85086 Magazine March 2020

MARCH 2020

GIO’S PIZZA GOES AUTHENTIC JAVA AND JAMMIN’

FAMILY PUZZLES GENEALOGY GROUP IS ADDICTED

TAKING THE

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March 2020 | Volume 7 | Issue 3

Publisher Steve T. Strickbine steve@timespublications.com

features

Vice President Michael Hiatt mhiatt@timespublications.com

18

Executive Editor Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

By Land or By Sea Rec activities aplenty at Lake Pleasant and Phoenix Sonoran Preserve

Graphic Designer Tonya Mildenberg Contributors Lorraine Bossé-Smith, Pastor David Bowen, Jan D’Atri, Dr. Curtis Finch, Shannon Fisher, C.A. Haire, Dr. Brian Hester, Jordan Houston, Laura Latzko, Heather Maxwell, Dr. Alexandra Prach, Dena Roché, Shelley Sakala, Tara Storjohann, Emma Suttell, Judge Gerald A. Williams Staff Photographers Chris Mortenson, Pablo Robles

15

20

40

fresh

28 ‘It’s Like a Puzzle’

6 Playing a Part

business

P.E.O. Chapter EV-Anthem gearing up to host a fundraiser

30 Your Nine-Day Itinerary is Ahead

8 Digital 4 Good

Genealogy group says finding family is addictive

Boulder Creek senior wins state award for Student Government publicity

Experience a Sonoran adventure this Spring Break

home

10 A Soft Place to Land

32 Get Lucky!

11 Curt’s Corner

35 Is Love a Noun or a Verb?

12 They’ve Got the ‘Beat’

36 Kuma’s Great Adventures

14 Perspective

38 Extraordinary Rides

Patio rugs improve landscape, climate and comfort

Put that phone down this Spring Break Billy Marovich and Mark Long play the hits at Anthem Days

Can spectators sue after getting hit by a ball?

15 Making a Difference

Local singer/songwriter Janelle Loes shares her life through song Amped Coffee customers honor employee Sara Muchnij

24 A ‘Peak’ into Roland Smith

Kuma Takes on Dixie Mountain

2020 Cadillac XT6 SUV provides old-fashioned American luxury

Soft Cinnamon Roll Cookies

42 Is Your Gut Healthy?

This ‘second brain’ can affect mood and overall wellness

How to stay active at a sedentary workspace

Anthem Dolphins teach young people the basics of the sport

85086 | MARCH 2020

85086 Magazine sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable manner. Printed by American Web on recycled fibers containing 10% post consumer waste, with inks containing a blend of soy base. Our printer is a certified member of the Forestry Stewardship Council, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and additionally meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards. When you are finished with this issue, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it. We can have a better world if we choose it together.

Gio’s Pizza brings traditional Italian flavors to Anthem

46 Back to Health of Anthem

Award-winning author visits Deer Valley USD

Cover: Brendan Salisbury. Photo by: Shannon Fisher.

4

Basic English prepared us to be better people

better

22 Dancing Toward Success

26 Keeping Swimming Fun

Circulation

These crafts are sure to make guests smile

41 What’s Cooking? with Jan D’Atri

20 The Joy of Music

Production Manager Courtney Oldham

40 All in the Family

features

Marketing Director/ Social Media Manager Eric Twohey eric@85086magazine.com

food

Brendan Salisbury earns Eagle Scout ranking

16 Things To Do

Advertising sales@85086magazine.com (623) 299-4959

85086magazine.com facebook.com/85086magazine @85086mag | #local85086

85086 Magazine is published 12 times a year for full saturation distribution in Anthem, Tramonto, Desert Hills, and New River. You can also pick up 85086 Magazine at many businesses including specialty shops, salons, spas, auto dealerships, libraries, children’s and women’s specialty shops, boutiques, restaurants, health clubs, hotels, medical offices, and many rack locations. Statements, opinions, and points of view express written consent of the publisher by the writers and advertisers and are their own, and do not necessarily represent those of the publishers, editors, or 85086 Magazine staff. Although 85086 Magazine has made every effort to authenticate all claims and guarantee offers by advertisers in the magazine, we cannot assume liability for any products or services advertised herein. No part of 85086 Magazine cannot be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the express written consent of the publisher.

Publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter at any time.

Postmaster: Please return all undeliverable copies to AIM, 1236 W. Southern Avenue, Ste 105, Tempe, AZ 85282.

Yearly subscriptions available; twelve issues mailed directly to your mailbox for $19.95 per year (within the U.S.). All rights reserved. ®2018 Affluent Publishing, LLC. Printed in the USA.

T E E W S E S O O CH ENDENCE P E D IN Explore new interests and enjoy the every day moments, we’ll take care of the rest. Choose to live your way.

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© 2020 All rights reserved. Spectrum Retirement Communities

MARCH 2020 |

85086

5

S P OT L I G H T

Playing a Part

P.E.O. Chapter EV-Anthem gearing up to host a fundraiser

By Jordan Houston Coming on the heels of its 150th anniversary, a womencentric nonprofit is as committed as ever to celebrating female advancements across borders.

The Iowa-based Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) Sisterhood boasts an impressive membership of around 230,000 members throughout North America and is dedicated to Donated by community vendors, raffle creating educational opporbaskets like the one pictured will represent various categories at an upcoming tunities for female students. meeting.

Since its inception in 1869, Hands,” which was chosen by the nonprofit has awarded the state chapter’s president. more than $344 million in The theme, Caldwell explains, financial assistance to over speaks to the organization’s 109,000 recipients of its varyall-hands-on-deck approach. ing philanthropies.

“It’s what we really try to And P.E.O. Chapter EVfocus on with everyone that Anthem, one of the organiwe talk to about P.E.O.,” she zation’s 6,000 local chapters, is doing its part in ensuring From left to right, Marella Reudinger, Kris McKinley and Becky Danenhower prepare a states. “Because we can’t do spread of food at a chapter meeting. (Photos courtesy P.E.O. Chapter EV-Anthem) any of this without the many the movement can continue selves to helpings of chicken chardonnay, of us.” to thrive.

All proceeds from the event will go toThe branch of 40 women is gearing up salad, Boursin whipped potatoes, vegetato host a fundraiser on Monday, March 16, bles and chiffon cake paired with strawber- ward supporting six international projects and three state projects, Caldwell continat the Anthem Country Club’s Ironwood ries, all made fresh by the club staff.

A cash bar will also be open during the ues.

Country Club Ballroom from 10:30 a.m.

The six philanthropies include ownergathering. to 2:30 p.m.

The fundraiser will feature an hour of ship of Cottey College, a woman’s college With a goal of raising $1,500, the luncheon promises a day filled with food, fun bingo, complete with small prizes, and a offering baccalaureate and associate degree programs, and five programs that provide raffle drawing. and friendship.

Donated by community vendors, the sev- higher educational assistance through “We’re all about women motivating and helping women,” P.E.O. Chapter EV-An- en raffle baskets range from $100 to $350 in scholarships, grants, awards and loans.

“We give every year to not only our inthem President Lynn Caldwell says. “For worth, and represent categories like Christour normal fundraisers, we’ve usually had mas in March, Pamper Yourself Spa, Des- ternational projects, but to our base here in them in our homes and we provided the ert SW, spirits/snacks, Family Fun Wagon, Arizona,” Caldwell says.

The group is focusing its efforts on helpfood—but this time we wanted to have an half-day Desert Ride UTV rental package event that our community could look for- for two, patriotic picnic and poolside fun. ing a Boulder Creek High School student The sisters will also work to incorporate pursue college. ward to.”

The senior is a candidate for the organiFor $42 per ticket, guests can treat them- this year’s state theme, “Spirit of Many

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85086 | MARCH 2020

A raffle basket sits on display at an event.

zation’s STAR Scholarship, which sets out to fund post-secondary education for “exceptional” high school senior women.

Recipients can enroll in “accredited postsecondary educational institutions” anywhere in the United States or Canada the following academic year.

“We do an interview process and select students that stand out in academics, service and leadership,” Caldwell discloses.

Since 2009, the nonprofit has awarded $10.7 million in STAR scholarships.

P.E.O was founded more than 150 years ago as a college society at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.

What started out as a bond of friendship between seven women is now the oldest women’s organization in North America, according to the nonprofit’s website.

The sisterhood espouses five core values: faith, love, purity, justice and truth.

Fellowship and philanthropic services are also of utmost importance.

“The idea of supporting women in all these varieties of ways appeals to me,” says the president, who has been a member since the chapter’s inception in 2005. “It’s so important to champion education for women.”

Although membership is through invitation only, the international website claims, Caldwell says prospective members shouldn’t shy away.

The invitation process is more about getting to know potential members, she express-

es, which then leads to a sponsorship.

“That’s why we’re having this, we want to inform people that if you’re interested, just let us know,” she says.

The only requirement to join is a written acceptance of God—all religious backgrounds are welcome.

“We are very open and we don’t discriminate,” Caldwell assures.

Caldwell, whose mother, grandmother and two aunts were also former P.E.O. members, tells 85086 Magazine that the sisterhood is based on friendship and mutual respect.

And it’s a friendship like no other.

“A big part of what we are is a group of friends,” Caldwell says. “We work hard together and we work to be forgiving of each other, graceful toward each other and just loving toward each other.”

The EV-Anthem chapter meets on the second and fourth Mondays of every month from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Taking place at member homes, the sisters discuss strategies to raise money for scholarships, loans, awards and grants for women’s education.

With an annual fee of $56, women as young as 18 are welcome, Caldwell explains.

“You can be a member and even if you can’t come much,” Caldwell states. “You can still help with fundraisers or come to the socials— you can be a part of it as much as your life allows.”

For those who are unable to attend the luncheon but still wish to support the Valley’s strong women, checks can be made payable to the P.E.O. Chapter EV-Anthem, Caldwell says.

She notes that although the international chapter is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the local chapters are not—meaning donations made to EV-Anthem are not considered tax deductible.

Donations can also be made to the P.E.O. Foundation, with downloadable instructions at peointernational.org/contributions-peofoundation.

“I’m proud of being a part of this alwaysforward looking organization,” Caldwell says.

“Our organization is always changing, yet we are in the business of preserving the tradition that those girls started while we keep us in the 21st century.”

To snag a luncheon ticket, contact Karen Wolff at 602-558-0897.

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7

SCHOOLS

Digital 4 Good

Boulder Creek senior Tag Herr wins state award for Student Government publicity

By Emma Suttell A four-year student government In a world consumed by social memember, Herr has helped lead publicdia and the internet, it can sometimes ity efforts throughout the years. Most be difficult to find the positive amidst recently, he promoted and helped the chaos. design advertisements for Boulder For senior Tag Herr, spreading Creek’s second “Wish Week,” a campositivity on social media is a part paign that raised more than $15,000 of his personal life as well as his acafor Make-A-Wish Arizona. Herr demic career. As student body pubsays although planning large camlicist, Herr runs @bchsjagnation, pus events can be difficult, he loves an Instagram account dedicated to having input on important decisions. informing students about school“I joined StuGo because I like besponsored events. ing behind-the-scenes. I love being This year, Herr has taken the initiathe first to know what is happening at tive to go beyond simply advertising school and getting to give my input,” school events and has crafted several Herr says. “Plus, our adviser, Caitlin series of posts that encourage “World McAndrew, always knows what to do.

Kindness Week” and “Wish Week” (a She challenges us to always do more.” fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Arizona As for Herr’s next task? He’s lookand several other special events). ing forward to finding new media In late January, Herr was recogstrategies to boost engagement with nized at the state conference for the Anthem community. As May the Arizona Association of Student Tag Herr hopes to encourage underclassmen to get more involved on campus. gets closer, Herr is working on adCouncils for his work on social me(Photo courtesy Tag Herr) vertisements and campaigns geared dia. A team from the #ICANHELP campaign, a program aimed at targeting ing because I’m only in high school,” Herr at encouraging the community to support the negative online activity, attended the con- says. “(Her bosses) said they would pay some- school in the final stages of the year.

