AGN Pet Food Bank
Much to my surprise and delight an article was published about our pet food bank reaching a critical low in resources. No sooner did it print than the phone began to ring with kind hearted and generous callers on the other end. As the day progressed more and more deliveries of pet food and gift cards arrived. The next day and the next day the same unexpected outpouring of generosity continued. All with the same desire to make sure no one’s four-legged companion would go hungry.
With the demand on our food bank topping 2,500 lbs per month, we were relieved to know that the low or no income pet guardians we provide for would continue to be taken care of.
If replenishing our inventory were not enough, one generous individual provided us with a grant to purchase a much needed panel trailer. Now, our “Feed in Need” pet food bank can bring food to those who are unable to come to us.
Of all the interviews I have done, television included, about our pet food bank none have generated the response that your publication did. I chose to establish my organization in Cave Creek because of their reputation as an animal loving community that rallies to support fellow businesses and organizations. Confirmation of this became very clear after the publication of the pet food bank article.
Thank you Sonoran News and the Town of Cave Creek for your generous spirit and animal loving hearts.
Carrie Singer | Founder and President, Animal Guardian Network | Cave Creek
Ode to The Bill of Rights
Ignorance is seldom bliss.
You need to know your rights.
People who refuse to learn
will soon lose freedom's light.
The Bill of Rights are ten amendments founders ratified.
Free assembly, faith and speech
are not to be denied.
The right to bear arms comes up next,
which doesn't mean, "No sleeves."
Third, as for soldiers in your house,
you're free to tell them, "Leave!"
The fourth protects yourself, your home, and property you own.
If law enforcement wants your things,
a warrant must be shown.
The fifth is double jeopardy.
Due process is a must.
If what you own is used by others,
payment shall be just.
You need to know your basic rights
in order to stay free.
Learning honors those who gave their lives for you and me.
A speedy trial is number six.
The jury must be fair.
The counsel for defense
and one's accusers must be there.
The seventh covers trial by jury.
Rules of common law
say when another court can check
the facts the first one saw.
Excessive bail and fines imposed
are banned by number eight.
Imposing righteous punishment
eight also stipulates.
In nine the rights of citizens
are meant to reign supreme.
By ten states rights are next in line
as part of our regime.
Other nations have their versions
of The Bill of Rights.
Most people of the world live out their lives in constant fright.
Without strong people words on paper never mean a thing.
Vigilance and knowledge
are what help make freedom ring.
Copyright - Audrey Kirkland, from "Well Spent Youth," a Collection of Poems
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Random acts of kindness
In times like these, it can seem the only news is bad news. For two days in a row I have had good news, no … great news. I live in Carefree and on Monday afternoon I left my wallet on top of my car while getting ready to go to Desert Ridge. Upon my arrival there I discovered what I had done and promptly backtracked my journey to look for the wallet to no avail. I spend the next two hours canceling my credit and gas cards and ordering a new driver’s license online. Of most concern was the fact that my Medicare card was also gone and it contained my Social Security number.
Then in the late evening, a wonderful couple came to our home with several items from my wallet, including one with my address on it. They said they had found the cards scattered along Tom Darlington across from the Bank of America. They gathered them up and brought them to me including my Medicare card! Since I had promptly cancelled all my cards I felt reasonably secure about the still missing wallet and credit card. However, I needn’t have worried. On Tuesday afternoon on equally wonderful young man, Jose Aguayo, who works for Carefree Clarity, came by with my wallet containing my credit cards which he found on Tom Darlington across from Bashas’. Something in that batch had my address as well.
These not-so-random acts of kindness by three very decent people brought the best news I could have wished for in my situation. I hope I adequately conveyed my gratitude to them for being the good neighbors they are.
Bruce Buckley | Carefree
Sanctions
Please do whatever is required to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, including the imposition of the strongest sanctions possible. To avoid catastrophic consequences, it must be done now!
Oliver Ross | Scottsdale
Carefree Fire Department
Until the Carefree Fire Department started lobbying for David Schwan, most voters would not have dug into the details about the contract between Rural/Metro and Carefree.
