Community

  Boulder Creek High School is hosting 2012 Citizen Safety Forum and Expo, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 12. The expo will take place in the school cafeteria and will feature free lunch with keynote speaker Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery taking place at noon.   The topics covered during the expo will include, but are not limited to, identity theft, investment fraud, protecting your home and consumer scams.   To register for this event log on to the following website and click on “Book Now.”   www.acpa.net/expo2012.htmwww.acpa.net/expo2012  ... More

  Camelot, a non-profit organization that teaches horsemanship to children and adults who have physical disabilities, is hosting its Eleventh Annual Open House and Fundraising Event – Hooves & Heroes. This fun family event will take place May 5 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the ranch located at 6250 E. Jomax Road in Scottsdale. Admission to this event is free.   Delectable food by Bruce Brown Catering, as well as dessert by JJ’s Delicatessen, Wine tasting by Vino 100, and beer from Four Peaks Brewery will all be available for purchase. 100% of all food and drink proceeds benefit Camelot.   Dress in proper Renaissance attire and receive a free raffle ticket! Festivities include a silent auction and raffle, live music, kids’ activities, musical riding performances by Camelot students, demonstrations by the Scottsdale Police Mounted Unit, entertainment by Fools of Fairhaven and the Mounted Archery Desert Warriors.   www.camelotaz.org... More

  Can’t make it to the Churchill Downs this year? Head north to the English Rose Tea Room in Carefree for an all day Kentucky Derby celebration with fancy hats, fascinators and mint tea juleps to commemorate the annual Run for the Roses, perhaps the most famous horse race in the world.   For nearly 140 years, the Kentucky Derby has been held during the first weekend in May. This year, restaurant owner Joanne Gemmill will be hosting an all day celebration from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, May 5 to commemorate America’s longest running sporting event.   Guests attending are encouraged to dress for the occasion, sporting racing hats and proper attire suitable for a day at the track. Hats will also be available for purchase at the event. Guests will be treated to coverage of the race on large screen televisions, a chance to sip on Mint Tea Juleps and other English Rose favorites, a vast array of classic British finger foods from cucumber sandwiches to scones, and an opportunity to... More

Kevin Binkley, owner of Binkley’s in Cave Creek and Café Bink in Carefree, has recently made it onto the finalist list for the James Beard Foundation’s Best in the Southwest Award – the first time for any Arizona chef since 2007. In doing so, he has not only put his restaurant on the culinary map, but also the entire Cave Creek and Carefree area in the spotlight.   James Beard Foundation awards are known as the “Oscars of the Food World.” The foundation will hold their awards ceremony and gala May 7 in New York City, and awards will be presented by Food Network personality Alton Brown. Other Southwest finalists include Bruce Augden (Biga on the Banks, San Antonio), Bruno Davaillon (Mansion Restaurant at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas), Jennifer Jasinski (Rioja, Denver), Hugo Ortega (Hugo’s, Houston) and Paul Qui (Uchiko, Austin).   Binkley is understandably excited, but punctuates his excitement by acknowledging that it is already gratifying to advance to the... More

Anthem Soccer Club will conduct their tryouts for the upcoming 2012 – 2013 season May 7 through 10. The club will be adding players to its established boys’ and girls’ teams in groups Under age 8 through Under 18. All participants need to sign in at Field #1 of the Anthem Community Park, the northern field by the sand volleyball courts along Gavilan Peak Parkway.   The age cut-off for soccer is August 1, with participants needing to be the respective age after the cutoff date, not before. There are no tryouts for the U-8 and -9 boys and girls, just assessment placement.   Tryout dates are as follows: Under – 8 and U – 9 Boys and Girls — Monday May 7, 7 p.m. U – 10 and U – 11 Boys and Girls — Tuesday May 8, 7 p.m. U – 12, -13 and -14 Boys and Girls — Wednesday May 9, 7 p.m. U – 15 to 18 Boys and Girls — Thursday May 10, 7 p.m.   Tryouts will last approximately 90 minutes. Participants are asked to wear appropriate gear such as sports clothing, soccer shoes,... More

  Big Earl’s Greasy Eats at 6135 East Cave Creek Road in Cave Creek is hosting a fundraiser to support Clothes for Keeps, a non-profit organization that provides quality clothing to Arizona school-aged children who are in out-of-home-care situations. The event, which will involve an afternoon of volleyball and hula hooping, will take place at 1 p.m. on May 6.   Ten percent of all food and beverage purchases will be donated to Clothes for Keeps. Participation in the volleyball and hula hooping will cost $10 and a raffle will be on offer.   623-229-2942 clothesforkeeps@gmail.com... More

