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Phoenix issues Phase 1 Water Alert BY PAUL MARYNIAK and SCOTT SHUMAKER Foothills Focus Staff Writers
P
hoenix is now under a Phase 1 Water Alert, setting the stage for an intensive citizen education campaign by the city to broaden awareness of the Valley’s shrinking water supply and step up everyday voluntary conservation practices. In issuing the alert May 27, the city joined Mesa and Scottsdale, which earlier triggered similar water alerts and involve the same
kind of public education programs Phoenix will launch. The first phase does not mandate any specific measures by city Water Services Department customers. Rather, according to a memo by Deputy City Manager Karen Peters to council, it launches “an intensive public education and information program to assist all customers in understanding the need for voluntary water conservation.” “Public outreach efforts will focus on these three areas to effectively communicate wa-
ter awareness: Raise awareness to shortage conditions on the Colorado River and the city’s response, educate customers on sustainable water use, and activate customers to use water responsibly,” she continued. “While asking residents and businesses to do their part, the city is increasing its own water efficiency,” Peters reported. “Toilet and fixture retrofits throughout Phoenix City Hall will provide significant reductions in water use. The city is developing further
see WATER page 3
City honors Phoenix police officer killed on duty
FEATURES......... 14 Kiwanis luncheon to cover scams and how to avoid them
YOUTH.............. 21 Olivia Prock of Anthem earns dean’s list honors
OPINION.......................9 BUSINESS.................. 12 FEATURES................. 14 YOUTH....................... 21 CLASSIFIEDS............. 22 Zone I
and overturn. Officer New was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.” Police reports state that the driver of the other vehicle had a blood alcohol content of 0.223 at the time of the crash, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08. New, assigned to the Black Mountain Precinct, was 27 years old and had only been on the force for two years. He left behind a wife, mother, brother and grandmother. Kristen Whetstone, New’s widow, said the officer loved what he did and did it regardless of the risks. “I honestly think that if he knew the price, he would still do it. He would still go to work every day,” Whetstone said. “He knew it was a possibility,
BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Wrier
O
ne year after Phoenix Police Officer Ginarro New was killed on duty as a result of a traffic collision with a drunken driver, the police department hosted a short ceremony to unveil a historical marker in his honor. The sign reads, “Police Officer Ginarro New End of Watch May 31, 2021.” It is located at the southwest corner of Cave Creek Road and Greenway Road, where he was hit. “On May 31, 2021, Officer New was on patrol,” Sgt. Vincent Cole with the Public Affairs Bureau said about the incident. “Around 10:30 p.m. his vehicle was struck by an impaired driver that failed to stop for a red light. The force of the impact caused the patrol car to strike a brick wall
Officer Ginarro New had been on the force for two years and was 27 years old when he was killed on duty as a result of a collision with an impaired driver. (Phoenix Police Department/Sub-
see OFFICER page 4
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WATER from page 1
plans to retrofit fixtures in other city buildings. The city’s Water Efficiency Task Force, an interdepartmental working group, continues to examine additional methods to increase efficiency and conservation in city operations.” Two council subcommittees also were scheduled June 1 and June 5 to discuss the alert and its ramifications. The Phase 1 Water Alert came in response to long-term drought and recent declines in water storage on the Colorado River. Though the city states on its website “Phoenix is built for drought,” it cautions, “The city is prepared to establish such restrictions in future years if absolutely necessary to ensure the safety and health of our residents.” And it notes four factors can impact the city’s water supply and eventually force more stringent water conservation steps. Those factors include, the city states, “Growth rate within our service area; how the seven Colorado River Basin states, and groups of water users within Arizona, will respond to system shortages; the degree to which customer demands can be reduced to meet drought conditions; and how long a drought will last.” Looming on the horizon for the entire Valley is the likelihood that the U.S.
EcoFlight, an aviation nonprofit that provides the aerial perspective for pressing land and water issues in the West, has released a batch of photos for the latest flyover over. Lake Powell, which is experiencing historic low water levels that threaten electricity production at Glen Canyon Dam. To address the crisis low water levels, a Drought Response Operations Plan was created and approved April 21. To keep Glen Canyon Dam operational, 500,000 acre-feet of water will be released from Flaming Gorge Reservoir into Lake Powell over the next 12 months. The Drought Response Operations Plan also includes possible releases from Blue Mesa and Navajo Reservoirs in 2023. (EcoFlight/Submitted) Bureau of Reclamation in August will declare a Tier 2a level drought for the Colorado River system. “In Tier 2a, Arizona loses another 80,000 acre-feet,” Tom Buschatzke, the director of the Arizona Department of
Water Resources, said in a briefing last month. “I don’t think that 80,000 acrefeet is going to result in a hue and cry in which they’re going to say you have to turn off your sprinklers outside or you can’t fill up your pool. It’s not that level
of cut.” Still, even now the extended drought’s impact on the Colorado, Salt and Verde rivers’ levels has been felt in some parts of the Valley. Scottsdale enacted the first stage of its drought management plan last August, canceling water hauling for some 700 households as of January 2023. That move has set off an ongoing dispute among homeowners in that city’s Rio Verde Foothills development over what to do next. Arizona and other western states that take water from the lower Colorado River for cities and farms were hoping for a good season of rain and snow this winter to keep water levels in the river’s reservoirs above dangerously low levels. Instead, they got another bad year. The dry year, on top of 22 years of regional drought, has shortened the time that states and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation have to avert a series of dangerous scenarios that could unfold in the next two years without action. About 36% of Arizona’s water — and about 40% of Phoenix’s water — comes from the Colorado River. Lake Mead and Lake Powell store water that goes to population centers, and they have less
see WATER page 4
More than 95% of Phoenix’s demand is met with surface water, according to an extensive report the city completed last year. “In years when SRP reservoirs are low, a portion of the supply may consist of groundwater pumped from SRP wells into the SRP canal system. The city also maintains a number of wells for operational flexibility and for use when Colorado, Salt and Verde River supplies are reduced,” it states. (City of Phoenix/Submitted)
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NEWS
THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | JUNE 8, 2022
OFFICER from page 1 An edition of the East Valley Tribune The Foothills Focus is published every Wednesday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout the North Valley. To find out where you can pick up a copy of The Foothills Focus, please visit www.thefoothillsfocus.com CONTACT INFORMATION Main number: 623-465-5808 | Fax: 623-465-1363 Circulation: 480-898-5641 Publisher: Steve T. Strickbine Vice President: Michael Hiatt ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Display Advertising: 480-348-0343 Classifieds/Inside Sales: Elaine Cota | 480-898-7926 | ecota@timeslocalmedia.com TJ Higgins | 480-898-5902 | tjhiggins@timeslocalmedia.com Steve Insalaco | 480-898-5635 | sinsalaco@timeslocalmedia.com Advertising Office Manager: Tricia Simpson | 480-898-5624 tsimpson@timeslocalmedia.com Director of National Advertising Zac Reynolds | 480-898-5603 | zac@timeslocalmedia.com NEWS DEPARTMENT Executive Editor: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski | 480-898-5631 christina@timeslocalmedia.com Design: Nathalie Proulx | nproulx@timeslocalmedia.com Production Coordinator: Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 production@timeslocalmedia.com Circulation Director: Aaron Kolodny | 480-898-5641 customercare@timeslocalmedia.com
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but if somehow we knew and he got told this is what the outcome would be, he’d still put on the uniform. It was that important to him.” Others shared this sentiment. Sgt. James Byrd, who was New’s recruit training officer at the academy, talked about in a statement New’s desire to help others. “He walked (into the academy) immediately with this gigantic, just gigantic, wish to be a police officer and help people,” Byrd said. “So, I think that watching that transformation over the three or four months I got to see it was just amazing.” At the ceremony unveiling New’s “End of Watch” sign, Phoenix police officers from his precinct and squad were joined
The city of Phoenix honored Officer Ginarro New, who was killed in the line of duty, with a historical marker in a ceremony on May 31. (Allison Brown/Staff)
WATER from page 3
water now than they’ve ever had. Phoenix takes the rest from in-state sources, including groundwater and dams managed by Salt River Project. The upshot of the disappointing winter is that water officials are accepting a future where less Colorado River water is available — so they are redoubling efforts to make alternate plans. But at the same time that they are doing long-term planning, water officials are also engaged in a short-term rescue mission to keep the Colorado River flowing and the reservoir system intact. A U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 24-month study predicts that without action, Lake Powell could drop below the level needed to generate hydropower, 3,490 feet, by next spring or as early as the end of December. In briefings last month, officials noted that the reservoirs are V-shaped, which means the rate that the water levels drop accelerates at lower levels. “We’re being piled on in a lot of ways, including by Mother Nature,” Buschatzke said in a joint briefing with the Central Arizona Project last week. While Buschatzke emphasized that there is no “imminent threat” to water flowing from the tap in Arizona homes and businesses, officials made clear that Arizona and other states face a gauntlet of bad scenarios if they can’t halt the de-
by Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, councilmembers, Executive Police Chief Michael Kurtenbach and other executive staff members. New’s widow, mother, grandmother and family friends were also at the ceremony. The ceremony was opened by a prayer from Phoenix Police Chaplain Bob Fesmire, who spoke of New’s service and sacrifice, followed by a short statement from Cole. New’s family, friends and squad members were invited to pull down the covering over the sign to reveal it. The family was also given a small replica of the sign. “This marker will serve as a reminder of the sacrifice Officer New made in service of the citizens of the city of Phoenix,” Cole said at the ceremony.
The Phoenix city administration recently provided this update on the status of water-conservation measures approved by city council so far. (City of Phoenix/Submitted) cline in the Colorado reservoirs. The most immediate threat to the Colorado water system is the loss of hydropower generated by the dams that hold back the water, when the level drops below the intake for the turbines. Rural communities, like Page, rely on that hydropower, but it’s also “a crucial part of our (Arizona) energy grid,” Glendale Water Resources Manager Drew Swieczkowski said in a recent presentation. “It is a really big energy producer.”
CAP, the state agency that delivers Colorado River water via canals and water credits, only relies on hydropower for 6% of its energy needs, but the loss of the power would put upward pressure on water rates. After losing power production, the next problem dam engineers would face is the need to release water from the reservoir via rarely used low water out-
see WATER page 7
5
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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | JUNE 8, 2022
Brnovich urges Supreme Court to protect free speech of small-business owners BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF
A
rizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, co-leading a coalition of 20 states, has filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) to defend the free speech rights of business owners. Brnovich and the coalition, inspired by 303 Creative v. Elenis, claim states cannot use their public accommodation
laws to force business owners to create custom speech, The move was inspired by 303 Creative owner Lorie Smith, a Colorado-based graphic artist and designer. According to a release, Smith wants to expand her business into wedding websites but says her religious beliefs prohibit her from promoting same-sex weddings. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, citing Colorado’s anti-discrimina-
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tion law, says Smith is required by law to create websites for same-sex weddings should she do so for opposite-sex weddings. Smith sued, arguing the Colorado law violates her rights under the First Amendment. Brnovich, who previously co-led in October 2021 an amicus brief of 16 states urging SCOTUS to accept this case, said in a statement that small-business owners should not have to compromise their freedom of belief “as a cost of doing business.” “Owners of small companies do not give up their constitutional rights as a cost of doing business,” the attorney general said. “Freedoms of speech, belief and expression are at the core of who we
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are as Americans, and our government is out of line to infringe on them.” The amicus brief says Colorado cannot force Smith to address the topic of samesex marriage — let alone “express approval and celebration” of it — because she “speaks through” her custom design work, according to the press release. It adds that SCOTUS’s “precedents have banned compelled speech without nullifying public accommodation laws.” The states joining Arizona’s effort include Nebraska, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah and West Virginia.
