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INSIDE

This Week

OPINION .......... 14

Silly bills abound in current legislative session

FEATURES ........ 16 The Telegraph Quartet to perform in Scottsdale

YOUTH ............. 17 BC boys basketball loses in 6A state semiﬁnals

OPINION ................... 12 FEATURES ................ 16 YOUTH ...................... 17 CLASSIFIEDS ............ 20 Zone I

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Serving the communities of Anthem, Desert Hills, Norterra, Sonoran Foothills, Stetson Valley, Tramonto, New River, Desert Ridge and North Phoenix

Anthem Area Edition

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

Autism Life and Living to host fundraiser BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

isa Masters founded Autism Life and Living Inc. because she’s passionate about solving the severe housing crisis that adults with autism have faced for decades. With her upcoming fundraiser, she’s hoping to raise awareness of the problem. ALL’s Brunch on the Green is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, April 3, at Singh Meadows in Tempe. The outdoor catered brunch will feature choice of eggs benedict or French toast, fresh seasonal fruit, pastries, coffee, tea, juice, blood orange mimosas or bloody mary. A ticket will be provided for spirit and additional drinks can be purchased.

see AUTISM page 8

Lisa Masters wants to support her sons, left, Andrew, and Brandon, and others diagnosed with autism, so she founded Autism Life and Living. (Photo by Dennis Murphy)

Phoenix moves forward on drones for police BY PAUL MARYNIAK Foothills Focus Staff Writer

hen it comes to law enforcement generally and Phoenix Police speci�ically Ahwatukee’s Councilman Sal DiCiccio and South Phoenix Councilman Carlos Garcia rarely agree. But at a formal council meeting Feb. 16, the two were united on the losing end of 6-3 vote

allowing the Phoenix Police Department to acquire nonweaponized drones for a total cost not to exceed $516,000. City Manager Jeffrey Barton told Council in a memo “This equipment, which is critical for the safety of department personnel, will be used during high-risk tactical incidents to conduct highly detailed and complex investigations and support major planned/unplanned events.” Executive Assistant Police Chief Michael Kur-

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tenbach cited one example where a drone – borrowed from Glendale PD – was critical to saving of�icers lives: The Feb. 11 shooting of nine Phoenix of�icers who were ambushed by a crazed gunman who used a baby to lure them within shooting range. One of�icer said the drone helped police to look inside the shooter’s home during the siege

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DRONE page 4

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An edition of the East Valley Tribune The Foothills Focus is published every Wednesday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout the North Valley. To find out where you can pick up a copy of The Foothills Focus, please visit www.thefoothillsfocus.com CONTACT INFORMATION Main number: 623-465-5808 | Fax: 623-465-1363 Circulation: 480-898-5641 Publisher: Steve T. Strickbine Vice President: Michael Hiatt ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Display Advertising: 480-348-0343 Classifieds/Inside Sales: Elaine Cota | 480-898-7926 | ecota@timespublications.com TJ Higgins | 480-898-5902 | tjhiggins@timespublications.com Steve Insalaco | 480-898-5635 | sinsalaco@timespublications.com Advertising Office Manager: Tricia Simpson | 480-898-5624 | tsimpson@timespublications.com Director of National Advertising Zac Reynolds | 480-898-5603 | zac@thefoothillsfocus.com NEWS DEPARTMENT Executive Editor: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski | 480-898-5631 christina@timespublications.com

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DRONE �� page 1

to locate the gunman “without putting any of�icers in unnecessary danger.” “If Glendale had limited resources at 2:20 in the morning when I received the call” and its drone was not available to Phoenix Police, Kurtenbach said, “then they’re going to be beholden to their citizens. So it could be an hour, it could be two hours, but I’m just here to tell you and every member of the council, everybody who’s listening, this is a time where seconds and minutes matter.” The Phoenix Fire Department already has been authorized by Council to develop a drone program and the Parks Department also wants one. But DiCiccio, Garcia, and Betty Guardado opposed doing anything until Council could adopt a policy for the use of drones that included input from citizens and a constitutional lawyer as well as Council itself. But others, including Mayor Kate Gallego, noted that it would be at least six months before the Police Department could even buy the drones because they needed to research and �ind the best devices and technology. To wait until a policy was drawn, they said,

would delay an action on an issue that already has been around at City Hall for seven years without action. Over 1,500 public safety agencies across the country utilize drones and 1,103 of those agencies are law enforcement,” according to Barton’s memo, and at least 36 agencies in Arizona have used them. “The Tactical Support Unit will utilize this technology during high-risk tactical incidents, where on-scene intelligence is crucial to the safety of department personnel,” he said, siting the ability to use drones “to gather aerial intelligence or determine a suspect’s location signi�icantly reduces risk and exposure of a tactical operator having to be placed in harm’s way to collect similar intelligence. “Application of this technology also improves suspect safety as it provides visual capabilities allowing tactical operators to communicate with the suspect prior to contact, minimizing direct confrontation during high-risk, high-stress encounters,” he continued. “Direct communication can be used to provide speci�ic instructions to the suspect and to facilitate de-escalation efforts and hazard avoidance.”

