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4 THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | MAY 13, 2020 NEWS Local animal shelters keeping business afloat

BY ALLEN AWFE AND HALEIGH KOCHANDSKI

Foothills Focus Contributing Writers V alley nonprofit animal shelters have adopted business models and procedures that are helping them operate safely, not only for the pets in their care but also for people looking to adopt.

In light of the pandemic, the number of people wanting new pets has increased, financially helping the shelters in an otherwise difficult time.

“We are very fortunate, but it has not been easy,” said Loretta Isaac, co-founder of Home Fur Good in Phoenix.

“People are home. The kids are home from school. It’s kind of been an ideal time and we’ve actually seen a lot of adoptions.”

The shelter relies on two clinics for cash flow: a low-cost vaccine and microchip clinic and a low-cost dental clinic. Both have closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading into the shelter, Home Fur Good hosts appointments to see animals on the shelter’s website and over the phone. In addition, the shelter employees are working at home.

The Arizona Humane Society has two main locations that are still operating: the Nina Mason Pulliam Campus for Compassion, which is located just north of South Mountain Park and Preserve, as well as the Sunnyslope Campus in North Central Phoenix. The shelter has closed its additional adoptions out of PetSmart in Mesa and Scottsdale.

Bretta Nelson, public relations manager at Arizona Humane Society, said the shelter has changed its traditional adoption process to a virtual matchmaking program.

“Potential adopters can visit us on azhumane.org/adopt,” Nelson explained. “They can schedule their appointment online and an adoption matchmaker, who’s actually working remotely from home, will call them, talk through what kind of pet they’re looking for, hopefully find them a few

An Arizona Humane Society worker hands off a dog to a foster. (Photo courtesy Arizona Humane Society) Arizona Humane Society field workers are COVID-19 compliant. (Photo courtesy Arizona Humane Society)

matches and then they will come in for their appointment.”

The animal shelter also adopted its foster program to a drive-up service. The shelter made this process fairly simple: A new foster person—or “foster hero”—would set an appointment with the animal shelter team, then drive up. After texting upon arrival, a concierge brings out the pet, as well as all of the paperwork and supplies needed to care for the animal.

All of the shelter’s staff are practicing social distancing and cleaning protocols, and its new modifications have allowed a minimal number of people in the facility.

The Humane Society’s Sunnyslope Campus also has expanded its full-service veterinary clinic to being open seven days a week. It has shifted the shelter’s trauma hospital to 24/7 service.

Another addition was switching in-person pet training to virtual training classes. For $20, a pet owner can get a 30-minute session with a pet trainer through either Zoom, Skype or FaceTime.

“That’s a service that has been very well utilized,” Nelson said.

Recouping lost funds

A major setback though for the Arizona Humane Society is loss of revenue due to fundraising cancellations.

“We are forecasting about a $1.35 million net shortfall due to lost fundraising revenue and lost service revenues,” Nelson said.

The increase in adoptions is helping with the lost funds. It helps, too, that the adoption fees have stayed the same.

“We have seen such a wonderful response from people,” Nelson said. “It’s the perfect time for people to integrate a pet into their homes. They’ve always wanted to but didn’t feel like they had enough time.”

Lost Our Home in Tempe is in a similar situation. This isn’t the first time it’s encountered a crisis. It was founded during the 2008 housing crisis, which left thousands of people displaced and many pets abandoned.

“Our adoption operations have gone down while the adoption applications have gone up,” said Jodi Polanski, founder and executive director of Lost Our Home. “We’ve had to change everything about the way we work right now.”

Adoption meet-and-greets are made by appointment, and only one person at a time can meet animals. All dog introductions are outside, while cat meetand-greets are inside the shelter. Each appointment lasts about an hour.

Some staff members have been furloughed, while others are cross training and taking on multiple positions due to cancellation of fundraising events, Polanski said.

Most staff members work remotely from home, with just a skeleton staff at the shelter. Most of the pets are in foster homes.

