Scottsdale Progress 1/15/2023

Rio Verde homeowners take to the streets in protest

BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

Agroup of Rio Verde Foothills residents wants Maricopa County Superior Court to stop Scottsdale

from turning off the standpipe that provides hauled water to about 700 homes in the 2,400-home community northeast of the city.

Their injunction request, filed Jan. 11, demands the city resume service under ARS Section 9-516 C, which states:

“A city or town acquiring the facilities of a public service corporation rendering utility service without the boundaries of such city or town, or

Valley air pollution could throttle economic growth

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Progress Executive Editor

The Phoenix Metro region could lose more than $100 million in economic growth if it fails to meet upgraded federal air quality standards for ozone levels by August 2024, a Valley environmental official warned earlier this month.

And those losses would steadily increase over the next 20 years to as much as $848

million if the Valley’s ozone levels are not brought under control, Tim Franquist, environmental policy director for the Maricopa Association of Governments told Phoenix City Council Jan. 4.

Though he was addressing a Phoenix City Council subcommittee, Franquist’s assessment naturally applies to the entire Valley.

And it wasn’t very encouraging. He said the controls necessary to meet

more stringent federal air quality controls will carry a substantial cost to taxpayers.

“That’s going to be a big issue for this area,” he continued. “We really haven’t put in ozone-control measures for about 20 years, so we’re definitely going to need a lot more measures coming into place.”

Right now, the only way the Valley could meet the elevated Environmental Pro-

man helped develop cryptocurrency

The celebrated BarrettJackson Auctionrolls into town.

A few skirmishes mark SUSD Board's first meeting of 2023.

Christy Jackman handed out signs as Rio Verde Foothill residents gathered outside Scottsdale City Hall before a council meeting Jan. 10 to protest the city’s cut-off of a stand pipe their water haulers used. The city took the action as part ot the first stage of its dought management plan. (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)

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A few skirmishes mark new SUSD board’s first meeting

BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

The Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board’s two new members assumed their seats Jan. 5 and began flexing their muscle as new officers were chosen.

Board member Libby Hart-Wells nominated Julie Cieniawski for a second consecutive term as president.

“It is a lot of work and I think Julie’s done a wonderful job,” HartWells said. “It is my belief that the current board president should remain for another year. This is not a comment on any other board member, but rather, I feel having an experienced and steadfast advocate of not just our district, but K-12 public education, is in the best interest of our district as a whole – which is our charge as a board.”

New member Kim Carney then nomi-

lot,” Cieniawski said. “I feel like I work well with others. I’m a good listener. I am empathetic. I ask good questions. I am willing to assume the extra duties and responsibilities of a school board president. Lastly, I recognize we all have challenging work ahead of us and I am willing to support our governing board to do our work.”

Cieniawski then nominated HartWells for vice-president and Carney nominated Werner.

Lindsay was the swing vote again and this time threw his support behind Werner, explaining later, “Given that Libby was VP the year before I just felt like it was a good opportunity to a get a new board member some training.

pending that reflects that question.” MacLennon replied, suggesting they go into executive session or talk privately.

Werner re-asked the question in another manner, but no answer was forthcoming.

“I definitely want answers to these questions,” Werner said.

MacLennan responded, “We can get you answers; it’s just in terms of what format.”

The board then made its first policy change of the year.

The change brings district policy in alignment with recent changes in state law by requiring a public review period of 60 days for any library books that would be purchased. The list of those books must be posted on the district’s website and parents must be notified of the review period seven days in advance of its start.

That part of the change drew unanimous support from the board. However, the board split over optional language that states:

“Books or other material from the library may not be removed due to the board’s or district’s disapproval of

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Besides Werner, Amy Carney also was sworn into her first term on the board. (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)

nated fellow newcomer Carine Werner, who reacted by saying, “It would really be an honor to bring some new perspective and some new energy to the board.”.

Cieniawski won the president’s seat by a 3-2 vote, with Zach Lindsay and Hart-Wells joining her vote for herself.

“In my experience as governing board president, I have learned a

The meeting then turned contentious when legal counsel Jennifer MacLennan gave the board its annual open meeting law and public records law training.

Werner asked MacLennan, “Would you agree that … any committee –whether a board committee or a superintendent committee – that ultimately results in a recommendation to the board, that that committee should have been subject to open meeting law? It’s more like a 'do you agree or disagree?'”

MacLennan didn’t give a straight answer to the question.

“You’re asking for some specific legal advice and there is a matter

New board member Carine Werner was elected vice president. (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)

the political ideas or social perspectives discussed within them, nor may the board or district determine the content of the district’s libraries in a narrowly partisan or politically motivated manner or for discriminatory

Julie Cieniawski was reelected as SUSD board president. (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)

tection Agency’s ozone limits would be taking all four million gasolinepowered motor vehicles in Maricopa County off the road by August 2024, Franquist said.

And even then, he added, “we would barely make the standard.”

And since that’s a virtual impossibility, the cost of meeting tougher air quality standards could result in lost industrial development opportunities as businesses avoid relocating or expanding here rather than pay for expensive federally-imposed, tougher emission controls.

That cost would extend beyond the Valley since tougher emission standards could even be imposed for trucks and cars that come into the region regularly from other parts of the state and country that may not have similarly tough standards, he said.

And it also could be reflected in other ways, Franquist said, such as more stringent air quality permits and more stringent emission control programs.”

“It impacts us by negatively impact-

ing businesses,” he said, noting that the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co plant in north Phoenix theoretically would need a permit and be operating before the new standards kick in. “Now, a $40 billion investment: I think the White House gets involved and I think (it) comes here.”

Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari seized on that example, saying “the hallmark example of an incredible foreign investment” would be scuttled because “we are dangerously close to reaching serious non-attainment, which means that those businesses would not be able to come here after 2024.”

“Non-attainment” is the classification that the EPA gives metro areas that fail to meet air quality goals. Other metro areas already have studied the economic impact of non-attainment and have projected staggering losses in future economic growth.

For example, Franquist said, the Oklahoma City metro area faces an economic loss of as much as $15.2 billion over the next 20 to 30 years for violating tougher federal air quality standards. Corpus Cristi, Texas, estimates

a loss of $600 million to $1.7 billion a year in economic activity for failing to meet impending EPA ozone standards.

“We have kind of a table of increasing stringency in programs as we don’t meet the standard,” Franquist said. “So obviously. as we don’t meet those standards, those programs become more stringent and there’s more of them.”

Franquist said the culprit in all this is the ozone level.

While Maricopa County has actually done a good job reducing many air pollutants, he said, ozone levels have been aggravated in large part by things beyond its control – namely, forest fires in both Arizona and California and the Valley’s average 300 days of sunny weather.

“Unlike some pollutants, like carbon dioxide – which is a direct pollutant that comes from your tailpipe or from an industrial stack,” Franquist explained, “ozone is considered a secondary pollutant. So it actually requires volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen.”

And those compounds react to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, adversely affecting air quality.

Franquist produced a chart showing how wildfires in Arizona and California have adversely impacted air quality, posing a growing health risk to vulnerable adults and even more children.

“This is what our children are breathing,” he said. “What most folks don’t realize with children – they do breathe in the same amount of air as an adult. They just breathe faster than we do. So they actually take in these pollutants at the same level as adults but in smaller bodies.”

Franquist said the Valley’s future ability to meet federal air quality standards has been crippled by former Gov. Doug Ducey’s veto last year of a bill

Rising ozone levels in the Valley’s atmosphere will force increasingly tough emissions control programs as early as 2024, the environmental policy director for the Maricopa Association of Governments told a Phoenix City Council subcommittee Jan. 4. (Courtesy of MAG)

purposes.”

Lindsay, Hart-Wells and Cieniawski voted for adding it.

“In the bigger picture, it is oftentimes that our policies are not just compliance policies but customized with the culture of the district,” HartWells said, adding:

“I do believe that not having partisan, politically motivated, discriminatory reasons to pull books out of libraries is consistent with the culture of SUSD.”

