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INSIDE

This Week

NEWS ................. 6

Limits on sex, discrimination lessons in school

FEATURES ........ 18 Previous marijuana convictions can be expunged

YOUTH ............. 21 Youth tap their way into a high-energy dance show

OPINION ................... 10 BUSINESS ................. 16 FEATURES ................ 18 YOUTH ...................... 21 CLASSIFIEDS ............ 22 Zone I

Anthem Area Edition

PAGE

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Community comes together after �loods BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor

cott Dykes of American Equipment & Excavation has not seen anything like last week’s floods. “Neighbors couldn’t get into driveways,” said Dykes, who helped his neighbors navigate and clear the flood with his wife, Greer. “We built it up to where they could get in and out of driveways. Residents of a cul de sac had to walk through mud and debris to get to their cars. We removed 50 to 60 tons of material.” The couple, who have long helped their neighbors, did not charge anyone to scrape and/or patch driveways. “Anything that has to do with accessibility, we do for free,” he said.

�ee FLOOD page 4

A shed was pushed onto New River Road, thanks to heavy rains that hit the area on July 23. The community came together to help those who suffered losses. (Photo courtesy of Emilee Spear)

ACC searching for executive director BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer

nthem Community Council is conducting a nationwide search to find candidates for its vacant executive director position. Bob McKenzie, ACC board chairman, said the community hired an indepen-

dent, third-party company, Municipal Solutions, to help with the search. Besides headhunting, the company is working with the board to clearly define the job description and profile. Board members were interviewed for their input. “Generally, what the executive director does is manage the organization, direct

traffic for three senior executives and execute orders from the board of directors,” McKenzie said. “We have a couple of (projects) in the works that would fall to the executive director.” Goodyear-based Municipal Solutions is developing the job profile, but once

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�ee ACC page 5

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NEWS

An edition of the East Valley Tribune The Foothills Focus is published every Wednesday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout the North Valley. To find out where you can pick up a copy of The Foothills Focus, please visit www.thefoothillsfocus.com CONTACT INFORMATION Main number: 623-465-5808 | Fax: 623-465-1363 Circulation: 480-898-5641 Publisher: Steve T. Strickbine Vice President: Michael Hiatt Associate Publisher: Eric Twohey | 480-898-5634 | erict@thefoothillsfocus.com ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Display Advertising: 623-465-5808 Classifieds/Inside Sales: Elaine Cota | 480-898-7926 | ecota@timespublications.com TJ Higgins | 480-898-5902 | tjhiggins@timespublications.com Steve Insalaco | 480-898-5635 | sinsalaco@timespublications.com Advertising Office Manager: Lori Dionisio | 480-898-6309 | ldionisio@timespublications.com Director of National Advertising Zac Reynolds | 480-898-5603 | zac@thefoothillsfocus.com

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | JULY 28, 2021

FLOOD from page 1

Daisy Mountain Fire and Medical Department Public Information Officer Brent Senton said the devastation was visible throughout the area. In New River, Daisy Mountain Fire was dispatched in the early afternoon of July 23 to a home impacted by the flood. According to a GoFundMe page, Sheri and Brian Lasher had to be evacuated by helicopter from their home of more than 30 years in New River. “They were trapped inside their mobile home,” he recalled the emergency caller saying. “The water was spilling over the windows and their trailer was becoming unstable. They were worried it would tip over and be washed away.” As of July 25, $13,738 of the $20,000 goal has been met at https://bit.ly/Lashers. Senton said the fire apparatus could not pass through the flooding near the home at Mingus Road and Central Avenue. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office arrived with a helicopter and assessed the scene from the air and rescued the couple. The Lashers were taken to an ambulance at

A minivan is stuck in the flood waters behind a house at Honda Bow and Third Street in Desert Hills. (Photo courtesy of Anthony King) the command post near Fig Springs and New River roads. They did not sustain injuries, but lost everything in their home, Senton said. “I’ve been with the department for 17 years and I’ve seen my fair share of flooding in that area,” Senton added. “This is unlike anything I have ever seen. All the

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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washes were 3- to 4-feet deep. They were flowing like a river.” The rescue was the first of its kind this year, he said. Maria Uebel of My Crossroads Christian Fellowship in New River said the fellowship hall there was flooded. However, with the help of volunteers, they cleaned up the water. “We had industrial carpet squares that we pulled out and hosed down,” said Uebel, the wife of Pastor Bryan Uebel. “We had a really great group of people come together and help us. Oh my gosh, it was amazing. If you put something out there, everyone comes together. This isn’t the first time the community has come together. It’s a blessing to be a part of it.” Uebel is thankful for the Tacolandia food truck owners, who provided lunch for the volunteers. “It was my pleasure,” said Jian Gonzalez, who owns Tacolandia. “It’s my community. We fed both My Crossroads and Desert Hills Community Church. When I started my food truck, they opened the doors for me to park my food truck in their parking lots. It’s the least I could do.” Gonzalez said Desert Hills Community Church of the Nazarene was hit particularly bad. “The whole inside of the church was flooded,” Gonzalez said. He lives near Seventh Street and Jordon Lane and also had flood damage, specifically to his Finding Hope Animal Sanctuary. “The whole rescue was flooded — the stalls, kennels. The canopy flew and broke from the wind.” The community can donate on its Facebook page. The Dykes are happy to help their community as well — during any natural disaster. “We immediately dispatch our large trucks and our heave equipment,” Greer said. “What we did over the weekend was we pulled vehicles that were dead in the water, and scraping roads so people could get through.” God, they said simultaneously, is what steers their community service. “We’re very much a Christian family,” Greer added. “It’s just my husband and I. We’re thankful to live in the community we live in. We’re blessed so we support our community.”

NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | JULY 28, 2021

ACC from page 1

that is completed, it will go to thousands of people, and it takes about 90 days to select the right person for the job. “From what they told us, that goes to roughly 14,000 folks. Then, they’ll accept applications, screen them and then interview them. Then they’ll bring the Anthem Community Council a list of 10 or 14 candidates who appear to be the best qualified,” McKenzie said. “They tell us the whole process takes about 90 days, but we’ve encouraged them to tell us where we can kind of cut a few corners here and there to save a couple weeks in the process, because we’re anxious to fill the position and get on with life.” Besides finding someone with the right background and experience, McKenzie said it is important that the candidate matches the “Anthem Way” values such as treating people with respect and maintaining fiscal responsibility.

The position was previously held by board chairman Terry Mullarkey. He volunteered to step in as an interim executive director in September 2020 to help during the COVID-19 pandemic. While he served, Mullarkey recommended hiring an industrial psychologist to coach the top three executives to increase their skill level and ability to work together. Mullarkey’s last day in the position was July 9, after the pandemic became more manageable, and returned to retirement. He was retired almost 10 years before volunteering to step into the role as executive director. “We are grateful to Terry for stepping into the role last year. Alongside the ACC’s executive management team and staff, Terry has carried forward many projects that were underway so that the new executive director has a solid foundation from which to start,” McKenzie said. The nationwide search for a new executive director is expected to last through the end of 2021.

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Limits on sex, discrimination lessons in school briefed school officials last week on some of the 50 education-related bills passed by the Legislature that impose new mandates or limits on districts this year. It also discussed changes in funding that will bring districts some additional money as well as other measures that could severely impact school districts. One such measure involves the Legislature’s continuation of the formula used to

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

oluntary-only masking policies are not the only thing that differentiates the new school year from 2020-21. New limits on sex education and on what teachers can tell students about racial and gender discrimination also are coming into play this school year. The Arizona School Boards Association

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reimburse districts for transportation costs, which currently uses the number of miles buses rolled in the previous school year. The ASBA noted it urged the Legislature to change that funding formula because buses didn’t roll much last school year due to full and partial campus closures. “The Legislature did nothing to change how that reimbursement is calculated,” said Chuck Essigs of the Arizona Association of School Business Officials. “So, you’re going to see a big reduction in the miles that are counted in the calculation.” Another possible hit to district pocketbooks could result from loosened qualifications for parents seeking vouchers to send their children to charter or private schools at public school districts’ expense. The Legislature also broadened open-enrollment provisions, requiring school districts to post their open-enrollment policies on their websites. Under that legislation, the ASBA noted, “attendance boundaries may not be used to require students to attend certain schools

based on the student’s place of residence.” While an individual school’s capacity can still be used to prevent an overload of students, districts “must select students through an equitable selection process like a lottery, giving preference to siblings of a student selected through the lottery.” The change could keep district lawyers busy, ASBA officials said, because the open enrollment policy covers students with disabilities. Thus, they explained, if a child from outside the district who has disabilities wants to enroll in a school that may not have the facilities to accommodate those disabilities, “that’ll be a question for your counsel.” The Legislature also codified what has already been a mandate by the state Board of Education: mandatory lessons in junior and senior high school on the Holocaust specifically and genocide generally. Sex education and lessons on discrimination also have new restrictions this year, including a ban on sex education before fifth grade.

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�ee DISCRIMINATION page 7

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NEWS

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | JULY 28, 2021

DISCRIMINATION from page 6

Parents will need to affirmatively opt-in to such classes for their children in grades six to 12. Until now, a parent had to opt-out of such instruction. When district committees are considering a district’s sex-education curricula, those meetings must be in public and any new sex ed courses must be available for public comment for 60 days and the subject of two public hearings within that time period. The new version spells out that the ban on sex education prior to fifth grade does not preclude schools from providing “age and grade-appropriate classroom instruction regarding child assault awareness and abuse prevention.’’ Another measure that failed in the Legislature was a requirement for separate parental-signed permission any time there would be a discussion about AIDS and the HIV virus that causes it. Districts are required to review their sex education curricula for compliance with the new legislation by Dec. 15. Districts also are limited in how they can train employees as well as teach students

about racial, ethnic and gender discrimination. The Legislature prohibits “instruction that presents any form of blame or judgment on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sex.” Noting teachers could be fined as much as $5,000 for violating that law, the ASBA panelists said the definition of “blame” is spelled

out in “a little bit of an awkward way.” However, the ASBA advised that the legislation is “a little bit more trying to chill some of that discussion rather than actually ban a specific thing.” Other legislative changes noted by the ASBA included a requirement that every elementary

campus has a teacher with dyslexia training by next July 1; exempting school personnel from liability in the case of any COVID-19 infections except in a case of gross negligence; and lifting of letter grades for schools and performance evaluations of teachers and principals for the 2020-21 school year.

