E!
May 28, 2014 • Vol. 12, No.28
Postal Patron Cave Creek
ECRWSS Carrier Route PreSorted Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 371 Cave Creek, AZ
r pe pa ! s ew nty y N Cou l ek a ee p W rico t a es rg h M La ort e N Th in
E R F
• Anthem
• Black Canyon City
• Carefree
• Cave Creek
• Desert Hills
• New River
• North Phoenix
• Tramonto
Local teen Planned development disputed at public meeting chosen to sing anthem ELIZABETH MEDORA
GIORDANO
ANTHEM – Ali Giordano has been chosen to sing The Star Spangled Banner at the Diamondbacks v. Brewers game at Chase Field on Wednesday, June 18. T his 14 -year- old Anthem resident has performed all over the valley, as well as in New York, and she’s excited for this opportunity. A l i au d it ioned to si n g the national anthem for the Diamondbacks back in March, and now she’s been chosen for the honor. She’s looking forward to her big day on the field representing Arizona! The Diamondbacks v. Brewers game starts at 6:40 p.m. on June 18 at Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson Street in Phoenix. Come to the game and cheer Ali and the D-backs on! For tickets, visit www.DBacks.com.
N EW R I V ER – It wa s standing room only at the Daisy Mountain Fire Station #141 on May 20. The county supervisor’s monthly meeting with the New River/Desert Hills community attracted so much attention that the meeting had to be moved into the firehouse garage to accommodate the number of attendees. The main issue was the planned development at the intersection of New River Road and the I-17. In addition to Maricopa County District 3 Supervisor Andy Kunasek and New River/ De se r t H i l l s Com mu n it y Association president Alan Muller, officials from the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Maricopa Count y Department of Transportation, and Maricopa County Planning and Development were on-hand to answer residents’ questions. “Zoning is one of the most personal issues that affects your property and your property values,” said Kunasek, as he addressed residents’ concerns regarding t he proposed development. Kunasek offered clarification as to what the development plans are. “It is not their intention to run a truck stop, as I’ve been told,” he said. He noted that the plans he had seen included a gas station, a Subway, and a small
Libby Hall photo
Residents opposed to the planned development at New River Road and the I-17 collected signatures against
convenience store. Public commenters disagreed w it h t h i s a s s e s s me nt of the development. “A truck stop is a truck stop,” yelled out one attendee. “Google the company,” added New River resident Terry Wild.
the amendments for the debated development were submitted recently. Since the site has been approved as commercial property and is classified as C2
TRUCK STOP continued on page 5
Veteran Paul Helvey graduates with CSHS class
Inside: Letters......................6 Williams..................7 Bluhm..................... 11 Robotics............... 15 Editorial.............. 16 Services................. 17 Crossword......... 20 Classifieds.......... 21
“They do truck stops. Not gas stations.” At the heart of the issue is the matter of zoning. The property has been zoned commercial since 1969, according to information shared at the May 20 meeting. A site plan was approved in 1996;
Barbara Hatch photo
Veteran Paul Helvey holds his diploma from Cactus Shadows High School. He graduated with the class of 2014 on May 22.
CAVE CREEK – Veteran Paul Helvey is now an official high school graduate. Helvey left high school to join the Navy in the mid-1950s. A large military influence in his family motivated this Pinckneyville, Illinois boy to enlist at the age of 17 before he finished high school. Serving as a boiler tender on the USS Pittsburgh CA-72 and the USS Toledo, Helvey achieved the rank of Boiler Tender 2nd Class as his ship cruised the Asian coast near China after the Korean War. By the time he returned from service, he was “too old” to return to high school. On May 22, Helvey finally received that long-coveted diploma by a unanimous vote of Cactus Shadows’ Senior Class. The first graduate across stage, dressed in a blue business suit and service hat, a Class of 2014 medallion around his neck, Helvey shook
the hands of Principal Bebee and Board member Susan Clancy. The entire class of 2014 gave him a standing ovation. As the graduates came on stage to receive their diplomas, students walked over to congratulate him. One young man walked over to Helvey to tell him he was also going into the Navy. Veterans Heritage Project, wh ic h s t a r ted at C a c t u s Shadows High School in 2004, has published the stories of over 817 veterans in the past 10 years. Ten of its seniors graduated on Thursday. Connecting students with veterans – VHP’s mission – enabled these young people to meet a serviceman who had not had the opportunity to receive his diploma but had not given up on this goal. CSHS students were proud to share their day with this Navy man.