January 29, 2014 •
• Anthem
Vol. 12, No.11
• Black Canyon City
Postal Patron Cave Creek
• Carefree
• Cave Creek
• Desert Hills
ECRWSS Carrier Route PreSorted Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 371 Cave Creek, AZ
• New River
• North Phoenix
• Tramonto
Bus driver Community presence strong at Anthem event dies amidst Dove Valley wall crash Eric Quade Editor
A bus driver for the Deer Valley Unified School District died Jan. 22 amidst an incident where his bus went through a wall. School officials and police reported that the driver, Lee Plante, might have suffered a medical emergency moments prior to the accident. Ashley Morris, a communications specialist with DVUSD, said that Plante had driven school bus his entire tenure with the district’s transportation department, which was more than a decade. “Our heartfelt support goes out to the family during this tragic time,” according to a DVUSD-issued statement. “We are deeply saddened by this loss and blessed that there were no serious injuries to any of our students, transportation staff or community members.” At 6:47 a.m. Jan. 22, Plante’s school bus No. 201 crashed into a wall off of Dove Valley Road near I-17. In addition to the driver, one student and one aide were also onboard the bus, but they were not injured. The school district reported that it would provide counseling for students and employees in need following last week’s accident.
Inside: Bluhm........................4 More Homes............ 5 Events.......................6 Parking Relief.......7 Editorial.............. 20 Services................. 21 Crossword......... 24 Classifieds.......... 25
Eric Quade photo
A look to the past, future — As part of Saturday’s grand opening festivities at the Anthem Civic Building, a time capsule was buried. Pictured above, a memento in honor of late Anthem resident Katie Wagner was tossed in before the capsule was covered in dirt.
Turnout at Saturday’s grand opening and civic building dedication in Anthem was easily in the hundreds, and the community not only got an up-close look at its new “living room,” but also prepared to mark Anthem’s 15th anniversary of existence. The president of Anthem Community Council’s board of directors, Holly Matson, said that Saturday’s grand opening was the fruit of many years of labor with research and discussions on the issue of a new building dating back to 2008. The actual purchase of what would become the Anthem Civic Building took place in June 2012 and, now that the project has come to fruition, Matson said she was excited. “As I walked through the building last night, I personally had goose bumps, and I could feel the energy of graduation parties to come and of fundraisers and piano music and bingo and painting classes and chess games,” she said. “I could feel the energy that goes into making memories for residents, and I
BUILDING
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Cave Creek raptor center set to expand ops Tara Alatorre
Wild at Heart, a raptor rescue, relocation and rehabilitation organization based out of Cave Creek, announced during Cave Creek’s Jan. 21 town council meeting that it will be spreading its wings. The organization gained unanimous support from the town council, which passed a resolution supporting Wild at Heart’s fundraising efforts for a larger facility within the town. The resolution also encourages citizens to support the organization’s endeavors. Bob Fox, a founder of Wild at Heart, said the resolution is open ended, unlike his last failed resolution, which slated Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area for its new raptor center. “We are just looking for town support,” said Fox after the meeting. “There is a lot of groundwork to be done.” Wild at Heart was founded in 1991 by husband and wife Bob and Sam Fox, who turned their residence into a licensed rehabilitation center. The Fox
family started with one injured owl and now cares for about 400 owls, hawks and falcons, with more than 600 birds being cared for in the facility. Wild at Heart continues to grow with a thriving western burrowing owl project that relocates the owls across the state of Arizona, as construction continues to encroach on the small owls’ habitat. The organization also manages endangered species programs for native birds, like the cactus pygmy owl and barn owls, and heads a fostering program to rehabilitate and release raptors of all species. Now Bob and Sam Fox are looking for a bigger facility, not only to house more birds and grow the raptor center’s breeding program, but also to develop their facility’s educational purposes. They hope the center will show people how to live in a Sonoran desert sustainably, while also providing educational programs bringing awareness about the
RAPTORS
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Rescued kestrel falcon