 2030 General Plan, Proposition 456. If you have questions, visit the City’s website www. CasaGrandeAz.gov

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COOLIDGE, ARIZONA COOLIDGE STAYS IN SHAPE by Jon Thompson, Mayor, City of Coolidge

Staying healthy and active is very important during this time. It’s great to see how the community has come together along with our Parks and Recreation Department to offer ways to achieve this.

’d like to take time this issue to talk about the great programs our Coolidge Parks and Recreation Department offers while maintaining social distancing guidelines. While COVID-19 appears to be with us for a period of time, our hard working staff is finding ways to provide quality programs to help kids and adults stay healthy and strong! Last issue I spoke about how our library staff has come up with innovative ways to offer virtual programming to adults and children. These valuable programs offer a wealth of learning opportunities from cooking to staying on top of current events. Coolidge Parks and Recreation also has pivoted to offer as many options as possible during these challenging times. Coolidge’s Kenilworth Sports Complex has become known in the region for premier youth baseball tournaments and activities. As our community has grown, Kenilworth has been a major sports hub for the city offering softball, soccer and open fields for play. Due to many of the organized sports being postponed, staff has come up with ways our residents can enjoy the complex even late in the night. The City has recently expanded our field light hours till 9 p.m., which allows all types of sporting activity to flour-

ish. Another park located in the City, Walker Park, has been lighted as well at night to take advantage of staying active. The response has been overly positive, allowing our younger citizens and adults to take part in activities while social distancing. Our Parks and Recreation department also has been hard at work coming up with ways to offer limited sports to our youth. The Coolidge Youth Center has been one of the most visited recreational facilities over the past decade for our youth. The center offers a wide range of activities from basketball, pickleball, volleyball and more. Because of COVID, the department has had to scale back on these sports but recently has opened the gym portion with limited capacity to high school age and younger children. This has been a huge success as children in the City now have a place to partake in an activity while social distancing. Opening this center in a limited fashion has been very positive from the feedback received. As time moves forward, we hope to increase the capacity and fully open for operation. While we have made great strides to offer additional hours for field lighting and reopen the Youth Center, our community has asked for more, and we’ve made progress toward that goal. Beginning in March, the department will offer youth t-ball/coach pitch. This is a great program for the youth here in Coolidge and will be conducted with regard to distancing efforts. The City hopes to offer more sport leagues in the coming months with guidance from local, state and federal health partners. Staying healthy and active is very important during this time. It’s great to see how the community has come together along with our Parks and Recreation department to offer ways to achieve this. We are a great community of resilient individuals who have taken our motto of “Coolidge Strong” as a way to stay safe and remain active.

Kenilworth Sports Complex

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Businesses Strive to Keep Resilient

by Renée Louzon-Benn, Executive Director, Greater Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce

he Chamber is the sum of its parts — business members. Our part in the economic development of Casa Grande is to represent the interests of business when working with our fellow economic-development partners helping to create, maintain and grow financial stability. We continue to focus on assisting our local businesses work through the pandemic by providing frequent informational updates on health, wellness and medical protocols and economic assistance. Our goals are to ensure business owners and their employees stay safe and healthy and able to function at a level that keeps businesses sound. The far-reaching effects of the pandemic have caused us to take a close look at our business health; to “take the pulse” of our workplace environments and procedures. Doing so revealed some areas we needed to redress to accommodate the safety protocols we put in place. Gov. Doug Ducey’s 2021 policy rollout does address public health. In his address, Gov. Ducey notes that his administration has attempt-

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ed to prioritize public health, protect the public health care system and protect livelihoods. Top priority in the governor’s policy rollout is the vaccine rollout. The state will continue to fund and support the vaccine. We must each do our part by receiving the vaccine. It will help to keep each of us healthy and ensure that employees can return in-person to the workplace. Another focus area is broadband. Many employees began working virtually from home during the pandemic. This brought to light the need for high-speed internet. Additionally, thousands of students have attended school virtually taking part in online learning. The governor’s office has established a state broadband office within the Arizona Commerce Authority to coordinate the many measures that will help to facilitate broadband throughout the state. Today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce. The governor’s policy rollout includes focusing on closing the achievement gap that has occurred with those students who have fallen

behind during the period of remote learning, as well as closing the gap on third-grade literacy. To read Gov. Ducey’s 2021 Arizona Resilient plan follow this link: www.azgovernor.gov/ sites/default/files/2021_resilient_book.pdf Let us all work together to keep ourselves, our families, our businesses and our students healthy and excelling. Remember, buy local and be local!

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Estate Planning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

by Ann F. Schrooten, Estate Planning and Probate Attorney, Fitzgibbons Law Offices

any people are using their

Many of the common estate planning missteps we see, if not caught and corrected, can lead to unintended and expensive consequences.

stay-at-home t i me to tackle important projects they had been putting off, including creating or updating their estate planning documents. Estate planning is a complicated process, and every estate plan has unique features. Many of the common estate planning missteps we see, if not caught and corrected, can lead to unintended and expensive consequences. The good news: With the help of an experienced estate planning attorney, these mistakes can be avoided. Following are nine of the most common estate planning mistakes. 1. Not Having an Estate Plan. We are always surprised by the number of people – especially those with substantial assets and close family relationships – who have no plan in place to control what happens to their property after their death. Dying “intestate” – i.e., without a will – can impose a real hardship on your loved ones and cause your estate to be tied up in probate court. 2. Do-It-Yourself Estate Planning. Downloadable will and trust forms are convenient and relatively inexpensive, but they do not offer the thoughtful, strategic insight that can be gained only from an experienced estate planning professional who can anticipate your needs and help you avoid mistakes. Moreover, the failure to properly execute and/ or witness a do-it-yourself will or trust can render your important documents worthless. 3. Failure to Fund Your Trust. One of the most common and costly

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consequences of a do-it-yourself or “discount” trust is not making it the owner of your property. “Funding” your trust is a crucial step; if you die with your assets titled in your name and not the trust’s, the assets you intended to pass smoothly to your trust’s beneficiaries can be hung up in probate, with the risk that they will not be managed and distributed as you intended. 4. Not Having Advance Directives. End-of-life planning ensures that your wishes are honored. A living will allows you to express your wishes regarding life-sustaining measures, and a health care power of attorney appoints a trusted person to make decisions on your behalf if you are no longer able to communicate your wishes. 5. Not Updating Your Estate Plan. Time passes quickly, and life events can cause estate plans to become obsolete. Be alert to changes in your personal or financial situations. Retirement, divorce, marriage, deaths, births, tax law changes, business startup or sale, relocations, etc., are just a few of the many events that can trigger the need to update your will or trust. 6. Do-It-Yourself Revisions. Changes you make to your documents can create a conflict with other provisions of your plan, impose a provision that cannot be carried out, or lack clarity with respect to your intent. Once-valid documents that were inadvertently corrupted by do-it-yourself revisions can lead to family squabbles and lawsuits.

7. Choosing the Wrong Personal Representative or Trustee. When you create a will or trust, you name a trusted person to serve as your personal representative or successor trustee. Selecting that person is not a decision to be made without some thought. The person who serves in that important role should be chosen on the basis of their temperament, integrity, knowledge, and ability to properly administer your estate and/or trust. 8. Ignoring Beneficiary Designations. Retirement accounts, life insurance, and investment accounts all avoid probate by having a beneficiary designated. These designations prevail over contrary provisions in a will or trust. You should review your beneficiary designations on a regular basis to make sure you have named a beneficiary and update your designations as circumstances dictate. 9. Overlooking Your Digital Assets. People are increasingly living their lives in the virtual, digital world, with bank accounts, photographs, cloud-based storage and social media accounts being accessible only online. Your power of attorney, personal representative, and trustee need to have specific authority to access and manage your digital assets. Without providing this authority in your documents, administering your digital assets becomes impossible and can lead to financial and emotional hardships. Ann F. Schrooten is an estate planning and probate attorney at the Fitzgibbons Law Offices in Casa Grande (520-426-3824

THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION • SPRING 2021

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How to Get Forgiveness for PPP Loans by Blake Herzog

The federal Paycheck Protection Program was signed into law in April 2020 to provide forgivable loans to small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

s more Pinal County small businesses get ready to submit documentation proving they have met the terms of their Paycheck Protection Program loans, Golden Corridor LIVING is providing information from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to help them find the proper channels to do so. The federal Paycheck Protection Program was signed into law in April 2020 to provide forgivable loans to small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

First, second draw PPP loans Recipients can have the full amount of the loan forgiven if after the eightto-24 weeks covered by the loan disbursement: • Employee and compensation levels are maintained. • The loan proceeds are spent on payroll costs and other eligible expenses. • At least 60% of the proceeds are spent on payroll costs.

Applying for loan forgiveness • Borrowers can apply for forgiveness after all loan proceeds for which the borrower is requesting forgiveness have been used. Borrowers can apply for forgiveness at any time up to the maturity date of the loan. • If borrowers do not apply for forgiveness within 10 months after the last day of the covered period, then PPP loan payments are no longer deferred, and borrowers will begin making loan payments to their PPP lender.

Loan forgiveness process:

1.Contact your PPP lender and

complete the correct form. Your lender can provide you with either the SBA Form 3508, SBA Form 3508EZ, SBA Form 3508S, or a lender equivalent. 2.Compile your documentation. This list of documents required to be submitted is not all-inclusive. • Payroll (provide documentation for all payroll periods that overlapped with the covered period or the alternative payroll covered period). • Bank account statements or thirdparty payroll service provider reports documenting the amount of cash compensation paid to employees. • Tax forms (or equivalent third-party payroll service provider reports) for the periods that overlap with the covered period or the alternative payroll covered period: • Payroll tax filings reported, or that will be reported, to the IRS (typically Form 941). • State quarterly business and individual employee wage reporting and unemployment insurance tax filings reported, or that will be reported, to the relevant state.

• Payment receipts, canceled checks or account statements documenting the amount of any employer contributions to employee health insurance and retirement plans the borrower included in the forgiveness amount. • Non-payroll (for expenses incurred or paid during the covered period and showing that obligations or services existed prior to Feb. 15, 2020). • Business mortgage interest payments: Copy of lender amortization schedule and receipts verifying payments, or lender account statements. • Business rent or lease payments: Copy of current lease agreement and receipts or canceled checks verifying eligible payments. • Business utility payments: Copies of invoices and receipts, canceled checks or account statements. 3.Complete your loan forgiveness application and submit it to your lender with the required supporting documents and follow up with your lender to submit additional documentation as requested. Consult your lender for additional guidance and provide requested documentation in a timely manner. 4.Continue to communicate with your lender throughout the process. If SBA undertakes a loan review of your loan, your lender will notify you of the review and decision. You have the right to appeal certain SBA loan review decisions. Your lender is responsible for notifying you of the forgiveness amount paid by SBA and the date on which your first payment will be due, if applicable. For more information about PPP loans and forgiveness, visit www. sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/ coronavirus-relief-options/paycheckprotection-program

Speak with your tax professional for advice concerning your individual loan requirements. 26

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Special Section:

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Special Section: Medical, Health & Wellness

Primary Care Providers Promote Good Health by Blake Herzog

he idea of having a primary care provider may seem outdated to many people accustomed to instant access, relying on episodic help through the “gig” economy, or who relocate frequently and simply don’t have the opportunity to build a relationship with one doctor or medical office. When patients consider themselves to be healthy and don’t need maintenance medications, they’re more likely to find it expedient to go to urgent care, retail clinics inside drugstores or seek advice over the phone or through telemedicine services. A nationwide shortage of primary care specialists isn’t making it any easier for those who want one to seek them out. But there are reasons to go to the effort, even if your insurance doesn’t require you to have one, and some options that can make the process of finding one easier. A good primary care provider is an expert in treating a broad range of symptoms and illnesses, including chronic conditions like diabetes, and helps ensure that patients get all recommended screenings and vaccinations. Ideally, they see you often enough to develop a baseline knowledge of your health and recognize more serious issues early in their development. This provider should also serve as your envoy and advocate to the rest of the health care world, ordering further tests and referring you to specialists whenever it’s warranted, while monitoring your care for such issues as medication interactions and conflicting messages from others. Multiple studies have found patients with a primary care provider have better health outcomes with diabetes and other chronic conditions, have recommended screenings that catch cancer at earlier stages, and lower the overall cost of care for the patient with fewer ER visits and hospitalizations. Given the increasing scarcity of physicians providing primary care, you should consider all the options you have for getting this type of care for you and your family:

Family medicine physicians — These practitioners care for patients of all ages and are qualified to act as primary care provider for entire families, offering the convenience and security of one trusted source for everyone.

A good primary care provider is an expert in treating a broad range of symptoms and illnesses, including chronic conditions like diabetes, and helps ensure that patients get all recommended screenings and vaccinations.

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OR LI V ING SPECI A L SEC TION • GOLDEN GOLDEN CORRID CORRIDOR VING

Special Section: Medical, Health & Wellness

Pediatricians — These doctors specialize

in children, their development and guiding them toward a healthy future. They treat minor injuries and illnesses as well as more complex conditions.

OB-GYNs

— These doctors provide reproductive and pregnancy health care for female patients beginning in adolescence, performing related exams and procedures. Women who are in their childbearing years and do not have chronic conditions unrelated to the reproductive system may be able to have their OB-GYN act as their primary care provider.

Internal medicine physicians — These specialists treat adults, from young adults to the elderly, so they can be more versed in illnesses that affect adults more than children. They are trained to make a wide variety of diagnoses and juggle multiple conditions in one patient.

Physician’s assistants/nurse practitioners — These are professionals who obtain masters’ or doctorate degrees in health care. In Arizona, PAs must be supervised by a physician who may or may not be in the same office while NPs can establish independent practices. Both can perform nearly all the functions of a primary care physician.

Women who are in their childbearing years and do not have chronic conditions unrelated to the reproductive system may be able to have their OB-GYN act as their primary care provider.

