North Scottsdale Nonprofit Honors Cactus Shadows SeniorJuliet Roberts-Slusher Wins College GrantMay 21, 2006
Juliet Roberts-Slusher of Carefree has won a $500 unrestricted college grant
from the Greater Pinnacle Peak
Association (GPPA). Juliet is a graduating senior from
Cactus
Shadows High School. The grant was presented to Ms. Roberts-Slusher by Ken Melnick. Melnick is a member of GPPA’s Board of Directors. The presentation was made at the Cave Creek – Cactus Shadows High School awards assembly on May 15, 2006. Besides her environmental work, for which she was awarded the grant, Ms. Roberts-Slusher is a member of the National Honor Society, listed in “Who’s Who In America” for the past three years, and a National Women’s Gymnastics Champion in 2004. This September Juliet will be attending the University of California, Fullerton as a student in the College of the Arts. She has been awarded an athletic scholarship by the university. About GPPA GPPA was founded in the Pinnacle Peak area of Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1977. GPPA’s mission is to foster desert preservation, support wildlife conservation, and protect the quality of life in our community. GPPA encourages constructive community activism and community service. GPPA publishes A Peek at the Peak magazine as a complimentary community service. GPPA makes annual donations to local nonprofits that are working to preserve the desert, rescue and rehabilitate native birds and animals. These nonprofits include the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy (MSC), Desert Foothills Land Trust, Southwest Wildlife, and Wild At Heart. GPPA has been recognized as a “Lifetime Friend of the Preserve” by the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. For Information GPPA is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 educational organization that receives no state or federal funding. Publication of The Peak is supported by business advertising, tax-deductible membership dues, and tax-deductible donations. For information about advertising, membership, or to make a donation, visit www.gppaaz.org, call (480) 361-6498, or write to GPPA, 8711 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, #123, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. |
|
A Peek at the Peak Receives National Recognition Greater Pinnacle Peak Association’s Publication Wins Editorial Award May
13, 2006 The Society of National Association Publishers (SNAP) has announced that the Greater Pinnacle Peak Association’s (GPPA) A Peek at the Peak (The Peak) magazine has won the Magazines – Editorial category in SNAP’s EXCEL competition. The Peak’s editorial, “Suffering From Landscape Amnesia,” published in the December 2005 issue, received the Silver award. The editorial voiced the GPPA’s strong support for “Conserving Arizona’s Future.” Other nonprofit magazine winners included The Humane Society of the United States (All Animals), The Penn State Alumni Association (The Penn Stater Magazine), and the National Recreation and Parks Association (Parks & Recreation). In his award notification letter to GPPA, Lee K. Lowery, SNAP’s managing director, wrote, “Congratulations on your fine work and exemplary product; your efforts have truly identified the Greater Pinnacle Peak Association/The Peak as a leader in the field. This year we received over 1,040 entries. All were of high quality and the judging was extremely challenging.” Les Conklin, the president of GPPA and editor of The Peak, said, “We thank SNAP for honoring our organization and magazine with this award. Everybody involved with The Peak, both past and present, should be proud. This is the first time that The Peak has entered a competition since it began in 1983 as our newsletter. Many of the organizations that belong to SNAP are much bigger than GPPA and have a large publishing staff.” GPPA will officially receive the award on Wednesday, June 14th, at The Awards Gala that will be held at the Washington Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC. The gala marks the 26th anniversary of the competition. A panel of publication experts chose Gold (first place), Silver (second place), and Bronze (third place) winners for each judging category. Editorial entries were judged based on excellence in writing, timeliness, originality of topics, and overall dissemination of information to readers, as well as generally recognized editorial values of organization, clarity and consistency in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. About SNAP SNAP is a nonprofit, professional society that serves the needs of hundreds of association publishers and communications professionals. Members of SNAP include the American Bar Association (The Affiliate magazine), the Humane Society of America (publisher of All Animals), National Education Association (publisher of NEA Today), National Association of Realtors (publisher of REALTOR®), National Association of Homebuilders (publisher of Sales and Marketing Ideas), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (publisher of Journal of Clinical Oncology), and Rotary International (publisher of The Rotarian). Additional information about SNAP is available at www.snaponline.org.
