The Foothills Focus 092822 Zone 1

Phoenix hires city’s first public health adviser

BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer

AfterCOVID-19 highlighted a need, Phoenix has hired its first public health adviser, Nicole Dupuis-Witt, to join city leadership starting Monday, Oct. 17, accord ing to Phoenix City Manager Jeff Barton.

“I am incredibly excited to return to Arizo na and join the team at the city of Phoenix. It is an honor and privilege to be selected to serve the city as its first public health adviser,” Dupuis-Witt said.

“While COVID-19 will continue to be an im portant public health priority for the near fu ture, I look forward to working with the com munity on other critical public health issues and the vision toward a healthier Phoenix.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, the

city sought professional consulting services to assist with Phoenix’s public health efforts in response to the pandemic. This expertise proved beneficial in advising the city’s stra tegic approach to pandemic recovery and response, and emphasized the need to bring public health knowledge to the city on a per manent, full-time basis.

“The addition of public health expertise to our leadership team strengthens our abili ty to address public health needs across the city,” Barton said.

“Public health is a central tenant to many of the city’s top priorities including heat re sponse and mitigation, housing and homeless ness, food systems, senior services, transpor tation and more. I am confident that Nicole’s

see ADVISER page 12

Aaron Johnson’s view of the USS George Washington

The Foothills Focus, inpartnership with the AnthemVeterans Memorial, will honora local veteran each month.

This is the story of Aaron Johnson.

BY ELIZABETH TURNER Anthem Veterans Memorial

Aaron

Johnson had not planned to join the Navy growing up. His father and uncles served in the military, but the family ties were not an influence. He excelled academically as an applied physics major at UC Davis.

“Like all freshmen, the college experience was new and inspiring; we felt this chapter in our lives was the beginning to an exciting career,” Johnson said.

“Out of blue at the end of my first year, I received a letter from the U.S. Navy. It was a

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one-page pitch letter, which I glanced over, crumpled and threw out. I had no intention of joining the military.

“However, at the end of my sophomore year, I had an existential crisis about what exactly I was going to do with a physics de gree. Serendipitously, I received a second letter from the Navy. This time I called the number.”

The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Officer Can

Nicole Dupuis-Witt is bringing more than 15 years of experience to her position as Phoenix’s first public health adviser. (City of Phoenix/Submitted)

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didate Program targeted students from strong colleges majoring in hard scienc es with high-grade point averages.

“The Navy verified my academic and intellectual readiness in advance of fly ing me to D.C. for a battery of intense interviews,” Johnson said. “These were with the designers of the reactor plants. The final interview was with Adm. De Mars.”

DeMars served a distinguished 44 years in the Navy. Prior to his retirement he was, for eight years, the Naval Nucle ar Propulsion director.

The program included 176 reactor plants on over 150 ships and subma rines, eight land-based research and training reactors, eight nuclear qualified shipyards, two Department of Energy laboratories and an extensive commer cial supplier base. He directed the tran sition of this enterprise to the post-Cold War period.

“I guess I passed because, at the end of the interviews, I raised my right hand and was enlisted into the U.S. Navy,” Johnson said.

“I received a signing bonus and month ly pay for the next two years. All I had to do was graduate on time and maintain a 3.3 GPA. This allowed me to exit college debt free. After I graduated from UC Da vis, I was able to enjoy a brief summer before paying the piper at Officer Can didate School (OCS). This is where I re ceived my commission as an officer.”

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After OCS, he attended Naval Nuclear Power School, which taught him the the ory and practical application of nuclear physics and reactor engineering.

According to the Navy, the “six-month course provides a comprehensive un derstanding of a pressurized-water na val nuclear power plant, including reac tor core nuclear principles, heat transfer and fluid systems, plant chemistry, me chanical and electrical systems and ra diological control.”

From Naval Nuclear Power School, he headed to Charleston for Nuclear Pro totype School where he simulated plant operations on a nuclear submarine moored in the Cooper River. Finally, he was then sent to Newport, Rhode Island, for Service Warfare Officer School.

Described as a “Center of Excellence” for surface warfare training for officers and enlisted sailors who man and fight on Naval ships, this program serves as the “keepers of the essence of the Navy and the maintainers of freedom throughout the world.”

“I then received orders to the USS George Washington (CVN-73) stationed in Norfolk, Virginia,” he said. “They were to fly my classmate and me to Florida to board the ship — or so we thought.

“We arrived at the ready room and were handed helmets and life vests. We boarded a C2 plane, seated with our backs to the pilots. The gear seemed a little overkill. We were just going to Flor ida; it must be the Navy way.

