Affectionately playing with their Miniature Dachshunds, Joey, Lisa Stapp and her son, Billy, praised the family pet after he rolled over on command.

I received a postcard in the mail several weeks ago announcing a public hearing on May 21 to provide an opportunity for the public to provide comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Study on the proposed South Mountain Freeway. None of my neighbors received the same postcard when I talked to them. Why were some of the public left out of the mailing? They may not have been informed of this public hearing, but I have comments to make.

Before every Desert Vista football game that I covered the last two years one of the first things I did when I hit the sidelines was find Benny Hinds, especially before a big game like Hamilton and the Ahwatukee Bowl.

Tis the season where neck ties, golf balls, and mid-priced polo shirts begin to fly off the shelves. That’s right, Father’s Day is just around the corner. And besides the annual tradition of the final round of the U.S. Open being played, that Sunday in June is our opportunity to remember, appreciate, and show a little love to the men in our lives who went above and beyond the call of duty as fathers.

Every Sunday in Ahwatukee Foothills, residents can browse through a variety of cheeses, meats, fruits, vegetables, jellies, breads and other products all grown or produced within a 15-mile radius of the area at the Ahwatukee Farmer’s Market.

Active members of Protecting Arizona’s Resources and Children (PARC) in our Village of Ahwatukee and outlying residential areas aim to stop the South Mountain Freeway from being built on Pecos Road. Preventing the destruction of our community and South Mountain is the main goal of PARC, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization.

Janet Liffiton passed away peacefully on May 18. She resided in Ahwatukee and is survived by her daughter, Nancy Breon, and husband, Mike, of Kailua, Hawaii; son, David Bartram, and wife, Tamie, of Poway, Calif.; niece, Kim Rolfe, and husband, Rick, also of Ahwatukee, as well as several nieces and nephews scattered across the East Coast.

Editor’s note: This is part three of a continuing summer series on the proposed South Mountain Loop 202 Freeway.

I am one of those whose mother invoked starving children in India or China as a way to get me to eat nasty vegetables like eggplant and okra and to otherwise leave nothing on the plate. These days, I like vegetables, I clearly do not often leave anything on the plate, and my mother need not look past our own shores to see starving children.


Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton has issued a call to the public for bottled water to help the needy through the summer.
Phoenix is part of the Heat Relief Network, a collaboration of public and private groups working together to provide water through the hottest summer months. Since 2006 the group has worked with 13 homeless outreach teams to provide water, light clothing and sunblock to those in need. The group also sets up hydration and respite centers on Valley streets on the hottest days of the year. 


As Christy Everson was nearing age 40, she made a decision: She wanted to have a child, even though she was single and it meant doing it all alone. Her daughter, conceived via a sperm donor, is now 2 1/2 years old, and Everson hopes to have a second child.


Local churches in Ahwatukee Foothills are keeping their heads above the sea of technology with the use of iPhone, Android and tablet apps for their members.
Along with the surge in use of Bible apps, online podcasts of sermons and social media, non-denominational Christian churches as a whole are remembering that relevancy is key.
Pastor Jeff Zubeck of Living Word Bible Church said “keeping up with the times” is key, though the larger scope of the church shouldn’t change the main message, just the method of delivery.
Whether in church services or at home, members and attendees of Mountain Park Community Church can literally have their church in their pocket.


Editor’s note: This is part two of a continuing summer series on the proposed South Mountain Loop 202 Freeway.

With a unique style of commencement ceremony, Horizon Community Learning Center in Ahwatukee graduated 92 seniors on Tuesday night.