“We have more fosters than we’ve ever had,” Polanski said. “We have people waiting to foster pets and we are getting a ton of applications for pet adoptions because people are home and want a pet right now.”

The rescue is also asking its staff to interact with customers over the phone. “We’ve been having them do video calls with the fosters,” Polanski said. “When they come to the shelter, it’s almost like a hand-off, because at that point, they know so much about the pet.”

In addition, Lost Our Home created a temporary care program that provides up to 90 days of care for pets of families experiencing domestic violence, homelessness and illness. The program has already received more than 160 applications since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One person who adopted a pet through Lost Our Home shelter is Letitia Frye, a Phoenix businesswoman. She recently adopted Fozzie Bear, a 4-yearold Australian shepherd from Lost Our Home.

She described the adoption as “unbelievably easy” through Lost Our Home. She said the revamped adoption process was accommodating.

“She set up an area where someone is adopting the dog at the front, and in the back, someone is dropping off a dog like Fozzie,” Frye said.

Lost Our Home’s developed two different entrances for those dropping off and for those picking up, and Frye described that as “perfect” and “completely COVID compliant.”

Fozzie Bear was dropped off by his previous family on March 17 and she adopted him on March 18. Frye said that he is a completely trained dog and she hopes to one day train him to become a service dog. In the end, the processes are working.

dents and guests will have two empty seats separating each other. “In addition, all students and guests will need to maintain 6 feet of separation while on school grounds,” Burdick said.

Students and guests will be required to wear masks and gloves during the ceremony, though students will be permitted to remove masks while on stage. Students will be provided with a mask and gloves; guests will be required to provide their own.

Burdick stressed there will be no socializing permitted at the site ceremonies.

“(After) each ceremony, we will be asking that all students and guests leave the Fine Arts Center and quickly GRADUATION from page 3

“People are home, they’ve got the time and are coming out and adopting,” Isaac said.

exit the parking lot, as the next group will be arriving. In between each ceremony, a group of volunteers will disinfect all seats and handrails,” Burdick said.

“These ceremonies will take quite a bit of cooperation in order to ensure the safety of our students, staff, guests and volunteers.”

She said the second part of the dual graduation celebration will be a virtual graduation ceremony broadcast on YouTube Premium in June, with dates and times to be determined.

“The pictures and videos taken during the Fine Arts Center Celebration will be able to be used in our virtual graduation ceremony,” Burdick said.

A “modified ceremony” will take place Thursday, May 21; Friday, May 22; and Saturday, May 23, at the high school’s Fine Arts Center. (Submitted photo)

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Life is good when the world opens AROUND THE BLUHMIN’ TOWN

BY JUDY BLUHM

Foothills Focus Guest Columnist R eady. Set. Go. We are opening the world again. OK, so not completely. We might have to postpone a party or going to the movies. But we can get our hair and nails done. We can eat out! We might even go shopping for something besides food! Hey, the governor has spoken. Now, it will be up to us to decide what we feel comfortable doing. I had the surreal experience of going into a bank with a face

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People in Belgium are being asked to eat more French fries because the potato industry is unable to sell them. They are asking the public to fire up their deep fryers and eat fries at least twice a week. Otherwise, the Belgian potato industry stands to lose $135 million. Well, I know if I lived there, I would happily oblige.

Hey, we Americans have our own civic duties. Our farmers in Idaho have begun dumping potatoes, while some farmers are giving them away for free. And guess what? People started turning out

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in droves to get as many free potatoes as they can haul away. One guy drove 450 miles to get his spuds! What’s for dinner? How about French fries. Baked potato. Followed by mashed potatoes for dessert.

Arizona Dairy farmers are dumping over 100,000 gallons of milk every day because schools and restaurants are not buying it. Drink up! Milk does a body good. And it looks like the processing plants for meat are struggling to keep up. We, Americans, are not used to scarcity and it is causing us to consider more worrying prospects than a toilet paper shortage. When bacon runs out, it won’t be pretty. We are strong people. But a bacon shortage?