“After a few hours, the pilot tells us to, ‘hang on.’ We both looked at each other,

confident we were able to handle a plane landing. But, little did we know, we were over water about to land on the carrier. We were surprised at a hard bank and dive… this was no longer the friendly skies.

“The ship was cruising at 30 knots, the arresting wire jolted us to an immediate stop, and I see an F-18 landing right be hind us, like seconds away. Clearly, we missed the memo of our carrier landing. Welcome aboard!”

A nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, sixth in the Nimitz class and the fourth U.S. Navy ship named after George Washington, holds 90 aircraft with a flight deck of 4.5 acres and 6,250 crewmembers, serving

Aaron Johnson will speak at the Anthem Veterans Day Ceremony to intoduce the 100th birthday tribute of the Naval aircraft carrier. The event begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Anthem Veterans Memorial (Aaron Johnson/Submitted)

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18,000 meals a day. The carrier is pow ered by two nuclear reactors and can travel 3 million nautical miles before needing refueling.

Johnson was assigned as the popula tion plant watch officer where he over saw 40 watch standers, the reactor and its associated steam plant. He was also the division officer for the reactor ma chinery and reactor training depart ments.

He was the first officer to be qualified as the engineering officer of the watch (responsible for both reactor plants, all plant engineering and coordination with the bridge) and officer of the deck.

Johnson was one of six qualified of ficers of the deck of the 6,200 crew members. The officer of the deck is the direct representative of the ship’s com manding officer and responsible for the ship. At sea, the officer of the deck is stationed on the bridge and in charge of navigation and safety of the ship, unless relieved by the captain or senior quali fied line officer.

The officer of the deck informs the tactical situations and geographic fac tors affecting navigation; issues neces sary orders to the help and main engine control; ensures reports for tests and inspections are made; is informed of the engineering and power of the ship; supervises training operations and en sures the flight decks are operational, among a slew of other duties.

Johnson’s first deployment started in May 1994. After anchoring near England for the 50th anniversary commemora tion of the D-Day landings in Normandy followed by a brief visit to Brest, France, the Washington entered the Mediter ranean Sea to relieve the USS Saratoga. The initial mission was in the Adriatic to support NATO by ensuring no-fly zones over Bosnia.

“In August 1994, I was flipping chan nels between CNN and the Captain’s Call, where the entire crew listens to the cap tain talk with the ability to ask him ques tions,” Johnson said.

“Iraq was making news, and activity in the gulf was building. One of the crew asked if we were going to the Persian

The USS George Washington is powered by two nuclear reactors and can travel 3 million nautical miles before needing refueling. It holds 90 aircraft with a flight deck of 4.5 acres and 6,250 crew members, serving 18,000 meals a day. (Stock photo)

(Arabian) Gulf. The captain told us we were not, but about 2 minutes later he hastily excused himself. Forty-five min utes later, we were steaming out of the Adriatic toward the Suez Canal on our way to the gulf to participate in Oper

ation Vigilant Warrior, in response to Iraqi aggression.

“The Suez Canal is always memorable. Given the ship’s size, it looks as if you are

Back the Badge bull riding and benevolence

BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer

TheBack the Badge annual fund raising event offers an evening of entertainment Saturday, Oct. 8, with bull riding, music and a live auction at the Roadrunner Restaurant and Saloon while helping raise money to support Arizona first responders and their families at the same time.

“It’s basically a full bull riding event/ concert/family-friendly event and all of the money that we raise goes to the 100 Club of Arizona,” said Mike Glover, founder of Back the Badge and a Phoe nix firefighter. “They’re a really great organization and they support first re sponders and their families.”

The doors open at 5 p.m., when guests can eat, drink and socialize be fore things kick off at 8 p.m. with a live performance from Hollywood Yates, a country singer who grew up in the North Valley.

After Hollywood Yates has the crowd’s energy buzzing with his open ing performance, the bull riding starts and takes the excitement to the next level.

“It’s not like people from the crowd are riding, these are all professionals. These guys come in and they ride in other rodeos and so it’s definitely a competition,” Glover said.

“They all pay an entry fee, and then at the end of the night, the winner gets that money. Then Jen and Jeff, the own ers of the Road runner, usually add money to the pot, and we have a Back the Badge bull rider buckle that we have made every year to give to the winner as well.”

There will be two rounds of

bull riding at the Back the Badge event, one at 8:30 p.m. and one at 10 p.m.

Then, to close the night out, there will be a live performance from na tional recording artists Micky and the Motorcars. Micky and the Motorcars is a Red Dirt country band based in Aus tin with nine albums, including two live albums.

During the evening, Back the Badge will also have a live auction. Glover said the two big auction items are a guitar signed by performers Micky and the Motorcars and Hollywood Yates and a ride-along in the Phoenix police department helicopter.

