The Foothills Focus - Zone 2 - 03.10.2021 by Times Media Group

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Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Food bank looks forward to AZ Gives Day BY OLIVIA DOW Foothills Focus Staff Writer

Back to Health Anthem helps people in wellness journey

gentleman stopped by the Foothills Food Bank and Resource Center one day and yelled, “I don’t need you anymore.” The nonprofit’s executive director, Leigh Zydonik, was nervous and wondered what happened. “I got a job,” she recalled the man sharing. “He said, ‘You helped me through a rough patch. I have a job; I don’t have to come

back here anymore.’ “He was so excited. It was such a heartwarming story. Just knowing that you’re helping someone get through a rough patch in their life is great.” The Foothills Food Bank serves more than 200 square miles with its Cave Creek and Black Canyon City locations. Residents in Black Canyon City, Mayer, Spring Valley, Cordes Lakes, Cave Creek, Carefree, Anthem, Desert Hills, New River, North Scottsdale and North Phoenix are welcome to visit the facilities for help.

The food bank and resource center smooth over tumultuous times and offer financial assistance, resume building and signing people up for government services, Zydonik said. Foothills Food Bank is looking forward to Arizona Gives Day on April 6, a 24-hour online giving experience that unites Arizonans around causes they believe in. “What I think is very special about Arizona is the state has a charitable tax credit for

see FOOD BANK page 4

Anthem nonpro�it helps kids recovering from illness

FEATURES ........20

Carefree Coﬀee Roastery recently yarn bombed

YOUTH ............21

Anthem student builds path to be mechanical engineer

OPINION ................... 12 BUSINESS ................. 14 FEATURES ................ 18 YOUTH ...................... 21 CLASSIFIEDS ............ 25 Zone

BY SARAH DONAHUE Foothills Focus Staff Writer

rian Billideau wants to use his charity organization to gift a toy to the thousands of kids admitted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital annually. Founded by Billideau, Smiles 4 Sick Children has donated more than 16,000 toys to Phoenix Children’s Hospital and has extended its reach to facilities like Flagstaff Medical Center and Cardon Children’s Medical Center. The Anthem-based charity has raised more than $158,000 to buy toys for children in hospitals battling and recovering from serious ill-

see ILLNESS page 5

Dave Smith and Brian Billideau sell golf balls to raise money for Lego they donate to charity. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

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NEWS

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 Associate Publisher: Eric Twohey | 480-898-5634 | erict@thefoothillsfocus.com ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Display Advertising: 623-465-5808 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: Lori Dionisio | 480-898-6309 | ldionisio@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 Photographer: Pablo Robles | probles@timespublications.com Design: Nathalie Proulx | nproulx@timespublications.com Production Coordinator: Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 production@timespublications.com Circulation Director: Aaron Kolodny | 480-898-5641 | customercare@evtrib.com Proud member of :

The Foothills Focus is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegratedmedia.com

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 10, 2021

FOOD BANK from page 1

donations to certain charities,” Zydonik said. “You can give up to $400 as a single and $800 as a joint filing and receive that tax credit dollar for dollar back. I don’t think that is done in many other states.” Arizona Gives Day is April 6, but donations can be made as early as March 16. Nonprofits, especially during a pandemic, are desperate for funding so they can continue to serve the public. Supporters of Foothills Food Bank can go to azgives.org and select Foothills Food Bank to make a direct contribution. The new qualified charitable organization code for the Foothills Food Bank & Resource Center on income tax returns is 20514. “We have so many great service organizations, nonprofits that help our community and our neighbors,” Zydonik said. “So that’s why we really want to get the word out. You have the opportunity to direct your tax dollars so try to keep them local and help your neighbors.” Almost every dollar Foothills Food Bank receives goes directly back out into the community and helps fund the food bank’s ability to serve, Zydonik said. “We have to take administrative costs out, but we are so fortunate that we only have three full-time people and five part time. But we have over 316 volunteers. So, our administrative costs are very low,” Zydonik said. “We rely on volunteers for almost everything. The majority of what you are giving goes right back out.” In 2020, more than 1.5 million pounds of food were donated to the Foothills Food Bank. That provided immediate help to its clientele, Zydonik said. “In 2020 we served about 2,500 clients. And, of that, there were 17,324 visits. Some of the clients have come more than once. And of those, 2,906 were new clients,” Zydonik said. “So, it does kind of show that COVID has made its impact.” Donations and volunteers allow the Foothills Food Bank to continue to serve the public and help those in need.

Leigh Zydonik of the Foothills Food Bank and Resource Center said donations, such as those through Arizona Gives Day, helps provide food and necessary supplies to clients. (Photo courtesy of the Foothills Food Bank and Resource Center)

“We are so blessed in this community because of the generosity of our volunteers and our donors,” Zydonik said. “We are so appreciative of that because then, in turn, we can be generous to our clients and really make a difference. It’s just a fantastic way to go full circle — give and getting back in return.” Some Foothills Food Bank clients come occasionally, just needing to make it through a rough patch. This often means they don’t have to choose between feeding themselves or buying medicine or paying the house payment, Zydonik said. “You never know somebody’s needs,

especially during this crazy time,” she said. “We’re all just one emergency away from needing help, and when you’re helping your neighbors, it is a wonderful opportunity.” Foothills Food Bank and Resource Center 6038 E. Hidden Valley Drive, Cave Creek 34501 Old Black Canyon Highway, Black Canyon City 480-488-1145, foothillsfoodbank.com

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 10, 2021

ILLNESS from page 1

ness and injuries. In recent years, Billideau has created a program that funds the nonprofit’s operations by utilizing rogue golf balls found across the hundreds of golf courses in the state. Billideau takes donated golf balls to a refurbishing company and directs the 20 cents from each ball to purchase toys. The golf ball program was only intended to last a couple of months in 2017, “but it just kept going and going and going,” he said. “It’s snowballed like crazy to the tune of 158,000 (golf balls) so far,” he said. The nonprofit will soon assist children who have formerly spent much of their life in the hospital and give them the gift of a higher education. Effective January this year, all the golf ball funds will finance the Smiles 4 Sick Children scholarship program. He wants all North Valley golfers to know their giant box of collected golf balls accumulating dust in the side of their garage will “go directly to help children in the hospital.” An avid golfer, Billideau, makes donating easy by using his home as a drop-off for the donations and also offering pick-up arrangements. It’s not an easy task, but Billideau said he’s noticed that the golf ball program has helped build relationships with many people who didn’t know about the program before that end up becoming consistent financial donors. “My goal this year is to collect a quarter of a million golf balls,” he said. Billideau added this will provide the scholarship program with $50,000 to $60,000. Billideau is still in the process of creating the scholarship program and has plans to put an advisory board in place to determine who the recipients will be, he said. The details have yet to be solidified, however said he is considering offering a $10,000 scholarship to one student for two years and awarding two students with $5,000 scholarships in subsequent years. “We’re going to try to help as many kids as we can.” The nonprofit has spent over $200,000 to fund its gift operation and depends on the support of donations in the form of

