The Foothills Focus Anthem 01-18-2023

Gov. Hobbs delivers State of the State speech

In front of a few hundred listeners at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, newly elected Gov. Katie Hobbs delivered her State of the State speech at a luncheon co-hosted by Phoenix Raceway and WESTMARC.

Among those in attendance were officials from Glendale, Peoria, Tolleson, Avondale, Goodyear, Buckeye, Litchfield Park and Phoenix.

Hobbs, a Democrat, is Arizona’s fifth female governor and 24th overall. She is heading into a situation in which tackling her agenda items may be difficult as Republicans hold a slight majority.

Her speech on Jan. 11, however, revealed her plans to be largely bipartisan. Hobbs, regard-

see HOBBS page 4

Questions remain about hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Gordon Brown used to be a licensed psychologist and U.S. Navy petty officer 1st class. But a severe blow to the head caused bleeding on the brain and led to surgery in 2002 that left him struggling to read and speak.

Brown said he’s now mostly recovered, and

he credits hyperbaric oxygen therapy, known as HBOT, which most commonly is used in hospitals to treat burn victims and severe skin and bone infections. Patients are placed in pressurized chambers and breathe pure oxygen.

“I couldn’t have done this interview prior to the dives (therapy sessions),” said Brown, now 68.

HBOT of Arizona uses the therapy to treat thousands of brain injury patients – roughly

2,000 this year – although the Food and Drug Administration has not approved hyperbaric oxygen for that purpose. However, “off-label prescribing” is allowed for all drugs or treatments the FDA has approved for any condition.

“The risks and benefits of HBOT when used for off-label have not been established,” an

see HYPERBARIC page 7

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HOBBS from page 1

less of party preference, is looking to better the state of Arizona.

“As governor, I recognize the obligation to listen to find common ground, and to provide real solutions for the challenges facing the state,” she said.

“My hope is that when we all leave here today, you understand that I and my administration are committed to action, and to improving the lives of every Arizonan,” she later added. “And if you’re committed to those same ideals, then I’m ready to work side by side with you, no matter your party registration.”

Hobbs’ speech revealed plans to meet each of the “challenges” facing the state head on.

“As we look to the future, we cannot continue to kick the can down the road of these issues and many others,” Hobbs said. “We owe it to our fellow Arizonans, both this generation and the next, to face these challenges head on. … I’m an optimist, especially when it comes to Arizona. I believe we are the greatest state in this nation.”

Education

Hobbs said education gave her a chance to “build a better life” for herself. She has spent much of her life “fighting for better schools and to level the playing field,” and will continue to do so as governor.

She began discussing the Aggregate Expenditure Limit, a 1980 act passed to limit the total amount of money that all K-12 schools can spend each year.

get “stuck in the middle of crises of our own making.”

She cited that one in four teachers leave Arizona schools each year — the highest rate in the nation. That leaves “more than 2,500 classroom educator positions” vacant.

“To the teachers and education support professionals of our state — I see you, I respect you and I will always stand up for you,” Hobbs said.

She said Arizona does not have an educator shortage, but rather a retention crisis.

“There are too many amazing professionals who have walked away from the career they love because of the uncompetitive salaries, onerous policies, and unfunded mandates this state has chosen to implement that rob educators of the joy of teaching,” Hobbs said. “Teachers are creating the workforce and leaders of tomorrow, and it’s time we started treating them with the respect they deserve.

To tackle that, Hobbs said she has plans to launch an Educator Retention Task Force, an initiative that will focus on improving class sizes, resources, working conditions, and other factors that will put the state on a path to fix its education issues and retain educators.

“I hope we can all agree that when we keep the most talented teachers in the classroom, our kids win, our families win, and our communities win,” she said.

Additionally, Hobbs is planning to expand the Arizona Promise Scholarship Program to include 10,000 more students and allocate $40 million for the Promise for DREAMers Scholarship Program. This will assist all students across the state regardless of immigration status.

“My administration is ready and willing to work with any member of the legislature to find additional solutions,” Hobbs said. “We need to work together to ensure that Arizona’s higher education opportunities are the best in the nation and put individuals on the path to future prosperity.”

Housing

Arizona’s job market, the governor said, is robust. But on the flip side of that coin, the cost of housing has reached a high. This is something Hobbs wants to work on.

“Too many Arizona families are getting further away from achieving the American Dream due to the high cost of housing,” she said. “Our state is no stranger to the boom-and-bust housing cycles. But this is something totally different. Three Arizona cities — Tucson, Mesa and Phoenix — have seen some of the highest rent increases in the nation; the number of individuals experiencing homelessness has risen significantly in recent years. We can do better.”

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“As part of last year’s budget negotiations, a promise was made that a special session would be called to override this limit that’s based on an out-of-date, 40-year-old funding formula that’s holding our public schools hostage,” Hobbs said. “That promise was not kept.”

She said if this went unaddressed, that the state would see a $1.3 billion cut — the largest in Arizona’s history — and cause furloughs, layoffs and school closures.

“It is unnecessary to allow these hysterics to go on any longer,” she said. “Let’s give our students, our teachers and our parents the assurance that schools will remain.”

Hobbs said it is time to seriously invest in public schools, and her budget reflects that. Starting with teachers, she said they

Hobbs also will focus on equal funding for all schools. Currently, Arizona distributes more money to schools under a per-pupil basis based on grades and assessment results.