This will be the eighth year Back the Badge has had its fundraising event, which was really the sole pur pose of the organization. In fact, it all started out because Glover was just looking for a way to help during a rough time.

“It was shortly after the Granite Mountain 19, the Hotshots, passed away,” he said, referencing the 19 fire fighters who died fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013.

“Also, I worked for Phoenix Fire and we had a guy who was killed, and then on the same night, Phoenix PD had an officer that was killed. And the 100

Club helped everybody in those situa tions, so I just thought it would be re ally cool if I can give something or help them in any way.”

Glover said he is good friends with the owners of the Roadrunner, and they jumped on the idea when he pre sented it to them. The Back the Badge 501c3 was founded as a way to make sure everything is handled properly and the funds go to the 100 Club.

“I didn’t want it to be just about the fire department, I wanted it to be about all first responders in the state of Arizona,” Glover added. “So that’s why I picked the 100 Club, because they support fire, PD, paramedics, EMTs — all of that. It encompasses ev erybody and isn’t exclusive to just one first responder.”

Being a first responder himself, Glov er said he personally knows a few of the people who have been supported by the 100 Club and they are incredibly grateful. One woman was supported after her husband, a police officer, died

and Glover said she has come to ev ery Back the Badge fundraising event since then to show her appreciation and support.

In 2021 alone, Back the Badge raised over $10,000 for first responders in need. Glover said their goal for the bull riding event is to reach $10,000, which he thinks is doable given that they usu ally see 1,500 to 2,000 people at the event each year.

The event is open to all ages, al though those under 21 must be out by midnight. No registration is required, tickets can be purchased at the door for $10. For those who wish to contrib ute but are unable to attend, direct do nations can be made to Back the Badge online.

Back the Badge Bull Riding Fundraiser

WHEN: 5 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 8

WHERE: Roadrunner Restaurant and Saloon 47801 N. Black Canyon Highway, New River COST: $10, kids under 10 free INFO: backthebadgeaz.org

Event offers way to reduce, reuse and recycle

BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer

TheAnthem Community Council and Republic Services are team ing up once again to provide a free and sustainable way to dispose of household items at the drive-thru Go Green event on Saturday, Oct. 8.

“This event gives our residents an op portunity to get rid of things they collect in their homes and dispose of them in a proper way,” said Alyssa Tarpley, com munications specialist for Anthem. “It brings our community together for a positive, sustainable initiative and pro motes recycling. Then, with all of our families, it’s showing a lot of our young er kids the positive perception of mak ing sure we’re taking care of the planet.”

Go Green will have eight stations

across the Community Park lower park ing lot. Items accepted include medi cations, donations, glass or bulk items, electronics, paint or household hazard ous waste, lighting or batteries, card board and shredding.

The event is from 8 to 11 a.m., but Tar pley said residents are encouraged to get in line early. Debbie Pulido, special events manager, said they typically see an average of 600 cars come through, and it is possible for the vendor’s trucks to reach capacity before 11 a.m.

“You have to be in line by 10:45 in or der to be able to recycle. We have to cut it off because the trucks do get full and they have to leave,” Pulido said.

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Community Park from Freedom Way to Whitman Drive, then exit onto Gavilan Peak Parkway. Tarpley said people should also familiarize themselves with the site map and prepare in advance to know which station to go to. The line may look long, but it goes quickly.

“It depends on how many stations they want to stop at, but they could drop off at one station and be out within 10 min utes,” Pulido said. “Even if they stopped at every single station, it wouldn’t take more than 20 to 25 minutes.”

This drive-thru event is for Anthem residents only and a proof of residency is required. In addition, oversized vehi cles such as U-Hauls or RVs will not be allowed.

The Go Green event has been offered twice a year in Anthem for over 10 years and is a joint effort of the Anthem Com munity Council, Republic Services and other community partners, including the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Pro-Shred, Safety Kleen, Westech Re cyclers and Lighting Resources. These

partners routinely work with Republic Services and ensure the items are safely and securely recycled or disposed of.

In addition, St. Vincent de Paul will accept donations of nonperishable food items, clothing, new or gently used

shoes, diapers, books, luggage and gen tly used toys. A full list can be found on the Go Green event page.

Tarpley said residents can save their items specifically for the event to make sure they are dealt with properly.

With the nearest recycling plant about 14 miles away, and limited access to prop er disposal sites for things like chemicals or electronics, she added that the com munity has had a positive response.

“We’re here to serve our community and make it easier for them,” Tarpley said. “We want to keep our landfills clean and just give our residents easy access to make their lives easier.”

Some items are not accepted, such as tires, medical sharps, pressurized tanks and ammunition. Check the event web site for a full list of prohibited items.