Contact Christina Fuoco-Karasinski at 480-898-5631 or
christina@timeslocalmedia.com
NEWS
THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | JUNE 8, 2022
WATER from page 4
lets. Dam operators don’t want to rely on these, because they have little experience using them. “There are reliability concerns about long-term operations and a lot of uncertainty,” Buschatzke said of dam operations at extreme low water. “I think you’ll hear that word ‘uncertainty’ quite a bit today in terms of what’s facing us.” One-hundred and twenty feet below the loss of hydropower, Lake Powell would reach “dead pool,” when water is below the low water outlet and there is no more active storage. At dead pool on Lake Powell, “the maximum amount that could be released (from the dam) is limited to the amount coming in, so-called ‘run of the river,’” a spokesperson for CAP said. CAP said it could continue delivering to cities through its canals as long as Lake Mead stayed above dead pool. The agency also has secondary storage in Lake Pleasant north of Phoenix, for “critical deliveries to Phoenix-area cities.” In a worst-case scenario, cities could keep the taps running for years using stored groundwater and water from the Salt River Project. But a rapid reduction in cities’ allocations of Colorado River water would still likely have local officials scrambling to keep water operations steady. Many cities are drilling new wells to enhance their ability to quickly add groundwater to their water utilities. Phoenix’s budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 appropriated $1.51 million for six new hires, materials, vehicles and other costs to operate and maintain three new wells and eight aquifer, stor-
age and recovery wells that will be completed in December. “The water from these wells will supplement the potable water system and augment Phoenix’s water resource during times of water shortages and emergency outages,” City Manager Jeff Barton told council in his formal budget presentation. Additionally, those new wells will cost $1.2 million annually to maintain. One bit of good news is a large share of Phoenix’s water comes from SRP, and SRP’s reservoirs on the Salt and Verde rivers are currently healthy, sitting at 77% and 33%, respectively. SRP is studying a plan to raise the height of Bartlett Dam, located 48 miles northeast of Phoenix, to improve storage capacity on the Verde River. But the cost of that project is now put at $1 billion. Phoenix is one of the municipalities involved in a study of the project. The bad year on top of many bad years seems to have forced water officials to face the reality that the Colorado will permanently deliver less water each year, and it has galvanized officials to act. Climate change is one reason water officials are resigned to reducing dependence on the Colorado River. One of the findings from this year’s April water study was that much less water reached the river than actually fell as snow and rain in the watershed. In terms of snowpack, it actually wasn’t that bad a year, with 92% of average. But that snowfall only led to 62% of average inflow to the reservoirs. Officials blame drier soil soaking up more water.
It is a “troubling trend that we do seem to be getting the precipitation,” Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Chief Dan Bunk said. “But other factors such as warmer temperatures, the dry soil conditions, increased evapotranspiration, they all seem to be conspiring to some extent against the actual runoff that is occurring on the system.” Officials are talking frankly about reduced flows of the river. Glendale Water Resources Manager Drew Swieczkowski said in a presentation last month the “aridification of the Western U.S.” will result from a longterm reduction in soil moisture due to climate change. He said the Colorado River now has a new estimated annual yield of 10 to 11 million acre-feet of water, compared to 16.5 MAF allocated to U.S. states and Mexico. This reckoning with the Colorado’s oversubscription has energized longterm planning and water development efforts, and stimulated cooperation among local and federal officials. “We can’t rely on Mother Nature some-
7
how restoring the Colorado River to what’s been allocated,” one official said. Officials in a joint briefing last month appeared focused rather than discouraged. Western states — including California, which has traditionally fought fiercely to hold on to its water — have been working together to keep extra water in the reservoirs. This year, states voluntarily left 500,000-acre-feet of water in Lake Mead as part of the 500+ Plus compensated conservation program. Buschatzke said this and other conservation efforts have added 70 feet of elevation to the reservoirs, buying planners valuable time. California, Arizona and Nevada are currently working on another version of 500+ Plus for 2023. Officials expect voluntary cuts like these, on top of cuts already outlined in the drought contingency plans, to keep the Colorado River flowing. “It won’t stop at 2023, but one year at a time,” Buschatzke said.