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Barton also spelled out the many uses police can put drones to: “The Violent Crimes Bureau (Homicide Unit), Vehicular Crimes Unit, and the Laboratory Services Bureau will utilize this technology to enable investigators to conduct high de�inition photography, videography, and crime scene mapping; increasing ef�iciency and accuracy in evidence collection and crime scene management. “Application of (drone) technology will enable investigators to conduct crime scene mapping in most cases in about 8-10 minutes, with larger more complex scenes tak-

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ing approximately 25 minutes based on individual crime scene dynamics. This represents a time savings of approximately 4060% as compared to the current conventional methodology. “The Homeland Defense Bureau will deploy this technology as a real-time aerial platform in support of major planned/unplanned events or signi�icant incidents.” He said not funding a drone program would create “an increased risk for tactical operators while the lack of real-time intelligence can adversely impact operational decision-making in the �ield; diminishes the command and controlled decision-making for the deployment of resources and personnel during high-pro�ile events; and the ability for the department’s Homicide Unit, Vehicular Crimes Unit, and the Laboratory Services Bureau to utilize this technology to provide a wide variety of investigative support tools that adversely impact their ability to conduct aerial photography, videography, crime scene mapping, and reconstruction as a substantial component to crime scene management.”

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He called the use of drones in investigations the “gold standard” and “a significant time saver for detectives on scene and reduces the amount of time spent on scene and impacts the public by shortening road closure times due to on-scene investigations.” The opponents of letting Phoenix PD begin the long process of researching and procuring drones now did not dispute Barton’s explanation. Rather, they argued that a policy protecting citizens from an undue invasion of privacy should �irst be in place rather than let the department go forward while such a policy was formulated. DiCiccio said the reason why the city has not moved forward in seven years on drone technology was because prior councils “could never put together a policy protecting the civil rights of individuals - that’s why. It’s as simple as that. “At some point, it reached the point where they couldn’t protect the civil liberties of individuals,” he said. “That’s really what happened.” He also said it was his understanding that the a drone program is “being rushed

by a couple individuals” and “that tells me this thing has not been vetted. Third, I’ve heard this before at the national level: ‘Vote for it. We’ll play with it after you vote on it.’ Because that’s essentially what we’re doing here. The debate is not about the timing, but really about voting on something that we don’t even know what’s in it.” Some citizens who called into the meeting also were split, with some noting that the U.S. Justice Department is currently investigating alleged civil rights abuses by Phoenix PD and that the department could not be trusted with the potential intrusive nature of drones. But others said that while civil rights need protection, so do the lives of of�icers and civilians. Mary Crozier, president of the North Central Phoenix Homeowners Association, noted the department is “grossly understaffed… crime is way up, response times are very long and sometimes nonexistent. These problems will not be �ixed overnight with the irresponsible movement to defund police and the disgusting disrespect to the men and women in uniform.” Lt. Ben Leuschner, president of the Phoe-

nix Police Sergeants and Lieutenants Association, said the technology “is about keeping our of�icers safe. “As to the concerns expressed by some about how this technology may be used in some nefarious way by the government,” Leuschner said, “this is a red herring. Because this argument could be applied to every technology we currently use.” Councilwoman Ann O’Brien said that by moving now, the city might be able to utilize drones while it struggles to shore up the police department’s dwindling ranks. She cited the ambush where the nine of�icers were wounded as well as the slaying of a police captain several years ago in her neighborhood. “When is enough enough?” O’Brien asked. “We’re not asking for us to give up on all of our rights to privacy. I’m asking us to take bold action to prove drones for our police department so that they have the resources they need.” Gallego agreed, saying, “I could not agree more with you. “We have a chance to invest in tech-

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AUTISM �� page 1

A Norterra resident, Masters is excited for supporters to see Singh Meadows, located on the former Rio Salado Golf Course. The facility was maintained with pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals. The owner/farmer Ken Singh scrubbed unwanted additives from the land and water to create the 72-acre oasis. “Singh Meadows is beautiful,” she said. “He is an organic farmer. He turned the golf course’s clubhouse into a bistro, the Barking Bodega. It took a few years to get all the chemicals out of the earth there. He has a farmers market on site. It’s really very nice. He’s donating the venue for us, and the bistro is catering the brunch.” The 80 guests will sit under tents as modern acoustic guitarist Bill Dutcher entertains. He donated his services as well. “We’re going to have a silent auction and we have fun things people can bid on,” she added. “We have a football from the Cardinals, a D-backs signed baseball,

spa packages, electronics and weekend getaways.” A professional photographer will snap pictures of guests. Masters will send the photos to patrons as a way of thanking them for their attendance. The games include a hole-in-one contest on a mock putting green, an oversized Connect Four and bocce ball. Out of the 7.3 million individuals with autism/IDDs in the United States, 6.14 million do not receive publicly funded residential supports. They are forced to live with aging and sometimes ailing parents, go to the next “available bed” or go homeless. Masters, a single mother of two young adults with autism, is driven to change this narrative. “I couldn’t sit and wait for our government to take action, I had to do something,” Masters said. Guest speakers will take the podium and they will speak about the nonpro�it and what the public can do to help. Included is Jay Naddeo, a young man on the spectrum. “When I speak, I will share history

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and data,” she said. “Basically, it’s a market analysis of the housing crisis for the adults, the prevalence rate and what is needed and why, and what we can do to accomplish this.” Masters is looking for sponsors; interested parties should email her at admin@autismlifeandliving.org. Autism Life and Living is still in the startup phase. It does not have homes yet, but is looking for sponsors, donations and even a builder or contractor to help make it happen. In the meantime, Masters said she is just trying to raise awareness about the issue. “We’re trying to reach out to the community and tell them this is a very signi�icant housing crisis that has been in place for decades that no one has heard about because they (adults with autism) don’t have a voice,” she said. “They have been forced to live with aging and ailing parents, and that seems to be OK with society and our government. They don’t have specialized, safe housing for them.” Autism Life and Living Inc.’s mission is to provide safe, supported and affordable housing for adults with autism. Its

support service program connects adults with autism/IDDs to organizations that provide vocational training, life skills, and other services that promote independence and self-directed life choices. Autism Life and Living Inc.’s Brunch on the Green

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DRONE �� page 6

nology that could help protect our officers. It is so hard to meet with a spouse or a partner or a parent of one of our officers who have been injured or even worse in the line of duty. We want to be able to say that we’ve invested in technology to give them the best information possible when they’re going into dangerous situations.”