Go Green

WHEN: 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8

WHERE: Community Park lower parking lot 41703 N. Gavilan Peak Parkway, Phoenix COST: Free

INFO: onlineatanthem.com/events/go_green

experience and data-driven approach will further position Phoenix as a resilient and prosperous place to live, work and play.”

As public health adviser, Dupuis-Witt will work closely with city departments toward the achievement of public health objectives and in support of city priori ties.

The adviser position was approved by Phoenix City Council in April.

“We have an opportunity to have a more long term solution toward getting advice around health equity, which is key to so many of the decisions that we make in the community,” Mayor Kate Gallego said at that April council meeting.

“I’m very hopeful that we’ll be able to work closely with the individual who is hired for this and better navigate the very complex organization that is the city of Phoenix… I think this individual can really work to make sure that we have health ex

pertise as we make important decisions and that we put equity at the forefront.”

And that’s what Dupuis-Witt said she aims to do.

Dupuis-Witt brings more than 15 years of experience leading transformative health initiatives to Phoenix.

She is known as a champion of equi table approaches to health services and multisector, multipartner collaborations that improve health outcomes for diverse communities.

Her extensive experience includes work in urban and rural districts across three countries, bridging local govern ment, public health and nonprofit sectors.

JOHNSON from page

sailing through the desert as you cannot see water on either side while standing on the flight deck. Two caravans of ships transit each day. One travels north from the Red Sea and the other south from the Mediterranean. The caravans meet in the middle in the Great Bitter Lake. One caravan anchors to the side and lets the other pass before continuing.”

During the transiting, they barbecued and relaxed. Johnson participated in Running the Ditch, relay races around the flight deck to see which team com pletes the most laps during the transit.

“My favorite times on the ship were as conning officer during flight operations and the canal transit,” he said.

“This conning officer gives the com mands to drive the ship. The canal tran sit is precarious. The ship has to move fast enough to maintain steering control, but not too fast as the low-pressure ar eas pull the ship over to the side. Con stant minor course and speed correc tions are required for safe passage. It is nerve wracking, exciting and rewarding.

“Conning during flight operations was my absolute favorite job on the ship. Not only did I have a front-row seat to flight operations, I got to drive the ship like a race car at times. Each plane type, F-14, F-18, EA6, etc., has a required wind en velope for safe launch and recovery. De pending on the winds, the ship’s speed and direction are modified to achieve each plane’s envelope. We also must stay in our navigation box, so if we are at 30

Most recently, Dupuis-Witt served as the chief executive officer for the Wind sor-Essex County Health Unit in Ontar io, Canada — a role she took on at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond COVID-19, she has also led comprehen sive approaches to complex issues such as the opioid crisis, community food inse curity and mental health services.

Dupuis-Witt earned a master’s of public health degree from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and an un dergraduate degree in anthropology from Arizona State University.

knots screaming to the end of the box, as soon as we launched or recovered the last plane, I needed to turn the carrier as fast as possible while not throwing planes off the deck or exiting the box. It was exhilarating.”

Johnson’s great uncle told stories of his hand-to-hand combat training and being dropped behind enemy lines in late WWII. That experience, while differ ent than Johnson’s, was indicative of the Navy’s vast training and applications.

“We all had specialized training,” John son said. “We all had unique experienc es, but we all had eye-opening journeys, met great people, grew up, saw the world and left better men for it.

“I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined my applied physics de gree would have turned into such an amazing opportunity. I left my com mission in November 1996 and went to work in the aerospace industry. The Navy taught me leadership and respon sibility, which I attribute to my success in aerospace manufacturing. I was able to semi-retire at age 48. The Navy was an instrumental start and component of making that possible. It was an honor to serve my country.”

Join Aaron Johnson at the Veterans Day ceremony at the Anthem Veterans Memorial as he introduces the 100th birthday tribute of the Naval aircraft car rier. A pre-ceremony patriotic music concert begins at 9:30 a.m. and the cere mony follows at 10 a.m. For more infor mation, visit onlineatanthem.com/visi tors/veterans_memorial/index.php

BY JD HAYWORTH Foothills Focus Columnist Biden interview

Fewcorporate logos have proven as iconic or enduring as the “CBS Eye,” which will turn 71 this October. From its genesis in TV’s monochro matic age, the “Eye” has remained. It was “colorized,” as was most of televi sion by the mid-to-late 1960’s, and even tually “universalized” – adopted by all the corporate divisions of CBS, though well-modulated grumbling was heard

Reflections in a Bloodshot Eye,” a noholds-barred “unofficial” history of the communications colossus in 1975. He described CBS “a restless 24-hour-a-day mover and shaker of the national con sciousness, irritating and pleasing, en lightening and vulgarizing by turns.”

