The Foothills Focus 111622 Zone 1

ADOT protecting native plants along I-17

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

Now that construction is officially underway for the I-17 Improve ment Project from Anthem Way to Sunset Point, ADOT is working to protect the natural landscape that is part of the scenic corridor.

Crews have started removing native vegetation, including saguaros, palo verde trees and ocotillos, along the 23-mile proj ect corridor so it can be cared for and closely monitored during construction, then eventually replanted alongside an

improved wider highway.

Drivers who regularly travel I-17 be tween Anthem Way and Sunset Point may see some of the salvage work during the next several months. Plant salvage crews from the Kiewit-Fann Joint Venture devel oper team will collect hundreds of viable native trees, accents (such as ocotillos and yuccas), saguaros and other cacti. Ap proximately two-thirds of the right-of-way along the 23-mile project area will remain undisturbed, and no salvaging will be nec essary.

Viable native plants, trees and cactus

es to be salvaged will be taken with their native soil to temporary nurseries estab lished specifically for the I-17 Improve ment Project. Once a salvaged plant, tree or cactus is transported to the temporary nursery, it will be cared for, carefully mon itored and maintained until it can be re planted.

“October is usually the prime time for salvaging the plant material, just because our temperature is not too hot and not too cold,” said David Casselbury, a landscape

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

Despite the rain, Anthem residents attended the Anthem Family Safety Preparedness Night at the Anthem Civic Building on Nov. 2.

This first-time event gave attendees the chance to speak and interact with experts in personal, home and business prepared ness safety.

The open house event began with a wel come from Anthem Community Council Chair Darrin Francom.

Anthem Community Council Chair Darrin Francom welcomes residents to the Anthem Family Safety Pre paredness Night. (Anthem Community Council/Submitted)

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Election signs must be down by Nov. 23

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

Anthem Community Council reminds all candidates that their signs need to be re moved by Nov. 23, per Arizona Re vised Statutes (ARS§16-1019).

Just as a reminder: Advertising signs are not permitted in the me dians, rights-of-way, and on An them-owned property.

“We want Anthem streets looking good and traffic moving smoothly,” said John Safin, communications di

rector.

“Anthem Community Council is all in favor of an active and pros perous business climate while maintaining the community’s high standards. Advertising signs can obstruct vision, distract motor ists, bicyclists or pedestrians from their ability to see traffic signals, road hazards and others using the road, or interfere with the re quirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The signs also make the streets look messy,

which nobody wants.”

ACC’s rules for display advertising signage similar to the city of Phoe nix and Maricopa County. A permit for advance requests for temporary advertising signs is on the “docu ments” page of onlineatanthem.com under “commercial advertising and signage.”

It’s recommended that businesses review the sign laws for the city of Phoenix and Maricopa County as vio lations could result in a significant impact to business owners.

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architect with ADOT. “We’re hoping the general public will enjoy driving along the highway and seeing this plant ma terial back in its natural environment once the project is complete.”

The salvaged trees and cactuses ar en’t the only plants returning to the natural landscape once the improve ment project is finished. The work area will also be replanted with native seed mixes and nursery-grown plants. These efforts help to achieve the longterm goal of successfully revegetating the landscapeable area with a mix of plants that will thrive and restore the natural environment for years to come.

Restoring native plants has been an integral part of many Arizona De partment of Transportation projects for more than 35 years, including the

SAFETY

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from page 1

“My thanks to everybody attending,” Francom said.

“Council wanted to give residents the opportunity to meet the professionals protecting us, learn who to contact or where to find help when needed, and how get involved with the resident vol unteers helping our community.”

Participating at this event were rep resentatives from Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Phoenix Police Depart

recently completed South Mountain Freeway and the widening projects along the Loop 101 in the Phoenix area. Once complete, the I-17 Improve ment Project will help alleviate conges tion and improve safety and traffic flow north of the metro Phoenix region.

The 23 miles of improvements in clude 15 miles of roadway widening from Anthem Way to Black Canyon City. One travel lane will be added in each direction along this stretch. In ad dition, an 8-mile flex lane system will be constructed from Black Canyon City to Sunset Point. Flex lanes are a new feature for Arizona’s highway system and are a proven technology to help reduce congestion on I-17 during peak travel times and allow for traffic move ment during emergency situations.

The I-17 flex lanes will operate as a separate, two-lane roadway carrying

one direction of traffic at a time depend ing on the greatest need along the steep, winding eight miles between Black Can yon City and Sunset Point. For example, the flex lanes will be able to carry heavy northbound traffic on a Friday or heavy southbound traffic on a Sunday. Similarly, ADOT will be able to open the flex lanes to accommodate traffic any time if a crash or other incident causes long delays.

The two flex lanes will be next to, but physically separated from southbound I-17 using concrete barriers. Access to the flex-lane entrances will be con trolled by gates. Overhead message signs will alert drivers to the open di rection of the flex lanes. The flex lanes will be operational seven days a week.

For more information about the I-17 Improvement Project, visit improvin gi17.com, call 1-877-476-1717 or email info@improvingi17.com.

ment, Daisy Mountain Fire and Medi cal, Arizona Department of Public Safe ty, Phoenix Neighborhood Services, Anthem Neighborhood Watch and An them Park Patrol.

Family Safety Preparedness Night is one of several initiatives by the Anthem Community Council (ACC) to guide res idents on available resources.

Other ACC action includes an offi cial graffiti and vandalism reporting tool on the council’s website onlineat anthem.com, a quarterly public safety

roundtable with area first responders, increased MCSO presence at the Com munity Park and frequent and regular communication with the sheriff’s office and Phoenix Police. OnlineAtAnthem. com has additional safety information.

“It’s the ACC and residents working together to keep Anthem a great com munity,” Francom said. “Call 911 when you see a problem, contact the correct city or county department when you have questions. See something, say something goes a long way.”