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Flo re nce F arm e rs ’ Ma rk e t L oc al Fr es h Fru it & Pr oduc e January 2021 – April 2021 Arriola Square on Historic Main Street (between 10 th and 11 th Streets) 8:00 am - Noon

Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 929, Florence, AZ 85132 · (520) 868-9433 Email: florencechamber@gmail.com · www.facebook.com/gfcoc

Undefeated by Life, Nay Demps Strengthens Other Women by John Stapleton PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NAY DEMPS

“Society has put this vision of beauty in our heads. I want to help women tap into their true beauty, which I believe starts with self-love." Nay Demps

NAY DEMPS PHOTO: MATT MARTIAN

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2018 POLICE ACADEMY GRADUATION DAY, DEMPS WITH HER FOUR CHILDREN

allas was the No. 1 TV show, and Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean was topping the music charts when Nay Demps was born in Flint, Michigan. The youngest of five, Demps grew up in a poverty stricken neighborhood where healthy options weren’t always available. “Hot dogs and canned food definitely was more affordable than fresh food,” Demps says. “My father was a diabetic but didn’t care for himself at all.” Demps says physical health was not the only thing neglected; the household was also abusive. She describes her father as not a mentally well person. However, her mother loved him unconditionally, passing on a mental strength to Demps. “Watching my mom go through the abuse gave me strength,” Demps says. She was a strong woman; don’t even believe she understood her strength and power. That same strength she passed to me, but I didn’t realize it ‘til much later in life.” Her father passed away when Demps was 11. Strength would indeed be needed just as much as she entered adulthood, even if it often appeared as a lack of discipline. She says she was kicked out of every high school in the area and eventually dropped out. By 17, she left home. Demps became homeless, living out of her car. She was relentless, though, working until she saved enough for a diminutive apartment. It was enough space for her and the roaches. “I remember opening the refrigerator in the apartment when an army of roaches came crawling from the refrigerator!” says Demps, “but it was home for me.” By 18, she received her GED while working every odd job possible. However, the ups and down would remain persistent. She would fall into homelessness again even while pregnant with her first son. That became another turning point as Demps says she began to realize she had to make a different life for him. She enrolled in college. She would graduate with a degree in criminal justice while holding her son in the other arm. Demps would go on to get married, have three more children. She also discovered the gym. Called “The Source” in Flint it was hardcore, gritty, free-weight workouts, and she was one of two females who worked out there. It wasn’t long before the transformation began to take place, not just physically, but emotionally. Demps says she found her peace zone, a place where she could put everything in perspective, a place where she could tear down past trauma and rebuild from the inside out. Eventually, she got to a place where she could compete with her “no quit attitude.” In 2008, Demps and her family made a big decision and relocated to Arizona. She started working with kids in Maricopa’s Head Start program, also working with autistic children. She then became a security guard at the high school, working with kids who very much mirrored herself in her younger days. Despite moving in a forward direction professionally, her marriage ended and she became a single mother raising her four children. SPRING 2021 • THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION

The “no quit attitude” and the inner strength she inherited from her mother pushed her to return to pursue a dream to become a police officer. In 2018, Demps completely flipped the script on her childhood behavior, graduated from the police academy and became Officer Demps, City of Maricopa. She also had became a certified fitness trainer, starting her TRU2U program, which focuses on women’s health and taps into their inner DEMPS WITH DAUGHTER, strength. TRU2U is the acronym for “Train HEAVEN TRANNON to Remain Undefeated.” “Many women give so much of themselves, along the way always giving and forgetting about their own needs,” Demps says. “Society has put this vision of beauty in our heads. I want to help women tap into their true beauty, which I believe starts with self-love. Taking care of your self, what we eat and exercise is a big contributing factor in mental health and overall wellness. Exercise is proven to help with depression, anxiety and stress. “Looking at yourself, saying ‘I’m beautiful I’m enough’ is so powerful. My goal for the women I train is for each of them to become the best version of themselves and not someone else’s version.” Demps also says she is lucky to have found love again with someone who is not just supportive of her health and fitness goals, but someone she can workout with, with equal intensity. During the pandemic, Demps has held weekly boot camps at a local park pushing women to their limits. She also trains in limited groups out of her gym in the garage, keeping it gritty and intense like the workouts at “The Source.” Her next goal is to open a facility, which judging by her track record, it is only a matter of time. To visit TRU2U go to www.Tru2ufit.net

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Hospital Care Can Extend into Your Home by Carolyn Bennett, BSN, RN, BCPA

It’s time to reinvigorate an old idea — continued care outside a hospital. Perhaps in your own home.

ong before COVID-19, predictions of a drastic health-provider shortage were brewing. It already was common to see a lack of physicians and long waits for appointments; hospital beds closed because of a shortage of nurses; hospitals full and unable to accept new admissions. It’s time to reinvigorate an old idea — continued care outside a hospital. Perhaps in your own home. In the mid-20th century if you were ill you went to the hospital. New moms stayed five days after giving birth. Medical and surgical interventions required long hospital stays. Then technology and pharmaceutical interventions grew rapidly, hospital stays shortened, and only the sickest patients were admitted. Surgery and birthing center concepts became reality so one no longer needed to be admitted to the hospital for routine uncomplicated birth or surgery. In the 1970s, home care became a growing industry allowing hospitalized patients to go home earlier than previously imagined. New technology, especially in wound care and IV administration allowed stable patients occupying hospital beds to go home to finish therapy.

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Later the development of outpatient dialysis centers allowed longterm stable kidney failure patients to be at home. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states 4.5 million received homecare in 2015. It’s all about extending care beyond hospital walls. In 1995, a Johns Hopkins medical resident asked, “Could acute medical illness that normally requires hospital admission be well managed in a patient’s home instead?” After research and trials, the result was a 2002 Johns Hopkins Hospital at Home program. Criteria for the program includes validation of clinical appropriateness by a physician. Common reasons to deem a patient appropriate include uncorrectable low levels of oxygen, stable angina, and other multiple chronic conditions. The program must by administered by an accredited hospital. Early studies showed that compared with usual hospital care, the new concept showed fewer complications, greater satisfaction with care, less caregiver stress, better functional outcomes, and lower costs. A 2012 Johns Hopkins study showed a 38% lower six-month mortality rate for hospital-at-home patients compared to hospitalized patients.

Fast forward to 2020. This program design has been adopted successfully across the country by several visionary hospital systems. The greatest obstacle to overcome was payment. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, a March 2020 Medicare decision from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) allowed maximum flexibility by allowing hospital services to extend beyond their existing walls. A November 2020 CMS announcement expanded the program and began certifying hospital systems for this program. As of Feb. 15, 2021, CMS has certified 103 hospitals in 28 states for this novel program. Arizona is NOT one of them — yet. This will forever change the way we view hospitals. Are you ready? Keep in mind the growing number of independent health advocates, who are well informed about health systems, can provide you with information so you can make your best health care choices. Editor’s note: Casa Grande resident Carolyn Bennett, a nurse and board-certified patient advocate, is the owner/ manager of Healthmatch Advocacy (www. healthmatchadvocacy.com). The group works to help people navigate the complexities of the health-care system.

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ELOY, ARIZONA ELOY’S AMENITIES REALLY SHINE IN SPRINGTIME by Micah Powell, Mayor, City of Eloy

I Skydive Arizona offers tandem jumps for visitors and locals where even a novice can experience the exhilaration of freefall, the grace of floating on air, the excitement of landing, no worse for the wear, but having the time of your life.

t is a beautiful spring in Pinal County. I hope everyone has been able to get out and enjoy the weather, view the spectacular spring flowers and be thankful for a new year. Even in the continuing evolution of life with COVID-19, something about the natural desert is calming, invigorating and worth visiting or even exploring. One of best ways to enjoy a day out is visiting Eloy’s Skydive Arizona at the Eloy Municipal Airport. People from all over the world are well aware of Eloy’s skydiving attributes and are anxious to return each year — especially in the spring — for some of the best recreational and competitive freefalling and parachuting in the country. In addition to attracting parachutists from dozens of countries, Skydive Arizona offers tandem jumps for visitors and locals where even a novice can experience the exhilaration of freefall, the grace of floating on air, the excitement of landing, no worse for the wear, but having the time of your life.

You may have seen the Phoenix news story about the World War II veteran who recently did a tandem jump for the first time on his 100th birthday — his response after the jump? “Let’s do that again!” For the less adventurous, Skydive Arizona also has a fully operational indoor wind tunnel allowing for the full sensation of skydiving only several feet off the ground. To round out your day at the airport, visit the Bent Prop Saloon for some of the best food in Pinal County coupled with your favorite beverage while watching single and tandem skydivers soar through the air and land gracefully on their feet with a huge grin on their face! Another perfect way to stay fit, both mentally and physically is to get outside and enjoy Picacho Peak State Park, considered one of the best places in the Western U.S. to view desert wildflowers during their peak viewing season each spring. Picacho Peak State Park offers camping, places to park your RV and walking trails for folks of all abilities. For the slightly more adventurous, there are many trails

Another successful landing and a happy skydiver!

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Even in the continuing evolution of life with COVID-19, something about the natural desert is calming, invigorating and worth visiting or even exploring.

in the Picacho Mountains and the Newman Peak area just east of Eloy. In August 2019, Pinal County opened up an approximate 10-mile portion of the Central Arizona Project (CAP) National Recreation Trail. The trail is a long distance, no-motorized, multiuse recreational trail that offers great views of the Picacho Mountains, including Newman Peak, Picacho Peak and the Tortolita Mountains. The trailhead is located at 24449 E. Nona Road, approximately 1 mile south of Park Link Road. “It’s a flat trail that runs adjacent to the canal,” says Kent Taylor, Pinal County Open Space and Trails Department Director. “When hikers are on the trail, they have a visual of water. It’s good for all levels and we’ve had phenomenal feedback from cyclists.” For more information, please visit parks-trails.pinal. gov and www.summitpost.org/newman-peak/155311. While discovering Eloy, do not miss the Santa Cruz Valley Historic Museum and Sunland Visitor Center. A former school building that now houses both organiza-

Santa Cruz Valley Historic Museum and Sunland Visitor Center

tions has been completely renovated and filled with a great collection of artifacts, historical photos and documents from Pinal County’s past. They are centrally located in Eloy on Toltec Road, north of I-10 and south of Frontier Street. Health officials praise the idea of outside activities in this age of COVID-19, and enjoying nature in and around Eloy is a great way to stay fit. Eloy is a place to enjoy during every season, but spring is when the desert blossoms and Eloy shines. Enjoy what Eloy and the surrounding desert has to offer now, as summer will be here sooner than you think!

Health officials praise the idea of outside activities in this age of COVID-19, and enjoying nature in and around Eloy is a great way to stay fit. Eloy is a place to enjoy during every season, but spring is when the desert blossoms and Eloy shines.

Picacho Mountains petroglyphs

SPRING 2021 2021 •• THE THE MEDICAL, MEDICAL, HEALTH HEALTH & & WELLNESS WELLNESS EDITION EDITION SPRING

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A Team Approach to Breast Cancer Treatment by the Medical Teams at Alliance Cancer Care Arizona and Alliance Surgery Arizona

Our ultimate goal is to provide individualized care with a multidisciplinary approach and make a difficult time as easy as possible for women.

very year, more than 250,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. From the moment a woman is faced with the news of an abnormal mammogram, it is impossible not to feel a great deal of anxiety and uncertainty. Having a team of physicians and breast cancer experts focused on you from that moment, being your guide with the decision making, and ensuring the most collaborative care with all treatment options available is the best start. There are several different types of breast cancer, with treatment options unique to every cancer patient. At Alliance Cancer Care Arizona and Alliance Surgery Arizona, our physicians and team work together throughout your breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Our integrated treatment approach with surgery, radiation therapy and medical oncology, along with resources such as local support groups, nutrition and exercise allows you to have the best possible outcome. Our ultimate goal is to provide individualized care with a multidisciplinary approach and make a difficult time as easy as possible for women. The surgical care of breast cancer

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is a very important component to achieve a cure, and the goal is to remove the disease with the least trauma and least change to the body. Surgical options include breast conservation techniques and mastectomy with or without reconstruction, the decision of which is the best option will be determined by several factors addressed on an individual basis. The role of radiation therapy for the treatment of breast cancer is very important in allowing women to preserve their breasts. Historically, women with breast cancer used to have their entire breast removed. Patients can now have the breast lump removed (lumpectomy) followed by radiation therapy to the remainder of the breast, which is now the new standard of care called breast-conserving therapy. There are now multiple types of radiation therapy for the breast, including whole breast radiation therapy or partial breast radiation therapy. Patients can also now receive radiation therapy to the breast in much shorter periods — now many patients can get this treatment done in three weeks. There also are newer forms of radiation therapy that target a part of the breast rather than the whole breast. Some patients can receive radiation at

the same time of surgery. Medical oncology will help if further treatments are needed. This will depend on the type of breast cancer. Broadly, the different breast cancer types include: hormone-sensitive breast cancer, for which medications such as anti-estrogens (tamoxifen) to aromatase inhibitors (anastrazole, letrozole, exemestane) and estrogen receptor down regulators (fulvestrant) are offered; HER 2 positive breast cancer, named after the discovery of the oncogene HER2 for which therapies to block the effect of HER 2 on cancer growth are offered (trastuzumab, pertuzumab); and triple-negative breast cancer, generally associated with the breast cancer genes (BRCA1/ BRCA2) for which traditional chemotherapy continues to be the main treatment strategy. Increased knowledge and innovations in breast cancer diagnosis and treatments make the future bright for women diagnosed with this illness. If you, or a loved one, have had an abnormal mammogram, been diagnosed with breast cancer, or would like to receive a second opinion on breast cancer treatment, please visit AZBreastCare.com or call us at 520876-0416 today.

