June 8, 2016 • Vol. 14, No.30
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POSTAL PATRON CAVE CREEK
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Anthem | Black Canyon City | Carefree | Cave Creek | Desert Hills | New River| North Phoenix | Tramonto | Vistancia
Renowned sculptor Ray Villafane creates extraordinary elephant sand sculpture, currently on display in Carefree TARA ALATORRE STAFF
CAREFREE – If you have never seen an elephant playing chess with a mouse before, then you should probably head over to Carefree Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion, where sculptor Ray Villafane has created a whimsical, stunningly realistic 13-ton sand sculpture. The sculpture can be viewed for free. Earlier this year, Carefree struck a deal with Villafane, a world-renowned sculptor who is best known for his pumpkin carvings, to create a series of sand sculptures in downtown Carefree throughout the year. This is his second sand sculpture since being commissioned by the town, and he plans to make at least one more sand
Tara Alatorre photos
Pictured: Sculptor Villafane’s handiwork, now on display in Carefree.
sculpture before the end of the year, in addition to expanding the Carefree “Enchanted Pumpkin Garden” with a new scarecrow exhibit. “It was a blast to do,” said Villafane in a phone interview.
Merrill Gardens at Anthem on track to open this fall
ELIZABETH MEDORA STAFF
floor plans. Deposits are currently being taken for the apartments, and, already, over 40 percent of the apartments have been claimed.
Pictured: Merrill Gardens Anthem construction
SCULPTURE continued on page 3
Circle Mountain Ranch home sales to begin next year
ELIZABETH MEDORA STAFF
ANTHEM – Construction at Merrill Gardens is moving swiftly, and the new retirement community is on schedule to open in fall 2016. Krista Solomon, Merrill Gardens at Anthem General Manager, noted that every day brings new progress to the construction. The roof is now on the building, Wi-Fi cabling and ductwork are ongoing, and the electrical system is in. Merrill Gardens will include 93 apartments, in studio, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom
“It [Carefree] has really become a playground for me, and it’s just a fun place to create.” The sculpture captures a scene that features an elephant, Chessie Trunkston, playing chess with a mouse, Hershel Higginbottom, who has just made a checkmate, winning the game, creating a fairytale scene right in the middle of a small desert town. The sculpture took 13 days to make, and started as a 25-ton pile of sand that was placed in wooden forms. Then Villafane, and his assistant, Sue Beatrice, slowly chipped away, working downwards, removing about
at
MERRILL GARDENS continued on page 3
ANTHEM – Circle Mountain Ranch, the newest Anthem neighborhood, is on track to begin home sales in 2017, according to home builders Pulte and Lennar, which will
ON THE ROAD:
MEMORIAL:
TRAFFIC:
ADOT summary reports
Ceremony at Veterans Memorial
Loop 303 closure
number of crashes in 2015
draws over 1,500 attendees
planned for June 10-15
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both be constructing homes in the subdivision. Circle Mountain Ranch, located north of the Daisy Mountain Post Office on 43rd Ave., is set to include 202 homes. These homes will be part of the Anthem community, with HOA dues paid to Anthem and residents given access to Anthem amenities. Jacque Petroulakis, who handles PulteGroup Corporate Communications for Arizona and multiple other states, noted
HOME SALES continued on page 12
OTHER : • Bluhm Column
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• Service Directory
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• Classified Ads
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