While most Americans feel right at home with both computer screens and TV screens in residence, estimates for this year put the number of “television households” in excess of 122 million.

networks, ratings have contracted for those “legacy telecasters.”

Gone are the astronomical numbers and the high regard Cronkite enjoyed during his nearly two decades as an chor of “The CBS Evening News.” Like Johnny Carson, his contemporary coun terpart in another type of TV on anoth er network, “Uncle Walter’s” instincts to foster a perception of fairness were comparable to the “King of Late Night’s” efforts to ensure that he was an “equal opportunity comic,” making politicians of both parties the target of his topical

Both Cronkite and Carson leaned left politically, but only after leaving their

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2 Tempe incidents illustrate

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ Foothills Focus Columnist

Tworecent news stories illustrate how wretched it is to serve as a police officer in the 21st century, a time of rampant negativity, social media virality and naked hostility toward law enforcement.

Both stories occurred in Tempe, along Town Lake. Both involve men who en tered that lake of their own accord.

One story ended in tragedy. The other ended in a save. You can guess which one you likely never heard about.

First, a disclaimer. By day, I am a public relations consultant. Among my clients: The Tempe Officers Association. I repre sent a number of other public safety or ganizations, so I am absolutely biased in favor of the cops.

With that said, my clients have not paid me to write this. I’m doing so be cause I believe it needs to be said.

The tragedy centers on Sean Bick ings, 34, a longtime presence in Tempe nicknamed “Madrox.” Bickings by all accounts was a “big teddy bear,” joking, friendly, even as he and his wife strug gled to find shelter on a consistent basis.

On May 28, Tempe police received a 911 call reporting a disturbance between the couple. Body camera footage shows a long conversation between Bickings, his wife and the officers. Then Bickings de cides to climb over a four-foot fence and enter Town Lake.

One of the officers tells Bickings, “Okay, I’m not jumping in after you.” Bickings is encouraged to swim to safety, but he can’t. He disappears beneath the water gone.

What I know in my heart is that no person on earth wanted this story so aw fully, including the officers on scene.

I also know that the cops followed their training, which did not include wa ter rescue, and city policy, which was not to enter the lake, but instead to get the Tempe police boat (check) and summon Tempe Fire (check).

Even so, the story became a national sensation, covered by the networks and splashed across social media, with many commenters noting that Bickings was Black and accusing the cops of racism.

I’m a realist, a guy who has spent 30 years covering news professionally. I un

derstand why this story got the coverage and commentary it did.

Still, I wish the hubbub had also in cluded some vital context about po lice policy, training and the fact that the officers had not been provided with equipment to save potential drowning victims.

The city has changed all of that in the past few weeks, providing training and throw bags to officers. That’s a good thing, as the events of Sept. 20 prove.

This story didn’t go national, nor did it make a ripple on Twitter or TikTok.

It began as an indecent exposure call. Police arrived and found a naked man in the lake. Officers threw him a water res cue device multiple times, but he refused to grab it.

“He was pulled into the police boat

without incident and turned over to (Tempe Fire),” KTAR radio reported. “He was transported to a hospital for evalu ation.”

All told, three news outlets covered this story, a few hundred words total.

Again, I’m a realist. News involves con flict, mayhem and gotcha moments. Hap py endings aren’t the stuff of headlines and clicks.

But I wonder how the rest of us would feel working in a job where to do good is to be invisible while to make a mistake is to be damned? A job where you’re ex pected to risk your life for people who despise you, and where you’d best be perfect, because keyboard warriors are lying in wait to pass judgment.

That’s policing in 2022. I mourn that fact just as I feel for the loved ones of Sean Bickings. Everyone loses in stories like this.

fered to any of Joe’s more “factually chal lenged” utterances.

highly rated, highly compensated posi tions as “television stars” did they cham pion political causes and advocate for their favorite candidates.

Four decades have passed since Cronkite said “That’s the way it is,” for the last time, and six men and three women have ascended to the role of an chor (or co-anchor) of “The CBS Evening News.”

While the job is still considered as one of the most prestigious in televi sion news, Scott Pelley, who manned the anchor desk for six years, returned full-time to his role as a reporter on “60 Minutes,” and it is Pelley who embodies the new trend of so-called “advocacy journalism.”

Perhaps that’s why Pelley was picked to interview Joe Biden — appearing on “60 Minutes” for the first time since he moved into the White House — as the broadcast began its 55th season.