There are many folks so stir crazy that they will run out the door and into the shops, restaurants and businesses like a horse out of the gate at the races. I know when I heard our governor announce that beauty salons could open on May 8,

I was driving. I pulled off the road and called to make a nail appointment as if my life (toes) depended on it. And I think I was not alone. I am cautious though, like many of us. I have several family members in the “vulnerable” category, so I will keep my mask handy.

Some people just need to “get out.” Like the 5-year-old boy in Utah who really wanted to go to California and buy a Lamborghini. Angry that his mother said, “No,” he snuck out of the house and took the family car, driving on the freeway as he was pulled over by a state trooper. Luckily, no one was killed. The youngster had $3 and a “burning desire” to get that flashy car. Dream on, my little friend. We all want things. Me? I will settle for French fries, milk and a pedicure. Life is good.

Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local Realtor. Have a story or a comment? Email Bluhm at judy@judybluhm.com.

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | MAY 13, 2020 7 OPINION Lawsuits may become the last word in the pandemic

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ

Foothills Focus Columnist I got sued once, last decade. The plaintiff was a disgraced state legislator who resigned after multiple witnesses called 911 to report him beating up his then-girlfriend in public. She was a friend; I volunteered to help her deal with the media.

The lawsuit dragged on for two years. He begged for a settlement. I told my lawyer I’d never give him a dime. In the end, he dropped the case, getting zilch. The debacle cost me more than 60 grand.

So, I’ve never been a lawsuit guy, as plaintiff or defendant. Which is why I’m shaking my head at the hundreds of suits that predator attorneys have already filed over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cruise lines, retail stores, gyms, airlines, universities; they’ve all been hit by COVID-19 lawsuits and the coronavirus positives still keep coming. There’s even a class action suit already filed in California on behalf of 32 million American small businesses—against the government of China.

“According to scientists almost 99% of the world’s infections could have been avoided if the defendants had acted properly in early December 2019,” the plaintiffs’ lawyer explains.

Yeah, best of luck with that. According to a database developed by the firm Hunton Andrews Kurth, already nearly 900 COVID lawsuits have been filed across the country. The most popular target? Prisons. Thus far, 249 lawsuits have been brought against prisons, mostly over living conditions or by lawyers who want their clients released rather than risk pandemic life behind bars.

Here I’ll quote my late mother, who surely would have told the incarcerated plaintiffs, “I guess you should’ve thought of that before you committed a felony, genius.”

Locally, vulture lawyers are circling nursing homes and long-term care facilities, which across the United States have been the scene of more than 10,000 deaths where the deceased has tested positive for COVID-19.

In Maricopa County, more than 120 care facilities have reportedly had at least one COVID-19 positive.

TV station ABC15 tracked down personal injury lawyer Jenna Bailey, whose website proclaims in huge type: “Something terrible happened to you or your family in Arizona? Bailey Law Firm can help you with your serious personal injury claims.” Subtle.

Bailey told the station that she already represents at least one family in potential litigation against a Valley senior living facility. The Tempe-based assisted living home has been the site of more than 60 positive COVID tests, according to news reports.

“So, we’re hearing a lot of these types of stories, unfortunately,” Bailey told reporter Zach Crenshaw, while oozing all the compassion of a rock. She went on to explain: “So what we’re looking to determine is whether or not the facility itself, or through employees, wheth

er or not there was some negligence.” I’ll predict the plaintiffs will manage to uncover enough alleged negligence to find their way into a courtroom or at least to torque a settlement from the facility and/ or its insurance company.

That is, unless a recent congressional push to exempt many businesses from COVID claims ultimately becomes the law of the land.

Could gross negligence have been committed here—and in prisons, on cruise ships, in nursing homes and by plaintiffs like Walmart, which has been sued by the family of a deceased worker who tested positive for COVID-19? Absolutely.

However, it’s also possible for businesses to follow the law and the guidance of medical experts, socially distance and sanitize to the -nth degree, and still end up beset by infections caused by a vicious virus that has no respect for lawyers, Clorox wipes or human lives.