  If you’ve always wanted to explore some of the area’s captivating museums and attractions, now is the time. Free cultural passes are available at the Desert Foothills Library to the top arts and cultural destinations in Phoenix.   Library card holders can check out free passes for two general-admission tickets to the following institutions:   • Arizona Historical Society Museum at Papago Park • Arizona Museum of Natural History • Arizona Science Center • Cave Creek Museum • Children’s Museum of Phoenix • Deer Valley Rock Art Center • Desert Botanical Garden • Desert Caballeros Western Museum • Phoenix Art Museum • Phoenix Zoo • Pueblo Grande Museum • Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art   There are a limited number for each organization. Passes are available on a first come, first served basis; they will not allow renewals or holds to be placed on them, nor will staff be able to reserve them. Checkouts are limited to one pass per family per loan... More

  Friday, May 4, 7 p.m. Tickets: $25–$30 Location: The MIM at 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. in Phoenix. Don’t miss Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem’s jubilant mix of traditional, original and contemporary sounds. The group’s four-part harmonies meld with fiddle, guitar, bass, and a suitcase drum to create a fusion of American roots music, contemporary pop, and jazz.... More

  Saturday, May 5, 2:30 p.m. Tickets: $15 Location: The MIM at 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. in Phoenix. Bring the whole family along for a kid-friendly ride through American roots music! Stops include the Georgia Sea Islands, the Appalachians, a Mississippi blues joint, a Texas dance hall, and a New Orleans parade.... More

  Age range: 6 – 14 Cost: “Pay as Your Child Trains” program. $40 per Saturday session Dates: May 5 through Aug. 4, 7 to 10 a.m. Location: Anthem Community Park Field Number One Phone: 623-498-0577 Website: www.letitflyfootballcamp.com   This camp enhances eye-hand coordination, footwork, speed, agility and quickness through a circuit-style combined format, non-tackle, co-ed football camp.  ... More

Writer Amanda Christmann Larson   Take a deep breath. Chances are good, breathing in and breathing out deeply and slowly makes you feel better. Taking that little time out puts the world in perspective and lowers your stress level.   But for almost 25 million people with asthma, including seven million children, the simple act of taking a breath can be painful and frightening. It can even be a life-threatening struggle. What’s more, the numbers are rising. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asthma cases have increased by more than 60 percent since the early 1980s in the US, and asthma-related deaths have doubled to 5,000 a year.   Anthem parents Tisha and Jason Suarez know all about asthma. Two of their children have the chronic inflammatory disease. Their son Scott had to be flown for emergency care when he was two years old, and their daughter was also hospitalized. Forced into action, they learned how to manage asthma’s symptoms and triggers, and... More

  Amid the shining Ferrari, trumpet sounds from the high school band, Half Past Nine, heralded a jazzy welcome not soon to be forgotten as guests arrived for the red carpet inaugural Hearts and Hands Gala, held at Holland Community Center Sunday, April 1.   The crowd was treated to a spectacle of music by Michael Golding, Lea Cappelli, Kim Taylor and a preview of the talents found among the cast of Desert Foothills Theater productions from “Music Man” and “Charlie Brown.”   Mayors Francia, Schwan and Lane joined in celebrating 26 years of service, education and culture Foothills Community Foundation (FCF) has provided for residents of Cave Creek, Carefree and Scottsdale.   The event will be long remembered as the highlight of the year, as it brought in $15,000 in much-needed funds to support FCF programs and operations. A huge thank you to all who made it possible!  ... More

  The Desert Foothills Library retained their crown by out-spelling the Desert Foothills Theater team in the Second Annual FCF – Partners In Education Spelling Bee. Forty-four teams ran, slid, and spelled their way across the Cactus Shadows Fine Arts Center stage, raising more than $25,000 to send children from financially distressed families to summer and after school programs, and for Teacher Vision Grants that enable educators to develop new, creative methods to help all students succeed.   Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to all participants and sponsors who helped contribute to the success of the evening.  ... More

  “Ooo La La!” was the frequently heard expression from the 250-plus guests attending the French-themed grand opening of North Scottsdale’s newest shopping destination, Avery Lane. Guests were ushered through sweeping black and white drapes into the shop and greeted by a French accordion player and entertaining Mime, complimenting the divine Jean Claude Boisset Champagne and Herb Box fare. The Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce graced the evening with a ribbon cutting, which included a warm welcome from Scottsdale City Councilman Bob Littlefield.   In addition to marking the official debut of the new fine furniture consignment, antique and specialty gift shop, the grand opening raised important funds and awareness for Childhelp and Crisis Nursery.   Avery Lane is a one-of-a-kind shopping destination found only in North Scottsdale, offering fine consignment furnishings, antiques and specialty gifts. Avery Lane showcases “previously loved” items from famous lines such as Kreiss,... More

  Congratulations to Emma-Li Thompson and Wade Bennett for their outstanding achievement in the National Society for Colonial Dames (NSCDA) essay contest.   Asked to discuss the relevance today of Abraham Lincoln’s statement, “A house divided against itself can not stand,” the entire 11th grade did a wonderful job, with Thompson being named a finalist and Bennett a runner-up. This essay contest is a major project of the NSCDA held under the auspices of the Washington Workshops Foundation, a private non-profit educational program in American government for high school students.   Nearly 400 essays were received nationwide, with 32 essays were received in Arizona, and 25 states participated.... More