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Anthem Activities

Anthem Golf & Country Club schedule BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

ue to the limited availability, Anthem Golf & Country Club is asking members to not register for back-to-back classes, so everyone has a chance to register. No-shows are charged $10. Classes are held at Persimmon or Ironwood, 2708 W. Anthem Club Drive or 41551 N. Anthem Hills Drive, respectively. For more information, call 623-742-6200 for Persimmon Clubhouse or 623-465-3020 for Ironwood Clubhouse. • Wednesday, March 2 Ironwood: Cycle, 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Ironwood: Strength, 6:30 a.m. Persimmon: Mixology, 7 a.m. Persimmon: Fun & Fit, 8:15 a.m. Ironwood: Cardio/Core Strength, 8:30 a.m. Persimmon: Slow Flow, 9:30 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Functional Training, 10:30 a.m. Persimmon: Gentle Yoga, 4:30 p.m. Caymus Wine Dinner, 5:30 p.m. Ironwood: Boxing, 5:30 p.m. • Thursday, March 3 Ironwood: Total Body, 5:30 a.m. Persimmon: Mat Pilates, 8 a.m. Ironwood: Muscle Mix, 8 a.m. Persimmon: Zumba, 9 a.m. Ironwood: Boxology, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Stretch, 10:45 a.m. PWR! Moves, 1:15 p.m. Ironwood: Tabata, 5:30 p.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 5:30 p.m. Persimmon: Candlelight Yin, 6:30 p.m. • Friday, March 4 Ironwood: Cycle, 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Persimmon: Kickology Strong, 7 a.m. Persimmon: Fun & Fit, 8:15 a.m. Ironwood: Cardio/Core Strength, 8:30 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Persimmon: Vinyassa Flow, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Functional Strength/Balance, 9:45 a.m. Social Hour, 5 p.m. • Saturday, March 5 Ironwood: Cycle, 7:30 a.m. Persimmon: Bootcamp, 8 a.m. Ironwood: Zumba, 9 a.m.

Persimmon: Chair Yoga, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. • Tuesday, March 8 Ironwood: Total Body, 5:30 a.m. Persimmon: Mat Pilates, 8 a.m. Ironwood: HITT, 8 a.m. Persimmon: Zumba, 9 a.m. Ironwood: Barre Fusion, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Stretch, 10:45 a.m. PWR! Moves, 1:15 ClubLife 101 Orientation, 4 p.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 5:30 p.m. Ironwood: Muscle Mix, 5:30 p.m. Persimmon: Candlelight Yin, 6:30 p.m. • Wednesday, March 9 Ironwood: Cycle, 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Ironwood: Strength, 6:30 a.m. Persimmon: Mixology, 7 a.m. Persimmon: Fun & Fit, 8:15 a.m. Ironwood: Cardio/Core Strength, 8:30 a.m. Persimmon: Slow Flow, 9:30 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Functional Training, 10:30 a.m. Brews with Brad, 3 p.m. Persimmon: Gentle Yoga, 4:30 p.m. Ironwood: Boxing, 5:30 p.m. • Thursday, March 10 Ironwood: Total Body, 5:30 a.m. Persimmon: Mat Pilates, 8 a.m. Ironwood: Muscle Mix, 8 a.m. Persimmon: Zumba, 9 a.m. Ironwood: Boxology, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Stretch, 10:45 a.m. PWR! Moves, 1:15 p.m. Ironwood: Tabata, 5:30 p.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 5:30 p.m. Persimmon: Candlelight Yin, 6:30 p.m. Trivia Game Night, 7 p.m. • Friday, March 11 Ironwood: Cycle, 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Persimmon: Kickology Strong, 7 a.m. Persimmon: Fun & Fit, 8:15 a.m. Ironwood: Cardio/Core Strength, 8:30 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Persimmon: Vinyassa Flow, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Functional Strength/Balance, 9:45 a.m. Social Hour, 5 p.m. • Saturday, March 12 Ironwood: Cycle, 7:30 a.m.