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MARICOPA, ARIZONA EXCEPTIONAL HEALTHCARE BREAKS GROUND ON MARICOPA’S FIRST HOSPITAL by City of Maricopa Economic and Community Development

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aricopa’s first freestanding community hospital, consisting of 10 inpatient beds and 10 emergency beds, broke ground in November 2020. The single-story building will be located just south of the overpass on John Wayne Parkway. The state-of-the-art facility will include a specialty internal medicine hospital, a 24-hour emergency unit, an in-house laboratory, and a digital imaging suite — including CT scan, X-Ray, mobile MRI and ultrasound. Dallas-based Exceptional Healthcare’s Emergency Health Center will also feature a helipad for rapid transfer of patients to larger hospitals in the Phoenix region. “For over a decade now the City of Maricopa has been working diligently to assist health care options to locate here,” Mayor Christian Price says. “We are extremely excited to see Exceptional Emergency Centers open Maricopa’s very first 24/7 ER and hospital. This new facility will provide desperately needed medical services to our ever-increasing population, and we are so very appreciative for their large investment in our city.” Saeed Mahboubi, chief financial officer of Exceptional Healthcare, says, “The experience working with the City of Maricopa has been fantastic. City leadership has been extremely supportive of the Exceptional Healthcare project, and has been there to assist us every step of the way. We look forward to providing much-needed jobs and services to Maricopa residents in 2021.” As Maricopa continues to attract residents for affordable housing and a high quality-of-life, a full spectrum of medical and emergency care will shortly follow. The City of Maricopa will continue to work closely with the developers to ensure a rapid completion of the Exceptional Healthcare facility, which is currently projecting a completion date in autumn 2021. For additional details on this site and others, visit www.whatsnewmaricopa.com

RENDERINGS COURTESY OF EXCEPTIONAL HEALTHCARE

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SUPERIOR, ARIZONA TRY SUPERIOR APPROACH TO WELLNESS by Mila Besich, Mayor, Town of Superior

O Superior is home to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, a 343acre oasis representing the gardens of the arid desert climates across the world.

ur personal health and wellness have been top of mind for everyone this past year — and not just here in Arizona or the U.S. Pre-pandemic, we often thought of wellness as a day at the spa, or a workout at the gym, or whatever our individual health regimens may have been. Wellness encompasses much more than these basics. It also encompasses our surroundings, as well as having access to clean air and water and the space and time for recreation and relaxation. We have had to revamp how we travel and vacation. For me, even my micro-cations have turned into “mini-micro-cations,” which usually entail a day trip involving lots of outdoor activities. These trips are always a welcome respite from a harried schedule and great stress reliever. We are fortunate to live in a state with so many days of sunshine! We are able to enjoy a variety of climates across our state that allow us to enjoy the outdoors nearly year long. Access to the great outdoors is available in a huge supply around Superior, and I invite you to visit our community to find your special place to enjoy wellness.

Superior is home to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, a 343-acre oasis representing the gardens of the arid desert climates across the world. You will find 4.75 miles of well-maintained and marked trails to stroll. You are guaranteed to find a special place to calm your mind, inhale the fresh air, and you may find that you want to start a new hobby of gardening. The Arboretum offers a variety of classes and has many plant species to purchase. If you are looking for a little more adventure, and maybe adding more balance and using your upper body strength for your wellness routine, rock climbing in Queen Creek Canyon or hiking to the top of Picket Post Mountain might be your calling. If distance, time and planning are activities you enjoy, planning a backpacking trip on the Arizona Trail starting from Picket Post might be another adventure. If you are working up to any one of these adventures, consider hiking, mountain biking or horseback riding on the Legends of Superior Trail. Users can now hike the entire length of the trail from Picket Post Trail head through Arnett Canyon and into the ruins of the infamous Pinal City. You can see firsthand how Superior grew from its pre-historic days into a bustling mining town of Pinal City, and fast forward into present-day Superior as the trail traverses through our quaint downtown. Keep going and you will head into Queen Creek Canyon, where you can hike on the original US 60 alignment between Superior and Miami. This stretch of highway (trail) was America’s first million-dollara-mile highway! If outdoor adventure is not part of your wellness regimen or preference, there still is plenty to enjoy in Superior for your custom micro-cation. Boutiques and art galleries, and a variety of restaurants for every palate, are available throughout our town. Our community also boasts wine tasting and craft brewing. Most importantly, as our lives continue to pivot and change, please remember that care for one’s self never looks the same for everyone, but self-care is critically important to our personal wellness.

BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM PHOTO BLUSHING CACTUS PHOTOGRAPHY

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Florence Chamber Pushing for Autism-Certified Town by Blake Herzog

There have been a number of studies showing the correlation between training/ awareness of special needs with a measurable increase in tourism spending.

he Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce is leading an effort to earn an “Autism-Certified Town” designation for the Town of Florence through training businesses, first responders and other members of other community sectors how to interact with people who have autism or other cognitive disorders. Chamber Executive Director Roger Biede said the campaign was inspired by the City of Mesa, which in 2019 became the first (and is still the only) municipality that has won the “Autism-Certified” label from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. “The Florence Chamber started working with a couple of projects to educate our Town and businesses on autism and came across the program that Mesa had done. It seemed to be

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exactly what we were looking for and something that would work well in Florence,” he said. The certification is awarded more frequently to individual businesses, public agencies and nonprofits that have educated employees about serving this sector of the population. Arizona examples of this include the Queen Creek Parks and Recreation Department, OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale, Salt River Project (SRP) and several large hotels in the Phoenix area. Biede said in his announcement of the Autism-Certified Town initiative in January that this designation will market local attractions to families with neurologically atypical family members who want to know if emergency personnel, hotel and restaurant staff and others will know how to serve them with respect and without causing distress.

He told Golden Corridor LIVING, “Our mission is to make as extensive a network as possible of trained and trusted destinations that families with individuals with autism and other sensory disorders can trust with their vacation, shopping and even main residence plans. “There have been a number of studies showing the correlation between training/awareness of special needs with a measurable increase in tourism spending.” The response from business owners and government officials has been “overwhelmingly positive and completely supported,” he added, with many asking how they can get started in the program. Biede said it will take about a year for enough Florence entities to complete the self-paced online classes. Workers in the health care, education, tourism, public safety, small business, corporate and workforce development areas will get position-specific written and video instruction on how to interact positively with neurodiverse residents and customers. The initiative includes encouraging employers to hire cognitively disabled workers for the unique talents they have, pointers for hospitality and recreation destinations to make everyone’s visit a positive one and, in the medical field, continuing education credits for therapists. Happy Hearts Communities is planning to participate. Amy Kinnett is working to establish a community of “tiny homes” for high-functioning adults with disabilities. She recently opened Old West Homebrew Saloon at 350 N. Main St. to help support Happy Hearts.

THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION • SPRING 2021

Special Section: Medical, Health & Wellness

Historic Florence

Kinnett has a son with autism. She said there are many instances when a business can make its environment more welcoming to people who are on the spectrum. “Let’s say it’s light sensitivity, and the business can dim the lights to help with the light sensitivity. Or let’s say it’s noise, and I’m cooking something and using a blender in the back of my shop and it’s too loud, my employees or I know that, OK, I do have a unique individual in my shop and I’m going to give them a heads-up that there’s going to be a loud noise right now, and we can make those accommodations to make them more comfortable,” she said. She said the Autism-Certified Town designation will be positive for Flor-

ence and its business community. “Having this happen is huge for our little community, and people will see it, they’ll recognize it on the map, knowing they can take their family to Florence and know that if they have a child or adult child with special needs, the people on the front lines will know how to handle a situation when the situation arises. For more information about the Autism-Certified Town campaign call the Chamber at 520-868-9433. For more on how your organization can obtain the certification, contact Meredith Tekin, president of International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, at meredith@ibcces.org.

The initiative includes encouraging employers to hire cognitively disabled workers for the unique talents they have.

Photos courtesy of the Florence Chamber of Commerce

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Fitness Starts at Home by Tiffanie Grady-Gillespie, Certified Physical Trainer, Certified Corporate Wellness Coach, WickedFiTT

I We are setting the example; our kids are watching; it’s time we start practicing what we preach.

get it, I’m a mom, and I totally understand how difficult it is to find time to work out when a good day is finding time to go to the bathroom without your kids following you. True, it does get tougher once we become parents to find time to exercise, but it becomes even more important. We are setting the example; our kids are watching; it’s time we start practicing what we preach. It’s simple really. If we want our kids to eat healthy, we need to eat healthy. If we want them to exercise, we need to exercise. Fitness-focused families are generally healthier, happier and more resilient to the stress and pressure of everyday life. Try to find what works best for your family and make it fun. Incorporate a little creativity. Remember, you don’t just find the time to exercise; you have to create it. Set aside the time. And just to be clear, a workout doesn’t have to mean running laps or lifting weights. Think of exercise as leading an active lifestyle with your kids, and you’ll be able to fit in way more than you think. Here are some great family-friendly activities to get you started;

Walk the dog — This may seem super simple, but kids tend to have such a fascination with animals. An activity as basic as walking the dog likely will seem so much more exciting to kids than to you, making this a great way to get the whole family (and the dog) moving.

Go for a swim — Swimming is known as the perfect exercise. It provides you with all of the benefits of a full aerobic workout without putting any pressure on the joints. Swimming is an exercise that can be done by just about every member of the family, no matter their age.

Dance, dance, dance — Dancing is such a fantastic

workout, and this is an easy one for getting the whole family involved. Maybe pop in a dance game and compete in your living room. You will all have a great time, get an awesome workout and improve those dancing skills.

Get creative — Think like a kid. Playing games like

freeze tag or an active game of animal charades with kids or keep-away with pets is a great way to sneak some cardio in while also having fun. They won’t even realize it’s exercise. This may not be a super popular option with the kiddos, but household chores also can be turned into a workout. Whichever activity you choose, you’ll burn extra calories instead of storing them. Teaching our kids the importance of physical activity while they are young will help them maintain the habit when they’re older.

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Developing, Practicing Self-Regulation by Lex Solberg, ASU Public Allies Fellow, Casa Grande Alliance

Selfregulation involves taking a pause between a feeling and an action; taking time to think things through, make a plan, wait patiently.

o our impulsive behavior and disruptive emotions interfere with our ability to be happy and live our fullest life? In terms of our emotional wellness, self-regulation is a key process in helping to control thoughts, emotions and behaviors. When we self-regulate, we pause and think before we act on an emotion or feeling. Improving this skill can help us improve our emotional well-being and feelings of happiness.

Developing, Practicing Self-Regulation

Emotional literacy:

•

Dealing with stressors:

•

Deliberate thinking:

Everyone has an approach that will work best for them because of our unique personalities and experiences: •

What is self-regulation?

According to a book by Arlin Cuncic called The Anxiety Workbook, self-regulation has a wide range of definitions in politics, business and mental health. When narrowed down to focus on our wellness, selfregulation still has plenty of nuances. Two types of self-regulation exist — behavioral and emotional: • Behavioral self-regulation involves acting in our best interest when our feelings suggest taking a different action. • Emotional self-regulation refers to controlling intense emotions like sadness, frustration and anger.

•

Mindfulness: This is the

ability to give our purposeful, nonjudgmental attention in the present moment. By engaging in skills such as focused breathing and gratitude, mindfulness enables us to put some space between ourselves and our reactions, leading to better focus and feelings of calmness and relaxation.

Cognitive reframing:

This process involves challenging negative thought patterns and replacing the negative energy with more reasonable and positive thoughts. By rethinking our thoughts, we can develop healthier responses and shift our mental energy to more productive and helpful thoughts.

This is our ability to identify and understand our emotions and the emotions of others. Improving our skill involves understanding why we feel a certain way and finding healthy ways to resolve that feeling. By identifying our stressors, it can help us be more prepared by building healthy coping strategies. In the heat of the moment, we must work to manage our upset and strive to regain a relaxed, thoughtful state before responding.

Our ability to self-regulate helps us to build our confidence and selfesteem. It helps us to express our thoughts and feelings appropriately. Self-regulation allows us to bounce back from failure and stay calm under pressure.

The process of self-regulation consists of three steps: monitoring, judging and responding to our emotions and behavior. Selfregulation is about our ability to think before we act. It reflects our ability to cheer ourselves up after disappointments and to act in ways consistent with our deepest values. Self-regulation involves taking a pause between a feeling and an action; taking time to think things through, make a plan, wait patiently. BLUSHING CACTUS PHOTOGRAPHY

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PINAL COUNTY PRESS A R IZONA CIT Y • C A SA GR A NDE • CO OLIDGE • ELOY • FLOR ENCE • M A R ICOPA

CONTINUED…

Judge William O’Neil Announces Retirement A

rizona Supreme Court Presiding Disciplinary Judge William J. O’Neil of Casa Grande has announced he’ll retire this year after his successor is chosen. O’Neil said at the time of his February announcement: “I am grateful for the many opportunities I have been given to serve the courts, the public, and this profession. I have been blessed to be able to safely moor myself to the steady rocks of my wife, family, friends and colleagues. “They all remain the proverbial wind beneath my wings. How wonderful it has been for this rural kid born and raised in Casa Grande, to have worked so closely with seven different chief justices over the last 30 years.” O’Neil was appointed to the then-newly created statewide judgeship in 2010, where he has overseen a three-member panel adjudicating attorney discipline, reinstatement and disability cases. He was a Pinal County Superior Court judge from 1991 to 2010, presiding over the Juvenile Court from 1992 to 2003, the Superior Court from 2001 to 2005, and was presiding county civil judge from 2007 to 2010. O’Neil has been at the forefront of many court innovations, chairing or sitting on numerous

boards, commissions, task forces and forums. He created one of the first Domestic Violence Court programs in the United States, co-chaired the Supreme Court Committee to Study Family Court, chaired the Committee on Juvenile Court, and as chairman of Project Passport he helped standardize protective orders across Arizona and the United States. O’Neil has been a faculty member for more than 100 legal

SUPERIOR MAYOR ...cont. from page 12

The Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee is responsible for developing policy and leading league’s advocacy on infrastructure and sustainability-related issues such as water infrastructure and water quality, air quality, energy, climate change, solid and hazard-

to support our local economies. Our economic realities, opportunities and challenges can help inform systemic changes that will benefit countless small communities throughout the United States.”

seminars and conferences and keynote speaker for more than 50 conferences and forums, as well as a frequent adjunct professor, guest lecturer, mock high school trial judge and participant in the national We the People program. Chief Justice Robert Brutinel said in February that “Judge O’Neil’s experience as a trial judge and Pinal County presiding judge was critical to successfully establishing the office of Presiding

Disciplinary Judge. Judge O’Neil set a standard for efficiency and fairness that creates a benchmark for the Presiding Disciplinary Judges to come, he said.” O’Neil graduated from Casa Grande Union High School in 1969 and has volunteered for many organizations around the county including United Way, Heart Association, the foundations of Central Arizona College, Casa Grande Rotary and CGUHS; he coached and refereed in several youth leagues.