Brian Billideau sets all the Lego and golf balls he sells for charity outside his garage on February 11, 2021 in Anthem, AZ money or purchased toys. However, the hospital was unable to accept toy donations for a period of time due to the heightened restrictions put in place to protect patients from potential exposure to COVID-19. The organization adapted to the limitations and donated the hospital with $25,000 worth of gift cards to spend on the children instead of holding its annual holiday delivery event. The hospital is now accepting toy donations once again as of around three weeks ago, however, it prefers donations to be shipped there directly using its registry system it created online, which lists the best items to donate to the children. The nonprofit has a goal of delivering “a mountain of Lego” as well as puzzles to the children staying in Phoenix Children’s Hospital for its upcoming May Day event. Billideau has plans to spend another $20,000 to $25,000 on toys using the registry, however, the Smiles 4 Sick Children’s holiday loading events will remain canceled “until COVID is behind us,” he said. Billideau recalled the event in 2019 when volunteers formed two human chains to pass thousands of toys from the inside of his house to 25 cars on the street for delivery. A number of children were involved in the effort and were part of the two “combat lines,” he said. Each toy is passed from person to person “and I do that because I want all the children to see what we’re doing — why we’re doing it. We want to teach them about philanthropy and giving back.” “We’re not going to be here forever,” he

said. It’s important for someone to step in and tell the children coming to the events with their parents and grandparents that “they’re the ones that are going to be tasked with giving back here to the future.” Billideau and his wife received testimonial recently from the children’s hospital expressing its gratitude and highlighting the importance of all

the donations. Billideau said he knows a new toy is not going to cure a disease or take away all their problems, “but I do know it helps their attitude.” “It makes them happy. It makes them be a little kid again.” The children’s excitement causes a ripple effect, giving loved ones a hint of that joy as well. “That one box of Lego, isn’t just making the child smile, it’s providing smiles for the parents, for the siblings, the grandparents

or friends. It doesn’t quit.” Billideau started Smiles 4 Sick Children to create something positive from a tragic experience that happened in 1992. On the organization’s website, Billideau details the story of a little girl who ran into a busy street directly in front of his truck. “I could not stop in time,” it reads. “I hit her, and she died.” Smiles 4 Sick Children honors the life of the little girl who passed away too soon. “I’ve always said that on my last breath, I want to see her so I can tell (her how) sorry I am,” he said, holding back tears. “So, in the meantime we try to make kids happy in the hospital. That’s the best that I could do.” Some children are only in the hospital for days, others for weeks and months, and some may never be able to return home. “If we can make that time, those couple of days or months in the hospital just a little bit more pleasant for the child, then we’ve done our job.” —Staff writer Sarah Donahue can be reached at sdonahue@timespublications.com

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NEWS

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 10, 2021

Cave Creek may construct connecting trails

BY SARAH DONAHUE Foothills Focus Staff Writer

ave Creek may soon have a handful of new short hiking trails to provide additional connectivity to surrounding neighborhoods and other trails. During a March 1 meeting, the Cave Creek Town Council was given details about three new potential trails, which will be constructed by Okanogan Trail Construction Company, if the two proposed bids are approved at a future meeting. This matter was for discussion only. No action was taken during the meeting. The town’s planning director, Luke Kautzman, led the presentation to the council, detailing the location of the proposed trails and associated costs. The construction company’s first bid will cover expenses for two short

connecting paths: the 52nd Street Trail and the Cave Creek South 40 Connector Trail. These proposed trails will be a “vital neighborhood connection for that area,” Kautzman said. Hikers, bikers and horse riders may soon be able to use the connecting trails to access the Desert Foothills Land Trust Trails, the Arizona State Land Department Trails, the Cave Creek Regional Park Trails as well as the businesses along Carefree Highway, the action item request states. The proposed 52nd Street Trail will start at the intersection of New River Road and 52nd Street and lead people eastward in a nearly straight line until they reach its end at East Carefree Highway. A little less than halfway through the trail, people also have the option of transferring to the other proposed connector trail, which is also 4 feet

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wide but has a shorter length of a quarter of a mile. This proposed Cave Creek South 40 Connector Trail will be constructed within the town’s dedicated trail easement between 52nd and 54th streets and will allow people to access East Carefree Highway as it reaches its end point. “It’s a neat project and it’ll be a well-done trail and a great addition to that neighborhood,” Kautzman said. The town is interested in the connecting trailheads. Okanogan Trail Construction Company was the sole respondent in the RFP. The construction company prepared a bid detailing the associated costs to implement the two paths for council approval at a future meeting. If approved, the town will pay the construction company an amount not to exceed $25,114.52, the action item request states. The second bid of $43,696.55 will cover the costs to construct the proposed Surrey Drive Road Trail, which will be a quarter mile long, around 4 to 5 feet wide and will be along the north side of Surrey Drive within the town’s right of way. This potential trail will start at Conestoga Trail Road and lead people west until the path ends at a cul-desac on the west end of Surrey Drive. The town’s trail fund will be used to finance the project’s construction, Kautzman said. If both bids receive council approval in the future, construction on these connecting trails will likely conclude this summer.

Other council news The town council was given a site plan and two zone change requests for two potential business developments. These items were for discussion only, no action was taken during the meeting. Kautzman presented a site plan and rezone request for a 28,276-squarefoot multitenant retail center on three parcels of land within the Care-

free Highway Specific Area Plan on the north side of Carefree Highway between 48th and 49th streets. The commercial retail development will have four buildings designed with a Sonoran Desert aesthetic, boasting colors that blend in with its environment, according to the site plan narrative. The first proposed retail building will occupy around 3,000 square feet. The second and third buildings will sit on 4,974 and 5,002 square feet and will be used for food or retail purposes. The remaining building will be significantly larger with approximately 15,300 square feet of retail business space. The proposed development will have a parking area with 146 spaces and pedestrian pathway connections between buildings. The site plan and zone change request were submitted concurrently by the applicant, Stewart Jean on behalf of Park West Partners. The zone change request seeks to change approximately 3.6 acres from desert rural to a commercial buffer. The town’s planning commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the zone change request and site plan during a meeting on Feb. 18. Jean held a neighborhood meeting via Zoom on Jan. 28 to present the project and answer questions. Jim Himmes attended the meeting and asked Jean about the average ticket price for shoppers in the largest proposed building. Jean responded, saying items from the potential retailer may range from $2 to possibly over $2,000. Jean couldn’t divulge the details of the potential tenant, however he stated the retailer has sales volumes at an average of $5 million per year, and the space will not be a discount or second-hand store, according to the meeting’s minutes. Thirteen residents tuned in for the

see TRAILS page 10

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 10, 2021

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NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 10, 2021