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AROUND THE BLUHMIN’ TOWN
Remember every body is a bikini body BY JUDY BLUHM Foothills Focus Columnist
I
sn’t summer wonderful? So, are we all ready for donning a swimsuit? Hmm… some of us would rather walk a plank with a gang of blood-thirsty pirates behind us and a bunch of sharks with their jaws wide open waiting for us to jump before going “public” in a bathing suit. About 80% of American adults over the age of 40 claim that they are “uncomfortable” with the way they look in a swimsuit. A shocking 50% of middle-aged American women say they would rather “have a heart attack” than wear a bathing suit out in public. My grandkids want me to take them
to a resort pool and go down the slides. Hey, I’m a grandma and in no mood for walking around poolside with a hundred folks. If I want to wear a swimsuit, it will be in the privacy of my own backyard. And then again, maybe not. I do need to buy a bathing suit because I am soon making my annual family vacation to San Diego. We all like to splash around in the ocean and maybe grab a boogie board to ride a wave. I hate the thought of having to buy a swimsuit! Have you done this lately? It is intimidating to go to a store and try one on. This is not an exercise for the weak, as only the brave can survive. There, under the unforgiving florescent lights and the horror of three-way mirrors, it is the
“time of reckoning” that will make many women physically ill. Every bulge, ripple, lump, bump, cellulite, flab, tummy and thigh will be completely and grossly exposed. Every potato chip, high-carb treat, piece of pie, and plate of pasta is suddenly staring back at you in a room full or mirrors. It’s more terrifying than a “Fun House.” There is no mercy, no denial — just absolute honesty made worse by the glare of bright lights! A woman in her 60s went bathing suit shopping in a mall with her husband. She went to the dressing room, tried on a swimsuit, and when she stood in front of the three-way mirror, she was so horrified that she let out a blood-curdling, “Noooooo.”
Los Angeles. Ostensibly, this was a “get acquainted” exercise, but the congressman understood that the visitors had come as part of a “charm offensive” by the Chinese. Sadly, for his foreign visitors, the congressman saw nothing charming in the Chinese presentation. While he was inclined to give them “an A for effort,” even their intended overture of hospitality was ham-handed. Rather than call room service and prearrange a beverage service for all in attendance, a junior member of the delegation hurriedly brewed coffee in the small, hotel-issued device in the suite. The young diplomat’s hasty decision to pour the hot beverage into highball glasses only added to the ill-fitting atmosphere of the encounter. So, with steaming hot coffee served in glasses better suited for happy hour, the senior
Chinese official began his happy talk. “China desires friendship with the United States,” the consular officer said. “And there is no better way to encourage friendship between our two nations than to build on the trade policy already in place. If the United States Congress extends ‘normal trade relations’ with our nation, it will add to the prosperity and security of both our peoples.” The congressman offered a response couched in diplomatic niceties, but clearly stating his concerns: “Welcome to Arizona; you honor us with your visit. Thanks also for stating your desire for friendship between our nations. In that spirit, let us speak to each other candidly, as friends. Your kind words notwithstanding, it is very difficult to reconcile those comments with some troubling remarks recently made by one of your senior military officers. Specifically, it
‘Get acquainted’ exercise was like ‘The Twilight Zone’
BY J.D. HAYWORTH Foothills Focus Columnist
R
od Serling must have written this scene, the congressman thought to himself. He and an aide sat in the rooftop suite of a downtown hotel, in serious disrepair. The worn, early ’60s decor only added to the sensation of life inside a “Twilight Zone” episode, compounded outdoors by the monsoonal conditions of a mid-August afternoon. The threatening storm clouds were more like Miami than Phoenix, but the changing hues aloft put to rest any notion that this was occurring in black and white. Seated across the room were visitors from the East — the Far East — though the delegation had come to Arizona from the consulate general of China in
A sales associate called security. Her husband, who was somewhere else in the store heard his wife’s shrieks and ran into the women’s dressing room to stop whoever was murdering her. He was met by a woman walking out who hit him with her handbag several times until he was screaming, too. Oh, yeah,
see BODY page 10
was Lt. Gen. Xiong Guangkai who said of our nation and our people, ‘…you care a lot more about Los Angeles than Taipei.’ How are we to interpret that, other than as a direct threat?” The senior Chinese diplomat had a ready response: “Congressman, perhaps
see ZONE page 10
10
OPINION
THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | JUNE 8, 2022
Your news 24/7 www.TheFoothillsFocus.com
BODY from Page 9
buying swimsuits can get ugly. Need a bathing suit? No worries. Head for the gym, run that mile, lift those weights, skip dessert, and by October you will look fabulous! Or, go ahead, expose yourself and be proud! Why shouldn’t everyone, all shapes and sizes, have fun this summer? It may take deter-
mination to try on a bathing suit and courage to wear it, but we can do this! My solution? I might get a wet suit. It’s the perfect cover up with head-to-toe spandex! See you at the beach! Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local realtor. Have a comment or a story? Email Judy at judy@judybluhm.com.
you have had the experience of being misquoted in the press. I believe that was the case with Gen. Xiong in this instance.” “Besides,” he continued, “because we are headquartered in Los Angeles, I can assure you that my colleagues and I have considerable personal interest in that great city!” Despite the diplomat’s effort at deflection through humor, the conversation did nothing to change the congressman’s mind. When the question of extending “normal trade relations” with communist China came before the full House, he voted no. Fast-forward through two decades and five occupants of the White House. The congressman is now a columnist, but serious questions about U.S.-China relations remain. Of the five men who have occupied the Oval Office through those years, only Donald Trump remained skeptical of trade with China. The other four were pro-China trade, with one, Bill Clinton, “evolving.” Gov. Clinton campaigned as an opponent of trade with China, only to change his mind as president, and campaign finance records explain why. Financial contributions by Chinese citizens to the Clinton-Gore campaign in 1996 led to changes in U.S. campaign finance law but were of no legal consequence to President Clinton.
