December 25, 2013 • Vol. 12, No.6
• Anthem
• Black Canyon City
Postal Patron Cave Creek
• Carefree
• Cave Creek
ECRWSS Carrier Route PreSorted Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 371 Cave Creek, AZ
• Desert Hills
• New River
• North Phoenix
• Tramonto
Sheriff Joe Arpaio attends court-ordered meeting Eric Quade Editor
Of the many court-ordered meetings held simultaneously Saturday morning between the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and the communities it polices, Sheriff Joe Arpaio made a surprise appearance at the one taking place in the town of Cave Creek. The meetings, also held in Avondale, Fountain Hills, Mesa, Queen Creek and Sun City, were scheduled as a result of U.S. District Judge Murray Snow’s ruling that the sheriff’s office was unjustly targeting the Latino community. The judge ordered MCSO to conduct community outreach meetings like these in order to boost public confidence in the agency. Arpaio, who has made a name for himself following his toughon-illegal-immigration policies, appeared dismissive of the courtordered meetings’ significance in an interview just prior to the Cave Creek meeting’s commencement. “I’ve been fighting illegal immigration for about 6 years,” he said. “Very proud of our record. Lots of politics involved. Department of Justice been after me since (President Barack) Obama took office … We don’t racial profile. My deputies are not racist.” Arpaio said he didn’t agree with Judge Snow’s ruling and is appealing the decision, but he also suggested there was a positive side to the mandatory meetings, which will take place annually. “It’s not a bad idea. I was going to do it anyway,” the sheriff
Inside: Events.......................3 Bluhm........................4 Screenplay............ 14 Editorial.............. 16 Services................. 17 Crossword......... 20 Classifieds.......... 21 Movie Review........22
said. “Have meetings like this where—forget the immigration thing—but just able to answer questions to the public.” Besides media and law enforcement representatives, the meeting in Cave Creek started out with one person in the audience. By the time it ended an hour later, five members of the public were in attendance. The meeting involved Captain Dante Proto reading a prepared statement—a seven-page history of the court case that had led to the mandatory public outreach efforts. It highlighted several legal procedures surrounding the case, policy changes at MCSO following the judge’s ruling and a number of other points. One item that received a considerable amount of attention was the implementation of new technologies such as electronic ticketing. Law enforcement officials stated that, in the past, there was no documentation produced to track statistics on any verbal warnings officers gave. Now, even if no ticket is issued, a receipt is still produced. Lieutenant Kip Rustenburg said that the technology will not only make MCSO more efficient,
SHERIFF
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Eric Quade photo
By the book — Complying with a judge’s ruling, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office held a community outreach meeting in Cave Creek Dec. 21. Captain Dante Proto (center) took the lead for Saturday’s meeting, and the sheriff responded to questions from the audience.
Survey seeks Anthem time capsule input The committee handling Anthem’s 15th anniversary celebration wants public input on what should be placed in the time capsule that will be buried during the new Anthem Civic Building’s grand opening in late January. Thematically, the committee is searching for items representing Anthem that are either current or date back as far as 1999. The time capsule hasn’t arrived yet, but its dimensions are estimated at 24-by-24-by-24. In addition to fresh ideas that the public can dream up and submit to the committee for consideration, the online survey available at onlineatanthem.com allows Anthem residents—past and present—to choose from a prepared list of mementos that could be buried in the time capsule and then reopened a decade later. These listed survey options include a jersey, tech gadgets, a newspaper and others.
Those wishing to pitch their ideas are encouraged to act swiftly because the online survey will only be active for a few weeks— approximately until mid-January. Memory book submissions In connection with Anthem’s 15th anniversary celebration, the Anthem Community Council is also collecting materials to be included in a “memory book.” Memory book items are meant to depict Anthem’s growth over the years and can range from photos, to newspaper stories, to marketing/development materials. Testimonials regarding Anthem’s significance will also be accepted. Just like the time capsule survey, past and present Anthem residents may provide memory book content suggestions via the onlineatanthem. com website. Entries may also be emailed directly to memorybook@ anthemcouncil.com. The deadline for memory book submissions is May 30.
Balloon festival floats into Cave Creek The fifth annual Cave Creek Balloon Festival will take place Jan. 4 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Rancho Mañana golf course. The Cave Creek Balloon Festival will feature live music by local bands, such as the Kards, a kids’ zone, as well as food, beverages, cocktails and wine. Locally brewed Four Peaks beer will be available for purchase, too. At 6 p.m., the driving range at Rancho Mañana will be filled with brightly colored and whimsically shaped balloons, including the new “Bud E. Beaver” balloon. The flying Arizona Skyhawks will descend from 7,500 feet with special suits outfitted with pyrotechnics at about 8:30 p.m. General admission tickets are available online or at the gate and cost $10 for adults, $5 for ages 12 and under; children 2 and under enter for free. Want to be entertained and support education at the same time? Ten percent of online ticket sales proceeds for the balloon festival will benefit the Cave Creek Uni-
fied School District, and the school with highest ticket sales will receive an additional $500. Online tickets are at purplepass.com/CaveCreekFestival. VIP tickets are also available at the website and include event admission, a gourmet buffet from Tonto Bar & Grill (4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.), private cash bar, heated tent, mushroom heaters and private restrooms. VIP tickets are $60 for adults and $25 for ages 12 and under. VIP tickets must be purchased by Dec. 31. All parking will be at the center of town, 38406 N. Schoolhouse Rd. in Cave Creek. The $5 parking fee includes shuttle service to and from the event and proceeds will go to CCUSD. No lawn chairs, dogs or outside food or beverages will be allowed at the event, and all activities will be dependent on the weather. ATMs are available on-site. Making this year’s event possible are Sanderson Lincoln & Ford, Tonto Bar & Grill, Aerial Solutions and Valerie’s Fine Furniture.