Cieniawski agreed.

“I think it’s a slippery slope to be determining which textbooks are most appropriate according to our own values as individuals,” she said. “I rely on the experts and parents to make those decisions for children in our schools.”

But Carney and Werner opposed the optional language

Werner said it was not necessary and Carney agreed.

“I’m also not for approving this policy with the added optional language,” Carney said. “I don’t think this is necessary. No other districts are using this optional language. I say that we stick to the policy as was written before the optional language was added.”

Hart-Wells took exception to the comment.

“I think after four days, we probably can’t state that no other districts are using what kind of language,” she said. “I doubt every district in the state has gotten around to making compliance modifications, which we do need to do.”

Carney responded, “Okay sorry, that was specifically to our district.

This language is specifically written for our district and so I am not in favor of approving this optional language.”

Lindsay then asked MacLennan if the optional language was necessary.

“The optional language is more specific about what the superintendent shall do with respect to removing or not removing,” MacLennan said. “It is not legally necessary.”

Hart-Wells responded, “A lot of the customization of our policies are not because they are legally required but because that’s the tone we wanted to set for our community and for our students and for our teachers and staff.”

But Werner fired back.

“I actually disagree that the language supports the culture of our community,” she said. “There are two districts specifically that are not utilizing the

language, I believe that is Chandler and Peoria so I think it’s, again, unnecessary.”

Lindsay said after the meeting that the fact that MacLennan did not speak against the optional language was good enough for him to keep it.

“I’m not going to vote against it,” he said. “I was taking guidance from our attorney. She didn’t say she was against it.”

Lindsay hopes the vote to approve only using hearing officers from Maricopa County for disciplinary cases will be more indicative of how the coming year will go.

The proposed list of hearing officers originally included people from as far away as Yuma and Washington State, but Carney moved to accept the list only with people from Maricopa County.

That was approved 5-0.

Not all ozone is harmful. Ozone in the stratosphere, 6 miles to 30 miles above the Earth’s surface, protects us from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. But ozone in the troposphere, where we live on the surface of the Earth, can result in severe health problems. (Olivia Dow/Cronkite News)

ety of rapid transit and road improvement projects.

tion in 2025, the uncertainty currently surrounding it threatens a number of projects already on county and municipal drawing boards – including an expansion of public transportation aimed at curbing car traffic.

be replaced until 2028 – well beyond the federal deadline for ozone reduction.

Franquist also warned, “There’s no silver bullet in terms of reducing ozone in one different control program. It takes a lot of different control programs working together to actually reduce ozone.”

that would have asked the public to vote last November on an extension of the half-cent gas tax that funds a vari-

While the Legislature could again vote to put Proposition 400 on next year’s ballot ahead of the tax’s expira-

Franquist praised Phoenix for being “a fantastic leader” in programs aimed at reducing ozone pollution – mainly involving its multimillion-dollar investment in replacing a large portion of the city’s gaspowered vehicles such as fire engines and garbage trucks with electric ones and its aggressive expansion of bus and light rail routes.

But many of those city vehicles won’t

“I think it’s important that we continue to get the word out to both the public and to our legislators that this is important for our economy, but it’s absolutely important for our public health,” he added, conceding the ozone control programs “are not cheap to implement.”

Franquist’s message provoked Ansari to express alarm about the impending air quality measures and the region’s attitude toward them.

“We are treating them as though they’re not urgent, and they’re not priorities and they don’t have financial implications even though they really, really do and they will hurt us economically,” Ansari said. “So I feel very strongly that we need to be doing a lot more than we have.” to

which renders utility service without its boundaries, shall not discontinue such service, once established, as long as such city or town owns or controls such utility.”

The city shut down the standpipe in Jan. 1 – a year after it had warned residents it was taking the action as part of the first stage of its drought management plan.

“We are asking for Scottsdale to follow the law,” said Christy Jackman, one of Rio Verde residents who pooled their money to hire an attorney to fight the city’s action in court.

Jackman was one of about 60 Rio Verde Foothills residents who showed up at City Hall before the council meeting Jan. 10 to protest the cut-off.

Private utility company EPCOR has offered to put water into the system if Scottsdale would treat it and allow it to be distributed from its standpipe until a long-term solution could be put in place.

But Mayor David Ortega rejected the offer, saying, “There is no Santa Claus.”

That comment particularly struck a chord with protester Bruce Smith.

“Cut it open and pour the salt in,” he said.

Smith and his wife Patty bought an acre in the Rio Verde Foothills community about five years ago and built a home there about two years ago. They completely rely on hauled water.

“Nobody mentioned a word about the water issue,” Patty Smith said.

Added Bruce: “Even when you get your building permit, they don’t.”

They are stuck in a scary situation.

“Without water, your property is basically worthless,” Patty said.

With the city standpipe out of commission, water haulers are forced to go as far away as Apache Junction to fill their tanks. That adds hours to trip time to service a home and so, water haulers have more than doubled their rates.

Both Dynamite Water and Rio Verde Water are now charging $330 for 3,000 gallons of water – up from $120 and $135 for the same amount of water they charged before the

shutoff, respectively..

And nobody believes there will be enough water to serve everyone in the community.

“There are a lot of people out there with horses and kids and all of that,” Patty Smith said.

“Not to mention the fire danger,” her husband added. “When there’s a fire, all

the water haulers show up to provide water for the fire people. I’ve seen that many times. If they have to go clear to Apache Junction to get water, (the house) is gonna be gone.”

The group held signs that read things like “Mayor Ortega is inhu -

Angry Rio Verde Foothills residents protested Scottsdale’s decision to shut off water to their homes. Some 700 households are impacted by the cutoff, which took effect two weeks ago. (Credit)

Neuropathy or Poor Circulation? Diagnosing the Difference

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that involves damage to the nerves in your feet. Symptoms include muscle cramping, difficulty walking, burning, tingling, numbness, and pain. In many cases, it’s caused by diabetes, but poor circulation can also cause these symptoms or make them worse.

Poor circulation or PAD (peripheral artery disease) is caused by the buildup of fatty material inside the arteries, limiting the amount of blood that

passes through them. “Blood brings oxygen and nutrients to your legs and feet which they need to stay healthy,” explains Dr. Shahram Askari of CiC Foot & Ankle. “If you have cramping, leg pain, or non-healing sores, you could have PAD.”

The good news is specialists are able to treat PAD with a minimally invasive procedure in an office setting. Using x-ray imaging, Dr. Joel Rainwater, an interventional radiologist at Com-

prehensive Integrated Care, is able to go into the bloodstream through a tiny nick in the skin to see if there is any plaque buildup.

“We’re able to see if there is a blockage and then remove it with special instruments,” explains Dr. Rainwater. “Once the plaque is removed, blood flow improves.” Patients are home within hours and back to everyday activities with almost no downtime and no stitches. Medi-

care as well as most insurance plans cover treatment.

If you’re just realizing that you may be suffering from neuropathy or poor circulation, make an appointment to see a doctor. Or, if you’re not finding relief from medication or treatment, a second opinion may be helpful to determine the cause of the tingling, cramping, pain, or numbness in your feet.

Dr. Askari and Dr. Rainwater can be reached at 602-954-0777.

Water availability could restrict future development

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Tom Buschatzke says it wouldn't be wrong to see the freeze on new development in an area in and around Buckeye due to a shortage of groundwater there as the canary in the coal mine.

But the director of the state Department of Water Resources said that the early warning for Arizonans first occurred three years ago in Pinal County: His agency already is refusing to issue the necessary permits for new developments that were planning to rely solely on groundwater.

More to the point, he said, much of the rest of this drought-stricken state is headed that way absent some new source of water.

In a wide-ranging interview with Capitol Media Services, Buschatzke said that communities are not immune just because they have an allocation of water from the Central Arizona Project.