Judge William O’Neil

ous waste management, local food systems and public lands, according to the National League of Cities website. Most recently, the committee has focused on issues pertaining to water infrastructure such as financing mechanisms and addressing community and resi-

dential affordability and climate change mitigation, adaptation and community resilience. Besich will be one of 43 committee members, both elected officials and city staff, committed to influencing policies that affect local government operations.

Special Section: Medical, Health & Wellness

Coffee Can Perk Up Health I

n the past, coffee was associated with adverse health effects, but that was when some studies of its impact didn’t consider many of its drinkers also smoked and had a sedentary lifestyle. More recent research has discovered numerous health benefits from black coffee, though its high caffeine content does warrant caution for those sensitive to it or have acid reflux.

How coffee helps: Promotes heart health — A 2013 review of

36 studies of the link between coffee and heart health by the journal Epidemiology and Prevention found a reduced risk of heart disease in those who drank three to five cups per day over those who drank no coffee or more than 5 cups per day.

Protects against type 2 diabetes — A

Harvard study published in 2014 followed more than 120,000 coffee drinkers for up to 20 years and reported that those who increased their coffee intake by more than a cup a day for four years had an 11% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Conversely, those who decreased their coffee by one cup a day had a 17% higher risk of the disease.

Slows onset of dementia — A 2012 study

from the University of South Florida took the blood caffeine levels of 124 adults with early symptoms of memory loss, then tracked progression toward dementia over the next four years. No participants found to have a blood caffeine level above 1,200 ng/ml had progressed to fullblown dementia. Coffee was the main source of caffeine.

Protects the liver — Several studies have found coffee drinkers are less likely to die from liver cirrhosis, have high amounts of harmful liver enzymes or suffer scarring from hepatitis C. A 2015 study found drinking one cup a day reduced risk of death from chronic liver disease by 15%, while drinking four cups reduced your chances by 71%.

Reduces skin cancer risk — A review of

more than 445,000 white participants in the NIH-AARP Health Study published in 2015 by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found cases of malignant melanoma were 20% lower in four-cup-a-day caffeinated coffee drinkers.

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THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION • SPRING 2021

Special Section: Medical, Health & Wellness

Healthy Recipes

Choco Mocha Protein Shake by Bailey Zygutis, Nutritionist, Vitruvian Fitness This zip of a drink will taste even smoother if you blend all nonfrozen ingredients well before adding ice. 2 tbs 1 tsp 1 scoop 1 cup 1/2 tsp 3-4 cubes 1-2 pinches

Coconut cream Cocoa powder Protein isolate Coffee (brewed) Xanthun gum Ice Pink Salt

(optional) Garnish with strawberries Sweeten with stevia to taste

SPRING 2021 • THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION

OR LI V ING SPECI A L SEC TION • GOLDEN GOLDEN CORRID CORRIDOR VING

If you would like to contribute images of area events, people, pets and scenery, please post on our Facebook page or email to: editor@roxco.com

KEVIN WEAD

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SHANNON PRICE

BLUSHING CACTUS PHOTOGRAPHY

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THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION • SPRING 2021

Health • Happiness • Education

KEVIN WEAD

JULIE TURETZKY

PATTI MARCOTTE

BLUSHING CACTUS PHOTOGRAPHY

KEVIN WEAD SPRING 2021 • THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION

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In Memoriam

Kanavel Guided Pinal’s Economic Explosion

im Kanavel was hired as Pinal County’s first economic development director in 2009, and over the next dozen years led efforts that attracted some $8 billion worth of investment, including electric vehicle makers Lucid Motors and Nikola Corp. Kanavel, who died Feb. 9, 2021 from complications of COVID-19, leaves behind three children, four grandchildren and countless co-workers, business leaders and residents in mourning. He was 64. Pinal County Board of Supervisors Chairman Stephen Miller said in a statement the next day, “Tim came from the working world

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having begun his career in the oilfields, and as a result, knew how important jobs are and what they mean to everyday lives. “There was nobody more dedicated to his job and to Pinal County than Tim.” Vice-Chairman Mike Goodman added, “There’s no way you can replace a Tim Kanavel. What he’s done for this County and our communities is truly beyond measurement, we’re going to see the impact of Tim’s work for decades. What’s going to be challenging is to continue that legacy.” He and his department won several awards during his tenure —Economic Developer of the Year (small community) in 2017 by the Arizona Association of Economic Developers and Large Organization of the Year last year. He was the first person to win the economic developer honor twice, having received it in 2004 while rural economic development manager for the state Department of Commerce. He started out drilling in the oilfields of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, then attended the University of Arizona and worked for Wickenburg Regional Economic Development Partnership, Tucson Airport, and the former Greater Tucson Economic Council. His full title at the County was Economic Development and Workforce Development Director, and he worked with educators across the County to align training programs to the skills prospective employers need. He

was active with Pinal Partnership and many more local organizations. Kanavel, who went back to work at the County just three weeks after a second kidney transplant, was known for his unfailing energy and commitment to bring jobs to every part of the County, as he said in a Golden Corridor LIVING article last year about a “tech corridor” study. “Every city in the whole entire County is going to be a part of this,” he said. “Whether we put a company over in Mammoth or not, the workforce and opportunities for auxiliary operations will be there. Not all of them are going to go along the freeway because they don’t need to be on the freeway.” Known for his prodigious energy, enthusiasm and conversation, he admitted in a 2018 GCL ROX interview he wasn’t “always on.” “I’ll tell you, this is really funny though. On the weekends, I don’t call anybody, I don’t talk to anybody, I don’t hardly see anybody. I really don’t. I don’t go anywhere. Because I have to recharge,” he said. County Economic Development Program Manager Stephanie Maack said of her boss and friend, “Tim chose economic development as a profession as a way to give back to people. He used to say he was responsible for over 450,000 lives (Pinal County population) and helping to make their quality of life better. He was the biggest cheerleader for the County, municipalities, and the clients he worked with.”

THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION • SPRING 2021

w to Develop and Practice How How toDevelop Develop Develop and Practice PracticeSelf-Regulation Self-Regulation Self-Regulation How toto and Practice Self-Regulation By: LexBy: olberg, public allies fellow, casa grande alliance By:Lex Lex olberg, olberg, public allies allies fellow, fellow, casa casa grande grande alliance alliance

By: Lex olberg, public allies fellow, casa grande alliance

u canYou use many to improve your self-regulation skills. Everyone Youcan can use usestrategies many manystrategies strategies to improve improve your your self-regulation self-regulation skills. skills. Everyone Everyone that will bestbest for them because of our unique has approach that that work will work work best for for them them because because ofof our our unique unique has has an anmany approach approach Youan can use strategies to improve your self-regulation skills. Everyone personalities and experiences. Self-regulation strategies can include: personalities personalities and and experiences. experiences. Self-regulation Self-regulation strategies strategies can can include: include:

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Mindfulness Mindfulness Mindfulness

y psychologists suggest suggest practicing mindfulness whenwhen you you want to improve your self-regulation. With Many Manypsychologists psychologists suggestpracticing practicing mindfulness mindfulness when youwant want totoimprove improve your your self-regulation. self-regulation. With With dfulness, you can look at thoughts, feelings and behavior non-judgmentally to make conscious mindfulness, mindfulness, you youcan canyour look lookat at your your thoughts, thoughts, feelings feelings and andbehavior behavior non-judgmentally non-judgmentally to to make make conscious conscious decisions. decisions. decisions.

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understanding why you feel a certain way and finding healthy ways to resolve that feeling.

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stressors and triggers Staying calm andcalm thinking rationally before you react to atoto situation can help with Staying Staying calm and andIdentify thinking thinking rationally rationally before before you youreact react a asituation situation can can help help with with

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Deliberate thinking

Staying calm and thinking rationally before you react to a situation can help with Try relaxing yourself before you respond to a situation practicing self-regulation. Drug Misuse and Treatment Referrals Drug DrugPrevention Misuse Misuse Prevention Prevention and andTreatment Treatment Referrals Referrals 280 the W. 280 McMurry Blvd. Blvd. 280 W. W.McMurry McMurry Blvd. and objectively consider consequences of what you feel like doing. Casa Grande, AZ 85122 Casa Casa Grande, Grande, AZ AZ85122 85122 520-836-5022 520-836-5022 520-836-5022 www.CasaGrandeAlliance.com www.CasaGrandeAlliance.com www.CasaGrandeAlliance.com Facebook: CGAlliance | Twitter: @CG_Alliance Facebook: Facebook: CGAlliance CGAlliance ||Twitter: Twitter: @CG_Alliance @CG_Alliance

In Memoriam

Snider Was County, City, Schools Leader

ongtime Casa Grande and Pinal County leader David Snider was serving as president of the Casa Grande Elementary School District board and a leader on water conservation issues when he died suddenly of an aortic dissection Jan. 22, 2021. He served two terms on the Pinal County Board of Supervisors from 2005 to 2012 and began his second stint on the CGESD board in 2014, having served for 12 years before he was elected supervisor. He was also vice chairman of the County’s Groundwater Users Advisory Council, chairman of the Pinal County Water Augmentation Authority (since 1996) and a City of Casa Grande planning and zoning commissioner at the time of his death. He also was on the boards of Latino Familia Initiative, Central Arizona College Foundation, Pinal County Water Augmenta-

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tion Authority, Against Abuse and the Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review. Snider attended American University in Beirut and earned a master’s degree in library science at Wayne State University before coming to Casa Grande in 1977 to become its library director. He held the job for 26 years during its rapid expansion while establishing himself as an expert on education and water policy. He launched a consulting service for resource conservation, government and infrastructure issues after retiring from the City. Other groups he’d led in the past included Central Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation board and Pinal County’s Local Drought Impact Group. CGESD Superintendent Jo Etta Gonzales says Snider inspired all of the other current members of the school board to run for their seats, and was “so

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PINAL COUNTY

passionate about public education, literacy, social and emotional learning, and ensuring our schools had a focus on equality and diversity.” He brought that same commitment to everything from water rights to recognizing military veterans, but most of all to community, Gonzales says: “I think everybody felt like David was their friend.” The school board had voted to name the district office in his honor, Gonzales says, likely becoming the David Snider Leadership Center. “I think it’s very appropriate.” He always pushed for his community to maintain control of its destiny as it worked within the context of Arizona and its location between its two largest cities, as he did in a candidate statement to Golden Corridor LIVING when he ran for Casa Grande City Council in 2016. “Casa Grande needs to continue to be an active ‘player’ at all levels in the areas of transportation, natural resources (especially water), land use, economic development, regional infrastructure, etc. That means having the strongest possible presence at the tables where critical decisions are being made

that will impact our future. We cannot allow others to determine where and how we will grow in the future,” he wrote. Many people paid tribute to Snider after his passing including Rep. Tom O’Halleran, who tweeted a video of himself reading a statement about Snider into the Congressional Record: “In every role he dedicated himself tirelessly and selflessly to his community. I was honored to spend years working together on our state’s water conservation and management issues. Water is the lifeblood of the Southwest, and David helped ensure that families across our great state had access to clean drinking water.”

THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION • SPRING 2021

CAC Commercial Electrician Installer Program Opens Career Path by Ross Rector, Carpentry/Electrician Programs Professor

areer pathway, profession, occupation, trade, etc. are all synonymous terms most likely very familiar to today’s students and in professional education arenas. These terms also are synonymous with enhancing the quality of one’s life. The commercial electrician installer program at Central Arizona College is aimed at creating opportunities for individuals aspiring to be an electrician while enhancing their professional possibilities. The program meets four days a week, for 16 weeks at the college’s Superstition Mountain Campus. Coursework is based on the nationally recognized curriculum from the National Center for Construction Education Research (NCCER). Hands-on instruction with real life application is provided by experienced electricians. At the completion of their studies, students will earn a Commercial Electrician Installer Certificate from CAC and certificate credentials from the NCCER and OSHA. The 18 college credits they complete are transferable for continued education as desired. CAC and Wilson Electric have a strong partnership that provides a strong career path for graduates. Wilson Electric offers one and a half years of completed apprenticeship experience to any program completer they hire.

More than 90% of students who have completed the commercial electrician installer program are engaged in the electrical workforce, establishing their career pathway as an electrician and enhancing their opportunities for success.

WILSON ELECTRIC COMMERCIAL ELECTRICIAN INSTALLER

High School Programs Early College

For the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Register for up to 5 college credits (CAC 100 level or higher) and receive a tuition waiver (covering in state tuition) and maintain a required CAC GPA of 2.5.

Dual Enrollment

High School students may take college classes at their high school as part of their regular high school day in the fall or spring. Students are responsible for tuition.

Concurrent Enrollment

High school students who are academically prepared can earn college credit while still in high school as a Special Admit student. Students are responsible for tuition.

Upward Bound

CAC Upward Bound is a FREE pre-college, academic support program that prepares students in grades 9 through 12 to become successful college students.

Summer Bridge

Summer Bridge is a five-day extended orientation to college. During Summer Bridge, students learn valuable skills crucial to success in college.

centralaz.edu/hsprograms SPRING 2021 • THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION

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Connect with Compassion: 20 Ways to Make a Difference by Donna McBride, Councilwoman, City of Casa Grande

pril is National Volunteer Month. Every year people jump at the chance to do something special to highlight the month. But what about the other 11 months of the year? Could we possibly do something all yearlong? Volunteering isn’t just about donating money, starting a special campaign or project. It can be something simple. It isn’t just to help others, but to help ourselves. We don’t need an excuse or a special month to connect and create change around us. Each of us reflect one piece of a puzzle. When we connect with one another, we create the “bigger picture.” Sometimes it’s something, like that puzzle piece, that is right in front of us but we can’t find it. Here’s a great way to start. If you do just one thing a month from this list — you will fill up your year, and heart, with compassion.