Stay home, stay safe, sue early, sue often. That might just be the epitaph when we’re finally done with COVID-19.

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FINANCIAL FOCUS

May is National Bike Month. Of course, millions of Americans enjoy biking, so there’s reason to celebrate. But even if you’re not much of a rider, you can apply some of the guidelines and lessons of bicycling to other areas of your life—such as investing. Consider taking some of these ideas for a spin: • Tune up your portfolio. When bicyclists tune up their bikes, they adjust their brakes, clean and lubricate the chain, tighten nuts and bolts, and check the tire pressure, among other tasks. Such a tune-up keeps their bikes running smoothly and reduces the chances for breakdowns. And by “tuning up” your investment portfolio, you can help it stay in line with your goals and risk tolerance, while also preparing it for a “breakdown” in the financial markets, in the form of sharp downturns. To tune up your portfolio, look for ways to increase diversification, which can help reduce the effects of volatility, and watch for investments that may have chronically underperformed or are no longer suitable for your risk tolerance. You might be better off selling these and using the proceeds to invest in new opportunities. • Know when to shift gears. Bicyclists move into higher or lower gears in response to changing road conditions and elevations. As an investor, you, too, may need to “shift gears” or adjust your investment strategy when your personal financial environment changes. So, for example, in the years immediately preceding your retirement, you may want to move some—but certainly not all—of your investment dollars from growth-oriented vehicles to income-producing ones. That way, you can lock in some of the gains you may have achieved while lowering your portfolio’s overall risk level. This is important, because once you reach retirement and you need to start withdrawing from your retirement accounts—which essentially means liquidating some of your investments—you don’t want to worry too much about having to sell when prices are down. However, keep in mind that, even during retirement, you’ll need some growth potential in your holdings to help yourself stay ahead of inflation. • Protect yourself. Smart bicyclists always wear their helmets. They know that an unexpected bump in the road could cause a dangerous spill. And on the journey toward financial security for yourself and your family, you can also expect that some hard knocks could come your way—which is why you need the proper protection. To safeguard your family in case anything should happen to you, you must have the appropriate amount of life insurance. And to help ensure your financial independence—and avoid becoming a potential burden to your grown children—you may want to consider some type of long-term care coverage, which can help cover many of the costs of a lengthy nursing home stay. You could choose a long-term care insurance policy or a “hybrid” policy, which combines long-term care protection with the death benefit of traditional life insurance. A financial advisor can recommend the option that’s most suitable for your needs. You may want to observe National Bike Month by taking a few rides yourself. But in any case, making these cycling-inspired moves can help you keep rolling along toward your financial goals.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones financial adviser. Edward Jones, Member SIPC. Edward Jones is a licensed insurance producer in all states and Washington, D.C., through Edward D. Jones & Co., LP, and in California, New Mexico and Massachusetts through Edward Jones Insurance Agency of California LLC; Edward Jones Insurance Agency of New Mexico LLC and Edward Jones Insurance Agency of Massachusetts LLC.

What can investors learn from cyclists?

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | MAY 13, 2020 Arts

Patricia Curren: A few surprises and life lessons

BY SHEA STANFIELD

Foothills Focus Contributing Writer L ocal author Patricia Curren, creator of the Kendra Morgan young adult mystery series, is at it again. This time her newest book, “Crushed!,” explodes on to the scene behind its sisters, “Clipped!” and “Cornered!,” but this time the story’s heroine has moved her crime-solving skills from Nebraska to Phoenix.

In the book, 16-year-old Kendra finds herself in a summer internship with her aunt, a Phoenix police detective. She finds she will need to rein in her free-spirited style of crime solving, toe the line, and follow the rules if she is to survive in a big-city investigations unit. This “Nancy Drew on steroids” is in for a few surprises and valuable life lessons.

Curren spent her early years in Nebraska with a large extended family and enjoyed her summers on the farms of grandparents, aunts and uncles. The beauty of the prairie and a family that loved to read poured the foundation for her own creativity.