“I’m using social media to promote things ference and awarded Herr with the #DIGI- one to do the work I am doing now.”

Herr’s work even impressed large tech com- in a big way,” Herr says. “I want everyone to TAL4GOOD award.

“Their goal is to ‘delete’ negativity on social pany representatives from Google, Facebook feel included and involved.”

Herr is looking forward to pursuing public media,” Herr says. “#ICANHELP first came and Twitter. When given his award, he was to our spirit conference in the fall and talked told that his work could earn him a publicity relations in college and potentially applying about how teenagers at different schools are position at a well-known company. Through- for an internship through the Disney College developing programs to encourage a positive out the week, Herr also manages the social Program.

As his senior year comes to a close, Herr media for the award-winning Boulder Creek atmosphere. I knew I wanted that.”

Brought onstage in front of thousands of Choir Program. His work has led to hundreds hopes to encourage underclassmen and felother student government members from of ticket sales and recognition from other low StuGo members to get more involved on campus and push themselves to embrace their around the state, Herr was introduced and choir programs in the state.

“I like getting to be the face of the program high school experience. presented with the award. He also found that “I want Boulder Creek to be one of those he had received the most nominations out of and being the person that people associate the entire state, several of which came from with it,” Herr says. “I want to make sure that places that everyone looks up to,” Herr says. whenever I speak on behalf of (student gov- “I want everyone to say, ‘Wow, I want my high peers at Boulder Creek.

“A woman at the conference shared (my ernment or choir) on social media I am pro- school experience to be just like that.’” work) with her marketing team bosses. They fessional because, in a way, I am the face of Emma Suttel is a senior at Boulder Creek. You can find more of her work at andthenemma.com. were saying that it’s crazy what I’ve been do- the school.”

8

85086 | MARCH 2020

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9

C LO S E TO H O M E

A Soft Place to Land

Patio rugs improve landscape, climate and comfort

By Shelley Sakala A backyard transformation is quite different than an interior makeover. When it comes to the outdoors, you’re doing more than just decorating. You’re taking an area that is harsh, rough and uncomfortable and turning it into someplace beautiful and inviting.

You can achieve this a number of ways: • Control the landscape by replacing dirt with grass, trees, rock or hardscaping.

• Control the climate by adding a pool, a hot tub, fans, fireplaces or shade.

• Control the comfort by adding tables, chairs and couches.

But there’s one item often overlooked that helps improve landscape, climate and comfort: a patio rug.

A quality rug feels fantastic. Compared to outdoor stone or tile, a rug is always warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

Whether you’re dripping wet from the pool or bundled up and sipping coffee, a rug turns a hard patio into a cushiony and inviting gathering point. It’s like furniture for your feet.

Outdoor rugs can add that extra pop of color. Outdoor rugs begin at around $50 and go up past $4,000. (Submitted photos)

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85086 | MARCH 2020

There’s a wonderful What makes a rug an RESIST freedom that comes with outdoor rug is the maLook for rugs that decorating for the patio. terials and construction “resist”—stains, moisture, You can do things in your used to create it. Outdoor mold, mildew and UV. backyard you’d never do rugs are crafted from synThey’re all perfect features in your family room. A thetic fibers designed to for an outdoor rug.

Caribbean blue rug? Abwithstand the elements: solutely.

Bright orange?

Go for it. Bold colors moisture, sunlight, heavy winds and the occasional haboob. Some rugs can even be hosed and patterns look fantastic beneath a blue off after a big spill, a party or a dust storm sky, a shade umbrella or a few outdoor throw (don’t try this with that Persian rug in your pillows. Contrast or coordinate your rug with your patio furniture and create the setting for living room).

While it’s possible to put an indoor rug the perfect pool party.

When it comes to price, you can spend outside, it’s not recommended. Outdoor rugs are typically made from polypropylene, about as little or as much as you’d like. Smaller which repels water and stains and resists fad- rugs begin at $50, while high-end outdoor rugs can easily set you ing. If you’d like to go with GET A GRIP back $4,000 or more. With something a little more Rug pads are a smart plenty of quality options in eco-friendly and exotic, try (and cheap) way to keep the $100 to $200 range, you bamboo, hemp or sea grass. your rug from slipping, may not need to invest in a While they lack some of the especially on smooth four-figure patio rug. But durability of polypropylene, concrete or tile. The you do you. they look great and give smaller the rug, the greater you something interesting Shelley Sakala is a local Realtor with the hazard. And don’t The Sakala Group, and an 85085 to brag on when your frenforget the door mats! resident. emies come to visit.

CURT’S CORNER

Recharge

Put that phone down this Spring Break

By Dr. Curtis Finch, Deer Valley Unified School District Superintendent As I reported in the State of the District 2020 in February (dvusd.org/dvusd2020), Deer Valley Unified School District is doing very well.

This is the terrific news for our surrounding communities.

One area that DVUSD has been making strides is in adopting more and more social-economic learning programs for students. These social systems help children deal more appropriately with anxiety, stress and unforeseen obstacles in their lives. Not only does DVUSD work to help students, but we have also designed a wildly successful employee assistance program for staff and their family members to talk to counselors, therapists, financial advisors, lawyers, etc. when life’s challenges get too big.

There are multiple reasons why student and staff stress can be amplified throughout the year, such as not eating right, exercising enough, getting enough sleep or finding a correct work/ play balance. This is what makes Spring Break so important—not just for the time away from the tasks and stress of pursuing excellence, but the necessary time to recharge.

Historically, Americans have not been the best vacationers, if you look at the international data. We like to skip vacation in pursuit of the “American dream.” If you throw in the advent of social media, Americans are even fared worse when they are on vacation, since they cannot successfully unplug from technology. Americans spend 5.4 hours a day on their phones, and on vacation we check the screen 80 times a day. Ouch!

Therefore, here is a challenge for all of the students, parents and staff from me: 1) Try to unplug this Spring Break for at least a couple of

Dr. Curtis Finch is the superintendent at Deer Valley Unified School District and can be reached at superintendent@dvusd.org.

hours a day. You will be surprised by how much you do not need to check your Facebook page or Twitter account; 2) Spend more time with family activities. The No. 1 gift you can give your child is time; 3) Head outside with your children, friends or neighbors in tow.

One of the joys of Arizona is we have sunshine this time of year that other sections of the United States do not have. We can easily take it for granted. Hiking, biking, walking, playing catch and exploring are adventures that are inexpensive but can provide a completely different perspective on life. Your children may complain about your adventures the entire time, but it will be the memories they talk about the most looking back. This principle was true in my life. I fussed when my dad made all five of us redheaded boys go camping in Alaska with mom and dad. Mosquito As a fifth generation family company, all bites, scraped knees, of As us aatfiMerrill Gardens family know the importance fth generation company, all smoky campfires, ofatstaying It’s the what helps of us Merrillconnected.

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85086

11

EVENTS

They’ve Got the ‘Beat’

Billy Marovich and Mark Long play the hits at Anthem Days

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Billy Marovich moved to Arizona when he was 19 to attend ASU. It wasn’t long before he discovered the magic of music.

“I heard the siren call of music,” says Marovich, who attended Purdue and Arizona State universities. “That’s what I wanted to do. I’ve never had a job. When I get up and I know I have to play a gig, I’m in a good mood.

I’m happy to go to work.”

Marovich and his musical partner, Mark Long of Ahwatukee, team up for Otis & the Beat, who will perform at Anthem Days on Saturday, March 28.

“We’ll have a four-piece band there,” Marovich says from his remote cabin 40 miles northwest of Payson in the Mogollon Rim foothills. “Mark is also the lead singer of the Groove Merchants.”

During Anthem Days, Otis & the Beat will perform classic rock songs from the 1960s onward, with a little country thrown in.

“We try to keep the music recognizable so people can relate,” he says. “I think what differentiates us from a normal band is we don’t just play music. We engage the audience. We don’t write out setlists. When we set up on stage, we don’t have anything planned out.

“At most of my gigs, people are throwing songs at me left and right. As a musician, you learn songs and hopefully retain them. I probably know—just with my solo show—1,000 songs.”

Marovich and Long know how to read the crowd.

When audience members aren’t requesting songs, the duo figures out Anthem Community Park will be abuzz with what to play. residents and visitors for Anthem Days.

“When they’re tapping t heir feet and singing along, we know we connected with them,” Ma- Billy Marovich and his musical partner, Mark Long, will perform as Otis & the Beat at Anthem Days on Saturday, March 28. (Photo courtesy Billy Marovich) rovich says.

The musician grew up in Indi- ized he was “pretty good at it.”

He cites The Eagles, Tom Petty and the Zac ana but moved to Arizona at age 19 to be near his brother. Soon there- Brown Band as his favorites. Marovich also after, he discovered the Valley had listens to bluegrass music and plays a few a wealth of clubs that featured live songs from the film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”—“I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow” music.

“I played little clubs to work my and “Copperhead Road.”

“I get up there and have fun and people noway through college and never tice that,” says Marovich, who plays Dvine in quit,” he says.

He co-owned and played lead Mesa from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays. “There guitar for Chuck E. Baby & the All are nights I don’t feel well and I’m not always Stars until seven years ago, when 100%, but most of the time I’m really happy. I he left to pursue a solo career. He could be having the worst day ever, but when reluctantly began singing and real- I step up on stage, everything’s OK.”

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85086 | MARCH 2020

Residents and visitors invited to celebrate Anthem Anthem Community Park will be abuzz with residents and visitors Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29, for Anthem Days, the area’s premier business expo and festival.

Discount up to 30% with Drive Safe & Save !* ™

The free, family-friendly event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Admission and parking are free.

Highlights of the two-day event include live musical entertainment (Otis & the Beat on Saturday; Slingshot on Sunday); a food court and Rotary beer garden; a kids’ zone with inflatables (fees apply); and a free egg hunt for kids (Sunday), featuring the Hippity Hop Band, Mother Nature and Peter Cottontail, and hosted by Christ’s Church of the Valley.

An egg hunt exclusively for special needs children will precede the public egg hunt at 10:15 a.m. Sunday on Softball Field No. 4. OSR Physical Therapy returns with a soccer challenge (Saturday) on the basketball courts, in partnership with Phoenix Rising.

Justin Simons, Agent 3655 W Anthem Way Anthem, AZ 85086

The Frazier Shows Carnival opens ahead of the event at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 26. The fun continues at 5 p.m. Friday, and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Unlimited ride wristbands will be available for purchase at the carnival ticket booth only. Discount coupons will be available in advance at the Community Center and Civic Building, on the Anthem Community Council and Frazier Shows Carnival Facebook pages, and at the Anthem Community Council booth at Anthem Days. The carnival schedule will be posted online.

With visits to 10 booths (receive a stamp at each booth), attendees ages 18 and older can enter to win a Cosori Air Fryer system. Raffle cards completed with 10 stamps can be returned to the Anthem Community Council booth for entry.

The winner will be notified the week following the event.

The Title Sponsor for this year’s Anthem Days event is ProSkill Services.

Anthem Community Park is located at 41703 N. Gavilan Peak Parkway. For more information or detailed event schedules, visit onlineatanthem.com/anthem-days, call 623-742-6050 or email dpulido@anthemcouncil.com.

Business: 623-551-3700 justin.simons.j663@statefarm.com

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MARCH 2020 |

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13

PERSPECTIVE

It’s Time to Watch for Baseballs Can spectators sue after getting hit by a ball?

By Judge Gerald A. Williams, North Valley Justice Court It’s March. School will soon be out for Spring Break. Spring Training and college baseball is underway. Arizona State University’s baseball team will play 17 games in March, including one against the University of Arizona. Grand Canyon University’s baseball team will play 20 games in March, including a scrimmage against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

So what happens if you go to a baseball game and get hit by a baseball? Can you sue?