Carefree renames Sundial Plaza after Gerry Jones BY SARAH DONAHUE Foothills Focus Staff Writer

he iconic and influential legacy of Gerry Jones prompted the town of Carefree to honor him by renaming one of its most famous attractions after the 94-year-old architectural designer. The Gerry Jones Sundial Plaza is now the site of a large boulder from Jones’ property and a commemorative plaque, which serves as a tribute monument to honor Jones’ influence on Carefree. The motion to approve the name change passed unanimously during a March 2 town council meeting. The next morning, the plaque with the sundial’s new name was installed onto the Gerry Jones tribute monument boulder next to the sundial. Carefree Town Councilman Vince D’Aliesio was confident it would be ap-

Gerry Jones was honored by the town of Carefree and the Cave Creek Museum with a commemorative plaque unveiling a ceremonial event on March 6 at the newly renamed Gerry Jones Sundial Plaza. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Herbert Hitchon with the town of Carefree)

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proved. . “Everybody was in favor of that because of what this man means to the community. He’s a complete icon to the town. “I mean, to vote against something like this. It’s un-American,” he said with a laugh. The Cave Creek Museum and the town of Carefree honored Jones with a ceremony and commemorative plaque unveiling on March 6 at the newly renamed Gerry Jones Sundial Plaza. The plaque also features the Cave Creek Museum logo as well as a tribute inscription Jones wrote personally. The town was excited to honor Jones, and the effort was “a long time coming,” D’Aliesio said, who also serves as the president of the Cave Creek Museum Board of Directors. “He’s well-deserving and he’s very humble about it,” he said. D’Aliesio added Jones’ humility is the reason he chose a more subtle tribute. The town considered various ways to pay tribute to Jones and floated the idea of potentially naming a street after him.

However, Jones said in “more colorful language” that renaming a street would be too much of a pain, D’Aliesio said with a chuckle. Jones didn’t want to force people to adjust to a new street name and decided he would prefer to be honored with his name as part of the sundial. The town’s efforts to honor Jones happened “very fast,” he said. The council started discussing the idea around six months ago and intended to honor Jones once in-person meetings could be conducted once again. The council wanted to invite Jones and his wife, Leslie, to the council chambers for a formal tribute. However, seeing the pandemic was here to stay, the council decided the spring season would be the “ideal time to do it,” he said. D’Aliesio referred to himself “the guardian of the gate of the Gerry Jones dedication” as he was part of both the town and the Cave Creek Museum’s efforts to honor him. The tribute efforts are something “that should have been done many years ago” as Jones did so much last year with the Gerry Jones Home Tour to highlight the exquisite homes that he designed in Carefree. However, honoring him now is “equally as important, if not more so.” Jones was present during the Carefree’s inception, playing a vital role in its development efforts. He laid out the town’s roads and lots, designed hundreds of luxurious Carefree homes and also sculpted the foundation for the town’s architectural guidelines that prioritize and protect the untouched beauty of the Sonoran Desert. Jones’ concepts embody the “Carefree lifestyle,” D’Aliesio said. “He set the tone for what the town’s image was going to be.” “He’s our link to that history and it needs to be celebrated.” —Staff writer Sarah Donahue can be reached at sdonahue@timespublications.com

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 10, 2021

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NEWS

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TRAILS from page 6

hour-long meeting, at which time Jean answered other questions about the development’s building height and drainage plans. He assured residents that all these elements will conform to the town’s ordinances. Another zone change request was presented to council, which was submitted by the applicant Charles Eckert Jr. on behalf of Scottsdale-based Red Hawk Development. The zone change request seeks to change a parcel of land within the Carefree Highway Specific Area Plan from desert rural to a commercial buffer zone. The area is located on approximately 2 acres of land at the northeast corner of 50th Street and Carefree Highway. A site plan detailing the area’s potential use has not yet been submitted. However, the project narrative states that the proposed area will potentially be built into a commercial development with retail shops,

restaurants as well as medical and professional offices. The developers are seeking “to amend the zoning map in advance of marketing the property to retailers,” Kautzman explained. It states the development will consist of three different buildings with 57 parking spaces for customers and tenants. The town’s planning commission voted to recommend approval of the zone change request by a vote of 6-1 during the Feb. 18 meeting. The official first reading of these zone change requests will be at the March 15 town council meeting, where the council will also vote on whether to approve the Park West Partners site plan. The town council will be presented with the second and final reading of the zone change requests on a meeting on April 5, at which time it will issue its final votes. —Staff writer Sarah Donahue can be reached at sdonahue@timespublications.com

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OPINION

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AROUND THE BLUHMIN’ TOWN

Getting a hair now is a ‘shear’ delight BY JUDY BLUHM Foothills Focus Columnist

ave you had a haircut lately? Most of us are “COVID caught-up” and don’t look quite so shaggy. Well, for a while there, no one noticed (or cared) because we weren’t going many places. Now that the vaccines are available and into our arms, we might need to give more attention to our grooming habits. You know, sweat or pajama pants might be good for a Zoom video call. Not so much for in-person meetings. And for those cutting their own hair during the pandemic, it might be time to stop. My sister-in-law

“trimmed” my brother’s hair and let’s just say that bowl cuts on a 70-year-old man look hideous. The handsome actor, George Clooney, has confessed that he has been cutting his own hair for over 20 years. Oh George, why did you publicize this? How many misguided men might try your “clipper technique” and end up in a ruinous situation? Yes, when you are twice voted People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” you can do about anything with your hair and still look fantastic. But for mere mortals, there is danger in grabbing clippers, and it might not end well. I have my own horror stories about hair-

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cuts. When I was a child, my mother would cut my bangs usually right before school pictures. My wonderful mom could do about anything, except cut a straight line. It was always a zig-zag line of bangs and one of my teachers even tried to help. She placed scotch tape across my bangs, pressing them to my forehead to try and straighten them out. Sure, the tape was clear, but it did show up on the photo and caused my mother to call the school. I suppose that is why I do not have one grade school photo of myself. Bad hair can create cruel memories! Haircuts can also be lifesaving. A merino sheep named Baarack got a major hair trimming after he was taken in by an ani-

mal sanctuary in Australia. The wild and ailing sheep was found in a forest, underweight and due to all the wool around his face he was almost blind. He was shorn for the first time in probably five years, and a shocking 75 pounds of fleece was shaved off! Baarack was finally free of his heavy, wooly burden and taken into a barn to start the healing process. His little legs had been strained with the weight of his wool and he needed medical care. Fitted with a handsome plaid coat, his epic haircut is the new gold standard for “before and after” photos. Haircuts make a difference.