Persimmon: Bootcamp, 8 a.m. Ironwood: Zumba, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Chair Yoga, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. • Tuesday, March 15 Ironwood: Total Body, 5:30 a.m. Persimmon: Mat Pilates, 8 a.m. Ironwood: HIIT, 8 a.m. Persimmon: Zumba, 9 a.m. Ironwood: Barre Fusion, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. ClubLife 101 Orientation, 10 a.m. Ironwood: Stretch, 10:45 a.m. PWR! Moves, 1:15 p.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 5:30 p.m. Ironwood: Muscle Mix, 5:30 p.m. Persimmon: Candlelight Yin, 6:30 p.m. • Wednesday, March 16 Ironwood: Cycle, 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Ironwood: Strength, 6:30 a.m. Persimmon: Mixology, 7 a.m. Persimmon: Fun & Fit, 8:15 a.m. Ironwood: Cardio/Core Strength, 8:30 a.m. Persimmon: Slow Flow, 9:30 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Functional Training, 10:30 a.m. Brews with Brad, 3 p.m. Persimmon: Gentle Yoga, 4:30 p.m. Ironwood: Boxing, 5:30 p.m. • Thursday, March 17 Ironwood: Total Body, 5:30 a.m. Persimmon: Mat Pilates, 8 a.m. Ironwood: Muscle Mix, 8 a.m. Persimmon: Zumba, 9 a.m. Ironwood: Boxology, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Stretch, 10:45 a.m. PWR! Moves, 1:15 p.m. St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, 5 p.m. Ironwood: Tabata, 5:30 p.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 5:30 p.m. Persimmon: Candlelight Yin, 6:30 p.m. • Friday, March 18 Ironwood: Cycle, 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Persimmon: Kickology Strong, 7 a.m. Persimmon: Fun & Fit, 8:15 a.m. Ironwood: Cardio/Core Strength, 8:30 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Persimmon: Vinyassa Flow, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Functional Strength/Balance, 9:45 a.m. Social Hour, 5 p.m.

• Saturday, March 19 Ironwood: Cycle, 7:30 a.m. Persimmon: Bootcamp, 8 a.m. Ironwood: Zumba, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Chair Yoga, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. • Tuesday, March 22 Ironwood: Total Body, 5:30 a.m. Ironwood: HITT, 8 a.m. Persimmon: Mat Pilates, 8 a.m. Persimmon: Zumba, 9 a.m. Ironwood: Barre Fusion, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Stretch, 10:45 a.m. PWR! Moves, 1:15 p.m. ClubLife 101 Orientation, 4 p.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 5:30 p.m. Ironwood: Muscle Mix, 5:30 p.m. Persimmon: Candlelight Yin, 6:30 p.m. • Wednesday, March 23 Ironwood: Cycle, 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Ironwood: Strength, 6:30 a.m. Persimmon: Mixology, 7 a.m. Persimmon: Fun & Fit, 8:15 a.m. Ironwood: Cardio/Core Strength, 8:30 a.m. Persimmon: Slow Flow, 9:30 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Functional Training, 10:30 a.m. Persimmon: Gentle Yoga, 4:30 p.m. Ironwood: Boxing, 5:30 p.m. • Thursday, March 24 Ironwood: Total Body, 5:30 a.m. Persimmon: Mat Pilates, 8 a.m. Ironwood: Muscle Mix, 8 a.m. Persimmon: Zumba, 9 a.m. Ironwood: Boxology, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Stretch, 10:45 a.m. PWR! Moves, 1:15 p.m. Ironwood: Tabata, 5:30 p.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 5:30 p.m. Persimmon: Candlelight Yin, 6:30 p.m. • Friday, March 25 Ironwood: Cycle, 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Persimmon: Kickology Strong, 7 a.m. Persimmon: Fun & Fit, 8:15 a.m. Ironwood: Cardio/Core Strength, 8:30 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Persimmon: Vinyassa Flow, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Functional Strength/Balance, 9:45 a.m. Social Hour, 5 p.m.

see SCHEDULE page 11

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 2, 2022

Anthem Activities

Anthem Community Council activities schedule BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

rograms and activities are available at the community center and civic building for all ages. Learn more and register online at onlineatanthem.com. Visit the “Residents” tab, then click on “Activity Registration.” Most programs and classes are available to nonresidents for an additional fee. With questions, contact the Community Center at 623-879-3011. Dolphins Swim Team Many levels to choose from. Email Paul Root at proot@anthemcouncil.com for more information or to tryout.

Monday to Thursday through April • Adult Master Swim 5 to 6 a.m. $35; community center

Senior activities (50 years and older) • Golden Go-Getters: 1 to 4 p.m. Mondays • Mexican Train: 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Fridays Free; civic building; ongoing Monday, March 14, to Friday, March 18 • Youth Camps: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Weekly rate of $175, daily rate of $55; community center Fridays March 25 and April 15 • Parents’ Night Out: 6:30 to 10 p.m. $20; community center

Wednesdays or Thursdays through May • Creative Combo Dance: 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. (2.5 to 5 years old) • Kinder Combo Dance: 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. (5 to 7 years) • Jazz/Tumbling Dance: 6:15 to 7 p.m. (8 to 12 years)

March to May (Tiny Tots, youth and adult) • Tennis • Cardio tennis is offered Saturday mornings; $10 drop-in fee (18 and older) Prices, times and dates vary; communi-

