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Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Anthem Days bringing the community together BY SARAH DONAHUE Foothills Focus Staff Writer

BUSINESS .......14

hough this year’s Anthem Days will require more social distancing, it will still serve its original intended purpose of bringing the community together. Last year’s Anthem Days was one of the

many events residents had to cross off their calendars when COVID-19 hit, leading to restrictions on large gatherings. But with things taking a turn for the positive and more distance being placed between carnival rides, vendor booths and crowds, the event shall prevail for its 21st year. The public, all-ages event will be held

at Anthem Community Park on May 1 and May 2, and the Frazier Shows Carnival will be in town from April 29 until May 2. “The ACC will follow any guidelines that are in place at the time of the event, and will request that residents, visitors and vendors

�� ANTHEM DAYS �� 4

VHP honors students for their passion for veterans

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

FEATURES ........20

GCU student receives full-ride scholarship for caddying

YOUTH .............23

Anthem moms work to celebrate graduating seniors bringing back sneior parade.

OPINION ................... 10 BUSINESS ................. 14 FEATURES ................ 18 YOUTH ...................... 23 CLASSIFIEDS ............ 25 Zone

wo young women who have dedicated their high school years to remembering veterans will be honored on Saturday, April 17. Emceed by Boulder Creek High School alumnus Emma Suttell and Jim Lednicky, a Shadow Mountain High School graduate, the Honor Roll event recognizes Lauren Anderson with the “Above and Beyond” scholarship, and Michelle Satran, who won a student essay scholarship. Anderson and Satran attend Cactus Shadows High School. Satran has been involved with VHP since she was 8, as her older sister was a member. She tagged along to events, help-

�� VHP �� 5

Michelle Satran will use her scholarship to study biology at NAU. (Photo courtesy of Veterans Heritage Project)

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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 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

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ANTHEM DAYS from page 1

do the same,” said Kristi Northcutt, senior director of community relations, Anthem Community Council. “With the governor’s executive order issued on March 25, masks became recommended/encouraged, but are not required.” This year’s event will look similar to past Anthem Days, as attendees can expect to see a variety of carnival rides, food trucks, vendors, and live DJ entertainment. After all, with the complications of COVID-19, it wasn’t the time to make any “sweeping changes,” Northcutt said about the upcoming event. “We’re just trying to get back in front of the community this year,” Northcutt said. “We’re trying to make it as traditional as possible, because we know that everyone really enjoys it, and without having it last year, we know people just want to get back to it.” That said, there will be more crafts vendors featured at the event than usual. One hundred vendors set up shop at the outdoor event each year, but with

this year’s annual Autumnfest canceled, the Anthem Community Council wanted to make it up to them by offering space at Anthem Days. The Anthem Community Council is currently seeking participants. “We’ve had a great response so far,” Northcutt said. “We’re getting some sponsors lined up and we have a good start to the registration. The call for vendors is open through April 9, and businesses, nonprofits as well as crafts vendors can register to take part at onlineatanthem.com. Anthem Area Chamber of Commerce members who are in good standing get a discount, Northcutt said. “People are excited to get back out in the community and enjoy our special events, and we’re looking forward to offering it to the community,” she explained. Attendees may notice a slight change of season, as the event normally takes place at the end of March. Temperatures may be a bit warmer in May, but the Anthem Community Council wanted that extra time to ensure it could follow all COVID-19 regulations and

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 :

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protocols, Northcutt explained. “We wanted to be sure that we could get the green light and make it an event that everyone could enjoy,” she added. COVID-19 protocols may affect which carnival rides will be a part of the event, but the Anthem Community Council hopes to feature the same traditional rides always offered. Carnival attractions in the past have included funhouses, slides, a Ferris wheel, as well as mini coasters and rides for the little ones, like a carousel as well as a little car train ride. But it’s the large swings that are usually the main attraction, Northcutt said. The popular ride raises people up to great heights, giving them a “beautiful” 360-degree aerial view of the entire park as well as Daisy Mountain. This attraction as well as the Ferris wheel are crowd favorites because “people love getting to the top and being able to look out over the whole park,” she said. “I love Anthem Days because it really gives the opportunity for Anthem businesses to showcase themselves to the community,” said Northcutt, who has attended these events for the past seven years that she’s been with Anthem. In fact, this was its original purpose when it first started in 1999, Northcutt noted. Pulte/Del Webb wanted to “mesh the commercial areas with the residential areas and have it be this unified community,” she explained. “It’s just really important for people to have the chance to interact with our businesses, and to have them all in one place is really cool,” she said. “Anthem’s not big, but if you wanted to see every business, it takes you a little while,” she said. To have many of the area businesses altogether in the park on the same day makes for a “really fun” experience.” As businesses aren’t able to interact with each other all the time, this gives vendors a chance to build those connections. “That’s a pretty neat aspect of living in a community like ours,” she said. More details on the Anthem Days will be released as the event gets closer. Food trucks looking to be a part of this year’s event can contact the Anthem Community Council’s special events manager, Debbie Pulido, at dpulido@anthemcouncil.com.

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 14, 2021

VHP from page 1

ing her sister with decorations. She said she deserves the scholarship. “I’ve put in a lot of time and effort and I thought I should be rewarded,” said Satran, who will study biology at NAU. “It’s really special to me. It just shows my work has paid off. “Interviewing veterans has been a pleasure. VHP really shows how much they care about the students and what they do with the veterans and others.” Her senior year, she successfully interviewed her grandfather, who was a veteran, after her sister couldn’t do so. “He wouldn’t talk about his story,” she said. “He’d give me tidbits and, to this day, he continues to open up and tell us stories none of us have even heard.” She’s thrilled her stories will be in the Library of Congress. “My grandchildren and great-great grandchildren will be able to read what I wrote,” Satran said. “That’s amazing.” Anderson, who was unable for an interview, said in a statement that she’s excited about the scholarship. “I volunteered at the Massing of the Colors event, attended Pearl Harbor Remembrance events, led the Pledge of Allegiance during the Memorial Day Celebration, and joined Barbara Hatch at the ADVS Military and Veteran Women’s Summit,” Anderson said. “I’ve walked with my classmates at Veterans Day Celebrations, and finally, I ensure my attendance at every book reception. I volunteered to take on the position of lead editor for our 600-page book in 2020, spending over 200 hours that year laying out veteran stories and helping construct our beloved book. I also took on the role of vice president for our chapter, helping run meetings and working closely with teacher advisors. VHP is the most valuable and irreplaceable feature in my life and every second that I’ve devoted to the club has been priceless.” Suttell was the Boulder Creek High School VHP chapter president who interviewed nine veterans and Gold Star families in her four years. She said she’s honored to have “such a small