Undaunted, the Chinese shifted their strategy. Instead of presidential campaigns, they concentrated on “princelings,” the children of prominent politicians, most notably Hunter Biden, who has been involved in questionable business dealings with Chinese entities. Something has certainly affected Hunter’s dad, the current commander-in-chief. On a recent overseas trip to visit Asian allies, there was no stop in Taiwan, but Joe Biden brought the traveling White House Press Corps to a “full stop” when he said that the United States would intervene militarily if the Chinese attacked Taiwan. White House staffers immediately “walked back” his comments, but Ol’ Joe had taken “strategic ambiguity” to greater levels of contradiction and confusion. Or could that be the elder Biden was making his own “deflection play,” mindful of suspicions that he could be a blackmail target? Meantime, press accounts indicate China may soon move militarily against Taiwan — just as Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year. Two communist nuclear powers going to war against their neighbors in 2022? What might happen next? It sounds like the plot of a “Twilight Zone” episode from 1962 — or, perhaps, if miscalculations continue, like “Twilight’s Last Gleaming.”
ZONE from Page 9
How to get a letter published E-mail: christina@timeslocalmedia.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.
THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | JUNE 8, 2022
SMITH’S OPINION — Las Vegas Sun
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Pilates studio helps clients ‘return to life’ BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Wrier
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rainers at Sundial Pilates in Carefree use decades-old methods to help clients strengthen their core, increase flexibility, tone muscles and even reduce pain. The studio doesn’t just call its workout Pilates, it strictly adheres to the methods developed by physical therapy pioneer Joseph Pilates, who developed the movements and exercises over a span of 60 years. “Utilizing the specialized equipment he designed, the method works by toning muscles as well as balancing muscu-
lar force at the joint level. It stimulates circulation through facilitating muscular flexibility, joint range of motion, and proper musculoskeletal alignment,” co-owner Jill Eisma said. “In addition, it promotes new neuromuscular patterns, heightened body awareness, and more precise coordination. All these things combine to help prevent future re-injury and reduce — even in some cases alleviate — chronic pain altogether.” Sundial Pilates is run by Eisma, Pamela Zeff and Denise Gurnee, all of whom have extensive training. The instructors have between 600 to 1,500 hours of formal training and undergo an additional
16 hours of education annually to maintain the national certified standard of Pilates instructors. Eisma said their understanding of the exercises helps them to “better teach the cultivation of a healthy body, mind and spirit.” Zeff said because of their advanced training, they can accommodate just about anyone. “We have had people as young as in their 20s. But I’ll be honest with you, most of our clients are in their 40s and we have some that are in their upper 70s and early 80s,” Zeff said. “We have people that come in that have had absolutely no experience at all, and we have some that have come in
and done a couple years of Pilates. We really have every level of individuals, and the cool part is we can accompany every level.” The goal of Pilates is simply to strengthen the core, but Zeff said that it can have a profound effect on the rest of the body. She recalled working with a man who could barely walk when he came in. After a combination of Pilates and physical therapy, Zeff said he walks on his own and his pain is reduced. The studio opened in November 2021 after Eisma noticed the lack of Pilates in the area.
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STUDIO from page 12
“When I moved to Scottsdale I was shocked at how little classical Pilates was here,” she said. “I could not find a studio to practice or work out in anywhere within 30 minutes of my home. Pamela and I wanted to bring classical Pilates to Carefree/ Cave Creek to share our knowledge and help residents with rehabilitation from injury, better alignment, better concentration and, most importantly, to help the people in our community to ‘return to life,’ as written by Joseph Pilates.” Unlike other Pilates studios, Sundial Pilates offers one-on-one instruction or up to three people to make sure clients are getting personalized attention and doing each exercise properly. Zeff said it’s impossible to really watch everyone in a 30-person class, and she feels clients get cheated from that. She said if someone isn’t quite doing the exercise right, they are not getting the full potential of that exercise and putting themselves at risk for getting hurt as well.
The first lesson at Sundial Pilates is complimentary, so prospective clients can see if they like it. And people must like it, because she added that since they opened, to the best of her knowledge, every person who has tried Pilates here has stuck with it. Private Pilates lessons start at $60, duos at $40 and trios at $35. Appointments are available seven days a week and can be made online or by phone. Memberships and packages are also available.