“This approach has largely benefitted only schools in high-wealth areas of Arizona’s two largest counties — Maricopa and Pima — while leaving rural and economically struggling areas behind,” she said.

The new budget, Hobbs said, will redirect $68.6 million to the Base Level Support. This, she added, will be distributed to all schools across the state.

“Let me go on the record to say that any school that accepts taxpayer dollars should have to abide by the same accountability standards that all district schools do,” Hobbs said. “We have seen too many examples of individuals and shady corporations taking advantage of the system and our students.”

To see a change in this aspect, Hobbs said she and her administration will be supporting a $150 million investment into the Housing Trust Fund this year and will call for additional support moving forward. She will also set aside $50 million for a state-level, child tax credit for families earning less than $40,000 a year to help pay for the rising costs of necessities for their children.

Regarding homelessness, Hobbs wasted no time into her tenure to get working on it. The governor signed an executive order re-establishing the Interagency and Community Council on Homelessness and Housing.

“This should only be the start,” she said. “My administration is ready and willing to work with members of the legislature, and my door will always be open to any member who brings forward a serious proposal to help Arizona families, seniors and communities.”

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United States and Mexico border

Hobbs said she is planning on building a “safe Arizona for everyone.” This, she said, “extends to our border, our broken immigration system and the communities across the state who must continue to bear the brunt of Washington’s decades of failure on this critical issue.”

She will work directly with communities and its leaders, sheriffs, local law enforcement, community centers and hospitals while pushing Washington to make necessary changes. Hobbs has also invited Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to visit the border with her and meet with those who want “effective and humane solutions to this longtime challenge.”

“We must take a holistic, realistic and humane approach to help solve this issue,” she said.

Reproductive health care

Hobbs said “more than 90%” of Arizonans believe abortion should be legal. During her tenure, she said she will

be supporting the right for everyone to make their own decisions regarding health care.

“I refuse to stand by and do nothing as my daughter or anyone’s daughter now has fewer rights today than I did growing up,” she said.

“I will use every power of the governor’s office to stop any legislation or action that attacks, strips or delays the liberty or inherent right of any individual to decide what is best for themselves or their families,” she later added.

Hobbs’ budget will match the federal Title X money Arizona receives to provide reproductive health services and family planning medication, bringing the state’s total to more than $12 million.

“I urge members of the legislature to put bills on my desk that will protect women, support families, and create a future for Arizona where anyone regardless of gender can succeed,” Hobbs said.

Water

For Hobbs, Arizona’s water crisis is the “challenge of our time.” On this, she called on the state to be unified in addressing

this issue through “bipartisan solutions at a local, statewide, and national level.”

The governor cited that on Jan. 1, the Colorado River Tier 2 mandatory water cuts went into effect, which means that Arizona will lose 21% of its water coming from the river.

“We must also all understand this — barring a miracle from nature, it will likely get worse before it gets better,” Hobbs said.

“This should be a wake-up call for all of us, because it will take all of us to solve it — legislators, public officials, the business community. Each and every one of us must commit to the partnerships needed to avoid this.”

For transparency purposes, Hobbs’ administration published a previously unreleased report by the Arizona Department of Water Resources that shows that portions of Phoenix are short of the 100-year assured water supply program by 15%.

“This report unequivocally shows that we have to act now,” Hobbs said.

“I don’t understand and don’t in any way agree with my predecessor choosing to keep this report from the public. How-

ever, my decision to release this report signals how I plan to tackle our water issues: openly and directly.”

Hobbs will also sign an executive order to launch the Governor’s Water Policy Council and expand the Groundwater Management Act.

“We must take these actions today because in many parts of our state, there are effectively no restrictions on groundwater pumping and local communities have little-to-no support to manage water supplies,” she said. “As a result, a new water user can move in, dig a well, and pump as much water as possible, even if it dries up the community’s aquifer.”

In closing her speech, Hobbs again discussed that, through bipartisan leadership, Arizona has a bright future.

“We all hold a deep love for this state,” she said. “We are here because we want to ensure the generations that follow us have the chance to discover that love, too. Thank you for your partnership in finding real solutions and for the contributions we will all make going forward as we build an Arizona for everyone. Now let’s get to work.”

FDA spokesperson told Cronkite News. “At this time, the FDA has not approved, cleared or authorized the use of HBOT for cognitive improvement.”

The FDA has approved HBOT treatment only for certain conditions, and it notes on its website that “some claims of what it can do are unproven.” Further clinical trials are underway or completed for use of the therapy for traumatic brain injury, PTSD and long COVID, according to the FDA and clinicaltrials.gov.

But that doesn’t stop patients from trying off-label treatments.

The FDA says hyperbaric chambers vary in size, shape and material, but all are pressurized to an atmospheric pressure below sea level while patients breathe 100% medical-grade oxygen through a mask.

When they’re in the chamber, HBOT of Arizona patients can read books or watch TV through a window of the chamber, but they can’t bring in electronic devices due to the pressure change, which can ruin electronics, the for-profit clinic says on its website.

According to HBOT of Arizona, the oxygen and pressure combined promote faster healing by increasing oxygen in tissue, which leads to the growth of new capillaries. The company has a certified hyperbaric technologist present for all sessions.

Brown said he suffered two grand mal seizures after the surgery in 2002 “and flat-

lined both times. I died twice.”

In addition to post-operative challenges in reading and speaking, Brown had anger issues, memory loss and trouble with balance after his injury.