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Poll: Arizonans aren’t concerned about COVID-19 BY RITHWIK KALALE Cronkite News

lthough the percentage of those unwilling to take a COVID-19 vaccine has remained unchanged since May, Arizonans are showing less concern about the risks, according to a new survey by OH Predictive Insights. The online opt-in panel survey of 1,000 adults, conducted from July 6 to July 11, found that 42% of Arizonans were “slightly or not at all concerned” about the virus, whereas 35% of Arizonans were “extremely or moderately concerned.” “The data showed no statistically meaningful change from May in the number of Arizonans unwilling to take the COVID-19 vaccine (21%), while those who reported already taking the vaccine rose by 8%,” according to the survey. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The decrease in “pandemic panic” comes at a time when the Arizona Department of Health Services’ daily curve showed an

uptick in COVID-19 cases in the past week. Earlier this month, the daily number of new cases exceeded 1,000 for the first time since February. Arizona has recorded more than 18,100 deaths since January 2020. Health experts say immunization is the best way to fight the delta variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, which quickly became the dominant strain in Arizona. “By and large, it is a surge among the unvaccinated,” said Dr. Joshua LaBaer, executive director of the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, in a media briefing. “The important take-home message is that the vaccines do work against this delta variant.” According to the survey, vaccine willingness rates varied among Arizonans of different racial groups, education levels and ages. “College-educated white respondents reported an 81% vaccination rate while 57% of non-college-educated white respondents said they had been vaccinated,” the survey said. “However, 58% of college-educated Hispanic/Latinos say they have vaccinated, and a statistically equivalent 56% of

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non-college-educated Hispanic/Latinos are vaccinated as well.” According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, the state has had more than 911,000 cases of COVID-19, and over 3.6 million Arizonans have received at least one vaccine dose. The percentage of Arizona residents vaccinated against COVID-19 is 51.2%. “Things are definitely accelerating, and if we stay on this trend, we could definitely see a new surge,” LaBaer said. Vaccine hesitancy could be a potential roadblock to achieving herd immunity against COVID-19 in Arizona, according to Mike Noble, OH Predictive Insights’ chief of research. “As the lack of concern among the unvaccinated continues, coupled with the fact that nearly all COVID deaths in the nation are now among the unvaccinated, I echo CDC Director Dr. Walensky’s quote from the White House COVID briefing: ‘This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated,’” Noble said in a news release.

Of the nearly 160 million fully vaccinated adults across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there have been nearly 6,000 “breakthrough” cases of vaccinated individuals who became so sick they required hospitalization or died. Health experts have also noted a pattern of new COVID-19 cases arising primarily in unvaccinated people. “Areas with lower rates of vaccination are most susceptible to the spread of COVID-19, which is an increasing concern with the more-contagious Delta variant becoming more common around Arizona,” Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, said in a recent blog post. According to the OH Insights survey, vaccine rates were highest among respondents who were “moderately/extremely concerned” about COVID-19 in Arizona, suggesting that this group has reached herd immunity among themselves. For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.

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OPINION

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AROUND THE BLUHMIN’ TOWN

Surf’s up! Let’s hang 10 BY JUDY BLUHM Foothills Focus Columnist

issing a few neighbors and friends? We might all be in San Diego. San Diego locals call us “Zonies,” poking gentle fun at us. Californians claim that every other person in their state is a vacationing Arizonan from Memorial Day to Labor Day. There are jokes made about us, but we don’t care. We’re too cool at the beach to worry about much. Life is different here. Surfboards

and fishing poles are the day’s essentials. iPads, computers and phones are silenced, all drowned out by roaring waves. Important matters are usually centered around which bait is best for an early morning catch. Finding sand crabs is a big ritual. Lures and hooks have to be organized. Poles and lines have to set-up just right. Surfboards have to be waxed to get a good ride. Wet suits have to be rinsed every night and waves need to be caught at optimal times during the day. Tides need to be understood so you can push off at the right spot.

