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May 7, 2014 • Vol. 12, No.25
Postal Patron Cave Creek
ECRWSS Carrier Route PreSorted Standard U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 371 Cave Creek, AZ
r pe pa ! s ew nty y N Cou l ek a ee p W rico t a es rg h M La ort e N Th in
E R F
• Anthem
• Black Canyon City
• Carefree
• Cave Creek
• Desert Hills
• New River
• North Phoenix
• Tramonto
Vehicle fire Concert showcases school talent Healing workshop closes I-17
for veterans returns
Eric Quade Editor
Although all responding agencies don’t appear to be in agreement, a vehicle fire south of Cordes Junction on May 2 may be the most likely reason why northbound traffic on I-17 was at a near standstill as far south as Anthem that afternoon. According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, a vehicle fire broke out near mile marker 258 in the northbound lanes of I-17. The vehicle had been towing a trailer, and the blaze led to the roadway’s closure. As of 6:30 p.m. May 2, ADOT reported that traffic was backed up for more than 10 miles from the scene of the fire, and officials were unsure how long it would be before the roadway could be reopened for weekend traffic. About 45 minutes later, ADOT reported that responding emergency personnel still had the right lane blocked off but one northbound lane had been reopened. ADOT did not comment on what might have led to the fire or whether there were any injuries. The agency, along with the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, deferred to the Arizona Department of Public Safety to share further details on the incident. A DPS PIO had no knowledge of a vehicle fire, however, and said there was only a small brush fire at about 1 p.m.
Inside: Teacher Award....4 Bluhm........................6 Events.......................7 Art............................ 13 Editorial.............. 16 Services................. 17 Crossword......... 20 Classifieds.......... 21
Eric Quade photo
Childhood classics — Guests at Monday’s concert held at Cactus Shadows High School were treated to performances by several different Cave Creek Unified School District bands. Pictured above, Jason See directs the fourth grade band on songs such as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”
Fire department welcomes latest CERT grads The Daisy Mountain Fire Department held its last Community Emergency Response Team training session of the season April 24, and more than a dozen students graduated this time around from the 8-week-long program. In that final class last week, students had an opportunity to put the skills they had recently learned into practice by taking part in a disaster drill. The drill scenario mimicked the fallout from a severe, summertime monsoon storm that had ravaged the Daisy Mountain Fire District communities of Anthem, Desert Hills and New River. The 21 students who had completed the CERT training were then tasked with the hypothetical role of assisting their local fire department in a time of overwhelming need. Fire Chief Mark Nichols was on hand to observe the drill and issue course certificates to each student. Nichols also spoke with the graduating students about the close connection between DMFD and CERT volunteers. Originally developed in California and adopted by FEMA as a national curriculum, the premise of CERT is to train residents to be better equipped to take care
Paul Schickel photo
Final exam — Students in the Daisy Mountain Fire Department’s CERT program gathered April 24 in New River to complete their rescue training. Pictured above, students practice extricating victims.
of themselves and their family in the event of a disaster. Beyond that, volunteers who complete additional training and become affiliated with the fire department can assist the department during a disaster under certain
circumstances. CERT training is offered by DMFD free of charge. The annual program starts in March. For more information, visit DMFDCC.org or contact Paul Schickel at CERT@DMFD.org.
A world renowned Anglican p r ie s t i s c om i n g to t he Franciscan Renewal Center in Paradise Valley May 16-18 to conduct a residential “Healing o f M e m o r i e s Wo r k s h o p for Veterans.” The program was created by the Rev. Michael Lapsley, a n A n g l ic a n m i s s io n a r y priest, who in 1990 suffered the loss of his hands and the sight in one eye from a letter bomb that was sent to him in Zimbabwe. After a long recovery from the bombing, Lapsley decided to dedicate his life to helping victims of emotional, psychological and spiritual wounds i n f lic ted by wa r, human rights abuses and other traumatic circumstances. Veterans of any era may f i nd out more about t he workshop or register for the event by contacting the workshop program manager, Mike Wold, at 651-687-9767 or michael_w_ wold@ m sn.com. Space i s limited to the first 24 veterans who register. The free workshop is open only to veterans. All meals and two nights of lodging is included. Transportation will be provided to veterans who need it. The event begins with dinner at 6 p.m. on May 16 and ends at 2 p.m. on May 18. “ He a l i n g of Me mo r ie s Workshop for Veterans” has been conducted eight times for over 120 veterans in Minnesota and Arizona. Partial f unding has been provided by a grant from the Arizona Department of Veteran Services. Donations in support of the workshop program may be made in two ways. Make checks payable to “The Franciscan Renewal Center” with “Healing of Memories” written in the memo line and send to: The Franciscan Renewal Center, Healing of Memories for Veterans Workshop, 5802 E. Lincoln Dr., Paradise Valley, AZ 85253. Donations via credit card may be placed by calling Amy at the Franciscan Renewal Center at 480-948-7460 x132.