The Navy veteran and scuba diver was familiar with HBOT because it’s used to treat divers with decompression sickness. He started the therapy in 2015 at HBOT of Arizona.

“As I went through the days,” he recalled, “I started noticing that a lot of memories started coming back, and they weren’t coming back in a linear fashion. They were just memories that were popping up and I didn’t know what they were.”

Toward the end of his 40 treatments,

known as dives, over the course of two months, his friends started noticing his speech improving, he could read again and his memory started returning.

A typical regimen at HBOT of Arizona consists of 40, hour-long dives, said general manager Lori Klauber, but it may take more sessions to reach a plateau. Treatments may vary depending on the condition but averages $200 or more per session without insurance, she said.

“We take on-label and off-label (patients),” Klauber said, noting the company uses HBOT to treat conditions hospitals typically don’t, including post-traumatic stress disorder, “TBI, (COVID-19) long-haulers, autism, cerebral palsy.”

When it comes to off-label uses of HBOT, the risks and benefits are not established.

HBOT risks for all uses include ear and sinus pain, middle ear injuries, temporary vision change and lung collapse, according to an FDA spokesperson. Oxygen tank fire is also a potential risk when using the chamber.

Regardless of FDA approval, Brown said, HBOT has worked for him and other brain trauma patients he has sponsored for the therapy.

Before the therapy, Brown spoke haltingly and was embarrassed to talk to people.

“I knew I had a brain at one time. It was very frustrating, but by the time I finished my 40th dive, I felt like I was about 85 to 90% back.”

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.

Super Bowl is a food fest day for all

Football. Once again it is that time of year when we Americans obsess over who will make it to the Super Bowl. The fate of our beloved Cardinals has been decided as they got crushed by San Francisco. Maybe our consolation prize is that Arizona is hosting the Big Game.

And that Super Day is not just a sports event. It is a cultural phenomenon that sweeps the country, starting out in our kitchens!

We will have consumed about 100 billion chicken wings just watching the playoffs. But on Super Bowl Sunday we Americans will eat over 125 billion wings! That would be enough chicken wings to fill up 1,083,333 football fields! Oh yea, but we won’t stop there. Domino’s Pizza claims it will deliver 12 million slices of pizza on that one afternoon! And to wash it all down? How about 325 million gallons of beer?

Football is not a game. It is a sensation! We will not be derailed by current events or nightly news. Politics? Don’t really care! Inflation? Oh well! We have

more important things to think about! There is rushing, passing, unnecessary roughness, tackling, kicking, interceptions and touchdowns to consider.

We don’t even need to have a home team in the finals to still pick a favorite. The Super Bowl is a spectacle, a show, a never-ending food fest. It is the second-largest American food consumption day of the year, right behind Thanksgiving. We will eat all manner of unhealthy, fattening, tasty things that we rarely bother with the rest of the year. Which is a very good thing, because we’d all blow up like blimps if we

kept it up.

Fortunately, the Super Bowl only see BLUHM page 10

Good service evaporating on the business landscape

Can we talk for a moment about service in America circa 2023? This seems necessary because one of two things is afoot in this land of ours.

Either we are seeing the result of businesses being distracted from the real reason they operate – to serve their customers or clients. Or there’s a less pleasant possibility Americans are getting dumber with each passing year.

Whatever the explanation, I think we all can agree that the old days – when the customer was always right and spending money at a business meant they strived to fulfill your needs – is deader than a doornail, though we’ve yet to bury the corpse.

I say this having recently returned home from Starbucks with what was allegedly a black coffee. In theory, this should be the easiest beverage to manufacture in this $26 billion global brand’s arsenal. Drinking said beverage revealed it to be

the approximate sweetness of a cinnamon roll, My pancreas spasmed like Kari Lake on Election Day. Reading the cup revealed I had received something called a caramel brulee latte, a drink I can neither pronounce nor stomach.

Typically, I wouldn’t complain about such trivia. But it seems nowadays that everywhere I go – that any of us goes – we end up with the wrong order.

Last week, I got not a few wrong groceries delivered, but every single item wrong. I feel bad for the poor lady who ordered tampons, skim milk, salad fixings and Purina cat food, but ended up with my ground beef, spinach and popsicles.

One place I favor that rarely screws up is In-n-Out. Maybe they do a superior job training their people, but more likely their very limited menu makes screwing up difficult.

They serve burgers, fries, and drinks. There’s no Sponge Bob kiddie meals, no tuna sliders on special this month. And they don’t seem anxious to shove their poli-

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tics down your throat.

At Starbucks, the menu is in constant flux. So are the pronouns on employees’ name tags and the associated politics of the workplace.

In the last quarter of 2022, the company announced a new loyalty partnership with Delta Airlines, the opening of their 6,000th location – in China – and an international “leadership excellence” retreat to help managers “lead their stores and store partner (employees) through the company’s reinvention.”

“We must all think of ourselves as brand new – for the next few days we’ve got to get into a growth mindset,” North American Vice President Sarah Trilling told her colleagues. “What worked yesterday may not work today. We have to think differently.”

Actually, what Starbucks has to do is make coffee. That’s why people go to Starbucks – for the coffee. Not for the growth mindset.

Or for what company founder Howard Schultz described in a letter to employees late last year as his “business philosophy” based on “the compounding momentum” of love.

I’m not sure what that means. And it may be a felony in Arizona.