Lots of things have to be considered to make it safely (in one piece) back to shore. Life holds many pleasures, some common ones that require nothing more than time and curiosity. Have you felt a starfish lately? There’s nothing in the world quite like it. When’s the last time you walked barefoot outdoors in the sand? Could you spend an afternoon watching waves? Do you know the “secret technique” used by the pros when building sandcastles? (Adding water — lots of water while they build). Oh, did I mention that one to four days after the full or new moon, the grunions (little fish) slither up on the

beach to lay their eggs? They come out after 10 at night, so walking the beach with a flashlight waiting to witness this surreal and amazing phenomena becomes an important ritual. Hundreds of silvery, glimmering fish all beaching themselves is quite a sight! I usually ponder these and other mysteries while at the beach. Some questions have no answers. Have you ever noticed that a 2-year-old with squat little legs can out-run just about any adult? Why do we think that television and video games matter so much, when children can go for a week with noth-

see BLUHM page 11

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OPINION

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | JULY 28, 2021

That couldn’t happen again, could it? BY JD HAYWORTH Foothills Focus Columnist

he young family made quite a drive for this special summer vacation. Unlike previous warm weather sojourns, this trip was not to the beach, nor the mountains. Instead, the parents decided that it was high time for their kids to became better acquainted with their country — or more accurately — with its capital city. The children, with the exuberance of youth, didn’t mind the dog days of summer, with even swampier conditions than those normally found on the banks of the Potomac. Instead, the youngsters were enraptured with the majesty of the landmarks they beheld with their own eyes. The eldest of the three — a boy of 11 — was especially enthralled. As the family station wagon motored ever closer to the District of Columbia, his eyes scanned the horizon for a landmark that he had only seen heretofore on television screens. Suddenly, he saw it. Far in the distance, though the shimmering heat, was the Capitol dome. “There it is!” The young man could scarcely believe his eyes, and so he fixed his gaze on that sight, straining to keep it in view, even as his father negotiated the twists and turns of the wide boulevards originally envisioned by the French architect who

BLUHM from Page 10

ing more than a bucket, shovel, sand and waves? How can the moon in the sky control the tides on the shore? Why does the sun seem to sink faster when it’s falling over an ocean? Hmm, more mysteries to ponder. Looking for the true meaning of life? Live it one wave at a time, run like a 2-year-old, play like a kid in the sand

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designed the city. The next few days proved hectic, as each family member was swept into the “Washington whirlwind.” So much to see! The White House. The Washington Monument. The memorials to Jefferson and Lincoln. The Smithsonian. And, of course, the Capitol. Far too quickly, it seemed, the vacation ended. But the ride home was not drudgery as much as it was discussion time. Prompted by the historical nature of the sights they had seen, the parents entwined personal, familial and national history in a way that compelled their progeny to reflect upon what they had seen — and what they might become. This subject matter struck a responsive chord in their first-born child. Maybe it was the way his mother made his personal timeline seem so promising: “You started first grade in 1964. So, you’ll graduate from high school in 1976, the year of our national bicentennial! What a special distinction! The class of ’76…it sounds a lot like the ‘Spirit of ’76,’ doesn’t it?” Perhaps it was the shared experience of his parents. Both of them were born in 1932, so they were third-graders when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and were just about to finish elementary school when FDR died in April 1945. Franklin Roosevelt had been in the Oval

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and touch as many starfish as possible. Remain curious so you can enjoy the wonder of a midnight walk in the light of a full moon to watch grunions make their way to shore. More insights might be coming, dear readers, but my board needs waxing. Until next week, stay cool, hang 10. Surf’s up! JudyBluhm is a writer and a local Realtor. Have a comment or a story? Email Judy at judy@judybluhm.com.

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This year’s Olympics promises lots of low lights BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Foothills Focus Columnist

elayed a year by a global pandemic, the XXXII Olympiad has commenced in Tokyo. As a child, I would’ve been thrilled, anxious, mesmerized. How many gold medals would America win? Who would emerge as the Games’ next big star, our next Mark Spitz, Carl Lewis or Mary Lou Retton, our next Florence Griffith-Joyner or Bruce Jenner? Now, I can barely summon the energy to care. The Olympics just aren’t the same. Of course, neither is Bruce Jenner. Everything changes, often for the better, though the Olympics seem to be gasping like a marathoner hitting the wall. Why so? A few reasons. The formulaic television doled out by NBC. The athletes’ desire to tie personal politics to performance. And the changing position of America in the eyes of

neighbors near and far. Olympic TV was a staple once, with Jim McKay, Al Michaels and experts like Donna De Varona narrating. Every night at prime time, we’d all gather before the Zenith. In 1976, ABC broadcast 76 hours of coverage from Montreal. NBC won the broadcast bidding in 2014. They’re planning 7,000 hours of coverage from Tokyo, boasting they’ve created “the biggest media event ever.” To fill this broadcast abyss – and justify nearly $8 billion investment in broadcast fees – NBC now focuses less on sports and more on storylines, making every athlete a hero out of Marvel comics. The United States is sending 600 competitors to these Games. To hear NBC tell it, each of them has led a life of systemic deprivation and loss, full of tragedies physical, emotional, personal or societal. If it sounds like I’m minimizing the struggles of my fellow Americans – well,