educational enrichment to Arizona middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities through the organization’s mission — to Connect Students with Veterans to honor veterans, preserve America’s heritage and develop future leaders. Suttell said Honor Roll is a different approach to the annual event. Students write stories and interview veterans, and those interviews are turned into memoirs of them. “The year usually culminates in a big ceremony with veterans, families, community Emma Suttell, who wants to study public relations, is this year’s members and a book emcee. (Photo courtesy of Olivia Crommett) signing at the reception and ceremony,” Suttell said. “The veterans feel honored, and role in a big event.” She describes VHP as a “stand-out we show them they’re appreciated. life experience,” but some of her highlights include meeting a WWII POW, who is now a life-long friend, and aiding the layout editors and designers of Since You Asked. After graduating in 2020, Suttell took a gap year and continued her work with Boulder Creek VHP, as well as helped to produce the 2020 Anthem Veterans Day Ceremony. This fall, she will attend University of Florida to study public relations. “I can’t wait to continue pursuing my passion for storytelling in college — where there is service, there will always be stories,” she said. “Every veteran leaves behind a story of triumph, sacrifice and unwavering love. Documenting these legacies in each edition of Since You Asked has been a privilege that I will always be thankful for and will surely never forget.” The Honor Roll event recognizes the service of veterans, celebrates the accomplishments of the VHP program’s students, and raises funds for the continuation and growth of the program. VHP’s after-school program brings

NEWS

The event will be livestreamed. During it, VHP will present the Barbara Hatch Founders Award for Program Excellence to its Teacher of the Year, bestow its first Alumni Service Award, and highlight five student essay scholarship winners. Approximately 200 veterans will drive through the parade route in decorated cars. The route will feature military vehicles from every military engagement from World War II to the War on Terror, cheering students — some in uniform from each era — a flag line from The Patriot Guard riders, poster-size veteran service photos, and a flyover from the Arizona Stearman Squad. For more information about VHP, visit veteransheritage.org. To register for free online, visit secure.qgiv.com/ event/honorroll. Registrants can bid on silent auction items, and enter a drawing to win a trip to Hawaii to visit Pearl Harbor in celebration of VHP’s Pearl anniversary. The winning entry will be drawn live at the conclusion of the livestream.

NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 14, 2021

News Briefs

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

Parkside announces election results The Anthem Parkside Community Association announced the results of the APCA and Anthem Community Council Board of Directors elections. For the APCA Board of Directors, Tim Fyke and Rob MacGregor received the majority of votes. All seats for the APCA Board will hold two-year terms. The newest members will be seated at the April 15 APCA annual board meeting, during which the election of officers will take place. Chilesa Ready was elected as the Parkside representative on the ACC Board of Directors. She will serve a threeyear term. At the April 28 ACC Board of Directors meeting, the ACC Board will elect new officers for 2021-2022. Comments sought on construction program

The Arizona Department of Transportation has released its tentative 20222026 Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program for public review and comment. The public comment period for the tentative five-year program ends at 5 p.m. June 3. The State Transportation Board is expected to consider formal action at its June 18 board meeting about what will be in the updated five-year program. The public can provide comments on the tentative five-year program: Complete an online comment form at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ ADOTFiveYearPlan Attend the virtual public hearings of the State Transportation Board at 9 a.m. April 16, May 21 and June 3. Meeting information can be found at http://aztransportationboard.gov Email: fiveyearconstructionprogram@azdot.gov Call the bilingual phone line at: 1-855-

712-8530 Mail ADOT at: Attn: Daina Mann, c/o ADOT Communications, 1655 W. Jackson, Room 179, MD 126F, Phoenix, AZ 85007 To view the Tentative 2022-2026 FiveYear Transportation Facilities Construction Program, visit azdot.gov. The tentative 2022-2026 Transportation Facilities Construction Program includes: • $2.8 billion for highway projects in Greater Arizona. • $1.8 billion in preservation projects, which include repaving highways, extending the life cycle of existing pavement, and repairing or reconstructing bridges. More than $1 billion will go toward pavement preservation projects to extend the life of Arizona roadways and upgrade 581 lane miles from poor to good condition. • $407 million for projects that improve highway safety, efficiency and func-

tionality, such as smart technology or adding shoulders. • A total of $313.5 million for state highway projects that add capacity, such as widening projects and new interchanges. • $2.3 billion in voter-approved freeway investments in Maricopa County and $311 million in the Pima County region. • $131 million in airport capital improvements. • Key projects in the tentative five-year program include: • More than $328 million to widen I-17 north of metro Phoenix between Anthem Way and Sunset Point. • $83 million to rebuild and widen the Gila River Bridge on I-10 between Phoenix and Casa Grande. • $70 million to construction the I-40/ US 93 West Kingman Interchange. • $41 million to widen U.S. 93 north of Wickenburg.