About The Peak GPPA was founded in the Pinnacle Peak area of Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1977. GPPA’s mission is to foster desert preservation, support wildlife conservation, and protect the quality of life in our community. GPPA encourages constructive community activism and community service. GPPA makes annual donations to local nonprofits that are working to preserve the desert, rescue and rehabilitate native birds and animals. These nonprofits include the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy (MSC), Desert Foothills Land Trust, Southwest Wildlife, and Wild At Heart. GPPA, which organized the 2005 Inaugural Preservation Golf Tournament and donated all proceeds to McDowell Sonoran Preserve, has been recognized as a “Lifetime Friend of the Preserve” by the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. GPPA recently announced an education grant that will be awarded to a Cave Creek Unified School District student. For Information GPPA is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 educational organization that receives no state or federal funding. Publication of The Peak is supported by business advertising, tax-deductible membership dues, and tax-deductible donations. For information about advertising, membership, or to make a donation, visit www.gppaaz.org, call (480) 361-6498, or write to GPPA, 8711 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, #123, Scottsdale, AZ 85255.
|
Scenic Drive “Ripped Off” … Again!Nonprofit to Replace Stolen Plaques May 1, 2006
Someone has stolen 32 plaques from the
Desert Foothills Scenic Drive exhibit area. The photo-engraved The exhibit was established by Friends of the Scenic Drive in 1995 with the cooperation of the City of Scottsdale and local businesses. The artwork used to create the plaques was donated by local artists Marg Nelssen and Judy Conklin. The Desert Foothills Scenic Drive was originally established by the residents of Cave Creek and Carefree in 1964. Friends restored the plant exhibits and began publicizing the drive in 1994. Les Conklin, the president of the Greater Pinnacle Peak Association and founder of Friends of the Scenic Drive, said that “the replacement of plaques is a priority because so many people stop to see the exhibit and enjoy learning about our area’s heritage and wildlife. I expect it will cost GPPA/Friends more than $3,000 to replace the plaques but we’ll gladly make the investment to preserve this important part of our community’s heritage.” This is not the first time that vandals have struck the Scenic Drive. A year ago several of the large exhibit plaques were stolen and cost more than $1,000 to replace. Scenic Drive plant identification signs are also taken from time-to-time by souvenir hunters. About Friends, GPPA Friends of the Scenic Drive is a volunteer-driven organization whose goals are:
Friends of the Scenic Drive is a division of the Greater Pinnacle Peak Association (GPPA). GPPA is a nonprofit educational organization that was founded in the Pinnacle Peak area of Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1977. GPPA’s mission is to foster desert preservation, support wildlife conservation, and protect the quality of life in our community. GPPA encourages constructive community activism and community service. GPPA publishes A Peek at the Peak (The Peak) magazine as a complimentary community service. GPPA receives no state or federal funding and donations are appreciated. For additional information or to make a donation, write GPPA, 8711 E. Pinnacle Peak Road #123, Scottsdale, AZ 85255 or call Les Conklin at (480) 361-6498. |
metal plaques were literally ripped off the large monuments upon which they
are displayed. The plaques, which depict Sonoran flora and fauna, were taken
by an unknown person or person (s) some time during the last few weeks. The
exhibit area, which is open to the public, is located on the east side of
Scottsdale Road, just south of Jomax Road.
2006-2007 Scenic Drive Cleanup Schedule AnnouncedFriends of the Scenic Drive, a division of the Greater Pinnacle Peak Association, has announced a tentative schedule for its 2006-2007 Scenic Drive cleanups. Picking up litter is more enjoyable than you would expect and you'll leave will a sense of pride having helped your community. And, there will be at least 13 miles of roadside (6 1/2 miles on each side) that will look terrific. New volunteers are welcome. Join 40-100 other volunteers and sign-in at the location that is most convenient for you. Our volunteers man two sign-locations: #1. northern Scenic Drive entry sign (located on west side of Scottsdale Road just south of Carefree Highway, in front of Terravita Marketplace), #2. Scenic Drive monument sign area (located on east side of Scottsdale Road 3/4 mile north of Happy Valley Road, across from MacDonald's Ranch). The tentative dates are Saturday, October 28, 7:45 a.m. Scottsdale Pride Day, Saturday, December 9, 8 a.m., Saturday, February 10, 8 a.m., Saturday, April 10, 2007, 7:45 a.m., Scottsdale Pride Day. For details and an up-to-date schedule, visit www.scenicdrive.org (About Friends). About Friends, GPPA Friends of the Scenic Drive is a volunteer-driven organization whose goals are:
Friends of the Scenic Drive is a division of the Greater Pinnacle Peak Association (GPPA). GPPA is a nonprofit educational organization that was founded in the Pinnacle Peak area of Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1977. GPPA’s mission is to foster desert preservation, support wildlife conservation, and protect the quality of life in our community. GPPA encourages constructive community activism and community service. GPPA publishes A Peek at the Peak (The Peak) magazine as a complimentary community service. GPPA receives no state or federal funding and donations are appreciated. For additional information or to make a donation, write GPPA, 8711 E. Pinnacle Peak Road #123, Scottsdale, AZ 85255 or call Les Conklin at (480) 361-6498.