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Arizona Sports Hall of Fame inducts six legends

BY JOE EIGO Cronkite News

The careers of several Valley sports legends just got a little more dec orated.

Six new people were inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame Nov. 1, in a star-studded event at Chateau Luxe that paid tribute to the state’s vast sporting legacy.

The 2022 class included Arizona Car dinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, the late Pedro Gomez, formerly of the Arizona Republic and ESPN, former Phoenix Mercury player Jennifer Gillom, former Northern Arizona basketball player Peggy Kennedy, Seton Catholic Preparatory girls basketball head coach Karen Self and the late Michael K. Ken nedy, an Arizona sports philanthropist.

“This is Arizona history tonight,” Ken nedy said. “What I like about it, too, it’s forever. For our class, it’s forever.”

Kennedy began playing at NAU in 1976, and set multiple program records, including most career points (1,082), single-season points (411) and the sin gle-game scoring record (45).

The former Lumberjack star said she was in awe of the company around her.

“This class rocks,” Kennedy said. “These are the best of the best of Arizo na sports. I’m reading who they are (and I’m like), ‘Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!’ It just kind of tells you the pres ence (around it) and all of us together is special.”

Candidates needed to meet one of three criteria to be eligible for the Ari zona Sports Hall of Fame: They had to be a native Arizonan, or immediately recognized as an Arizonan or have made at least two significant contributions to Arizona’s sporting community.

The biggest name in the loaded class was Fitzgerald, who is widely consid ered the greatest Arizona Cardinal of all time. The 11-time Pro Bowler sits second all-time in NFL receiving yards with 17,492, behind Jerry Rice’s mark of 22,895.

While Fitzgerald’s statistics are tangi ble, much of his impact in the Valley oc curred off the field with his foundation. For nearly two decades, Fitzgerald has been a staple in the Arizona communi ty, even owning a minority stake of the Phoenix Suns.

“Building relationships with so many

Pedro Gomez’s family, including wife Sandra, second from left, daughter Sierra and sons Rio and Dante, accepted the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame honor on his behalf. (Rudy Aguado/Cronkite News)

people that I really truly admire and re spect in this city and to be a part of the fabric of the community, I couldn’t have asked God for a better (situation),” Fitz gerald said.

One of the class’ most beloved figures was the late Pedro Gomez, who died unexpectedly in February 2021. Gomez was a dominating presence in the sports world, a writer who made the leap to television without a hitch. He covered all sports, but baseball was his specialty, and he became a staple of ESPN’s MLB coverage during his 35-year career. While he covered many World Series, one of the best stories about Gomez came right before Game 7 of the 2001 World Series between the Arizona Dia mondbacks and the New York Yankees.

Gomez had authored a very critical piece about Curt Schilling, the Diamond backs’ Game 7 starter.

According to a story by Sports 360 AZ, Gomez was nervous when he arrived at the ballpark in Downtown Phoenix, but fully prepared to face the music over the

harsh words he felt were justified in his column that morning.

Gomez headed onto the field to watch batting practice. After a few minutes, Diamondbacks pitcher Greg Swind ell approached Gomez, looked him in the eyes, shook his hand, nodded, and walked off. The story is widely consid ered a landmark moment in Gomez’ ca reer. Rio Gomez, the son of Pedro and a pitcher in the Boston Red Sox organiza tion, said that tale perfectly captured his father.

“Fearlessness, I think, is the best way to put it,” Rio said. “He was fearless about what he was going to write and he was going to make the story honest. Re gardless of (whether the players would be unhappy with him or not) and what (they) had to say. He was just there to do his job first, and he made sure of that.”

Gillom and Self, two icons of wom en’s basketball in Arizona, were also inducted.

Gillom played with the Mercury from 1997-2002, averaging 13.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. A 1999 WNBA All-Star who is also in the Mercury Ring

of Honor, Gillom was an assistant coach and head coach in the WNBA before tak ing the helm for the Xavier College Prep girls basketball team.

Self also coached high school basket ball in Arizona, winning a whopping 12 state titles, including the last two 4A championships, with the Seton Catholic Prep girls team. An Arizona State prod uct, she was named coach of the 2020 McDonald’s All-American game, a high honor befitting her 775-155 record.

Kennedy, a philanthropist who was very active with many of the Valley’s premier sporting events, was also in ducted into the star-studded 2022 class.

Kennedy served as the Super Bowl XLII host committee chairman and was a Super Bowl XLIX executive committee member. He also was president of the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation since its inception in 1997 and worked with the Phoenix Open as a member of the Thunderbirds nonprofit group. Ken nedy died in February of 2021 following a long bout with cancer.

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.

Future Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Fitz gerald received recognition from the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions to the Arizona Cardinals and the local community Nov. 1 at the Chateau Luxe. (Rudy Aguado/Cronktie News)

BY JUDY BLUHM Foothills Focus Columnist

Mental fatigue. Post-election hangovers. So much to contem plate. Winners and losers. Time to reflect and take it all in. And remove all of those campaign signs from every street corner! We need a rest from all the political ads. Let’s give ourselves a timeout.

Did you know that a snail can sleep for three years? A reader emailed me a list of trivia and now my mind is spin ning with all kinds of irrelevant facts.

How can I concentrate on important news and election outcomes, when I have just learned that all polar bears are left-handed? And why is it that no piece of paper (including this esteemed news paper) can be folded more than seven times?

The orderly rhyme and reason of life is being challenged by little obscure facts that only create more questions. For instance, why can’t crocodiles stick out their tongues? And how is it that but terflies smell with their feet? I might be able to grasp why elephants are the only animals that cannot jump, but I’ll nev

er figure out just who is conducting all these weird experiments.