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Photographer remembers fellow vets with free photos BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

eterans have a special place in Mike Spinelli’s heart. The Anthem photographer has semi-annually taken photos of former military members for a pre-ceremony Veterans Day slideshow. He’s doing it again from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 17, and veterans are invited to stop by the Civic Building at 3701 W. Anthem Way. Registration isn’t necessary, but veterans will be asked to provide their service branch and service dates. “I was in the Air Force,” Spinelli said. “I served a year in Vietnam. That’s why I have a thing for the Veterans Memorial (in Anthem). “I came from the Vietnam era and the military was looked down upon. It’s a real shame so many people gave their

�ee SPINELLI page 9

Photographer Mike Spinelli has been in Anthem for over a decade. (Photo courtesy of Mike Spinelli)

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SPINELLI from page 8

lives and time, disturbed their lives, came home and weren’t appreciated at all.” A 15-year Anthem resident, Spinelli has more than 100 photographs and substantially more will be added this year, he said. “I was surprised at how many veterans are here—not just the older veterans, but the younger guys from Afghanistan and Iraq, and nonwar veterans. This is a pretty impressive place. They do honor the veterans and they appreciate the service from those guys.” Spinelli considers himself lucky. He worked as a news photographer, covering some of the most important news stories. He also shot the San Francisco 49ers football team for 13 years and traveled with them. “I’ve been to the Super Bowl with them and the Raiders,” he said. But that’s only the half of it. In the 1980s, he covered the Patty Hearst kidnapping and the Jonestown Massacre. The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known by its informal name

Jonestown, was a remote settlement in Guyana, established by Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple. It made international headlines when, on Nov. 18, 1978, 907 people died of cyanide poisoning. “I was invited to go to Jonestown with Leo Ryan, he was a friend of mine,” said Spinelli, who also worked for UPI. “They were going, and I saw him the week before he left. He said, ‘Are you going to go with us?’ I told him I had to ask my managing editor. I couldn’t go and I was really upset. “In the long run, that was something that saved my life. It’s one of those things that you never know.” Eventually, he left the news business and opened a commercial studio. He did that for 15 years, until the industry really changed. When he moved to Arizona, he “got itchy” and started shooting again. Spinelli does commercial work now, something he’s very proud of. “I do a lot of work with the Phoenix chamber,” he said. “I have other clients, too. It’s been a really quiet year, which is unfortunate.”

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AROUND THE BLUHMIN’ TOWN

Whole lotta lovin’ going on BY JUDY BLUHM Foothills Focus Columnist

ove is in the air! And so are the doves, finches and hummingbirds. Spring brings the promise of hope, new life, fresh beginnings, green leaves and babies. Lots of them. Baby finches — in all their bright yellow glory — hang on the finch seed socks that I have hanging and chirp constantly, trying to figure out what they are supposed to do. Mama finches take some of the Niger seed in their beaks and then regurgitate it into the baby’s mouths, as if to say,

“Start eating. Chew and stop crying!” New starlings fly like jumbo jets without brakes, landing haphazardly on the edge of our hanging feeders, wondering what to do next. Baby quail the size of thimbles fan out and chase after their mothers, just trying to keep up. Eat! That is the mantra of Spring. It is when birds, bunnies and lizards frolic in the grass, nibble on all things that are edible and decide it is time to expand their families. There is a whole lot of lovin’ going on in the wild right now and it has resulted in babies everywhere. In the barn rafters, in tiny nests in the

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trees, from holes in the ground and under the eaves of the house, something tells me that it is baby-making season. Spring is more than that. It is hope in a sunrise, faith in a seedling that has taken root, wonder in a small bird with beating wings that flies 5,000 miles just to grace your feeder. It is light that streams in our windows at six o’clock in the morning, the breeze that gently caresses us, the flowers that push through dormant earth to greet us. Spring is here. It comes after the darkness of a long COVID-19 year of restrictions, quarantines and loss. Spring spoils us. It reminds us of good things to come. Ice cream and family gatherings. Flowers and barbecues. Joy in unexpected places. Love that conquers all. My little pony, Buttercup, looks like a wooly mammoth in the winter months, all white and furry, a rotund beast. And now Spring is here, she has shed her thick wool and is a sleek palomino with smooth golden skin and a white shiny mane. That’s my dream! To shed my “fluffy” look from winter and emerge as a sleek, smooth pony. Hmmm . . .I can hope.

My friend in Phoenix says that since her husband died last year, she is “terminally lonely.” Yet, I notice that since she got a little dog from the rescue, she has started opening up her blinds again and goes for walks every day. And so it goes. Somehow, life finds a way. The sunflower that arises in between cement blocks in a wall, as if to say, “I am here and I can’t be stopped.” Or the baby birds that sing and chirp and shout out, “I am hungry and life is good.” Sometimes it takes a Spring day to help us realize that life is worth living. And like the sleek pony that sheds all burdens of winter, so can we. Spring is life bursting forth around us. Enjoy the splendor. Judy Bluhm is a writer and a localRrealtor. Have a question or a comment? Email Judy at judy@judybluhm.com.

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OPINION

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 14, 2021

Photo albums chronicle 60-year love affair BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Foothills Focus Columnist

etween courtship and marriage, their love affair lasted 60 years. It spanned perfect health and terminal sickness, for richer and poorer, full measures of joy and sadness. Inseparable, they accompanied one another from a park bench in Queens, where love at first sight took hold to a little white house in Florida where they lived for 40 years until death cleaved them apart. Come the end, everything my parents owned fit into a few cardboard boxes stacked in what we called the family room. Mostly, they left behind photo albums, thick parchment pages between leather covers. My mother filled these books with years of photographs, notes and keepsakes. An engraved silver coin from an ear-

ly date to Playland in Times Square. Whorls of my father’s hair wrapped in plastic. New York Mets ticket stubs. The folio from my parents’ honeymoon night at a beachfront motel on Long Island. The place was called the Ronjo. In 1964, it set back my father, who was 18, a cool 59 bucks. The albums brim with photographs going back to my parents’ childhoods and forward through mine and my brother’s. There’s the happy couple at Jones Beach, the ocean breeze lifting my father’s pompadour. There’s their first new car, a 1965 red Volkswagen Beetle, list price $1,650. There’s me as a baby, then my brother Matthew appears — the boys swaddled and held, playing with Evel Knievel toy motorcycles, riding bikes, dragging sleds up Suicide Hill. My favorite picture tells a simple story. I am 6, Matthew is 3. We are grinning and laughing with every tooth we can bare, each balanced on one of dad’s knees,