Curren realized she enjoyed writing in the fifth grade when her class was given a creative writing assignment and the process was effortless and fun. From that point on, writing became her constant companion. Curren’s family moved from Nebraska to Seattle when she was 12. What a culture shock from the wind-swept plains of her former life it was, but she found she loved the vastly different culture and the diversity in the population. Shortly after high school, Curren married and found herself, in very short order, raising three active daughters and working full time.

For 13 years, Curren worked for school districts in Seattle and Everett. The next two decades were spent in the private sector as a purchasing manager at a high-end construction firm.

She honed her writing skills through journaling, poetry, articles and short stories. Eventually, Curren relocated to Arizona to care for her mother who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The time then presented itself for writing and publishing her first book, “Clipped!,” in 2014.

Curren is constantly working on improvement. She has attended a number of workshops and classes through her membership with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators; the Arizona Authors Association; Sisters in Crime; and the Society of Southwestern Authors, Valley of the Sun chapter. But Curren finds critique

Author Patricia Curren signs copies of “Crushed!” at a local book sale. (Photo courtesy Patricia Curren)

groups have provided the most tangible results in her writing process. She participates in these groups through online platforms and person-to-person meetups. Another one of her favorite ways to grow her craft is through facilitating. Curren is the facilitator for the Scottsdale Scribes, which meets at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library.

Curren enjoys speaking with groups about the many facets of writing, publishing and marketing of books as well. For more information, email pcurren44@ yahoo.com or message her at facebook.com/trishcurren.

10 THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | MAY 13, 2020 ARTS Artists hosting online fundraiser auction

BY LAURIE FAGEN

Foothills Focus Contributing Writer W ith art galleries closed and fine art shows canceled, one Arizona artist is holding a fine art online charity art auction Wednesday, May 13, to Wednesday, May 20.

It’s the brainchild of oil painter Nancy Breiman of Scottsdale, who wanted to do something to help during the current coronavirus pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly changed our lives forever, and we are indebted to the selfless service of our front-line workers,” Breiman explained. “But visual artists are stepping up to make a difference, too, which sparked the idea to bring artists together to support a cause.”

So, Creative Connections, the marketing arm of Nancy Breiman, Joyful Art was started and is holding its first Fine Art Spring 2020 Online Auction. Local artists had until May 9 to submit artwork. A portion of the proceeds from sales will benefit the Sonoran Arts League (sonoranartsleague.org), a nonprofit arts organization of which Breiman is a member and serves as volunteer coordinator.

“The pandemic caused art shows and activities across the nation to cancel, and left our artists looking for sales outlets,” Sonoran Arts League Executive Director Pat Bell-Demers added. “It also left the league needing funding to replace our lost revenue. I’m thrilled that member artists stepped up with this fundraiser. Everyone needs beauty in their lives,

Artists taking part in Creative Connections Fine Art Spring 2020 Online Auction include: acrylic and mixed media artist Jan Griggs of Scottsdale with an 18-inch by 24-inch unframed acrylic and silver foil painting on canvas; digital mixed media artist Kirby Plessas of Cave Creek with a 24-inch by 18-inch digital photograph printed on metal; and acrylic/oil painter/photographer Lauri Koo of Chandler with a 12-inch by 15.75-inch unframed acrylic on gesso board. (Photos courtesy the artists)

and this is a perfect opportunity.”

The artwork will be available for auction on the Charity Auctions Today website and art patrons interested in bidding and purchasing art can visit Creative Connections Fine Art Spring Online Auction.

“It’s a simple idea and a simple mission,” Breiman added. “Bring some joy to our world by connecting artists with buyers.”