see BLUHM page 13

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OPINION

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Paradise cost: Sports teams that break hearts BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Foothills Focus Columnist

week of mild Arizona weather and the start of Cactus League baseball can only mean one thing: Again it’s that time when hope springs eternal for Valley sports fans. Couple that with your Phoenix Suns playing top-tier basketball and the Arizona Cardinals signing three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt, and our sports future feels desert-sun dazzling. But we all know how this ends, don’t we? With millions of broken hearts. Because this is Phoenix, and if our hometown had a sports tagline, it would be, “Welcome to the Valley of the Crushed.” This place has everything — weather to die for, the nation’s hottest housing market, a solid economy, Chris Bianco’s pizza — but no major American city has suffered more sports futility, statistically speaking. Well, save Minneapolis. But that comes with an asterisk. Allow me to explain. Thirteen American cities are currently home to all four major profes-

BLUHM from page 12

A woman in Texas was slicking her hair down with Gorilla glue to make it look smooth. Bad idea! No amount of “goo removal” seemed to loosen the grip on her hair and scalp. She cut off her ponytail and even tried paint thinner. The lady posted

sional sports. Phoenix joined those ranks in 1998, when the Arizona Diamondbacks began play. Since then, the Suns, Cardinals, D-backs and Arizona Coyotes have had a collective 87 opportunities to win a championship. We have worn but one single crown. And it took a near-miracle World Series victory by the 2001 Diamondbacks for us to have even that single ecstatic moment. In that time period, Boston has won a dozen titles — at least one in every sport — including six Super Bowls, four World Series, one NBA championship and a Stanley Cup. Los Angeles has 11 titles, Chicago and New York have six. Detroit and Miami have four apiece. San Francisco and Denver have three. Dallas, Philadelphia and Washington each have a pair. Then there’s us with the one. Only Minneapolis has been shut out of winning championships in those 22 years. But like I said, there’s a caveat. The Minnesota Twins won baseball titles in 1987 and 1991. Plus, the Minneapolis Lakers took home five basketball titles in six seasons between 1949 and 1954. Given how slowly time moves in her anguish on Facebook and eventually a doctor in Los Angeles got the glue out of her hair. Lessons learned? Let the pros cut your hair, because a good stylist is a shear delight. Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local Realtor. Have a story or a comment? Email Judy at judy@judybluhm.com.

CORRECTIONS

A story headlined “Cave Creek discusses fire protection plans,” which was published in the Feb. 24 issue of The Foothills Focus, should have said if the town chooses to contract for fire and medical emergency services with a Regional Automatic Aid System provider, it must cover payroll expenses for 12 to 15 people to staff one fire department unit 24/7. A story headlined “Wheels in motion for Anthem skatepark plan” in the March 3 issue of The Foothills Focus should have said a final decision will be made on April 28 with all of the solidified costs for the Anthem skatepark’s design.

Minnesota, 1954 probably still feels like yesterday to them. I mean, if you’ll eat lutefisk, you have bigger issues to worry about than the Vikings blowing four Super Bowls in the 1970s. The only explanation for this much major sports futility is a curse. As NFL legend has it, that explains why the Cardinals are suffering the longest current championship drought in professional sports, winning zero titles since 1947. According to the “Coal Miners Curse,” invoked by fans of the Pottsville, Pennsylvania Maroons, the Cards, then playing in Chicago, stole the 1925 NFL championship from the mighty Maroons, damning the franchise to never win another title until Pottsville is recrowned champions. That’s not happening anytime soon: The NFL investigated this theft in 1967 and voted against Pottsville. Personally, I don’t think this is about coal miners. I think life is too good

We're lucky to have a

here, so we can’t have everything. Sports failure is the price we pay for perfect spring afternoons, abundant sunshine and the natural beauty of the desert and the mountains. Detroit was recently named the most miserable city in America. Dallas is surrounded by Texas. I’ve lived in New York, Philly and Miami, which explains why I’ve lived here for 25 years and plan to leave feet first — or in an urn. San Francisco? For the price of a seven-bedroom Paradise Valley manse, you could live in the Bay Area in a cardboard box and awake each day to the pungent aroma of defecating hobos. Or you can live here. So, what if four times each year you get kicked in the gut when the hometown teams are mathematically eliminated from contention? Sucking at sports seems a small price to pay for paradise.

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Back to Health helps people in wellness journey BY SARAH DONAHUE Foothills Focus Staff Writer

eople are living too short and they’re dying too long. Back to Health of Anthem’s co-founder, Brian Hester, said this because people work their whole lives to save for their big retirement plans, but won’t take the time to prioritize their health and ensure their own longevity. The cruel truth is none of these ambitious plans will matter if one loses their health and physical abilities before they reach age 65, Hester said. Many will go on to spend their last remaining years of their lives “spending all the money they’ve worked to save trying to regain the health that they’ve once lost.” However, Back to Health of Anthem offers the resources for people to get their health on track before it’s too late. The wellness center’s team of specialists offers services like massage therapy, chiropractic care, nutritional coaching, lab analysis as well as a functional training center where “we help people get back to moving the way that they did when they were young.” Back to Health of Anthem was founded in 2003 by Hester and his wife, Desiree Kretsch-Hester. The office is located near

Dr. Brian Hester and his wife Desiree Kretsch-Hester run Back to Health of Anthem, a wellness center that promotes healthy eating, exercise and offers chiropractic care as well as massage therapy. (Photo courtesy of Tina White Photography) Anthem Way and Venture Drive and is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays. The wellness center focuses on whole food nutrition, encouraging patients to boost their immune system with consistent exercise and helping people manage stress levels and idle thoughts. Back to Health of Anthem sets itself apart from other businesses by offering specific, detailed analyses and scores on people’s current habits to help determine where

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their journey to health starts. The bioimpedance analysis measures lean body mass, body fat, visceral fat and hydration levels. The wellness center also offers patients customized wellness scores, which examines over 30 different touch points of physiology. The wellness scores are ranked on a graded system from A to F with an A score showing ideal health and an F score determining some extra efforts may be in order

to get on the right track to wellness. When the wellness score doesn’t reflect one’s level of commitment to their health, “people start having hard truths and we start talking about conversations that have needed to happen,” he said. Hester, the wellness center’s sole chiropractor, said examining these areas as well as overall lifestyle habits helps to teach and encourage patients to make “health care deposits” so their bodies experience less pain and dysfunction. He added “pain is simply a result of dysfunction.” In 2015, Back to Health of Anthem started a program called Eight Weeks to Wellness. Patients who are part of the twomonth program receive a structured eating plan and come into the facility three times a week for exercise, twice a week for chiropractic care and once a week for a massage. Hester said Back to Health of Anthem is the only office in Arizona that facilitates this program. It’s important to develop and maintain healthy habits because “when it comes to health, we’ve been trained and conditioned that we just wait for a crisis to happen.” “We want to spend more time focusing on health care deposits when we’re

