Carefree to seek Scottsdale’s help at major intersections

To widen Carefree Highway, light at Stagecoach Pass

By Curtis Riggs

     CAREFREE – Traffic consultant Paul Basha is recommending Town officials seek Scottsdale’s help with a couple of traffic problems at the borders between the two communities.
    “The Town Council should encourage the City of Scottsdale to widen Carefree Highway from Cave Creek Road to Tom Darlington Drive from its existing one-lane-per-direction to two-lanes- per-direction with separate left-turn lanes at each intersecting street,” Basha wrote in the traffic report the Town Council will discuss at its June meeting. “As a minimum left-turn lanes should be provided at the four intersections that do not currently include eastbound left-turn lanes.”
    He continued Carefree should ask Scottsdale to install a traffic signal at Pima and Stagecoach Pass. He stressed traffic conditions warranted a light at this busy intersection two years ago and Scottsdale officials said last year they would install a light there.
    The five proposed alternatives to narrow Tom Darlington from Stagecoach Pass to Cave Creek Road and Cave Creek Road from Tom Darlington to Pima to make the areas more pedestrian friendly received much discussion from citizens at the last transportation open house before the Town Council takes up discussion of the traffic plan.
    Both Planning Director Gary Neiss and Mayor Wayne Fulcher stressed the recommendations in Basha’s report need to be addressed separately based on this year’s budget.
    “This is not about coming to conclusions,” Fulcher said. “We need to look at what we can do with what we have. We already have an excellent system of roads.”

Students in the news

Volunteers needed

    As a part of their Junior Achievement Program, Horseshoe Elementary School needs guest speakers/teachers on May 16. Volunteers teach lessons on business and economics to the kids. All the materials and lessons are provided. Please go to www.ja.org for more information on the Junior Achievement program. Anyone who is willing to help please e-mail MCarvalho@ccusd93.org.

Latin students receive recognition

Foothills Academy College Preparatory are proud to announce that Adrian Ophals, a 9th grader at Foothills Academy, achieved a perfect score on the 2008 National Latin Exam. In addition, Syd Henningsen, an 11th grader, earned a Silver Medal with her test score.
    The Latin class is just one of many clubs and classes that Foothills Academy offers its students who want to take part in extra-curricular studies or activities.

Summer music camp has openings

     The Paradise Valley Summer Music Camp, which runs from June 2 – 19, has established itself as great musical and fun-filled experience for all strings, vocal and band students entering grades 5 through 10 (4th grade for vocal.) Located at Sunrise M.S., the camp provides daily large ensemble rehearsals, music theory, and master classes where students study with some of the finest music faculty in the state.
    For more specific details about the camp and registration visit www.pvmusiccamp.org/.

Scholarship awards

     Nine students from Career Success School have received scholarships. Kiwanis of Carefree awarded scholarships to Joseph Dorey, Phoenix, Brandon Higgins, New River and Brittany Frisby, Cave Creek.
    From the Desert Foothills Womens Club two scholarships went to Shantel Mason, Phoenix and Jessica Laman, Cave Creek.
    Recipients of the Rohrer Scholarship are Joseph Dorey, Phoenix, Christopher Dalrymple, Scottsdale, Jessica Laman, Cave Creek and Kayla Hornewer, Phoenix.

Rural Metro stems Saturday morning hunger

PHOTO BY CURTIS RIGGS

Rural Metro Fire Department Battalion Chief John Kraetz, center in white shirt, grills breakfast at the department’s community pancake breakfast held at the Carefree Fire Station last Saturday. Over 250 people enjoyed the pancakes and sausage cooked up by the fire personnel.

Black cardinal is really phainopepla

By Nancy Laizure

     Newcomers to our area often comment about the black cardinal they see perched high in a tree.
    Indeed, he does look somewhat like a cardinal at first glance with his streamlined body and pointed crest on top of his head. His jetblack feathers glisten in the sunlight and his red eyes sparkle with curiosity. He has no common name, but his formal name fits him perfectly.
    He is the Phainopepla, his name being a Greek word meaning “shining robe.” When he flies, you will see a white patch on each wing – which is why the Native Americans appropriately called him the “window wing bird.”
    The females and young are gray with lightgray wing patches. In the book Birds of North America, he is listed as uncommon countrywide; but in the lower Sonoran life zone he can be seen quite often. Phainopepla are semi-migratory, spending winters here. They nest and raise their young here, also; but when the summer heat begins, they leave for higher country.
    He belongs to a family called flycatchers. You won’t see him at the feeder because his main diet consists of insects. He also enjoys small fruits and berries, one of his favorite being the mistletoe berry.
    He builds his nest on a mesquite branch in or near a clump of mistletoe. The nest is made of fine materials held together with hair or spider web and is lined with soft down from seed pods. The male does most of the work building the nest, and also helps feed and raise the young. If he loses his mate during this time, he will take the responsibility of raising the young all by himself until they are self-sufficient.
    To see him, walk down a wash and look for mesquite trees containing mistletoe. Listen for his soft, short, one-syllable whistle. He enjoys perching high on the tree. He is rather shy, keeping his distance – but often he will follow you, darting from tree to tree. If you imitate his call, don’t be surprised if he answers you. When you finally find the “window wing bird,” you will not be disappointed.