I’d love to visit those laboratories with white-coated scientists setting up for their next earth-shattering discov ery. It had to be a champagne-popping moment when they determined that if a Barbie doll were life-size, her mea surements would be 59-18-33 and she would stand 7 feet, 2 inches tall. Who pays for such breakthroughs? Could this be the “pork” in government funding? Not that some facts aren’t useful. I do

appreciate knowing that a person burns see BLUHM page 12

Biden was overwrought to the end of campaign

BY J.D. HAYWORTH Foothills Focus Columnist

When you read this column, the 2022 election will be over. Unless, of course, Joe Biden’s “friendly warning” of Nov. 2 has become reality.

In a screed that White House speech writers titled “Standing Up for Democra cy,” the current occupant at 1600 Penn sylvania Avenue attempted to make the political case for Democrats by demon izing those who oppose them.

“Extreme MAGA Republicans,” he again called the group traditionally known as “the loyal opposition.”

And because so many Democrat office holders were falling behind in opinion polls, Biden sought to inoculate any fel low party members who might have had a hand in supervising the polls where Americans cast their ballots, and the way in which those ballots were counted.

After citing the millions who opted for early voting, the chief executive rational ized why the American people ought to expect and accept delayed results.

“That means, in some cases, we won’t know the winner of the election for a few days—until a few days after the election…it’s important for citizens to be patient as well.”

While patience is a virtue, most citi zens see nothing virtuous in rising pric es, rising crime rates, and rising num bers of illegal aliens invading across an open border.

Instead, they see America in decline.

Unable to make the case for his own misguided policies, Ol’ Joe turned to his marketing experts. They, in turn, con cocted a slogan for the remaining days of the 2022 campaign.

“Democracy itself is on the ballot!”

Huh?

Not exactly “I Like Ike!”

A far cry from “54-40 or Fight!”

Light years behind “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!”

Democrat consultants may have hon estly believed that their latest word combination would unlock urgency in the hearts and minds of enough voters to make a difference, but that modern sloganeering simply led to jeering.

Finding the slogan both overwrought and insulting, one right-of-center voter responded thusly: “I heard what Biden had to say, so I took a very close look at my ballot when I went to vote early. I didn’t see any candidate named ‘De mocracy,’ so I guess Joe is just confused again!”

Granted, that response wasn’t as snap py as the rejoinder to Barry Goldwater’s 1964 slogan in his pursuit of the White House. That year, the GOP appeal was as unfortunate as the outcome of the election: “In your heart, you know he’s right!”

Almost reflexively, Goldwater’s op ponents countered, “In your guts, you know he’s nuts!” The result, of course, was the landslide validation of the Dem ocrat slogan, “All the way with LBJ!”

Now, almost 60 years later, voter atti tudes have once again changed. That’s why the reaction to both Joe Biden and his desperate-sounding slogan were so dismissive.

Simply stated, Ol’ Joe was confirming

County Attorney dodged issue in gun case

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Foothills Focus Columnist

The story claimed headlines ear ly on an August Thursday as a perfect sign of the times. A fourth-grader from Queen Creek, 9 years old, was arrested at Legacy Traditional School for toting a gun to school stuffed in a book bag.

The armed child showed another stu dent a bullet. That kid saw something and said something that night at home. The concerned parents contacted the school. The next morning, school offi cials searched the child’s backpack and found the gun and an ammunition clip loaded with 16 rounds. The Queen Creek cops were summoned.

The story resurfaced last week when the Pinal County attorney, Kent Volkmer, announced he would be pursuing two felony charges against the 9-year-old, who told police he brought the gun to school to protect against a “possible ab

duction” because he traveled from home to school and back solo.

Volkmer charged the student with two Class 6 felonies: being a minor in posses sion of a firearm and interference with an educational institution.

“Given the inherent danger involved with a gun being on a school campus, PCAO must take this seriously,” said Volkmer in a press release.

It’s a charging decision I agree with, especially given Volkmer’s mention that “the juvenile justice system is focused on rehabilitation and correcting behavior, and that will be our focus.”

That’s where I’ll part ways with the county attorney, however. Volkmer punted when it came to the parents in this case, deciding not to charge Briana Juarez and Keith Martinez while citing the age-old prosecutor’s excuse for the free pass.

“There is no reasonable likelihood of conviction against the juvenile’s parents for any crime,” Volkmer said.

I disagree. So did the Queen Creek Po lice Department, which in September recommended that the parents each be charged with one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Their crime? The parents failed to se cure the weapon, giving the kid a chance to snatch the gun and endanger an en tire school.

The mom, Juarez, told police they kept the weapon locked away in a dresser, a point she later clarified by saying the dresser wasn’t locked, but the gun had a lock on it.

Regardless, case documents indicate the gun lock was missing in action when the 9-year-old grabbed the gun.

Fortunately, the student had no plans to shoot up Legacy Traditional, accord ing to police. The court documents in stead depict a boastful child, a kid who showed off a bullet and also told his classmates he could get his hands on pills, wine, guns and booze.

It’s no wonder the incident managed to frighten kids like third-grader Jared Arizmendi, who told AZFamily report ers, “My teachers told me it was all going to be fine. (But) I thought we were all go

BLUHM

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more calories sleeping than by watching television.

Some facts are simply scary. Look closely at your eyes in the mirror. They are the same size since birth. Now check out your nose and ears — they never stop growing! This is too shocking for words. It also seems that most people fear spi ders more than death! And speaking of death, more people die from falling off donkeys than in plane crashes annually.

Perhaps the problem with our new “expanded knowledge base” is that most adults have too many tidbits of informa tion to process in any given day. We’re like a computer with circuits jammed; an email file that is too full; a glass of water spilling over. Stop — I can’t know one more thing! Now that I realize that

HAYWORTH

women blink twice as much as men, I’ve been noticing this lately. I also am not sure what to do with the new and gross knowledge that most dust particles in our homes are made up of dead skin! Yikes!

