July 18, 2012 • Vol. 10, No.28
POSTAL PATRON CAVE CREEK
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Anthem • Black Canyon City • Carefree • Cave Creek • Desert Hills • New River • N. Phoenix • Tramonto
Former Cave Creek council member earned stripes in Air Force MARC BUCKHOUT MANAGING EDITOR
One by one Gilbert Lopez points at the models on the wall in his home office and tells the story of his history in that particular plane, a collection that includes 17 different aircraft. Whether the memories were run of the mill or the time in Aug. of 1958 when a mechanical malfunction in the T33 he was flying led to both he and his lone passenger ejecting from the plane, which had been flying at 33,000 feet,
Cave Creek approves 2013 budget
Lopez speaks of his 40 year career as a pilot with an all in a day’s work mentality. The Air Force veteran, who earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, said he knew he wanted to fly from an early age. An Arizona native and 79-year-old Cave Creek resident who spent 10 years on the Cave Creek town council, Lopez grew up in the West Valley. He said he remembers a U.S. Army Air Core runway being used to
AIR FORCE
continued on page 13
MARC BUCKHOUT MANAGING EDITOR
Wes Kar/Special for The Foothills Focus
Cave Creek’s Gilbert Lopez served in the Air Force from 1952 – 1957, went on to serve in the Air National Guard, before finishing his career as a commercial pilot.
High Desert rolls into state tournament MARC BUCKHOUT MANAGING EDITOR
Marc Buckhout/The Foothills Focus
High Desert Little League, consisting of ages 11 and 12 from Anthem, New River and Tramonto advanced to the state tournament, which starts tonight by going 6-1 to win the District 3 tournament.
Inside:
FIRE:
Wild fires continue burning near New River, Cave Creek
Page 3
High Desert Little League, begins play in the Arizona State Little League Tournament tonight following a 6-1 run through the District 3 tournament last week in Anthem. The squad consisting of 11 and 12 year-olds from Anthem, New River and Tramonto, bounced back from an early loss to prove themselves the class of the 12-team event. Following an easy win in their opening game of the District 3 tournament the team dropped its second game by an 8-2 margin on June 30. “I think it was the best thing for us,” coach Kevin Trudeau said. “That let us know we weren’t invincible and that
GOVERNMENT:
we’d have to focus and play our best. The kids were down, but they responded.” In winning their final two pool play games the team earned the No. 2 seed out of Pool A. Beginning with their July 7 quarterfinal matchup with Royal Palm, High Desert took their game to another level in elimination play, winning their final three games by a combined score of 37-3. The domination was capped with a 15-3 win over Horizon Little League on July 11, a victory that sent the team to the state tournament. Trudeau said his team has expectations beyond simply advancing to the state tournament.
HIGH DESERT
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SPORTS:
The Cave Creek Town Council approved a $16.7 budget for the 2013 fiscal year by a vote of 6-1 at Monday’s town council meeting. The most talked about part of the budget centered on funding toward the Desert Foothills Library, Cave Creek Museum as well as to help fund Fiesta Days and Wild West Days. Each of the groups had a member of their board speak on behalf of their organization. David Court, the executive director of Desert Foothills Library, said the library takes pride in the fact that they offer seven day a week service including the ability to get new passports or passports renewals. Johnny Ringo was one of a number of members that spoke on behalf of the Cave Creek Merchants and Events Association. The president of the organization detailed the group’s efforts on behalf of the town to promote a variety of events that draw out of town guests and bring in potential revenue highlighted by Fiesta Days and Wild West Days. “Our plan is to advertise for our events in various media on a local, regional and even national basis,” Ringo said. In providing their credentials and worthiness Mark Stephens, the vice
BUDGET
continued on page 7
OTHER :
Carefree approves budget for 2013 fiscal year
New athletic director set to lead Cactus Shadows’ sports programs
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