Restoration Celebration

It has been three months since we celebrated the restoration of the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive. Our thanks to those who came to the celebration on February 25th and donated time and money towards restoring the Drive. It was a great day! The first of many.

Our special thanks to the Tucker families of Arizona and Texas for their very generous cash donation of more than $500, plus many hours of hard work on the "white rock pile". Also, to Kim and Mat McMahon of Outback Steakhouses for another wonderful cookout meal. You will be pleased to learn that donations covered Drive restoration out-of-pocket expenses.

We are also pleased to announce that Del Webb’s Terravita has made a generous pledge of $5,000 to be used towards the enhancement of Drive signage. Terravita’s Chris Haines, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and Larry and Patty Abbott, both of whom were early supporters of the Drive, were instrumental in obtaining this commitment from Del Webb management.

Also, thanks to all Plant Parents for keeping your sites neat and clean. We’re sure that you share our sense of pride in the restored Drive. The new signs really look great.

A lot!

1. We are considering targeting Saturday, October 7, 1995, to: 1) plant wild flowers along the Drive with the assistance of the Arizona Women’s Environmental Council, and Scottsdale’s Keep America Beautiful Program, 2) complete the construction of new Drive signs and exhibit, 3) and have a celebration of some sort. A firm date will be set in the near future.

2. Susan Conway has developed conceptual drawings for a new Drive sign to replace the original thirty years-old sign that has been promised to the Cave Creek Museum. She also developed a drawing of an enhanced monument sign. These drawings were on display February 25th.

3. Arterra, a firm which specializes in landscape architecture, reviewed our plans for enhancements to the monument area and developed detailed cost estimates.

4. Terravita has offered to donate the drawings needed to construct the signs and exhibit. Finding someone to do these drawings has been an unexpected challenge.

We are asking other developers along the Drive to make donations towards the Drive’s enhancement, and plan to seek the support of the various tour companies that stop at the monument area.

5. Under the auspices of the Keep America Beautiful Program, the City of Scottsdale is going to install small metal signs to identify the scenic drive. We recently provided the art work for a Drive logo that will appear on the signs. These signs should make their debut in the near future.

6. We have submitted a written proposal for the enhancement of the Drive to the Scottsdale Tourism Development Commission. The Commission, which is composed of representatives from Scottsdale’s resorts and tourist industry, is funded by a hotel bed tax. Our proposal, which was scheduled to be discussed in May, will be considered at next month’s meeting.

7. We traveled to City Hall to present the Scottsdale City Council with a symbolic check for $640 to cover the lease of the monument site from the state. The entire City Council, led by the Mayor, made a very nice gesture by coming down from the dais to shake our hands and extend their personal appreciation to all of you. We have committed to deliver a real check in July.

8. With the support of Ed Villa, City of Scottsdale’s Keep America Beautiful Manager, we sponsored a very successful trash pickup along the Drive, with 24 volunteers showing up at 7 AM on Saturday, May 13th. This effort was organized by Dick McIntyre with the assistance of George Hale.

9. Finally, the widening of Scottsdale Road from Carefree Highway to Dove Valley Road will begin in June. Terravita, Boulders and the City of Scottsdale have indicated that they will work with us to ensure the preservation of existing plant signs, white rocks, and in some cases plants. Existing signs will be relocated to the edge of the widened roadway. Once the work is completed, we can finish restoration of that part of the Drive.

Thanks again for your support of the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive. There is much to do, and we are counting on the continued support of volunteers, sponsors, and the City of Scottsdale. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to call either of us.

Jim Bayles
President, DFHC

Les Conklin
Drive Restoration Straw Boss