I am. None of us has it easy in this life, nor should we expect to. Success in any endeavor is hard: That’s why when you perform an Olympic feat, you get a gold medal before the world. Turning the Olympics into a 7,000-hour “After School Special,” numbs the viewer the way formulas always do. When every story feels the same – when we all know the plot – no story feels significant. The same can be said of social justice protests: Familiarity breeds disinterest. This summer, I followed the story of Sha’Carri Richardson, America’s fastest woman, suspended from the U.S. Olympic Team after testing positive for marijuana. I agree with President Joe Biden on this one: “Rules are the rules,” was how he put it. Where I lost the thread was when Richardson’s suspension became evidence of racism. As USA Today headlined, “Opinion: Sha’Carri Richardson’s positive marijua-

na test one example of how anti-Blackness triumphs in sports.” Rep. Alexandra Ocasio Cortez weighed in: “The criminalization and banning of cannabis is an instrument of racist and colonial policy,” she said, calling for Richardson’s ban to be overturned. You can feel it building as these games begin: The smashing of an all-time record for protests against every -ism worth detesting. While I share many of those dislikes, where I change the channel is when the protesting feels endless. Turns out, I only have so much hate in me. Sometimes I just want to watch great athletes compete without being force-fed politics in the process. Other folks, not so much, especially where America is concerned. Before the Games started, American hammer thrower Gwen Berry turned away from the Stars and Stripes during the Trials

see LEIBOWITZ page 15

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LEIBOWITZ from page 12

award ceremony. Expect many more such protests during games full of discord, plus a daily COVID-19 positive test tally.

It’s an apt metaphor: The Olympics, diseased and trending toward life support. I’ll catch the highlights on the news. And the lowlights, too, of which I’m sure there will be many.

Office for almost the entirety of their lives until that point. Nearly a quarter-century afterward, on a long drive home, with their kids in the backseat, they reflected on the reality — and the enormity — of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in their lives. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!” “Remember those Willkie buttons, ‘No third term for King Franklin?’” “FDR had polio, but you wouldn’t know it. The newspapers never had pictures of him on crutches or in a wheelchair, but by the spring of ’45, he was in really bad health. “Of course, there was a war on, so no one spoke publicly of his condition. That

couldn’t happen now, of course, with television, people can see and judge for themselves.” Over a half century later, most of those parental pronouncements still resonate, but the final observation about press coverage of presidential health unfortunately rings hollow. Joe Biden loves to invoke the memory of FDR, but it’s the memory of the 46th president that prompts genuine concern. Television cameras reveal his cognitive decline, but the major TV network anchors ignore it. No one should wish bad things on Joe Biden, no matter the nature of policy and political disputes, but there’s no disputing this observation. Kamala Harris is no Harry Truman.

HAYWORTH from page 11

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BUSINESS

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Sonoran Desert Pet Resort offers a getaway BY ALEX GALLAGHER Foothills Focus Staff Writer

onoran Desert Pet Resort offers a getaway for animals staying for a few hours or days at a time. Owned by Audrey and Jon Holmes, the couple have seen a “refreshing” uptick in the number of dogs in their 8,000-square-foot facility in Phoenix. They only expect to see more as people go out of town this summer. “I think that everybody is itching to go somewhere so that’s great for our business after the difficult year we just endured,” said Audrey Holmes. There has been an influx of animals in and out of the Sonoran Desert Pet Resort for day

care and overnight boarding. . “Our main goal is safety,” Holmes said. “We’re really big into temperament testing every dog that comes into our facility.” Sonoran Desert Pet Resort runs temperament tests to ensure all dogs are calm and even tempered so staff and animals are safe. “One test is for day care and that is a much more in-depth temperament test that takes about an hour and costs $25,” Holmes said. During this test, dogs are tested to ensure they are good candidates for off-leash, group play. Since there can be up to 20 dogs in day care, the staff needs to ensure every dog is loose and nonaggressive before being accepted into day care. The day care temperament tests are conducted by appoint-

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ment only at 7 a.m. Monday to Thursday. During the test, the dog is identified in one of three categories: green, yellow or red. The resort wants about 80% of its dogs to be green. “We want mostly green dogs,” Holmes said. “Green dogs are loose, happy and really easy going and yellow dogs are cautionary dogs or dogs that can be reactive or protective.” Red dogs, which are dogs who show signs of aggression, are stiff, reactive and can show their teeth. They are never accepted into the resort. For boarding, dogs are put through a free, 20-minute temperament test during which they are taken in and out of a kennel suite

and tested to see if they can easily walk on a leash and go to the indoor park area without a problem. “We watch for resource guarding, which can make a dog aggressive,” Holmes said. For dogs who are spending the night, Sonoran Desert Pet Resort has suites in a variety of sizes to ensure a comfortable stay. The signature suite is called the “Dog Condo,” which is a 6-feet by 8-feet private room and includes a television and an elevated bed. The resort also has a pet spa where customers can have their dogs bathed, nails clipped and ears cleaned.