• Saturday, March 26 Ironwood: Cycle, 7:30 a.m. Persimmon: Bootcamp, 8 a.m. Ironwood: Zumba, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Chair Yoga, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. • Sunday, March 27 Miles for Smiles, Anthem Biathlon, 8 a.m. • Tuesday, March 29 Ironwood: Total Body, 5:30 a.m. Persimmon: Mat Pilates, 8 a.m. Ironwood: HITT, 8 a.m. Ironwood: Barre Fusion, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Zumba, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. ClubLife 101 Orientation, 10 a.m. Ironwood: Stretch, 10:45 a.m. PWR! Moves, 1:15 p.m. Wine Festival, 5 p.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 5:30 p.m. Ironwood: Muscle Mix, 5:30 p.m. Persimmon: Candlelight Yin, 6:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, March 30 Ironwood: Cycle, 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Ironwood: Strength, 6:30 a.m. Persimmon: Mixology, 7 a.m. Persimmon: Fun & Fit, 8:15 a.m. Ironwood: Cardio/Core Strength, 8:30 a.m. Persimmon: Slow Flow, 9:30 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Functional Training, 10:30 a.m. Persimmon: Gentle Yoga, 4:30 p.m. Ironwood: Boxing, 5:30 p.m. Cooking & Mixology Demo Class, 6 p.m. • Thursday, March 31 Ironwood: Total Body, 5:30 a.m. Persimmon: Mat Pilates, 8 a.m. Ironwood: Muscle Mix, 8 a.m. Persimmon: Zumba, 9 a.m. Ironwood: Boxology, 9 a.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 9:30 a.m. Ironwood: Stretch, 10:45 a.m. PWR! Moves, 1:15 p.m. Ironwood: Tabata, 5:30 p.m. Persimmon: Water Fitness, 5:30 p.m. Persimmon: Candlelight Yin, 6:30 p.m.

SCHEDULE �� page 10

ty center

Wednesdays in March and April • Evoathlete Basketball Skills Clinics and Private Training Prices, times and dates vary; community center Saturdays in April and May • Anthem Tots Sports Ages: 3 to 6 years old, 9:15 to 11 a.m. $80; community center Saturday, April 30 • Parents Day Out Sports Sampler 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Ages: 5 to 12 years $25; community center

Saturday, April 2 • Teen Night Ages: 12 to 14 years old, 8 to 10 p.m. $12; community center

Child and Babysitting Safety Class Ages: 11 to 16 years old 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays March 12 and April 16 $70; community center Two March sessions • Starguard Lifeguard Classes Ages: 15 years and older $125; community center

Tuesdays March 22 to April 26 • Anthem Sings Youth Choir *New* Ages: 9 to 14 $60; community center

The indoor �itness �loor, basketball gym and rock wall are open. Fitness classes are held throughout the week, including yoga, kickboxing, core, shallow and deep water (in the pool), and more. Personal training is available; contact the community center for details.

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OPINION

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AOC’s journey from bartender to congresswoman BY J.D. HAYWORTH Foothills Focus Columnist

ot exactly in the beginning, there was a “big boom…” the baby boom. And that boom gave birth to “boomers,” who thought it was good. And it came to pass that boomers begat Generation X’ers, millennials, and/or those of Generation Z…based on varying biological and chronological circumstances. And the boomers looked and saw that their own generation—the “Me Generation”—spawned a reaction called “Me Too” years later.

And many of the male boomers were shamed and confused. But many of the female boomers felt both enraged and empowered. And both mothers and daughters arose, and said, “A woman’s place is in the House…and the Senate.” And men of goodwill (not to mention similar political persuasions) looked, listened, voted, and said it was good…at least, when the female candidates they supported were elected to office. And in the fullness of time, there came a congressional candidate from unlikely origins, called “Sandy” by her family.

Born in the Bronx, her upwardly mobile family moved to a prosperous suburb in Westchester County, New York, when she was 5. Prosperity brought both opportunity and tragedy. Her architect father died of lung cancer during her sophomore year at Boston University; she went on to graduate cum laude with a double major in international relations and economics at B.U. in 2011. Sandy initially sought employment as a bartender in New York City— and despite other occupational endeavors (including in publishing and a post with the National Hispanic Council), to a bar she returned—after a stint as a volunteer organizer with the presidential campaign of Socialist Bernie Sanders in 2016. No shame can be found in honest labor; indeed, many successful actors find work in bars and restaurants before their “big break.” And in a similar vein, Sandy auditioned with “Brand New Congress,” a leftist political action committee, for a role as a Democratic Socialist candidate for the U.S. House. Her successful audition—“nomination,” if you prefer— cast her into a primary battle against Rep. Joe Crowley for the 2018 Democratic nomination in New York’s 14th District. Crowley appeared to come from central casting himself. A big, bold Irishman, Joe enjoyed the support of labor and Wall Street. His colleagues had elected him to party leadership—chairman of the House Democrat Caucus— and Joe had not faced a challenge since 2004. And Sandy, pouring shots instead of using a slingshot, was the female equivalent of “David.”

Harkening back to her Hispanic roots, Sandy used her full name— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—to emphasize her ethnicity and appeal to voters of Puerto Rican heritage. Sandy pulled off the upset, winning the nomination by 4,000 votes, then won the seat in the heavily Democrat district. So in 2019, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, dubbed “AOC” by a worshipful, partisan press eager to place her immediately in the Democrat Pantheon of legends, made history as the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. The 29-year old’s initials were mentioned in the conversational company of FDR and JFK. Make no mistake: despite utterances regarded as vapid by political opponents, AOC is a genius at employing social media. Videos from her cell phone, offering makeup tips and social commentary, strike a responsive chord with young women. The “congresswoman formerly known as ‘Sandy’” has successfully traversed the merging worlds of politics and celebrity. In so doing, she continues to receive over-the-top accolades. Most recently, and notoriously, the editors of “New York” magazine have collaborated on a biography, “The Unprecedented AOC,” which invites a favorable comparison of the open borders, free college, Medicare-forall advocate with a certain carpenter from Nazareth. Clearly, AOC is responsible for her votes in Congress and their adverse impact on our nation…not the outrageous hagiography of “journalists.” God will not be mocked…but the American People will. As it is written, so shall it be.