1. Make it a habit to respect everyone — This includes while

driving, walking, interacting with people in line. Small ripples of respect can make a big difference in your community.

2. Dedicate a day to help out a friend with their goals — We all have talents and dreams. Why not help those you care about reach their full potential?

3. Random acts of kindness —

Whether it’s wheeling out a neighbor’s trash bin, clearing weeds, opening the door for a stranger, saying hello to at least one new person a day, set the goal to be kind.

4. Be the person who welcomes a new neighbor — Peering out your window wondering who is this new person moving in next door? Go say hi!

5. Write a positive review

about a local business —

Few are more dependent on the local community than small shops. Make the business owner’s day by posting something positive.

6. Ask a senior citizen about their past — They have a lifetime of wisdom to share. Storytelling from their eyes will benefit you just as much as it will benefit them.

7. Share your musical talent —

Spark creativity by teaching skills to kids, or perhaps offer to play for folks at a retirement community.

8. Bake a smile — Making some

cupcakes? Save a couple extra to share with a friend or neighbor. A treat for no reason is the best!

9. Mentor someone — Sometimes

the only thing a person needs is a mentor to guide them. Be that person. Then challenge them to pass it on!

10. Pick it up — Next time you take a

walk around your neighborhood, school grounds or the park, take a small grocery bag with you. If you see trash, pick it up. One small bag can make a difference.

11. Leave a surprise in a book

— Imagine the smile someone would have to find a homemade bookmark, card or note from a complete stranger. It can be a book you donate, a magazine at the doctor’s office or at the library.

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12. Attend community meetings — Many times we want to change the world but forget to start local. Many important issues and solutions are being discussed every day at community meetings. Keep in mind it’s better to be for something or a solution than against.

13. Start a club — Have you ever thought, I wish there was a _________ in this town. Go out and make it happen.

14. Start with your own family — Is there a nephew who needs some extra attention? Is there an aunt whose car needs an oil change? Compassion isn’t just for strangers.

19. Get lost at the library — There are so

many things you can explore at the library. Books, movies, music, free classes. It’s endless. And it’s free, free, free!

20. Create a Kindness Jar — Write down

positive acts when someone does something kind for you. Put it in the jar. It will be a great pick-me-up when you are having a bad day. You could even share what you wrote with those who made it happen and return their kindness. This can be done by yourself, your family or even friends. Kindness is contagious!

15. Get off your phone and look around — If you spend more time on social media than talking to a real person, maybe it’s time to get off your phone and see what is going on around you.

16. Compliment a parent — Ever notice a wellbehaved child in the store or restaurant? Share it with the parent — this could be the compliment to make a parent’s day.

17. Help someone get active — We all need to move, so offer to walk with a friend or create your own neighborhood walking club to support each other.

18. Let someone cut in front of you in

line — Not in a hurry? Let someone cut in front

of you. They might be in a hurry or have lots going on in their life. Your gesture could make all the difference to their day. SPRING 2021 • THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION

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Art of Moulage Brings Realism to Disaster Drills by Blake Herzog

Actor with a moulage (fake) injury

rt Carlton, an emergency planner for the Pinal County Office of Emergency Management, says he remembers when most mass-casualty training exercises for first responders relied on pieces of paper to describe the injuries or vital signs that volunteer “patients” were supposed to have in the context of the drill. “They used to have just a little halfsheet of paper stuck to them, telling them what their wounds are,” he says. “I noted the medical personnel, the police, going out to them and saying ‘Oh yeah, you know, it’s just another exercise, you read the card and it’s already got everything described on them. “It clicked on me that we were not allowing these guys to practice their skills during the drills,” he says. When the County hired Charles Kmet to lead the emergency management department, Carlton says one of his first suggestions to him was to increase the realism of County drills by employing moulage, or the art of fabricating realistic wounds for simulation purposes. “When they come off the fire truck and they think this is just another exercise and they see this wound, they say ‘Oh, oh, no, this is, yeah, we’ve got to help this person, see what’s wrong with them.’ And you see the looks on their faces changing,” he says. Carlton was more than game to add this role to his list of responsibilities

accumulated over 30 years at the County — he’d always been fascinated by the use of moulage in forensic applications. After taking one eighthour class, Carlton has been teaching himself, finding it to be a natural extension of his 40-year-plus model railroading hobby. He’s spent the last five years learning how to mold material and makeup into realistic-looking bullet wounds, burns, bruises, broken bones, skull fractures, internal injuries and any other kind of severe injury that can be applied to a volunteer or a manikin. “I’ll moulage (the manikins) up as dead people. A lot of people don’t like playing dead, for some reason,” Carlton says. He consults with fellow County emergency planner Barbara Elliott, who is a paramedic, on how to get the details of the festering “wounds” and oozing “blood” as accurate as possible for training purposes. He’s found many relatively inexpensive materials that can be used for his art, starting with Elmer’s glue, which can be molded into fake wounds or alter a person’s appearance by decades. Silicon is his go-to for most wounds to be applied to volunteer “patients.” Latex is easier for him to work with, but allergies to it are common enough that it can’t be used a lot of the time. He’s used PVC pipe as bones, but he’s found a hard silicon product he likes much better.

Realistic drills are key. The organization recruits "actors" to play the roles of injured people.

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Art has been a longtime model railroader and is very skilled at making displays.

“I definitely love it for bones, you’ve got the coarseness outside and little air pockets inside of the bones. This material will duplicate that for me, and it really makes it more realistic for the guys and gals out there,” he says. Many of the wounds worn by volunteers cost only about $2 each, while full prosthetics intended to be reused can run a bit higher but are still a bargain. Take for instance a severed foot he created for a little less than half the $1,500 it would cost a movie studio to buy it. Funding for the moulage and other disaster drill costs comes to the County through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal sources and not the County’s coffers, Carlton says. Given the complexity and planning required for a full-scale mass casualty training exercise, Pinal County often does only one of them a year. But Carlton has led and participated in others around the state, and his reputation precedes him.

Carlton says one of the participants at a 2019 exercise in Cochise County recognized his work. “For a doctor at a small hospital in Benson to say, ‘You must have Art Carlton doing your moulaging,’ that tells me that the word is getting around, and people like it and it’s helping in some way,” he says.

Molded simulated body part to be used during training exercise

Various "parts" in progress now.

When the County hired Charles Kmet to lead the emergency management department, Carlton says one of his first suggestions to him was to increase the realism of County drills by employing moulage, or the art of fabricating realistic wounds for simulation purposes.

Photos: Art Carlton

SPRING 2021 • THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION

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Thrift Shop Has New Name, New Location

he Valley Humane Society’s major fund raiser, BowWow Meow Thrift Shop, has moved right around the corner from the space it has occupied since 2016 on 2nd Street in downtown Casa Grande, to the building previously occupied by Casa Grande Consignments at 315 N. Florence Street. This move will allow the newly renamed BowWow Meow Thrift Store & Consignments to increase the revenue to VHS for the rescue, care, and adoption of dogs and cats. BowWow Meow contributes to that effort by accepting and selling both donations and consignments of furniture, large décor, and art items at the new location. The high-end boutique ambience, as well as the low pricing of the former thrift shop enjoyed by our customers have not changed. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Valley Humane Society is the only no-kill shelter in Pinal County and routinely adopts out more than 200 dogs and cats each month! VHS is a 501©3 non-profit organization that is totally funded by private donations. BowWow Meow is a very important contributor to that effort, and 100% of the funds raised go directly to the animals. BowWow Meow has always depended on the donation of volunteers donating their time, passion, and expertise, and now the need for committed volunteers has significantly increased. Volunteer applications are always accepted for consideration and can be obtained online at www.valleyhumane.net or at the store. BowWow Meow Thrift Store & Consignments accepts donations of all types of items during hours of operation at the rear door of the store. Pick up can be arranged for large items. If you

want to consign items, please call the store at 520-836-5118 for information on the procedure. If you are a previous BowWow Meow customer, you will be pleased that not much has changed about the store you loved, but the extra space has given us room for many more

items from which to choose. If you are a previous Consignments customer, you will also be pleased to see that we have the same quality merchandise at the same reasonable prices. If you haven’t yet visited us at either store, we would love to see you!

NEW NAME! NEW LOCATION! NEW ITEMS!

BowWow Meow THRIFT STORE & CONSIGNMENTS 315 N. Florence Street, Casa Grande, AZ 85122

520-836-5118 Do not leave message

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday Consignment Information or donation pick-up – call store during open hours

Donations: Bring to back door of store during business hours

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Easy Fixes

TO KEEP PETS, HOME CLEAN

e all know keeping your home clean is important to the health of everyone who lives there. But having pets can run counter to this goal, even as they contribute to family health through companionship, lowered risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, added exercise and other things that benefit us all. Fortunately, pet owners have come up with quite a few shortcuts to make it easier to maintain a clean home for human and animal family members alike. It’s turned into a science for many pet owners.

Pet hair pickup — If you don’t have a lint roller or

Box in the box — Put a barrier between the litter

box and any dogs who love to wallow in the sand and filth by putting a barrier around it, elevate it or use a covered litter box with a secure top to deter any canine incursions. You could even put a doggie sandbox in the backyard so they can get in their digs in a more convenient place.

Baking soda cleans up pet urine — Along

with its myriad other uses, baking soda effectively cleans up pet urine when it’s caught quickly. Just sprinkle it over the affected area, leave it for 20 minutes and vacuum it up to take care of the stain and the odor!

brush on hand (and these aren’t always the greatest tools anyway) there are many other implements that work, depending on the surface you’re working with: dryer sheets, rubber gloves, packing tape on almost anything, window squeegees and rubber brooms on the floor and more.

Baby wipes keep your drain clear — Bathing

your dog is a simple way to keep the cleanliness quotient up in your house, but there’s always the hazard of clogged drains. But the solution can be surprisingly simple — put a baby wipe under the stopper for your tub before putting it in the drain. After bath time is over, put your hands around the baby wipe and slowly drain the tub, catching the fine hairs that would otherwise slither down the drain.

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Know License, Rabies Laws for Dogs by Gigi McWhirter

Photos: Blushing Cactus Photography

lmost every dog’s ears perk up when they hear the words: “Let’s go!” They are hoping for either a walk or ride in the car — because anywhere with you, is where they want to be. But there are rules for being out and about. “All dogs, after leaving the inside of a house or building, must be contained at all times — either with a leash or a fence. Failure to do so, can result in citations, which when issued require a court appearance. Failure to show up to court will result in a warrant for your arrest,” says Casa Grande Animal Control Supervisor Julie Stocke. Violators can be cited with a felony offense. Pet owners are responsible for their animals. If your dog attacks or is attacked by another animal while on a jaunt without leash, your dog is considered a “dog at large” and you, as the owner, will have a difficult time recouping any losses or disputing any fees that may have occurred during the incident. Also, just as you would never leave the house without your bling, your dog must never leave the house without a collar adorned with a current rabies tag — all dogs are required to wear a collar with a current rabies tag. If you find a dog and remove the collar to examine the tags, make sure to put the collar back on. An owner may ID their dog by describing the collar, especially if it has a tag. If an animal is impounded without a tag or collar, it will be held for 72 hours before it is available for adoption, sent to a rescue and sadly, some-

times euthanized. With a collar, they are held 120 hours. (Sick, injured or aggressive animals receive different consideration). A rabies tag is issued by the city or county you live in. To get your pet’s tag, you will need to provide a current rabies certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian. The certificate will note the date the vaccine was given, when the vaccine must be boosted again to keep your pet current (in Arizona it will either be a one-year or a three-year vaccine), the vaccine manufacturer, the vaccine serial number, the product name and the date the vaccine must be used before it expires. It will also have your pet’s name at the time of issue, the microchip number, the breed, a description of the animal, the age and gender. If your pet is spayed or neutered, you will need to bring a copy of the document issued by the doctor/facility who performed the surgery. All domesticated dogs after 12 weeks old, no matter where you live in the United States, must have a current rabies vaccine. Contact your local animal control office to discuss guidelines for licensing your dogs. You should also ask about their rules for cats, especially domesticated ones. Think about this, a one-year tag in the City of Casa Grande is currently $12. Look what that dollar per month gets you: If your pet is picked up and is wearing a tag, animal control can simply look up the license number, contact you and bam, you have your pet back or an update in the event of an injury, etc. (Im-

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pound fees may apply with tougher penalties for repeat offenders). If your animal loses its collar and has a microchip registered with animal control, great because you are contacted about the status of your pet. Please know, the ultimate goal of any animal control officer/agency is to get you and your pets reunited. It is important that you keep your contact information updated with animal control, the microchip company and your veterinarian. Animal control officers dream of the day when shelters are empty and all animals are living in safe and loving homes. Here’s to making those dreams come true, and happy tails to you!

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CONTINUED…

City of Maricopa Joins Text-to-911 System

he City of Maricopa has joined Pinal County’s Textto-911 network and can now directly receive texts from within the city.. The alternate form of communication to emergency dispatchers has been available throughout the county since October, with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office taking messages and relaying them over the phone for agencies unable to receive the text messages directly. Direct text messaging to Maricopa 911 dispatchers became available Feb. 1. The state of Arizona made funding available to public safety agencies around the state for Text-to-911 technology as part of a settlement for litigation reached in 2018. Although Text-to-911 has been introduced to allow people to reach emergency agencies when they are not able to place a phone call because of disability or the

possibility of the suspect hearing a voice call, the City of Maricopa encourages people to place voice calls whenever possible. “While texting is available, voice calls to 911 are much more expedient and provide much more information to 911 call centers,” city spokesman Luis Villa said. Photos and videos cannot be texted to 911, and emergency texts cannot be sent from a deactivated phone, while voice calls to 911 can be. Texts to 911 can’t be delivered if a cellphone is in “roaming” status. Do not text while driving. There’s a possibility texts to 911 could be delayed, delivered out of order or not received at all. To send a Text-to-911 anywhere in Pinal County: • Type 9-1-1 in the “To” field on your mobile phone or device. • Provide your location and nature of your emergency in your first text.

• Then hit “send” on your device. • Be prepared to respond quickly to any questions and instruc-

tions from the dispatcher. • Use simple words and do not use abbreviations.