with a birthday cake on the table before us. I cannot imagine being happier. The more I flipped through the albums, the more I felt loss in the depths of my heart. My father fought a grueling fight against Parkinson’s and dementia for three years, lasting until March 24, when he left to rejoin my mother, the one love of his life. My sadness was not so much about losing him, but about the things we have lost as we jet forward through the 21st century. Sitting in my parents’ kitchen for the first time minus my parents, I missed the elements that built their life together. I missed photographs you can hold, pictures carefully pasted into books that may yellow and crumble with time, but never detach from the memories they capture. Today, we have a trillion selfies, digital images of every last hamburger, every new outfit, every duck-lipped smile. It’s Instacrap, a style and volume of photography that cheapens memory. Once, every photo mattered. You chose subjects carefully because you only had 12 or 24 or 36 shots. It took a week for Fotomat or the drugstore to deliver an envelope of celluloid treasures. Those were images worth keeping for life – because they held life in perpetuity. Lifelong love also has fallen out of style. Now it’s unicorn rare to see passion that

begins with a smile shared on a junior high school playground and spans six decades. I am talking about love that fills albums: with Father’s Day and Mother’s Day cards drawn by hand, with wedding photographs of the bride and groom looking more like prom royalty than adults a few months from parenthood. I have had two marriages. We vowed till death do us part, but the relationships ended well short of the graveyard, in legal documents no one saves in an album full of treasures. My parents, Lynn and Harvey Leibowitz, never owned much — just a few boxes of stuff and all those photo albums — but they had each other. And that was everything.

OPINION

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 14, 2021

READER’S VIEWPOINTS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Study both sides of incorporation Editor: We are losing the lifestyle in Northern Maricopa County that we all love. Encroachment into our rural area is happening at break-neck speed....so fast that we can barely keep up. More and more high-density housing is eating up the desert as Phoenix bulldozes northward. Five years ago, there were four houses on my street that

gave homes to horses. Now there is one....and they are moving out. Less than two decades ago the Phoenix city line stopped at Carefree Highway. Now it extends northward past New River Road. The new semi-conductor plant being planned on Carefree Highway will employ 1,000 engineers...not to mention all of the ancillary jobs that will develop as a result. And there are rumors that the plant might eventually

How to get a letter published E-mail: christina@timespublications.com

The Foothills Focus welcomes letters that express readers’ opinion on current topics. Letters must include the writer’s full name, address (including city) and telephone number. The Foothills Focus will print the writer’s name and city of residence only. Letters without the requisite identifying information will not be published. Letters are published in the order received, and they are subject to editing. The Foothills Focus will not publish consumer complaints, form letters, clippings from other publications or poetry. Letters’ authors, not the Foothills Focus, are responsible for the “facts” presented in letters.

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expand to three times its original size. I’m not against job creation, but the vast majority of those jobs will be taken by new arrivals to this area. Where will they live? Won’t there be tremendous pressure to fill up every vacant parcel of land in this area with high-density housing? How will this affect our water resources, traffic, open spaces, night skies? What about crime? I am a member of the Let New River Desert Hills Decide PAC. All we want is for every resident of this area to have an opportunity to be heard on this issue. If we incorporate New River and Desert Hills, we then have control of the zoning. That means all the residents of the area will have the legal muscle to fight the high-density housing that is being imposed on us by entities that have no long-term stake in the future of this communi-

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BUSINESS

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Anthem-opoly is still in the game BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

f there’s one thing the COVID-19 pandemic bolstered, it’s the boardgame business. Michael Schulte, marketing manager for Cincinnati-based Late for the Sky, witnessed that increase, especially with the game Anthem-opoly. Based on Monopoly, the game touches on Cave Creek Regional Park, The Tennessee Grill, Peoria Regional Preserve, Agua Fria River, Frontier Town, Cave Creek Museum, and the Outlets at Anthem. “We try and incorporate points of interest, parks and some restaurants,” Schulte said. “There’s a nice mix of everything. We like to include parks and reserves because we know they’ll always be there.” Schulte said Late for the Sky can create games like this because Monopoly be-

came public domain in the early 1980s. New cities are released weekly. Anthem-opoly was introduced in 2019, but there’s been a resurgence of talk about it on social media. “Suddenly, the game is popular again,” he said. “We launched it in 2019 and we’ve been shipping that game pretty regularly since then. It’s been a really successful game for us Anthem-opoly covers Anthem, Cave Creek, Peoria and Carefree and is available at Walmart. (Photo courtesy of Late for the Sky) and for Walmart.” Anthem was one of the areas Late for the Sky pursued The specialty games are created with when the program began, Schulte said. area Walmart managers, and a local sales

representative will suggest locations. “We’ll do our research as well,” he said. “It’s a group effort.” Late for the Sky started making specialty board games in the early ’80s with a collegiate theme. From there, it branched to larger cities. The company’s staff didn’t think the business would be as successful as it is. “As we’ve learned, definitely the smaller cities are just as popular or more than the biggest city games,” Schulte said. “It comes down to civic pride. They’re proud of where they come from. It’s a game we all know and have played in our lifetime. It’s a game that’s about your own town, not Atlantic City or any other one.” Anthem-opoly 1-800-422-3434 lateforthesky.com

New owners feel Cookies N Clean is a treat BY ALEX GALLAGHER Foothills Focus Staff Writer

ookies N Clean has been an Anthem staple for self-service dog grooming since 2012, however it has been under new ownership since mid-February. Located in the Tramonto marketplace just off of Carefree Highway and North Valley Parkway, Cookies N Clean has always prided itself on its convenience for customers and its tasty treats for its favorite furry friends. In addition, Cookies N Clean is also looking to incorporate the community of Anthem into their store. “We’re trying to put a big focus on our local community,” said Anastasia Smith, who co-owns it with her husband, Jim.