See PET RESORT Page 17

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PET RESORT �� Page 16

The couple want pet owners to feel comfortable leaving their dogs while at work or on vacation. “From having dogs of our own, we have seen the good, the bad and the ugly with pet resorts,” Holmes said. “We decided to buy one because we wanted a nice place to leave our dogs when we go on vacation.” Customers have only had rave reviews about the resort and the care it takes of its animals. “We have customers who have been coming to us for years and they know that they can rely on us for excellent care and that their dogs will not just be sitting in a kennel. All boarding dogs are constantly rotated into our indoor park area all day long,” Holmes said. Dogs are not the only animals that Sonoran Desert Pet Resort takes in. They have housed chinchillas, hedgehogs, guinea pigs and turtles, just to name a few. “As long as we can safely handle the animal and we have the space for it, we’re happy to take them in,” Holmes said. After enduring a financially difficult year,

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Previous marijuana convictions can be expunged BY JUDGE GERALD A. WILLIAMS North Valley Justice of the Peace

ffective July 12, people who have a criminal conviction for wrongful possession of marijuana in Arizona were able to have that conviction expunged or erased. A.R.S. § 36-2862(A). This new law is part of 2020’s Proposition 207, which legalized recreational marijuana use in Arizona for people who are at least 21 years old. The new law applies to any individual who was arrested for, charged with, convicted of (by trial or by plea), almost any minor marijuana violation. The new law covers convictions for possessing, consuming or transporting 2.5 ounces or less of marijuana.

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It also covers convictions for possessing, transporting, or growing not more than six marijuana plants. In addition, the expungement law applies to convictions involving marijuana drug paraphernalia. If a record is expunged, it is as if those events did not occur. Anything that is expunged cannot be used in future prosecutions for any purpose. A defendant’s civil rights, including the right to possess firearms, will be automatically restored. A defendant is not even required to complete the terms of any sentence (e.g., probation). In fact, you can even tell future employers that you were never even arrested for the offense. Forms for people to apply to have their marijuana related convictions reversed are available at azcourts.gov/prop207. The Mar-

prosecutions for drug paraphernalia that relate to marijuana. However, it did not create an open season for marijuana abuse. You still cannot lawfully operate a vehicle or a boat while under the influence of marijuana; employers can still maintain a drug-free workplace; and it remains against the law for people under 21 to consume marijuana. Reasonable people may maintain that Prop 207 is bad public policy. Those arguments are fair; but moot. Arizona voters approved Prop 207 and state judges must enforce it, whether they voted for it or not. Judge Gerald A. Williams is the justice of the peace for the North Valley Justice Court. The court’s jurisdiction includes parts of Anthem, Desert Hills, Glendale and Phoenix.

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KUMA’S GREAT ADVENTURES

Goldwater Lake Prescott TOLD BY KUMA AND WRITTEN BY LORRAINE BOSSÉ-SMITH Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

ow! June marked six years since my family and I moved to Phoenix. How time flies! I’m 12, and this is the longest I’ve ever lived in one place. You would think I have seen it all but nope! Surprise — a new discovery. We got up early to beat the traffic and headed north on I-17. We were also seeking a cooler place since temps here in the valley are brutal. It is summer! We took the turnoff for Prescott or Arizona State Route 69 west and followed it to Gurley Street. We passed the turnoff for Lynx Lake. Where were we going? At Gurley Street, we took a left onto the Senator Highway. We’ve hiked off this road before, but mom said we were going to another lake. Oh boy! I hoped this one had water. Off of the Senator Highway, there’s a sign for Goldwater Lake on the right. Turn into the parking lot and be prepared to pay $3 per vehicle. We arrived pretty early, and it was already busy. There are several parking lots, though, so it can accommodate bunches of people. Although Goldwater Lake is much smaller than Lynx Lake, it had more water. Apparently, it is below normal levels, but it looked pretty full to us. The lake is named after Barry Goldwater, a five-term senator from Arizona and the Republican Party nominee for U.S. president in 1964. I think he would be quite proud of this place because it is laid out well. There are picnic tables throughout and around the lake, a boat ramp, a kid’s jungle gym play area, and a volleyball court. And yes, there are a couple sets of human restrooms. Dogs are welcome but on leash. Lots of folks were fishing for trout, catfish and bass. We only saw one person catch a small one. When it gets hot, the fish dive down deep — so my dad tells me. I guess that is why there were bunches of people out in the middle of the lake in kayaks. Humans can go on the lake but can’t go in it. Sorry humans, no swimming. As for me, I loved the shaded trail and took a dip in the lake the first chance I got. The trail is easy but doesn’t go completely