Sundial Pilates
36800 N. Sidewinder Road, Suite B12, Carefree 360-473-6943 sundialpilates.com
Sundial Pilates is run by, from left, Jill Eisma, Pamela Zeff and Denise Gurnee, all of whom have extensive training to be able to work with any skill level or condition. (Sundial Pilates/Submitted)
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Ruth Johnson teaches ‘what scammers don’t want you to know’ BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer
S
cammers have tried to trap Ruth Johnson dozens of times, so many times that she learned their tricks. So, she created Scams and Me, a company through which she shares her personal experiences to help others avoid being scammed. “I try to educate and protect the public with my public speaking presentations on what scammers don’t want you to know,” she said. “I’ve been working with scammers since 2013. I have multiple stories to tell, experiences with them, and I know exactly what they do.” A Valley resident, Johnson will speak at the Kiwanis luncheon meeting at noon Wednesday, June 15, at Harold’s Cave Creek Corral. She will discuss her stories, current scams, what she has learned, and how others can protect themselves. It’s fair to say she has learned quite a bit, as she has worked with the Canadian Border Patrol, Canadian police, FBI and several U.S. police departments throughout her experiences. Johnson says the first time she was scammed was in 2013, when she responded to an ad in a newspaper for a personal assistant. She got the job and said she immediately got an email from the employer that said he was in Iraq and needed help. Ultimately, the scammer wanted her to open a bank account for them. Since then, Johnson said she has gone through 20 to 30 attempted — and a few successful — scams. They’ve tried LinkedIn, Facebook and dating sites. These
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you want to help them.” The anonymity of social media makes it a breeding ground for potential scams. She recommends being careful about posting personal information online and to be wary of comments, messages or requests from anyone unfamiliar. “I can even post a recipe on Facebook and all of these idiots comment saying, ‘Oh, you’ve got a wonderful smile. I’d like to get to know you.’ That is a scammer trying to work you, trying to get you started,” she said. Even offline, she Ruth Johnson will speak about her experiences and how people can protect themselves from scams at a Kiwanis meeting Wednesday, June warns that scammers 15, at Harold’s Corral in Cave Creek. (David Minton/Staff Photographer) use technology to try to get information. According to Johnson, weren’t phone calls about a car warranty when people get calls where no one talks or saving an Egyptian prince; these were on the other end, a lot of times that is a actual people she got to know over the scammer trying to connect to the phone course of time who gained her trust. number and use it. “I am well educated, and people look Other tips include being wary of things at me like, ‘Why would you do some- like cryptocurrency and gift cards, too. thing like that?’ But they build trust with With bitcoin, for example, a transaction you,” she explained. “It’s a mind-control can be traced, but not the wallet or who thing where they can gaslight you. They owns it. As for gift cards, Johnson said become your friend and you trust them people can scan the barcode without and then things come up. They make it buying the card and then have access to sound like everyday occurrences, and whatever money is loaded onto the card
when bought in store. These scams don’t just trick individuals either. Johnson said scams happen to businesses, banks, restaurants and companies, too. It happens all over, all the time, and she said if someone hasn’t been scammed yet, then they will be. In fact, Johnson said if anyone needs convincing of how prevalent scams can be, just look at the numbers. The FBI reported $2.4 billion lost to scammers in 2021. She said it has become her passion to try to make a dent in that number so that others don’t have to go through what she did. Instead of getting caught up in being embarrassed about the scams or afraid of who still has her personal information, she is fighting back. One way people can help prevent scams is by filing a police or FBI report if they have been scammed. “The FBI has a cybercrime unit and each FBI location, including the one here in Phoenix, you can go on their websites and find the report called IC3,” Johnson said. “Do that report, and that way they can start tracking these people. If we don’t report it, they win.” In addition to her public speaking presentations, Johnson is also in the process of writing a book about her experiences titled “Cyber Karma.”
Ruth Johnson Kiwanis Luncheon
Noon Wednesday, June 15 Harold’s Cave Creek Corral, 6895 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek kiwaniscarefree.org
Contact Christina Fuoco-Karasinski at 480-898-5631 or christina@timeslocalmedia.com
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10,000 Maniacs are still crazy about the band BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor
Keyboardist Dennis Drew describes shows by 10,000 Maniacs as joyous, a little scary and a bit intense. But it all makes for a fun night. “Whether it’s ‘What’s the Matter Here?’ ‘Once a City,’ ‘Love Among the Ruins’ or ‘These are Days,’ the music is generally joyous,” he said. “They’re toe-tappers.” Last year marked the 40th anniversary of 10,000 Maniacs, which plays the Musical Instrument Museum on Friday, June 24. Founded in 1981 in Jamestown, New York, 10,000 Maniacs weathered personnel changes, but four of the six original members remain — Drew, Steven Gustafson, John Lombardo and Jerry Augustyniack. Original lead singer Natalie Merchant left in 1993 to pursue a solo career and was replaced by backup singer Mary Ramsey, who also plays violin and viola. “When we started, we were all in our early 20s,” said Gustafson, the bassist and tour manager. “We were excited as all get out to tour. We thought it was the coolest thing ever because most of us — all the boys in the band — had wanted to be in a band since we saw the Beatles on ‘Ed Sullivan.’ I was 6 and I thought, ‘I want to do that. That looks like fun.’” For Gustafson, playing Buffalo for the first time was a “really cool thing,” as it’s about 90 minutes from Jamestown. From there, they bought a Dodge Tradesman converted school bus, packed their stuff and slept on people’s floors on tour. “We had to play Athens, Georgia,” Gustafson said. “The B-52s, R.E.M., they were from there. I think we were able to maintain our career because we didn’t get too big too fast. It’s a good thing. I think some bands who have that quick rise to millions and millions of records have a hard time following that up.” When Merchant left 10,000 Maniacs, he said, Ramsey fit in quite nicely. A background singer who appeared on the band’s “MTV Unplugged,” she knew the songs and the players involved.
