Must read news for October

Join us for a turkey toss tournament (cornhole) to benefit the Foothills Food Bank !

Bring a frozen turkey or ham (or $10) to play in the tournament. CASH PRIZES AWARDED! Prizes for a hole in one!Free toss fun for $5 for four bags!

Volunteer opportunities available!

Thanks to AZ Perfect Comfort , Black Mountain Cafe , EmbroidMe/Fully Promoted North Phoenix and Tech 4 Life

Evening Mixer - October 10 @5:30pm

Cave Creek Museum

Ribbon Cutting - October 4 @ 5pm Fatburger Cave Creek

Ribbon Cutting -October 18 @5pm Clearview Title & Escrow

Business Breakfast

October 25 @7:30am

Harold's Corral

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Fall is my favorite time of year football returns, temperatures cool a bit, pumpkins take on personas in Carefree, zombies take over Cave Creek for a night and we are lucky to be able to sample great food from our local restaurants at Taste of Cave Creek. Be sure to check out the event calendar on the Chamber website, www.carefreecavecreek.org because these events are just a few that are happening. There are so many more events to take advantage of.

Fall also means that the General Election is coming up. Voters will be asked to decide several initiatives. The Carefree Cave Creek Chamber Board recently released its decision to support or oppose the following initiatives:

Prop 125 Public Retirement Systems Opposed

This Constitutional Amendment seeks to exclude adjustments co CORP and EORP from the prohibition of diminishment or impairment of benefits.

Prop 127 Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona Opposed

Requires electric utilities to provide at least 50% of their annual retail sales of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030. The Amendment defines renewable energy sources to include solar, wind, small-scale hydropower, and other sources that are replaced rapidly by a natural, ongoing process (excluding nuclear or fossil fuel. Distributed renewable energy sources, like rooftop solar, must comprise at least 10% of utilities’ annual retail sales of electricity by 2030.

Prop 305 Save our Schools Opposed

This petition seeks to expand the eligibility for Empowerment Scholarships Accounts (ESAs). It also seeks to remove the existing ESA enrollment cap and increase it annually by 0.5% of total public enrollment through 2022, and cap ESA enrollment in 2023. This was referred to the ballot in 2017 (SB 1431).

Prop 306 Clean Election Support

This referendum seeks to designate it an unlawful contribution to directly or indirectly make a payment from a clean elections account: (1) a political party: and (2) a tax exempt 501(a) organization that is eligible to engage in activities to influence the outcome of a candidate election. This was referred to the ballot in 2018 (HCR2007)

There were two other initiatives, Prop 207 Invest in Ed and Prop 126 Prohibit New or Increased Taxes on Services. Prop 207 was defeated in court and will not appear on your ballot. Prop 126 we chose to take no position.

Exercise your right! GET OUT AND VOTE!

Mayor Les Peterson, Mayor of Carefree

Tie into the Enchanted Pumpkin Garden Event and Activities to help Support your Business

Carefree will become the leading venue in the Valley for Halloween activities again this year from October 19-28. Ray Villafane and his band of talented pumpkin sculptors will once again exhibit their magic creations throughout the Carefree Desert Gardens and other areas in Downtown Carefree.

This year’s award winning event is expanding and will be better than ever. In addition to all of the old favorites, we are adding:

A Haunted House
A Corn Maze, Inflatable Farm, Petting Zoo and Pony Rides
Live Music and Entertainment on Two Stages
A Harvest Market
The Enchanted Pumpkin Garden Beer Garden
Costume Contests
Family Pumpkin Carving Nights
Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest
And much more - click on CarefreePumpkinGarden.com for a complete listing of activities

Email Vicki at Vicki@carefree.org or call her at 488-3686 to talk with her about how your business can participate. There are many opportunities available for sponsorships and tie-in merchandising to increase sales.