The other possibility for this poor service is human error. Last week, the White

House announced that a record number of Americans – nearly 160 million – are now employed.

Part of that is population growth. It also may be that people are so poor these days, they can’t afford to retire or skip work to attend college. Given how often we hear about businesses struggling to find workers, one thing seems certain: We appear to have scraped the bottom of the talent barrel.

The basic qualification for work today isn’t the willingness to exude perspiration. It’s the ability to exhibit respiration.

Employees who show up get to work. Customers who show up? Don’t expect much and maybe you won’t be disappointed.

comes once a year.

I might get some yummy Velveeta and make one of those delicious cheese dips. My daughter says Velveeta is made by the devil and is nothing more than yellow chemicals. My girlfriend says the thought of Velveeta makes her ill and it should be banned as a food product because it is not even cheese! My doctor says that it could clog our arteries faster than you can scream, “Touchdown!”

I call, “Foul!” Dice up the yellow log of God knows what, add a little salsa and microwave for a minute. Heaven waits. Why worry when there are games to watch!

Derived from English rugby, American football was started in 1879 with

rules instituted by Walter Camp, a player and coach at Yale University. Actually, football has its roots in soccer, which was played 200 years B.C. when Chinese players kicked pig bladders or skulls (hope not human) back and forth. In fact, entire villages got involved and one game lasted three days with 900 players! Now that would have been fun to watch! From pig bladders to pig skins, we have come a long way. (Not to mention eating like piggies).

Dear readers, I hope your favorite team makes it through the playoffs. If not, we can drown out our blues with 325 million gallons of beer. One glass at a time. Game on!

Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local Realtor. Have a story of a comment? Email Bluhm at judy@judybluhm.com.

‘Gridiron Greats’ to light up Anthem

Chicago Bears’ great Jim McMahon has invited friends like Joe Montana, Mark Rypien, Morten Anderson, Johnny Damon and Jamir Miller for his first Gridiron Greats Celebrity Golf Classic in Anthem on Friday, Feb. 10.

Presented McMahon’s cannabis company, Revenant, as well as Cannabis Talk 101 and Farechild Events, the event supports Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund for retired athletes. McMahon himself is a two-time Super Bowl champ.

Registration opens at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start at 11 a.m. General admission is $100; $500 for the VIP experience.

“We’re looking forward to an awesome time,” McMahon said. “It should be a great day of golf, and then have some music and just raise as much money as we can for the organization.”

McMahon is happy that cannabis use has become more widely accepted.

“It’s finally nice to know that people are starting to open their eyes

GOLF CLASSIC from Page

11

and realize that this is not a drug, it’s a medicinal herb that we all should be using,” McMahon said. “And to get these guys off the painkillers and the things that have proven to be addictive and proven to kill people, whereas cannabis has not killed anybody.”

Held at the Anthem Golf and Country Club, the tournament comes at a prime time for Arizona. With the WM Phoenix Open and the Super Bowl boosting the population of the metro area by as close to 20%, it is a great way to have all eyes on two very important organizations.

McMahon has experience in both camps, as he is an avid cannabis proponent, as well as an avid Gridiron Greats.

Gridiron Greats was founded by Hall of Fame coach Mike Ditka as a way to offer assistance to struggling NFL alumni get back on their feet. Although NFL players now make a minimum of $705,000 a year, that wasn’t always the case.

623-551-3700

“And so, it’s just great to be a be associated with coach again. I know, he and I had a lot of run ins in the seven years I played for him, but he’s a good man. And he’s been doing a lot of good things since he’s been retired.”

With fellow former NFL players Kyle Turley and Eben Britton, McMahon started Revenant as a way to show the positive benefits of cannabis on players’ minds and bodies.

“It’s been demonized for over 100 years,” McMahon said. “It makes my life a hell of a lot better. I can actually remember stuff, I’m not in a big fog, like I was taking pills all those years. They don’t do anything for you but mask the pain. They don’t help you one bit. And they cause a hell of a lot of problems. You can’t sleep, you don’t go to the bathroom regularly. I mean, there’s just a whole host of things.”

Gridiron Greats Celebrity Golf Classic

WHEN: 9 a.m. registration; 11 a.m. shotgun start Friday, Feb. 10

WHERE: Anthem Golf and Country Club, Ironwood, 2708 W. Anthem Club Drive, Anthem

justin.simons.j663@statefarm.com

justin.simons.j663@statefam.com

“It was a great thing that (Ditka) started,” McMahon said. “He sees a lot of his guys that he played with and played against that are just, they’re living on the streets. He said, ‘Hey, the league’s not helping them, the Players Association isn’t helping them, I’m going to help them out.’

COST: $100 general admission; $500 VIP experience; $1,500 single golfer; $4,500 golf foursome; $5,000 legend single INFO: https://bit.ly/GridironGreatsAnthem

When a hand out is a hand up

Where do you want to go today?

Microsoft uses that slogan to convince you that you can head in any direction you please with their software. But Earl Nightingale, one of the great motivational speakers, said it better. “Imagine that you are the captain of a great ocean-going vessel,” he suggests. “Before even leaving the harbor, you lay out plans for your voyage. Using maps, choose a destination, then employ your navigational skills to arrive safely”.