Oh, I do have something very import ant for you to ponder. Did you know that it is physically impossible to lick your own elbow? Try it . . . evidently a team of researchers found out that 90% of folks who read this “fact” end up trying to lick their elbows. Mission impossible? Good luck and let me know if you have success! So, until next week, enjoy the weird facts, forget about troubling news, and anticipate the approach of holidays. Good news is coming.

Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local Real tor. Have a story or a comment? Email Judy at judy@judybluhm.com.

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the bitter partisanship he equates with his own political survival.

It’s what Biden and others of his ilk left unsaid—the attitude behind the slo gan—that both amuses and infuriates Republicans. Conservatives believe the

true sentiment expressed is this: “De mocracy is only served when Democrats are elected!”

That’s why the betting here is that the successful two-word slogan House Re publicans used way back in 1946 will prove as successful this year.

“Had enough?”

ing to die in that moment.”

I believe in the Second Amendment as many Arizonans do. I don’t want to take your guns away – though these parents are a notable exception.

That’s because I believe with equal intensity in responsible gun ownership and responsible parenting. Keeping a loaded handgun in a drawer when you have a 9-year-old in the house? That’s courting disaster.

nailed it when he urged “all caregivers with firearms in their homes to secure them in a way that no child in the house will be able to obtain access to the firearm.”

Arizona law defines delinquency with crystal clarity. It “means any act that tends to debase or injure the morals, health or welfare of a child.”

Maybe Volkmer couldn’t have found a jury to convict the parents of contribut ing to their kid’s delinquency, but it would have been worth having a jury or judge decide if this isn’t criminal bad parenting, then what is?

Queen Creek Police Chief Randy Brice

Cave Creek business expands mental health services

BY KEN ABRAMCZYK Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

Arizonans have experienced social, economic, political and public health issues, just like most other Americans, especially af ter COVID-19 and its variants swept the country.

In a 2021 study, nearly half of Americans surveyed reported recent symptoms of an anxiety depressive disorder and 10% of respondents felt their mental health needs were not being met, according to the National Institutes of Health. Rates of anxiety, depression and substance use disor der have increased since the start of the pandemic.

Alliance Coaching and Counseling Group of Cave Creek (ACCG) has re sponded to the increased demand and need for mental health services by hiring Brenda Cochran, a licensed clinical social worker, to serve as AC CG’s new clinical director. ACCG pro vides clients with counseling, coach ing, trauma-informed and restorative therapy, and treatment for trauma and PTSD, depression, anxiety, addic tion, counseling for families, teenag ers and children, marriage counsel ing, eating disorders and attachment disorders.

Cochran will oversee ACCG’s trau ma-informed care and restorative therapy program. Cochran, the for mer director of counseling at Pure Heart Church in Glendale, oversaw a clinical team there that specialized in trauma, addiction and mental illness, collaborating with one of the largest outpatient addiction treatment cen ters in Phoenix and opened an outpa tient addiction clinic on the property of Pure Heart Church. Cochran grad

uated from Arizona State University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work.

Kristi Estrada, co-founder of ACCG, said she has known Cochran for years, calling her “one of the most impressive leaders” she knows. “Her ability to see past someone’s ‘mask,’ and ability to see their heart and soul, is just a gift.”

ACCG focuses on a trauma-restor ative approach, said Cochran. The trauma-informed movement focuses on an understanding of how trauma impacts the brain, nervous system, movement and overall whole body with an increased focus on childhood trauma and its impact on adulthood. ACCG also examines toxic stress and its repeated days of neglect, such as food scarcity, historical or refugee trauma, and how it impacts the body from a physiological perspective, Co chran said.

“From the trauma approach, we give (clients) space to be who they are and not personalize it. It’s so easy to personalize an eye roll, an aggres sive comment or frustration, but from the trauma perspective, we look at that as a symptom of something else.”

Cochran and the therapists ob serve, as she said, “on the balcony,” that is without judgment, to develop safety and trust with the clients.

ACCG services group homes or be havioral health residential facilities, across the Valley, bringing in with professional licensed therapists to provide intensive trauma treatment.

“We largely work with the Native American population, which to me is the most underserved, least of the least, forgotten population,” Cochran said.

Cochran said her generation dealt

with measles and mumps, but nothing like COVID-19. During the pandemic, families experienced life-changing events, deaths of loved ones, with family members tapping into re siliency. Add the political divisions and differences of opinion regarding COVID-19, and society now is on edge.

“As a community we are challenged like we’ve never been challenged be fore,” Cochran said.

“Much of our time is spent helping clients find resiliency and helping them find purpose and meaning out of suffering,” Cochran added. “How can you pull something good out of something that is so uncontrollable like massive death, hatred and divi sion? What do we do with that?”

Many therapists grieve with fam ilies who have lost a multitude of family members or losses of relation ships due to politics, and assist frontline healthcare workers who are of ten misunderstood in their efforts to improve the health of patients or even save their lives.

Americans also drank more during the pandemic. ACCG works with those who have problems with alco hol abuse.

“What is happening to them is be ing kinetically stored inside their body, so they are battling a lot of fear, anger or mistrust, and they are stor ing it as energy inside their body,” Estrada said. “They do not have the natural skills to extinguish it or to release it. They are not running, they are not journaling, they are not do ing healthy coping skills, so they are using alcohol or drugs, especially al cohol, as the coping skills to anesthe tize those feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and loss.”

For Estrade, alcohol feeds feel

ings of negativity, hopelessness and doubt.

“When you have something wrong with your body, you don’t feed it neg atively,” Estrada said. “You build re siliency to get rid of it.”

In addition, humans who have a strong faith or support system typi cally bounce back from trauma from the pandemic, a school shutdown or a job loss, all depending on the level of resiliency they accumulate through their lives.

“What we saw as a nation is that the average person does not have high resiliency skills,” Estrada said.

“We are completely different post-pandemic. We have fewer cop ing skills than before (the pandemic), which is why we are seeing our num bers of children going up, marriages and families in crisis and stressful situations. We’re seeing the need for more creative therapies where peo ple can express themselves through art therapy, music or dance.”