We are encouraging all Carefree businesses to decorate their storefronts with festive Fall/Halloween decorations to help support this event and extend the excitement and traffic throughout the entire Downtown Carefree area.

And don’t forget the popular “Trunk or Treat” activity on Halloween evening, October 31. Decorated vehicles and costumed people with special Halloween treats will be parked at dusk along Easy Street, and families with kids will be encouraged to walk among the parked vehicles to receive special trick or treat candies and gifts. This activity, which began last year, is returning by popular demand. It is a fun and safe way for children to enjoy all the fun of Halloween in one location.

Let’s all join together to help support this Enchanted Pumpkin Event, and to capture the large numbers of people it will attract to Downtown Carefree. It represents a great vehicle to help build your business.

Mayor Ernie Bunch, Cave Creek Mayor

Several Months ago my column requested that we look closely at not signing the petition to place proposition 127 on the November ballot. Unfortunately, from my point of view, enough signatures were collected and we will all have to make a decision on this important issue. Prop 127 is of course the "Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona" initiative. This is funded by a California billionaire and Political Activist named Tom Steyer. This initiative would mandate that 50% of Arizona's power would come from renewable sources by the year 2030. Sounds good until you look at the effects on Arizonans. The reliable storage technology simply does not exist yet to cover our needs when the sun isn't shining and the wind doesn't blow. For those times when there is a deficit in renewable generation the only practical replacement would be Natural Gas generation which is nowhere near as clean as the power currently generated by Palo Verde. Actually the largest generator of Carbon Free electricity in the United States is Palo Verde and Prop 127 precludes that electricity from counting against the 50% even though it is Carbon Free. In 2017 California renewable generation accounted for only 30% of their production and Prop 127 mandates Arizona go to 50%. Here is another point I'd like to make. For many of us our water comes from the Central Arizona Project which pumps water uphill from Lake Havasu to Phoenix then further uphill all the way to Tucson. This operation requires electricity for the pumps. We're talking 60,000 horsepower pumps at each lift station. Who do you think will bear the costs for the increase in Water Rates? It will be us, the residents of this great State. Not only will electric rates increase for less stable and reliable power but, so will rates for water, the lifeblood of our desert. Prop 127 is a feelgood issue whose viability is not technologically possible. Please join me in voting No on 127 and help to save our way of life!

Employment

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MEMBER RECOGNITION ANNIVERSARIES

Adams, Kvittem-Barr & Assoc. CPAs, LLP 25 years

Manship Builders 20 years

Big Bronco 12 years

Giordano's Trattoria Romana 10 years

Foothills Granite 8 years

Prima dance 7 years

Good Shepherd Episcopal Church 6 years

Grace Foundation For The Preservation of Americana 5 years

Total Sports Therapy 4 years

Revital-AZ Laser and Med Spa 3 years

Az Pain Doctors 2 years

Charity Plumbing 1 year

E’clips Salon 1 year

NEW MEMBERS

Welcome to the Chamber of Commerce community! We look forward to seeing you at our events.

Team National

Fidelo Financial Services

If you are considering starting another business, growing your business or improving the management of your business and want face to face mentoring then come to SCORE!. Our focus is assisting the small business owner in becoming more successful!

THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR OUR MENTORING! Our conversations with you are confidential!

WE NOW ARE MENTORING IN THE CAREFREE/CAVE CREEK AREA on the third Wed. of every month from 1:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. at

We are a resource partner to your Chamber!

To make an appointment E-Mail greaterphoenix.score.org , or call John Buchholz at 602-618-5108 for an appointment.