I am being told the revenue to Rural/Metro has doubled (over the average annual income from subscribers) and Carefree is now paying for all the equipment/trucks/rent for the Carefree Fire Department in a brand new $3,000,000 facility. No wonder the firemen are harassing citizens to vote for Schwan when we pick up our mail at the Post Office.
If Mayor Schwan doubled the gross revenue for my company, paid my rent, paid for my vehicles and my computers, desks and equipment; I would encourage Vice-Mayor Glenn Miller lead my employees around to strong arm the residents to vote against the recall too.
Another Carefree Employer | Name withheld by request
Former Airport Advisory Chairman Art Rosen
Regarding “Former” Chairman of the Airport Advisory Committee Art Rosen’s “Opinion” piece in the Thursday, Feb. 4 Scottsdale Republic, I’d like to point out a few facts he has chosen to omit. (I also do not want a picture of a jet “on the ground” as accompanied his article … as no one has issues with jets “on the ground.”)
Does he not realize that the Homeowners in Scottsdale pay Federal taxes like everyone else? We all know that Scottsdale Airport accepts and needs Federal funds in order to continue to operate.
Mr. Rosen then calls our Ironwood Village development “Ironwood Springs.” I guess that is because he publicly stated that we were “lousy neighbors” so there is no sense in stating the correct name of our development.
Every HOA Representative that met with him prior to the weight increase vote told him that they were OPPOSED to this weight increase but he fails to mention that.
Non-Stop International service ... WOW … that’s just what we Homeowners/residents do not need as that will eventually attract much larger and, in most cases, much noisier jets to bombard us with their noise and pollution.
He takes credit for not voting for Option 3 which was to work towards Scheduled Commercial Service at SDL. All involved knew that this option was part of the Study simply so that the COS and the AAC could publicly say they didn’t support it … in order to say how much better a weight increase would be … and they did exactly that!
Now that the weight limit has been increased to 100,000 lbs there is nothing to stop noisier and more frequent arrivals and departures of 80,000 lb jets and 90,000 lb jets that are not of the “newer/quieter” kind that we all have no problem with. He knows SDL cannot mandate that only the newer/quieter jets can now use the airport. It’s open to all up to 100,000 lbs!!!
We wish him well as a “Former” Chairman and are hopeful that the new Chairman Buzzard is more respectful of the public and especially us “lousy neighbors” to the North, where the new Chairman also resides!
Bob Popow | Ironwood Village Homeowner and Resident | Scottsdale
McCain and Shadegg
McCain is part of the problem, not the solution!
There is a saying in Texas that the only thing in the middle of the road are dead Armadillos. We are at a critical stage in America where many senators and congressmen are willing to throw our Constitutional rights away. Oh they take that oath but at the end of the day they are clueless as to the wisdom this document possesses. No one is defending our southern borders! It is obvious to me that John McCain is part of the problem.
Arizona has a chance to elect a Goldwater like sage as their senator. Former Congressman John David "J.D." Hayworth Jr. is the right man at the right time. He will protect our borders and hold the line on our suicidal march over the edge of our financial cliff. It may already be too late to save this once great nation. But, I know with certainty that McCain is part of the problem not part of the solution!
Joseph DuPont | Towanda, Pennsylvania
Lent
The season of Lent is the perfect time to consider a plant-based diet. This 40-day period preceding Easter is when Christians have traditionally abstained from meat and dairy in memory of Jesus’ 40 days of fasting and prayer before dying on the cross. Such a gesture would be a tangible expression of Jesus’ message of compassion and love for all living beings.
Animals are being raised for food under abject conditions of caging, crowding, deprivation, drugging, mutilation, and manhandling. When trucked to slaughterhouses, they travel for days without food or water only to be bled, skinned, and dismembered while still conscious.
Wastes from factory farms foul the water we drink and the air we breathe, and meat production accounts for 18 percent of greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. Most chronic killer diseases are linked to consumption of animal products.