Probably not successfully. The legal concept involved is called assumption of risk.

Like many of our legal concepts, assumption of risk is based on common law from England. As such, a complete analysis of this area would begin with a discussion of a King’s Bench case from 1799 that involved a person driving a carriage on the wrong side of the road.

If we fast forward to modern America, we will discover that our courts don’t like to award damages to people who voluntarily do something dangerous. In some situations,

having knowledge of a risk disqualifies you from being a plaintiff. Perhaps one example would be a sober passenger who willingly gets into a car operated by an obviously drunken driver.

So, has this concept really been extended so that it applies to sports spectators? Yes. While it is in theory possible to get injured while watching any sport, only baseball and hockey frequently send small hard objects at high rates of speed toward their fans. Teams have responded by putting up protective nets and transparent walls, but fans are generally on their own if injured by something flying at them from the field of play. In Arizona, we even have a statute that says so.

A.R.S. § 12-554 states that the operators of baseball teams and facilities (including local governments and universities) are not liable for injuries to spectators who are struck by baseballs, bats or other equipment during a baseball game. This law applies before, during

Can the players sue?

Arizona’s recommended jury instruction on assumption of risk reads in part, “A person assumes the risk of injury when he has knowledge of a particular risk, appreciates its magnitude, and voluntarily subjects himself to the risk under circumstances that show his willingness to accept that particular risk.” An athlete presumably knows the risks associated with the sport better than any spectator.

If spectators cannot win a lawsuit, actual athletes likely cannot either.

In 2005, the Arizona Supreme Court did rule on an assumption-of-risk case involving a participant. In that case, a

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professional racecar driver filed a lawsuit, against the company operating the racetrack, claiming that its employees negligently failed to rescue him more quickly and failed to provide appropriate emergency medical care after his vehicle crashed into a wall and caught on fire.

The trial judge granted summary judgment for the racetrack, but the driver appealed. The Arizona Supreme Court reversed the case and held that only juries, not judges, were authorized to determine whether the facts of a case triggered a valid assumption-of-risk defense. This case was then sent back to the trial court.

and after the game.

This law may sound harsh, but some of the alternatives are worse. Requiring fans to view baseball games only through protective fencing or netting would substantially reduce the desire of many to attend the games. Baseball is also unique in that people, perhaps especially boys, bring a baseball glove to the game in the hopes of catching a foul ball. After the last out, a player may flip a ball into the stands on purpose, creating a treasured souvenir.

Sometimes laws appropriately protect people from hazards, such as defective products or contaminated water. There is no need for a baseball to be on such a list. If you want more information on this topic, there is an article called “Rethinking Assumption of Risk and Sports Spectators” in the October 2003 UCLA Law Review.

Judge Gerald A. Williams is the justice of the peace for the North Valley Justice Court. The court’s jurisdiction includes Anthem and Desert Hills.

YO U T H

Making a Difference

Brendan Salisbury earns Eagle Scout ranking as a 14 year old

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski To say Brendan Salisbury is motivated would be an understatement.

The 14-year-old eighth grader at Sunset Ridge School has already earned his Eagle Scout rank, something only 4% of scouts obtain after a lengthy review process in their late teens.

“I worked very hard to get it this quickly,” Salisbury says.

For his project, he built an obstacle course for endangered horses off Circle Mountain Road.

“We cleaned the land and the trails with an ATV and built obstacles such as a bridge and teeter totter for the horses,” he shares. “I built all these wooden obstacles by hand. My beneficiary rep for the project used to be a wood shop instructor. He taught me how to build all the obstacles for it.”

The idea came organically for Salisbury, who thought of it as a Star Scout. He had an epiphany while speaking to a neighbor.

“I had been bouncing around the idea for a little while,” he says. “I was getting ready to start thinking about my Eagle Scout project and I wanted to focus on SBE (Straight Babson Egyptian). My neighbor was telling me it’s hard to sell his breed right now because of a lack of training. I thought, ‘Why not build an obstacle course to make them more profitable?’”

Salisbury sees many benefits to being an Eagle Scout, namely the leadership and networking skills he gained.

“I had 35 people at my project,” he recalls. “I had to lead all of them in a common goal for about four and a half hours. Delegating was quite difficult. In the end it taught me to let go a little bit. It was a very long and extensive project, but it was definitely worth it.”

Moving past the Eagle Scouts, Salisbury is aiming for a Flinn Scholarship so he can study neurology at Stanford, which has an Eagle Scout Society. He wants to become a

neurosurgeon.

“I’ve always loved neurology,” says Salisbury, who’s in the National Junior Honor Society. “My mother and my father encouraged me to pursue whatever I want. They allow me the freedom to find out who I am and what I desire to become.”

His favorite subject is math, thanks to his seventh-grade math teacher, Briana Ciolino.

“I hated math until about the sixth grade, when I was taking seventh-grade math,” he says. “My teacher taught me my love of math.

Everything was incredibly easy and sparked that fire in me that I didn’t know I had for math.”

H i s mot he r, Courtenay Douglas-Salisbury, and his father, Matthew Salisbury, a financial manager at Charles Schwab, are proud of Salisbury and his sister, Madelene.

“Brendan is one of the most compassionate young men I’ve ever known,” DouglasSalisbury says. “I’m the school counselor at Anthem School and Sunset Ridge School. I’m in contact with a lot of children and teens. He’s someone who strives to make a difference in our community.

“I’m very civic minded. My husband is, too.

We volunteer and give back to our church and local community. We participate with St. Vincent de Paul food drives and toy drives. That’s one of the things we find really important in our family. We are grateful for what we have.

We’re so blessed, and we want to help others be blessed.”

Salisbury just wants to help others.

“My ultimate goal with life is to inspire other people to be what they want to be and be the best person they can be,” he says. “I feel if everyone in the world reached their full potential, we’ll get as close to perfection as possible.”

Brendan Salisbury is passionate about horses.

(Photo by Shannon Fisher)

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EVENTS

March

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

2020

Have an event you would like in the calendar?

Tell us about it! Send details to christina@timespublications.com

of Fontaine City together will solve the gang problem, so they have scheduled the Friendship Sock Hop. You have been invited. This is where the story begins. For teens ages 13 to 17.

North Valley Regional Library, 40410 N. Gavilan Peak Parkway, Anthem, 602-652-3000, mcldaz. org, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., free.

New River residents, many of them the sons and daughters of the area’s homesteaders, cowboys and dude ranchers, to share the area’s rich history through photographs from personal collections.

North Valley Regional Library, 40410 N. Gavilan Peak Parkway, Anthem, 602-652-3000, mcldaz. org, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., free.

MARCH 14

MARCH 26

Plant Bar’s First Anniversary Party

MARCH 3

North Phoenix Women’s Bible Study

The group studies “James: Guidelines for a Happy Christian Life” by John MacArthur.

Panera Bread at Norterra, 2370 W. Happy Valley Road, Phoenix, meetup.com, 7 to 9 p.m., free.

MARCH 13

Girls Night Plant Workshop

Cost includes a planter, three 2- to 2 1/2-inch succulents, filler and decorative topping. Upgrades available the night of the party.

Plant Bar AZ, 46135 N. Black Canyon Highway, Phoenix, 623-363-2882, plantbaraz.com, 7 p.m., $34.95.

Come celebrate with free entry, music, food and plants!

Plant Bar AZ, 46135 N. Black Canyon Highway, Phoenix, 623-363-2882, plantbaraz.com, noon to 8 p.m., free admission.

MARCH 18 AND MARCH 19

Spring Break Plant Adventure Camp

The adventure includes plants, pizza and a drink for children ages 7 to 17.

Plant Bar AZ, 46135 N. Black Canyon Highway, Phoenix, 623-363-2882, plantbaraz.com, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., $34.95 per day.

Friends of Daisy Mountain Trails Meeting

The guest speaker is Lisa Atkins, commissioner of the Arizona State Land Department. She was appointed

by Gov. Doug Ducey to serve as the 21st commissioner of the Arizona State Land Department on June 15, 2015. Atkins will be joined by RJ Cardin, Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department director.

Anthem Civic Building, 2701 W. Anthem Way, Anthem, contactus@daisymountaintrails.com, daisymountaintrails.com, 9 to 10:30 a.m., free.

“East Side Story…”

A 1950s Teen Mystery Party

It’s 1955 and Fontaine City has a problem with teenage street gangs. In the east, there’s a hot-rod racing gang called the D-birds. Their ladies are members of the girly clique called the Pink Chicks. These rebels attend Ryder High and spend their free time at Frosty’s Diner.

The Pit Viper motorcycle gang runs the westside of town, and their ladies are the Black Widows. These hooligans attend Tuscadero High School and frequent the local hangout the Milkshake Shack. If either of these gangs ends up on the other’s turf, a whiteknuckle rumble may break out and cause chaos in the streets. At Ryder High, the cheerleaders have formed an organization known as Campus Crew, which was created to focus on reducing criminal activity in the city. The cheerleaders believe that bringing the teens

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Diamond Canyon School Night of Excellence

Diamond Canyon School will host its annual Night of Excellence, featuring entertainment by its awardwinning bands and choirs and an update of general music classes.

Diamond Canyon School, 40004 N. Liberty Bell Way, Anthem, 623-445-8000, 5 to 6:30 p.m., free.

MARCH 27 TO MARCH 29

The Association of Arizona Gunslingers’ Fast Draw Arizona State Championships

Costumed cowboys/cowgirls line up and are timed as they shoot at targets with historic Pioneer Village in the background. The championships include $6,000 in cash and prizes.

Pioneer Living History Museum, 2901 W. Pioneer Road, Anthem, azgunslingers.com/ shoot-for-the-stars.php, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., $10 adults, $8 seniors, children and military, free for children 5 and younger.

MARCH 28

Ultimate Arizona Smash-Off!

MARCH 20

Dinner in the Desert

See Plant Bar’s website for more information.

Plant Bar AZ, 46135 N. Black Canyon Highway, Phoenix, 623-363-2882, plantbaraz.com, 6 to 8 p.m., price TBA.

Late-Night Planting Class

Cost includes a planter, three 2- to 2 1/2-inch succulents, filler and decorative topping. Upgrades available the night of the party.

Plant Bar AZ, 46135 N. Black Canyon Highway, Phoenix, 623-363-2882, plantbaraz.com, 8 p.m., $34.95.

MARCH 21

Mary J. Miller

An Arizona native and western history enthusiast, Marcy J. Miller is a freelance writer and retired law enforcement officer. She worked primarily with

Join the library for an open competitive tournament for Super Smash Brothers Ultimate; for those 12 and adult.

North Valley Regional Library, 40410 N. Gavilan Peak Parkway, Anthem, 602-652-3000, mcldaz. org, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., free.

“Cinderella Kids” Auditions

The Musical Theatre of Anthem hosts auditions for the timeless rags-to-riches fairytale. Kids are asked to bring a musical theater song (or any song they are comfortable with), 16 to 32 bars or 1 minute in length. Bring an accompaniment with CD or iPod to sing with. Children may also sing a capella, if needed.

Registration materials should be completed prior to the audition.

Musical Theatre of Anthem, 42201 N. 41st Drive, Suite B100, Anthem, 623-336-6001, musicaltheatreofanthem.org, 10:30 a.m. general auditions, 9 a.m. for workshop participants last names A-L, 9:45 a.m. for workshop participants last name M-Z, $325 for kids ages 6 to 11, 10% sibling discount, scholarships available. Dance call is 9 a.m. Sunday, March 29, and callbacks are at 10 a.m.

8508 6 MAGAZINE ’S

7 ANNUAL th

CUTEST PET CONTEST try

n Sample E

Wyatt, a Brittany mix, won a spot on our 2017 cover.