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Anthem’s CPR saves cellphones’ lives

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Phillip White of Cell Phone Repair Anthem fell into cellphone repair after flipping houses and owning quick lube shops. (Photo by Pablo Robles) BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

hillip White is into saving lives. Cellphone lives, that is. The owner of Cell Phone Repair in Anthem, White fixes devices while customers wait; buys old devices; and replaces batteries. “We repair most brands of cellphones,” White said. “We do a lot of iPhones and iPads. We fix Samsungs and LGs.” Previously, White flipped houses and owned quick lube service centers. Switching to cellphone repair was a logical move for him. When he was young, he “tore apart” his toys, much to his parents’ dismay. Tinkering is in his blood. “It just seemed to make sense,” White said. “Every family has two or three devices per person. Unfortunately, they’re made of glass. I had broken my iPhone four or five years ago and my wife and I went to another repair facility. “I thought, ‘I bet these guys do very well.’ We enjoyed the experience so much that we decided to get into the business.” With 800 locations worldwide, Cell Phone Repair has a lifetime warranty on

its parts. Most repairs are finished within an hour. White not only repairs devices, but he educates the owners of those items. Unfortunately, he said, the device can be replaced for less than the cost of a repair. “Even though that’s not awesome for my paycheck, I want people’s long-term business,” he added. “A one-time sale doesn’t do me any good. I take care of them through their lifetime. We’re part of the community. “We have to act as stewards of the community. If a phone isn’t turning on, we can transfer the data. We offer those services. We also work on laptops, mostly hardware but a bit of software. We try to take care of most customers’ digital hardware-type things. There are so many devices in our lives now. Most people are just lost.” —Executive Editor Christina Fuoco-Karasinski can be reached at christina@timespublications.com

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 10, 2021

Online floral company finds success is blooming

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

hitney Bromberg Hawkings was working for fashion designer Tom Ford when she became frustrated with the cost and inconsistency of the flowers she was buying and sending. After 19 years with Ford, she decided to start FLOWERBX, an online flower delivery services company that sources the freshest flowers, direct from growers. She specializes in seasonally optimal flowers, like peonies in the spring and in the fall hydrangea, followed by ranunculus in the winter. “I wanted to create a branded floral offering,” Hawkings said. “As a working mom, I was buying everything online. I bought my weekly farm-fresh groceries online, my clothes online, my beauty online. Yet, I found it was impossible to buy flowers in a simple, chic and fuss-free way online.”

L’Occitane and Tiffany & Co. “My vision for FLOWERBX was always for it to be a global brand,” she said. “Interflora is inconsistent in all of the territories in which it operates, and the client is at the mercy of whichever florist is fulfilling the order. After 19 years working with Tom Ford, Whitney Bromberg Hawkings “I wanted to crestarted FLOWERBX. (Submitted photo) ate a consistent and beautiful floNow in its fourth year, FLOWERBX, as ral experience in all of the territories in well as Hawkings, is based in London, but which we operate. While the entire Unitrecently she opened an LA hub to service ed States has always been in the cards, California, Arizona, Alaska, Oregon, Wash- we accelerated our expansion plans to ington, Nevada, Montana, Idaho, Utah and encompass the East and West coasts Wyoming. over the past year, as the desire to stay Her clients include British Fashion connected with flowers and live life with Council, Chanel, Conde Nast, Harrods, beauty has been stronger than ever.”

Hawkings said she learned her entrepreneurial skills from Ford, for whom she would have worked for another 20 years. She began her career in Paris working for him at Gucci and later became his communications director upon the launch of his eponymous label in 2005. “Working with Tom was a dream come true,” she said. “The lessons I learned from him are countless, and I couldn’t have learned from a better teacher how to build a successful, recognizable and powerful brand, among the many other lessons I learned from him. “He taught me the importance of hard work and perseverance but also about the art of creating desire, of telling a story around a product and setting a scene to make it irresistible. I have tried to apply all of these learnings to FLOWERBX in my goal of creating what I know will be the first global flower brand.” FLOWERBX flowerbx.com

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | MARCH 10, 2021

WELLNESS �� 14

asymptomatic and not sick, because if we do that, then it allows our body to self-regulate and heal itself, so we never get into that crisis point.” Many doctors rely on medications and surgery, rather than addressing the root of the problem, Hester said. “The reality is people are seeking answers to their health, but the only thing they’ve been given is a pill to basically mask a symptom.” Medications often don’t do anything to solve the problem, “It just simply shifts the target,” he explained. This prompted Hester to dedicate his life to helping people create effective, long term strategies to maintain their health, he said. Back to Health of Anthem serves and builds relationships with residents within its own community as well as patients across the Valley and holds a “good reputation” as many patients refer others after seeing success, Hester said. Back to Health of Anthem’s operations were halted as the pandemic began to

spread its course, forcing it to shut down for four weeks. However, since then, “we’ve been busier than ever,” he said. Hester explained how the pandemic’s rising death toll has scared people and forced many to come to the realization that they have been neglecting their health. “We’re at a critical point in society where there’s no shortage of sick people,” Hester said. “People are unhealthier now than they’ve ever been, and people want what we have because they can’t figure it out on their own.” Back to Health of Anthem strives to build a community that allows people to not only be supported but encouraged on their journey to health and wellness. Hester said his favorite part of his job is seeing the camaraderie and encouragement within each interaction. “Everybody wants to belong to something, so why not belong to something that adds value and adds worth, but will also increase your quality of life long-term?” Helping people achieve good nutritional and exercise habits not only “lessens the

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burden on our health care system” but it also allows them to have a better quality of life, Hester said. The wellness center connects with the community by giving back to charitable causes and hosting community events like group hikes. Hester and a group of 25 people are training to hike both rims of the Grand Canyon in a day, Hester said. Back to Health of Anthem recently started teaching about Tower Gardens by Juice Plus, an aeroponic gardening technique that allows one to grow a full head of lettuce within a few weeks. People can save money and eat well by growing herbs, lettuce, bell peppers, cilantro, jalapenos and a long list of other foods year-round with this technique. There’s no soil involved, and it requires almost zero maintenance as it waters itself every 5 minutes. It also has an LED light attached to provide light to the plants. The wellness center has a tower garden in its office, which it uses as a teaching tool and a way to provide healthy food for patients. “People come and take lettuce for their salad for the evening,” he said. “There’s

always food there for people that want to snack.” Back to Health of Anthem has a lot of “big ideas” to extend its outreach to the community, Hester said. He added he is in the process of establishing a weekly podcast to communicate his ideas and provide useful information on “things that really matter.” “My goal and my passion are really trying to connect people with their reality and allowing them to get the most out of their life. Not just on the health side of things, but also with the quality of their relationships, making good financial investments in themselves and then more importantly–being able to make their lifestyle choices based on what they want to do, not what they’re limited by.” —Staff writer Sarah Donahue can be reached at sdonahue@timespublications.com Back to Health Anthem