Estrada said they encourage clients to reconnect with their bodies, work ing with primary care physicians, nutritionists, psychiatric services, nurses or case workers. Therapists are also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain, and somatic experiencing.

“Research is showing that a lot of the behavioral health treatment is going to be body based, which is what somatic experiencing is,” Cochran said. “We need to heal the body be fore we go into this executive func tioning and try to rationalize our trauma. We’re going to start healing the body and the electrical energy that is stored in the body.”

Take a look beyond the mundane

CHURCH COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Pastor Ed Delph Foothills Focus Columnist

Did you know mundane struc tures communicate real-life lessons to us every day? Here is an example of seeing beyond what you see in the room of an unknown author’s home.

“When I woke up this morning, I asked myself, ‘What are the secrets to success in life?’ I found the answer right in my room. The fan said, ‘Be cool.’ The roof said, ‘Aim high.’ The window said, ‘See the world.’ The clock said, ‘Every minute is precious.’ The mirror said, ‘Reflect before you act.’ The calendar said, ‘Be up to date.’ The door said, ‘Push hard for your goals.’ And last but not least, the car pet said, ‘Kneel, pray, and have a nice day.’”

I like how the unknown author sees things that other people don’t see. So, let’s go on an adventure. Let’s view your local post office differently. There are few places more charged with hu man interest than a post office. Think of all the good news and unwelcome news, joy or sorrow, despair or delight one ugly mail bag holds every day, all

year. In one day, lives can change from one letter or one notice.

The post office near me is not a re modeled, contemporary post office. It is very plain, and the post office’s small rooms look very dated. I would not connect it with anything excit ing or exotic. The post office has just a few counters, a heap of post office boxes and a few attendants trying to attend to the parade of people lined up for service. However, there is more to a post office than meets the eye.

A post office is not a source; it is only a medium, a vehicle for delivering let ters and messages. Post offices don’t create messages. Your post office only relays the mail from the creator to the recipient. In a real sense, Christians are human post offices. We are relay ing daily messages or letters from God to earth. Christians are carriers and couriers. God’s messages don’t come from us, they go through us to others.

What type of messages and letters do we convey from God to others? Are the letters we convey to others God’s letters or our letters? Are the letters we pass along to the recipients full of truth, hope, wisdom and love? Do we have a word worth listening to, a faith worth embracing and a life worth im

itating? Or are the letters we deliver old worn-out commercial circulars that interest just a few people?

Author Vance Havner says, “Every Christian is a postmaster for God. They must pass out good news from above. If the postmaster kept all the mail and refused to give the mail out, they would soon be in trouble. Some Christians keep God’s blessings with in their little lives, and soon there is mail congestion. God does not send us good letters from the heavenly head quarters merely for our enjoyment. Some of God’s letters are to us, but most belong to other human beings. We must pass them on.”

Many of God’s people are only con cerned with redecorating the post of fice, spending hours painting it, and keeping it looking nice. But people don’t come to see the post office. Peo ple come for the mail. It’s nice to have a clean post office. However, keeping our lives clean is only tidying up the office so we may carry on with God’s business. It’s all about delivering the mail, in your corner or space in the world, at your home post office. Why? God’s words create God’s world.

So, keep your post office clean, but don’t make your clean post office

more important than delivering the mail. God’s mail is full of God’s word, God’s wisdom and God’s wonders. Soon people start their own God-in spired letters to your post office to mail to others. Being a courier and a carrier is a beautiful thing, but one must be it to see “it” to be “it.”

There you go. I hope you never see the room in your house, your post of fice, and yourself the same way again. The Bible says Jesus’ followers are God’s letters, living letters, to every one around us. So, if you’re a Chris tian, God gives His benefits to us so God can get those benefits through us. Come to think of it, you letter carri ers out there are not mundane. On the contrary, I think you’re magnificent.

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.

Shemekia Copeland still believes

BY XAVIER OMAR OTERO Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

Considered to be one of the great blues voices of our time, in 2011, at the Chicago Blues Festival, Sheme kia Copeland was crowned “Queen of the Blues,” a distinction held by the late blues great Koko Taylor.

Copeland came of age in Harlem, New York. The music that pulsed all around her grew to be the lifeblood that courses through her veins.

“It’s easy to connect to it when your mom’s from Carolina and your daddy’s from Texas,” Copeland reflected.

The daughter of Texas blues guitarist/ singer Johnny Copeland, she made her first public appearance at the legendary Cotton Club in Harlem before she turned 10 years old.

Through the eyes of a child, Copeland was unaware of the fabled history — where iconic black artists like Billie Holi

day, Ella Fitzgerald and Bessie Smith had once graced the stage — or significance of a club that helped to define the emergence of African American culture during the late 1920s and ’30s.

“We lived right down the street. It was

just another place my dad took me to filled with a bunch of old people,” Copeland said, innocently. “Later in life it really hit me that this place was special.”

Despite her father’s influence and moth er’s passion for music, Copeland “Married to the Blues” came from another source.

“It was a calling,” she stated, without hesitation.

But a traditional marriage, it hasn’t al ways been.

Over the course of 11 albums, Copeland has expanded the definition.

“We’ve got banjos and fiddles,” she said, with a laugh. “It’s instrumentation that is not normally used in blues music.”

“Call me old fashioned, but I want to go back to the days where you’d go to a record store and nothing was separated by genre.”

On the title track of her latest album, “Done Come Too Far,” Copeland stares down America’s long history of racial in justice.

“It is just the truth,” she affirmed. “I’m

talking about what’s happening in this country today.”

Engaging in social issues is nothing new for Copeland. “Done Come Too Far” is not a departure, but a continuation of her work.