Name: Lucky Age: 7 c Shorthair Breed: Domesti

Names: Iz

zy & Duff Slate Owner: Tonya M Owner: Darla Ag es : 9 and 10 ildenberg Zip: 85086 Breed: Australia Zip: 85086 33 33 3n Sh 33 ep 2) 0 her (6 d mix PH: (602) 593PH: 4505

Email photos of your animal by March 22, 2020 to enter your pet into 85086 Magazine’s Seventh Cutest Pet Contest.

We’ll showcase all the entries in our May issue along with directions on how readers can vote for their favorites.

The entry with the most overall votes will get a professional photo shoot with its owners, grace the cover of an upcoming issue of 85086 Magazine, and score cool prizes.

Cal, an English Spot/ Dwarf Mix Bunny, won a spot on our 2018 cover.

ENTERING YOUR PET (OR ALL YOUR PETS) IN THE CONTEST IS EASY! Email three clear, high-resolution photos of your pet (for a multiple pet entry, please email photos of your pets together), along with its name, age, breed or type, along with your name, zip code, and phone number to:

CHRISTINA@85086MAGAZINE.COM All local pets qualify—dogs, cats, horses, hamsters, gerbils, lizards, etc.—you name it.

FOR CONTEST RULES, PLEASE VISIT 85086MAGAZINE.COM/CONTESTRULES

Riggs, a Mini Poodle mix, won a spot on our 2019 cover.

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BY LAND OR BY SEA Rec activities aplenty at Lake Pleasant and Phoenix Sonoran Preserve

By Dena Roché With an average of 3,872 sunshine hours per year, Phoenix is one of the top 10 sunniest places in the world. For outdoor enthusiasts this means the Valley of the Sun is one of the best places on the planet to get out and enjoy nature by land or water.

Lake Pleasant Cruises provides a sedated experience.

(Photo courtesy Lake Pleasant Cruises)

Lake Pleasant Regional Park Most people don’t expect a 23,000-acre water playground smack dab in the middle of the desert, but that’s exactly what awaits visitors to Lake Pleasant Regional Park. The manmade lake was created by construction of the Waddell Dam, which obstructs the Agua Fria River. The park is one of the most beautiful outdoor recreation areas in the Valley.

Lake Pleasant is a boating lover’s dream, with two marinas offering a plethora of water activities. Pleasant Harbor is the closest marina to Downtown Phoenix and it’s the perfect starting point for a day boating, kayaking, water skiing, wakeboarding or even flyboarding.

A variety of boats, kayaks, paddleboards and jet skis are available to rent. The American Sailing Association offers sailing lessons and clinics, while Tiller & Kites is the only international yachting school in Arizona. Kids and the young at heart will love the adrenaline rush while experiencing the world’s largest floating waterslide.

For a slightly more sedated experience, Lake Pleasant Cruises offers a variety of daily

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cruises on the lake, and Dillon’s Bayou restaurant is an ideal place to kick back and enjoy live music or daily social activities lakeside.

Travelers who want to spend multiple days at the lake can check into the marina’s full-service RV resort, featuring a club house, pool, Jacuzzi and plenty of recreational activities including pickleball, basketball and bocce ball.

For anglers, Lake Pleasant offers fishing from the shoreline or by boat. The fish are biting best in spring and summer. In spring, large-mouth and white and striped bass are in season. With extreme temperatures in summer, night fishing is a popular activity and increases the chances of reeling in a large-mouth bass. White bass and stripers are active in deeper waters, while catfish are active at night in the coves.

Some of the best inland scuba diving in the Western United States is found at Lake Pleasant. Reaching a depth of 260 feet and filled with rock walls, canyons and underwater structures, diving here provides lots of opportunities for exploration at all ability levels. Swimming is allowed, but there are no beaches and no lifeguards.

The calm lake waters are an ideal place to channel Zen with a paddleboard yoga class.

Phoenix Sonoran Preserve If you’re more of a landlubber don’t despair; the Valley’s weather and terrain makes the area a hiking paradise. With more than 9,600 acres and 36 miles of trails departing from three central trail heads, the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve in North Phoenix gets you up close to explore the wild desert landscape.

The Desert Vista Trailhead located in the southern section of the Preserve offers ev-

Dillon’s Bayou restaurant is an ideal place to kick back and enjoy live music or daily social activities lakeside.

(Photo courtesy Dillon’s Bayou)

erything from the flat, 1-mile Bobcat Trail for novice hikers, to one of the hardest trails in the Valley, the Dixie Mountain Summit Trail. Most of the hikes from this trailhead are rated moderately difficult.

From the northern Apache Wash Trailhead, hikers have the opportunity to scale two peaks that are part of Phoenix’s Seven Summit Challenge. The relatively easy Apache Vista trail takes hikers to the summit, affording 360-degree views of the Valley, while the Ridgeback Overlook Trail is a quick loop trail that offers great southern views.

The Desert Hills Trailhead is home to the Sidewinder Trail, the most technically challenging hike in the North Sonoran Preserve.

This 7-mile trek meanders up and down and connects with several other trails taking the hiker into tight washes, flats and climbs.

The Phoenix Sonoran Preserve also is a great spot for mountain bikers to test their skills. For intermediate riders, the 13-mile, nontechnical Sonoran Desert loop trail offers challenging climbs, tight turns and long, flowing downhills. It’s best to run the trail clockwise, and there are great views throughout the journey. Most of the above trails can be enjoyed on two wheels instead of two feet.

Whether you want to strap on a pair of water skis or a pair of hiking boats, paddle a kayak or careen down a trail on two wheels, the sunny days in Phoenix offer a host of outdoor adventures waiting to be explored.

An Evening with

Hosted by Anthem Travel

RIGOR, RELEVANCE, AND RELATIONSHIPS

Now Enrolling Students!

Grades K-12

March 26th, 2020 5:15pm to 7pm

Anthem Civic Building ■ 3701 West Anthem Way, Community Room

◆ Adults only please ◆ Event is free ◆ Must RSVP by March 19th to Megan@AnthemTravel.com ◆ Learn about Silversea Cruises, a Small Ship, Luxury Cruise Line and Destination Expert ◆ Appetizers and Beverages being served ◆ Presentation by Silversea Cruises Representative WWW.ANTHEMTRAVEL.COM | 3715 WEST ANTHEM WAY ◆ ANTHEM 623.444.5406

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MARCH 2020 |

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19

Joy of Music

The

Local singer/songwriter Janelle Loes shares her life through song

By Laura Latzko For North Phoenix-based singer/songwriter Janelle Loes, the joy of music starts with crafting a song, lyric by lyric and note by note. Being able to speak with audiences about her experiences and connect with them on a more personal level drives her to keep writing and performing.

She will return to Anthem to perform on Saturday, March 14, at the Anthem Community Council’s Java and Jammin’, a Second Saturday music series, and on Saturday, March 28, at Amped Coffee Company.

Loes won the 2010 Chicks with Picks female songwriter competition and the 2016 Tucson Folk Festival songwriting competition; was a finalist in Alice Cooper’s Proof is in the Pudding competition; and was in the top 10 in the 2017 Rocky Mountain Music Festival’s songwriting competition.

She was featured at the 2010 Anthem Christmas tree-lighting ceremony.

Loes performs at venues throughout the Valley, including the Queen Creek Olive Mill, Garage-East, Fuego Bistro, Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, the Desert Botanical Garden, Orpheum Theatre, Crescent Ballroom, Grapeables Wine Bar and Last Exit Live.

Playing in different spaces has allowed her to build a following in and get her music out to different crowds. She started playing open mic nights at age 12 and formal shows at age 16.

A Scottsdale native, the local musician spans different genres, performing jazz, pop and adult contemporary music.

She was interested in music from the time she was a child, starting with the piano and

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Janelle Loes started performing for the public at age 12.

(Photo by Kaelyn Loes)

then guitar and violin in elementary school.

She says the guitar has always been her favorite instrument because of her passion for songwriting.

“I love guitar because it is such a great vessel for songwriting,” Loes says.

She comes from a musical family. Her two sisters, Jaspar Lepak and Gina Loes, are also musicians. She is self-taught, but she was inspired by and learned from her sisters.

“It was amazing having sisters that played, too, and could help,” Loes says.

Growing up, she listened to ’70s artists such as Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell, as well as contemporary artists such as Anna Nalick, Regina Spektor and Fiona Apple. Ani DiFranco and Rachael Yamagata inspired her to play guitar and write, respectively.

“That kind of songwriting that’s really just super vulnerable, I love songwriters like that.

It just made me want to write music,” Loes says.

During live performances, she often plays a mixture of covers and original music. She performs cover songs from a range of bands and artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Al-

len Stone, James Bay, The Beatles, The Outfield, The Beach Boys and Adele.

“It’s fun to play songs t hat pe ople recognize and surprise people by playing songs from d i f ferent decades. There are so many great songwriters out there. It’s fun to play a little bit of everything,” Loes says.

Through her own music, she is able to express herself in a more personal way.

“I love getting to be vulnerable, and I think the special thing about songwriting is you get to say exactly what you want to say, even if you don’t get to say it in the moment. With songwriting, it’s really amazing to be able to share really personal experiences and then have somebody hear that song and connect it to their own life,” Loes says.

Janelle Loes When: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, March 14 Where: Anthem Civil Building Terrace, 3701 W. Anthem Way, Anthem Info: 623-742-6050, onlineatanthem.com/events When: 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 28 Where: Amped Coffee Company, 3434 W. Anthem Way, Anthem Info: 480-462-6733, ampedcoffeeco.com

Loes has always loved songwriting, but it is a skill that she has honed over the years.

“The more you write, the more you learn and develop your own craft,” Loes says. “For me, it’s a very therapeutic thing. I feel like I’m pretty introspective. As a person, I love to look back and analyze.”

Her music has made an impact on listeners, including bringing a mother and daughter closer after a divorce.

“You never know what your songs can mean to somebody else. It’s really special when you can write a song and share your personal experience, and that can take on a new life for somebody else and hopefully bring something positive,” Loes says.

Over the years, writing songs has begun to take longer because she is more critical of her music.

She often finds herself up late at night, writing in a fit of inspiration.

She released her debut album, “Here and Now,” in 2011. Part of her prize from her Chicks with Picks win was recording a demo.

She still plays songs from that album, such as “You,” but she views them in a different way now.

“That’s always been fun to take songs I wrote almost a decade ago and be able to apply them to things that are going on right now,” Loes says.

She is working on a new album, which she plans to release in the fall. She had hoped to put the album out last year but was delayed due to becoming a new mother.

Motherhood hasn’t slowed her down, though. She played shows up until two weeks before having her son and was back on stage a month afterward.

“It’s almost been more motivating for me to really focus on my music, get my music out there and not slow down,” Loes says.

The album will have an eclectic mix of music, including pop songs and ballads. One song was inspired by dark TV dramas and was written from the perspective of a blackmailer.

The album uses electric, acoustic and pedal steel guitars; drums; synthesizers; organs; an electric bass and a cello.

Many of the songs on the recording are about overcoming hardship and staying strong during hard times.

She will release her first single from the album, “Criminal,” in March.

For the new album, she has been working with producers Andy Thompson in Minneapolis and Sean Cooney in Phoenix. She also collaborated with drummer Elliot Jacobson and singer Kevin Steinman.

She says the new album has been a different experience from her first because of how much she has grown and because of the ideas her collaborators are bringing to the project.

“It’s incredible to hear your song come to life from the place from where you wrote it and hear all the different textures and different directions your song can go,” Loes says.

To learn more about the singer, go to janelleloes.com.

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85086

21

Dancing Toward

SUCCESS Amped Coffee customers honor employee Sara Muchnij

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Boulder High School graduate Sara Muchnij has touched people with her dancing and her kindness.

(Photo courtesy Sara Muchnij)

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Sara Muchnij knows customer service.

As a shift lead at Amped Coffee in Anthem, Muchnij remembered her customers’ stories—their likes, dislikes, family members and milestones.

Because of her attentiveness, Muchnij’s customers named her employee of the year.

