Open-space efforts to re-kindle the Spur Cross Ranch days

By Curtis Riggs | May 20, 2009

C4 concert to benefit 4,000-acre purchase

CAVE CREEK – A concert to benefit Cave Creek’s effort to purchase 4,000 acres of State Trust Land for preservation will be held at the Cave Creek Coffee Company (C4) on June 20.

Six-term Cave Creek Mayor Vincent Francia, who over saw the present open-space acquisition much like he did the purchase of the Spur Cross Ranch a decade ago, wants to see the rest of the business community get behind the preservation effort by holding other fund-raisers, keeping excitement up about the preservation and helping to unite the community over the next five years. While Cave Creek has an agreement with the State Land Department to purchase the land over 20 years Francia would like to see it taken care of in five by raising $1.5 million.

“Anything any business can do to help will help us greatly,” he said.

Francia, Melanie Williams, the chairwoman of the F.O.R.C.E. (Friends of Recreation, Conservation and Environment) committee and others hope both residents and the business community will get excited about the 4,000-acre effort much like they did when the 2,154-acre Spur Cross Ranch was purchased in the late 1990s. Spur Cross Ranch became a bona fide conservation area in early 2001.

“I think the 4,000 acres will help to pull the community together,” Williams said. “People in Cave Creek want to preserve open space. They get excited about it and want to help.”
C4 manager Teresa Thompson is strongly behind the preservation effort. She joined the F.O.R.C.E. and agreed to put on events like the June 20 concert, which will feature the Mike Chamberlain Trio, local favorite Bill Dutcher and others. She hopes to raise $8,000 at the concert, with all of it going to the F.O.R.C.E. effort.

“Everyone has a full plate so I decided to step up with the events,” she said.

C4 owner Todd Newman says it is “absolutely important” for the business community to make a contribution to the preservation effort.

“The town should receive high kudos for having the insight to get the preservation done,” he said.

The town is partnering with the local Desert Foothills Land Trust on the acquisition of the 4,000 acres of open space.

“We hope to get the same community involvement and sense of community pride that we had with Spur Cross Ranch,” DFLT Interim Director Stacy Fischer said.

COURTESY Photo/Korina Riggin
The Town of Cave Creek is in the midst of raising $1.5 million to preserve 4,000 acres of pristine Sonoran Desert as open space. Mayor Vincent Francia hopes to involve the business community in the effort. An open space benefit concert will be held at the Cave Creek Coffee Company on June 20.

Suzanne’s Hot Stuff Memorial Weekend sales to benefit “Packages from Home”

May 13, 2009

Suzanne's Hot Stuff is giving back this Memorial Day weekend. For every bottle of Suzanne's Hot Sauce sold she will donate $1 to “Packages From Home,” a non-profit organization that sends packages to our service men and woman that have been hit hard by the recession. “This is our way of expressing our gratitude to our service men and woman. We sleep safe in our beds because these American's stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who wish to do us harm,” said Suzanne.