Anastasia Smith and Jim Smith with their French Bulldog named Peter at the Cookies N Clean store on April 10, 2021 in Phoenix, AZ

“We’re working on bringing in more handmade or locally made vendors to support other small businesses in the area.” The company started growing local businesses by bringing the cookies back to Cookies N Clean. “We started with cookies,” Smith said. “The business used to make their own cookies in house and, at some point, got away from that. So, we are implementing the cookies part of Cookies N Clean again.” However, the cookies will be a bit different this time around. “We won’t be making them in house but instead are outsourcing to local creators,” Smith said.

See COOKIES Page 15

BUSINESS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 14, 2021

THE “10% SAVINGS RIGHT FROM THE START” POLICY

One of the self-cleaning bays at the Cookies N Clean store on April 10, 2021 in Phoenix, AZ

COOKIES From Page 14

“We brought in a gal who started her cookie/biscuit business in October called Sully’s Great Snacks. This is her first store, but she’s been doing fantastic, and she makes awesome biscuits.” Sully’s Great Snacks have been well received by customers and have rave reviews. “She makes a lot of fresh jerky out of salmon, beef liver and turkey, but she is best known for her pumpkin-peanut butter dog biscuits,” Smith said. Cookies aren’t the only thing the Smiths are trying to incorporate into their new business. They’re planning events, once it’s safe. “We are really hoping to bring in a lot of training to help people train their dogs,” Smith said. “We want to create local events to bring the community together.” Smith also hopes to shine light on local artists and would like to have artists create murals inside the large walls that line Cookies N Clean. More importantly, the Smiths hope to surround themselves with people who are passionate about their animals. “We’re also focusing on quality and we care about the dogs that come in the door,” Smith said. “People are really into their dogs and we’re really into our dogs. We wanted a place where people could come to spend some time with their dog that’s not stressful and not pushy or hurried.” Formerly of Seattle, the Smiths have only owned Cookies N Clean for about a month. The husband-and-wife team is passionate about the area, though. “My husband and I have had dogs forever and he worked at a self-wash dog wash

One of the self-cleaning bays at the Cookies N Clean store on April 10, 2021 in Phoenix, AZ when he was in high school,” Smith said. “When we moved to Arizona, this business came up for sale and was something we were both interested in. We took over three weeks ago and, so far, it’s been up and going and every time we put out a promotion more people are coming in.” Cookies N Clean has also launched a series of membership programs, which range from $23 to $40. It allows customers to receive an unlimited number of washes, groomings and nail clippings for their dog depending on the chosen program. When they are not running their business, Jim and Anastasia can be seen at various community events and plan to attend Anthem Days next. “We’re excited to be here, excited to be learning about the community and we’re excited about dogs so everybody’s welcome,” she said. Cookies N Clean

34640 N. North Valley Parkway, Suite 125, Phoenix 623-581-1018, cookiesnclean.com

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HEALTH Spring 2021

WELLNESS Your Local Guide to Better Living

No red flags for pregnant women, vaccine BY DESERT WEST OB/GYN

esearchers have found the new mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to be highly effective in producing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in pregnant and lactating women. They also demonstrated the vaccines confer protective immunity to newborns. While taking the vaccine is an individual choice, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have determined that pregnant women ages 35 to 44 with COVID-19 are at increased risk of more severe illness compared with nonpregnant peers. “Women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding have been asking about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines for both themselves and their little ones since before the FDA approved any of the current options,” said Dr. Rebecca Ludwig of Desert West OB/ GYN Anthem.

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“While a conversation with your provider may be helpful, it is not required prior to vaccination.” In the largest study of its kind to date, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard looked at 131 women of reproductive age, all of whom received one of the two new mRNA vaccines: Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna. Side effects after vaccination were rare and comparable across the study participants. Desert West Obstetrics & Gynecology has five locations including two in the far North Valley — one on the Sonoran Crossing medical campus and one in Anthem. All locations provide a full menu of services including well-woman examinations, normal and highrisk pregnancies, family planning, menopause and hormone replacement, infertility and incontinence. For more information, call 602978-1500 or visit desertwestobgyn.com.

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FEATURES

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Uplifting passion is an inside job … ignite me … thrill me … move me … anger me … educate me … lift me … center me … scare me … involve me! Just don’t leave me the way you found me when I walked through those doors.” I don’t see any “whatever” in those words. The writer begs someone to challenge them, not control them. Do you want to know a secret? When we live out of passion, we are contagious. Passion provides motivation for discipline or getting past those “whatever” times in our lives. Passion spirals us upward. Passion creates action, and then action momentum, which in turn creates unanticipated opportunities. Ben Nicholas wisely said, “Most of life is routine — dull and grubby, but routine is the momentum that keeps a man going. If you wait for inspiration, you’ll be standing on the corner after the parade is a mile down the street.” Inspiration comes from the outside of us. Passion comes from the inside of us. Passion is much more powerful and long lasting. Inspiration lasts for a short time. Inspiration gives you a sugar high but

CHURCH COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Pastor Ed Delph Foothills Focus Columnist

Consider this statement by Pastor Bill Johnson: When we live out of discipline, we are admired. When we live out of passion, we are contagious. Passion and discipline are good, but today let’s explore passion. Passion creates commitment and commitment is the ignitor of momentum. Momentum turns thoughts into things. In this article, I’m not talking about lustful passion. I’m addressing the kind of passion that can be used constructively for our personal good as well as the good of our community. Let’s get past the checked-out “whatever” attitude we often hear about these days. With contagious, constructive, God-empowered passion, we can wake up, shake up, and put on our makeup, and challenge the status quo of doom and gloom. Years ago, I was meeting with Pastor Bob Hake of Orangewood Church in Phoenix, and noticed a poster in the church’s boardroom. It was called “Stir Me.” The poster quote said: “Stir me … surprise me … inspire me … include me … stretch me … convict me … save me … irritate me … challenge me … comfort me

