(Lyn's note: Please feel free to send us any pictures you'd like included.  If your photos are for sale, let us know and we will put them under that category.  We have a special section for that purpose.  If anyone would like to buy a print of any of Herbert's photos, all profits will be donated to one of the local non-profit organizations.   Here is the link to this week's Pictures of the Week. Enjoy!)

Black Mountain in Clouds

Photo by Sara Vannucci

 

http://www.carefreeazbusinesses.com/pictures-of-week-11116.html

 

 

 

Dogs of Carefree Town Hall

Fergus, Bev Peterson's dog, and Emma, Kandace French's dog

Photo by Herbert Hitchon

 

http://www.carefreeazbusinesses.com/dogs-of-town-hall.html

 

 

The 2016 Carefree Desert Garden calendars are now available at Carefree Town Hall, 8 Sundial Circle, Carefree, and they are gorgeous! If you like to take pictures, visit the Gardens.  Our entry period for the Carefree Desert Gardens Photo Contest is January.  Your picture could be in the 2017 calendar.

 

 

 

Desert Foothills Chronicle link:

http://www.desertfoothillschronicle.org/

CITYSunTimes link:

http://news.citysuntimes.com/

 

 

(Lyn's note: This is the direct link for making donations to Binka's page on the David's Team "ALS Walk" fundraiser website. Donations will continue to be accepted through January, 2016.  http://web.alsa.org/site/TR/Walks/Arizona?px=6972161&pg=personal&fr_id=10960#.VezY7HgXzFI. Let's show our appreciation of former Mayor David Schwan, and let's help find a cure for ALS!)

 

 

Lyn,

Thank you for helping to get the word out on CodeDay 2016. This additional information was just sent to me. Please see attached regarding the upcoming CodeDay on February 13 & 14, 2016, at the University of Advancing Technology.  Carefree has been allotted 10 scholarships for students to receive free admittance to this 24-hour event.  Carefree can promote CodeDay with online registration at www.codeday.org/arizona and our community will have 10 scholarships under the code CAREFREE that can be used up until 1/31/2016!

CodeDay registration is currently open. The University of Advancing Technology will provide the computers, so the students do not need to bring computers.

CodeDay would also like local tech companies to volunteer as well to represent cities:  http://bit.ly/CodeDayvolunteer.  They can also sponsor more students to attend at this link: https://www.sponseasy.com/p/codeday-arizona.

Thank you,

Michael Farrar

Town Councilman

(Lyn's note: See attached for more info on Code Day.)

 

Great opportunity!!

Laurie Palace 

(Lyn's note: Code Day)

 

 

 

(Lyn's note: Some of you may have seen the two inflammatory and highly editorialized emails about the Monday night Planning and Zoning Commission workshop, a forum in which no action is taken. Workshops are for discussion only.  Because one of these emails was also circulated prior to the meeting, Herbert came with the video camera to record the meeting.  The author, who wrote that he couldn't hear the proceedings well and that he made only sketchy notes, as is often the case, presented his version of the meeting via a second email.  For an accurate account, here is the uncut full version of that meeting for any who are interested in the unembellished facts.

https://vimeo.com/user18676056/review/151680398/f41eedd274.  

 

For any of you who missed the explanation about voting in Letters from Readers on 12/30, here that is again.  This explanation also applies to text amendments to documents.  The text amendment in question relating to Monday's P&Z meeting is to the Zoning Ordinance, not the General Plan.  Contrary to what was said by the author of the emails, the Zoning Ordinances do not go to a citizen vote, and never have in any municipality.  It is the General Plan, which goes through a major update every 10 years, as dictated by Arizona statute, that goes to a citizen vote at the same time elections are held for Council.  The incendiary assertions by the author, in the emails and at the meeting, contain reams of misinformation, either by intent of out of ignorance.)  

Lyn:

An Arizona municipality cannot hold a vote on any matter independent of state supervision and regulation. Voting policies are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems and more, dictate the conditions under which citizens cast their ballots while A.R.S. Title 38 and A.R.S. 41 direct various statutory requirements for the Town Clerk. Even a matter such as that reference below, would require the Town staff to follow all the rules for elections in Arizona in order to send the matter for citizen voting.  For example, as a Certified State Election Official, there is a substantial calendar of election deadlines I am required to follow for the upcoming 2016 election. This does not include the dates I follow for the supervision or review of finance reporting.

The Town of Carefree is an All Mail Ballot municipality. We do not hold our elections in a vacuum but do so with the assistance and supervision at the state level, including the voting machine verification, issuance and auditing. Any voting held in Carefree has to follow a consolidated election timeline with the rest of the state, including adding it to the state list of issues for a vote, a primary, a general election, etc. The votes would be counted at the state level and reported state-wide. Ultimately, the cost of a special election for such an issue would run at least 4 times the cost of the project.

For this, and many other reasons, matters such as these are addressed by the Town Administrator and municipal employees. The maintenance and regular upgrades of town property are an administrative act that do not require a vote of the citizens. The issues falling under these areas are noticed and presented in public meetings for transparency and to allow for public comment. The matters are reviewed and voted on by the Town Council, who were elected by the Carefree citizens to act on their behalf and the best interest of the Town and its residents.

I hope this helps.

Kandace French - Town Clerk/Treasurer

Email: Kandace@carefree.org

Phone: 480.488.3686  Fax: 480.488.3845

PO Box 740, 8 Sundial Circle, Carefree, AZ 85377

 

 

 

 

Hi Lyn - my future daughter-in-law is involved with rescue in Orange County, CA. She is trying to find someone to transport two bichons (20-lbs ish each) to Phoenix - can you put the word out?

I appreciate your help - the contact is Marti Colwell at  marti@bichonfurkids.org.

Thanks so much Lyn!!!

Mickie Applebaum

 

Hey Kiddo!

Happy New Year!

I just KNEW this was one of Herbie's photos even before seeing the credit.  IT'S REALLY FANTASTIC!

Big hugs to you, Herbie and all of your 4 legged family members!

Love ya and hope you're well!

Patti Meese