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OPINION

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small oversight on my part that we should clear up. Writing last week about Arizona’s new laws governing sex education – and one school district’s kerfuffle over chicken breasts – I may have inadvertently given the impression that our state Legislature had descended to new levels of absurdity in passing House Bill 2035 last year. My bad. Forcing parents to opt-in to sex ed for kids isn’t silly at all when compared to some of the bills filed this session. Like HB2439, sponsored by Peoria Republican Beverly Pingarelli. This bill would force school boards to approve not just textbooks, but every single book in each of their school’s libraries. It would also give parents a 60-day window to review every new library book being purchased and the ability to request a list of every book their child has borrowed from the library. On the bright side, given Arizona’s reading scores on standardized tests, I’m going to assume that would be a very short list. HB2597, another education bill, is the work of East Valley Republican John Fillmore. It would mandate that students in grades K-6 recite the Pledge of Allegiance daily, unless some Commie pinko parent requests an opt-out. But wait, there’s more: Schools must also create “a specific time each day” for students in grades 4-12 “to engage in quiet reflection and moral reasoning for at least one minute.” We do that at my house, too. Whenever a TV ad for The Husband and Wife Law Team comes on, I spend a minute trying to reason my way around the “Thou shalt not kill” commandment. Silly bills are not solely authored by the GOP. West Valley Dem Amish Shah – who contributed $22,000 of his own money to land a job that pays $24,000 annually – is the sponsor of HB2224, on behalf of … cats. Shah’s bill would ban declawing the arrogant little beasts unless the proce-

dure is for “a therapeutic purpose” – i.e., “addressing an existing or recurring infection, disease, injury or abnormal condition.” So no, Morris shredding your favorite La-Z-Boy doesn’t count. Legislators from both parties love creating new fake holidays in Arizona, meaning we don’t get days off from work, but they still get to make a political statement. Among the new “days” being proposed: Arizona Jazz Day on April 30th; a “national day of racial healing” on the third Tuesday of every January; and Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Day, which will make each June 27 a blessed event for every reporter who’s every covered the Legislature for a session. President Donald Trump may also get a day – June 14th, his birthday, courtesy of White Mountains Republican Wendy Rogers. Not content to stop there with the MAGA ass-kissing, Rogers also has authored Senate Concurrent Memorial 1001, which if passed would urge the Arizona Department of Transportation to designate State Route 260 as the “Donald Trump Memorial Highway.” Clever leader, this Sen. Rogers. She may have accidentally discovered a way to reduce weekend traffic up to Show Low and Pinetop by 50 percent – after all the state’s Prius and Subaru drivers boycott traveling on 260 for the rest of their lives. It’s unlikely any of these bills actually pass and become law in Arizona, which is both a frustrating thought and a cause for joy. Frustrating because you’d think this body of 90 elected officials would have better things to do with their time. Yet joyful because if this Legislature is busy debating cat claws, forced moral reasoning, fake holidays and highway names, they’re not busy screwing up our lives even further. I’ve heard it said we get the government we deserve. If so, Arizona’s 7 million residents must have been really lousy humans in our past lives.

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FEATURES

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Telegraph Quartet to perform in Scottsdale cludes Florence Price’s Five Folkhe Telegraph Quartet will per- songs in Counform at 4 p.m. Sunday, March terpoint, Grazy6, at Desert Hills Presbyterian na Bacewicz’s Church, after its 2:30 p.m. workshop String Quartet entitled “Conversations with Master No. 4, and Ravel’s Musicians.” String Quartet in The quartet is violinists Eric Chin and F Major. With Five Joseph Maile; violist Pei-Ling Lin and in cellist Jeremiah Shaw. The show is pre- Folksongs Counterpoint, sented by Arts at the Rocks. Space is limited for the workshop, so Florence Price The Telegraph Quartet, from left, violinist Joseph Maile, cellist Jeremiah Shaw, reservations are required by calling takes the sim- violist Pei-Ling Lin and violinist Eric Chin will perform at Desert Hills Presbyterian Church on Sunday, March 6. (Photo courtesy of The Telegraph Quartet) plicity of Amer480-488-3384. For this afternoon concert, Telegraph ican folk songs Quartet will present a program that in- and spirituals and works those melodies against each other to create a tapestry of counterpoint and interaction. Written around 1951, but only rediscovered in 2009, the work is a powerful contrapuntal rendering of five popular African American spirituals and folk songs. Grażyna Bacewicz’s String Quartet No. 4 was also composed in 1951, several years after the end of World War II. During this time, Bacewicz lived B A P T I S T C H U R C H through the Nazi occupation of Warsaw. The work opens with a kind of sorrow-tinged hope that builds to a joyous, Tchaikovsky-esque third movement. Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major was written just as he was finally finding his voice as a composer, having been swept up into the color world of Debussy’s SUNDAYS AT 10:30AM “Impressionism,” and more literally inspired, in part, by Debussy’s own ✔ Practical Bible message quartet. He uses the quartet medium to ✔ Inspiring music find a space and vibrancy, using clear, ✔ Family atmosphere etched themes set against a backdrop of colorfully evocative environments. HILLCREST BAPTIST CHURCH In 2018 the quartet released its debut (Meets inside Ridgeline Academy) album, “Into the Light,” featuring works by Anton Webern, Benjamin Britten, and Leon Kirchner on the Centaur label. www.hillcrestbaptistaz.org Beyond the concert stage, the Telegraph Quartet seeks to spread its music

