March 11, 2020 • Vol. 18, No. 14
POSTAL PATRON CAVE CREEK
www.thefoothillsfocus.com
ECRWSS Carrier Route PreSorted Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 371 Cave Creek, AZ
Anthem | Black Canyon City | Carefree | Cave Creek | Desert Hills | New River| North Phoenix | Tramonto | Peoria
Former POW advocates for U.S. veterans BY TRACY DEMETROPOLIS
ANTHEM — In October 1967, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Kirk was flying over Hanoi, Vietnam, strapped into the cockpit of his F-105 Thunderchief. Kirk, a squadron commander, was leading the largest bombing raid of the war up to that point. He was 38 years old with 17 years of military experience behind him. He was a man at the top of his field. The objective of this mission – his 67th in Vietnam – was to bomb a bridge in the North Vietnamese capital city. This would be his last mission of the war.
Just before dropping his bombs over the bridge, Kirk was hit by Vietnamese anti-aircraft fire. Even though his plane was on fire, he was able to drop the bombs and turn south. He knew that if he could fly 50 miles south, U.S. troops could rescue
(Above): Anthem resident Thomas Kirk, a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, receives the 2020 Storyteller Award from the Veterans Heritage Project on March 7. (Top): Kirk beside his plane in 1957, a few years after the Korean conflict. Photos courtesy of Thomas Kirk
him. Going about 600 miles per hour, Kirk had made it 30 miles when his hydraulic flight controls burned up and his plane went into a nosedive. He had no choice but to eject. He landed, unconscious, in a plowed field and was immediately captured by Vietnamese civilians and handed over to North Vietnamese soldiers. Last Saturday, Kirk, now a 91-year-old Anthem resident, accepted the 2020 Storyteller of the Year award at this year’s Saluting Soldiers Service Gala. The gala was hosted by the Phoenix-based non-profit Veterans Heritage Project, which offers a civics education course where students conduct indepth interviews with veterans about their wartime experiences. These stories are compiled and published in an annual book called “Since You Asked.” Kirk was paired with a student who met with him 10 times, and his stories were published in the 2012 edition. Veterans Heritage Project executive director Michelle DiMuro said the storytelling that happens through the program is a win for everyone. “It’s cathartic for veterans as they share their wisdom, and educational for students as they learn first-hand lessons in history, civics and leadership. Plus, it creates an incredible history of our country through
POW
continued on page 9
FIRE DESTROYS SEMI TRACTOR
Photo by Karen Alexander
Photo courtesy of DMFM
(Top) Crews from Daisy Mountain Fire and Medical and the Phoenix Fire Department responded to a semi-truck fire at the Shell gas station in New River on Monday. Although the tractor portion of the truck was completely destroyed (Left), there were no reported injuries. The driver told officials he exited I-17 in order to avoid possibly igniting a wildfire.
Rattlesnakes 101, Part 1
Leave them alone – they’ll leave you alone BY TRACY DEMETROPOLIS
CAVE CREEK — Spring means different things to people in different parts of the country. Spring to a Midwesterner might mean tulips and green grass, while someone in California might associate spring with wild poppies and beach picnics. In many parts of Arizona, spring means baseball, spectacular weather and rattlesnakes. While many people cringe at the mention of the venomous reptiles, rattlesnakes are often misunderstood, according to reptile enthusiast Mark Paulat, who is an Interpretive Ranger at the Cave Creek Regional Park. Paulat caught his first snake
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with a fishing net at the age of seven. He’s been a fan of snakes and other reptiles ever since. Paulat cares for the reptiles and other critters at the park’s Nature Center. He said rattlesnakes are shy creatures who just want to “find food, water and a date.” People who live in “rattlesnake country” don’t get bitten very often, he said, but when they do it’s probably because they did something stupid like poke the snake with a stick. “You live in the Sonoran Desert, but you’re walking in the backyard in the dark, barefoot? You have to use common sense
RATTLESNAKES continued on page 14
OTHER : • Bluhm Column
6
• Legally Speaking 7 • Pet of the Week
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