Pelley said the interview would “ig nite a few controversies,” and that’s true – but not the portions Scott intended. Certainly, Pelley asked about important subjects — inflation, Ukraine, China, and COVID among them — and did so with a “gentle touch.” His follow-ups were perfunctory; no real challenge was of

Remarkably, but not unexpectedly, Pelley proffered a defense and endorse ment of Biden, described as a theory: “Joe Biden is among the longest-serving politicians in Washington. If there is less bounce in the step than there once was, if the words don’t flow like they used to, maybe there’s something to be said for knowhow—five decades on the Hill and in the Oval.”

Oh. So being a senile Washington “lif er” is an asset for leadership?

Pelley’s voice quivered with emotion and affection, as he said to Biden, “You were elected to the Senate in 1972. You were 29 years old. And in those days, it seemed the parties worked together to move the country forward.

And I think many Americans feel that that no longer happens, and in fact, may be impossible now.”

Apparently, it was impossible to in clude any discussion of Joe’s Philadel phia speech, where Biden attacked “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republi cans” as “threats to our Republic.” View ers had to seek that out online at “60 Minutes Overtime.”

Those calling the shots at the “CBS Eye” wanted fewer eyes to see that. Just one question: Why?

Rusty’s Boutique triumphantly returns

After having to briefly close the doors and fear of closing for good, Rusty’s Resale Boutique is having a grand reopening with an all-volunteer staff just in time for the store’s third anniversary Wednesday, Oct. 5.

“We are so excited,” said Emilee Spear, owner. “Our three-year anniversary is Oct. 5 so be sure to stop in and show your support of our little thrift store… we cannot wait to see your smiling faces.”

Rusty’s Resale Boutique is an upscale thrift store that was opened in 2019 to help raise funds for Rusty’s Angels Sanctuary, a

nonprofit shelter in New River that is dedi cated to providing a safe and caring environ ment for senior and special needs canines. Through rescue, foster, adoption, education and hospice, it creates secure nurturing homes for these dogs to live out their twi light years, whether in a forever home or there at the sanctuary.

Spear, who is also the founding president of Rusty’s Angels Sanctuary, said people were so supportive of the sanctuary that she actually had a surplus of donations, which is where the idea to open Rusty’s Resale Bou tique came from.

The store has been closed since mid-Au gust, after the manager resigned and there was no one there to run the store. Spear said

at that point, she had to consider a few factors to decide what was best for the store and the sanctu ary. Some of those factors include the lack of staff, the store’s lease ending in October and there wasn’t enough revenue going back to the sanctuary.

However, thanks to a strong show of support from the commu nity, those issues have been allevi ated.

The first good sign was that the landlord agreed to let Spear rent month-to-month, which she

BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer 17

Rusty’s Resale Boutique is an upscale thrift store that was opened to help raise funds for a senior dog sanctuary. (Emilee Spear/Submitted)

said was a huge relief to not be locked in a year-long contract. Then, enough people volunteered to help run the store without a payroll, alleviating the issue of both staff and revenue. Spear said she even had someone donate funds to cover the rent and utilities of the store for the entire month of September. One of those volunteers is Cindylou Cum mins, who said she jumped at the chance to help.

“I am first and foremost a shopper, so I was very sad when I heard Emily was going to have to close the store,” Cummins said.

“When she put a shoutout on Facebook looking for volunteers, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, we have to keep Rusty’s open, and if this is the way to do it then I’m all in.’”

And apparently others felt the same way, because Spear now has a crew of 30 volun teers to keep the store running. They have been training over the past few weeks, and, to help ease into things, the store will have a soft opening Wednesday, Sept. 28. Then, starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, Rusty’s Resale Boutique will launch a full grand reopening in conjunction with its third

anniversary in a celebration that will last through Saturday, Oct. 8.

For the celebration, the store will be pro viding treats from Sweethearts Donuts and have a few adoptable dogs from the sanctu ary there for people to meet and enjoy. The store will even have an Instagram influencer there for the event — Cricket.

“Cricket is a special needs dog that I ad

opted when she first came to the sanctuary,” Spear explained.

“She has a condition called short spine syndrome which is a very rare congeni tal disease that affects the way their spine grows in the womb. She has her own insta gram and has over 6,700 followers so there will be many people who will come out just to meet her.”

The store’s new hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays for both shopping and donations, and Cummins said it’s a great place to do both.

“I hope everybody comes out and they see what a great place it is not only to do nate your stuff but to shop as well,” she said. “Because it doesn’t feel like a typical thrift store, and that’s why it’s called a boutique because it definitely has that boutique feel.”

Cummins said the only other thrift store immediately in the area is Goodwill, and she said “they do not know the definition of good will.” She said Rusty’s Resale Boutique, however, has quality items that are well tak en care of and fairly priced — not to men tion that the funds are going to a great cause.