around the lake. It’s an out and back, for a total of, maybe, 2 miles. Other trail systems connect to the lake, so you could make a longer hike if you wanted. You’ll get a map upon paying the $3. We came for the shade and cooler temps, so after our hike, we found a nice spot to have a picnic. It was still relatively quiet, and we watched the birds flying around. Mom and dad brought a hammock and their books, and I settled in, taking everything in. There was a nice breeze that kept us quite comfortable. As the day progressed, the temperatures rose. It was nearly 100 in Prescott. Good grief. More and more people arrived as well, and it started to get pretty noisy. We took that as our cue, packed it up and headed back out. Even with traffic, we were home within 1 1/2 hours. Can’t beat that! Back home, it was hot. Mom and dad hit the pool, and I watched. I don’t do pools. I mean why bother when I can take a dip in a cool, mountain lake? Call me a snob. Whatever. Goldwater Lake gets five stars. It’s packs a lot in and is ideal for all ages and stages. Have you been? I can now say I have, and we’ll be back. Stay hydrated during this heat. My mom, Lorraine Bossé-Smith, is kind enough to help me share my Great Adventures, big and small. My mom is a motivational speaker, corporate trainer, executive recruiter, business consultant, coach, fitness expert, and author of nine published books. More importantly, she’s the best doggy mom ever. Enjoy Kuma’s blog at https://bit.ly/KumaBlog or follow him on Facebook at facebook. com/Kumathedog or on Instagram @kumaitothedog

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Kuma takes a cool dip in Goldwater Lake. (Photo by Lorraine Bossé-Smith)

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Barnhart: Born with form

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | JULY 28, 2021

David Hockney, Keith Haring and Oaxacan Wood Carving. Considering her list, she adderet Oppenheim, a member of the ed, “If once a month you could Surrealist movement, once ob- trade brains with another artserved, “Every notion is born along ist, I would add Michael Dewith its form. I make reality of ideas as they Meng, Heather Campbell or come into my head.” Fred Tieken.” Fast forward to 2021. There’s a very modBarnhart attended UCSD ern, cutting-edge surrealist here in Cave leaving with a bachelor’s de“Kiss the Sky” by Karen Chatfield Barnhart. Creek. gree in visual arts. Since then, Karen Chatfield Barnhart has a natural she fuels her creative side taktalent for harnessing her wildest imaginings ing workshops with Michael a baby then and had other “Inspiration just seems to be wandering and spinning them into reality with the skill DeMeng (michaeldemeng. places to go, and people to around and hits me on the head,” Barn“Born to Be a Buckaroo” by of an enchantress. Born in Milwaukee, she com) in Oaxaca. see,” she said. hart said. and her family moved to Southern California Through the years, Barnhart Karen Chatfield Barnhart. Barnhart moved back “Recently, I have been reading about aes(Photos courtesy of Karen when she was 7 years old. has honed her left and right Chatfield Barnhart) to Encinitas, married and theticism, which seems to sum up my apThe sun and surf pumped up the young sides of her brain in jobs with started her own graphic proach to art — art for art’s sake.” Barnhart’s imagination and she took to col- the likes of Home Federal Savings & Loan in design business. It was there she discovBarnhart’s creations are reminiscent of oring outside the lines of her coloring books its instructional media department, making ered owning a business was not what it was Steampunk, a concept she shares with her and executing death defying rope swinging management training presentations. cracked up to be. artist husband, also known as Vandegraaff “I worked all the time and never slept,” Gearheardt (v-gearheardt.com). The couple tricks from a jungle gym. This resulted in an assignment as assis“No doubt this might explain why I am the tant to the vice president of marketing at the she said. has enjoyed enormous success exhibiting in Her husband at the time was the promo- Palm Springs, New York, Santa Fe and Sturway I am,” Barnhart with a laugh. Hilton Hotel Corp. in Beverly Hills. She cites her influences as Henri Rosseau, “No, I never met Paris Hilton. She was just tions director at a San Diego classic rock sta- gis, South Dakota. tion, and she worked on promotional mateA “maker,” as Barnhart refers to herself, is rials for the station. She likens this time as a member of the Sonoran Arts League. Look “glory days,” to quote Bruce Springsteen. for her mixed-media, found-object pieces “Movie premieres, event appearances, are on display in several of the league’s upbackstage meet and greets and wild and cra- coming exhibits. zy rock ‘n’ roll escapades,” she said. “The term mixed media takes into acAfter 20 years of what Barnhart calls, count my metal, jewelry, sewing, electron“Hard labor in self-employment,” she ics, woodworking, wire, clay, paint and worked for an advertising agency as the se- found objects,” Barnhart said. nior graphic designer for the SDGE account, Contact Barnhart at chatbarn@gmail.com. creating the monthly gas and electric bill in- Her work, “The Reality of Her Ideas,” can also serts. viewed on Pinterest. This was followed by a stint as the communications director and assistant to the general manager at an upscale country club. At this, point Barnhart’s creative “yellow brick road” took a turn toward Arizona. One afternoon while golfing in Rancho Santa Fe, California, with a mysterious Cabins Private Deck stranger, Barnhart and her husband were Hiking & Horse Trails told there was an astonishingly affordable OHV Trails lifestyle in Anthem. Hot Tubs Restaurant She could purchase a home for less than Bar $1 million. Skeptical, they investigated this Live Music on Zillow. However, they moved to Cave www.creeksidelodgeandcabinsaz.com Creek. “I had high hopes of channeling the artis- Karen Chatfield Barnhart among the art in her tic spirit of Georgia O’Keeffe.” But this hasn’t gallery in Cave Creek. She moved to the Valley Mayer, AZ on the advice of a golf partner. happened in quite the same way. BY SHEA STANFIELD Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

