Another car-b-que
Firefighters from the Rural/Metro Cave Creek station put out the second truck fire in two weeks in nearly the same location (Cave Creek and New River roads) on Tuesday afternoon. No one was injured in the incident. The traffic jam for this Tuesday’s truck fire was not nearly as big as last week’s.
‘The Buddy Tails’ Author, dog coming to DFL
CAVE CREEK – Children and adults will love 
meeting local author Mary Ann Herzog and her Black Labrador Retriever, Buddy, at a book signing to be held at the Desert Foothills Library on July 16 at 10 a.m. Her book, The Buddy Tails, is made up of true stories that began as letters to Herzog's grandchildren in Singapore. She wanted them to read about her fun-loving dog, and soon she was convinced to compile them into a book.
Buddy came into Mary Ann's life when her son brought home the tiny puppy from a road-side gas station where he and his littermates were given away. They go on to tell many hilarious and thrilling desert encounters which always bring the gentle dog with a great heart to help others in times of need.
The author will have books to purchase and sign. The Buddy Tails can be ordered online at www.publishamerica.com, www.amazon.com, and at www.BarnesandNoble.com. Call for more information at (480) 488-2286.
Photo Caption: Mary Ann Herzog and her dog Buddy will meet children and adults at the Desert Foothills Library.
Courtesy Photo
Carefree considering gas lamp district, sundial signs
By Curtis Riggs | July, 9 2008
CAREFREE – Town officials intend to “brand” downtown as a tourist destination by creating a gas lamp district and directional signs modeled after the famous sundial that sits at the east end of Easy Street.
A crowd of 50 downtown business owners and concerned residents attended a public hearing about the first major change to come to downtown since the $5.5-million Town Center was built in 2000. The idea for the gas lamp district, which is modeled after one in San Diego, was well received at the meeting, even by residents who fear the loss of the night sky from light spilling out into residential neighborhoods.
The plan is to install 13 colonial-style gas lamps, which will actually be powered by electricity, on 10-foot poles along Easy Street and throughout the downtown area. The “branding” signage element being considered consists of signs modeled after the signature sundial, which is the largest ancient timepiece in the western hemisphere.
Carefree lighting consultant Don Happ, of D.H. Lighting Solutions, said the gas lamps will be placed 100 feet apart and throw off 45-foot circles of light around them.
“They will create large pools of light and give a comfortable visual presence,” Happ said while adding 95 percent of the light from the new poles will go straight down thus minimizing the amount of light that will go up into the dark night skies. Happ, who also was the consultant for lighting in D C Ranch, said the lighting in downtown Carefree will be “dimmer and warmer” than the lighting in the north Scottsdale development.
Carefree Town Councilman Bob Gemmill stated “the idea is to keep the lights below the rooflines so it does not go out into the residential areas,” preserving the night sky while making downtown safer and more inviting at night.
“We are falling back to our roots because we have many gas lamps within the town,” said Gemmill, who is the town council liaison to the downtown business community.
“We thought it would be a good tool. No town in Arizona has gone with a gaslight district. We will have ownership of a powerful tool for the town merchants,” he said. The gaslight branding will help to attract business to downtown Carefree.
When pressed about who will select the poles, and bulbs, for the gas lamps, Gemmill said, “We won’t do anything until we get the right lighting source and everybody agrees on that.”
A sample light pole just outside the Town Center has been converted into a gas lamp pole so residents can get an idea of what the poles will look like. Electricity will soon be connected to this pole to give people an idea of how much light will emanate from the gas lamps. A 50-watt bulb will be used on the gas light sample pole.
Town officials have earmarked $160,000 for the 13 poles in this year’s budget.
Carefree Planning Director Gary Neiss pointed out the gas lamps will be on a timer to keep too much light from spilling out of downtown.
“I imagine they will not be on all night,” he said.
Carefree businesswoman Melissa Price told the council they were “on the right track” as far as lighting and signage.
The monument signs proposed will be replicas of the signature sundial. Directional and business signs will hang off of the slanted sundial post.
Town officials are also considering three deceleration (right-turn) lanes into the downtown Easy Street area. They will be at Tom Darlington and Wampum Way, Tom Darlington and Lucky Lane and Cave Creek Road at Hum Road (just east of the Shell station).
Neiss said he would like to see the signs and gas lamps installed before the beginning of the tourist season this fall. Carefree transportation consultant Patrick Neal said the right-turn lanes will be finished by mid-September.