“One of the crazy things about Sara is her memory,” says Keith Walashek, who owns Amped Coffee with his wife, Jeanine.

“Not only does she learn people’s names, but their grandkids’ names (and) what they have planned for the next week. It’s amazing how she gets to know her customers.”

Muchnij, who has worked for Amped Coffee since September 2018, is thrilled about the award.

“I was extremely shocked,” says the Phoenix native, who’s 21. “We were out on a holiday employee dinner and they give these funny awards.

After everybody got there, I got mine.

They announced it at the party, and they gave me a flower crown and a whole bunch of cute stuff.”

She calls Amped Coffee her favorite workplace.

“Getting to know the people and everyone in the community is so great,” she says. “I have regulars to tell me their stories; they talk about their trips and talk about so many things.

You really learn about the community. I hear about their many life experiences before even mov-

ing to Anthem.”

Muchnij temporarily left her job at Amped Coffee to dance with the Utah Ballroom Dance Company.

She’ll be on the road with it until May. “We put on shows that are similar to ‘Dancing with the Stars Live,’ where we travel around and teach local people to dance and put on a show,” she says. “The second half is our pro show. We do a 30-minute show.

I just joined the company on Christmas Day.” The 2016 Boulder Creek High School graduate has been dancing since she was 3, when she performed at the Anthem Community Center. She grew up dancing at Dynamic Motion Dance Academy, where she also teaches.

Muchnij is trained in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hiphop, lyrical, contemporary, modern, ballroom, musical theater and acrobatics. She was on the Dynamic Motion Dance Academy competition team for about 10 years and now choreographs for it.

During her years at Boulder Creek, Muchnij choreographed many dances for different levels of students and continues to teach at Boulder Creek as a guest choreographer.

She earned an associate’s degree in arts from Paradise Valley Community College.

“My goal is to be a backup dancer for Justin Timberlake, or be in movies like ‘La La Land,’ or dance on cruise ships and Broadway,” she says. “Before I got here, I was trained in everything but ballroom. They gave us training for a good amount of time.”

Jeanine Walashek is looking forward to Muchnij’s return.

“She’s doing what she wants to do, and we love her for it,” she says. “We’re just extremely lucky to have her and fortunate to have her. We really appreciate her attention to detail and love for our customers.

All of that reflects on our company. We have a deep appreciation for what she’s done.”

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A ‘Peak’ into Roland Smith Award-winning author visits Deer Valley Unified School District

By Jordan Houston Scores of Anthem School students file into the brick-lined library on January 29, clutching copies of award-winning author Roland Smith’s most popular books.

The fifth- through eighth-grade students are eager to meet The New York Times bestselling author in person, armed with questions and ready to learn.

Smith is visiting the Deer Valley Unified school as part of his national Author Tour program, in which he travels to schools nationwide to discuss his works and writing process.

Each grade was given the opportunity to read at least one of three of his more recent young adult novels, including “Cryptic Hunters,” “Sasquatch” and “Peak.”

“I do a lot of school visits, and the reason I think it’s important is, when I was growing up a long time ago, I thought authors were special,” Smith explains. “But I never saw or met one.

“What I try to do in the schools is demystify the process. I think I might have become an author earlier on if I had met one—the first author I ever met was me.”

Smith’s work spans several decades and includes a collection of around 50 books.

His latest series, a set of nonfiction stories, were among many of the students’ favorites.

Smith shared insight on his personal life, the books selected by the students and the ins and outs of becoming a published author.

Toward the end of his hour-long presentation, he delved into a thoughtful questionand-answer style session, which he believes is a crucial part of the programming.

“It was fun,” he says of his Anthem experience. “The kids were great and the teachers were great. They were really well-prepared for the visit.”

He adds, “They’ve read a lot of my books.

That always makes it great fun.”

Smith boasts more than 30 books to his name and has earned more than 100 awards in his over 20 years of writing.

Dabbling in everything from fiction, to

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Roland Smith visited Anthem School to discuss his books, including “Peak.”

(Photos courtesy Deer Valley Unified School District)

nonfiction and picture books, the Oregon resident’s collection explores a wide horizon of genres, ranging from realistic, to historical, science fiction, survival and outdoor adventure, mystery and spy thrillers.

He also partakes in real-life research featuring elephants, otters, vultures and wolves.

A majority of his works, though, cater toward the younger crowd, he reveals.

“When I was probably 30-something someone gave me a young adult book,” Smith recalls. “I said, ‘I like this book, and you know what, I might be able to do this.

“I did it and it got published by Disney,” he continues. “And then another book and another book.”

His 2008 novel, “Peak,” an adventure story chronicling a teenage boy’s attempt to climb Mount Everest, has gained notable traction among the younger generation. The fiction piece follows 14-year-old Peak Marcello as he flees New York City after getting arrested for scaling a skyscraper.

The teen retreats to his long-lost father in Thailand, when things quickly get complicated.

His father, who owns a climbing company, encourages Peak to climb Mount Everest as a publicity stunt for his business.

Smith says “Peak” explores themes of friendship, sacrifice, family and the drive to take on Everest, despite its incredible risk.

“It’s a climbing book, so they (the readers) are going to learn something about high-altitude climbing, which is different than rock climbing,” he discloses.

“Hopefully, they’re going to take away something about not being selfish, and also parental relationships.”

The page-turning fiction is just one of the many novels Smith offers as free curriculum to schools across the country.

The writer’s website features downloadable guides for students and teachers to use in classrooms, aiding with quiz answers, page numbers, themes and writing examples.

Developing a passion for reading and writing at an early age is extremely beneficial for aspiring writers, he says.

“When I write a book, I try to create readers,” Smith says. “I want them to read a lot of books, and not just mine.

“I don’t believe writers are born, they are made,” he adds. “And anybody can write a book or a story. There is nothing special about me.”

Before he made a name for himself as a writer, Smith excelled as a zoo curator and research biologist for over 20 years.

He is one of two field biologists responsible

MARCH 2020

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for bringing the red wolf population back from extinction, according to his website.

“I was in charge of the red wolf reintroduction program for a dozen years,” Smith says. “We let the red wolf go in Florida, Southern California, Mississippi and Tennessee—and that led directly to the gray wolf introduction in Yellowstone.”

The renaissance man even scooped up oily otters at the Exxon Valdez spill site in 1989, saving hundreds.

But the world-traveling author says he always had writing on the back of his mind.

Smith recalls receiving a manual typewriter from his parents at the age of 5, which imprinted his mind forever.

“It was my favorite possession. I spent hours in my room clacking away on that old typewriter,” he recounts. “I didn’t know how to spell and I barely knew how to read, but I loved the sound and the look of the letters on the crisp, white paper.

When it comes to finding inspiration for his writing, Smith says he leans into topics that interest him—like animals or nature.

And he encourages all aspiring writers to do the same.

“I write about things that are important to me,” he says. “I think everybody should do that because you’re going to spend a year or two working on one thing and it has to be very important to you.”

The animal enthusiast also notes, “Inspiration doesn’t cause writing; writing causes inspiration.”

Although he lives, breathes and eats storytelling, it isn’t always rainbows and sunshine, he clarifies.

“I wake up early seven days a week and I write,” Smith explains.

“If I just sat around and waited to be inspired, nothing would ever get done.

“I just start writing and that’s where the inspiration comes from,” he adds. “It comes from the actual act of trying to tell a story.”

The novelist, who says his favorite book is Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird,” is keeping his hands full.

With a few new books underway, Smith is gearing up to continue sharing his talents across the country and the glob—with an Arizona trip never out of question.

“I’m under contract for several new books and working on a series and so forth,” he says. “I’ll be all over the U.S. and I speak all over the world, but I would love to come back to Arizona.”

To request a school visit from Smith, contact his wife, Marie, at marie@rolandsmith.com.

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Keeping Swimming Fun

Anthem Dolphins teach young people the basics of the sport

By Laura Latzko

Becoming a strong swimmer starts with basic strokes, practiced repeatedly to get them right. The Anthem Dolphins swim program lets kids start early so they understand more basic or advanced techniques by the time they are older.

Run through the Anthem Community Center, the year-round swim program offers lessons, swim groups and lifeguard training.

The community center also has a summer recreational swim team called the Anthem Aquabats, which runs spring through summer.

The Anthem Dolphins competitive swim team is under the umbrella of a larger organization called USA Swimming, which sanctions club swim teams throughout the country.

The spring and summer tend to be the peak times of the year for the Anthem Dolphins program, but swimmers can join anytime.

The Anthem Dolphins was designed for children and teens at different levels in their swimming abilities.

The different divisions are broken down by age and skill level.

The bronze group is made up of kids 10 and younger who are learning basic strokes; the silver group, children 8 to 11 who know basic techniques and are moving onto more

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advanced skills to race competitively; and the gold level, swimmers 11 to 14 who are more advanced in their swimming abilities and are competing at meets.

The program also offers the pre-senior level, for pre-teens and teens ages 11 to 14 who are newer to swimming, and a senior level, for high schoolers 15 and older who are also part of their high school swim teams and are more advanced in skill level.

The students practice anywhere from three to six days a week for one to two hours a day, depending on their level.

The groups are led by Scott Newell, Paul Root, Olga Smirnoff, Alice Martin and Ray Van Deusen.

The program is designed to teach young people how to swim at a high level.

Head Swim Coach Root, who coaches senior- and silver-level students, says they are taught similar techniques as top-level swimmers.

“Here with the smaller groups, we can really focus on doing things the best way,” Root says. “Starting at 8 to 9 years old, they are doing what the best in the world are doing stroke-wise. Technique-wise, we aren’t teaching anything less than I would ask my seniors in high school to do.”

Root coached swim teams for younger

people and college students before coming to Anthem this season.

Root says by working on small elements, such as taking more frequent breaths or maintaining a certain tempo with underwater kicks, he can make sure swimmers develop good habits at a young age.

The coaches have a chance to work one on one with swim team members, helping them to develop over time.

“It’s moving quickly through the kids and making sure they aren’t repeating the same thing that they did twice. You need to limit their exposure to bad habits,” Root says.

Although the program emphasizes skill development, swimmers have a chance to play games, especially when they are starting out. The coaches will also play music and joke around with the swimmers, who they get to know over the years.

Root says it’s important to keep swimming fun, so kids want to keep doing it.

“I think what we do better than anyone else is that light dynamic on the deck. When you walk outside, it feels fun. The coaches have energy, the kids have energy and everyone is there for the same purpose,” Root says.

Many of the swimmers start prior to high school. Aquatics Manager Newell, who works with students at the silver level, says begin-

ning at a young age can allow swimmers to become more competitive by the time they are in their teens.

“Most of the kids in our program that are swimming at the state level or higher have been swimming for multiple years. It’s hard to jump in late and be really good right away. It takes work to get there,” Newell says.

Throughout the year, competitive swimmers in the program take part in competitive local, state, regional, junior national and sectional meets.

Some of the swimmers are working toward trying to qualify for U.S. Olympic Trials.

Each year, the Anthem Community Center hosts three to four Dolphins meets as well as high school and summer rec meets at its eight-lane pool.

Local high school swim teams also use the pool for practice, and the coaches in the Dolphins program help to prepare students for their high school meets.

Around 100 to 120 swimmers are part of the year-round program at any given time.

Swimmers are encouraged to train and compete in different events early on and later become more specialized.

“Once we’ve seen everything, we can make a true evaluation and start training you where you will be most successful,” Root says.

“The goal would be, until you are in high school or even until you’ve been in high school a couple of years, you should still be trying a lot of the events,” Newell adds.

Although many of the swimmers gravitate towards races of short distances, some train for longer races.

“When you are training to swim a mile, that takes a lot of discipline,” Newell says.

All of the teens in the program are also part of their high school swim teams, and some also work as lifeguards at the community center’s pool and water park.

Sometimes, swimmers will return to help coach the Anthem swim team before or after college.