That resource, too, is limited. And cities that can't show their CAP allocations ensure a 100-year supply of water face similar restrictions.

Nor he said can developers rely on the idea that there may be treated seawater available sometime in the future to start building today.

Buschatzke said that his decision not to release until Monday the analysis of available groundwater in what is known as the Lower Hassaympa subbasin near Buckeye was not an effort – as Gov. Katie Hobbs said Monday in her State of the State speech – to hide it from the public so that developers could keep building.

He did acknowledge that the request to delay the report did, in fact, come from the staff Doug Ducey, her predecessor. But Butschatzke said the former governor wanted to have it released at the same time as stakeholders came up with "potential solutions that would be put out into the public world at the same time.''

Hobbs, informed of the existence of the report, had a different idea.

"I think we can't tackle this issue if

we don't know what we're facing,'' she said after her speech.

Anyway, Buschatzke said the timing is legally irrelevant: Public or not, Buschatzke said what's in the report means that his department isn't issuing any permits at all for new residential subdivisions for the 886 square mile area that has been under study.

What the release of the report has done, though, is create a new focus on the fact that the state faces a water shortage even as people keep moving here.

"We have this dual challenge, right?'' the governor said. "We have to balance our needs to address the housing crisis with our need to address water shortages.''

This "dual challenge'' is caused by a dual problem.

Lawmakers realized decades ago that the state was in a position where the amount of groundwater available would be outstripped by demand.

Arizona has long been entitled to a share of Colorado River water. But it took federal legislation to authorize construction of the Central Arizona Project with the idea of reducing the need to pump.

And in 1980, with the CAP in place, state lawmakers approved a historic law designed to cut groundwater pumping in metropolitan areas, with the idea of "safe yield'' by 2025, the point at which what is being taken out balances with recharge.

Only thing is, that Colorado River supply, allocated in what it turns out were unusually wet years, has recently failed to materialize. The result has been mandatory cutbacks, with more to come if Arizona, California and Nevada don't agree on a plan.

But what the report from Buckeye shows is that, for much of the state, groundwater is not a solution for the future as CAP water becomes scarcer.

"We've been trying to take the easy way out,'' Hobbs said. And that leaves the question of whether Arizona can continue to grow at the rate it has.

mane” and entered City Hall during the council’s first meeting of the year.

Former city Councilwoman Linda Milhaven spoke on their behalf., slamming Scottsdale City Manager Jim Thompson’s recommendation to ignore EPCOR’s proposal.

“As of the fi rst of the year, the City of Scottsdale has discontinued serving the residents of the Rio Verde Foothills area,” Milhaven said.

“Most residents topped off their tanks before the end of the year but in a month or two they will not have a reliable source of water and their taps will run dry," she continued.

“It’s not too late to do the right thing. I know the residents of Scott-

sdale are good people and want to help their neighbors, especially when they learn that we can help without using any of our own water and without costing them any money.”

Cody Reim, a Rio Verde Foothills resident who works at a family-owned metal shop in Scottsdale, also spoke.

His voice noticeably cracked as he stated, “We need help. We are begging for your help.”

Aside from the lawsuit, Reim said residents will also take their message to the state Legislature next.

However, Re Dave Cook, R-Dist. 7, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is already working on a solution.

Cook wrote to Ortega requesting a meeting in order to discuss the is-

sue.

“It is beyond me how a group of Arizona citizens could be put in such a position,” Cook wrote, adding:

“Arizonans’ livelihoods depend on having a reliable and long-term water supply. As elected officials we have a responsibility to serve all citizens, especially in our rural unincorporated communities.

“We need to find a comprehensive solution that protects the people in this community and is workable for all parties involved.”

The Arizona Corporation Commission has put on hold discussions related to EPCOR’s long-term solution for 60 days while two homeowners continue an appeal of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors’ denial of a petition for residents to form a non-

contiguous domestic water improvement district.

Supporters of the district say they can provide water to the community very quickly, but many homeowners oppose the move, contending it puts too much power in the hands of too few.

Bruce and Patty Smith have gone to community meetings focused on supporting and opposing the water district.

While they are concerned about creating a layer of government in the unincorporated community, they are willing to accept it if they could see water flowing again.

“All we want is water,” Bruce Smith said.

"I don't know the answer to that,'' she conceded.

"A lot of what we're facing in terms of Colorado River shortages is that more of the snowfall is being absorbed

and there's less runoff,'' the governor continued. And that, she said is caused by climate change.

"It's not something that we can fix by using less water,'' Hobbs said. "It's very complicated.''

But could development actually be

stopped?

"There's a lot in that question I don't have answers to,'' the governor said, saying that will become part of what the Water Policy Task Force she announced on Tuesday will wrestle with, "what we need to do to balance our

need to continue to house people and our water shortages.''

Buschatzke said none of this should come as a surprise.

"Over the years, what I've said is that, given the fact that groundwater's a finite resource, that we've been allocating groundwater since the 1980 Groundwater Management Act for a variety of uses, that it was kind of a matter of time,'' he said. And Buschtzke said Buckeye won't be the last such area affected.

"I can't exactly tell you who's next and when that will occur,'' he said. It will all be governed by the science.

"We're in the process, as we always are, of improving and updating our groundwater models,'' Buschatzke continued. "And as we work through those we may see some of this starting to daylight elsewhere.''

So what are the options for continued growth?

One is to pump water from the Harquahala Valley even further west of Phoenix. A special law allows transfers from this basin into more waterstarved areas of the state.

There is also some reclaimed water that hasn't already been allocated to things like providing cooling for the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station.

And the Colorado River Indian Community recently got federal permission to sign long-term leases for part of

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The only way to effectively treat chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is by targeting the source, which is the result of nerve damage owing to inadequate blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet. This often causes weakness, numbness, balance problems. A lack of nutrients causes the nerves degenerate – an insidious

cannot survive, and thus, slowly die. This leads to those painful and frustrating consequences we were talking about earlier, like weakness, numbness, tingling, balance issues, and perhaps even a burning sensation.

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As displayed in figure 1 above, the nerves are surrounded by diseased, withered blood vessels. A lack of sufficient nutrients means the nerves

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Proposed state corporate tax cut would cost city $5M

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Republican lawmakers are moving to cut income tax rates for Arizona corporations by nearly half – a move legislative budget analysts say eventually could cut state revenues by nearly $670 million a year and take away just over $5 million in revenue from Scottsdale..

The party-line vote last week by the House Ways and Means Committee came over objections from all the Democrats on the panel who questioned both the wisdom and the need to take the tax rate from its current 4.9% to 2.5% by 2026. And that follows a series of cuts a decade ago that dropped the rate from nearly 7%.

"There are better places we can invest more than half a billion dollars than on corporate welfare,'' said House Minority Leader Andres Cano.

"We could give our teachers a $10,000 raise, taking them from 44th in the nation to 19th,'' the Tucson Democrat said. "We could send relief to Arizona renters and homeowners by quadrupling the state's current investment in the Housing Trust Fund.''

But Rep. David Livingston, R-Peoria,

STATEWATER from page 16

its 719,428 acre-feet a year of Colorado River Water. An acre foot, on average, supports a family of three for a year. But even that has limits.

Buschatzke said the tribe is looking at leases of perhaps 25 to 30 years, too short by itself to become part of any 100-year assured supply for a community or developer.

"But you could take that CRIT water, you could put it under the ground, and you could divide the volume by the appropriate calculations to make it 100 years,'' he said. "You could pull it out over the 100 years.''

And what of desalination?

Buschatzke said the only thing that has happened so far is the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority has directed its staff to talk with IDE Technolo-

the author of HB 2003, pointed out that even legislative budget staffers concede the estimates of lost revenues are "highly speculative.''

Some of that is because corporations have great flexibility in how and when they compute and pay their taxes. That had led to a volatility over the years.