After its final major label record with Geffen, “Love Among the Ruins,” 10,000 Maniacs did an extended tour. Napster arrived and record companies started failing, Gustafson said. “That was the beginning of the collapse,” he said. The show at the MIM will focus on all four decades. “We play songs from every era that we have — songs that are 40 years old, songs that were on our last record that we put out in 2013,” Drew said. “I don’t know if we’ll play any of the stuff we’ve been working on. We put new music on hold because we’ve been busy doing shows. “‘Once a City’ seems extremely apropos, especially with what’s going on in Ukraine. I think we’re pulling that one out. We’ll do all the hits that people know. People know just about every song. It’s funny. We do shows and people say they forgot how many songs of ours they know.” Still, the music is seamless. “We’re still the same people writing songs,” Gustafson said. “We still have that bouncy tempo. We still tell stories — interesting stories — about people. “Jeff Erickson, who’s been with us for 20 years now, after Rob (Buck) passed away in 2000, was a guitar tech and guitar player in his own right. He stepped in after we took a hiatus for about three years. “He’s only 50. He’s younger than us. He brings a different twist on his stuff. His chord structures are funkier, a little bit more than our folky stuff. He’s not really a ‘folky’ guy. His stuff is real guitar oriented. My stuff is chord oriented. It’s a little bit different than what we’ve done in the past.” Drew said it’s hard to fathom that 10,000 Maniacs is more than 40 years old. “You don’t grow up thinking you’re going to do anything for 40 years,” Drew said. “To get to this point, it’s amazing. “It doesn’t feel like 40 years. It’s been as natural as everything else. We have families, kids, and grandkids on the way. It’s just been our life. You don’t retire
John Lombardo, guitar; Dennis Drew, keyboard; Mary Ramsey, lead vocals and viola; Jerome Augustyniak, drums; Steve Gustafson, bass guitar; and Jeff Erickson, guitar, are 10,000 Maniacs. (Jeff Fasano/ Submitted)
from this, I don’t think. They’ll have to take us off the stage on stretchers.” Musically, Drew said, 10,000 Maniacs is playing “better than ever.” He plays more piano than the early days, which he said is fun. “It’s wonderful to bounce back and forth between organ, piano and synth, whether it’s ‘Trouble Me,’ ‘Because the Night,’ or sometimes we’ll do some of our quiet ones, ‘Across the Fields.’” Touring has settled down for 10,000 Maniacs. The band, instead, focuses on long weekends. “We’re all friends,” Gustafson said. “We all love each other; same with our crew.
We’re 12 people who really enjoy each other’s company. “We can put all that in the background of our lives and make family important. Some of us had other jobs in the 2000s. I was the technical director of the theater at Jamestown Community College. I produced musicals and did lights and sound.” Drew spent 17 years as general manager of WRFA-LP, a low-power nonprofit radio station in Jamestown. At the community college, Gustafson caught a music business course, during
see MANIACS page 17
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RELEVANCE & RELATIONSHIPS RELEVANCE & RELATIONSHIPS ALLLL RIGOR, RIGOR, RELEVANCE & RELATIONSHIPS M S ASSa Published Author Become SM CLLAAwith SS! Dorrance. C S !to read your book! E Z I We S Iwant E Z S S
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which heC provided LASSpractical advice. “I would tell E my S!students, ‘If you can Z I S find a job where, at the end of the day, everybody stood up and applauded, take it,” he said with a laugh. “That’s a good gig. Do that. It’s rewarding. It’s so amazing, so joyous. People who think it’s a glamorous life are wrong. There’s a lot of waiting around. It’s a boring life, except for the hour and a half onstage. Now we get to do two shows in Phoenix at a museum.”
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Skydiving isn’t for everyone, and that’s OK CHURCH COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Pastor Ed Delph Foothills Focus Columnist
H
ave you ever considered that crises in our lives often could be caused by being in the wrong job or career, the wrong place mentally, or in the wrong group of people? Sometimes, God is saying amid the crisis, “Hey, I love you, but now it’s time to get you to the right spot, and that spot is not where you currently are.” In other words, if at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving is not for you. Here’s an example of where everyone is in the right spot or the wrong spot. Heaven is where the police are British, the chefs are Italian, the mechanics are German, the lovers are French, and it’s all organized by the Swiss. Hell is where the police are German, the chefs are British, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss, and it’s all organized by the Italians. Hell on earth, for many people, is being in, working in or trying to be in someone else’s spot rather than your spot. I realize that finding the right spot can be challenging. Think of this. Life was much simpler when apples and blackberries were just fruits. But in today’s world, in countries like America, there is still the opportunity to choose careers or jobs. There’s still a choice between a good attitude and a rotten attitude. There’s still a choice for you between good people and not-so-good people. There is a book written about finding the right spot. It’s called “Who Moved My Cheese” and it was a bestseller in its time. Why? Because there’s a lot of
cheese being moved around these days! Like a rat in a maze, the location of our cheese — or “success” — has changed. Someone or something moved our cheese. Please don’t panic. It’s there. But we must change directions or locations to find it again. Sometimes we have great success in an area, and suddenly, it’s gone. Have you heard of the 50-50-90 rule? When you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there’s a 90% chance you will get it wrong. Sound familiar? Could it be that God wants to place us in a better spot? How do we arrive at that spot? We must journey through the death of the old to get to the birth of the new. I’m not saying to be a quitter. Sometimes we must persevere. However, often sound wisdom dictates a change in direction, our career or whatever. After all, no one reaches a high position without daring. For most people, it’s harder to let go of the past or present than continue to the
future. Someone once said, “What I do, I do very well, and what I don’t do well, I don’t do at all.” Lin Yutang said, “Sometimes it’s more important to discover what one cannot do than what we can do.” There are times when we need to be responsive to circumstances and ask some honest questions to God, ourselves and others about our situation. There is victory in a devoted group of counselors. An Egyptian novelist and Nobel Prize winner said: “You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.” Mark Twain once said, “The two greatest days in your life were the day you were born and the day you found out why.” Wanting to be someone else is a waste of who you are. Be yourself. Everyone else is taken. Running from your identity is a race you never win. The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than what you settled for. In other words, find your lane and then drive fast. The Scripture says: “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a season for every event under heaven. A time to give birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted; a time to search, and a time to give up as lost.” But after every winter comes a spring! I love spring, and I know God has a better plan for your life. It’s just that skydiving may not be for you. Here’s some wisdom from my good friend, author Ed Silvoso, about taking your first step to the right spot for you. “The best way to fight the feelings of fear, self-centeredness and despair that are buffeting so many around us is with
HAVE NEWS FOR FEATURES? Send your news to Christina Fuoco-Karasinski at 480-898-5631 or christina@timeslocalmedia.com
the exact opposite: faith (let us believe for more, not less), exuberant generosity (let us give more, not less — especially to those that are in deep pain due to significant losses) and a Gibraltar type of hope that declares that God will cause all things to work together for good, even the worst things imaginable.” Silvoso then says, “God is telling us what He told Gideon, ‘In this, your strength, go and save the nation.’ In other words, no matter how small your faith, focus on the future and do something about it, for your sake and others’ sake also.” This is good advice for those of you in college or high school. Pray and seek guidance about your future vocation. Some of you reading this article have found your assignment is life. That’s great. But I bet that you know someone who could use it. Copy the article and give it to them. Then say to them, “Dude… Here’s how you find Nemo!”