History Highlights

From the Cave Creek Museum

Kraig Nelson, historian

The U. S. Army created the Department of Arizona May 3, 1870 with General George Stoneman Jr. in charge. During an 1870 territory-wide fort inspection, Stoneman camped in future Cave Creek. The year 1870 and this camping event, became Cave Creek’s founding date. Thirteen months later, June 4, 1871, General Stoneman was fired by President Ulysses S. Grant. Why? Paradoxically, Stoneman was fired primarily because he enforced President Grant’s Native American “Peace Policy;” this was a policy of ”moral persuasion and kindness….” The Arizona territorial governor, A. P. K. Safford, and the people of Arizona, were enraged over Stoneman’s soft treatment of the Tonto Apaches and other Native Americans. Governor Safford reported to Congress (in person), “…our citizens have been murdered on the highways and in their fields…murders and robberies are almost a daily occurrence….” Governor Safford was persuasive; General George Crook became the new Arizona Commander, June 4, 1871. Eventually, George Stoneman retired in the San Gabriel Valley, California; he became California’s fifteenth governor from 1883 to 1887.

Membership 101 - Tip of the Month

Are you aware of all the many benefits membership offers? Are you taking full advantage of your benefits?

This months tip is how to best use your Business Directory Listing on the Chamber's website to your advantage:

Website Information: CarefreeCaveCreek.org has 765.000 ₊ visitors annually. 70% of these visitors are from the greater Phoenix area. 3.2 million+ pages were viewed last year.

With numbers like these you can be sure your business listing is being seen! But is your message current? Is it consistent with your home page? You have 150 words to use in this space. Have you changed services or phone numbers? Are you using pictures to link people directly to your website? You are permitted up to 4 pictures each with a link back to you! How about categories, did we list them all? We are always adding categories as you add services. If you would like to see us add or change how you are listed let us know!

I encourage you to take a look at your listing now ! If you have any questions or would like to update your listing please send them to us; Colleen or Jackie

Realty Reality

October 2018

Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS) data published September 2018

Kraig R. Nelson, Associate Broker

Carefree- Sold volume (dollar amount) was 30.26% lower; active listings [60] were 29.41% lower; and the median sold price [$527,500] was 12.08% lower, compared to one year ago. Average days on market were 127. 14 residential units closed escrow.

Cave Creek- Sold volume (dollar amount) was 36.33 higher; active listings [217] were 10.70% lower; and the median sold price [$455,200] was 13.11% higher, compared to one year ago. Average days on market were 90. 78 residential units closed escrow.

Scottsdale- Sold volume (dollar amount) was 9.90% higher; active listings [2,095] were 10.51% lower; and the median sold price [$475,000] was 17.00% higher, compared to one year ago.Average days on market were 104. 701 residential units closed escrow.

Phoenix (city only) - Sold volume (dollar amount) was 13.35% higher; active listings [3,670] were 3.37% lower; and the median sold price [$247,500] was 7.63% higher, compared to one year ago. Average days on market were 57. 2,035 residential units closed escrow.

Kraig’s Comments-

· Distressed sales (short sales and lender owned) represent 1.30% of the total sales volume.

· There is a 2.47-month supply of residential inventory in the Phoenix Metro Area. Generally, a balanced market for buyers and sellers is about 6 months; however, all accurate statistics are neighborhood specific.

· Total residential inventory is 7.60% lower [19,828 units] than one year ago.

· Entire Phoenix Metro Area : median sold price is $263,000; 7.30% higher than one year ago . Average days on market were 62.

· Average sold price compared to original list price is 97.10% in the Phoenix Metro Area. This means a home listed for $400,000 sells for about $388,400.

· Production new-home “spec” (or speculation) count is 2,171; 81 more than 6 months ago. New-home subdivisions: 563: 21 more than six months ago. (from Ultimate New Homes Newsletter )

· Total Phoenix Metro residential units sold and closed last month: 8,036. This is 0.90% lower than one year ago.

· Total dollar amount for Phoenix Metro residential units sold and closed: $2,585,566,588. ( that’s 2 billion, 586 million - rounded for conversation). This is 8.99% higher than one year ago.

CHAMBER PARTNERS

Carefree Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce

748 Easy St., P.O. Box 734

Carefree, AZ 85377

480-488-3381