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then a sugar low. Passion is consistent and is not deterred by circumstances or mishaps. What is passion? Passion means “to suffer” It’s no pain; no gain. It costs something. Are you willing to commit for the long term like Jesus did on the cross? There was a man in the Bible who was passionate about God and people at the same time. Look at this verse: “For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up” (Acts 24:5). The fellow in this Bible verse was the Apostle Paul. Paul had a constructive God-given passion that made folks either better or bitter. He stirred things up. Paul was a Christian “virus” that moved people from anabolic to catabolic. You couldn’t be the same after an encounter with Paul. He was a pestilent fellow who brought God into every equation. His passion motivated ordinary people to be and do the extraordinary for the benefit of all the people. Paul was a God-given “pest” to those who had a different than God’s agenda. He didn’t tear things down unless it was to build back up. He understood passion is the fuel that puts the Word of God into action. He realized that everything stays potential unless someone channels passion. He was convinced that passion activates the promises of God for the benefit of all. He recognized that half-hearted people produce half-hearted results causing everyone in a community to underachieve. You see, we are like white blood cells in a body. White blood cells fight infection in the physical body. What if the white blood cells in an infected body said, “Whatever”? Paul could not stand by and allow an infection to go unchecked. That

is what you and I were designed by God to do — be the change for the better. Here’s more wisdom from others about a passion that ignites. “The more I look at things, the more I believe the willingness to start is the littlest thing in life that makes the biggest difference in life.” “Step onto the field. Stand up in the meeting. Raise your hand in class. Get over the bar. Walk up to the podium. Ask the first question. Take a risk, get started, contribute something.” How do you do that? Find something to get passionate about that is true, pure and good; not immoral or corrupt. Whether or not you end up being No. 1 in the world is irrelevant. Most of the time, the value you provide isn’t nearly as important as pushing yourself to provide it. People who consistently get started are the only ones who can end up finishing anything. Are we Peter, who feel asleep in the garden, or Jesus, who went on from the garden to change the world? Many times, that depends on passion! Don’t allow COVID-19 and inaction deactivate your passion. Passion gets you going and keeps you going until you’ve finished what you were pursuing. God’s passion is in you, you just need to let it go and then let it grow. In short, passion starts at the finish and finishes what it starts. 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 Nation strategy, call 623-376-6757, e-mail nationstrategy@cs.com or visit nationstrategy.com.

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 14, 2021

Spring flowers have interesting backgrounds BY SRIANTHI PERERA Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

f you are anything like me, as soon as the clock strikes April, I begin thinking about the poem, “April showers bring May flowers!” While we do not get much rain Arizona during the spring, the cooler temperatures sure have been nice. In the store, we are busy getting ready to stock all the lovely spring flowers that start blooming in April and May. One of the hallmarks of spring flowers is the daffodil. Daffodils come in a variety of colors besides their famous yellow petals. They also come in white, cream, peach and even pink. Daffodils can be traced back to the early 17th century in the United Kingdom. However, it was not until the later 19th century when they began being farmed for the cut flower industry. Initially, flower girls sold the wild blooms on the side of the road, until a potato farmer came along and realized he could farm them much like his potatoes. That is when he began growing and selling

them in bulk using the weekly freighter to send the blooms from Penzance to London on a weekly basis. We are certainly grateful for this farmer as we will enjoy the daffodil season in the next couple of weeks. I have a lot of favorite flowers, but one of my top three is definitely the tulip! Tulips come in a wide variety of colors and types. The parrot tulip is a great variety that we carry in the store. The parrot tulip has petals that resemble feathers and come in beautiful bold colors. While tulips are often associated with Holland, they actually originated in China. They were introduced into Western society in the 16th century and even led to the first recorded economic bubble burst with a little known event, called “tulip mania.” Tulips became such a hot commodity that their price rose to over 10 times the annual salary of an average artist around 1637. They were so sought after that farmers had their

planted bulbs stolen right out of their farms. What a wild history our sweet tulips have. Did you also know that tulips continue to grow while they are in water? I have customers come in often with their vase of tulips that have slumped over asking me for help. The stems of the tulips continue to grow in water and often cause them to slink over the vase. All they need is a stem cut and they are back in business! I’ll admit, there is nothing more beautiful that a big, beautiful peony in full bloom. Peonies are requested nearly everyday (even during the cold winter!) in our store. If peonies were a floral currency, they would be the rare coin that you find in your great grandmother’s coin purse. They only bloom from April to June and the full blooms have an even shorter season for the cut flower industry. The peony dates back to 1000 BC in China and did not make its way out west

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until the late 1700s. During that time, the peony was used primarily for medicine, helping to treat headaches and asthma. To this day, lightly sweetened peony petals are served as a dessert in China. Peonies come in nearly every color, except for blue. Watching the peony fully bloom in the spring and open from a tight ball into a fluffy, colorful flower is truly a gift. It is evident I could talk about flowers for days and days. I love spring and the flowers they bring with them. Not only do we make beautiful bouquets with the fresh-cut blooms, but we also get to learn more about the different varieties and how they are cultivated. There is nothing more cheerful that have a simple vase of fresh cut blooms in your home to wash away the April showers. Natalie Gilliland owns Poppies Flower Shop at Norterra, 2450 W. Happy Valley Road, Suite 1147, Phoenix. For more information, call 480-649-7100, visit poppiesflowershop.com or email info@poppiesflowershop.com.

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GCU student receives full-ride scholarship for caddying BY ETHAN GRENI Foothills Focus Staff Writer

olf is one of the most popular sports in the Valley, thanks to the warm weather and abundance of scenic courses scattered across the desert. For GCU freshman Evan Johnson though, it wasn’t exactly love at first swing.

“I really grew up around golf and I actually hated it for a while, I just thought it was super boring,” Johnson said. “Then I moved out here, and I had a couple baseball buddies who started playing and got me into it, so I started playing. Then I realized I was decent at it, so I started playing tournament golf, and that’s what got me into caddying.”