On the title track — referencing the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. — she sang, “Thought we were silenced at the Lorraine / But that voice didn’t die in vain / Its echo rings like no other / For every sister and brother / Though many are gone / Their spirits still scream / You can kill a man but not a dream.”

For Copeland the march for justice and equality continues.

“Absolutely,” she said, pensively. “We are still fighting to be free.”

Copeland is talking to Tucson Weekly on Election Day. Taken aback, Copeland saw incongruity everywhere.

Like on “Apple Pie and a .45.” — from her

Hidden in the Hills returns to the North Valley

BY SUE KERN-FLEISCHER Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

Arizona’s largest and longest-running artist studio tour, Hidden in the Hills, is returning to the North Valley Fri days Nov. 18 and Nov. 26, Saturdays Nov. 19 and Nov. 26, and Sundays Nov. 20 and Nov. 27.

Coordinated by the nonprofit Sonoran Arts League, this year’s free, self-guided tour features 174 artists at 47 private studios throughout the scenic Desert Foothills com munities of Cave Creek, Carefree and North Scottsdale.

Showcasing nationally recognized and emerging artists, Hidden in the Hills attracts thousands of patrons who appreciate fine art and seek a variety of mediums, styles and price ranges.

Large sculpture garden features diverse works

Guests visiting Michael D’Ambrosi’s Stu dio No. 41 in Cave Creek will be mesmerized by his eclectic sculpture garden featuring nearly 100 diverse sculptural pieces of art that blend in beautifully with lush landscap ing and desert views. Nestled on the side of Black Mountain, D’Ambrosi’s home studio has been a popular stop on the Hidden in the Hills tour for more than two decades.

Growing up in Manhattan Beach, Califor nia, D’Ambrosi spent much of his youth sand boarding, skim boarding and surfing. He credits his late oil painter-sculptor father, Jasper, with providing the springboard for his creativity.

“My father embraced life with an Italian gusto that infected nearly everyone near him,” D’Ambrosi said. “One day, he asked if I would be willing to work at the Artist and Sculptors foundry in Burbank with my brother, Marc. Working at the foundry helped me learn the craft with the goal of opening our own shop.”

In 1977, D’Ambrosi and his family opened Arizona Bronze, a fine art foundry. For the next 20 years, he absorbed all he could from fellow sculptors. He developed and honed his skills of craft from steel armatures to clay modeling to rubber molds to all phases of the lost wax process.

D’Ambrosi’s first commission was shared with Marc. With the death of their father,

they were commissioned to enlarge Jasper’s Jacobs Ladder, a 20-foot memorial honoring the Merchant Marines of World War II. The powerful sculpture is on public display at Los Angeles Harbor in San Pedro. In 1989, the U.S. Air Force commissioned him to create The Falcon, now on display at Luke Air Force Base. Other notable commissions include The Guardian, a life-sized Apache bronze for the Cochise-Geronimo Golf Course at Desert Mountain in North Scottsdale, and The No mad, a life-sized Native American that can be seen at Desert Mountain’s Renegade Course.

D’Ambrosi has always approached art with optimism and a sprinkle of humor. From his whimsical yet bizarrely realistic dinosaurs to his heroic size Native American monuments, he shows a love of life and na ture in his sculpture.

“I have always jumped around with sub ject matter and style. And, other than a few commissions, I have always sculpted what I was inspired to build. One may criticize the work but never the sincerity of my efforts,” he said.

Throughout his career, he loved the drama effect of sculpting life-sized and monumen tal pieces, but time took a toll on his hands.

“At 68, my heart is young, and creative thoughts or pushing clay or wax isn’t an is sue. Casting in bronze is becoming more

difficult as my human parts are wearing out. But after 45 years of casting anything tends to wear out,” he said.

While guests can watch him work in his studio, many will en joy strolling throughout the nearly one-acre sculpture garden.

“My brother’s and father’s bronze sculp tures sit proudly among my work, as well as colleagues’ sculptures. We affectionately refer to our sculpture garden as a national treasure, and that’s mainly due to my wife Gloria’s landscaping and green thumb.”

D’Ambrosi is also hosting two guest artists during the studio art tour: oil painters Linda Storey-London and David Flitner.

Painter inspired by nature

An award-winning artist, Cynthia Eral cherishes her time outside exploring na ture’s beauty, and each of her paintings tell a story of what she sees and experiences. Growing up in Minnesota, Eral began paint ing at age 9 when her parents presented her with a set of oil paints. Throughout her ca reer, working both in the fashion industry and as an interior designer, she always found time to paint. Five years ago, after deciding to pursue her passion full time, she joined the Sonoran Arts League and began partici pating in the Hidden in the Hills Artist Studio Tour.

In many ways, Eral’s paintings reflect her adventurous life. An Anthem resident, she and her husband fell in love with the West ern United States after taking a month-long

motorcycle trip some 25 years ago.

An avid hiker, she sometimes carries her easel deep into the desert or a forest to paint plein air. Other times, she creates original paintings of flora and fauna in her studio using a compilation of photos that she took from long road trips or exploring new ter rain closer to home.

“I like to spend significant time outdoors with wildlife to get a sneak peek into their personalities through observing their man nerisms before returning to my studio. This gives me time to visualize the subject in its natural state,” she said.

She affectionately calls oil paint “an old friend,” noting that their colors have more depth to them and she’s able to layer and create more texture.

“I love how oil paints flow off the brush, especially with larger canvases. And, be cause they dry slowly, I can change my mind and mix colors to enhance areas if I feel the need to,” she said.

She prefers working on larger canvases because they make a bigger impact telling a story. In addition, many of her commission pieces are for larger homes.

“With my experience working in interior design, I’ve seen that the connection of art and home décor can be powerful. It creates a mood, a special place, and will even feed the soul,” she said.

During the studio tour, Eral will be a guest artist at Beverly Carlson-Bradshaw’s Hum mingbird Haven Studio No. 8 in Carefree. In addition to showcasing her new work, she’ll be demonstrating both weekends of the event.

