(Lyn's note: Please feel free to send us any pictures you'd like included.  Here's the link to this week's Pictures of the Week.)
http://carefreeazbusinesses.com/pictures-of-the-week-1820.html 

Phoenix ZooLights
Photo by Binka Schwan



(Here is your bonus round from Herbert)

https://aneyeonyouproduction.com/1120-parasail--sunset.html

Photos by Herbert Hitchon


Town of Carefree Marketing newsletter
https://www.carefree.org/345/Town-Newsletters


Mayor Peterson,
I spoke with you tonight at the pavilion about our crosswalk. At our HOA meeting you asked us to inform you of any incidents at the Tom Darlington crosswalk. Thankfully this was not a fatality, but it could have been. One of our residents and her husband had a very close call. I have encouraged her to write to you, but she seemed hesitant. In case she doesn’t, I feel you should know about this.
Last Sunday they came about as close as any of us have had to being hit. As they were crossing, a car approached going quite fast. She panicked and tried to turn back to the curb, but unfortunately she fell face first. The driver of the car finally stopped, but when he saw they were back on the curb, left the scene without speaking to them. I had hoped they called an ambulance, but neither of them realized how badly she was hurt and continued home before going to the ER. The result was 14 stitches in her knee, a cut on her eyebrow needing to be “glued” closed, bruises on her hand and wrist. This was the day before she was scheduled for a partial knee replacement! Thankfully her doctor felt he could still do the surgery since it was her other knee. She is home recovering from that and her near miss at the crosswalk.
It is not an exaggeration to say our community is so thankful they survived this incident!
Sadly we have said all along that it would take someone being hit to get some changes. We do understand there is a process, but, frankly, we feel the council is too focused on aesthetics. That fact was VERY apparent at the followup meeting with the consultant where aesthetics seemed to be the main concern whenever a solution was suggested. It’s a crosswalk and it needs some driver-level, bright, and rapidly flashing warning lights. We could care less about aesthetics in this case….we are more interested in saving lives. This incident shows we can’t wait for more studies to be done, meetings to be held….someone is going to be killed!
I have no doubt you are also concerned. We have beautiful entries to our town that ARE aesthetically pleasing. The gardens are aesthetically pleasing. I’m proud of our town for its efforts to be aesthetically pleasing!
What we need to save lives are pedestrian activated, driver-level, bright, strobe lights the traffic can’t miss! We need them sooner than later, please!
Respectfully,
Susan Matusiak
Ridgeview Estates Resident


Dear Ms. Matusiak,
Thank you for alerting me that you would be writing regarding a safety issue pertaining to the crosswalks into the Town Center and your letter dated December 23rd. We are certainly saddened by the occurrence which happened to your neighbor, but am glad that your neighbor wasn’t hurt any more seriously than she was.
I agree fully about the need to address the safety of people using the pedestrian crosswalks into the Town Center across Tom Darlington and Cave Creek Road. I think that two of the primary aspects of the situations which can arise at these pedestrian/vehicle junction points are the speeds at which the vehicles are traveling and the configuration of the crosswalks.       
-           Regarding vehicle speeds, by copy of this letter I am requesting the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) through District IV Captain Dan Whelan to focus MCSO’s Patrol Cars upon reducing speeds being traveled on Tom Darlington and Cave Creek Roads, particularly in the vicinity of the pedestrian crosswalks mentioned above. In addition, the Town of Carefree will focus upon completing its analysis of speed monitoring devices for use  in those areas, with an eye towards issuing speeding tickets to vehicles traveling too fast through those locations.
-          The study by the licensed Traffic Engineers regarding how best to physically configure the pedestrian crosswalks in the subject locations is nearing completion. We have forwarded your letter on this subject to them for their incorporation into the Project Report and recommendations. Following completion of this Traffic Engineer’s Report, we will put the agreed upon solution into the Town Budget process this Spring, and put the project out for bids. Assuming that the Town Council allocates the funds for these projects, which I believe that they readily will, actual construction of the revamped crosswalks will start shortly thereafter.
Ms. Matusiak, let’s keep in touch on this project. Please call me directly if you have any further thoughts or questions.
              Best regards, and have a Happy New Year!
              Mayor Les Peterson
(Lyn's note: published with the permission of Ms. Matusiak and Mayor Peterson)


The New Year is an ideal time to consider where we’ve been, where we are and where we’re going.
Over the years, Carefree has hosted many vendor-driven events to generate visitors – both residents and tourists. Similar events happening throughout the Valley drove the Town to consider unique events to differentiate ourselves from others.  Over the years, the Enchanted Pumpkin Garden and the Christmas Festival, along with the Thunderbird Artists Wine and Art Festivals were success stories. As time has passed, the landscape and needs of our Town have continued to change, while the events themselves grew larger.
Meanwhile successful signature restaurants and merchants have taken root. The Hampton Inn will be open for business in about a year. “The View” townhomes will commence construction within a few months. The Town has and will continue to evolve. Our marketing efforts must also continue to evolve.  Instead of striving for visibility, the focus must now turn to supporting and retaining the businesses we have, while working within our limitations and assets - the size of the Carefree Desert Garden and parking.
As we move into the new year, more emphasis will be placed on partnering with our business associations and local businesses to be more in tune to the wants and needs of those who have invested in our Town. We will look to smaller events, such as Sights and Sounds in the Garden; local, inclusive family-oriented Christmas and Hanukah celebrations; events honoring and supporting veterans; and providing a platform to our local 501(c)3 organizations to share their message with the community.
If past years have taught us anything it is that change is hard, and that sometimes things can be more successful than we ever dreamed, or occasionally disappointing. But we also know we must adapt to the changes that occur around us, and do our best to influence the future, given where we are today and what we know. This cannot be done in a vacuum. We want and need to hear from you. Tell us what you like, what you don’t like and your ideas.
John Crane
Vice Mayor, Town of Carefree