     Members of the Desert Awareness Committee and occasional guests write this column. For information about joining the Desert Awareness Committee and to arrange presentations, contact Abby Hemingway, 480-488-1543 or abbyhemingway@yahoo.com. To see other columns check out the website: www.dflt.org ©Desert Awareness Committee 2008.

Unique combination of services to care for your home

COURTESY PHOTO

Pat Schwindt and Lori Kirby of Home Concierge Services.

With 37 years of contracting experience Pat Schwindt is uniquely qualified not only to perform home inspections for customers when they’re out-of-town but to ensure that repairs, when necessary, are done properly. Pat’s goal when he started Home Concierge Services was and still is “to build lasting, long term relationships with our clients.” To that end, he decided to hire someone who could manage the day-to-day operation of the business and provide services for clients such as stocking the refrigerator or staging a welcome basket for guests. Lori Kirby fit the description to do both as business manager and providing hands-on services that would be considered similar to what a concierge would offer in a fine hotel.
    Whether cleaning a pool, inspecting and managing landscape service, or just doing routine security checks, Pat wants his customers to consider HCS a one-stop-does-it all home management service. Pat’s comprehensive knowledge in all aspects of home repair and Lori’s eagle eye and unique concierge services make the difference for their customers. According to Lori, “ I was recently checking the cleaning service in a home and noticed some strange water stains on the copper faucets. Pat came in and detected that the water softening system was not working and had it repaired immediately.”
    If Pat can’t make a repair himself, he is there to monitor the performance of other service providers. A satisfied Desert Mountain customer states, “we would highly recommend Home Concierge Services and Pat to anyone. He offers services above and beyond what anyone could expect.”
    Contact Lori or Pat at 480- 488-8145 or visit their web site at www.homeconciergeaz.com.

‘Cave Creek & Beyond’ art show this weekend

Galeria Bellas Artes to feature work of Sergio and Zack

COURTESY PHOTO

Sergio Ladron de Guevara, left, and Zack Jones will be featured at the “Cave Creek & Beyond – Part 2” art exhibit at Galeria Bellas Atres through May 11.

By Curtis Riggs

    CAVE CREEK – The art exhibition “Cave Creek & Beyond – Part 2” will be held at the Galeria Bellas Artes, 6245 E. Cave Creek Rd. (just west of Frontier Town), from May 8 -11.
    The show features the works of the gallery’s Sergio Ladron de Guevara and former Cave Creek painter Zack Jones. The show’s reception will be held Saturday, May 10 from 1 to 5 p.m.
    Jones was an art student of Ladron de Guevara’s for many years before he moved back to his home state of Iowa. He is known by many in the community because of his years as a bartender at the Cave Creek Coffee Company.
    Jones painted a series of Cave Creek buildings and landscape scenes before he moved to Iowa.
    In the new show the master and novice painter created paintings of places in the world that are special to them. Zack painted Iowa scenes and Sergio painted scenes from Mexico and France.

Pets for adoption are not located at Karsten’s Horse & Pet.

For more info and to adopt a pet, please contact Foothills Animal Rescue
Call 480-488-9890 or visit www.foothillsanimal.org
All Foothills Animal Rescue pets are spayed/neutered and current on shots.

Charlie

(5 year-old Male)

Hi. My name is “Charlie” and I’d like to tell you a little about myself. I’m usually a bit shy until I get to know you. I am, however, NOT shy at all in front of a camera. Show me that lens and my handsome smile and big green eyes are waiting for the “click-click.” Hmm. Maybe I was a cat model in a previous life. Oh, I’m also a little on the pudgy side because, well, I like my treats. No problem since that only gives you so much more of me to love. Please come by and say hello. Bring along your camera and a couple of treats. You’ll go home with some great pictures and, hopefully, me too!