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Reclaiming your ability to trust CHURCH COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Pastor Ed Delph Foothills Focus Columnist

his is the fourth installment in my four-part series about moving from trust impaired to trust repaired to trust prepared. Obviously, I can’t mention everything in my book with Alan and Pauly Heller, “Learning How to Trust.” I hope I have given you enough content to get you on the road again to reclaiming your trust. In a sense, trust is like a sword. Having a sword and using a sword are two different things. Reclaiming and regaining your trust

will be a process, not an event. Broken trust takes time to heal. But the journey will be worth it. Reclaiming your trust opens you up to a world of possibilities that you didn’t even know existed, especially in uplifting relationships. Regaining trust is a multistep process of recognizing, remembering, releasing, rethinking, relearning and reestablishing. These words have “begin-ergy.” Begin-ergy is the God-given energy to begin again on the road to recovery and reaching the destination. It realizes that someday is today and somebody is you. The first step is to recognize that

you need help learning how to trust again. That’s called confessing. It’s saying, “Help, I lost my trust. I can’t do this on my own. I’m going to need some help.” Recognizing your need for help is a choice that opens the door of heaven and to others also. Where self-dependence ends, God’s dependence begins. Trusting wisely is going to take your choice and God’s power. When you admit to God and others, “Help, I lost my trust!” you are also saying, “But, I know I have trust in me; I’m starting to believe that trusting again is a possibility for me.” Think about this. It is only fair that if yesterday’s decisions caused today’s problems,

today’s decisions c o u l d create tomorrow’s blessings and rec o v e r y. To d a y ’ s expectancy is tomorrow’s recovery. The second step is remembering. It remembers there is hope. Hope is the expectation of future good. It’s re-

�ee DELPH page 19

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DELPH from page 18

membering that God didn’t go through all the trouble of sending Jesus merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it is. He came to help and to put the world right again. Remembering knows there really are people and a God worth trusting. We get another opportunity if we can get past the past. God has more good things for you in the future than any bad things you have ever done in your past. God is much less interested in you trying to love Him than allowing Him to love you. Allow God to love you by empowering you to regain your trust. The third step is releasing. Releasing is giving up those “I’ll never fall in love again” or “I’ll never trust a pastor again” or “All men are (fill in the blank)” judgments, vows and generalizations. When you give up the preconception and judgments you have made, you allow God to show you how to trust wisely. Release your trust issue into God’s

hands by forgiveness. When you forgive, you don’t change the past. You change your future. Forgiveness releases who and what you are handcuffed to. Forgiving someone or something is not for the other person; it’s for you. When we forgive the people that have hurt us, God minimizes the effects of the pain they’ve caused us. It doesn’t matter what others are doing. It matters what you are doing. Forgiving is hard but given freely. Trust, on the other hand, is earned. After releasing comes the fourth step, rethinking. Please realize you haven’t lost your ability to trust; you’ve just placed your trust in untrustworthy things. Because those “things” have consistently failed, you have chosen not to trust in anything. You’ve become afraid to trust anything that even resembles those things, but you never lose your ability to trust. In God’s world, there are no winners or losers; there are only winners and learners. You’re alive, you are here, the big picture is what is essential. Maybe God is saying something to

us in our trials. Maybe God wants to show us His power in our problems. The next step is relearning. “Learning How to Trust” is about relearning how to avoid trust traps. It’s about understanding what and who to trust in. It’s also about what and who not to trust in. Trust is a gift. Use trust but use it wisely. Please learn that making commitments generates hope. Keeping commitments generates trust. I have learned that people can only be trustworthy to the degree that the word of God manifests itself in their lives. The last step is reestablishing. Reestablishing means living out what you believe. What you believe should be based on wisdom, character and God’s word. Reestablishing transports us to the willingness to trust again, but this time, trusting wisely. It’s learning to trust in God first, then trust in God working in people second. Reestablishing is a reset of your identity. If you sort out your identity before interacting with others, you will live from a position of strength.

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Forget what people think of you. You’re people. What do you think of you? Be yourself. Everyone else is taken. When you find out how much you are worth, you will stop giving discounts. When people hate you for no reason, remember God loves you for no reason. The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than what you settled for. Dear Lord. Thanks for the lessons of the past. Now, Lord, I am ready for the future! Ed Delph is a native of Phoenix who lives in the North Valley. Since 1980, he has pastored three churches in the Valley. He is a noted author of 10 books, weekly columnist in several local and worldwide newspapers, teacher, business owner and speaker. Delph has been to or ministered in over 100 countries. He is president of a worldwide ministry, NationStrategy. To learn more about Pastor Ed Delph, the Church-Community Connection and NationStrategy, call 623-376-6757, e-mail nationstrategy@cs.com or visit nationstrategy.com.

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Carefree Coffee Roastery ‘bombed’ by yarn art BY TARA ALATORRE Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

he Carefree Coffee Roastery was recently “yarn bombed” with more than 150 square yarn pieces that were individually stitched by customers, local residents and yarn enthusiasts from across the country. Besides the yarn bombing being cheerful public art pieces, it helped raise over $600 for the local nonprofit Foothills Caring Corps, which helps older residents in the Northeast Valley with in-home services, transportation and support that helps keep them living independently. The public yarn art is prominently displayed outside at the entrance of the Carefree coffee shop and bakery located at 7171 E. Cave Creek Road. The square yarn pieces were stitched together like a blanket, then wrapped around two posts at the coffee shop. This is not the first yarn bombing for Carefree Coffee Roastery, explained the owner Lars Hesse. Last year Hesse’s mother sug-

Executive Director of Foothills Caring Corps Robin Cochran, left, Binka Schwan, who stitched all of the yarned pieces together, and the owner of Carefree Coffee Roastery, Lars Hesse. (Photo

courtesy of Carefree Coffee Roastery)

gested that they do a yarn bombing after seeing images of the yarn art from a friend and regular customer Binka Schwan, who regularly participates in yarn bombings.