In 2013, when the corporate rate was close to 7%, collections were $662 million. They hit $368 million when the rate reached 4.9% but rose to $847 million by 2021, even at the lower rate.

What the measure also is, Livingston said, is a matter of equity.

The 4.9% rate applies to what are known as "C-corps,'' called that because that's how they're organized under that chapter of the Internal Revenue Code. The profits of these corporations are directly taxed, as are the distributions to shareholders.

By contrast, "S-corps'' pay no corporate taxes, with the profits or losses passed on to individual shareholders who report them on their personal returns. And the individual tax rate in Arizona is 2.5%

But not every company can orga-

gies, an Israeli firm, about a possible plant on the Sea of Cortez to provide water for Arizona at some future date. But that, he said, is far from a sure thing.

"Right now I would not be able to put any potential desalinated water as an approval for anybody's assured water supply program, none,'' Buschatzke said.

"There hasn't been a plant sited, there hasn't been a plant under construction, it's not producing any water,'' he said. "You have to have water being produced.''

And that says nothing about it being actually available for 100 years.

"Desal can be part of the solution,'' Buschatzke said. "But none of the desal being discussed ... is going into anyone's assured water supply at this time.''

Scottsdale tourism chief optimistic about area’s future

BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

Experience Scottsdale CEO Rachel Sacco is upbeat about tourism for the area.

“The state of tourism in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley is so strong, we have not only recovered from the pandemic in ways so many of our competitors have not that we have continued to become more of a year around destination,” Sacco said at a conference last week.

And that growth is snowballing, she said.

“Even some of our need time periods, in the fall time or ... or summer are now becoming more and more activated,” she said. “People know Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. They want to come here and the more that they come here, the more that bed tax allows us to invest more into new markets to get new visitors as well as communicate with existing visitors.”

That doesn’t just happen magically, though

“We just had some media missions in Chicago and New York to meet with editors and freelance writers

and to share information about what they can see and do in Scottsdale,” Sacco said. “We had a lot of success with all of these missions and they lead to a lot of coverage for our destination.”

A new program called Scottsdale Showcase brought 32 writers and editors from markets like Austin, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Seattle.

Aside from its sheer size, the event was unique because journalists were not required to have confirmed assignments before the trip.

The idea was to introduce them to aspects of Scottsdale and Paradise Valley that they may not have already known about.

“If they don’t know about Scottsdale, they don’t even have the wherewithal to really, effectively pitch it,” Sacco said. “So, we’re bringing them out to be inspired by Scottsdale and we know it is going to work wonders for us and hopefully for you too, for your business to be featured in upcoming media.”

Still, the Experience Scottsdale team is on the road like never before, she said.

Experience Scottsdale was just re-

cently sponsored of a trade show called “Connect D.C.” and conducted focus groups.

In one indication that marketing is working, participants of one focus group were asked to describe Arizona and many of them used the word “hot.” But when asked to describe Scottsdale, many used the word “warm.”

“Here, my friends, is the power of trade marketing,” Sacco said.

The team is also launching its second round of its “Exceptionally Scottsdale” campaign just in time for the Super Season. In this program, Experience Scottsdale helps local businesses design, develop and execute new experiences for residents and visitors.

“In a world where experience is king, we need to help local businesses put their best foot forward so we are investing in having an expert come out and help us mine experiences that now we can market,” Sacco said.

And the 2023 visitor guide is out “in every part of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, every terminal. And just recently we also have them now available at the Mesa Gateway Air-

port as well.”

“That visitor guide is our front door, if you will,” Sacco said. “Every time we get an inquiry, that is what is sent out to our customers, be they a travel agent, be they a media (member) or a meeting planner or anyone in the trade.

Experience Scottsdale has launched the “Scottsdale Super Season” campaign. “We’re leveraging again our television ads, our print ads, our digital ads, social media, Youtube, we’re promoting it via email (and) on our website,” Sacco said.

Experience Scottsdale has been preparing for the event since 2019.

“Scottsdale and Paradise Valley are the epicenter of where people go to when they are not at the Super Bowl game,” Sacco said. “And we’re thrilled about the exposure the ESPN broadcast and tailgate party will bring to historic Old Town Scottsdale. We are working with them to make sure they can activate it and showcase our destination.”

Lastly, Experience Scottsdale is recourting the Canadian market., Sacco said, explainin, : “We are having a huge push into Canada and that is a result again of having more money from the bed tax … but also from a grant from the Visit Arizona Initiative.”

Scottsdale officer recovering from gunshot

BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

The man who shot a Scottsdale Police sergeant on Jan. 6 was being sought in connection to a violent sexual assault of a 70-year-old Scottsdale woman in October.

Police were acting on several anonymous tips identifying Kenneth Hearne as a possible suspect and were attempting to collect a DNA sample from Hearne at a downtown Phoenix apartment when Hearne fired a gun through a wall and struck Sgt. Scott Galbraith in the abdomen, below his body armor.

Hearne, 37, was located by Phoenix Police in Tempe the next day and was fatally shot after he drew a gun on the officers.

The gun that was recovered from Hearne was the same gun used to shoot Golbraith, according Scottsdale Police Lieutenant Lee Campbell.

Hearne’s DNA sample collected after he was shot by police matched the sample from the original sexual assault, according to Scottsdale Police.

Galbraith is out of the hospital and doing “extremely well,” according to the Scottsdale Police. He is expected to make a full-recovery.

Galbraith, is a member of the Scottsdale Police Department’s Special Assignment Unit (which is the department’s SWAT team). He is a 19-year veteran of the department and his wife is also a sergeant with the department.

“Valor does have a face, your face,

Sgt. Scott Galbraith,” Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega wrote in an open email to Galbraith and his family. “Valor inaction is shown by each individual in the Special Assignment Unit and by cohorts at Phoenix PD. The courage of SPD spouses serving Scottsdale, strength of immediate families and our support join together as you heal.”

Scottsdale Police officers are statecertified with the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training board, so they can make arrests in other jurisdictions for crimes committed in Scottsdale.

“This is the first Scottsdale officer that has been shot in the line-of-duty in many years, definitely over five years,” department spokesman Aaron Bolin said. “We have officers injured from time-to-time

on calls interacting with the public or injured from vehicle collisions.”

The original assault occurred at the San Marin Luxury Suites & Apartments between the hours of 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. Oct. 12, according to Scottsdale Police. A gun was used in that assault, they added.

Got News?

Contact J Graber at jgraber@scottsdale.org

Experts warn COVID still poses threat in Arizona

BY EMILEE MIRANDA Cronkite News

WASHINGTON – Almost three years after the first COVID-19 cases were detected in Arizona, here’s what we know: It hits the elderly hardest, it spikes in summer and winter, it killed men in Arizona at sharply higher rates than women and new strains continue to evolve.

And it’s not going away.

“COVID is here to stay. It’s going to join the suite of respiratory diseases that we have,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association.

More than 2.3 million cases have been confirmed in Arizona since the first two cases were detected on Jan. 19, 2020, according to the latest data from the Arizona Department of Health Ser-

vices. COVID-19 was blamed for the deaths of 32,182 Arizonans as of last week, and was on pace to be the leading cause of death in the state at one point during the three-year period.

The almost 5,000 cases recorded last week were sharply down from the second week of 2022, when there were a record 150,952 cases in the state. Deaths that were soaring in the summer of 2020 and winter of 2021 – with a peak of 1,067 deaths in the week of Jan. 10, 2021 – stood at 144 for last week.

But one health expert said he expects cases to increase slightly in the coming weeks, mirroring past trends that showed a spike in cases during the summer and winter months.

“It’s a very predictable six-month pattern. I think that will continue to be the case, I think in large part due to waning immunity,” said Will Humble,

executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association.

Health experts cannot say for sure why men in Arizona had a higher death rate than women, with men accounting for 59% of fatalities. Nationally, men accounted for 55% of deaths, according to the CDC.

