Community

February 29 Kindergarten Roundup Kindergarten registration for children turning five years old by Sept. 1, 2012 will be held Wednesday, Feb. 29 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at all Cave Creek Unified School District elementary schools. If you have questions about enrolling your kindergartener, please contact the district office at 480-575-2000 or contact the individual school directly:   Black Mountain Elementary – K-6 – Friend of Core Knowledge® 480-575-2100 33606 North 60th Street   Desert Sun Academy – K-6 – Friend of Core Knowledge® 480-575-2900 27880 North 64th Street   Desert Willow Elementary – K-6 – Spanish Immersion 480-575-2800 4322 East Desert Willow Pkwy   Horseshoe Trails Elementary – K-6 – Equine Program 480-272-8500 5405 East Pinnacle Vista Drive   Lone Mountain Elementary - K-6 – STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) 480-437-3000 5250 East Montgomery Road  ... More

Writer Donna Kublin     The journey that led to Carefree Desert Gardens being listed on the national registry of the American Public Gardens Association, all started with two women who thought downtown Carefree needed “a little sprucing up.” The four-acre Gardens located in the town center are now a spectacular showpiece with hundreds of cacti and plants, many unique including several rare species.   It all began in October 2010. Carefree resident Marilyn Maloney contacted Mayor David Schwan to discuss her concern that the garden was looking a little tired after its 2001 debut, and that she wanted to help improve it. June Reilly, also a resident, had talked with the Mayor and several members of the Town Council expressing the same sentiment. Mayor Schwam put the two women in touch with each other and they soon met for coffee.   Maloney and Reilly really hit it off and found they had a similar passion for plants, enhancing the town center, and getting things done. Maloney, a... More

February 3-19 In the Devil’s Frying Pan In honor of Arizona’s Centennial celebration, Desert Foothills Theater (DFT), a program of the Foothills Community Foundation, is presenting a new form of theater through an original play, “In the Devil’s Frying Pan,” which tells the story of the founding of Arizona through first-person accounts of life in the Territory prior to 1912. This theatrical event premieres Feb. 3 and runs through Feb. 19 at Stagecoach Village, 7100 E. Cave Creek Rd., in Cave Creek.   The cast is comprised of 100 people from the community, many of whom provided feedback on the early drafts of the script to shape it into the final version. An officially sanctioned Arizona Centennial Event and Legacy Project, the play includes a mix of professional actors, families, students, and other residents interested in participating in this once-in-a-lifetime event.   Show times are at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets range from $15... More

February 7 “Get to Know Holly Matson” Mixer Holly Matson is running for Anthem Community Council as a Country Club Candidate. Join Holly on Feb. 7 from 4-6 p.m. for a “Get to Know Holly Matson” mixer at Cafe Provence. Attendees will receive 15% off their bill.   www.hollymatson.com... More

Grand Opening Party at A Wild Hair Salon & Day Spa A Wild Hair has opened at their new location at 39510 N. Daisy Mountain Dr. in Anthem, and they want to celebrate with you! Join them Feb. 9 from 5 to 9 p.m. for the A Wild Hair Grand Opening Party. Food and drinks will be available, and you’ll have a chance to win great services, products and gift baskets.   The salon and day spa is offering the same great services, including hair styling and professional color, facials, pedicures, waxing and more, from their new spot in the Fry’s shopping center. New clients receive $10 off services.   623-551-5561 www.awildhairaz.com  ... More

Anthem Veterans’ Memorial Update The Anthem Community Council announced Anthem Veterans’ Memorial Planning Committee has raised over $193,000 to date and is looking for the final $25,000 to offset the building costs and establish a maintenance fund.   “We are grateful to the many veterans, families, local businesses, organizations and corporate sponsors who assisted in financing this project. We are looking for a few more corporations or individuals who are able to assist us in fully funding the project,” said Liz Turner, memorial marketing and communication chair/volunteer.   The committee used various fundraising means, including the sale of commemorative veteran pavers as well as family, business and organization pavers; bench and Armed Forces seal sponsorships; Friends of the Memorial, who exceeded $500 in donations; and corporate sponsorships. Currently, 900 pavers engraved with names of veterans are placed in an honor circle around the five-pillar memorial, with room... More

February 4 Eighth Annual Pet Adopt-a-Thon The Eighth Annual PACC911/Anthem Animal Extravaganza and Adopt-a-Thon will take place in the Anthem Community Park on Saturday, Feb. 4, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The event, sponsored by PetSmart Charities©, is open to the public.   More than 50 animal rescue organizations will have pets available for adoption, including purebred and mixed-breed dogs and puppies, cats and kittens, bunnies, guinea pigs, rats and even horses. All pets will be spayed/neutered and up-to-date on vaccinations.   “It is so rewarding that the residents of Anthem have wholeheartedly embraced this now annual event since its debut in 2005, “ said event chair and PACC911 Board Member Eileen Proctor. “As in previous years, hundreds of healthy and adoptable animals will be crossing their paws that they will find their new forever homes in this beautiful community.”   At last year’s event, approximately 170 pets found new homes. This year, organizers are hoping... More