A number of local families have or have had multiple children on the team. The parents play a huge part in helping the swimmers by driving them to practice and encouraging them.

“There are hard days, where they may have swum a lot. The older kids have days where they go home hungry and tired and they want to go to bed. The parent support really comes into play,” Root says.

“It takes a lot out of these kids each day. So, without that parent support of telling them, ‘Hey, you are doing great,’ it becomes very challenging to stay in the sport.”

Root says older swimmers help mentor younger ones, so it is especially important for older siblings to understand techniques so that they can pass on the knowledge to their younger siblings.

Newell has also noticed during meets with different age groups, swimmers in the program mentor and support one another.

“That’s when you will see a lot of the older kids cheering for the little kids, and the younger kids watching the fast kids race,” Newell says.

To learn more about the Anthem Dolphins, visit teamunify.com/ Home.jsp?team=azad.

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‘IT’S LIKE A PUZZLE’

Genealogy group says finding family is addictive

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Nancy Roy comes from a small family, one that didn’t share a lot about their lineage.

When she was 21, she met with her grandmother to discuss her family’s history and thus began her 50-year genealogical journey.

As president of the Daisy Mountain Genealogy Group, Roy helps others find joy in learning about their family.

“More and more people are getting interested in genealogy because of the DNA craze,” she says. “It’s exciting to start your family history. You want to know about your grandmother and grandfather and their lives and occupations.

“You can find out other things about the family that are personal and exciting. My grandfather was in theater. He became prominent. He had the biggest costume provider in New York City. He’s fascinating to me. I wanted to learn more. What was their life like?

Were they poor? Wealthy? It’s really exciting to find out those little details.”

The group was formed 18 years ago by

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members of the women’s group at Anthem Country Club.

“We just all loved genealogy,” she says.

For eight years, they met at members’ homes and then the community center. Now the Daisy Mountain Genealogy Group is open to the public and holds meetings at the North Valley Regional Library at 9:30 a.m. the first Monday of the month.

“Now we’re a library-sponsored group.

It’s open to everyone,” Roy says. “We have a speaker every month and they’re experts in genealogy. They speak around the Valley.

Most of them we get from the West Valley Genealogy Club’s speaker’s bureau.”

Pamela Blair-Sheldon, North Valley Regional Library’s library manager, says it’s been a “wonderful partnership.”

“Our new Friends of the North Valley Regional Library help with the presenter fees,” she says. “It’s been nice to give the general public an opportunity to learn about genealogy. It’s one of our most popular library

programs.”

Between 25 and 50 people attend the meetings each month, according to Roy. Speaker topics include the LDS Church’s role in genealogy with familysearch.org and websites like HeritageQuest Online powered

by Ancestry.

“There are so many advances with DNA and information,” she says. “There are a million documents a day that go online that come through the LDS Church that they put out to everyone. It’s free. It’s been really great.

“It’s like a puzzle. It’s my passion. I love it.”

Daisy Mountain Genealogy Group When: 9:30 a.m. the first Monday of the month Where: North Valley Regional Library at Boulder Creek High School, 40410 N. Gavilan Peak Parkway, Anthem Special Presentation: “Using Timelines with Suzanne Young Brayer,” 9:30 a.m. Monday, March 9 Cost: Free admission Info: mcldaz.org/locations/northvalley

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CHAMBER CORNER

Your Nine-Day Itinerary is Ahead Experience a Sonoran adventure this Spring Break

By Heather Maxwell, Anthem Area Chamber of Commerce With busy metropolitan Phoenix to the south and Arizona’s high country to the north, the communities along the Phoenix Sonoran corridor enjoy clean air and a casual, active lifestyle.

Bookended by Lake Pleasant Regional Park on the west and the stunning Phoenix Sonoran Preserve on the east, few areas in the Valley of the Sun are home to such a diverse collection of manicured parks, local attractions, outdoor adventure and untouched desert landscape.

Seemingly unnoticeable to outsiders, the quiet suburban communities that call the north edge of Phoenix Sonoran Desert home are always buzzing with events and activities.

Keep the bags unpacked! Your nine-day, local Spring Break itinerary is ahead!

Sunday, March 15

Tuesday, March 17

There’s always something to do at Lake Pleasant Regional Park! Open to the public 365 days a year, Pleasant Harbor Marina is a full-service marina and RV park and features Dillon’s Bayou, a floating restaurant redefining “lake food.” Rent a kayak or standup paddleboard (SUP) and explore the shoreline, then relax and take in the spectacular lake views while enjoying award-winning barbecue at Dillon’s Bayou.

Stop by the Discovery Center at Lake Pleasant Regional Park from 2 to 3 p.m. for fun and educational arts and crafts—perfect for families! Learn about the history of petroglyphs in the region while you design and create your own. Visit maricopacountyparks.net for a full list of upcoming events and activities at the park.

Head east to enjoy a guided hike of the Caroline Bartol Preserve on Saguaro Hill in Cave Creek with Desert Foothills Land Trust. Space is limited, so sign up in advance or learn more about DFLT’s other guided hikes at dflt.org/hikes-and-events.

Daisy Mountain Veterans and Youth for Troops invite the community to help make mats for homeless veterans from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This monthly service project is free and open to all ages. Visit youthfortroops.org for more information.

Don’t miss Trivia Tuesday at Amped Coffee Co., 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays. This is a great event for all ages.

Saturday, March 14

Monday, March 16

But first—coffee! The Anthem Community Council hosts Java & Jammin’ the second Saturday in March, May, October and December from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on the terrace of the Anthem Civic Building.

The free, family-friendly program features live music by Janelle Loes, coffee and treats.

The Sonoran Desert Pet Resort and Anthem Pets are hosting a pet adoption event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can view all of the adoptable pets on the Anthem Pets website, anthempets.org.

The Plant Bar Spring Festival promises fun for all ages from noon until 8 p.m.

The free, family-friendly event will include food, music and, of course, plants!

Wind down the night with dinner and a sunset at the Glossy Heifer Bar & Grill.

Enjoy fresh, local-inspired American cuisine and live music by David Sheehy from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Grab your bike or take a hike! The Phoenix Sonoran Preserve is comprised of more than 9,600 acres of wild, mostly undeveloped desert in North Phoenix. Three trailhead locations—Desert Vista, Desert Hills and Apache Wash—offer 36 miles of trails, open to the public from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Trail maps are available at the Anthem Area Chamber of Commerce office.

Bring plenty of water and review the “Take a Hike. Do it Right” guidelines before enjoying the preserve. For more information, visit phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/ sonoran-preserve.

End the day with a bucket-list sunset hot air balloon ride. Explore the unmatched beauty of the Phoenix Sonoran corridor from above. A variety of operators offer both sunrise and sunset hot air balloon rides daily November through March, weather permitting.

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Wednesday, March 18 Spend the day at the park or shopping.

Most of the communities along the Phoenix Sonoran corridor offer a wide variety of amenities, trails and parks to residents and their guests.

Visitors to the Anthem Community Park can see the award-winning Anthem Veterans Memorial, an Arizona Historic Landmark, locally designed and built to honor the service and sacrifice of our country’s armed forces. Playgrounds, catch-andrelease fishing lakes, a skate park, a hockey rink, sport courts and the Daisy Mountain Railroad make this park a perfect destination on a spring day.

The Outlets at Anthem is always high on the itinerary. The pedestrian- and petfriendly, open-air environment offers more than 60 designer brand shops, dining and other attractions.

Thursday, March 19 To the north, the Black Canyon Heritage Park provides visitors with a chance to experience nature and culture in a friendly, nurturing environment. Efforts at the 30-

acre park, located in the heart of Black Canyon City, focus on conservation and involve maintaining and improving the riparian habitat for a variety of wildlife species. Volunteers can provide information about local trails and dining.

Be a star! Sign up at Amped Coffee Co. any time before 6 p.m. for Open Mic Night. Come ready to perform one to three songs as a solo act or a small band. The patio is always petfriendly, making this a great event for the entire family!

Saturday, March 21

Sunday, March 22

The Anthem Gem & Mineral Show runs Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and features 30 vendors, displaying a varied collection of hand-crafted jewelry, gems, minerals, beads, lapidary work, geodes, fossils and meteorites. A specialized kids’ corner provides a fun and educational experience for all ages.

If Phoenix Bike Week is in your plans, check out Buddy Stubbs Anthem HarleyDavidson True Originals Tent Event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Guests will enjoy free food and Friday, March 20 drinks, live music by Mojo Rats and a chance Explore the 1800s pioneer style at Pioneer to save big on their preowned inventory.

Living History Museum, Arizona’s most Luke Air Force Base Open House & Air authentic Old West town. You will find au- Show runs Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 thentic buildings and historically accurate p.m. The free event will feature the U.S. Air reproductions of an old 1800s town steeped Force Thunderbirds and a variety of other in local history! Check out the Telephone civilian and military aerial demonstrations.

Museum, too.

VIP tickets are available for purchase.

Join Daisy Mountain Veterans for bingo at Saturdays at the Roadrunner Restaurant 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Fridays each & Saloon always offer excitement for the month at the Anthem Community Center. entire family. The authentic Western atmoDaisy Mountain Veterans Bingo supports sphere includes live bull riding, mutton bustveterans and their families. ing, bon fires, live music, dancing and more!

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A stop by the Anthem Farmers Market is the perfect way to end to a busy week. Every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., local food producers set up at the Anthem Community Park to sell their organic and seasonal crops; grass-fed meats; fresh local eggs, cheeses and butters; freshly baked artisan breads; prepared foods and more.

Grab some lunch at Tru Burger Co. before heading home. The all-day Sunday happy hour menu offers perfect-size, budgetfriendly portions, and the spacious patio is pet friendly.

Get out and keep local—camping, hiking, biking, off-roading, bull riding, motorcycles, Jeeps, horse-back riding, balloon rides, water sports, art, history, dining, music and shopping. Adventure is waiting for you! This is just a small sample of the many local events, attractions and outdoor adventures in store.

Call or stop by the Anthem Area Chamber of Commerce for information about upcoming events, maps and more. Keep the bags unpacked. Get out and keep local.

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CRAFTS

Get Lucky!

These crafts are sure to make guests smile

By Shannon Fisher March is a month to create lucky crafts. We made leprechaun binoculars with two toilet paper rolls. Take your paper rolls and paint them or cover them with paper.

We used green and decorated with designs of choosing. You can draw, print photos out to glue on, or use stickers. Next, hot glue the rolls together at the sides. You can now use your lucky binoculars to look for pots of gold or anything else you can imagine. We hope you find something good!

Old toot hbrushes make We’re not just a boutique and gift shop! g reat pa i nt Affordable, eco-friendly Tux and Classic brushes. You Suit Rentals now available in Anthem! can use them to make a rainUpcoming Workshops bow that leads Gong Bath & Crystal Bowl to a pot of gold.

Sound Vibrational Healing Pour paint colTween Yoga • Reiki ors onto a plate or pallet. Next, Book a Reading with Live Intuit dip the tooth-

brush into the paint. Use the brush to make a “U” shape for the rainbow. Rinse the brush between colors or use a brush for use color. To remember the order or the colors, think of ROYGBIV—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. You can paint clouds or a pot of gold at the end of your rainbow or decorate it as you wish.

Marshmallows make great stamps for little hands to make lucky clovers. We used green paint to stamp the marshmallows to create clovers on our paper. You can make them into cards, tags or a picture to place in a frame. We hope you enjoy making lucky clovers! Note: Discard after painting so little ones do not feel tempted to eat them after they have been dipped in paint.

We hope everyone has a great month full of luck!

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Shannon Fisher is a local wife, mom of two girls and owner of Shannon Fisher Photography. She taught high school and elementary art before opening her photography business.

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F A M I LY

Is Love a Noun or a Verb?

Basic English prepared us to be better people

By Pastor David Bowen, Standing Stones Community Church Standing Stones Christian Academy There are surveys for almost anything and everything. Recently I came across an unusual survey. Participants were asked this question......what three-word sentence would you most like to hear?