One possible explanation might be lower vaccination rates among males. While vaccinations by gender were not immediately available from the state, the CDC said that 66.3% of men nationally had been fully vaccinated by last week, compared to 70.7% of women.

Experts also worry that they are beginning to see a decline in all people getting vaccinated or getting an updated booster.

“There’s a vaccine fatigue out there for sure, but you know this is a natural maturation of our knowledge of vaccines,” Benjamin said.

The latest CDC data show there have been almost 664 million vaccines administered in the U.S, of which 14.3 million were in Arizona. But while 77.1% of eligible Arizonans have been vaccinated, that number falls to 13.7% for people who have received an updated vaccination and a booster – below the national average of 15.1%.

While COVID-19 hospitalizations are likely to continue to decline, experts said hospitals face a new challenge: COVID-19 cases combined with hospitalizations from the flu and respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV.

“I don’t think we’re going to see the scale we had in January and February of 2021, but I think we will have an increasingly difficult situation in Arizona hospitals in about a month,” Humble said.

nize that way, with federal law limiting them to companies with 100 or fewer shareholders, all of whom have to be U.S. citizens or residents.

David Lujan, CEO of the Children's Action Alliance, questioned the need for further corporate tax relief.

He cited figures from the state Department of Revenue that 79% of corporations pay only the $50 a year minimum state tax. That's because many are able to reduce their reported profits because of various tax credits the state makes available, credits these companies can bank for up to 12 years if they had no tax liability.

In fact, Lujan said, those corporations currently have more than $1 billion in "banked'' credits that they will be able to use in future years if they ever do have taxable income.

"We think a better economic strategy would be to focus on investing in our workforce,'' he told lawmakers.

Lujan said many factors go into why companies move choose to locate or expand. And he said one of the biggest

factors is not the tax rate but the ability to find qualified workers.

"This bill we believe will make it even more difficult to invest in strengthening our workforce,'' Lujan said. "It'll make it more difficult to invest in higher education and job training and K-12 education.''

Livingston questioned that claim.

"We invested record amount of dollars into K-12 last year and in the previous year,'' he said. And Livingston said strong state revenues also allowed the state to pay down much of its debt, meaning more dollars are available for not just education but other needs like transportation.

"If we cut taxes, there's an ability –not a guarantee, but an ability – to pay people more or cut (the cost of) products,'' Livingston said.

Rep. Neal Carter, R-Queen Creek, had a similar argument.

"The payor, the person remitting the receipt, is a corporation,'' he said. "But the incidence of the tax, the person actually bearing the burden of it, are consumers and employees.''

But Rep. Seth Blattman, D-Mesa, said

Rep. David Livingston, R-Peoria, says cutting Arizona’s corporate tax would help create jobs or lower prices for products made here. (Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services)

this is about more than just lost revenue for the state.

He pointed out that cities and towns receive 18% of individual and corporate income tax collections, computed from what was paid two years prior. And legislative budget staffers figure that by 2029 the combined loss to local communities will exceed $120 million.

Rep. Justin Heap, R-Mesa, however,

said he was "skeptical'' that cities actually will end up losing revenues.

"The cities that I have talked to in Arizona are competing to try to get these tech jobs,'' he said, the kind of jobs he believes a lower corporate tax rate would attract. "They want these high-paying jobs in because that increases revenue of the city, it brings in more money for their economies, and it helps them.''

Sewer rate hike may be sought in Scottsdale this year

BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

Asewer rate hike may be in store for Scottsdale in the fiscal year beginning July 1, city Treasurer Sonia Andrews told the council at its first meeting of 2023.

Though Andrews on Jan. 10 said that overall, the city ended the 202122 fiscal year “financially healthy and strong,” she said costs covered by sewer rates were $3 million higher than revenue.

“What this is telling us is that our sewer rates are generating enough revenue to cover out of pocket expenses,” Andrews said. “We’re able to pay our bills to maintain our system but it is not sufficient to cover depreciation expense, which is the rate at which our assets are depreciating and eventually needing to be replaced.”

Andrews said her recommendation for next year’s sewer rate fees will climb in order to cover those depreciation expenses.

Overall in 2021-22, General Fund revenue exceeded expenses $354 million to $333 million and Andrews credited strong sales tax revenue.

Sales tax revenue exceeded city budget estimates by $37.6 million.

But Andrews warned, “We can’t get too excited about this because the excess tax collection is due to the federal government’s stimulus actions that super charged the economy, creating what we call the pandemic spending spree.

“This is not unique to Scottsdale. It is happening across all cities in the nation. Then you add inflation that drives up the prices, most cities are experiencing excess tax collections like us. We do not expect these

to continue each year and we look at these excesses as one-time revenues.”

The city also received $14.6 million in federal stimulus money.

Both the sales tax bump and the stimulus money enabled the city to make a one-time additional payment of $40 million on the unfunded liability in the city’s public safety pension plan. That brought the unpaid debt the city still must cover in the pension fund to $191 million.

The preserve tax generated $58 million but the city spent only $35 million of that. Much of the excess was caused by the stimulus-generated spending by consumers and the extra funds were put in a reserve to cover expenses when sales revenue is not as strong.

In other business, the council started the evening by swearing Kathy Littlefield into her third term, Solange Whitehead into her second term and Barry Graham into his first term.

“I really appreciate the honor that

has been bestowed upon me by the citizen’s of Scottsdale,” Littlefield said. “I would like to thank each and every one of you who have worked so hard on my behalf to make this day happen and to make this day possible … I plan to live up to my oath of office and to what I promised my constituents here in the City of Scottsdale to work for their behalf and on their behalf for the next four years.”

This will be Littlefield’s final term on the council. Members are limited to three terms in office.

Whitehead said while she was elected, voters got the whole team behind her.

“Four years ago, I arrived here with a pretty energetic to do list and honestly I didn’t think I could get it all done,

a team sport.”

She also pointed out some of the council’s success in the last four years.

“Our infrastructure is funded,” she said. “We have a sustainability director. We have new green building codes, we have new parks. We have better development. I’m feeling pretty proud and optimistic about what’s on our agenda for the next four years.”

Graham promised to get resident’s more involved in city government.

or we could get it done, but four years later I realize how much I underestimated the team. I want to stress that the ‘we’ is so important. City government, much to everyone’s surprise, is

“I also want to thank everyone here tonight,” Graham said. “This is a remarkable turnout. My hope actually is that this turnout is indicative of residents’ involvement on a go forward basis. We’ll see more turnout, more involvement, more engagement over the next couple of years … I would like to renew my pledge to encourage residents to have more say in this city’s future and more say about the direction of our city.”

Barry Graham

Kathy Littlefield

Solange Whitehead

Riot Hospitality Group shares concert success

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

Leaders of Riot Gives Back feel fortunate to be in a position to help others.

After capping its first year with its Rock the Rooftop concert at the W Hotel’s Wet Deck, the Riot Hospitality Group's nonprofit calculated the gate and split $55,000 with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“We are grateful that we are in a position to be able to support the children that need these funds the most,” said Riot Hospitality Group spokeswoman Lissa Druss.

Noting many of the kids Make-AWish helps “are not even in school yet and maybe many can't even talk yet,: Druss said, “What we do today can help them grow and prosper and become fantastic individuals as they grow.”

Riot Gives Back’s rockin’ charity concert featured musical acts Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith, and Canadian EDM duo Loud Luxury, composed of Andrew Fedyk and Joe Depace.

Recalling the electric evening, Druss summed it up in one word: unbelievable.

“It was really powerful to see up-andcoming artists and the crowd just going crazy about these artists and see how music is very special to a lot of people,” Druss said. “It was a win-win for everyone.”

Although $27,500 will go toward making ill children's wishes come true, the other half will be divided among Riot Gives Back’s three pillars: first responders, military service members and veterans and their families and, third, compassionate care of children.

