David and I would like to thank Alberto, his food and wine suppliers and staff for a wonderful event Monday evening.  Alberto graciously hosted a wine tasting to benefit the AZ ALS Association in honor of David and our team "David's Carefree Sole Mates".  About 50 people attended and $2500.00 was raised.  All had a fabulous time.

David and I continue to be overwhelmed at the support of our friends and our community as we face this challenge.

Thank you to all who made this possible.

With love and a BIG hug,

Binka

PS: Just posted this on Facebook and tagged Albertos! 

Photo by Herbert Hitchon

 

Hi Lyn:

That was a wonderful event.  I especially like the photos of David and Binka smiling.  Kudos to Alberto for doing the event and to you for promoting it.  Herb must have went to work on the photos as soon as he got home.   

Best regards,

John Crane

 

Lovely reminder of this evening. ..good job Herbie :-)

Jo Gemmill

 

(Lyn's note: A few people got a sneak preview of the photos. And John was right.  Herbert jumped right into the photos.  The slide show was published the same night.)

 

 

 

The fundraising event for David's Carefree "Sole" Mates and the 2015 Scottsdale Walk to Defeat ALS was very well attended and a great success.  Someone there thanked me for organizing it, and I made it clear to her that all I did was provide publicity, as did the Carefree/Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce (thanks, Chamber!).  This was all Alberto's idea and work.  Alberto approached me with the idea because he liked and respected David Schwan, and he wanted to do something to show his appreciation and to help.  He convinced his wine distributors to donate the wines.  He planned the menu, and prepared and donated all the wonderful food, which he kept flowing throughout the evening. 

 

Alberto is a kind and generous man, and his restaurant is fabulous.  It's located in the Mariachi Center, which is at the corner of Cave Creek Road and Tom Darlington Drive.  Alberto's backs onto Cave Creek Road.  If you haven't been there yet, please do give it a try.  It's one of Herbert's and my favorites, and Alberto's has plenty of other "regulars" too, the sign of a great restaurant.  Alberto greats us all with a big hug.  The atmosphere is casual, cozy, Italian countryside and the food is genuine Italian, not an Americanized version.  Many have said it's like eating in their Italian grandmother's kitchen.

 

Thank you, Alberto, for doing this wonderful thing for David and Binka.  As you can see from the picture Binka included, they had lots of fun.  Herbert was there with his camera and used the photos to produce this slide show.  I made him put his camera away after a brief time.  I told him he was there to take just a few pictures, then to enjoy the food and camaraderie, but he still sneaked it out a couple more times! Even with that, he didn't get a chance to photograph all the people who attended.  This is just a sampling of the attendees, but it gives you an idea of the party atmosphere.  Everyone I saw there was having fun.  Enjoy the photos!

http://carefreeazbusinesses.com/alberto-ristorante-fundraiser-to-support-davids-carefree-sole-mates-and-the-2015-scottsdale-walk-to-defeat-als.html 

 

Click on these videos of Alberto.  His background is truly amazing. 

Alberto Ristorante

https://vimeo.com/user18676056/review/108431327/c2a6f86b83

 

And the pizza is incredible. 

Alberto Ristoranti

https://vimeo.com/user18676056/review/122720658/cf6ac6907c

 

7171 E. Cave Creek Rd. (in the Mariachi Center, Cave Creek Rd. & Tom Darlington Dr.), Carefree, AZ  

(480) 488-5800

http://albertocarefreeaz.com/ 

Tuesday-Sunday, 4 PM-until patrons finish

 

Lyn and Herbert

  

    

(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'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!)

http://carefreeazbusinesses.com/pictures-of-week-113015.html 

Photo by Don Johnson

 

 

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 Gardens photo contest is January.  Your picture could be in the 2017 calendar.

 

 

 

Desert Foothills Chronicle link:

http://www.desertfoothillschronicle.org/

City Sun Times link:

http://news.citysuntimes.com/

 

 

 Magic Bird reply to Don Sorchych  :  Delusional and even inconsistent with previous Sonoran News untruths over many years, dating back to 1997, all on the record. I saved all issues of his misinformation newspaper. Furthermore, how can a service only business owe sales tax? Vendors are independent businesses each responsible for their own sales tax. Magicbirdfestivals.com always provided lists with vendors tax numbers to Cave Creek and Arizona Department of Revenue just as I have always done for Carefree. Ask Bambi Mueller still at Cave Creek Town Hall. Ask Bev Peterson formerly employed at Cave Creek and now at Carefree. Magicbirdfestivals.com has no authority to collect other businesses sales tax, never has never will.  No other event facilitator here has ever done so either.  All of this is on the record Mr. Sorchych should you ever be interested in the real truth and real facts... not spin.  True I did spit in your face after you attacked Lester. True you asked for me to receive the death penalty for doing so. True former Town Manager Usama Abujbara physically assaulted Lester Rechlin outside a Cave Creek Town Hall meeting  and got away with permanently damaging his shoulder despite two unbiased witnesses because of you and Usama Abujbara and Ian Cornwell and a few others who had the power and position of influence and spin. Lester Rechlin :  If you and Usama and Ian haven't destroyed the records of witnesses and photos of my injuries I would be happy to take this up again.  

Truthfully and Sincerely,  

Roberta Toombs Rechlin and Lester Rechlin

(Lyn's note: Don Sorchych has always and incorrectly asserted that Magic Bird owed the sales tax from their shows to the Town of Cave Creek.  I can tell you that Roberta's explanation is correct, since I know many artists who participate in art shows around the country.  The individual artists showing here are responsible for paying the sales tax to the AZ Dept. of Revenue, which then reimburses the Towns for their share of the tax.  The promoters have nothing to do with that aspect.  They organize and market the shows.  Period.  They are service organizations.  Mr. Sorchych's hate spiels are, unfortunately, protected under the guise of being "editorials", and he uses his "My View" in an attempt to damage the reputations of those he  dislikes.  This is routine behavior in this poor excuse for a newspaper, and many decent people have been victims of this ludicrous tabloid over the years.  It is unfortunate that anyone reads it for any purpose other than the entertainment value of the outlandish content.  And that is My View.)

And a postscript :  Don, you only look further foolish and menial to imply that the one or two posters at Cave Creek post office out of 100, which is by far the smallest expenditure of our Magicbirdfestivals.com marketing campaign for Carefree, could possibly be that important. After all, they mysteriously disappear within a day. I keep putting more up just to irritate you and yours. 

 

 

This is the photo posted on the page of last week's Pictures of the Week.

Kiss that nose.

Susan Martin

 

What a mug.  Life without dogs is a half empty cup.  Happy Thanksgiving.

Sara