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August 6, 2014 • Vol. 12, No.38
Postal Patron Cave Creek
ECRWSS Carrier Route PreSorted Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 371 Cave Creek, AZ
r pe pa ! s y ew nt y N ou kl a C e p e W co st ari e M g ar th e L or Th in N
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• Anthem
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• Cave Creek
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Barry Hess: Pedestrian crosswalk signal planned for Gavilan Peak Parkway ‘Organic and grassroots’ politics
This is the first of a series of gubernatorial candidate profiles in The Foothills Focus. We welcome reader responses to these profiles; please email editor@ thefoothillsfocus.com with comments. Elizabeth Medora
NORTH VALLEY – Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Barry Hess used to think he was a Republican. As he tells it, the first person to refer to him as a Libertarian was Ronald Reagan, long before Reagan became president. As a Republican campaign volunteer, this came as a shock to Hess, but Reagan didn’t mean it negatively. “He said to me, ‘You hold government to the same standard of moral accountability as you would any individual,’” Hess related.
BARRY HESS continued on page 5
Inside: Bluhm.......................6 School Events.....7 Movie Review......11 Pets.......................... 14 Editorial.............. 16 Services................. 17 Classifieds.......... 21
Pictured is the intersection of Gavilan Peak Parkway and Venture Drive, which will be the site of new construction, starting Aug. 11.
ANTHEM – Construction begins next week on a pedestrian crosswalk signal at the intersection of Gavilan Peak Parkway and Venture Drive. On Monday, Aug. 11, the Maricopa County Department of Transportation will start work on the new signal. The intersection will be getting some updates, as well, including new signage and striping at the crosswalk. The improvements are estimated to be finished by the end of September. Work hours will be Monday–Friday, 5 a.m.-5 p.m., with possible weekend work as needed. MCDOT has noted that lanes will likely be restricted at various times during the construction. No entrances to businesses or homes will be blocked. Drivers should plan for minor traffic delays in the construction zone. The new crosswalk signal is designed to help pedestrians cross the street safely. Keep up with the status of current MCDOT projects by calling the 24-hour project hotline at (480) 350-9288 or visit www.mcdot. maricopa.gov.
Technology take-over through Tech Rich program Savannah Tidd
PHOENIX – Multi-colored Five Star notebooks, a threering binder, a plethora of mechanical pencils that all will be misplaced within a week, highlighters, pens, and other essential tools to start a new school year in habit a high school student’s backpack. Howeve r, a Sa nd ra Day O’Con nor H ig h School student`s bag is much slimmer with an iPad, a stylus, a charger, and the occasional pen or pencil for math class. Technology is not only changing the way people communicate, but also how they learn. The traditional paper textbooks are being replaced with shiny new devices that can give a student access to all the resources they will need to succeed. The new school year is about to commence, and for SDOHS, this means full immersion as a Tech Rich school. According to Nicole Duquette, assistant principal, the goal of the Tech Rich program is to develop students’ 21st century skills and give them greater opportunities for learning. Last year SDOHS piloted this initiative with only a handful of students, and the experience was very positive.
Students at Sandra Day O’Connor High School are receiving iPads this school year through the Tech Rich program.
“According to survey results, the students loved the digital environment and the freedom the iPad gave them in accessing and evaluating new information,” said Brad Brazell, assistant principal. Because of this encouraging outcome, every student will
now be given either a full-sized or a mini iPad for this school year. SDOHS is not the only school diving into this switch to technology. Other high schools in the Deer Valley Unified School District will start the pre-implementation process in order to
benefit their students. Not only will it benefit students now, but it will also prepare them for life after high school in order to live in a tech rich world, according to Dr.
TECHNOLOGY continued on page 7