“First responders are near and dear to

Inflation hitting Scottsdale nonprofits hard

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

As the world continues reeling from continually rising costs, nonprofits have been hit the hardest. Now, with the holidays in the rearview mirror, most local nonprofit organizations have a list of needs they still hope to fill this year.

Those needs run into another wall: diminishing financial support or a rate of inflation that outstrips what once had beena relatively adequate level of support.

For the Two Pups Wellness Fund and co-founder Bip Haley, the rising cost of medical care and services for animals – coupled with the influx of animals flooding shelters – has put her nonprofit in a financial bind.

Nonprofits like the Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children and Hunkapi Programs have also been put in a similar bind.

“Inflation has hit the families we serve hard and we are also seeing an increase in the need for financial assistance,” said Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children president and founder Chrisie Funari.

The cost at the pump chewed up a bulk of the funding that Hunkapi Programs uses to transport its horses and has also impacted its employees.

“The rising cost of gas also made it challenging for employees to afford driving to work,” said Terra Schaad, Hunkapi Programs founder and executive director.

Rising costs also has hurt Funari’s efforts to furnish her nonprofit’s impending move to an expansive 12,000-square-foot building off 70th

Street and Shea Boulevard. “We are in need of furniture to serve

our families since we just moved from a 2,500 square feet space to a 12,000

Nonprofits like the Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children are looking for extra help this year as inflation continues to stifle philanthropic efforts. (Progress file photo)

Attending the check presentations to Riot Gives Back and the Make-A-Wish Foundation were, from left: John Creighton, vice president of Southwest Residential Interiors, Councilwoman Tammy Caputi, Riot Hospitality Group CEO Ryan Hibbert, Mayor David Ortega, Councilwoman Betty Janik, Make-A-Wish Arizona CEO Fran Mallace, Dillan Micus, owner and CEO of 345 Wealth Management, and RHG Director of Operations Jason Adler. (Special to the Progress) see RIOT page 27

all of our hearts and we work very closely with police and fire first responders in all the cities that we operate in: Gilbert, Scottsdale, Denver, Chicago, Nashville,” Druss said. “We honor and support those that defend our country and really are at the frontline of our freedom.”

However, the third pillar of Riot Gives also has a deep meaning for the nonprofit and CEO Ryan Hibbert, whom had twin boys born prematurely.

“They're healthy and thriving now, but we know that children are our future, and we want to do what we can to help them grow in strength, love and support,” Druss said.

Druss feels that these pillars and charities need assistance these days as she has seen donations dwindle.

“I'm on a lot of nonprofit boards, and I've worked in the nonprofit space for maybe 30 years and I've never seen donations go down so much,” Druss said. “Many nonprofits are struggling, not only because of inflation but also because their donations from outside sources are decreasing because of the

financial strains that many are facing.”

Because of this, She feels fortunate to be in a position of giving.

“That is just another reason why we are really truly grateful that we can do this and that we can with a new foundation and fill the void of some of the other foundations that aren't able to get as much funding.”

Because of this, Druss hopes this is not the last check Riot Gives Back ends up cutting and teased that the new nonprofit has grand plans for this year.

“We believe in crawling and walking and running,” she said. “We spent the majority of 2022 getting up the foundation, ensuring the donation processes were 100% tiptop, in perfect shape.

“Now, we're getting the word out through our partners that we work with since a lot of our vendors and our partners don't even know that we have a foundation yet so we want to really make sure we were solid before we start raising the rooftop.” we

square foot space,” Funari said. “We also need a van to transport much-needed items to families and to utilize for our family events that are held off-site.”

Schaad hopes to renovate her barns and install new paddocks but is still looking for necessary funding.

“Our barns are old and getting to be dangerous for our horses. We want the safest spaces for them,” Schaad said. “Because the horses go out daily for recreation and exercise and our herd has grown, we need more paddocks so they can all play together.”

Although inflation has stymied these projects, it has also put nonprofits in a pinch when it comes to items necessary for day-to-day operation.

“Hay prices have gone up and it is becoming more challenging for the program to support their feed needs monthly,” Schaad said. “We spend over $12,000 per month on hay.”

Schaad has also been forced to cut spending on maintenance services for her property.

ercising and socialization,” she added. Funari is looking to the community to aid her by donating everyday items to ease the financial burdens that families her nonprofit serve continue to confront.

“We are in need of toys for all ages for our Sunshine Boutique, which serves as a fun toy store for the cancer warriors and their siblings to shop,” Funari said.

Funari also toilet paper, paper towels and laundry soap as items she could use for families she serves.

How to help:

Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children

Donate at azcancerfoundation.org or contact Volunteer Coordinator Andrea Smith at andrea@azcancerfoundation.org or 480-3507055 to donate toys, essentials and gift cards.

Two Pups Wellness Fund twopups.org or 480-490-7136.

Info: riothg.com/riot-gives-back

“The back part of our property has not been graded and when it rains, it floods, preventing the horses from ex-

Hunkapi Programs Hunkapi.org. 480-841-5737

Local developer’s software aims at cryptocurrency scams

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Sta Writer

Cryptocurrency can often be as risky as it is complicated – sometimes riskier.

Its definition alone can be challenging to understand: “a digital currency in which transactions are verified and records are maintained by a decentralized system using cryptography, rather than by a centralized authority.”

And recent headlines have called attention to elaborate scams that have cost investors billions of dollars.

Cryptocurrency scammers have stolen more than $1 billion since 2021, according to a report by the Federal Trade Commission.

Those risks are increasing.

“From January to November 2022, hackers stole $4.3 billion worth of cryptocurrency. This accounts for a 37% increase from 2021 during the same period,” according to a study conducted by privacya airs.com – which describes itself as an information provider and content creator dedicated to helping protect their private data and avoid a data breach or cyber-attack.

Scottsdale resident Brandon Pearson was not exempt from these scams.

“I lost $20,000 on one trade and then I lost another $20,000 on another trade,” Pearson recalled. “It's just that these lessons that, unfortunately, they're a lot more expensive.”

After sustaining the losses, Pearson figured there had to be a way to create software that could prevent these scams.

Pearson, an alumnus of Northern Iowa University, sought help from younger minds at Arizona State University that could either guide him to software or help him develop one that prevents these scams.

He conferred with members of the ASU Blockchain Club and met Mat-

thew Jurenka, who recently graduated with his master’s degree in computer science.

“I just wanted to talk to somebody capable of or at least knew to let me know if this was doable,” Pearson recalled.

Jurenka told Pearson it could be done but he needed to conduct some feasibility studies.

Pearson took a gamble and paid Jurenka “a few hundred dollars” to run some feasibility studies on whether or not a software with this capability could be created.

The results yielded something much greater.

“The idea went from creating an entire crypto wallet with this added layer of security to ‘let's just figure out a way to create the added layer of security and take all of that risk of holding people's funds out of our hands,’” Pearson said.

“What I wanted to do is be able to do was screen transactions and make sure people aren't losing their money.”

The software screens smart contracts proposed in every cryptocurrency exchange to determine the exchange website’s reputation and safety – and whether or not a proposal is shady.

“What our software does is it frontruns a transaction and it acts as a buffer between your actual wallet and the smart contract and the software defines what this smart contract is proposing and what it's going to do,” Pearson said.

Oftentimes, the average reader and consumer of cryptocurrency do not easily understand the verbiage of these smart contracts, according to Pearson.

“With smart contracts for a guy like me, or even a guy like Matt or Elon Musk, for example, you can't just read that when it's presented to you, you just have to trust that what this website says that the smart contract is going to do, you have to trust that that's exactly what's going to happen. And that's not always the case,” Pearson said.

Not only does the software read through the complex verbiage of these contracts, but Pearson said it also could have been used to catch milliondollar scams like the $120-million loss sustained by BadgerDAO in late 2021.

“BadgerDAO clicked a link …and they got scammed of $120 million,” Pearson said, adding:

“We chatted with somebody who was involved with BadgerDAO and we were told that our software would have pre-

vented it completely.”

