ARCHIVES
Vol. 14 No. 19
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Serving Cave Creek, Carefree, North
Scottsdale, North Phoenix, Rio Verde, Anthem, The Boulders, Desert
Mountain, Legend Trail, Pinnacle Peak, Terravita, Tramonto, Troon,
Tatum Ranch and Winfield.
May 7 – 13, 2008 |
sonorannews.com |
Cave Creek Editorial
 By Adam Trenk
Today’s leaders of Cave Creek face a question vexing numerous western towns; a question that perhaps is unparalleled in its importance to those of us who live here – what do we want our town to be?
Some may see the choice as one between the lesser of two evils; sticking our collective heads in the sand and ignoring progress and development versus suffering under the suburbanization that has plagued many other towns that have fought to keep their individual identity.
However, in today’s fast paced world there is a better option. We must struggle to keep our identity as a small western town while at the same time capitalizing on the “progress” of the growing city around us. Further, the former depends on the latter. If we in Cave Creek fail to use the growing Phoenix metropolis as a resource that pumps visitors into our local economy and feeds our local businesses our very own resources will dry up. If this is allowed to happen our town could lose control of its own destiny as those who would seek to turn Cave Creek into today’s Scottsdale and have the money to do so push native Cave Creekers out.
The focus thus must be on maintaining our community identity and on thriving as a local economy. Both are challenges, given the current economic climate and the continuous push for urban sprawl to swallow up the land we so love. However our leaders are doing a rather good job of preserving our open spaces and asserting Cave Creek as the leading municipality in the State when it comes to land conservation. The question remains however whether or not our leaders will do as good a job preserving our “Cowboy Culture”.
Maintaining the authentic flavor of the American West in Cave Creek is of paramount importance. Not just because it is why we love the town, but because it is the fuel for our economy. Cave Creek’s local industry is tourism. Those who patronize our stores and restaurants are those who travel from the metropolis to soak in the nostalgia of the American West. These patrons come here to see horses tied to the local saloon and listen to loud Country Music. These same people, spending their hard earned dollars, come to Cave Creek because it is NOT “Anytown, USA”.
Perhaps further action needs to be taken by our leaders, on behalf of Cave Creek residents and business owners, that will ensure the preservation of the American West in Cave Creek. To do so would ensure those of us with horses in our yards that the city slickers will not move in and then seek to take away our rights because flies or a little dust bother them. If the cowboys and the horsemen are pushed out, the flavor of the town will begin to be eroded, businesses will fail, and the war against suburbia will already be lost. Legislation that mandates an addendum to the sales contract of local real estate informing would be residents of the nature of our town would be one step in the right direction. Further, enforcing zoning ordinances that required commercial core real estate be architecturally representative of the American West would be another positive measure.
We want Cave Creek to remain Cave Creek. We want to see horses riding down the side of the road. We want to preserve the vast desert and the Saguaros and Coyotes that inhabit it. We want to continue to be the center of Western Americana in the greater Phoenix area. And most importantly we want to share it with anyone who wishes to come and enjoy it all, because to do so is to ensure that we are able to keep this town we know and love alive. When we are asked “what do we want our town to be?” the answer must be “Cave Creek.”
Adam Trenk is 24 years old, currently a Law student at Arizona State University, and has lived in Cave Creek since January of 2008. Trenk came to Arizona in August of 2001 from New Jersey where he was raised. Upon his arrival in Arizona he began studying at Arizona State University where he obtained a BS in Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship in 2005. After this he began a career in the Real Estate, working for a New Jersey based firm and then branching out on his own as a consultant. Trenk is western horsemanship enthusiast and has been riding horses across the country since he was a child, spending several summers as an apprentice on a Montana horse ranch. He moved to Cave Creek for its quiet open spaces, and intends to live here for a long time to come. |