“Without a chosen destination and a

map to help you arrive,” he continues, “you are akin to a ship without a rudder. If you leave the harbor, you’ll probably be a derelict on some deserted beach.” In other words, if you don’t know where you’re going, you’re bound to get there. Epictetus wrote these wise questions we must ask ourselves long ago. “Who exactly do you want to be? What kind of person do you want to be? What are your ideals? Whom do you admire? What are their special traits that you would make your own? It’s time to stop being vague. If you wish to be extraordinary and wise, then you should explicitly identify the kind of person you aspire to become.”

Let’s improve our life journey today with some wisdom. On your journey to where you would like to go, you will be offered many ‘hand-outs’ from people who want to take you to where they want to go. They have a plan for your life. My caution for today is to choose wisely the hands you hold. There are helping hands and harmful hands, at least for where you desire to go. Be wary of hands with ‘hand-outs’ wanting to pull you away from where you want to go.

Here are some life-changing thoughts about hands I found on the internet. “A basketball in my hands is worth about $19. A basketball in Michael Jor-

dan’s hands was worth about $33 million. It depends on whose hands it’s in.

see DELPH page 14

Concerts are Michael Kaeshammer’s purpose

Canadian pianist and vocalist

Michael Kaeshammer can’t say enough good things about the Musical Instrument Museum.

“I love that venue,” said the German-born Kaeshammer. “It’s not just the museum or the theater. It’s the whole group there. Lowell (Pickett, artistic director) is great. We’re looking forward to coming. Plus, we’re from Canada, so Arizona in January is always good.”

Kaeshammer is referring to his Friday, Jan. 20, at the Musical Instrument Museum. In December, he had just wrapped a four-week tour through Canada. He’ll play the MIM and then head to Europe in March in support of a new record dubbed “Turn It Up.”

His signature style weaves classical, jazz, blues, boogie-woogie, stride and pop. The MIM show will be a retrospective of his career.

“It’s very upbeat, very fun music,” he said. “I love when people say they don’t like jazz. Everybody has their own taste.

DELPH From Page 13

A football in my hands is worth about $16. A football in Tom Brady’s hands is worth $29 million. It depends on whose hands it’s in. A tennis racket is useless in my hands. A tennis racket in Serena William’s hands is a Wimbledon Championship. It depends on whose hands it’s in.

A rod in my hands will keep away wild animals. A rod in Moses’ hands will part a mighty sea. It depends on whose hands it’s in. A slingshot in my hands is a kid’s toy. A slingshot in David’s hand is a mighty weapon. It depends on whose hands it’s in. Two fish and five loaves of bread in my hands are a couple of fish sandwiches. Two fish and five loaves of bread in the hands of Jesus will feed thousands. It depends on whose hands it’s in.

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse. Nails in Jesus Christ’s hands have salvation for the entire world. It

There’s a lot of jazz I don’t like, either. But people will have a good experience at our show. I love being on stage and connecting with the audience.”

For “Turn It Up” he worked with pop producer Ron Lopata to put a new spin on his music.

“He’s not jazz-related,” he said. “I wrote songs over the last two to three

depends on whose hands it’s in.” Get the message?

These days many people and things are holding their hands out to us. We often give them our hand because we are impatient or feel impotent about what is happening in today’s world. So many are in a crisis or so lost that they will grab onto any hand. But, in the long term, a human-based ‘hand-out’ creating co-dependence is not generally a ‘hand-up’, no matter the reason.

After 49 years of walking with the Lord, I have seen the results of making decisions and acting without God’s guidance. I’ve also seen the results when I have allowed God’s word to guide me. Acting without holding God’s hand means I’m not holding any hand at all. It could also mean that I’m holding someone or something else’s hand, leading me away from where I want to go. Either way, the results are the same, generally not good, and certainly not

years during the pandemic. He put his stamp on it by making it a little more radio friendly or commercial friendly. It’s nine original tunes and a cover of ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love.’”

Born and bred in Germany, Kaeshammer began performing club, theater and festival stages throughout Europe in his early teens and continued when he moved to Canada with his family in the mid-1990s. His first studio album, “Blue Keys,” dropped in 1996 and acclaim has continued. He’s opened for the likes of Ray Charles and Anne Murray; backed Marva Wright, the late blues queen of New Orleans; and wrote songs with rockers Randy Bachman and Colin James.

“I’ve never done anything else,” Kaeshammer said about music.

“Music was always a big part, so pursuing it as a career came naturally. After

God’s best for me. I’ve also learned that when I don’t get God’s best, it negatively affects my family, friends, and legacy.

Psalm 16 reflects David’s conflict and the resolution about whose hands to hold. “Keep me safe, O God. I’ve run for dear life to you. My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice. The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. I’m happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed. Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, radiant from the shining of your face. I’ve been on the right path since you took my hand.”

Like David, when you put your concerns, worries, fears, hopes, dreams, family, and relationships in God’s hands, you’re on the right path. Amid our confusion, a ‘hand out’ to God is a hand up to guidance and elevation.

Here’s my advice. It’s from an old song back when I was growing up. “Put

school, here in Canada, I watched people play in bars for $100 a night. I knew that even if you’re not famous it’s possible to make a career out of it. This is what I want to do. It’s all I’ve done since I was 5. It just seems natural.”

It’s also taught him a lot about himself. His career has kept him happy in life.

“It’s making me happy and I’m making positive music because I am happy,” he said. “I’ve learned to be honest with myself and to be in the moment. When you’re younger, you’re trying to prove yourself or fit into a scene or genre. One day, you figure out that letting go is what it’s all about.

