March 18, 2015 • Vol. 13, No.16
POSTAL PATRON CAVE CREEK
www.thefoothillsfocus.com
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
Chamber of Commerce celebrating 50th anniversary
Pictured is a ribbon cutting at the Carefree Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce building after a 2012 remodel was completed.
CAREFREE – The Carefree Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce is celebrating 50 years of support for local businesses. The towns have changed greatly, but the Chamber’s mission of community business development has stayed the same. This special occasion will be commemorated with a 50th Anniversary Birthday Breakfast and Celebration of Excellence on Thursday, March 26 at Harold’s Corral. Chamber Executive Director Patty Villeneuve shared the history of the Carefree Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce. “The Carefree Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce was incorporated on March 4, 1965,” Villeneuve reported. “The three men who created the Chamber and filed paperwork for its incorporation were Lester Maitland, Billy Burk, and Leslie H Rhuart.” Villeneuve noted that the original home of the
Chamber was in Cave Creek. In the 1970s, the Chamber moved to Carefree. As the towns of Carefree and Cave Creek have blossomed in the last 50 years, the Chamber has grown along with them. The Carefree Cave Creek Chamber has approximately 350 member businesses and provides frequent community business events. “The mission that these three men (the original incorporators) had for the Chamber was the same then as it is today... to promote, support and foster growth for the business communities of Carefree and Cave Creek,” Villeneuve emphasized. “The Chamber has gone through multiple name changes and locations of business, but the mission has stayed the same for 50 years.”
CHAMBER
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Domestic dispute resolved without injuries PHOENIX – A domestic dispute in north Phoenix on Sunday, March 15, ended without injuries to anyone involved. The Phoenix Police Department dealt with a situation in the area of Carefree Highway and 27th Drive. “A suicidal man fired several shots inside his home,” said Sergeant Jonathan Howard, Phoenix Police. “We contained him for several hours before we could convince him to surrender peacefully.” “The suspect was taken into custody by our tactical teams,” said Sergeant Trent Crump of Phoenix Police, noting that the man was identified as 25-yearold Thomas Boggs. No further information regarding the investigation has been released at this time.
Living with wildlife: Bobcats, mountain lions part of North Valley population ELIZABETH MEDORA STAFF
NORTH VALLEY – Cats generally have a way of not being seen unless they want to be seen, and wild cats are no exception to that. North Valley residents share the area with a variety of wildlife, including bobcats and mountain lions. It is unlikely to see a mountain lion in the area; however, bobcat sightings are more common. A local resident called The Foothills Focus, asking for more
information on a potential mountain lion sighting in New River. No reports of mountain lion sightings have been filed with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Game and Fish Public Information Officer Lynda Lambert says it’s not impossible, however. “We get the occasional sighting,” Lambert said, noting that mountain lions are more likely to be seen outside of the Valley, such as in the Bloody Basin Road area.
Lambert noted that there is a “healthy population” of mountain lions in Arizona, with over 2,000 in the state. However, the big cats are extremely elusive. Lambert commented that even Game and Fish employees who are seeking mountain lions generally don’t find them. “We rarely ever see them,” Lambert said. The wild cat most likely to be seen in the North Valley is the bobcat. “Bobcats pretty much live
PRESENTATION:
COUNCIL:
SCHOOLS:
Carefree Village Center
Cave Creek Council
Budget for 2016 discussed at
plans to be presented
election results
school board meeting
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Arizona Game and Fish Department photo
everywhere,” “They’re
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Lambert.
adapted
neighborhoods.”
to
WILDLIFE
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OTHER : • Bluhm Column
12
• Service Directory
19
• Classified Ads
22