|
Anonymous Donor, Company, Volunteer Step UpJune 25, 2006Soon after the Greater Pinnacle Peak Association (GPPA) and Friends of the Scenic Drive announced that 32 plaques had been stolen from the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive exhibit (see May 1 press release), GPPA was contacted by an individual who said he would donate the cost of replacing the plaques. In addition, Phoenix-based PMA Photometals, which had produced the plaques almost a decade ago, offered to produce and install a new set of plaques at cost, $1,000. PMA also offered to create and donate a backup set of plaques, which GPPA and Friends hope will never be needed. Horst Berkner, a Scottsdale resident and long-time Friends volunteer, repaired and painted the damaged monuments upon which the plaques were mounted, donating the paint and his time. A few days later, Mike Dywan, PMA's founder and owner, personally installed the new plaques, and a check arrived from the anonymous donor. GPPA and Friends thanks the donor, PMA, and Horst Berkner for their generosity. About Friends, GPPA Friends of the Scenic Drive is a volunteer-driven organization whose goals are:
Friends of the Scenic Drive is a division of the Greater Pinnacle Peak Association (GPPA). GPPA is a nonprofit educational organization that was founded in the Pinnacle Peak area of Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1977. GPPA’s mission is to foster desert preservation, support wildlife conservation, and protect the quality of life in our community. GPPA encourages constructive community activism and community service. GPPA publishes A Peek at the Peak (The Peak) magazine as a complimentary community service. GPPA receives no state or federal funding and donations are appreciated. For additional information or to make a donation, write GPPA, 8711 E. Pinnacle Peak Road #123, Scottsdale, AZ 85255 or call Les Conklin at (480) 361-6498. |
|
Geography of Nowhere Coming Your Way? By Les Conklin Are the State of Arizona Land Department and the City of Phoenix really going to sell out 40 years of hard work and caring on the part of Carefree, Cave Creek, and North Scottsdale residents? Do they really want to make it more difficult for Scottsdale to purchase land for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve? Is it really in their long-term interests to have the Pinnacle Peak - Desert Foothills area become part of the valley’s expanding geography of nowhere (a place just like every other place)? If the zoning proposed by their Tatum East West Planning Study is adopted, that is exactly what will happen. The proposed zoning will generate more traffic, escalate infrastructure needs, devastate landscapes and plants, destroy habitats and wildlife, and facilitate additional urbanization. It’s ironic that the east-west boundaries of the study area, Cave Creek Road and Scottsdale Road, are part of the original Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, which was created to showcase the desert and prevent motels and gas stations from popping up next to the road. It was delineated by the people of Cave Creek and Carefree in 1963, protected by Maricopa County, and described in national travel magazines. The plan, now under consideration, includes zoning changes to approximately 10 square miles, just west of the Phoenix border with Scottsdale, along the west side of Scottsdale Road from Pinnacle Peak Road to Jomax Road. It calls for new commercial development on five large parcels along Scottsdale Road from Pinnacle Peak Road to Jomax. It seeks to materially change a special place that acts as a powerful magnet, attracting residents and tourists alike. Residents have battled to preserve the beauty of the area for decades. Residents living near the Scenic Drive voted to tax themselves to help pay to bury power lines along Scottsdale Road and Jomax Roads. It was the first and only improvement district adopted in Scottsdale’s history. Friends of the Scenic Drive and the City of Scottsdale have sought to maintain the Scenic Drive and its desert roadsides and views as a regional asset. Since Scottsdale annexed the area in the early 80s, residents have successfully prevented urbanization along the scenic drive (Happy Valley Road to Carefree Highway). The City of Scottsdale is seeking to include land along the east side of Scottsdale Road from Happy Valley Road to Jomax Road in its preserve. The land has been included in Scottsdale’s preservation plans for more than a decade. Commercial zoning on the opposite side of Scottsdale Road will drive up land values, making it more difficult for Scottsdale to purchase the land. It’s not too late to change the plan. Here are suggestions that will help save the desert beauty and life-style that are hallmarks of the northeast valley.