COPPER MINE ...cont. from page 12

Town, which has a population of about 3,200. The mine’s tailings would be sent to embankments in the Skunk Camp area 14 miles south of Superior. Following the USDA, Mayor Mila Besich said, “We are dismayed by this decision, we look forward to consulting with USDA to assure them that mining can be conducted here, safely and with sound environmental practices. “Superior is resilient and we look forward to working through this challenge while continuing to diversify our local economy.” The Superior Town Council approved a Community Mitigation Improvement Agreement with Resolution Copper just before

the environmental impact statement was released. Mayor Mila Besich said the most important aspects of the agreement include replacement of recreation sites, mitigation for socioeconomic impacts, compensation for water use and effects to local aquifers, and location of the tailings away from the community rather than just west of it, as in some proposed alternatives. “We have also determined that additional research and data collection is needed to determine how much surface water flows need to be returned to Queen Creek and how impacts to water will be managed through the duration of the project,” she said.

Luke Goodrich, an attorney for nonprofit opposition group Apache Stronghold, said the group remains wary of federal officials: “The government knows the destruction of Oak Flat violates federal law. It knows it can’t justify it in court. So it is retreating — temporarily. But a temporary retreat doesn’t solve the problem. The government is still planning on transfer and destruction of Oak Flat.” U.S. Arizona District Judge Steven Logan had ruled against Apache Stronghold in its lawsuit seeking to halt the land exchange, after which the group filed an emergency appeal.

According to the environmental impact statement, Resolution Copper could produce up to 40 billion pounds of copper over the 56-year life of its mine, creating an estimated 1,600 Pinal County jobs during construction and 2,100 jobs during peak operations. The study projected an annual statewide average economic impact of $1.2 billion. Resolution Copper’s plan is to mine and crush the ore underneath the extraction site east of Superior, then transplant it by a 2.5-mile pipeline to the former Magma Mine processing and smelter facilities just west of the

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CONTINUED…

App Showcases Pinal Job Paths A

free smartphone app is now available for people who want to learn about potential careers in Pinal County and how to prepare for them. Achieve Pinal’s Career Expo is a career exploration experience connecting to a variety of professionals from fields expected to play a major role in the county’s future economic development, including robotics, cybersecurity, education, public safety, agriculture, engineering and utilities. The app will help workers, students and employers find out about the career paths available now or in the future. It features video interviews with local professionals and other video content about highlighted careers and fields, current job openings, scholarship opportunities, college readiness tools and other resources for various audiences. The areas offered have been identified by Achieve Pinal, a project of the Pinal Alliance for Economic Growth focused on making Pinal County’s workforce more competitive through educat ion, and A R IZONA@ WORK, the state’s workforce development agency. The app’s development and updates are

sponsored by Abbot Nutrition and Resolution Copper. The app will be continually updated to reflect the changing landscape of the region’s economy as new employers and industry sectors come to the area and longtime businesses seek new workers and redefine their missions. Jobs and the workplace are changing rapidly, and technological know-how is only going to become a bigger component of most jobs. About 35% of Pinal County’s adults ages 18 to 24 have had any education beyond high school, according to U.S. Census data, while about 65% of all jobs nationwide require at least some post-secondary training. “The students in Pinal County are the future of our community, and we want to do whatever we can to make sure they have access to an innovative experience that builds career exploration, connects students to employers, and improves post-secondary attainment,” said Bryan Seppala, Resolution Copper economic and workforce development adviser. C a r e e r E x p o C om m it t e e Chairman Bob Jackson said the app is an especially important tool in this era.

“The pandemic has forced communities to adapt to alternate ways of learning, working and meeting. Virtual learning, telework and Zoom meetings have become the norm,” he said. “Achieve Pinal’s career exploration efforts also adapted to successfully reach our Pinal County

audiences during the pandemic and into the future.” To access the app, visit the App Store and download Crowd Compass and select Achieve Pinal’s Virtual Career Expo. The app can also be accessed via any browser at: http://event.crowdcompass. com/virtualcareerexpo

SAN TAN VALLEY ...cont. from page 13

Anthem at Merrill Ranch within the Town of Florence’s boundary. Customers experienced frequent issues over the years including sewage overflows, undrinkable water, low or no water pressure, problems that at one point led to a moratorium on further development in its territory. The unincorporated San Tan Valley has an estimated 95,000 residents today, much more than

any of Pinal County’s incorporated municipalities. The sale of Johnson Utilities could fuel more economic and residential development in the area. EPCOR is a Canadian company that also operates in the U.S., owning several water systems in Arizona, which serve Anthem, Sun City, Paradise Valley and other communities. The sale of Johnson Utilities to

EPCOR was approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission in December and completed Jan. 29. An application for a rate increase filed by Johnson Utilities under EPCOR’s management in February 2020 is still active. EPCOR estimates the increase, if approved, could add an average of $3 to $15 to an account’s monthly payment.

leased into the Queen Creek wash. Johnson Utilities had been serving the area along Hunt Highway between Queen Creek and Florence since 1997, beginning with owner George Johnson’s residential developments and expanding to adjacent areas requiring water, wastewater or both. Its service area reaches to

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Special Section:

How to Build Raised Wicking Beds by LeeAnn Davis, Master Gardener, Pinal County Cooperative Extension

his is the perfect time to gather the family and grow your own food. Self-sustainability in your backyard can be done in a small area and yield a surprising amount of production. It is wonderful to go out in your yard to collect fresh nutritious homegrown vegetables. Be sure to check what zone you are living in to be sure your plants will survive. I will add a link to the Pinal County Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners webpage; there you will find a guide to planting in your area. There are many different methods of construction for a raised garden bed, such as here brick, wood, rock and concrete. I have tried a few methods over nearly 29 years of gardening in Arizona. Adding a drip system to your raised bed is the standard way to ensure consistent watering. Choosing a raised garden bed has its benefits — protection from pests, controlled soil quality, fewer weeds, no tilling. This method also conserves water. Some folks find it easier to reach all the plants without kneeling and stretching.

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Wicking beds are a fantastic way to maintain a productive garden. I have used this method since 2018, and I am excited about the results. In the concept of a wicking bed a lower chamber is constructed that holds water. The plants seek out the water below promoting a healthy root system. The plants use the water as needed from the chamber. It is necessary to top water the garden until seedlings establish stronger roots. Choose a location with at least eight hours of full morning sun in the winter and summer. Be mindful of surrounding trees that may cast shade on your garden. You do not want to block the sun in the morning.

What size?

Decide on the size, height and width of the raised bed you would like. I have two sizes, the larger beds of 8 feet by 8 feet are a little harder to reach to the center. I like the 4 feet by 8 feet bed because I am short; easier to manage. The larger beds in my garden are great for trailing and climbing plants like cucumbers, squash, pumpkin, etc. A trellis can be added to either one of the sizes.

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Wicking beds are a fantastic way to maintain a productive garden. I have used this method since 2018, and I am excited about the results.

Master Gardener LeeAnn Davis

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Basic construction

We used 12 feet by 8 feet fir planking; you will need 2 feet by 4 feet to secure the planks for support. Staple 1⁄2-inch hardware cloth to the bottom of the bed to discourage gophers and ground squirrels; put cardboard on the inside of the bed to protect the plastic liner; then line the bed with poly sheeting (we used a 20 mil tarp). I would use a thicker liner. You can find pond liners online. Staple around the top edge as pictured. Then put in the perforated pipe also called French drain pipe. You can find this at your big box stores. I used a square of landscaping fabric on the end of the perforated pipe and secured it with a zip tie to keep the pea gravel out and let the water flow freely through the perforated pipe. Attach the other end to the 2-foot PVC pipe elbow then connect the 2-inch pipe. Add a 1 inch by 2 inches to keep the pipe in place. Pictured below.

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Drill a hole to fit the 1⁄2-inch PVC pipe for a water overflow. This will help indicate when the bed is full. As you fill the 2-inch pipe, the 1⁄2-inch pipe will begin to show flowing water when the bed is full. Put some gorilla tape or silicone around the inside of the penetration of the drain pipe for a better seal if you like a tight seal. Fill the bed with pea gravel then stapling landscape fabric over the pea gravel to prevent the soil from mixing with the gravel.

Time to add soil

The soil should be at the very least 12-inches deep with a mix of potting soil and organic matter such as finished compost, peat moss, coco coir. Adding vermiculite or perlite will help aerate the soil. Fill the raised bed with water until the water flows from the overflow pipe. Once your plants are established, there will be no need to top water the bed with a hose or irrigation.

Mulch the beds to keep moisture in. Keep track of the days you fill the beds to get an idea of how often to fill the beds. I find every ten-plus days is efficient for my garden; yours may vary. I watched the beds for signs of sinking soil and also use a moisture meter to check the levels. You can create the “wicking effect” on a smaller scale with a 5-gallon bucket, storage tub, even an old trunk like the one in my garden. I used cardboard to fill the trunk before I put in the landscape cloth. You can use any gallon containers with holes drilled in them to create a wicking effect. This is what I had on hand, and I will have to change it out to jugs soon. Most of all enjoy the experience and happy gardening! For a planting guide go to www.mac-pinal-mastergardener.org

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Garage Parking is Still a Thing T

he trend toward garages storing more “stuff” than vehicles has gotten noticed in recent years. Between our tendency to accumulate more belongings than we know what to do with and our trucks getting too big for our garages, more of us than ever are parking on the street and in the driveway. Most research on the matter finds around a quarter of Americans can’t park their cars in the garage because it’s too full of tools, barbecues, freezer chests, cherished toys, books and magazines, chairs, footballs, survival kits purchased 10 years ago, and so on. Other surveys and anecdotal statements put the number much higher — a lot of things can factor into the decision, from the size of the garage to the size of the house it’s attached to. But whatever the backstory, there aren’t many good reasons to store a vehicle worth tens of thousands of dollars outside. In case you need a refresher, here are some of the reasons your vehicles have more of a right to your garage than your trophies, whatever form they may take: • Shade — Most people don’t forget about this one, at least once summer arrives, but trying to enter and sit down in cars that have been sitting in the Arizona sun

for a few hours is a miserable experience. It starts to get toasty when we’re still in the 80s, and by the time we hit the 110s we have to break out those fabled oven mitts, put up those windshield sunshades, and put up any other meager defense we can. • Vehicle protection — Your car or truck is likely to be the second-largest purchase you’ll ever make, and you want to keep it presentable for as long as you can, either for your own use or for trade-in value. Keeping it out in the open leaves it much more vulnerable to vandalism, accidents, weather events and other forces that can damage it outside and within. Speaking of shade, the sun’s UV rays also damage your car’s paint.

Custom Garage Cabinets

by Blake Herzog

• Self-protection — Shutting off your motor and closing the door behind you gives you cover from the elements, concealing you from anyone who might be casing the neighborhood and providing you a short, well-lighted path into the house. • Property value protection — Even if you’re not looking to sell right now, keeping your neighborhood’s appearances up will pay off for you down the road. Few people set out to buy in an area that has streets with cars lining them and hanging out of driveways (or worse yet, blocking driveways). Now we’re not saying you shouldn’t keep anything else in your garage, but that should be a secondary use for things that fit around your vehicles and don’t go anywhere else, like car-related items, home and garden tools, seasonal items like pool toys and Christmas lawn ornaments and outdoor recreational gear like bikes and camping gear. That’s still a lot, so garage cabinets, shelves, hooks and benches often are critical to keeping your garage organized enough to fit your vehicles inside. You may never have thought of these before, but once you have them you may wonder why you didn’t all along!

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Losing Everything Due to Inadequate Auto Liability Coverage

ll states set minimum coverage levels for drivers, but if you are involved in a serious accident, minimal coverage may not get you off the hook for the full extent of damages. Your state's goal is to make the required insurance affordable, but in many cases the established minimum coverage is not adequate to cover the liability costs if you are found to be at fault in a costly accident. Even limits that are several tiers above the minimum may not be adequate for some drivers, because once those limits are exhausted, any remaining damages must be paid out of pocket. This is important to consider as the cost of automobile claims has been rising rapidly during the past 10 years for a few reasons: • More distracted driving has caused in in crease in deadly accidents. • The cost of medical care to treat injured people has skyrocketed. • Modern vehicles have loads of expensive technology, which if damaged, is costly to replace or repair. Bankruptcy is the first thought that comes to mind for people trying to avoid paying excess damages, but bankruptcy does not come without problems. It will probably hurt or even eliminate your chances of getting

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credit in the future; even if credit can be obtained, it will cost you a lot more and come with conditions. Because the costs and lost opportunities that result from bankruptcy are significant, it's not an option most people want to or should choose. For that reason, let's instead look at your obligations and how to minimize your risk of having to pay for damages that could be covered by higher liability limits. Consider the following example: You have an auto policy with a liability limit of $100,000. One afternoon, your cars brakes fail and you rear-end the car in front of you with very high impact, paralyzing the driver. Once your limit has been paid by the insurance company, it becomes your obligation to pay for any further damages. In the example above, if the injured party is justified in asking for $3 million, your insurance company would pay the $100,000 for which you are covered, and you would then be expected to pay the remaining $2.9 million. Alternatively, the injured party could take you to court, which could easily cost you hundreds of thousands in legal fees in addition to any judgment granted to the plaintiff. Even if you file bankruptcy at that point, if you have assets, you would have to pay what you have and possibly lose everything. Your wages also may be garnished to pay any judgment.

In any case, not having adequate liability, let alone minimum limits set by the state, is not really a solution.

What you can do

The smart choice is to opt for an auto policy with higher limits. Premiums in most cases are not significantly more for higher liability limits. Another option is an umbrella policy, which is available in increments of a million dollars that would cover liability for all the vehicles in your household for one low premium. With such options available, why risk damaging your future with a bankruptcy or, worse yet, losing everything you own because you did not plan in advance to set up coverages that would protect you? It doesn't cost you anything to discuss the options with us. We can walk you through the various options for increasing your auto policy's liability or secure an umbrella policy that would cover your entire household as well as other non-auto related liability claims, such as someone injuring themselves at your home.