Info: nancybreiman.com or nbreiman@gmail.com

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Anthem ASU grad ready to start journalism career

BY MARSHALL TERRILL

Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

Arizona State University’s Marcella Baietto said her last 18 months at the Cronkite School were a wild ride, starting with an internship in New York City, followed by reporting trips to Mexico and ending with remote broadcasts from her bedroom. “It’s been exhilarating and exhausting, and it’s never boring,” said Baietto, who is graduating this month with a master’s degree from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication after collecting her bachelor’s degree last May. “It’s a job that has lot of adrenalin. At the end of each day, I feel like I’ve created something that’s tangible.” It became tangible to Baietto in her senior year at Boulder Creek High School in Anthem. That’s when she took a journalism class and instantly got hooked. By the end of the year, she looked into the University of Southern California, Syracuse and Missouri as possible places to earn a journalism degree, but all those options fell by the wayside when she understood that ASU had all she was looking for. “Once I figured out that the Cronkite School was one of the top journalism programs in the country, I didn’t apply anywhere else,” Baietto said. “It was intense, but it was totally worth it. I gained great experience here.” Baietto, who is bilingual, is referring to her various stints in media. She’s worked as an arts and culture reporter for the State Press, a script writer for KTAR 92.3, a breaking news reporter for the Arizona Republic, and an investigative intern for Channel 12 News (KPNX-TV); and she landed a national internship with NBC Nightly News, where she produced breaking stories for reporter and news anchor Lester Holt. ing for Cronkite News these days from her bedroom because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And she’s amazed by how quickly she and other students were able to adapt. “It took us less than a week to figure everything out, but now we’re reporting remotely thanks to technology,” Baietto said. “We’re still going to report and anchor the news. It’s a different world today, but we’re getting it done.”

Cronkite student Marcella Baietto and NBC’s Lester Holt before the start of the 36th annual Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence luncheon at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown on November 4, 2019. (Photo courtesy ASU)

“I did a lot of catering, I did a lot of coffee runs, but I was also able to write news banners, post file photos and videos, and worked on the mid-term elections,” Baietto said. “It was very much an intern job, but I also made some very valuable connections. I grew up watching NBC, so it was a full-circle moment for sure.” That circle returned to ASU when Holt was presented the 36th annual Walter Cronkite for Excellence in Journalism award at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown on November. 4, 2019. Baietto introduced Holt to the 1,500-member audience. “When I was a freshman, CBS’ Scott Pelley won the award,” Baietto said. “I remember sitting there watching another student make his introduction and saying to myself, ‘I want to do that one day.’ It was so crazy that I was able to come back and actually do it for Lester Holt.” Perhaps even crazier is the fact that Baietto is now anchoring and report

We spoke to Baietto—remotely—to discuss her time at ASU.

Question: What was your “a-ha” moment, when you realized you wanted to study journalism?

Baietto: My “a-ha” moment was during high school. I had been acting and doing a bit of theater during high school. And I wanted to find a career that combined my wanting to learn something new every day while still having that aspect of production and interacting with an audience. It wasn’t until the beginning of my senior year when I landed a reporting internship with a local magazine that I then realized journalism would be able to provide me with all of that and so much more.

Q: What’s something you learned while at ASU? has been the importance of perspective. At ASU there are thousands of students, mentors and professors from around the world all coming together at one university. I’m surrounded by people from different backgrounds, languages and cultures, and this has been vital in me being able to broaden my perspective on the world and receive a more well-rounded education.

Q: Why did you choose ASU?

A: Before I started applying to different journalism schools, I researched the top universities for a degree in this industry. Nearly all the articles and lists I saw mentioned the Cronkite School. ASU was in state and offered a really great scholarship. I received my acceptance letter in the mail on my first day of my senior year and decided that I didn’t need to apply anywhere else, because I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?

A: My biggest advice is to stay balanced. When I started at ASU, I wanted to make sure I was still experiencing college outside of just academics. I was able to land my dream internship and graduate with two degrees in just four years, but I still had fun while doing all of that. I made sure I took time for my studies and to also go out with my friends or go to a football game. You only get four years to make these memories, so make the most of it but don’t ever lose sight of why you started in the first place.

Q: What was your favorite spot on campus?