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through education and audience engagement. The quartet has given master classes at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Collegiate and Pre-College Divisions, through the Morrison Artist Series at San Francisco State University, and abroad at the Taipei National University of the Arts, National Taiwan Normal University, and in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. It has also served as artists-in-residence at the Interlochen Adult Chamber Music Camp, SoCal Chamber Music Workshop, and Crowden Music Center Chamber Music Workshop. In November 2020, the Telegraph Quartet launched ChamberFEAST!, a chamber music workshop in Taiwan. The Telegraph Quartet adapted to the challenging times presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and performed virtual concerts presented by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Crowden Chamber Music Workshop, Noe Music, Noontime Concerts, Music in Corrales, and Intermusic SF. For Earth Day 2020 (the 50th anniversary of Earth Day), the National Academy of Science in collaboration with the ClimateMusic Project hosted a virtual performance by the Telegraph Quartet of Richard Festinger’s Icarus in Flight. In 2020, Telegraph launched an ongoing online video project called TeleLab, in which the ensemble collectively breaks down the components of a movement from various works for quartet. Telegraph Quartet

WHEN: 4 p.m. Sunday, March 6 WHERE: Desert Hills Presbyterian Church, 34605 N.Tom Darlington Drive, Scottsdale COST: Free INFO: deserthills.org or telegraphquartet.com

YOUTH

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BC boys basketball loses in 6A state semifinals BY BRENDAN MAU Foothills Focus Staff Writer

rior to this season, Boulder Creek boys’ basketball never advanced past the first round in 6A, which it joined in the 20112012 season. This year, they made it to 6A’s final four. Coach Justin Collard took over the program three years ago and exceeded expectations each year. He focused on creating a new culture for the basketball team. “We teach life through basketball and we’re really big on that,” Collard said. “And everything revolves around our culture. They’ve accepted all that stuff, and they do it at the highest level. And that’s what I’m the most proud of. They’re great teammates. They’re great people. They’re unbelievable. And to coach them, it’s like a dream. It’s amazing. So, they deserve all the credit. “It’s like a lot of things in life. If you work hard over time, you’ll get the reward. You can’t just do it for a few weeks. These guys have been working hard. They started practicing and lifting weights and doing stuff the day after the season last year. So, I’m not surprised at how much they’ve improved. They deserve all the credit. They’ve done some hard work.” The Jaguars ended the regular season 20-8 and placed No. 3 overall in the 6A Desert Valley Conference, which gave them a spot in a play-in game to advance to the state playoffs. The Jaguars blew out Dobson 79-50 at home in this play-in game on Feb. 11, pushing them into the state playoff bracket. Out of 16 teams, they were ranked No. 12. But, in their first playoff game, the Jaguars upset No. 5-seeded Highland 70-55 behind 23 points from junior Dylan Spilde and 19 points from sophomore Rowan McKenzie. Highland ended 19-7 on the season. Their next matchup was at Mountain Pointe. Boulder Creek has had a loud student section all year and they brought this on the road with them in the 6A playoffs. The No. 12 Jaguars had a “red out” for the fans the next game

and they, along with the cheerleaders, drove to Ahwatukee’s Mountain Pointe High School. Using the energy of the crowd as fuel, Boulder Creek pulled off its second straight upset, a 54-44 victory over the four-seeded Pride to advance to the 6A state semifinals. Fans saw senior Michael Orr put the Jaguars up for good, 50-41, with just over 1 minute remaining. “That’s something about Boulder Creek, it’s a special YOUTH place,” Collard said after the game. “They’re all in and very supportive and we’re pretty lucky to have fans like that.” Mountain Pointe came into the game with only two losses this season. The Pride made it to the 6A state championship in each of the last two seasons and in three of the last four years. For undisclosed reasons, they were missing their top two leading scorers on the year. To start the game, Spilde knocked down two 3-pointers for Boulder Creek, but the Jaguars went into halftime down 25-17. Boulder Creek’s leading scorer on the season, McKenzie, only had two points these first two quarters. “We did not play very well. We did not shoot it very well, we did not have a great night,” Collard said. But they turned it around in the second half, a testament to their “toughness,” he added. “We were tough, and we battled.” Right out of the gates in the third quarter, the Jaguars scored 11 unanswered points, which included two 3-pointers and nine total points from McKenzie. The Pride struck back but, after back-and-forth action, Mountain Pointe’s Anthony Jaramillo hit a buzzer-beating three to put the Pride ahead 38-37 going into the fourth quarter. Mountain Pointe scored first in the fourth quarter, but soon after McKenzie hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 40. A few possessions later, with the game still at this score, Boulder Creek stripped the ball from Mountain Pointe from behind, dove on the ground to get it and then got tied up with the Pride, apparently causing a jump ball. But, the referees came together and said the Jaguars called a timeout