With a background in vintage clothing and furnishing, Cummins’ role as a volun

teer is to help with the pricing to figure out what items are authentic or antique and may be worth a bit more. She said she’s more than happy to be able to use her expe rience to help.

“I see this for the long term. I don’t see this just being a thing for a few months,” Cum mins said. “I jumped in with both feet and when I do something, I do it big or I go home. So, I like to do things really big and grand. I expect to be with them for a long time.”

Spear is hoping others will join in and help as well. The more volunteers she has to help run the store, the more likely its chance of success. Those interested in volunteering can apply online. Donations can also be made online, and Spear said she is currently looking for assistance paying for the rent and utility costs for October.

Rusty’s Resale Boutique

Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays

42407 N. Vision Way, Anthem 480-250-0251

rustysangelssanctuary.org/rustysresale, facebook.com/rustysresaleboutique

The instagram-famous dog Cricket, who has a condition called short spine syndrome, will be at Rusty’s Resale Boutique’s grand reopening event Wednesday, Oct. 5. (Emilee Spear/Submitted)

BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer

Desert Hills Presbyterian Church is launching its fifth season of “Arts at the Rocks,” a free concert series open to the community, with a classical performance by the Urban Nocturnes sextet Saturday, Oct. 8.

“Our fifth season has all the elements to be our best season yet,” said Melissa Masles, elder of the Music and Arts Min istry, which puts together the concert se ries, at Desert Hills Presbyterian Church. “We have a wide variety of performances offering the opportunity for extraordi nary audience experiences in this coming season.”

Urban Nocturnes is a modular cham ber music ensemble made up of six pro fessional classical musicians, all based in Phoenix. Their programming encompass es a wide variety of combinations of their instruments, and their aim is to present diverse programming in a manner that appeals to seasoned music-lovers and newcomers alike. By devising programs that are aesthetically balanced, thought provoking and emotionally stirring, Ur ban Nocturnes seeks to share their love of artistic ingenuity and collaboration and to demonstrate music’s universal power to engage and enliven the mind and soul.

The Oct. 8 concert will feature a per formance of music for strings and flute, including the rhapsodic fantasy “A Night

Piece” by late-Romantic American com poser Arthur Foote and the “Weihnacht” Quintet by Dutch-Austrian Jan BrandtsBuys, a work that depicts and explores a Biblical quotation from the Christmas story with each of its four movements. Also in the program are the String Quar tet in D Minor by Italian violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini and Beethoven’s Duet “with Two Obligato Eyeglasses” for viola and cello.

The performance will feature Urban Nocturnes’s violinist Karen Sinclair, vi olist Christopher McKay, cellist Melita Hunsinger, and flutist Viviana Cumplido Wilson, along with guest violinist Trista Wong. Then, following their performance, the musicians will have a question and

answer session with the audience.

Darla Gilchrist, one of the event orga nizers, said there are also performances scheduled for December, January, March and April. All concerts are held at the church. The December event is the only one that is charged, and Gilchrist said that’s only because they will be serving a five course meal as part of that event.

There’s a wide range of performances, with Urban Nocturne’s classical music, a Renaissance themed dinner with sere nades in between courses in December, a one-woman show by a New York City actress in January, the Grammy-award winning Phoenix Boys Choir of 50 to 55 at series

boys ages 7 to adult in March, and the Val ley Chamber Chorale celebrating its 35th anniversary in April.

Gilchrist said while the primary moti vation for the performances comes from a love of music, the goal is to make it a full experience for the community. With that in mind, Arts at the Rocks tries to do things like question and answer ses sions and workshops. In fact, Gilchrist said she’s really excited about a work shop they are holding after the January one-woman show, which is about Hedy Lamarr and her contribution to STEM.

“The next day after that performance, we’re going to have a workshop for wom en and girls, middle school and above, that will feature fun activities in sci ence, technology, engineering and math,” Gilchrist said.

“We’re going to have the Arizona Sci ence Center do activities for an hour and then we’re going to have ASU do a panel discussion with women faculty who spe cialize in STEM. We felt like we needed to do something to encourage women and

girls to pursue those fields because it’s mainly men and it’s really hard for them to get in there.”

While it’s not part of the Arts at the Rocks concert series, the DHPC Music and Arts committee is also enrolling students for fall classes in their newly founded Des

ert Hills Community School of Music. The school offers world-class instruction in piano, strings and woodwinds from some of the most sought-after teachers in the Phoenix area. To meet the full breadth of students’ musical goals, DHCSM has two divisions — conservatory and communi

ty. The two divisions work cooperatively, with different missions.