Hesse agreed, but knew they would need a lot of yarn pieces stitched and donated to pull it off, so he made Schwan a deal. If she could get enough knitted squares to cover a whole post at the entrance of the shop, he would donate $200 to an organization of her choice. “The first time it took about 60 pieces and four weeks to complete,” Hesse said. “Binka volunteers for Foothills Caring Corps so that is the organization she chose, and I donated $250 after the yarn bombing last year.” The Arizona sun took its toll on the yarn pieces after a year, and Hesse wanted to try to refresh it. Schwan was open to do it again despite recovering from a recent shoulder surgery, and Hesse agreed to double his donation. She stitched together the 154 pieces mostly by herself as the donations of yarn squares came in daily, getting some help from a friend. Then with the help of 14 volunteers they quickly wrapped the posts with the yarn art and stitched it in place. “It took us not even three weeks this time with approximately 154 pieces donated,”

Hesse said. “It was a super overwhelming response with more than double the squares, and instead of covering just one pole we covered one and a half.” Hesse committed to donate $500 this year to the Foothills Caring Corps, but he also received an extra $167 in cash from his customers who learned about the organization through the yarn bombing. Customers said they wanted to contribute but that they did not know how to knit, so he set up a donation jar and presented the extra cash donation along with his check on Feb. 24, when the yarn bombing was revealed. “What we are doing, it’s just a little drop on the hot stone,” Hesse said of his donation. “The Foothills Caring Corps are doing great stuff, and we are just trying to do what we can for the community.” He said not only did the yarn bombings helped contribute to the organization’s mission through donations, but it also raised awareness about the local nonprofit. “I think in general it brings awareness about their work,” he said.

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Anthem student builds path to become mechanical engineer BY SARAH DONAHUE Foothills Focus Staff Writer

yle Welsh always knew he wanted to pursue mechanical engineering. His earliest childhood memories building with Lego sparked a tenacious passion that would lead him to do anything to achieve his goal. The Anthem student just turned 18 and has already completed the ASU Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering STEM Record of Achievement and will soon graduate from ASU Prep Digital with a high school diploma as well as 30 college credits. If he chooses to attend ASU in the

fall, the STEM Record of Achievement gives him a head start and will allow him to start his first year of college as YOU a sophomore. TO BE “I’m on track to get a master’s in college in three years, which is pretty incredible,” Kyle said, mentioning another benefit of the achievement. ASU Prep Digital is an accelerated YOUTH online school for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The university created this rigorous virtual school, which allows students to work at their own pace to earn a high school diploma as well as ASU college credits. Kyle started attending the school halfway through his junior year in Jan-

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uary 2020 after switching schools two times to find the right coursework that would prepare him for his challenging degree. Within months, he used his skills he learned from his engineering classes at ASU Prep Digital to join an Anthem community group effort to provide ear guards for nurses and doctors whose ears were aching from constantly wearing face masks as the pandemic began to sweep the nation. Kyle and the others who were part of the community effort used 3D printers to make around 350 ear guards for health care workers across the country. However, he said printing the ear guards from his “very finicky” 3D printer was quite the challenge. “It took a couple of days of just continuous trial and error,” he said. “If you are even off by a millimeter, the print will fail.” He used his skills to serve as an engineer and provide a solution to a problem happening in real time, which he said helped validate his choice to pursue his goal. “Just the whole process in general of prototyping, fixing, modifying, and doing the time really solidified my interest in becoming an engineer.”

It wasn’t easy for Kyle Welsh to reach this successful point. He began attending Anthem Preparatory Academy in the eighth grade after moving to the North Valley from Oregon. After hearing about his goal of pursuing mechanical engineering, his teachers recommended he take extra math and science classes to best prepare himself for college. However, the school wasn’t able to cater to his specific academic needs due to its required coursework, he said. This brought forth a hard realization that he had to give up his position as varsity swim captain as well as his role on the varsity track and varsity chess team, also leaving behind his friends to pursue a more rigorous education at another school. He heard the new Caurus Academy in Anthem offers students the chance to earn college credits, so he decided to “give it a shot,” he said. He quickly adapted, founding a varsity chess team and running on the varsity cross country team. However, he still didn’t find himself challenged and soon decided this school wouldn’t suffice either.

see ENGINEER page 23

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ENGINEER �� page 21

ing all of this away in the hopes of something better,” he said. “But it all “It was a little scary because this worked out.” was midway through my junior year, Discovering ASU Prep Digital was “a and I was deciding I wanted to switch big relief,” he said. He added he enjoys schools again. I’d already sacrificed a being able to work at his own pace and lot, so I was getting a little anxious.” go “as fast as possible” to get a head Kyle’s mother, Jerilyn, said she re- start on his college career. calls many “sleepless nights” about While he’s grateful to have found the whether or not she and her husband school, he said he wished he had diswere making the “biggest mistake” covered it earlier, “but you take what about the choices they made. you can get.” While many teenage students would Michelle Conner, a learning success be petrified to switch schools and leave coach at ASU Prep Digital, has been their friends behind, Kyle grew accus- Kyle’s coach since the start and said he tomed to switching schools as it be- had a “strong interest in engineering came a familiar routine throughout his from the first time I met him.” life due to his dad’s career as a lawyer. “He’s just so smart and really chal“I went to eight different schools lenges himself,” she said. “I am truly over the course of 12 years. So, after a blown away by how he has taken adwhile you get used to it.” vantage of our curriculum and the However, he said he was concerned classes he’s taken.” about what others would think about The success coaches provide assishis decisions, he said. tance with course mapping and curHis friends and teachers were “beg- riculum planning for both high school ging” him to stay, and his parents also and college. They also serve as an “adreceived scrutiny from their friends ditional layer of support so (students) about him attending an exclusively never feel isolated in the digital setonline school, he said. “It was a lot of ting,” she said. chaos.” Kyle was one of Conner’s quieter stu“People said this is pretty stupid dents in the beginning, she explained. and kind of crazy to just be throw- However, she said she has been “so impressed” to see him “come out of his shell” while working with him over the past year and a half. “He is such a smart young man,” she said. “He is steadfast in his goal.” Jerilyn said it’s been “incredible” to finally see Kyle excited about school. “He was always the kid that was bored in class,” she explained. “We just never found the right thing to keep him challenged.” Since becoming a student at ASU Prep Digital, however, “he just took it and ran with it,” she said. He continues to get top grades in his classes and “he’s loving it.” “Now we have absolutely Kyle Welsh has had a passion for mechanical engineering since he was a child. After college, Welsh would like to get no doubt that he can hana Ph.D. in robotics engineering and create his own robotics dle the engineering course company. (Photo by Pablo Robles) load on his own,” Jerilyn

said. After college, Kyle said he’d like to get a Ph.D. in robotics engineering and found his own robotics company with a focus on prosthetics and possibly an advancement on artificial intelligence as well. Conner said she believes he will go on to “use his talents and his abilities to hopefully support the community or society with the things he comes up with.” Kyle is waiting to hear back from Ivy

Leagues he applied to like Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as Carnegie Mellon University and John Hopkins University. “He has such a bright future ahead of him and he’s so passionate about the field of engineering. He will be really successful whichever direction he goes,” Conner said. —Staff writer Sarah Donahue can be reached at sdonahue@timespublications.com

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STUDENT CHRONICLES Know a student doing something remarkable? Tell us about it! Email christina@timespublications.com. BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

Andres Jimenez of Anthem was named to the dean’s list at SUNY Delhi for the fall 2020 semester. Jimenez is pursuing a degree in business and technology management. The dean’s list is a recognition of students who enrolled in six or more credits and earned a 3.5 or higher grade-point average for the semester. Simonne Campos of Phoenix was named to the University of Hartford’s (Connecticut) president’s honors list for the fall 2020 semester. The president’s honors list is made up of students who earned a grade point average of 3.75 or higher in the semester. Nicole Burleson, Megan Gauharou, Noah Hendricks, Cosette Rijke and Hannah Thigpen, all of Phoenix, along

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with Gabriella Jenkins of Anthem and Adam Pigott of Cave Creek were among 1,800 students named to the Biola University dean’s list for the fall 2020 semester. Students at Biola University in La Mirada, California, are placed on the dean’s list after landing a GPA of 3.6 or higher while enrolled in 12 or more credits and whose cumulative GPA is at least 3.2.