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Youth tap their way into a high-energy dance show BY BRIDGETTE M. REDMAN Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

halom Harlow, a Canadian actress and model, once said, “When I first saw tap dancing, I immediately got it: the righteousness of being able to make so much noise with your feet.” Sherry Henderson and Jackie Hammond can relate to that sentiment. Henderson is directing “Singin’ in the. Rain Jr.” at Hammond’s Musical Theatre of Anthem from Thursday, July 29, to Saturday, July 31. Doing a large tap show at MTA was their dream until they performed “42nd Street” in 2014. To pull that off, Harlow created a tap program for children and adults. Even Hammond took the classes. Once the kids tapped for a year, they performed in “42nd Street.” However, they haven’t done another tapheavy show. When Hammond approached Henderson about “Singin’ in the Rain Jr.,” she jumped at the chance. “Singin’ in the Rain” began its life as a 1952 musical film, an American romantic comedy directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. Kelly, famous for his tap dancing and athletic dance style, cast himself, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen and Donald O’Connor in the film. Rita Moreno makes an appearance, too. It is now ranked as one of the greatest musical films. In it, Kelly’s character, Don, is a silent movie star who dances and does stunts. The studio publicizes that he is in love with his leading lady, Lina, whom he barely even likes. He then meets Kathy, a stage actress. The musical treats upon the transition of silent movies to “talkies,” as well as being a love story. Lina’s voice is not fit for talkies, so they get Kathy to dub her voice while Lina lip syncs. Luring into musical theater Henderson’s love of tap dancing goes way back. She and her identical twin sister have been tap dancers since they were young.

Their mom frequently woke them in the middle of the night to watch tap musicals on television. “We were big fans of Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers,” Henderson said. “I loved Debbie Reynolds.” It was a mix that drew her to “Singin’ in the Rain Jr.” “It basically has some of the greatest YOUTH songs in musical theater history and it has tap dancing. What isn’t to love?” Henderson said. “It’s really fun doing this because it is back to drawing out what seems to be a special skill. Tap dancing was so popular during this time.” She said she’d love to see tap make a comeback. While there are signs it is growing in popularity, dance competitions never see tap dancers in the finals. “Tap dancing is a special skill, something you have to work really hard for,” Henderson said. “It has instant gratification: You hear the sound.” Looking good Henderson stepped into the role of director, having tap and musical theater backgrounds. She also studied acrobatics, which lends itself well to pieces in the show like “Make ‘Em Laugh.” “I have a specialty of making nondancers look like dancers,” Henderson said. “We’ll just make this show a great tap show whether we have strong tappers or not.” Hammond encourages MTA youth to get involved in “Singin’ in the Rain Jr.” and to embrace its tap elements. That encouragement has raised the excitement level, she said. The show is a junior show and will feature young people from the ages of 12 to 19. For a show with rain in the title, the set designer decided to make it so that it will actually rain on stage. The apparatus for that takes up a lot of the backstage area, so other pieces will likely be flown in rather than rolling in.

It is something that Henderson hopes will be exciting for the audience.

MTA has strong draw for artists Henderson moved to Georgia six years ago, but the program at MTA draws her back to direct a show every summer. The reasons for the yearly trek are simple. “It is Jackie and the kids,” Henderson said. “The staff is amazing, but Jackie is the reason why I started directing. She believed in me. I never thought I could direct a show, but she said, ‘You can.’ She gave me the opportunity and opened so many doors for me.” She has high praise for Hammond and MTA’s philosophy of theater that welcomes all kids. “She is such an amazing advocate for theater and these kids that love it,” Henderson said. “I just love the feeling I get when I walk into MTA. It’s always been like my second home, truly.” Musical transports audiences back in time “Singin’ in the Rain Jr.” is designed to be a vehicle transporting the performers and audiences back in time to the 1920s. As a director, Henderson said she will work with the kids to exorcise contemporary movements and behaviors, because she wants the performers to feel like they are back in the 1920s. While it is set a century ago, Henderson emphasizes that the show is for the old and the young. “I think that the kids should be coming with their parents and their grandparents,” Henderson said. “It will take the older folk back to a generation they remember, or their grandparents might have remembered.” Doing so, she feels, helps theater to grow. When kids come to see a show that they like, they are more likely to join the-

ater and not be afraid of trying something new, of learning to be expressive on stage, of memorizing a script and learning choreography. “I encourage people to come see the show,” Henderson said. “Share it with kids who love watching and maybe want to be a part of that.” “Singin’ in the Rain Jr.”

When: Various times Thursday, July 29, to Saturday, July 31 Where: Musical Theatre of Anthem, 42201 N. 41st Drive, Suite B100, Anthem Cost: Tickets are $25 Info: musicalthatreofanthem.org

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YOUTH