The top three answers, in reverse order, were: 3.) Supper is ready 2.) I forgive you 1.) I love you People want to hear, “I love you.” People need to hear, “I love you”!

Remember back in junior high English class when you learned about nouns and verbs?

A noun is a person, place or thing and a verb is an action step. Well, who knew back then that English class was preparing us to be better people? Because love is a verb, it’s an action. Unfortunately, too many people treat love as a noun—a thing. They go about their day to day without acting in love.

How does one love other people with action? I have three daughters. I love each of them very much. However, how I express my love for them is different. Why? Because they are different.

My oldest daughter loves to watch old movies. As a child she loved to watch children’s shows. Oftentimes I would hear, “Daddy, want to watch with me?”

To be honest, I really didn’t have any desire to watch another episode of “Blue’s Clues,” but to her it wasn’t about the TV show. It was about me sitting with her and giving her my time. That’s all she really wanted—for me to sit and just be with her. What I was telling her

without using words was, “You matter to me. whatever she was doing, and play catch. She I love you.” People need to know that they are loves to toss a ball around. She’s not a deep loved. I was able to communicate my love for talker. She doesn’t sit long enough to watch her by watching a child’s TV show. As she grew old movies, but she loves to play ball. When up, we stopped watching “Blue’s Clues,” but I initiate that activity, she’s all in! She knows we still just sit and spend time together she has my attention and she’s enjoying our and she knows how much her daddy interaction. She knows her daddy loves her.

How easy is it to sit and watch an old movloves her. Why? Because I am still giving her my time. I am still saying, ie, to have a conversation or to throw a ball around? In doing these things, my girls hear “I love you.”

My middle daughter likes to talk. I mean the sentence people want to hear most—“I about anything! How I speak with her, not to love you.” Good old junior high English class, her, lights her up or shuts her down. How I the difference between a noun and a verb, who show love to her is through words. As a child knew! she would want to tell me all about the game she was playing with her dolls or what she was going to name her 1 1/2 Hour Drive from North Phoenix… new stuffed anibut “Far from Ordinary” mal. She would have full-blown conversations about such imUPCOMING EVENTS portant matters! It March 21 April 25 May 2 took some patience Spring Chili Cook-Off Cornhole Challenge Spring Horseshoe Pitch to participate in such 2020 Event Calendar & Town Info online at VisitCrownKing.com conversations, but by doing so she knew Historic Saloon & General Store her daddy loved her.

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Today, we still have lengthy conversations IS MENTION TH ON LO SA CK AT D and she still knows A FOR A her daddy loves her!

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PETS

Kuma takes on Dixie Mountain Told by Kuma & Written by Lorraine Bossé-Smith I’ve always been on the tall side for a Shiba Inu. Mom says I take after her and have long legs. Oh, OK. Last vet checkup, though, I weighed in at 38 pounds. That made my mom concerned and sad. She knows being sick all last year affected me, too. We both gained weight as a result, and she’s determined to change that.

Do you know my mom? If you do, you know

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when she sets her mind on something, she gets serious and committed! I’m on low-calorie food, which, to be honest, tastes the same as the old stuff, so I’m good, but we are going farther on our hikes. The good news is mom feels up to it; the downside is I’m paying for it. This weekend, we got on the Bobcat trail.

This is a short connector trail that starts off Dove Valley Road on the north end of Phoenix. You have to park in the dirt because the road is closed with “no parking signs.” The curb is pretty high, so you may need a high-clearance vehicle just to park. Parking is free and dogs are allowed.

From there, you followed the path to the gate and proceed on Bobcat. It’s marked, and at the first intersection you go on the Dixie Mountain Trail. It starts off very flat, and we were amazed at how green the desert got after the rains.

In fact, we saw some grasses and wildflowers growing already.

The trail winds around as you start to climb up Dixie Mountain. At the top, you will actually be over by the Desert Vista trail head or by Norterra Fireside. I knew where we were there and wanted to

head back to where we normally park the car, but we have miles to go because we parked on the other side. Instead of three miles, this loop was six. Mom and I needed a quick break to rest our paws, but we weren’t hot. The temps were very comfortable!

The trail gets rocky but doesn’t become super steep…just a steady climb up. It takes you up the mountain and around the other side and then back down to the Bobcat connector trail. When we got back to the car, I was ready for a nap! Thankfully, we didn’t see any bobcats, but we did meet lots of folks and canines along the way. Because this loop is longer, you don’t encounter as many mountain bikes.

It’s another great local option before the hot season arrives.

By the way, I had to get my rabies vaccine, and I weighed in at 35.9! Woo hoo. Mom’s plan is working. Stay healthy my friends.

Kumaito (Kuma for short) is a multi-tan Shiba Inu, the oldest and purest from Japan. I personally was born in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, moved to Friendswood, Texas, and now call Phoenix home. I enjoy running or hiking almost every day with my mom, chasing rabbits out of my neighborhood, playing with toys, pestering my brother Edmond, eating and napping.

Lorraine Bossé-Smith is the founder of the FIT Leader Formula. She shares Kuma’s adventures. She is a motivational speaker, corporate trainer, business consultant, executive coach, behavioral-wellness expert and author of eight published books.

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E X T R AO R D I N A RY R I D E S

Hot Wheels

2020 Cadillac XT6 SUV provides old-fashioned American luxury

By C.A. Haire With Arizona’s mild winter weather, it’s a great time to gather family or friends and take a long road trip. The Cadillac XT6 is a good choice for a vehicle, which is based on the popular GMC Acadia SUV. The difference is this Caddy is loaded with plenty of standard goodies that are optional on the lessexpensive GMC version. This might explain the window-sticker tab of $59,000.

For this price, consumers expect a lot— and they will get it. The maximum seating capacity is listed as eight, so there’s plenty of room. If the second-row bucket seats are ordered, this capacity drops to seven. Either way, a third-row seat is issued. They are power operated and, if lowered, they create generous rear-cargo room. The quality of materials and workmanship is very good, and the leather trim is top grade.

Tech people will enjoy Apple CarPlay, Android auto, Wi-Fi and wireless smart phone charging. Safety features like auto emergency braking, pedestrian warning, lane assist and

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The 2020 Cadillac XT6 SUV has a 3.6-liter V-6 engine rated at 310 horsepower.

(Photos by C.A. Haire)

blind-spot monitoring are here, but fortunately, the driver can disconnect these. And most of the controls are easy to use, thanks to the many simple buttons and knobs.

The only engine available is a proven 3.6-liter V-6, rated at 310 horsepower, connected to a nine-speed automatic gearbox. Fuel economy is listed at 17 mpg in the city, and 24 on the highway. Front-wheel drive is standard, but this one has the optional all-wheel drive unit that offers maximum traction on slick pavement or dirt trails. A computer program offers four modes of operation: touring, sport, AWD and off road.

We took this XT6 on an off-road trip, going through sandy washes and light mud. With

the high-ground clearance and all-wheel traction, it did quite well on the beaten track. But keep in mind, the long wheelbase and low-hanging front bumper limit the ability to take more serious dirt trails. This is for recreational off-pavement use, not the Baja 500.

This vehicle racked up 600 miles in one week. Highway fuel economy from Fountain Hills to Tucson was 21 mpg. On the return trip, it increased to 26 mpg, for an overall 23.5 average. This is close enough to the claimed 24 by the factory, we have no complaints about fuel economy. This SUV is very comfortable, whether cruising on the freeway or stuck in stop-and-go city commuting.

There is nothing overly exotic about the XT6, but it does provide old-fashioned American luxury with the ability to haul lots of gear or passengers—at a reasonable price.

BRAINTEASERS ACROSS 1 Tummy muscles,

for short 4 Slapstick arsenal 8 Scallopini meat 12 Press for payment 13 Ireland 14 Not working 15 Classic Anne Murray song 17 Location 18 Charlotte's creation 19 Capitol VIP 21 Pamper 24 Gun the engine 25 Melody 26 Sprite 28 Thin smoky streaks 32 Messy sort 34 Cut the grass 36 Fit of peevishness 37 High-strung 39 Michael Jackson album 41 -- budget 42 Affirmative action?

44 About to fall asleep 46 Old-style hairpiece 50 Curved line 51 Neighbor of Cambodia 52 Increase rapidly 56 Scandinavian city

57 Sagan or Sandburg 58 Shooter ammo 59 Adolescent 60 Has bills 61 Dr. Ruth's subject DOWN 1 Billboards 2 Chignon 3 White-flowered amaryllis 4 Little rock 5 Square root of IX 6 Blunders 7 Passover feast 8 Compared to 9 Tend texts 10 Choir member 11 Ogle 16 Marry 20 Fresh 21 Money 22 Unctuous 23 Shade provider 27 Watch chain 29 Mountain peak

covers, often 30 Bowlers' targets 31 Remain 33 Blessing 35 Bankroll 38 Ply oars 40 Talks Dixie-style

43 Mirror-ball venue 45 Sphere 46 Basis for a whodunit 47 Relaxation 48 Portrayal 49 Chew like a chipmunk 53 Tramcar contents 54 Shelter 55 Remiss

Answers on page 45

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DINING

All in the Family

Gio’s Pizza brings traditional Italian flavors to Anthem

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Born in Sicily and raised in New York, Onofrio Modica knows great pizza.

For five years, the Anthem resident has been sharing his family’s recipes through Gio’s Pizza, which boasts top-notch deepdish, thin New York-style and Sicilian crust pies.

“I’ve been in the business for 47 years,” he says. “The secret to my success is experience, consistency and quality. I try to stick with the same recipe.”

Modica comes from a family of butchers, who branched off into the pizza business.

He moved to Anthem after vacationing here, and soon opened an eatery in Scottsdale. When that closed, he worked in construction. His kids encouraged him to fall back into the family business.

The traditional pizzeria has a variety of round, thin, New York-style crust pies on its menu, ranging from napolitana (mozzarella and tomato sauce; $14.95 for a whole, 16 inch) to meat lovers (mozzarella, ground beef, bacon, sausage, pepperoni and ham; $29.95 for a whole, 16 inch).

A few of the same varieties are available in the 12-inch by 18-inch rectangular, thick, Sicilian-style crust for $17.95 to

$21.95.

The stuffed pizzas serve six to eight people and come in ham, cheese and pepperoni; and potato, pepperoni and sausage.

A whole pizza is $29.95.

“The dough is my family’s recipe,” he says. “Through all the years, you’ll always come up with different ideas.”

All selections are available in slices as well. Off the menu are interesting pizzas.

“We do make lasagna pizzas,” he says.

Onofrio Modica of Gio’s Pizza moved to the United States from Italy, bringing with him years of family recipes. Gio’s Pizza boasts a host of pies, ranging from thin, New-York style to stuffed pizzas. (Photos by Chris Mortenson)

Gio’s Pizza

4205 W. Anthem Way, Suite 104, Anthem 623-500-2350, facebook.com/giospizzaanthem giospizzaanthem.com

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85086 | MARCH 2020

W H AT ' S C O O K I N G ?

“We make rigatoni pizza. When people request it, we make it. We have a lot of different types of pizzas that we don’t display. What we display is what sells constantly, all day long.”

Modica’s other specialties include rolls—meat sauce and spaghetti—and pepperoni, ham and ricotta pinwheels, and broccoli, spinach and ricotta pinwheels.

Garlic knots, calzones and wings are on the menu, too.

He creates homemade chicken parmigiana, eggplant parmigiana and meatball parmigiana, as well as lasagna and baked rigatoni for those who are not in the mood for pizza.

Gio’s Pizza has a limited dining area, which was designed by Modica and fashioned after a New York pizzeria. He painted the restaurant and created the woodworking.

In April, Gio’s Pizza will celebrate its fifth anniversary with specials and discounts. Check its Facebook page for information at facebook.com/giospizzaanthem.