The software, known as Core Protect, can be downloaded onto browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge and Pearson hopes that his software will serve as a tool that will provide fortune to its users and restore a sense of security to Cryptocurrency.

“I think that our software is going to help Crypto round that curve and become more mainstream,” Pearson said.

“With software like ours that can screen transactions and make sure people aren't being scammed, it puts the trust back into crypto and we think that it's going to open the doors for larger banks to get into something like this because there are actual safeguards now.”

Info: coreprotect.io

Scottsdale resident Brandon Pearson got help from ASU students to develop software that protects cryptocurrency investors from scams. (David Minton/Progress Sta Photographer)

World-class events bracket Super Bowl weekend in Scottsdale

BY RACHEL SACCO Progress Guest Writer

Super Bowl LVII is coming to the Valley of the Sun on Feb. 12, and while we at Experience Scottsdale are excited for the big game, we are especially looking forward to all the world-class events happening in Scottsdale before and after kick-off.

Experience Scottsdale and the city of Scottsdale will promote January through March as Scottsdale Super Season, three months full of tourism-driving special events from Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction to Cactus League Spring Training and everything in between.

Our organization has been preparing for Super Bowl LVII since 2019, when we, along with other destination marketing organizations around the Valley, supported the bid for the game.

Since then, we’ve worked with the city of Scottsdale, the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee, our local hotels and resorts, and many other community partners to ensure Scottsdale captures some of the spotlight, corporate groups and events.

Experience Scottsdale’s Super Season campaign launched this month, with paid social and search engine advertising targeting cities across the U.S.

Our promotions direct potential visitors to a dedicated microsite, ScottsdaleSuperSeason.com, to learn all about the exciting events and activities.

Much of the information also is included in a printed brochure available at the Scottsdale Tourist Information Center at Scottsdale Fashion Square and kiosks throughout Old Town Scottsdale.

Though the game will be played in Glendale, millions of eyes from afar will be on Scottsdale as Historic

Old Town plays host to ESPN’s live broadcast. ESPN and the city will host a tailgate Feb. 8-12, activating the area so that all those viewers witness Scottsdale’s energy and vibrancy.

Plus, Experience Scottsdale will work with local and national journalists to share Scottsdale’s story with even more viewers and readers across the country.

During and leading up to the Super Bowl and WM Phoenix Open weekend, fans will be flying into Scottsdale Airport and filling up our hotels and resorts.

The last time the two events coincided in Arizona in 2015, Scottsdale area hotels and resorts had 97.5% occupancy, the second highest occupancy rate in our industry’s history.

The game is a key economic development driver as well, as among those visitors are c-level executives who may one day consider Scottsdale for future vacations, meetings and corporate headquarters.

Super Bowl LVII will give Scottsdale – and every community in our state – another opportunity to shine an even brighter light on our city’s incredible assets and amenities.

Yet beyond the Super Bowl, with events like Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show, Celebration of Fine Art, Arizona Indian Festival, Western Week, and more, January through March is always Scottsdale’s super season.

After a challenging three years, our entire hospitality community is ready for this moment. Resorts, restaurants, golf courses, shops and attractions are prepared to put our best foot forward to ensure our industry and community’s success –this super season and beyond.

Though our city will welcome millions of visitors over these next few months, I hope you also will take advantage of these world-class events

Scottsdale.org l @ScottsdaleProgress /ScottsdaleProgress

Barrett-Jackson is a ‘see and be seen’ show, auction

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Progress Staff Writer

Barrett-Jackson, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions, hosts its annual flagship auction at WestWorld of Scottsdale each January, serving as the gateway to events season in the Valley.

This year, like years past, Chairman/CEO Craig Jackson expects another incredible event with an enviable No Reserve collector car docket and a host of activities for auctiongoers of all ages. The event kicks off on Saturday, Jan. 21, and runs through Jan. 29.

Included in this year’s auction is a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, one of only 644 sold new in the United States. One of the last and most popular analog supercars, the vehicle has less than 3,400 miles and, while it was originally fin-

ished in black, this Carrera GT now has a concours-quality paint finished in a bespoke PPG red.

A limited-edition 2020 Ford GT Carbon Series is another featured vehicle selling with No Reserve. Finished in frozen white, its carbon blue graphics package features a blue center stripe down the middle of the exposed single carbon-fiber stripe.

Other options include exposed carbon-fiber sideview mirror caps and the standard Carbon Series weight-saving titanium exhaust system. Essentially still in the wrapper, this supercar has only 32 miles on the odometer and comes with the window sticker, factory production photos and battery charger.

Also headed to the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction block is a 1966 Shelby Group II Mustang built for Ken

Talented duo bring retooled musical to arts center

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

Writers-performers Betsy Bennet and Rick Compton have long loved the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.

“Scottsdale has a special place in our hearts,” Compton said. “I remember, I was in Phoenix and Scottsdale for some unrelated theater thing and I learned that the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts had a show playing there called ‘Late Night Catechism’ – which seemingly ran forever before it closed more than maybe 10 years ago –and I thought, ‘man, what a wonderful place to play.’

“I hoped I would someday get a deal like that with a place.”

Fast forward to 2008, when Compton

and Bennett put on a dazzling performance of a “Sandy Bottoms and The Jimmie Buffet” at the Bonita Arts League and were flagged down by the its executive director as they headed to their cars., starting a long and winding road to Scottsdale.

“The Bonita Arts League executive director came out in the parking lot and she said to us, ‘that was a lot of fun, we'd like to have you guys back again in a couple of months.’ And we said,‘OK, we’ll have you have a new show,’” Compton recalled.

“And she said, OK, my problem is, is my brochure goes to print next week, so what's the title of your new show?’”

Frantically scrambling to come up with a title on the spot, Compton peeked Betsy

the

cal.”  (Special to the Progress)

“Assisted

Barrett-Jackson chairman and CEO Craig Jackson is excited to kick events season into high gear when Barrett-Jackson revs into town on Saturday, January 21 through Sunday, January 29. (Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson)

Bennett and Rick Compton are set to take the stage at the Scottsdale Center for

Performing arts beginning Thursday when they perform

Living: The Musi-

Miles to race in the Sports Car Club of America Trans-American Sedan Championship. However, Miles died in a crash while testing a car at Riverside International Raceway on August 17, 1966, and never got behind the wheel of this Mustang.

Its first owner was driver John McComb, who competed extensively in SCCA events. McComb sold the car in 1967, but it continued to be raced into the early 1970s.

Another highlight is a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, No. 61 of 69 built in 1969. It is powered by an all-aluminum 427/430hp V8 engine mated to a M21 4-speed manual transmission and a 4.10 posi-traction rear end.

This Camaro is optioned with D80 spoiler equipment and an AM radio. It comes with a Jerry MacNeish Certificate of Authenticity and is from the Northside Customs Collection.

Jackson says the 50th anniversary celebration of Barrett-Jackson in 2022 was its most successful auction in the company’s history, surpassing $203 million in sales while also raising more than $8.8 million for charity.

As is the case with all Barrett-Jackson events, many celebrities attended as well.

“Last year, Joey Logano came with several other NASCAR drivers,” he said. “He ended up being the NASCAR Cup Series champion (at Phoenix Raceway).”

The auction also welcomed GRAMMY Award-winning artist Pitbull as he sold his 2022 Karma GS-6 EV “Mr. 305 Edition” to support The SLAM Foundation and Selfless Love.

Other celebrities in attendance included Bret Michaels, Tim Allen and Renee Zellweger, as well as professional athletes such as DeAndre Hopkins, Richie Incognito, Bubba Watson and Jacoby Ellsbury.

This year was one of change for BarrettJackson. In August, IMG, an Endeavor company, acquired a majority stake in it.

The global leader in events, IMG owns, operates and commercially represents the likes of Frieze art fairs, the Madrid and Miami Open tennis

tournaments, Formula Drift, and New York Fashion Week: The Shows.