“You’re just using the music as a vehicle to express yourself or be in the moment.”

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20

WHERE: Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Boulevard, Phoenix

COST: Tickets start at $38.50

INFO: 480-478-6000, mim.org

your hand in the hand of the Man who stilled the water. Put your hand in the hand of the Man who calmed the sea. Take a look at yourself, and you will look at others differently. So, put your hand in the hand of the Man from Galilee.”

Remember, the life you desire depends on whose hand you are holding. Hmm, I think I heard that old song, “I want to hold your hand!”

Ed Delph is a noted author of 10 books, as well as a pastor, teacher, former business owner and speaker. He has traveled extensively, having been to more than 100 countries. He is president of NationStrategy, a nonprofit organization involved in uplifting and transforming communities worldwide. For more information, see nationstrategy.com. He may be contacted at nationstrategy@cs.com.

Steven Page is embracing the BNL catalog

Former Barenaked Ladies singer Steven Page knows how to take care of his fans.

Since the start of the pandemic, Page has performed more than 90 “Live from Home” livestream shows with different sets each time.

“I owe it to them to play surprising stuff every time,” said Page via Zoom.

“So, I’ve done every song I’ve ever written — and maybe songs I was embarrassed by — at least once now over the course of this. When you look back on diary entries you made when you were a teenager, you can’t help but be a little bit embarrassed about that. My songs are essentially that.

“In the livestreams, I’ve been playing Barenaked Ladies songs I didn’t write or sing, like ‘Pinch Me.’ It’s been fun. It’s not the kind of thing I would do every day at the in-person shows, but it allowed me to have a new relationship with all of the Barenaked Ladies material as well as my solo stuff. I’m feeling a lot less precious about it.”

BNL singer Ed Robertson lends his vocals to “Pinch Me.”

Page will perform BNL and solo songs during a gig at the Musical Instrument Museum on Sunday, Jan. 22. He’ll be joined by Craig Northey from The Odds on guitar and Kevin Fox on cello.

“We’ve been doing it in this format for, I’d say, almost seven years now,” Page said. “And we play everything from the first Barenaked Ladies album all the way to the most recent record — and we have so much fun doing it. I think the audience gets that as well. We just really enjoy being around each other, traveling with each other and playing with each other.”

Page said he constantly reminds himself how lucky he is to still be playing music as post-pandemic competition is fierce.

“It’s hard out there,” Page said. “Everybody in the world is out on the road

right now. So, you’re competing with your peers everywhere you go, which is a strange feeling.”

Sometimes, it just comes down to compromise.

“Recently, we did a show in a venue directly next door to a venue (in St. Louis) where Guster was playing,” Page said.

“We have fans in common and that seemed very unfair. So, we decided we would trade encores. So, we ran across the alley, and they played for our audience and we played a song for their audience. Trying to coordinate the timing was a little awkward, but we just texted as we shuffled through the shows.”

Page is touring in support of his latest album, “Excelsior,” his first solo record since 2018. The collection’s 11 tracks were composed and produced entirely by Page, who co-founded Barenaked Ladies before departing on a solo career in 2009.

The lion’s share of “Excelsior” was

“workshopped” on the “Live from Home” virtual concert series Page has been conducting via Zoom since 2020 from his home near Syracuse, New York.

“I kept thinking I could make this thing happen by traveling up to Canada and recording it, which I couldn’t do,” he said about the pandemic.

“So, I ended up just doing almost all that myself, apart from some of the drums and the strings that Kevin Fox played. I’ve never really done a record like that where it’s all me. It feels very exposed and it’s the first album I’ve done where they’re all sole compositions, meaning I haven’t co-written with anybody else. I was proud of it at the very end of it, but I was very nervous about it the whole time making it.”

Page’s songs are personal and thus sometimes difficult to write and perform.

“I’ve been put in a position — par-

tially by me — where I had to be honest about things like my mental health struggles,” he said. “I’ve been doing public speaking about it and writing songs about it for years. But when I was younger, I was writing songs about it, and I think being slightly coy about the whole thing.

“But then I could no longer afford to be coy about it. I realized I was getting such feedback from people about how helpful or liberating or comforting it was for them (fans) to hear somebody else sharing similar experiences and similar struggles. And after doing that, I got less afraid of being honest about the emotional journey.”

His music and lyrics have impacted fans since the early days. Case in point: the BNL song “Brian Wilson,” which Page calls “one of the earliest songs I ever wrote when I was about 19.”

“I wasn’t diagnosed with anything

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then,” he said about his mental health state. “It’s a real gift to the middle-aged Steven to kind of see what young Steven was willing to explore. At the end of the day, that was a song about the power of music.”

Songs like “Brian Wilson” are comforting and make listeners feel like they’re not so alone, he said.

“With mental health struggles, you feel like you’re the only person who feels that way,” he said.

“Even if you rationally know you’re not in that moment, there’s a feeling of loneliness and isolation and music can create companionship that doesn’t pander.”

Recently, Page opened for The Who on the East Coast leg of the classic rock band’s jaunt. Most of the set featured familiar Barenaked Ladies songs, but fans will hear more from “Excelsior” at the MIM.

“We had about 40 minutes in front of 20,000 people,” he recalls. “I don’t need to go out there and play them my new stuff. I think I needed to go out there and remind them who I am in case they didn’t recognize it. Now, we can settle into playing the hits plus digging into the back catalog and learning some of the new stuff and just feeling like it’s a little bit more freeform.”