You probably know Linda Rehwalt’s name, even if she didn’t help you sell or buy your house. That’s because you see her on the back of this very magazine, ImagesAZ, every month. Linda has been advertising with Images since it began, much like she’s been selling real estate in Anthem for the last 10 years.   “I was here the very first day Anthem opened to the real estate community and was here with clients the first day they started selling lots for new construction, so I guess you can say I’ve been in Anthem since its inception,” said Linda. “Real estate is my business and Anthem is my home.”   As a real estate agent with RE/MAX Professionals, Linda says the most rewarding part her of her job is helping her clients achieve their goals, and ending the day with happy clients.   “Our mission is to provide real estate service to our clients that sets the standard in the industry,” she said. “To do that we focus on the needs of our clients and work to treat them as... More

Around the World with Imani Winds Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Chamber music with a hip, sophisticated twist! This Grammy Award-nominated quintet - Valerie Coleman, flute; Toyin Spellman-Diaz, oboe; Mariam Adam, clarinet; Jeff Scott, horn; Monica Ellis, bassoon – takes its intimate knowledge of world music and infuses new spirit into much loved classics. Savor Mendelssohn’s “Scherzo from A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Ravel’s “Le Tombeau de Couperin,” and Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” with a hint of musical spices from around the world.   Venue: Desert Hills Presbyterian Church, 34605 N. Scottsdale Road, Carefree... More

Greatest Hits of the ‘70s Friday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. The soundtrack of an era comes to life! These are the songs you love – they’ve made you laugh, they’ve made you cry, they’ve made you dance – starring four top Broadway performers – Mykal Kilgore, Catherine Porter, Terita R. Redd, Darren Ritchie - who make the soundtrack of an era come to life. It’s the ultimate “feel-good” show!   Venue: North Scottsdale Christian, 28700 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale... More

February 25 Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research (SSBTR) is the largest student run non-profit organization in Arizona. This year SSBTR is holding it’s 10th annual walkathon on Feb. 25. Students from schools around the Valley work together to run this non-profit organization while raising funds for brain tumor research. Each year interest has grown enormously as more and more schools and students want to become involved. Wonderful institutions such as Barrow Neurological Institute, National Brain Tumor Society, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Steele Children’s Research Center in Tucson and Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) are beneficiaries of the money they raise. In February 2011, there were more than 3,000 students in attendance and when everyone had finished circling the track, over $220,000 had been raised, bringing the total donations received since 2002 to over $1.5 million.   The Mayhew family has been involved... More

The Rotary Club of Anthem 2012 Scholarship Program The Rotary Club of Anthem continues its tradition of offering $1,000 scholarships to recognize outstanding achievement by senior students at Boulder Creek and Sandra Day O’Connor High Schools. The award supports full-time enrollment at any accredited community college, four-year college or university, trade, vocational or proprietary school for the 2012-2013 academic year.   Each year, the Rotary Club of Anthem seeks scholarship applicants from the two high schools closest to Anthem. The Scholarship Committee evaluates all applications using traditional methods, including grade point averages and Advanced Placement and Honors courses taken. Applicants are required to submit information on their community involvement in addition to extracurricular activities. Writing a cogent, concise essay is an integral part of the application process.   Students who exemplify the ideals of Rotary International are encouraged to apply. The... More

Free High School Athletic Passes for Seniors Cactus Shadows High School is offering complimentary athletic passes to senior citizens. This is open to community and family members or anyone who wishes to support high school athletics.   To obtain a pass and get free admission to home games for high school sports, contact Cactus Shadows at 480-575-2400 or the district office at 480-575-2000. To qualify for a complimentary pass, you only have to be 65 years young.   480-575-2400 480-575-2000... More

“Authors’ Month” at Cave Creek Museum Cave Creek Museum’s popular “Authors’ Month” returns in February! The museum, located at 6140 Skyline Drive, Cave Creek, has lined up an exciting roster of renowned and local authors to speak each Saturday in February. Free presentations take place from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the museum’s historic church, followed by a “meet and greet,” book signing and refreshments inside the museum until 3:30 p.m.   The February event schedule follows: February 4 - Les Conklin Les Conklin’s new book, “Pinnacle Peak,” includes more than 200 vintage photographs that bring Pinnacle Peak’s forgotten footprints back to life.   February 11 - Patrick Grady Passionate about local history, Cave Creek writer and museum board member Patrick Grady will share stories of love, friendship, gunfights and lynchings from his new book, “Out of the Ruins,” which chronicles in depth for the first time the many dimensions of life in frontier Phoenix from... More

Pet Therapy With the introduction of a charming yellow Labrador retriever named Lacey, Cypress HomeCare Solutions announces the addition of pet therapy to its roster of exceptional homecare services.   “As a solutions-driven company, adding pet therapy to our range of homecare solutions was a natural extension of our services,” said Bob Roth, managing partner of Cypress HomeCare Solutions. “By keeping a constant focus on being open, innovative and continuously searching for new services to benefit our clients physically and emotionally, we hope to become recognized as the new industry standard in homecare solutions.”   Studies have shown benefits in social, emotional and cognitive function of elderly patients aided by pet therapy. “For elderly clients who can no longer care for a pet, pet therapy is a great alternative,” Roth smiled while petting his newest team member.   With her kind eyes, gentle demeanor and extraordinary manners, Lacey can’t wait to finish training... More