Will this geography of somewhere become part of the geography of nowhere? The answer is YES, unless Arizona State Land Department and the City of Phoenix join long-standing effort to preserve the area’s heritage, landscapes, wildlife, and recreation opportunities. |
|
Suffering From Landscape Amnesia? Published in A Peek at the
Peak, December 2005 By Les Conklin Like many readers of The Peak, I was struck with a feeling of landscape euphoria the first time I saw the quiet, spacious, natural beauty of the foothills and Pinnacle Peak area. That was 25 years ago, and now I fear I have an early stage case of “landscape amnesia.” People and communities have this condition when they forget how different the surroundings looked in the past because the change from year to year has been so gradual. Jared Diamond, in his insightful best seller “Collapse,” writes that landscape amnesia is a symptom of “creeping normalcy” where “it may take a few decades of a long sequence of slight year-to-year changes before people realize, with a jolt, that conditions used to be better several decades ago, and that what is accepted as normalcy has crept downwards.” You don’t have to look far to see the impact of creeping normalcy. Did you know that the southeast corner of Pima and Happy Valley Roads, which is surrounded by silly signs and goofy post “art,” once showcased views of the McDowell Mountains and the Sonoran Desert? Did you know that the northern reaches of Scottsdale and Cave Creek Roads were part of a scenic drive, delineated by the people of Cave Creek in and Carefree in 1963, protected by Maricopa County, and described in national travel magazines? Inexorably, thousands of acres of lush landscape dotted with saguaros, palo verde, mesquite, and chollas have been sacrificed to development. New roads, houses, and traffic noise have invaded the quiet sanctuary of our wild spaces. Wildlife habitats have been devastated, forcing mule deer, javelina, great horned owls, Harris’ hawks, Gila monsters, and other wildlife to “move on” or suffer development’s ultimate consequence, death. With Scottsdale’s population projected to rise by 26 percent in the next 15 years and similar increases expected in Cave Creek and Carefree, the most reliable solution for minimizing creeping normalcy is to purchase or set aside land to preserve landscapes, wildlife, and recreational opportunities. What Can You Do? Sometime before July 6, 2006, you’ll probably be asked to sign a petition to place the “Conserving Arizona’s Future” state trust land reform initiative on the 2006 general election ballot. If you are a registered voter in Arizona, we urge you to sign the petition. If you don’t want to wait for a volunteer to find you, call the McDowell Mountain Conservancy (MSC) at (480) 998-7971 or the Desert Foothills Land Trust (DFLT) at (480) 488-6131 and they will bring you and a petition together. You can also help by volunteering to collect signatures or by making a donation to support the statewide campaign to pass the initiative. Help Our Community Voter approval of the measure will enable DFLT to conserve approximately 5,000 acres, including thousands of acres adjacent to the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation area and Cave Creek Regional Park. For Scottsdale’s MSC, passage will immediately protect 5,177 acres of state land in the McDowell Mountains and Granite Mountain. It will also provide the opportunity for Scottsdale to sign a purchase agreement without going to auction and bidding against developers for an additional 9,347 acres. Scottsdale will be able to maximize the use of the existing preservation tax as it works with the state to purchase the remaining 4,500 acres within the voter approved preserve boundary. Help Arizona We are not the only Arizona community struggling with “creeping normalcy.” Across the state, the initiative will help communities by conserving 694,000 acres of natural, pristine areas. The initiative will also require the state to cooperate with local communities in the planning and conservation of state trust lands. This initiative does not impose any type of new tax. It is supported by a broad coalition of educators, conservationists, recreation groups, and business leaders, and will provide a steady flow of funding to our public schools, ensuring quality education for the state. Don’t Forget! Call the MSC at (480) 998-7971 or the DFLT at (480) 488-6131 and put your “John Hancock” on a petition. You’ll also find information at their Web sites, www.mslt.org and www.dflt.org. Help save some of the desert and wildlife that is left from the insidious environmental killers of creeping normalism and landscape amnesia.
|