Like The Troubadour or the Village Theater at Cherry Hill in Canton, Michigan, Page is focused on playing venues that are serious about music. They tend to work best, he said.

“I mean, we can play anywhere,” he is quick to add.

“I’m happy to play anywhere people want to come to see us. I’m not finicky about that anymore. If it happens to be a black box or a rock ‘n’ roll bar, that’s fine. I do want the audience to be comfortable. Honestly, my audience is not as young as we once were.

“The romance of standing in the back all night wears off pretty quickly. I spent 30 years of my life in those rooms. I’m comfortable in them but I’m not that nostalgic about it. I want everybody to feel like they have a comfortable place to enjoy the show. If the venue is a little bit stuffy, we always say people will remember, from seeing me 30 years ago, that that spirit of blowing up the stuffiness will always be there.”

WHEN: 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22

WHERE: Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Boulevard, Phoenix

COST: Tickets start at $38.50

INFO: 480-478-6000, mim.org

Girl Scouts unveil cookie season dates

Each year, Girl Scouts in Arizona participate in the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world: The Girl Scout Cookie Program. This year, the Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council season is longer — seven weeks — from Monday, Jan. 16, to Sunday, March 5.

“As in year’s past, all the Girl Scout Cookies’ proceeds stay local to help girls fund impactful projects to benefit the community; embark on amazing girl-led troop adventures; provide programs in STEM, the outdoors, life skills and entrepreneurship; maintain and improve four camp properties; and provide financial assistance that keeps Girl Scouting available and affordable for all girls,” said Mary Mitchell, coCEO of Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council.

More than 7,000 girls grades K-12 in over 90 communities across Central and Northern Arizona will take part in the 2023 Girl Scout Cookie Season.

“We extended our cookie season by one week to support girls interested in selling our new, limited-edition raspberry rally cookie, as Feb. 27 is the earliest date the flavor will be available for shipping from our baker. Now our community has more time to support girls and stock up on their favorite cookie flavors,” said Christina Spicer, the council’s co-CEO.

To add to the anticipation of the 2023 Girl Scout Cookie Season, Girl Scouts is excited to welcome Planet Oat as a national sponsor of the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Planet Oat Oatmilk is free from dairy, gluten, soy and peanuts, and pairs with the entire cookie lineup. Girl Scouts champion millions of girls as they learn, grow, and thrive through adventure, and Planet Oat is proud to support these efforts as a national sponsor of the Girl Scout Cookie

Program.

In addition to the extended sale dates and the national partnership, here is a snapshot of everything as it relates to the 2023 cookie season across Central and Northern Arizona, including the new digital-only cookie, the return of the Bring Home the Cookies 5K, the Devin Booker Girl Scout Bus and Cookie CEO Fast Pitch.

Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council cookie lineup

Visit girlscoutsaz.org/cookiefinder and use the Girl Scout Cookie Finder to find a cookie booth near you. Enter a ZIP code and choose from a list of locations nearby.

• Adventurefuls: Brownie-inspired cookie with caramel-flavored crème and a hint of sea salt. $5

• Lemon-ups: Crispy lemon cookies baked with inspiring messages. $5

• Thin mints: Mint flavored with a delicious chocolaty coating. Vegan. $5

• Tagalongs: Layers of peanut butter with a rich, chocolaty coating. $5

• Samoas: Caramel and toasted coconut-covered cookies. $5

• Trefoils: Iconic and delicious shortbread cookies. $5

• Do-si-dos: Crisp and crunchy oatmeal

outside and creamy peanut butter inside. $5

• Girl Scout s’mores: Crunchy graham sandwich cookies with creamy chocolate and marshmallowy filling. $6

• Toffee-tastics: Buttery (and gluten-free) cookies with sweet, crunchy golden toffee bits. $6

• New raspberry rally: Thin, crispy cookie infused with raspberry flavor and dipped in a delicious chocolaty coating. $5 (will be available through digital sales only, and only from Feb. 27 to Mar. 5, while supplies last)

Digital cookie

Through the Digital Cookie platform, which Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council has utilized since 2016 in addition to traditional booths, girls build a custom website so they can invite friends and family to purchase cookies, with the option of having cookies delivered in-person or shipped directly to their home. Girls can also use the Digital Cookie Mobile App to accept credit card payments on the go from customers. Digital Cookie also introduces lessons about online marketing, application use, and eCommerce to Girl Scouts, through building their own cookie

website and managing their virtual sales.

New financial literacy badges

Girl Scouts’ newly updated financial literacy badges offer entrepreneurial playbooks for every age level. From the Cookie Goal Setter badge earned as a Daisy to the Entrepreneur Accelerator for girls in high school, the Girl Scout Cookie Program teaches girls financial literacy, planning, budgeting, teamwork, innovative thinking, and confident decision-making.

Local Cookie CEO Fast Pitch and NEW Kick-Off Block Party: Tuesday, Jan. 21

Valley CEOs are preparing Girl Scout entrepreneurs for a successful cookie season at the Cookie CEO Fast Pitch on Jan. 21. During this event, local CEOs/executives will guide Girl Scout Juniors, Seniors and Ambassadors and help sharpen their communication skills, sales pitches, and give them sound business advice and tips to unleash their inner CEO.