We have choices, and there are consequences: blessings and curses. We can continue to subsidize these sins against nature with every food purchase, or we can show our respect for Jesus’ message by accepting a wholesome, nonviolent diet of vegetables, fruits, and grains first mandated in Genesis I-29.
For additional information, visit http://veg4lent.org or enter “vegan recipes” in a search engine for some exciting cuisine.
Clark Duncan | Cave Creek
Two Great Americans
Great Americans, patriots, heroes. These days, it is very seldom that they are even mentioned in the media. As Editor of the conservative Sonoran News, I thought you might like to know about two of these real American heroes. Our nation lost one of them back on Dec. 23 with the passing of COL Robert L. Howard. He was considered to be the most decorated soldier of the modern era. He served five tours in Vietnam and is the only soldier in our nation's history to be submitted for the Congressional Medal of Honor (our nation's highest decoration for valor) three times for three separate actions in a thirteen month period (http://rlhtribute.com). Sadly, none of the major television news networks (except for NBC) even bothered to even mention the passing of this great American warrior. He will be laid to rest with full military honors on Monday, Feb. 22 in Arlington National Cemetery next to Audie L. Murphy, the legendary hero from WWII. It is believed that COL Howard's awards for valor exceeded even those of Audie Murphy.
Then there is Isaac Camacho, the only U.S. soldier to escape confined captivity during the entire Vietnam War. Isaac Camacho, a Mexican/Apache was born in Fabens, Texas just outside El Paso and is still alive and well today. While serving as a Special Forces weapons NCO at Camp Hiep Hoa, South Vietnam, in November 1963, SFC Camacho was captured with three other U.S. Special Forces soldiers when the camp was overrun by an estimated 300-plus Viet Cong who attacked and destroyed the camp. After enduring a 150km 27 day march to the POW camp, he was caged and shackled by the leg to a tree like an animal in the open jungle of Cambodia along the South Vietnamese border for 21 months. Having lost 60 pounds, being deathly sick with malaria, beriberi, and hepatitis – his unwavering determination, resolve, and faith kept him alive until he was finally afforded the chance to escape from his cage directly in front of his POW guard during a heavy monsoon rain.
Evading the North Vietnamese search patrols seeking to kill him, he traveled for four days through the jungle until his arrival and rescue by friendly forces. He was eventually awarded the Distinguished Service Cross – our nations second highest award for valor – by then Texas Gov. George Bush in 1999. His story has finally been told in a newly published book "Isaac Camacho An American Hero" by SGM (R) Billy Waugh
(http://isaaccamachoamericanhero.com).
Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying "Any Nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure..."
Neil Horn | Cave Creek
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J.D. Hayworth
J.D. Hayworth for Senator?! I think we already have a sufficient number of clowns in the Senate (as well as the White House.) J.D. should go back to being a TV weatherman, where all he had to do was push buttons to show the latest radar readings. Now he should just hold up a moistened finger to find out which way the wind blows.
Ralph G. Smith | Cave Creek
Create, keep jobs in U.S.
President Obama is promoting a new $300 billion economic stimulus program. When he took office in January 2009 he said the $787 billion stimulus program will CREATE 3.5 million jobs by the end of 2010 and unemployment will remain below 8.0 percent. Unemployment is hovering around 10.0 percent, and the jobs promised by Obama might hit 1.5 million by the end of 2010, but during the last 13 months we lost 5 million jobs.
The stimulus saved the jobs of municipal workers, and provided additional unemployment benefits, but it has not provided jobs in the private sector. The money went to government agencies, colleges, non-profit organizations and entitlement programs. These programs will generate annual deficits of $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion for years to come. Our government has squandered our financial resources on failed economic programs, and the American work force continues to suffer.
The domestic priority should be creating millions of new jobs, and other domestic initiatives, including health care reform, should wait until the economy improves.
The Administration and Congress have to reduce the size of government; cut business taxes; and give U.S. companies incentives to operate in this country, and disincentives to move operations and jobs overseas.
Donald A. Moskowitz | Londonderry, New Hampshire