Ed Delph is a noted author of 10 books, as well as a pastor, teacher, former business owner and speaker. He has traveled extensively, having been to more than 100 countries. He is president of NationStrategy, a nonprofit organization involved in uplifting and transforming communities worldwide. For more information, see nationstrategy.com. He may be contacted at nationstrategy@cs.com.
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Obituaries
623-535-8439 obits@timespublications.com Deadline: Thursday 5pm for next week
Dale Stevenson
Dale (Squeaky) R. Stevenson , 92, 49 year resident of Cave Creek , AZ, died May 13, 2022, at the Sherman House hospice of the valley, Phoenix, AZ. He was born March 1930, in Santa Paula, California, the son of late Harold (Hap) and Helen
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Stevenson. He was the oldest of two siblings. On August 19, 1970 he married Betty, who survives. He was a decorated veteran of the U.S. Army as a Truck Mechanic, 1948-1952, during the Korean War. Also, a proud member of the DAV and American Legion Post 34, Cave Creek, AZ. He is survived by his Brother and Sister-in-law Vernon and GaryAnn; son and daughter-in-law Bob and Nicki; daughter Debbie; son and daughter-in-law; Bill and Leslie; daughter and son-in-law Robin and Chris; son and daughter-in-law Chauncey and Stacey; grandchildren, Lonnie,Christine, Tim, Amber, Tobias, and Nathaniel. Great grandchildren, Chris, Taylor, and Remington. Dale was preceded in death by his parents and son, Tom. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on 2022-06-25 at American Legion post 34, 6272 East Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, AZ, USA.
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Olivia Prock earns dean’s list honors BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF
O
livia Prock of Anthem made the dean’s list at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, for the spring 2022 semester. To qualify for the dean’s list, students must earn a semester GPA of 3.5 or greater.
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Austin Peay State University is in Clarksville, Tennessee, which is 45 minutes from Nashville. (Austin Peay State University/Submitted)
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Understanding Age Discrimination As Americans live longer, more productive lives, the topic of age discrimination has moved to the fore. It shouldn’t stand in the way of getting hired. INSIDE THE NUMBERS Nearly half a million workers filed an age-discrimination claim between 1997 and 2020, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In fact, this workplace issue led to some 22 percent of all EEOC claims in 2020 alone. As many as one-third of those surveyed by the AARP said they or someone among friends and family had suffered age discrimination over the previous four-year period. Those numbers are only going to grow. Nearly 20% of the older population was employed or looking for work in 2020, after having made up just 10% of the workforce in 1985. Older workers are expected to increase some 52% by
being fired, promotions or demotions and layoffs.
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2030, according to Senior Living. IT’S THE LAW More than a third of the American workforce was 50 and older in 2020, the AARP reports. That
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GETTING HELP An AARP survey found that two-thirds of older workers were willing to learn new skills if that helped them rejoin the job market. Yet they’re often overlooked for younger applicants. That led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Protect Older Job Applicants Act in 2021, a bill that was more specifically aimed at age discrimination against those who are looking to enter the workforce or make a change in their career. If you’ve applied for a job and feel you were overlooked simply because of your age, contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission at 800-669-4000. The National Employment Lawyers Association website also includes a search function, found at https://exchange.nela.org/ memberdirectory/findalawyer, that can help find nearby professional help with your discrimination case.
THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | JUNE 8, 2022 | JOBS.PHOENIX.ORG / JOBS.PHOENIX.ORG / JOBS.PHOENIX.ORG / JOBS.PHOENIX.ORG / JOBS.PHOENIX.ORG / JOBS.PHOENIX.ORG
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Monday – Friday schedule Paid Holidays and PTO after 90 days Positions Available:
This paper has exciting opportunities for experienced news reporters and features writers. We are seeking strong writers and storytellers who excel at capturing the news and issues of a community.
• Non-CDL and Class A CDL drivers (load/unload) • Warehouse and Installation Associates • Bookkeeper/Billing Associate/Accountant (Quickbooks Online) We are a drug free work environment
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Full and part time positions available
EOE
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Ahwatukee Chandler Gilbert Glendale Mesa North Valley Peoria Phoenix SanTan Scottsdale Queen Creek West Valley
CLASSIFIEDS.PHOENIX.ORG To Advertise Call: 480-898-6465 or email Class@TimesLocalMedia.com Meetings/Events Alanon meeting : New River Serenity Thursday nights 7P Desert Hills Comm Church, 34835 N. 7th St. 85086 newriverserenity.com
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Residential & Commercial
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Licensed 2006 ROC 223367 Bonded Insured
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