before the jump ball. This gave Boulder Creek momentum. Senior Hayden Brewer made a layup to put the Jags up two. Then, McKenzie blocked a jump shot and kicked it ahead to Spilde for another layup. With 1 minute remaining, the score was 48-41. McKenzie tossed a full-court pass to Orr for a two-handed jam. The Jaguars held on, knocking down their free throws for a 54-44 win. “It’s pretty overwhelming, I didn’t think we played great, but we found a way to win,” Collard said. “Even when you don’t do a lot of things right, you get stops and you get it done. They’re a great team that we played and they have a great coach.” McKenzie ended with 18 points for the Jaguars and Spilde added 14. Collard said an individual did not stand out. “It was just a team effort. I couldn’t say one person carried us. It was the whole team.” The team immediately celebrated with the student section as the buzzer sounded and after leaving the locker room. The next step for the Jaguars was Hamilton, who upset the No. 1-ranked seed, Sunnyslope, in the quarterfinals. The Jaguars saw their season end in overtime against the No. 9 Hamilton Huskies 6155. The Huskies were led by Quincy Adams (23 points) and Damian Denning (19 points). Adams and Denning are two of seven seniors for Hamilton. A transfer from Frisco, Texas, Adams scored 10 of his points in overtime and Boulder Creek could not sustain the Huskies’ energy after the Jaguars built a big lead in the first half. This was the third trip to the semifinals in four seasons for Hamilton under head coach Doug Harris. After the game, he said, “The third time was the charm tonight and to do it in front of our fans and our community, that’s special.” Collard said of Harris, “He’s a really, really, really good guy. He’s a really, really, really good coach. He’s won a state title. He was a good player. And they’re a classy program. They’re

really, really thoughtful. They’re who we want to catch up to and who we want to be. We try to be that way toward people like they are. They fully deserve to go to the championship game. They have great kids and really competitive kids, and they have a lot of athletes. So yeah, I’ll be rooting for them.” This game was the shortest turnaround in the playoffs, as the teams could only prepare for one day. “We had film on them, and we were ready,” Collard said. “But there’s only so much you could do, because you can’t go too hard in that practice the day before … (so) only one day to prepare for them was a huge disadvantage. “We haven’t seen a three-two zone the whole year in a game. We have seen some trapping zones and some even front zones, but we had never seen an odd front zone, a true zone. And their kids are, really disciplined, so they’re really well coached in the zone. And they’re really, really long and athletic and big.” The Jaguars started off the game on fire. After the Huskies built a 5-3 lead, McKenzie hit a 3-pointer for the Jaguars, and they continued to build their lead from there. Boulder Creek was up 14-7 at the end of the first quarter with McKenzie (13 points for the game) and Spilde (10 points) combining for 11 of the Jaguars’ 14. Midway through the second quarter, the Jaguars saw their lead grow even more after back-to-back layups by McKenzie and junior Carson Gates put them up 21-11. Junior Espn Polanski hit a 3-pointer and a few possessions later made a buzzer-beating layup to give the Jaguars a 30-18 lead at the half. He ended the night with 10 points. The Jaguars were up by as much as 16 in the quarter. “Defensively, we were really sound in the first half, and we rebounded really good. And when we got to rebound, we can run and we really run well,” Collard said. “I think the stops plus the rebounds allowed us to get transition

see BASKETBALL page 18

YOUTH

BASKETBALL �� page 17

points. And since we were smaller, it made a lot of sense to go be faster than them in the transition phase of the game. And in the first half, we did a good job of that.” Boulder Creek seniors’ Michael Orr (eight points) and Hayden Brewer (nine points) came up big for the Jaguars down the stretch. Orr had an early layup after Hamilton scored four unanswered points to open the third quarter. With just over 5 minutes left, Brewer

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made a layup and then a triple to give the Jaguars a 39-30 edge. “They have the experience, so they’ve been in those moments, but maybe not that big a moment, the final four, but they’ve been in really close games. And yeah, they did step it up. They’ve been doing that all year,” Collard said. After building the lead to 42-32, the Huskies came roaring back with a 9-0 run, all nine points being scored by Adams and Denning, to end the quarter, making the score Boulder Creek, 42, and Hamilton, 39, heading into the

fourth quarter. The fourth quarter saw two ties and five lead changes after Hamilton had not led after being up 5-3 early. Adams started the quarter with an and-one layup with 6:54 left, tying the game for the Huskies at 42. Over the span of a few minutes, Orr hit four free throws to put the Jaguars up three with just over 1 minute left. However, a costly offensive foul gave Hamilton the ball with about 45 seconds and Denning hit a clutch 3-pointer to tie the game at 49 with just over 20 seconds remaining. McKenzie held for the last shot, but he was called for a charge with 1.8 seconds to go. The game was headed to overtime tied at 49 apiece. “Our kids played hard. I wouldn’t change anything that they did. They played their butts off and to compete with Hamilton and for our guys to stick with them and take them to overtime, I’m pretty proud of them,” Collard said. In overtime, Adams made another andone, but Polanski responded with a triple for the Jaguars to knot the score at 52 with 2:07 remaining. On the other end, the Huskies answered with a layup. McKenzie missed a 3-pointer with just over a minute remaining, so the Jag-

uars had to foul. Adams hit both free throws to make it a 56-52 lead. Brewer came back with a deep 3-pointer to cut the Hamilton led to one with 53 seconds left. The Huskies missed both free throws, but the Jaguars turned the ball over with 26 seconds left once they regained possession. Adams once again made both of his free throws when intentionally fouled and Brewer could not connect on a 3-pointer that would have tied the game with 10 seconds to go. After a few more free throws by Adams, the Huskies defeated the Jaguars 61-55. The Jaguars ended the season 23-9 and Hamilton will play in the 6A state championship against Perry. “Part of the reason we were so good is because they were so passionate and so competitive and wanted to win that. So, there’s nothing really that you can’t say, just telling the truth. They made it to the Final Four. Nobody thought they were going to make it. A lot of people thought we weren’t going to win our first playoff game stops. And I told them when we started the playoffs, I said, ‘You’re going to win some games in the playoffs, and you’re going to shock everybody, but you’re not going to shock me.’ Because I knew how good they were,” Collard said.

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