For the first time, after the Cookie CEO Fast Pitch, Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council join State Forty Eight for a block party at its Chandler location at 3245 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler. The free, public event is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and features Girl Scout cookie booths as well as State Forty Eight products and deals, local entrepreneurs, food trucks and a DJ.

Local Girl Scout Cookie Night, Devin Booker Bus and Patch Reveal with the Phoenix Suns: Wednesday, Jan. 22

On Jan. 22, hundreds of Girl Scouts will descend upon Footprint Center to collectively cheer on the Phoenix Suns in their showdown against the Memphis Grizzlies. Beyond that, as the game comes to a close, dozens of Girl Scouts will take over the plaza outside Footprint Center to sell cookies

as well as showcase their new Girl Scout Devin Booker Bus on the plaza. This year, the local Girl Scouts have created a custom patch to commemorate the partnership, which will also be unveiled during the event as well.

“The mini-bus, made possible by a Devin Booker Starting Five grant, is used to transport girls to and from educational and character-building activities and experiences. Due to vandalism and theft of its prior vehicle, GSACPC had no way to transport girls to programs and events. The lack of transportation often meant that girls would not have an opportunity to participate in activities,” Mitchell said.

Local Mountainside Fitness National Cookie Weekend: Saturday, Feb. 18, and Sunday, Feb. 19

For the first time, Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council is teaming up with Mountainside Fitness. In addition to Girl Scouts boothing at several participating locations, after customers purchase cookies, they may take them inside to Moun-

$89

tainside’s MCafe and use them to make a shake.

Local: Bring Home the Cookies 5K Run/ Walk: Saturday, Feb. 25

Join Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council and State Forty Eight Foundation, for the second Bring Home the Cookies 5K

Run/Walk on Feb. 25 at Westgate in Glendale. The family-friendly event, open to Girl Scout families, competitive runners, walkers, and the community at large, will start and finish at Westgate and feature music, food, and cookie booths. All registered participants will receive a Girl Scout goodie bag with a State Forty Eight branded 5K shirt, a package of Girl Scout Cookies and a medal.

To register for the 5K, visit girlscoutsaz. org/5k and for more information on the local Girl Scout Cookie Season, visit girlscoutsaz.org.

“Bring Home the Cookies 5K is a community celebration of all our incredible

girls and their dedication, innovation, and creativity. Girl Scouts are learning firsthand entrepreneurship and financial skills they will carry with them their entire life. We are honored to partner with State Forty Eight and State Forty Eight Foundation to celebrate Arizona’s entrepreneurs before the final week of cookie season,” Spicer said.

In addition to the race, the event will feature special appearances from local mascots. There will be a full-scale Runner’s Village, including more traditional vendors and cookie booths as well as local Girl Scout entrepreneurs, who will be exhibiting and selling their crafts and goods.

Applications available for Martin STEM scholarship

Anthem Way Foundation invites all eligible high school students to apply for one of two $1,000 scholarships.

The Jim Martin STEM Scholarship is open to Anthem residents and graduating high school students who have excelled in

mathematics and exemplified service to the community. The Anthem Way Foundation and two donors provide the scholarships.

The Jim Martin STEM Scholarship is named for Jim Martin, chief engineer of the Anthem Veterans Memorial, for his mathematical and engineering talents and his dedication to the Anthem community.

The scholarship criteria and application are available at onlineatanthem.com.

Deadline for submitting a completed application is Friday, April 21.

Submit the application and all required attachments by mail or in-person to Anthem Community Council, Attn: STEM Scholarship Committee, 3701 W. Anthem Way, Suite 201, Anthem, AZ 85086.

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Is It Time For a Reality Check?

Finding the right job sometimes means asking yourself candid questions

You may need to look deeper into your own strengths and weaknesses to make the best choice.

The most successful career moves often involve experience, hard work, tenacity and sometimes a little luck. But if your search has ground to a halt, it might be time to consider one other thing: whether you are looking in the right place.

Sometimes, we don’t get the job because we’re not prepared. Other times, the job just isn’t a great fit. Avoiding these pitfalls often starts with honesty.

ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS

Hiring managers are inevitably going to ask a tough question or two. So ask them of yourself, in advance. They almost always inquire about a candidate’s perceived weaknesses. Make your own evaluation to determine if the answer is serious enough to warrant a shift in your job search. If you have an obvious issue with your resume, like a gap in your employment history, spend some time addressing that before the interview. Come up with a polished answer detail-

ing why you left a job and remained out of the workforce. Along the way, you might learn something more about the path forward, too.

ACTION PLANS

If you’re a naturally shy person, address that weakness by taking concrete steps like increased volunteering or even auditing a speech class at a local university. But understand how these tendencies should guide your career, as well. Creativity or improvisation, for instance, may be a weakness in one role, and a huge strength in another. As you learn more about yourself, concentrate on employment positions that leverage your unique personality traits.

SEEK FEEDBACK

Find trustworthy people in order to discuss your career goals. It can be very difficult to see yourself as others do, but doing so can help polish your image and presentation to potential employers. It might also

change your search parameters. Friends, family and dependable coworkers can give you the honest answers you need about where you’re headed. The conversations might not always be easy, but you’re more likely to get any needed reality check from someone who truly understands your personality, work product and history. They can also serve as moderators and interviewers for practice interviews. Ask for frank answers about how you speak, your body language and your attitude. That can also sharpen your skills for the next application process.

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