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Check out County Real Estate Market by Pat Lairson, Realtor, Maricopa Real Estate Company

With interest rates still at a record low, and even lower than the previous year, buyers have more buying power.

here is no doubt Pinal County is on the move. If you drive through Maricopa, Casa Grande, Florence and almost any other city, you will see new construction. The growth is not just in residential building but also commercial. The City of Maricopa will be sporting a new Sprouts store in 2021, and, of course, the opening of Lucid motors in Casa Grande in 2021 put Casa Grande on the map for many new residents, too. Growth is great, but along with it we are in one of our most severe housing shortages to date. We have less than a 30-day supply of single family homes excluding newbuild homes, with Maricopa having just 41 homes available for sale, Casa Grande about 30 active listings and the City of Florence with 13 active listings, for example.

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It is clearly a sellers’ market. New builders rarely have spec homes available — a home already built and ready for move in — and the average build time has increased to between six and eight months. This does not mean buyers lose. With interest rates still at a record low, and even lower than the previous year, buyers have more buying power. The key is to position yourself as a buyer in the best possible way. How do you do this? First you need to get prequalified with a great lender. You have to know how much money you will need, not just for closing costs but also for your down payment and prepaids such as your inspection and appraisal. Be prepared even to pay over list price and pay the difference out of pocket. You need to use a local Realtor who knows the market you want to buy in.

Pinal County is different from Maricopa County in real estate, and we may have different lending programs that could be to your advantage. Getting educated on the market is vital to ensure you have the best experience whether buying or selling. It is a good time to live in Pinal County! For more information, call 520-2805862 or email PatLairsonRealtor@ gmail.com.

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Put Spring in Your Step with a Clean Home by Blake Herzog

iving your home a thorough scrub down as winter gives way to spring is a tradition found not just in the U.S., but around the globe. The concept may have begun taking shape in Persia (Iran) about 5,000 years ago at the beginning of its new year, which coincides with the first day of spring. But it likely has biological roots, too. After being shut in for most of the winter with reduced sunlight but lots of dust piling up (this may not completely apply to the desert, but work with us here), energized humans wake up to the conditions that have built up and get out to “khooneh tekouni” (shake the house), as Iranians call it. Spring cleaning has taken on a similarly thorough meaning here. And studies have shown that, as exhausting as it can be, flushing every bit of grime out of your house improves our physical and mental health. We suggest a room-by-room approach to spring cleaning, starting each one by dusting ceiling fans, vents and light fixtures and cleaning windows and window screens. Don’t forget to start the laundry in the morning and keep it going throughout the day.

Some prefer to spread the work out over several days or weekends, but consider setting aside one or two days to give it your all, keeping the momentum going and getting a full blast of that squeaky-clean home feeling as your reward.

Living, family rooms • • • • • •

Kitchen • • • • • • • • • •

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Put away toys and other loose items, fold throws and blankets. Sanitize light switches, keyboards, remotes. Dust furniture and decorations, including photo frames. Vacuum couch and chairs. Vacuum corners along floors, and cobwebs along ceiling. Spot clean carpet or borrow/rent carpet cleaner. Clean up dirty dishes. Wipe down the backsplash and walls. Wipe down cabinet doors, wipe down inside of cabinets. Empty kitchen drawers and wipe/vacuum them out. Clean small appliances (microwave, toaster, tea kettle, stand mixer, etc.). Clean refrigerator interior, wipe down outside of fridge, vacuum coils. Clean oven and stove top. Empty trash; take can outside and clean inside and out. Clean kitchen sink. Sweep and mop floor.

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Bedrooms • • • • •

Fold and put away clothes and loose items. Dust the furniture (including picture frames and display items). Rotate mattresses. Vacuum floors. Vacuum corners along floors and cobwebs along ceiling.

Bathrooms • • • • • • • • •

Sanitize the switch plates and doorknobs. Clean the toilet (including wiping down the outside and scrubbing the bowl well). Wipe down mirrors. Clean counter and sink. Scrub the tub. Wash the shower walls. Give the drains a treatment. Empty the trash; take can outside and clean inside and out. Sweep and mop the floor.

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The ROX Interview (continued) ...continued from page 17 did Disney do it in his movies. I was fortunate enough to know … I don’t know if you remember Bruce Smith, who used to do signs around here? Bruce was actually John Wayne’s stunt double in a lot of movies, and he was from that part of California. He moved there from Wisconsin to California; him, Disney, a guy named Doc Andres, who was another famous modeler. These guys learned each other’s techniques. I was fortunate enough that Bruce moved to Casa Grande, became an electronics teacher at the high school. That’s where I met him. We found out we had trains in common. He also had a manufacturing company that made model trains; he also built stuff for Hollywood. President Nixon commissioned him to build a Pacific Electric car that Nixon’s dad operated. I have a picture of Bruce and Nixon with the car and the letter from Nixon thanking him for building the car.

I had a very good mentor; I just took off from there. I do some commission stuff. I try to hold it back because I never wanted my hobby to become a business. Right now I’ve orders from Phoenix, California, Washington and New York on the table. Trains, we get to the train part of it. I was so fascinated by them that in the late '80s, I became what they call a hobby hobo. There were people like doctors and lawyers and myself that actually jump on trains like hobos and rode them to wherever they went, and jump off. I wanted to buy a pair of Tony Lama boots from the factory. When the order was ready I'd jump a train to El Paso. I would have my hobo gear, my bindle and everything, and I would stay in the hobo jungle down in El Paso. Back then, it was a misdemeanor if you got caught on the train. Wouldn't do that today, because it's right on the border and it's not a good place. Of course, all

the Homeland Security stuff the penalty is much stiffer now. GC LIVING: OK, back to railroading. You build by hand these very intricate dioramas? ART CARLTON: Yes. GC LIVING: I saw one on your Facebook that was a red brick building you were showing the detail work of the old-fashioned ice box outside, and then a figure of a man in one of the woven vinyl lawn chairs. How long does it take you to build things like that? ART CARLTON: That’s always been a tough question. Picture me in a workshop sitting at a bench, and I’ve got the period of music going on of what I’m building. I’ve got photographs of the period of the structure. I lose total track of time. I'm going to say those four chairs probably took me all of six to eight hours total, because you have to allow for drying time to happen and paint to dry, and then I move on to something else, and come back to it. Time is tough for me to put down, because I get so absorbed into the thing that I totally lose track of time. To a point where, I will walk out of my shop and it's like a flash to the future, because I have put myself in a period of time. GC LIVING: History is also a passion of yours. Are you still actively involved with the Casa Grande Historical Society? ART CARLTON: I was a few years ago. I can’t remember how many years it’s been, but I started doing displays for the Casa Grande Museum, aging myself here, 25, 26 years ago or so, maybe farther back. If you go into museum, you will see several displays I built. One is the mining cave. My oldest daughter was 3 when I did that. I’ve got pictures of her covered in plaster, because she was right there, getting into everything. I just love history. I’ll dig into it. I know they’re wanting me to come back and do a couple other displays, and I’ve done displays for other museums as well. GC LIVING: If you could do any display that’s been rattling around in your mind, what would it be? ART CARLTON: The life-size figures of the different individuals that founded Casa Grande, the diversity of individuals that it took to develop Casa Grande in these early years; the Chinese railroad workers, which then leads into all the merchants, the Chinese merchants, the Hispanic influence, the

ART TWO SOCKS CARLTON, HOBO

continued on page 96... 82

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Family Won’t Forget Out of Africa Day Trip by Ray Newton

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THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION • SPRING 2021

Traveling • Dining • Entertainment

Zebras congregate near the fence when Out of Africa safari buses pull up and visitors offer them treats. (Photo by Ray Newton)

f your idea of a family adventure at the zoo is fun, then you will really enjoy a day trip to Out of Africa Wildlife Park, about 2.5 hours north of Casa Grande and 4 miles off Interstate 17 at Exit No. 287 (Camp Verde). Unlike a zoo where animals are in cages or small enclosures, Out of Africa features 300-plus acres of native Mingus Mountain foothills, where most of the more than 300 exotic animals are free to roam in open space bordered by high fences. Moreover, animals are not just from Africa. They come from Asia, Europe, Australia, and North and South America. The overall value of the wildlife well exceeds $1 million. When Golden Corridor LIVING visited with owner Dean Harrison and some of his staff, Harrison says, “We do not want animals in cages. We want you and other visitors to experience and appreciate animals in natural settings as much as possible.” It was that impassioned comment that prompted me to book a family group experience this past September with Ashton Powell, Out of Africa

public relations director. It made a perfect day trip, especially since six of the 17 in the group were great-grandchildren, all younger than 6. Powell assigned Kaitlin Richard, a university-trained wildlife specialist, as our guide. She provided exceptional details about various animals during our private tour. Adults and kids boarded Kaitlin’s large open-air bus for an extended “safari” tour that took us into direct encounters with zebra, ostriches, lions, tigers and leopards; African hoof stock such as eland, water buffalo, horned oryx, camel; Watusi cattle, hyenas; and, of course, a favorite, giraffes. Two giraffes, Temba and Mawenzi, were youngsters who had joined the resident giraffes only months earlier. Giraffes have developed a reputation of being “kissers” for those who hand them treats from the tour bus. Two-year old Levi Morrison, from Albuquerque, stands barely 3 feet. He stared wide-eyed up at Pilgrim, an 18-foot giraffe whose 20-inch black tongue curled out of his mouth toward a celery stalk Benjamin’s mother Jessi

SPRING 2021 • THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION

held out. Levi let out a frightened roar an elephant would envy. His 4-year-old brother Benjamin sat open-mouthed. At another stop, Kaitlin walked to the fence behind which a family of laughing hyenas were gathered. She fed them treats — then stopped. They immediately began “laughing” in that distinct sound only hyenas make — high-pitched chattering and cackling. She fed them again. They “laughed” again. Addy Schafer, 2 ½ years old, smiled and told her mother Christine Schafer, “I really like the giggling animals.” Addy’s 5-year-old brother Josiah tried imitating the hyenas. They stared at him. Josiah then asked Kaitlin, “I heard at kindergarten they could break bones with their jaws. Is that true?” Adults on our tour were easily entranced by the various animals. They watched a rhinoceros assault a hanging punching bag. Sage, a mountain lion, attacked a large pumpkin Kaitlin tossed over the fence.

Animals are not just from Africa. They come from Asia, Europe, Australia, and North and South America.

A camel is among the hundreds of exotic animals that roam a spacious preserve at Out of Africa. (Photo by Ray Newton)

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We saw wolves, bears, Barbary sheep, a pride of lions, the Reptile Resort and other creatures at the various stops along the route.

For more than two hours, the safari continued. It went to the Tiger Splash Area where giant cats play in a swimming pool as they competed for chunks of raw meat. We saw wolves, bears, Barbary sheep, a pride of lions, the Reptile Resort and other creatures at the various stops along the route. We had a chance to eat at the food service areas. Restrooms and shuttle stops were scattered along the route. Following the scheduled tour, some on the adventure traveled on smaller shuttles to return to prior stops or visit new ones. One grandparent, Lynn Penner of Prescott, later said, “Not many families can tell stories of four generations sharing a vacation experience on such an informative tour.” Another family member, Dana Anderson of Tucson, laughed as he recalled: “When we were at the lions’ habitat, one exceptionally large lioness kept staring at me. It was near their feeding time, but then I realized they wouldn’t feed me to her. Too much fat.”

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Anderson’s wife, Sheri, said what especially appealed to her was that the animals were not caged and could roam free, unlike in so many zoos.

International appeal

Powell says the majority of visitors — 150,000 a year — come from the Valley of the Sun. Many others come from across the United States, especially during the summer. International visitation continues to grow. Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., the wildlife park at 3505 W. State Route 260 in Camp Verde is totally handicapped accessible. Courtesy shuttle buses run continuously from opening until 4 p.m. The gift shop and ticket area are near the admission gate. Parking is free. In addition to regular admission, several special tours are available, such as the Safari Tour we booked for our large family group. Among shows are Creature Feature (touchable animals), Critter Court, Tiger Splash, Great

Snake Show, Predator Feed (Sunday, Wednesday and Friday), and Wonders of Wildlife (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday). Those who want a special treat can opt for the memorable Predator Zip Line Tour, where you soar over animals on five lines and a suspension bridge. Powell invites those interested in more than the regular admission or in group tours to contact her or staff to arrange for reservations and discounts. Additional details are available online at www.outofafricapark.com or at 928-567-2840.

THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION • SPRING 2021

African lions are among the exotic animals that roam in natural habitat at Out of Africa. (Photo by Ray Newton)

An ostrich eagerly accepts a treat from Out of Africa safari guide Kaitlin Richard. (Photo by Ray Newton)

Unlike a zoo where animals are in cages or small enclosures, Out of Africa features 300-plus acres of native Mingus Mountain foothills, where most of the more than 300 exotic animals are free to roam in open space bordered by high fences.

Out of Africa tour guide Kaitlin Richard coaxes a “kissing“ giraffe into taking treats from viewers on a safari tour bus. (Photo by Ray Newton)

SPRING 2021 • THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION

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Visit Pals at Rooster Cogburn Ranch by Blake Herzog

PHOTO: BEA LUECK

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PHOTO: BEA LUECK

he Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch at the foot of Picacho Peak has been entertaining visitors from near and far, far away for more than 20 years, earning segments on many “roadside attractions” TV shows and websites. While its thousand-strong herd of really big, strong birds is the marquee attraction, the petting zoo where visitors can feed and connect with a menagerie encompassing stingrays, sheep and many other creatures is where you can make friends that keep you coming back.

The collection is so varied the ranch bills it as “A Tour Around the World All in One Place.” “Official greeters” Smiley the Donkey and Sherbet the Goat are featured in the biggest sponsorship packages of the ranch’s new Adopt-A-Critter program. Rainbow lorikeets land on visitors’ shoulders and eat out of the cups in their hands in a colorful aviary.

The collection is so varied the ranch bills it as “A Tour Around the World All in One Place.”