“Whenever I demonstrate, it always opens up conversations with our guests,” she said, adding that she hopes to inspire young, emerging artists.

Hidden in the Hills

WHEN: Various times Fridays November 18 and November 26; Saturdays November 19 and November 26, and Sundays November 20 and November 27

WHERE: Studios in Cave Creek, Carefree and North Scottsdale; artist directories at Sonoran Arts League’s office, 7100 E. Cave Creek Road, Suite 144, Cave Creek’s Stagecoach Village COST: Free

INFO: hiddeninthehills.org

When she’s in her studio, Cynthia Eral will often use a compilation of photos that she took from long road trips or hikes closer to home. (Cynthia Eral/Submitted)

“A Twist of Time” by oil painter Cynthia Eral, one of 174 artists participating in the November Hidden in the Hills Artist Studio Tour. (Cynthia Eral/Submitted)

2020 album “Uncivil War” — where she not only questioned America’s love affair with guns, but a value system gone awry.

“Things are really bad out there. I see so many things out on the road. Like signs that say, ‘I am Christian, and I voted,’” Co peland pondered. “I don’t even know what that means.

“Sometimes I get discouraged and angry.” Yet, despite everything — searching for a path toward détente in this “Uncivil War” — Copeland said she believes there is still good in the world. As exemplified in her song, “Ain’t Got Time for Hate.”

“We should all love one another.”

For Copeland it all comes down to the will of the people.

“There is so much divisiveness and hate in the background, ruining our lives. But one day when everybody gets together and says, as American people, that we are sick

scream out at injustice then function as a healing salve, on “Clotilda’s on Fire” — from 2020’s “Uncivil War” — Copeland acknowledges a chapter of American his tory often unsung, with weight and ten derness.

In 1859, 50 years after the slave trade was banned, the last known U.S. slave ship, the Clotilda was burned and sunk by its captain to destroy the evidence. Over a decade and a half later, its wreck age was discovered in the Alabama Delta, in 2019.

“When I learned of the history,” Cope land said, pensively. “I felt compelled to share it.”

On “Clotilda’s On Fire” — bringing peace to the specters of a multitude held under foot — Copeland sang, “Her flame no lon ger lights up at night / Now dreams sur vive and hope burns bright / People still come from miles around / To praise the folks of Africatown / Who rose from the

Come Too Far” — acts as a sobering exposé about childhood sexual abuse.

“Something needed to be said,” Cope land said. “I’ve known too many victims of molestation.

“My albums reflect me. But I am not all serious.” As evidenced in “Fried Catfish and Bibles” and “Fell in Love with a Honky,” tracks from her new album.

Once her son was born, Copeland be came even more committed to making the world a better place.

“When he gets older, I want my little guy to be proud of me,” Copeland said. “To know that his mommy mattered and had the courage to speak out.”

An artist, ever evolving, the underlying thread that connects her recent work, her trilogy, is unification.

“On ‘America’s Child,’ ‘Uncivil War,’ and now ‘Done Come Too Far,’ I have been try ing to put the ‘united’ back into the United States,” Copeland stated. “Friends, family and home, these things we all value.”

In the summer of 2021, Copeland was planning her return to performing, as the world was reawakening post-lockdown. But her plans were promptly sidelined

when she was diagnosed with a rare type of kidney cancer: Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma. Surgeons operated.

Shortly afterward, she contracted COVID-19 and temporarily lost her sense of smell, despite being vaccinated.

“I feel fine, so far. It’s not recurring,” Copeland said, optimistically. “So, I’m just going to hope and pray that that’s the case with me. I am just going to wait and see what the next months bring.”

Of indomitable spirit, Copeland — who lives near San Diego with her husband and young son — is pressing on with a series of North American tour dates that will take her into the New Year.

“I will be performing songs from all of my albums.” Copeland enthused. “It is go ing to be a great time.”

Shemekia Copeland w/Sugaray Rayford

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 WHERE: Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Boulevard, Phoenix

COST: Tickets start at $38.50 INFO: 480-478-6000, mim.org

Poltz brings eclectic folk music to MIM

BY LAURA LATZKO Foothills Focus Contributing Writer

Nashville-based folk singer Steve Poltz’s wanderlust has pushed him to be on the road throughout his career.

He has learned to bring oatmeal, hot-water kettle and an insulated water bottle, along with clean socks, under wear and T-shirts.

Best known for co-writing Jewel’s hit song “You Were Meant for Me,” Poltz has worked with Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Mojo Nixon, Sierra Hull and Nicki Bluhm.

Poltz will perform Friday, Nov. 18 at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. The previous night, he hits 191 Toole in Tucson. He’s touring in support of February’s “Stardust and Satellites.”

The setlist will span Poltz’s career. It will feature Poltz performing solo with his acoustic guitar.

“I never make a setlist. I get a feel of the people, and I’ll play songs off of all different records and stuff off of the new one,” Poltz said.

He plans to share the stories behind the songs, infusing his brand of humor into his banter with the audience.

“Stardust and Satellites” was produced by Oliver Wood and Jano Rix of the Nash ville-based group the Wood Brothers.

He has known the Wood Brothers since he moved to Nashville about five years ago. The two recently hit the road together.

“During the pandemic, we got closer,” Poltz said.

“Everyone was just hanging out, and we would go on walks… I went into the studio with those guys, and everyone was masked up. Everyone was a little bit paranoid, but we got through it.”

“Stardust and Satellites” is an eclectic mix, with personal and more humorous tunes. The song “Conveyor Belt” was written after Poltz lost his mother and father in a short period of time. In the track “It’s Baseball Season,” Poltz shares his love of the sport. The tune “Can O’ Pop” has a more whimsical tone.

Poltz said he and the Wood Brothers

create a very open environment, where they tried songs different ways and ex perimented with instrumentation.