Modica, who also provides catering, is proud of his success.

“It’s like when you feed little babies. You have to make sure you’re there all the time. There are no shortcuts, and I’m nice to my customers. That’s most important.”

Soft Cinnamon Roll Cookies

By Jan D'Atri Simply irresistible. That’s about the only way to describe this cookie. It’s kind of like the favorite cousin to the cinnamon roll. In fact, these soft cin-

namon roll cookies have all of the same flavors, but a lot less dough.

Try them with either the simple glaze or cream cheese frosting!

Soft Cinnamon Roll Cookies Cookie dough ingredients: - 1 cup granulated sugar - 2 tablespoons butter softened - 2 tablespoons butter-flavored Crisco shortening - 1 large egg - 1/4 cup buttermilk (*See note in directions to make homemade buttermilk) - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - 2 cups all-purpose flour - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda - 1/8 teaspoon salt Cinnamon sugar ingredients: - 1/2 cup brown sugar - 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon - 2 tablespoons butter, melted Cream cheese frosting ingredients: - 2 oz. cream cheese, room temperature - 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature - 1/2 cup powdered sugar - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla - 2 to 3 teaspoons milk, or more for thinner consistency Alternate glaze ingredients: - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk (may need more to thin out glaze enough to drizzle) Directions: For the cookie dough, cream together sugar, butter and shortening. Add egg, buttermilk and vanilla, mixing well to combine. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, mixing well until soft dough forms. Place dough in a plastic bag, flatten and freeze for 30 minutes. In a small bowl,

mix together cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.

When dough is firm, combine 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Generously flour a work surface. (If you don’t have powdered sugar, just use flour.) Working quickly, remove dough from bag and roll out into a 12-by-9 rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick, with a floured rolling pin. Brush the surface of dough with melted butter. Sprinkle brown sugar cinnamon mixture over dough and press down slightly. Flour your hands and then quickly roll dough lengthwise into a tight log.

Wrap log up in plastic wrap; twist the edges to seal and place on a tray. Freeze for 30 minutes or until the roll is firm enough to cut into pinwheel slices, 1/2-inch thick. Place cookies on parchment paper or silicone mat about 2 inches apart. Return to fridge for 15 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cookies should be slightly underdone.

While cookies are baking, make the cream cheese frosting or the sugar glaze.

For the cream cheese frosting, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk.

For the glaze, mix together powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency is achieved. When cookies are done and still warm, spread either the cream cheese frosting over cookies or drizzle with glaze. Place cookies in an airtight container to store.

Note: * To make homemade buttermilk, combine 1/3 cup milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. Stir for 10 seconds then let sit for 15 minutes.

Watch my how-to video for soft cinnamon roll cookies here: jandatri.com/jans-recipe/one-minute-kitchen/softcinnamonrollcookies

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H E A LT H

Is Your Gut Healthy?

This ‘second brain’ can affect mood and overall wellness

By Dr. Alexandra Prach and Tara Storjohann Ever wonder why you feel “off” after having to take antibiotics for a prolonged period of time? The term “gut health” is usually mentioned when talking about overall well-being, but what does it really mean? The truth is, your gut is tied to all aspects of health including mental, physical,

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emotional and immune. There are many products on the market that target improving gut health such as prebiotics, probiotics, apple cider vinegar and “gut shots.”

Throughout this article, we will discuss what it means to have a healthy gut and how to get there.

The human microbiome consists of thousands of bacteria, fungi and viruses that colonize our nasal passages, mouth, skin and gut. Each person’s microbiome is individualized and affected by many lifestyle and environmental factors. It’s important to keep your microbiome diverse because it has many important jobs including defending against pathogenic bacteria, making vitamins, absorbing nutrients and producing hormones.

Your gut is intimately connected to your brain and affects mood, cognition and overall health. The gut is known as the second brain and produces serotonin and short-chain fatty acids, which influence brain cell development and function. Microbiome diversity is also strongly tied to mood. For example, those with less of a variety of good bacteria in their gut usually have associated depressive symptoms.

Many factors can impact your gut health such as stress, the environment, sleep and medications.

A healthy microbiome increases resistance to stress. As previously mentioned, the brain and gut are intimately connected. They communicate bidirectionally (gut to brain and bring to gut). When the brain is under stress it sends messages to

the gut that can disrupt the microbiome, further leading to inflammation, mood disturbances and chronic health conditions. In the environment, exposure to toxins such as heavy metals, pesticides, air pollution and molds can cause gut imbalance. Next, your circadian rhythm (your sleep-wake cycle) is directly linked to the microbiome. Poor quality of sleep may be due to unhealthy microbiome, but an unhealthy microbiome may be due to poor sleep habits. In other words, it is important to have both quality sleep habits as well as a healthy gut. Lastly, medications such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, acid reducing medications and antipsychotics are all culprits of causing gut dysbiosis. Now that we know what may hurt our gut, we can discuss how to heal it using the “Five R Framework.”

The “Five R Framework” Remove – When starting to heal the gut, we want to remove everything that may be hurting it. Foods that cause inflammation are important to remove. These irritating foods can be identified by having a foodsensitivity test done (which may be costly) or completing an elimination diet. In an elimination diet, we first eliminate common foods that cause reactions, including dairy and eggs, soy, peanuts, corn, gluten, processed foods and alcohol. After eliminating these foods from the diet for four weeks, food groups are reintroduced, one at a time every three days, and a food diary is kept to recognize what is causing any symptoms. This diet has shown to clear up symptoms such as chronic runny nose or congestion, skin conditions such as eczema, chronic bloating, constipation and nausea.

Replace – Next, we must replace com-

ponents that aid in nutrient absorption, such as digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid (great for patients on long-term acid-reducing medications, vegans and vegetarians). Supplements that contain amylase, lipase, lactase and pepsin can be found to help aid digestion.

Hydrochloric acid supplements will contain an ingredient called “Betaine HCl,” which may even be found in combination products with the previously listed digestive enzymes.

Reinoculate – This step involves introducing pre- and probiotics to the gut. Prebiotics are foods that stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria. You can get prebiotics through flax seeds, oats, artichokes, garlic, onion, soy products and sweet potatoes. Probiotics are live bacteria that provide benefit to the host (you!). A quality probiotic is one that is broad spectrum (contains many different strains), has at least 30 billion colony forming units (CFUs) and includes soil-based organisms (SBOs). The quality of these products matter! Quality probiotic brands include Xymogen, Garden of Life, Florastor and Culturelle. These products can be found at your local pharmacy or ordered directly from the manufacturer online.

Repair – Key nutrients that aid in the healing of the gut lining must be replenished. These include vitamins and minerals such as zinc; vitamins A, C, D and E; omega-3 fatty acids; and glutamine. A diet containing foods rich in collagens (bone broth), fermented vegetables (sauerkraut, kombucha and pickles) and fruits and vegetables is best for repairing and maintaining a healthy gut. Raw vegetables contain more phytonutrients than cooked; however, both are beneficial to the gut.

Rebalance – This final step involves implementing stress-reducing activities and increasing sleep and exposure to a healthy environment. Stress-reducing activities include meditation, yoga, exercise, aromatherapy, breathing techniques and comedy. Positive environmental changes include pets (this increases your microbiome diversity!), spending time outdoors, walking barefoot on pesticidefree grass and having live plants in your home. Sleep hygiene can be improved by not eating too late at night, avoiding caffeine late in the day, having a regular bedtime, getting sunlight exposure and avoiding blue light (television screens, cellphone screens and laptops) two hours before bedtime.

As you can see, a healthy gut is important for overall health. Gut health can improve immune function, mood and energy level. Using the “Five R Framework” you can be on your way to a happy gut and a healthy life.

Dr. Alexandra Prach earned her Pharm.D degree from the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy in Kingston, Rhode Island, in 2019. She interned full time at two compounding pharmacies in New England and has been heavily involved in seeking solutions to the national opioid epidemic. Her passion for compounding and interest in alternative pain management guided Alexandra to Arizona to do a post-graduate residency training program at Potter’s House Apothecary & Wellness. She is excited to have the opportunity to learn from the leaders in compounding pharmacy and play a role in providing personalized pharmaceutical care to patients.

Tara Storjohann has resided in Anthem since 2002 and is a pharmacist and an assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy at Midwestern University in Glendale. She enjoys spending time in the Arizona great outdoors hiking and snow skiing. She is a health advocate and is passionate about helping others achieve their wellness goals.

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H E A LT H

Back to Heath of Anthem How to stay active at a sedentary workspace

By Dr. Brian Hester With every new piece of technology that makes our lives easier and more convenient, there’s the potential that it can make us more lackadaisical (cough—lazy) in our approach to staying active in our day.

No need to even go to a restaurant or grocery store. Click, click, click, food delivered. There’s no need to walk to a different building to have a conversation with someone. Type, type, type, conversation had via text or email.

Business Insider tells us that 86% of Americans sit for a majority of the day at their job.

That doesn’t even factor in the sitting we’ll do at home while we’re eating meals, watching television or reading. We sit a lot.

But is it that big of a deal? What if you watch what you’re eating and really try to exercise a few times a week? Is all that sitting actually hurting anything?

Spoiler alert: Yeah, it is.

The most obvious issue from sitting or slouching all day is on your joints. You’ll be more likely to have issues with back pain, arthritis, bursitis and the like. But more than that, it actually gives you a higher risk for heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Sitting is one of the most passive things you can do, so it causes your body to go in “coasting mode.”

This tells your body to do the least amount of “work,” thereby causing weight gain and all sorts of other troubles. Even if you workout regularly.

So, what do you do? Walk into the boss’ office and quit immediately.

Just kidding. Don’t do that. But there are things that you can do to squeeze in a little bit more activity while you’re at work.

1. Just move Yep, the secret to moving throughout the

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or something at work, go walk a couple flights. Not only does it help you stay active, but it can keep you from balling all that tension up. Two birds. One stair.

3. Find an inconvenient parking spot

day is to actually move. You’re welcome. But truthfully, just changing positions semi-regularly is so helpful. Setting timers on your phone is a great way to remember (but be a good cubicle mate and turn it to vibrate).

Standing once an hour for even a few minutes and then finding a different position when you sit back down can do wonders. You can even add in a few squats without raising too many eyebrows. If you aren’t brave enough for that, start by just standing up and then sitting in your chair a couple of times (just make sure your chair hasn’t rolled away before you pseudo-squat again!)

2. Don’t just take the stairs Sure, it’s great advice to bring in a little physical activity. But if you walk up a couple flights of stairs when you go into work and then the next time you do it again isn’t until 5 p.m., it’s not going to get you a ton of benefit.

Instead, go out of your way to take them when you really don’t have to. Every time you fill your coffee cup, walk up and down a flight of stairs (maybe before you fill your cup). When you take a phone call that doesn’t require you to be at your desk, walk the stairs (you can go slowly on this one, so you’re not mouth breathing on your call). My personal favorite: When you’re frustrated with someone

If you’re here in Arizona, during the summer this might not be such a great idea since we live on the surface of the sun. But when it’s nice outside, finding a parking spot that actually takes you a few minutes to walk to, rather than a few seconds, is another way to add even a few minutes of activity in your day. Especially if you walk out to your car to head to lunch, then you’re doubling your efforts.

4. Walking meetings Again, when it’s 183,000 degrees outside, not super helpful. Rather than sitting around a conference room table, take it outside! Unless you need a whiteboard or are doing a presentation, walking meetings are a great way to get active in the day. I know it’s not possible for all meetings, especially if they are with a ton of people. Bonus: No matter how boring the meeting is, you won’t get caught falling asleep!

“Sitting disease” might seem silly or made up, but it’s a widespread problem here in America. We already have enough tendencies to overeat on processed foods; we shouldn’t be making it worse on ourselves by not moving for hours at a time most days. Simple steps and changes can be the difference maker in your health.

Back to Health

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