May 9, 2018 • Vol. 16, No. 24
POSTAL PATRON CAVE CREEK
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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 | Vistancia
Last chance to file public comments with the AZ Corporation Commission about EPCOR’s water rate case, consolidation TARA ALATORRE STAFF
Pictured: The table shows what water rates would be for Anthem customers under the five-year phase-in plan if the Arizona Corporation Commission agrees to consolidate EPCOR’s 11 water districts. The rate shown is for a 3/4 meter in Anthem, rates include all applicable credits and surcharges.
Image courtesy of EPCOR
Teacher walk outs have ended; what it means for schools, students TARA ALATORRE STAFF
PHOENIX – After six days of educators holding demonstrations at the state capital, the governor, and state law makers finally passed the education budget ending the historic statewide teacher walk out, enabling schools to reopen last week. Educators voted to walk out on April 26 despite Governor Doug Ducey’s 20 percent pay raise offer because the deal did not meet many of their demands, which included increasing perpupil funding, raises for support staff and a long-term solution to funding Arizona’s public
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WATER RATE CASE continued on page 8
Anthem senior living community unveils Hero Wall honoring 31 veterans TARA ALATORRE STAFF
education system. The Arizona Education Association (AEA), and Arizona Educators United (AEU), which are leading the grassroots Red for Ed movement in the state, announced last week that teachers would return to classrooms only if lawmakers passed the education budget with the funding promised by the governor. On May 3, around 1 a.m. the state legislature passed the education budget that not only gave teachers a 20 percent raise by 2020, but also increased TEACHER WALK OUTS END
ANTHEM – The Arizona Corporation Commission will begin hearings on May 14 regarding the consolidation of the private utility company EPCOR’s recommendation to consolidate its 11 Arizona water districts, which would establish equal water rates for all its customers statewide. The water rate case was originally brought on by a decision in 2015 from the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) requiring EPCOR to file the case no
later than July 2018. In 2017, EPCOR filed the water rate case and recommended consolidating its 11 water districts into one large district, which included a five-year phase-in plan for all its customers resulting in an average rate of $44.95 for 7,000 gallons of usage. “As proposed, the new rates are intended to result in an increase in revenues of $21.5 million,” according to the rate case application filed by ECPCOR on August 18, 2017.
Photo courtesy of Tara Alatorre/Staff
Pictured: The President of the Daisy Mountain Veterans, Sam Crump, presenting a medal to one of the 31 local veterans honored at a ceremony at The Enclave at Anthem Senior Community.
YAVAPAI:
ARIZONA:
NEW RIVER:
Free brush drop-off at County
Among highest fatal hit-and-
Water haulers’ deadline
Transfer Stations until June 1
run rates in the nation
officially extended to Aug. 31
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ANTHEM – The Enclave at Anthem, a senior living community, revealed its Hero Wall on May 2, which included a medal ceremony to honor its 31 resident veterans that served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The Arizona Patriot Guard Riders, Youth For Troops and Daisy Mountain Veterans were all present to honor the veterans living at The Enclave and see the unveiling of the Hero Wall, which is a special area in the community where the names HERO WALL
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OTHER : • Bluhm Column
6
• Service Directory
15
• Classified Ads
18