“I had Jano, who is the drummer and keyboardist, and Oliver Wood. So, I had these great musicians right there at my disposal, with the guy playing bass who owned the studio. We were able to work at our own pace. There was never a rushed feeling. Any idea was welcome. It fostered a really good working environ ment,” Poltz said.

This was the first time Poltz worked with the Wood Brothers on an album. He tends to collaborate with different mu sical partners and record in new spaces with each project he does.

“There’s no boss telling me what to do, so I just follow my own muse,” Poltz said.

For his next album, Poltz plans to do a duo record with singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale.

Poltz said he’s not good at sitting still. In March, he’s headed to Australia. His

passport also includes stamps from Ire land, Scotland, New Zealand, Australia and England.

As a result, his fanbase is varied.

“I’ve noticed parents now bring their kids who grew up on my music, and their kids are now 17, 18 years old. They are passing it on,” Poltz said.

“I chose the ultimate job. I remem ber when I was 6 years old, looking at a globe, spinning it around and just think ing, ‘Man, what are all of these places like?’ I was always curious, and my fa vorite thing was to read ‘World Book’ and see photos in Life and Look maga zines back in the day. I always wondered what it would be like to travel. I never wanted to stay in one place.”

Poltz stopped touring during the height of COVID-19. He performed so cially distanced gigs for about 20 peo ple in their driveways, once restrictions started lifting.

“It’s harder to get the energy if you’re

only playing to 20 people. I like it when they are really close, up to the stage, and they are shoulder to shoulder. The ener gy funnels from person to person bet ter,” Poltz said.

Once everything opened more, he traveled to Canada and the United States. Hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada, Poltz was raised in Southern California in Pasadena and Palm Springs.

He grew up in a musical family. His mom sang to him and played a little bit of piano and guitar, and his dad wrote poems.

“I grew up playing in little recitals, playing classical guitar. I grew up with music. I was very fortunate in that my parents were for the arts,” Poltz said.

His uncle played the piano well and taught him how to sing. He and his sister harmonized.

Early in his music career, Poltz per formed with a San-Diego-based group called the Rugburns, which was a mix ture of punk and alternative rock with folk.

During this time, he often played Tuc son venues like Club Congress.

“I would stay at Hotel Congress, in a room above the stage. It was mayhem,” Poltz said. “I would go get good Mexican food somewhere and just suss out the whole scene and see what was going on.”

Poltz always feels drawn back to the desert, which he said is a nice change of scenery from Nashville.

“It’s so green. It rains a lot in Nashville, and your eyes get used to a certain type of scenery. There’s nothing like going to the desert, the color of the dirt, the land scape and the cactus,” Poltz said.

WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17

WHERE: 191 Toole, 191 E. Toole, Tucson COST: $25 plus fees; clear bag policy in effect INFO: 520-445-6425, 191toole.com

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18

WHERE: Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Boulevard, Phoenix

COST: Tickets start at $33.50

INFO: 480-478-6000, mim.org

Folk singer Steve Poltz recently released a new album called “Stardust and Satellites.” (Michael Weintrob/Contributor)

Steve Poltz

TheFoothillsFocus.com

@TheFoothills.Focus /TheFoothillsFocus

Inspiration Mountain plans expansion

BY DR. CURTIS FINCH

Deer Valley Unified School District Superintendent

The Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD) recently completed the main construction phase of its 41st brick-and-mortar school, Inspi ration Mountain. The 1,000-capacity 77,000-square-foot structure features a gym and cafeteria, baseball/softball and soccer fields, a media center, and a dedicated makerspace upon comple tion.

The outside shade structures pro tect new learning spaces and play ground areas. This $21 million facility is near 57th Avenue and Happy Valley Road and was approved by the DVUSD voters in the 2019 bond.

Inspiration Mountain sits in a strate gic location, as 57th Avenue will even tually be one of the vital connections between the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) fac tory location and Stetson Valley; the area is separated by a water aqueduct. The vehicle bridges over the aque duct are in place but blocked until the northern side development of the res

idential, commercial, and retail structures takes shape. At least 17 more supply compa nies for TSMC will be joining over 25 current major tech companies in Maricopa County that have settled here in the past decade.

TSMC holds the world’s largest share of silicon chip manufacturing, and the new site is projected to be three times larger than originally planned; the 1,129-acre parcel will house a $12 bil lion plant and support structures with the area totaling over $35 billion in in vestments over the next decade.

According to reports, the first phase includes 3.8 million square feet of buildings and is expected to be completed in 2024. The worldwide, 51,000-employee company expects the plant to house 1,900 high-paying tech jobs. Much like the chip manufac turer Intel had on the Chandler Uni fied School District, TSMC will have a big impact on DVUSD. Chips are part of “the brain” that help assist comput ers, cellphones, cars, refrigerators and most everything high-tech that uses electricity to complete multiple tasks.

Since 1979, the city of Phoenix has had a long-standing relationship with its Sister City, Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. The city of Taipei is home to 2.7 million people with a general metropolitan area population of ap proximately 7 million. Taipei is locat ed in the northern area of Taiwan and is renowned for being a technology, business and financial hub with in ternational reach. It is believed the long-standing relationship of Taipei and Phoenix was a major factor of bringing TSMC to Arizona.

Located in the geographical “center” of DVUSD, the TSMC factory will im pact DVUSD for decades. The plant’s

proximity to Inspiration Mountain will help foster many new learning op portunities for students and staff. The 2020 DVUSD Principal of the Year, Dr. JoAnn Schwarting, leads the 730 stu dents and staff of Inspiration Moun tain, and is looking forward to those potential prospects as the campus grows.

The school announced on Oct. 28 that it will expand from the current K-6 configuration to K-7 next year, and K-8 the following year, feeding directly into O’Connor High School. Go Knights!

Dr. Curtis Finch is the superinten dent of DVUSD and can be reached at superintendent@dvusd.org.

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