Evan Johnson received the Chick Evans Scholarship for caddying that covers the full cost of housing and tuition. (Photo courtesy of Evan Johnson) Johnson, who moved to Glendale seven years ago from Kansas City, Missouri, received the Chick Evans Scholarship from the Western Golf Association’s Evans Scholars Foundation in March. The scholarship is awarded to roughly 300 caddies each year, and covers the full costs of housing and tuition. With only one season of caddying under his belt, however, Johnson didn’t get the scholarship on his first try. “It was at the end of my first season of caddying, and the head pro of the golf course that I work at, Desert Forest, reached out to me and he said, ‘Hey, this could be a possibility, why don’t you sign up,’” Johnson said. “So, I went and signed up and I actually got rejected my first year, and then, obviously, I reapplied and got it this year.” He said the wait was worth it though, when he finally got to celebrate the news with his family. “I was, honestly, really speechless. It was a couple weeks ago now, but I still have no words to put into the feelings that I have,” Johnson said. “I got (the letter) late one night from FedEx, and I had to go wake up my parents, and we opened it, and we all started jumping for

joy and yelling, hooting and hollering, and it was great.” Just three years of caddying is all it took to give someone who grew up “hating” golf the opportunity of a lifetime. “I just thought it would be something fun to do with a couple buddies and maybe make some money on the side,” Johnson said. “But now, I look at it through a whole different lens, and just trying to make great connections with people that can lead me further into life and teach me good lessons in life.” Always looking to learn, he said making connections with people is the biggest lesson caddying has taught him. “Really everything, from making connections with people to just learning how to be a better person, honestly,” Johnson said. “I’m really a people person, so I really like hanging out with new people, or the people I see on a regular basis, and just having a great time out on the course.” Johnson is transferring this Fall from GCU to the University of Kansas as an Evans Scholar to study sports manage-

see SCHOLARSHIP page 21

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 14, 2021

New target-shooting opportunity awaits BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

he distinctive sound of a bullet hitting steel soon will be heard on the newly named Frank DeSomma Memorial Range at the worldclass Ben Avery Shooting Facility. The Arizona Game and Fish Department, in partnership with Phoenix-based Patriot Ordnance Factory, now provides an opportunity for recreational shooters to take aim at reactive steel targets set at 200, 300, 400 and 500 meters. The range, named after the late Frank DeSomma, founder of POF-USA, will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (no start times after 1:30 p.m.) Wednesday to Sunday, depending on range availability. Customers can only reserve shooting times at https://bookben. azgfd.com/. Reservations are time certain. To ensure all customers have the same op-

portunity, arriving early or late will not change a person’s reservation start or end time. A reservation block is scheduled for one hour, and customers will be prompted when the end time is approaching to ensure they have time to pack up their equipment and depart. The reactive steel targets vary in size, depending on distance. The targets set at 200 and 300 meters range from 4 to 20 inches, while the targets set at 400 and 500 meters range from 6 to 24 inches. Armor-piercing steel core/steel jacket, solid copper and other hardened bullets are strictly prohibited. Ammunition may be inspected to ensure safety guidelines are being followed. An inspection may be conducted, at the customer’s request, to determine if a particular type of ammunition is permitted. As a reminder, all firearms must be cased before entering the range. All customers are responsible for picking up their spent casings. Customers can

purchase eye and hearing protection when making a reservation. Range staff will be conducting sanitizing procedures on the range, based

on the CDC’s latest recommendations. For more information, as well as a complete list of rules, visit https://bookben.azgfd.com/.

ment. He said he chose the school because his mother went to Kansas, and he wanted to be closer to where he grew up. “I’m a freshman now, at Grand Canyon, and I really didn’t know what I was going to want to do studies-wise going into it,” Johnson said. “I knew I wanted to do something in business and marketing and all that, and I’m interested in sports. “So, I started looking at it and doing my research on just some of the opportunities that can arise from that, and I just thought sports management sounded the most fun, and could be the best

career path for me.” With a new opportunity ahead of him — all because his friends got him to try a sport he couldn’t stand — Johnson said golf has more to offer than most people realize. “Honestly, just try to get out and go play golf, it’s a great sport. It can lead you to some amazing opportunities like what I’m doing,” Johnson said. “I started in just the junior caddy program, and I think the only one that’s going on right now is Desert Forest, in Carefree, Arizona. “Try to reach out to them and maybe try to grab that opportunity, because it’s awesome. I’ve met some amazing people up there, and it’s just great.”

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 14, 2021

Festival brings rock collectors from around the state BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

he Saturday, April 17, Bradshaw Mountain Festival will feature rocks and minerals, a chili cookoff and music at the Black Canyon Plaza. “It’s a rock and mineral show and we’re going to have artists with us and a couple of established authors,” said Michael Sandford with the host organization Black Canyon Mining & Mineral Museum. “We have rock collectors who will come down from Camp Verde and a few others from out of state. It’s not going to be as big as it once was because of COVID.” Black Canyon Plaza is located at 34301 S. Old Black Canyon Highway, Black Canyon City. The hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Collectors of rocks and minerals are invited to sell their collections at the festival. The cost is $10 for a 10 x 10 booth.

Michael Sandford welcomes visitors to his Black Canyon City Mining and Mineral Museuem in the rear of Black Canyon Plaza. (Photo by Tim Sealy)

Among the mining relics is a collection of locally found minerals. (Photo by Tim Sealy)

um holds fossils, a bison skull, parts of a woolly mammoth, artifacts and a black light room with rocks that glow. “We also have a lot of mining tools that were popular in the 19th century,” Sandford said. “These are all obsolete right now. We have a lot of copper, silver and gold, too. “We have a large collection of maps beginning with AriSeveral minerals in the museum’s collection are kept uder black light to display their luminescence. zona as a territory going up to (Photo by Tim Sealy) statehood. It shows where the cities weren’t and where they For more information, email strawberare now.” Open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturryproductions200449@gmail.com. Sandford is an authority on rocks and days, the museum has free admission. The minerals, but especially fossils. When he gift shop boasts mining books and coloring lived in Lake Odessa, Michigan, he fre- and activity books. quently found fossils, the most famous Bradshaw Mountain Festival of which is the Petoskey stone. When : 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 17 He began collecting rocks as a hobby, Where : Black Canyon Plaza, 34301 S. Old but studied geology at Phoenix College Black Canyon Highway, Black Canyon City and ASU. After graduating, he worked Cost : Free admission; for the U.S. Geological Survey in the $10 for a 10 x 10 booth hydrology department measuring the Info : 602-503-6996 or depth of wells. strawberryproductions200449@gmail.com Black Canyon Mining & Mineral Muse-

