August 1, 2012 • Vol. 10, No.30
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Anthem • Black Canyon City • Carefree • Cave Creek • Desert Hills • New River • N. Phoenix • Tramonto
Anthem woman becomes U.S. citizen
MARC BUCKHOUT MANAGING EDITOR
Marc Buckhout/The Foothills Focus
Marcella Brown, an Anthem resident, became a U.S. citizen on Thursday in a ceremony at Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix. The Romanian native celebrated her citizenship with family moments following the ceremony.
Marcella Brown came to the United States in 2004 and has lived in Anthem since 2008, but Thursday was a day unlike any other. Brown, a native of Romania, was one of 59 people to go through naturalization ceremonies at Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix, as she officially became a U.S. citizen. “I feel like a teenager when they know their parents are going to be going on vacation and they’ll have the house all to themselves,” she said just moments before the ceremony.
North Valley Regional Library offers plethora of classes MARC BUCKHOUT MANAGING EDITOR
The North Valley Regional Library in Anthem is unique in a couple respects. Pamela Blair-Sheldon, who took over as the library’s manager approximately six months ago said the first thing people notice is that the library serves both as a public library for the community as well as the library for Boulder Creek High School. “There aren’t many libraries around that have the relationship between the high school and the public,” she said. “You have to wear two hats and
LIBRARY
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Inside:
Marc Buckhout/The Foothills Focus
The North Valley Regional Library has a diverse bunch of classes open to the public from getting in shape through yoga to picking up skills and getting tips to to aid in their job searches.
EDUCATION:
Cactus Shadows, Boulder Creek offer intro camp to new students
Page 5
ACCIDENT:
Heading into the day’s ceremony Brown said she didn’t expect to be emotional. Her road to citizenship began in 2000 when her eventual husband, Scott, an American citizen from Arizona went to Romania on business. Marcella, a page designer at a local newspaper in Brasov, Romania met Scott and the two struck up a connection. Over the course of 3 and a half years the two exchanged countless emails and spent hours on the phone. When she was unable to get a Visa to come to the United States the the two got married in Romania.
Waiting until her two children finished school Marcella finally made the move to the United States in 2004, at the age of 44. Having left Romania, what she described as a very restrictive lifestyle in the Communist country, she said the transition to living in the United States was a shock to the system. Leaving the town of Brasov, which is home to the Rope Street, the narrowest street in Europe at four feet wide, was a stark contrast to her new home. “I lived in Ahwatukee when
CITIZEN
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Planning in motion for new Anthem building
MARC BUCKHOUT MANAGING EDITOR
At the July Anthem Community Council meeting Community Executive Officer Jenna Kollings gave an update on the status of the newly acquired property at 3701 W. Anthem Way. “We’re focusing on going forward with the renovations to make it into a civic building,” she said. “By next month’s meeting we’ll have the action plan for how we go about that moving forward.” The building, purchased out of the enhancement fund for $2.3 million, will house Anthem staff, HOA personnel as well as serve for a wide array of social and business related activities.
SPORT:
In one of the shortest council meetings in recent memory, one attended by only five council members with John Balzer and president Craig Boates both absent, the council attended to little business. During committee reports Doug Greenstein, the Community Financial Officer painted a positive picture of the community’s financial situation. Greenstein pointed to a rise in housing values as the money being taken in per month in the enhancement is up as compared to 2010 and 2011. A percentage of each home sold in Anthem goes to the enhancement fund. Shannon Wallace was
BUILDING
continued on page 5
OTHER :
Trio of Anthem teens hurt in one-vehicle wreck
Ben Avery archer takes aim at 2nd medal
• Editorial Page
• Service Directory
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• Classified Ads
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