The conservatory division is the perfor mance-oriented side of the school. Led by professional pianists Vitaly Serebriakov and Svetlana Obregon, conservatory in structors are internationally recognized artists whose passion is to perform and teach. The community division of DHCSM emphasizes recreational music-making and outreach into the local community. Community division instructors Heath er Baldwin (piano) and Jeffrey Anthony (woodwinds) were selected for their ability to balance the nurturing of musi cal excellence with an understanding that most community division students enroll to learn an instrument for their personal enjoyment.

The school’s saxophone ensemble and chancel choir will have separate perfor mances Sunday, Oct. 30.

According to Gilchrist, the commu nity’s response to the school and espe cially Arts at the Rocks over the past few years’ events has been “fantastic.” Now

Arts at the Rocks is a free annual concert series located at and sponsored by Desert Hills Presbyte rian Church. (DHPC/Submitted)

in its fifth season, she said people have gotten to know about Arts at the Rocks and remember to mark their calendars for it. She said there are typically about 200 people at each concert and the church usually gives little gift bags to newcomers.

Arts at the Rocks is entirely funded by DHPC. Gilchrist said the event was kick started with $10,000 from a foundation at the church that supports things that aren’t typically in the budget. Once it got going, though, Gilchrist said the congre gation stepped up to donate and make it happen.

While drawing people to the church is certainly part of the goal, Gilchrist said it really isn’t the main reason they offer Arts at the Rocks. It’s more about giving back to the community.

“There are many people in the com munity that maybe don’t have money to go pay for tickets that cost $30, but they can still really benefit from the ex perience — classical music, whatever it is that they might have a passion for,”

Gilchrist said.

“For young people, when they attend a concert like that it can inspire them to take their life in that direction, with mu

sic. That’s what it’s meant to be, to pro vide high quality artists and musicians to give people the experience that they might not otherwise have.”

Masles said DHPC’s music and arts committee is always looking for volun teers to help serve as greeters and ush ers at the events. In addition to the Music and Arts Committee, she said there are other ways people can get involved at the church, such as choir, Bible studies or or ganizations like Neighbors in Need and Boy Scouts.

In-person Sunday School classes for pre-school and grades K through 5 are held during the 9 a.m. Sunday worship service. All lessons featuring Orange Cur riculum are posted each week on DHPC’s YouTube page. The Hangout youth minis try for grades 6 through 12 provides fel lowship opportunities both inside and outside the church walls from 4 to 5 p.m. Sunday afternoons.

Arts at the Rocks — Urban Nocturnes

WHEN: 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8

WHERE: Desert Hills Presbyterian Church, 34605 N. Tom Darlington Road, Scottsdale

COST: Free

INFO: deserthills.org

JOB SEEKERS

New in

Here are some popular trades and the training required to being your career.

Electricians

Job opportunities in the trades are wide and varied. Many people become skilled at trades in high school, where they learn the basics of auto repair and woodworking. Some enter apprenticeships directly after graduating, while others attend trade or technical schools for advanced training. Either way, trades offer a rewarding, in-demand and profit able career for many interested in working with theirs hands and possess the aptitude to diagnose and repair complicated machinery in fields such as heating and air conditioning, welding, masonry and more.

High school graduates and those with a GED can enter train ing at a technical school for elec tricians. These diploma programs provide training in the fundamen tals of an electrical trade and enables students to become profi cient in areas such as areas as electrical wiring and programma ble logic controllers used in resi dential, commercial and industrial applications. After completing four semesters of training, new electricians enter the workforce through an apprenticeship as they work toward their license, which is required by many states.

Plumbers

Like electricians, plumbing technicians first attend at least two semesters of training at a technical school before beginning an apprenticeship and earning a license. Modern plumbers have the opportunity to work at a vari ety of job sites and install or repair new technologies, such as tankless water heaters, WiFi leak detectors and smart appliances. This trade skill is extremely valuable and sees con stant job demand.

Construction technology

This relatively new, rapidly expanding trade directly taps into the fast-paced digital world, creating and installing the systems homes and

businesses have com to rely upon. Smart-enabled and security sys tems are examples of fields that form the digital footprint of many modern workplaces and homes. In high-demand, technologists in this field are trained for 2-3 years and obtain a certificate before working on-site and completing a paid apprenticeship.

Veterans in transition

Many people enter the armed forces to take advantage of mili tary benefits, such as funding for a college education, while also per forming their duties around the world after attending vocational

training for a particular field. After completing their service, veterans with valuable trade skills can often enter the workforce directly or take advantage of veterans ben efits that provide them further training to adapt military occupa tions to a civilian career.

No matter what trade you pur sue, the training you receive can almost guarantee a life-long posi tion, many with substantial pay that sometimes reaches into six figures. And even if you never pursue a trade professionally, the skills you learn can be applied in your everyday life, as well as a ful filling hobby.