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 14, 2021

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For more Youth News visit thefoothillsfocus.com @TheFoothills.Focus

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Anthem moms work to celebrate graduating seniors BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

chool hasn’t been the same since COVID-19, but a group of Anthem moms are working hard to ensure more than 400 high school seniors don’t miss out on celebrating their achievements. The parents are bringing back the senior parade. It starts at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 8, at the Church of Latter-day Saints in Daisy Mountain. Anyone is welcome, and encouraged, to support the students. “I’m really thankful we get to have a parade and that our community is

doing this for us,” said Ember Foxx, a Caurus Academy senior. “It’s been really difficult, and I do get emotional about it sometimes because in the movies you see kids hanging out with friends or going out. We didn’t really get to do that.” Nationwide, schools were forced to cancel prom, graduation and othYOUTH er senior events for 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions. Parents of high school students were determined to give them a way of celebrating. Boulder Creek High School initially pushed back graduation last year, but, as COVID-19 continued to wors-

en, it canceled the event. Stephanie McLean, the mother of a class of 2020 Boulder Creek High School student, and three other parents rushed to action. “Within a week’s notice, we were able to throw a full graduation for the kids,” McLean said. “We rented a stage, videographer, sound equipment, lights, chairs and we took over the graduation that would have been at the stadium. We worked really hard and were able to host it for them in a parking lot.” Thanks to those parents, more than 120 students in the class of 2020 decorated their cars and drove

through Anthem. The streets were lined with friends, family and neighbors cheering for them and their success. While last year’s senior class lost their prom and graduation, this year’s senior class lost the whole year, according to Stacee Foxx, Ember’s mother. Stacee attended the parade last year to cheer on her friends and neighbors. This year, with her daughter graduating, she wanted to host it again. “Their entire senior year was not

�� SENIORS �� 25

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | APRIL 14, 2021

DVUSD continues to improve

BY DR. CURTIS FINCH Superintendent, Deer Valley Unified School District

hen a car breaks down on the side of the road, the occupants open the hood and look for problems such as loose wires, broken hoses, smoke, steam, etc. If nothing looks out of the ordinary, there are limited options. If one is not mechanical in nature, grabbing a rock and banging on your engine may relieve some frustration, but it will not start your engine, I guarantee it. There is a high probability that a computer guides your vehicle’s mechanical operations, and the only option will be to call an auto carrier and have it delivered to the dealership or a facility with electronic diagnostic tools.

Upon arrival, the car will be connected to a machine that will declare which system is malfunctioning. Often the tool will display data codes for the technician to check against an auto manual or online directory of what the data might mean. Although the tool may state the general problem for correction, the mechanic is held responsible to work with others in the shop to find the exact remedy. Shops that fix vehicles are places where each mechanic must learn from each other, making their businesses efficient and effective at solving problems and providing solutions. The next step for a vehicle is the road test. Once the auto hits the road, the mechanic monitors the car’s gauges and watches for abnormalities from the solution. Deer Valley Unified School District also continuously monitors our systems for

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optimum performance. We look for multiple data points including internal, state, and national tests, learning and participation opportunities for students, community, staff, and student surveys, staff development outcomes, individual, building, and district award accolades and recognitions, etc. Data collection and analysis guides our future steps and keeps our systems performing optimally. This process is repeated, even when the DVUSD “machine” appears to be running on all cylinders. Despite the COVID-19 storm engulfing the state of Arizona this past year, the good news is that DVUSD students continue to enjoy positive learning experiences at school and compete successfully in athletics, academics, and extra-curricular opportunities. With 24 out of 38 schools with an A rating, 92% of schools rated A or

B, 21 schools with an A-Plus certification, 94.5% graduation rate, 1:1 computer to student ratio, multiple CTE offerings at all five high schools and WestMEC, 3.9 million meals served annually, etc., it’s good to know that many data points indicate a well-tuned machine. Even though these positive indicators are all headed in the right direction, DVUSD still will strive to improve, and data will be our guide. If you would like to learn more about the many educational opportunities at Deer Valley Unified School District, visit dvusd.org. If you want your child to receive the best education in the Valley, look no further than DVUSD. We are #Extraordinary! Curtis Finch, Ph.D., can be reached at superintendent@dvusd.org and can be followed on Twitter @DrFinchDVUSD

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how it should have been,” Stacee said. “I think to have something like this is really special, it gives them a moment.” Without that moment of recognition, Ember said it’s hard to move on. “To be honest, I’m not really ready to graduate,” Ember said. “My senior year went by a little too fast. Most of it was through a computer. It’s really weird to think that we’re graduating now. Everyone keeps saying, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re graduating. It’s over,’ but it doesn’t feel like it. It’s hard to feel like I’m graduating.” Ember said schools are trying their best to provide opportunities for students. Some schools are offering a modified in-person graduation ceremony, others are attempting to have a socially distanced prom. However, Ember said most students won’t attend because “it’s just not the same.” For many seniors, their only recognition will come from these parent-organized events. McLean said she is glad the community is continuing with the parade. Seniors will head off in different directions, with some leaving Anthem for good. “Not everyone goes off to college and gets a big scholarship with a sendoff,” McLean said. “There are kids going off to the workforce, going to the military, kind of starting their career. I think it’s nice to celebrate an ending to their Anthem childhood.” Stacee acknowledged this as well and said, unlike last year, the parade will not be limited to a specific school. She wants every student recognized who has a tie to Anthem. She is expecting around 400 seniors from the community to participate on May 8. “I want all the kids every year, regardless of what’s going on in the world, to get to celebrate,” Stacee said. “These kids work so hard for so many years and graduating high school is such a big moment. It’s something to be celebrated by everybody. “I feel like that’s what Anthem is about, celebrating each other and each other’s victories as a community.”

TO BE

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