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Autumnfest sponsor, vendor applications open
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Kuma’s Great Adventures
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Serving the communities of Anthem, Desert Hills, Norterra, Sonoran Foothills, Stetson Valley, Tramonto, New River, Desert Ridge and North Phoenix
Anthem Area Edition
Wednesday, September 7, 2022
MLK Unity event now produced by ACC BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer
T
he Anthem Community Council officially added the Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Walk and Day of Service to its annual special programs in an effort to bring the community together after requests from residents. Marcus Ready and Eileen Cosby gave a presentation about the proposed event to the ACC Board of Directors at the Aug. 24 monthly meeting. “We want to come forward and ask for your support, adopting this as a formal activity. This upcoming holiday is January 16, 2023, which
gives us ample time to plan this out,” Marcus said. “This is about Anthem joining together and providing an opportunity for residents — big, small, Black, white, yellow, green, whatever we are — to join together hand in hand and provide a service as a community.” Marcus said he wants to see the Anthem community get together and really get to know each other. And a great way to do that is with a unity walk. The event would also provide a space for both community leaders, youth and service organizations to speak about their vision for the future and things they have learned from the past. “(Let’s) think about our past, reflect on what MLK did for our country, the rights he made sure
we all think about, remember and embrace,” said. “Reflect on the rights we have, the freedoms we have, every day… We give thanks for the sacrifices that our ancestors — all of our ancestors, not just MLK — have done.” While the unity walk and day of service will be held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Ready said he doesn’t want this program to be a one-day thing. In the weeks and months leading up to the event, he said he is hoping to have educational meetings about the history and journey of the civil rights movement, including the demographics of Anthem when it was founded. He even suggested
see MLK page 6
2 dead, 5 injured in Deer Valley shooting spree
BY ALLISON BROWN Foothills Focus Staff Writer
T
wo people were killed and five injured, including two Phoenix police officers, after a shooting that occurred near 26th Avenue and Deer Valley Road around 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28. Police identified the shooter as 24-yearold Isaiah Steven Williams. The Maricopa County medical examiner found a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head
see SHOOTING page 4
Two people are dead and five are injured, including two Phoenix police officers, after a shooting spree in Deer Valley around 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28. (Foothills Focus file photo)
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