Scott Schlader and Kathleen Smith, both of Phoenix, were named to the dean’s list for the fall 2020 semester at Marquette University in Milwaukee. Schlader is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in operations and supply chain management, and Smith is earning a Bachelor of Science in accounting. To make the dean’s list, students must have earned at least 12 credits for the fall 2020 semester and have no disqualifying grades. Wesley Kinney of Phoenix was named to the dean’s list at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. Kinney is a senior studying communications. Students eligible for the dean’s list have a GPA of 3.40 to 3.59; for the dean’s list with distinction a GPA of 3.60 to 3.84 and for the dean’s list with high distinction a GPA of 3.85 to 4.0.

Kiana Hindi of Phoenix has been named to the dean’s list at Purchase College in Purchase, New York, for the fall 2020 semester. Hindi is studying theater and performance. To be eligible for the dean’s list, students must carry a semester GPA of 3.5 for Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science programs and 3.75 for Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Music Performance programs. They must take a minimum of 12 credits.

Braden Miltenberger of Cave Creek has qualified for the fall 2020 dean’s list at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. After the close of every semester, undergraduate students completing all courses with a GPA of 3.4, with no grades lower than C, qualify for the dean’s list. Angela Madry of Phoenix was hon-

ored with academic excellence for the fall 2020 semester at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. More than 4,500 students received the honor of academic dxcellence in the fall, signifying they maintained a GPA of at least 3.5. Abigail Hadlock of Phoenix was named to the College of Holy Cross’ fall 2020 dean’s list. Hadlock is majoring in English at the Worcester, Massachusetts, college. To qualify, students must pass four or more letter-graded courses with no failing grades during the semester and earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Natacha Ramioulle of Cave Creek earned faculty honors at Georgia Tech for the fall 2020 semester. This designation is awarded to undergraduate students who have earned a 4.0 academic average for the semester.

Iva Drobnjak of Phoenix was named to Fort Lewis College’s dean’s list for the fall 2020 semester. Drobnjak’s major is psychology at the Durango, Colorado, college. To be eligible for the dean’s list, a student must carry a semester GPA of 3.6 or better in no fewer than 15 credit hours of graded college level work and have completed all work for which they are registered by the end of the semester. Erin Gerveler of Cave Creek was among the more than 7,400 undergraduate students at the University of Iowa named to the dean’s list for the 2020 fall semester. Gerveler is studying speech and hearing science at the Iowa City, Iowa, university. Know of a student doing something great? Tell us about it! Email christina@ timespublications.com.

Disney’s ‘Aladdin Kids’ coming to MTA

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

he Musical Theatre of Anthem will stage Disney’s “Aladdin Kids,” based on the iconic animated film from Thursday, March 25, to Sunday, March 28. “Aladdin Kids” features an Academy Award-winning score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. When a street urchin, Aladdin, vies for the attention of the beautiful princess, Jasmine, he uses a genie’s magic power to become a prince to marry her. The movie characters, including Iago, Jafar and the Genie, are here in “Aladdin Kids,” a musical adventure filled with magic, mayhem and the power of love. Specific to Disney’s “Aladdin Kids” is the Djinn, stage magicians who execute the show’s magical moments. Performances are 7 p.m. Thursday, March 25; 7 p.m. Friday, March 26; 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m.

“Djinn” cast members from Musical Theatre of Anthem’s 2016 production of “Aladdin Kids.” (Photo courtesy Musical Theatre of Anthem)

and 7 p.m. Saturday, March 27; and 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 28. The performances will be held at Musical Theatre of Anthem, 42201 N. 41st Drive, Suite B100, Anthem. Tickets are $13 to $19.

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BC junior crowned Miss Anthem Teen BY OLIVIA DOW Foothills Focus Staff Writer

s Miss Anthem Teen USA, Boulder Creek High School junior Skylie Seidman is looking forward to representing her community. The July pageant goes beyond that. She’s using her notoriety and platform to raise $2,000 for Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s Patient and Family Hardship Fund. “My family has very close friends who have personally been part of life-changing experiences with (PCH),” Skylie said. “They’re patients there and Phoenix Children’s Hospital just has had a great impact on them. I’ve seen what a great organization it has been, so that’s why I chose them.” Donors can visit https://bit.ly/38eAd15. Community service is important to Skylie. She has volunteered for Phoenix Children’s Hospital and, most recently, has teamed up with Youth for Troops. Skylie is a member of the National Honor Society and Boulder Creek’s varsity cheer program. Recruited for pageant As the winner of Miss Anthem Teen USA, Skylie will move on to the Miss Arizona Teen USA competition, which selects the Arizona representative for the Miss Teen USA pageant. Miss Arizona Teen USA is Friday, July 9, to Sunday, July 11, at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts in Gilbert. The company behind it, Casting Crowns Productions, scouted Skylie for the Miss Anthem Teen USA competition. “They just thought it would be a perfect fit,” she said. When she won, she was shocked. “It was kind of a wild experience,” Skylie said. “I don’t even know how to explain it. I was just kind of shocked when that happened.” Skylie wants to use her competition experience to grow. “I’m just going into this as a growing experience for me and to learn more about myself and become a better person and also a role model,” Skylie said. “I’m meeting new people and getting myself out there and just working on

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public speaking skills.” Her mother, Lora, has seen a change in the teen. “I’m so excited to continue to watch her grow and learn more about herself as a person and coming out of her shell,” Lora said. “That is what I am most hoping to see her gain out of this.” Through the process, Lora said she is proud of Skylie’s ability to stay positive throughout the process. “It’s just been a really, really fun experience to watch her go through this and have something positive come out of it,” Lora said. Skylie said she believes she will continue to compete in pageants because of the friendships she has formed with the other contestants. “I’ve seen how much fun it is and how good the people are in the organization, too,” Skylie said. “I think I’ll definitely continue it to continue my experiences and friendships with everybody there, too.” “I’m going to be representing the community and just Anthem as a whole and putting myself out there. I’m really excited for it.”

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