St. Croix sheep, parakeets, miniature donkeys, Pekin ducks, dwarf goats and bushels of bunnies await feeding time from ranch “hands” as well as their adoring fans. You can watch diving ducks descend to the bottom of a tank to reach their food, race to feed Boer goats through special holes in the wall (the “Goat Kissing Booth”) or crank food up a chute to reach them in their “penthouse.” Gentle fallow deer offer a safe feeding experience for all ages, but they do enjoy licking hands for crumbs! The tank of cownose rays is among the newest additions to the ranch and one of the most popular. Feeding takes place all day at “Stingray Bay,” so it’s a reliable source of fun to fit in between the feeding schedules of other animals. They love their food, but they’re generally shy creatures so they’re polite and attentive to guests.

SPRING 2021 • THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION

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You can watch diving ducks descend to the bottom of a tank to reach their food, race to feed Boer goats through special holes in the wall (the “Goat Kissing Booth”) or crank food up a chute to reach them in their “penthouse.”

The ostriches are here, too, of course, but they can be up to 9 feet tall and tend to be a little more intimidating than your average bunny or goat. These “living dinosaurs,” as Rooster and his crew calls them, can be seen and fed through or over a fence, depending on what the birds have in mind. They do bite on occasion, so visitors need to be careful around them. You can also feed them through a chute if arm’s length isn’t far enough away for you or your little ones. But looking these incredible animals in the eye, on the largest privately owned ostrich ranch outside of their native Africa, is an unforgettable experience. ROOSTER COGBURN OSTRICH RANCH 17599 E. Peak Lane, Picacho — About a half-hour southeast of Casa Grande. Take exit No. 219 off Interstate 10 and take the southeast-bound frontage road until it dead-ends at the ranch. Admission: $12 for ages 6 and older, including feed for all animals except stingrays (for $15 stingray food is included). Ages 5 and younger are free, but optional kids’ feed package is $6. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. Hours (subject to weather closures): • Nov. 16-April 30; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily • May-September; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday through Monday • October-Nov. 15; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Contact: www.roostercogburn.com or 520-466-3658.

PHOTO: BEA LUECK

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Pony Ranch Has Fun-Sized Fun for Everyone by Blake Herzog Photos Nancy Webb

"We want to offer something kind of showing the Western lifestyle; that there’s more to do than video games and watching TV.”

inal County’s entertainment options for kids of all ages have become especially limited since the pandemic started, which Nancy Webb says is part of the reason why The Pony Ranch featuring Tinytown has been busy since it opened in November. “There’s just not a lot available for parents to do with young kids and with everything with the coronavirus, and we offer enough space where people can social distance and you’re outside, and we are in Pinal County.

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“There is no mask mandate; that is just recommended. So because we can social distance and you’re outside and families are together, it’s just someplace where they can go and have some fun.” She and her husband Gary spent more than three years building the 3-acre attraction at their 8-acre home between Casa Grande and Arizona City. Many of their 13 ponies have been with them since 2010, when the couple began offering rides on a “pony wheel” on Sundays at the Phoenix Park ‘n Swap, 3801 E. Washington St.

“We want to offer something kind of showing the Western lifestyle; that there’s more to do than video games and watching TV,” Nancy Webb says. “So you can get out and see like a Western lifestyle and ride the ponies and interact with country animals and be out the country.” Now their Pony Ranch is open every Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They still spend Sundays at the park and swap where they have a permanent booth. At The Pony Ranch at 18536 W. Houser Road, children who are at

THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION • SPRING 2021

LOU LOU THE DONKEY

least 1 and weigh up to 85 pounds can go for pony rides on a squiggly half-mile trail, led by one adult. Bike helmets or similar head protection are required for all children and are available at the ranch if families are unable to bring one. Most children up to 7 or 8 are under the maximum weight limit, plus a few more up to age 9 or 10, Webb says. “It really makes them feel like they accomplished something by riding a pony, you know, especially the little girls, you know, they’ll get off the pony and they’ll go, ‘Mommy, I did it!’ you know, and they give the pony a hug.” If children outnumber adults in a group, other adults and “ranch hands” like their 11-year-old granddaughter and her 10-year-old friend, both experienced with horses, are available to help out for tips. A carousel is also available if adults don’t want to walk with the pony. The ponies’ corral sits next to a tiny Western town, built from an old shipping container surfaced with reclaimed wood from hundred-yearold barns in Wyoming. A water tank

and a bridge over “Dead Man’s Gulch” complete the setting. There is also a cabana with three picnic tables available to guests becoming popular for birthday parties for up to nine or 10 people. The Pony Ranch featuring Tinytown also has a petting zoo where kids of all ages can feed and pet goats, mini-donkeys and mules, older ponies like Coco’s Mom (23), calves, chickens, potbellied pigs and a turkey, along with a horse to feed and a heifer on display. Webb say many of her animals have put on some weight since November as more and more visitors flock to the ranch. More than 100 families have come to the ranch on some Saturdays, mainly parents or grandparents with kids. Most visitors come from Pinal County communities, but others have come from Tucson and Phoenix, including a grandma-granddaughter duo who are regulars of theirs from the park and swap. The attraction draws a sizeable contingent of child-free seniors as well.

SPRING 2021 • THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION

RIDING ON THE TRAIL - PHOTO BEA LUECK

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“Senior citizens show up here just to hang out, you know, just to come and they go and they buy feed. They go for the animals, we have a porch on our Western building with chairs so they can sit and watch children ride the ponies and just have fun also,” Webb says. The Pony Ranch featuring Tinytown • 18536 W. Houser Road, Casa Grande (off Chiuchu Road 3 miles south of Interstate 8) • Admission: $8 per person, children younger than 1 free. Includes unlimited pony rides for children weighing up to 85 pounds • Hours: Open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Contact: www.facebook.com/ theponyranchfeaturingtinytown or call 480-236-4500

FEEDING ANIMALS IN THE INTERACTIVE PETTING ZOO

The Pony Ranch featuring Tinytown also has a petting zoo where kids of all ages can feed and pet goats, minidonkeys and mules.

TINY TOWN WHERE TINY COWBOYS AND COWGIRLS RIDE TINY HORSES

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THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION • SPRING 2021

THE BRIDGE AT DEAD MANS GULCH - PHOTO BEA LUECK

HAVING FUN AT THE OLD FASHION WATER PUMP

LEARNING HOW TO ROPE AT THE ROPING ARENA

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The ROX Interview (continued) ...continued from page 82 Native American influence, the American influence, European influence, I should say. The Irish influence that we’ve had. GC LIVING: You’ve been with the county for 30 years, which is retirement time for a lot of people. ART CARLTON: Four years ago I could have retired. GC LIVING: When you do finally make that decision, do you have a goal or something that’s on your horizon you’d like to do? ART CARLTON: The bucket list is long. I’m waiting for Kim to retire. I want to travel and ride as many of the tourist railroad lines. My first one is Ely out in Nevada. That whole town’s a museum. I would absolutely love to spend whatever time needed to go through the Smithsonian. I would like to spend more time at the Huntington Library, the California Railroad Museum in Sacramento, researching

MODEL OF LEOS WHISTLE STOP BAR

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everything possible to Casa Grande railroading, Pinal County railroading, even more in-depth than what I’ve done. GC LIVING: Steam or diesel? ART CARLTON: They both have their beauty. I would have to do steam, due to the fact each steam engine has its own character. No matter if you have two alike that were manufactured from the same company, they all have their little quirks to make them run. Diesel, you turn it on and it goes. And one day I'd like to do more cosplay. I do some cosplay costumes and am starting to get a little more into that. GC LIVING: What genre? ART CARLTON: Whatever they throw at me. I’m working on a Boba Fett (Star Wars) helmet right now for an individual. GC LIVING: Do you do more of the old school manufacturing sculpting or are you into 3D printing and such?

ART CARLTON: I haven’t gotten into 3D printing. Yet. There’s a printer for plastic; you’ve got printers for various metals; you’ve got printers for this product and that product, and it's like, I want one of each. Right now, I'm struggling with which one do I get first? That's going to be coming in, because there are times when I do have a client that wants something built, especially historic. GC LIVING: What model do you plan to do next? ART CARLTON: My next one's going to be the Maricopa station that was out there. The scale I'm building it in will make it a large model, complete with the water tower. We have built the water tower on the display at the museum, and I actually went out and photographed everything on there. Of course, lucky enough for me, the drawings for those towers are still around. I was able to get the actual dimensions and everything. I just need the photographs to capture the rest of it. 

CLOSE UP OF ICE MACHINE MODEL

THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION • SPRING 2021

Casa Grande Public Library

Get Ready for Tails and Tales!

ark your calendars because the 2021 Casa Grande Public Library Summer Reading Program is just around the corner. This free animal-themed reading program is available for kids of all ages and will be a bit different this year. Beginning June 1, weekly activity grab bags will be available at the Casa Grande main library and Vista Grande branch. Kids can also pick up a reading log/activity sheet or register to log minutes online at cg.azsummerreading.org. Encourage your kids to read 20 minutes a day and keep track of their reading all summer long for a chance to pick up a free book beginning the third week of July. Fun and educational library programs will be featured weekly on the library’s Facebook page and YouTube channel at www.facebook.com/cglibraryaz and www. youtube.com/casagrandelibrary. The main library is located at 449 N. Drylake St., and the Vista Grande branch is at 1556 N. Arizola Road. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call 520421-8710. See you all at the library and online this summer!

www.cg.azsummerreading.org

SPRING SPRING 2021 2021 •• THE THE MEDICAL, MEDICAL, HEALTH HEALTH && WELLNESS WELLNESS EDITION EDITION

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Q&A: Boyce Thompson Arboretum Sharon Elliott, Marketing Manager, Boyce Thompson Arboretum Photos: Blushing Cactus Photography How long does it generally take to see all of Boyce Thompson Arboretum? If time is limited, what should visitors see first? Plan on spending a few hours to see the whole arboretum. Our gardens cover 135 acres, with 4.5 miles of trails. You could easily spend a half-day exploring! If time is limited the new Wallace Garden is a must-see, along with the Australian Desert Exhibit. What is the Wallace Desert Garden? The Wallace Desert Garden is the newest garden at the arboretum. The garden features an international palette of arid land plants — a stunning array of thousands of mature trees, shrubs, cacti and succulents. A total of 5,870 plants were transplanted from the Wallace Gardens’ original location in north Scottsdale, more than 75 miles away. Of the 1,223 taxa (species, cultivars, hybrids, varieties) in the garden, 861 are new to Boyce Thompson Arboretum, and 62 species are rare or endangered. What kind of wildlife is commonly seen there? As an Important Bird Area, Boyce Thompson Arboretum and the adjacent Arnett and Queen creeks are known for spectacular birding opportunities. Some 275 different species have been recorded in the Important Bird Area. Of those, 62 are species of special conservation status in Arizona.

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What educational opportunities do you have for children and adults? Due to COVID-19 restrictions, many of our educational opportunities are on hold. We do offer virtual educational programming in partnership with the Superstition Master Gardeners and the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Details, dates and times of our limited in-person and virtual events and our walks and tours can be found online at www.btarboretum.org/events Any restrictions related to COVID-19? Masks are required everywhere at all times. For more details about health and safety visit www.btarboretum.org/ healthandsafetyupdate Do reservations for tours and programs fill up quickly? Yes. We suggest you plan well in advance if you would like to take a tour or register for a program. Spots can open up at the last minute due to cancellations, so if a tour or program is full, please check back to see if space has opened up prior to your visit. More information: www.btarboretum.org or 520-689-2723. 37615 E. Arboretum Way Superior, Arizona 85173

THE MEDICAL, HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION • SPRING 2021

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• The more you put into your down payment, the less you have • Get atalk “refund” every year,the in the money you that save will on rent. I’dto beborrow happy to to you about loan options enable you for the long run. I’d be happy to talk to you about the loan options that will enable you I’dtobeget happy to talk to you about the loan options that will enable you the most out of your IRS refund, and get you started on your I’d be happy to talk to you about the loan options that will enable youon your get most out of your IRS refund, andon get you started • Get a “refund” every year, in the money you save on rent. to get the mosttoout ofthe your IRS refund, and get you started your new life as a homeowner. to get the most out of your IRS life refund, get you started on your new as aand homeowner. new life as anew homeowner. life as a homeowner.

I’d be happy to talk to you about the loan options that will enable you CONTACT ME TODAY! CONTACT CONTACTtoME TODAY! get the most outTODAY! of your IRS refund, and get you started on your CONTACT MEME TODAY! Rudy Benitez Rudy Benitez Rudy Benitez Rudy Benitez new life as a homeowner. Licensed Mortgage Originator Licensed Mortgage Originator Licensed Mortgage Originator Licensed Mortgage Originator NMLS# 279367

NMLS# 279367 NMLS# 279367 Ph: ME 520.836.7776 CONTACT TODAY! Ph: 520.836.7776 Ph: 520.836.7776 Mob: 602.481.3967

NMLS# 279367 Ph: 520.836.7776 Mob: 602.481.3967 Mob: 602.481.3967 Mob: 602.481.3967 rbenitez@annie-mac.com rbenitez@annie-mac.com rbenitez@annie-mac.com rbenitez@annie-mac.com www.RudyLoans.com Licensed Mortgage Originator www.RudyLoans.com www.RudyLoans.com www.RudyLoans.com

Rudy Benitez

NMLS# 279367 Ph: 520.836.7776 Mob: 602.481.3967 rbenitez@annie-mac.com

AnnieMacStreet Home •Mortgage, 211&N.103 Florence • Suites & 103 • Casa Mortgage Grande, AZ Banker 85122. Arizona AnnieMac Home Mortgage, 211 N. Florence Suites 102 • CasaStreet Grande, AZ 102 85122. Arizona LicenseMortgage Banker License AZ BKAnnieMac #0926586. Other Trade Name license AnnieMac Home Mortgage, 211 N. Florence Street • Suites 102Mortgage, & 103 • Casa Grande, AZ 85122. Home 211 N. #0948914 Florence Street Arizona • Suites Mortgage 102 & 103Banker • CasaLicense Grande, AZ 85122. Arizona Mortgage Banker License AZ BK #0926586. Other Trade Name license #0948914 AZ BK #0926586. Other Trade Name license AZ #0948914 BK #0926586. Other Trade Name license #0948914