“Pairing Barrett-Jackson with the unique power of the Endeavor network is an unparalleled opportunity for our company, immediately opening doors to amplify and accelerate the growth of Barrett-Jackson as a global lifestyle brand,” Jackson said.

“I couldn’t be more excited to have this perfect partner as we look to optimize our fan experience and create new touchpoints for car enthusiasts around our live events and media offerings.”

Jackson and his team are working on elevating the auction experience and promises there are plenty of activities at the events beyond the block.

“It’s a lifestyle event and we add experiences all the time — live music, firepits, cigar lounge, the food and beverage offerings. It all lends itself to this experience that is Barrett-Jackson.”

Several family-friendly activities include STEM Fest on Saturday, January 21, as part of Barrett-Jackson’s Family Day, when children 12 and under receive free admission. Hot Laps and Thrill Rides with Toyota, Dodge, Ford and Chevrolet as well as exhilarating offroad experiences with RAM and Toyota will be available throughout the event.

As part of STEM Fest, winners of Barrett-Jackson’s community STEM Program, Gearing Towards The Future, will showcase their projects along with com-

something on assisted living.”

panies and organizations focused on STEM initiatives. The winners will also receive their awards during the event.

Introduced in September, Gearing Towards The Future was created with SciTech Institute to develop future automotive engineers and technicians.

“Barrett-Jackson is passionate about its long history of creating familyfriendly automotive lifestyle events that encourage multiple generations to come together and enjoy a shared interest with one another,” Jackson said.

“This new STEM program provides an even greater opportunity to engage with the youth here in Arizona through an exciting educational platform that will help support the future community of automotive enthusiasts.”

There were four open competitions: a 10th and 11th grade-only competition focused on the design and build of an electrical component for any vehicle for the future of transportation, a 7th and 8th grade-only competition focused on developing a plan that outlines how to implement electric vehicle charging infrastructure that could be implemented across the country, a 4th and 5th gradeonly competition focused on presenting the design and layout of a future vehicle, and a competition open for all grades, Pre-K through 12, with the focus on presenting a plan for future transportation options in a community setting of any size.

down as an upcoming play.

Barrett-Jackson is invested in Gen X, too. The Future Collector Car Show (FCCS) returns Sunday, Jan. 22, with a new location: the Polo Field at WestWorld of Scottsdale. The concours-style event will celebrate the cars we love today and the collectibles of tomorrow. During the show, which was formerly held at High Street, spectators will enjoy a variety of vehicles ranging from the 1980s to today, from highly modified custom builds to original and perfectly preserved rides, effectively creating an experience where generations of vehicle owners can find common ground in their love of future collectibles.

“The FCCS is all about cars from the ’80s and up, and it’s really taking the collectors and enthusiasts who dream about those cars and showcasing them,” Jackson said.

“It’s a true judging of that era of cars. We really want the generation that grew up with these cars—millennials, GenXers—to enjoy this entire genre of cars. We’ll have European sports cars and Japanese cars; cars the younger generation of automotive enthusiasts grew up loving.”

Jackson says there’s truly something for everyone.

“Barrett-Jackson is a place to see and be seen,” he said. “It is a lot of fun. It’s something unique. It is the only major event like it in the world. People come from around the world to enjoy it. Locals should take advantage of it as well. There’s so much happening here in Arizona in early 2023, and it all starts with BarrettJackson.”

If You Go:

Barrett-Jackson, The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auction

When: Times vary, Saturday, January 21, to Sunday, January 29

Where: WestWorld, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale

Cost: Tickets start at $25; discounts for seniors, military, students, first responders, children Info: barrett-jackson.com

They did just that.

around the parking lot and noticed a woman loading a walker into her car. That was when he blurted, “Maybe

Bennett chimed in and said, “How about ‘Assisted Living: The Musical’?”

Though her response was a joke, the director loved the idea and jotted it

This left Compton and Bennett with only three months to write a witty, whimsical play reflecting an assisted living theme.

The show received rave reviews from the Associated Press and caught the

This 2019 Ford GT Heritage sold last year for $1.2 million. (Barrett-Jackson)

attention of producers from New York.

Compton and Bennett felt that they were on top of the world until a talent agent brought them back down to earth.

“After one of our shows, when the director was there, we went out to this restaurant that had the tablecloth and the crayons that you write on and he stared off by picking up a crayon saying, ‘well, your audience surely loved you, but, let me explain to you why you don't have a show,’” Compton recalled.

He admitted that he and Bennett were flabbergasted.

“We were sold out six weeks in advance, performing two nights a week, receiving standing ovations, we were selling CDs and we were on top of the world,” Compton said.

However, after listening to the director's points, they began reworking the musical.

One of the biggest tweaks was the removal of a somber number that had previously left audience members feeling dejected.

“We put in a sad song and people were crying,” Bennett said. “They put their heads down, and that was it for them.”

Another key change came from moving Compton from his seat at the piano to center stage alongside Bennett.

After two workshops on “Assisted Living: The Musical,” the duo feels it has created a humorous show that is amusing for adults of all ages but not overtly offensive to the elderly.

“With these characters that we play, we never make fun of old people,” Compton said. We don't do deprecating humor since this show is about our friends, our family and ourselves and deals with the aging process.”

In addition to dealing with the aging process, Compton and Bennett each play nine characters – including Naomi Lipschitz-Yamamoto-Murphy, a thrice-married nicotine-drenched real estate yenta played by Bennett whose clients want to get their hands on more than just real estate and Ben Younger, a Borscht Belt comedian.

In addition to meeting a large cast of characters, fans are also serenaded to 23 charts of music – including four parodies of pop songs that some fans may recognize.

The show – which opens on Thursday, Jan. 19 – culminates in a 70-minute, laugh-out-loud comedy that will leave audiences gasping for air.

However, Compton hopes that the show leaves fans with much more than that.

“A lot of songs in their heart, a smile on their face and likeness in their soul,” she said. “That's what we're after.”

If You Go:

Assisted Living: The Musical

When: 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 19-22

Where: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. 2nd St. Cost: Tickets start at $35 Info: scottsdalearts.org/events

Why people should be concerned about FODMAP foods

BY JUSTIN MARSH Progress Guest Writer

As the holiday season comes to an end, it’s common to focus on improving overall health heading into the new year.

Most people tend to overindulge during the holidays, which can lead to digestive discomfort, especially if you’re already su ering from digestive diseases or food sensitivities.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the number of people su ering from digestive diseases in the U.S. is more than 60 million. These can vary in seriousness, but they all significantly disrupt our lives and overall health.

One common digestive disease is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Sensitivity to high FODMAP foods can be prevalent in people su ering from IBS.

What are FODMAPs?

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols.

In simpler terms, these are a group of short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that are indigestible or poorly absorbed in the gut leading to digestive problems such as bloating, belching, flatulence, abdominal discomfort, constipation and diarrhea.

When you eat, the food travels through your intestines. When FODMAP foods reach your colon, they get fermented and are used as fuel by your gut bacteria.

This bacteria that feeds on FODMAPs produces hydrogen, a gas that can lead to the above-mentioned symptoms.

Not all FODMAPs are equal. People who su er from sensitivities to FODMAPs may only have issues with one kind and not another. FODMAPs are divided into five categories:

Fructose. Fructose, a simple sugar found in many fruits and vegetables, also makes up the structure of table sugar and most added sugars.

Lactose: Lactose is the main ingredient in dairy products.

Fructans: Fructans are non-digestible and are ingredients such as garlic and onions or grains like wheat, rye and barley.

Galactans: Galactooligosaccharides, commonly known as galactans, are

also non-digestible and can be found in legumes such as beans, chickpeas and lentils.

Polyols: Polyols are sugar alcohols found naturally in some fruits but primarily found in artifi cial sweeteners. Mannitol and sorbitol are naturally occurring sugars, while xylitol, maltitol and isomalt are added sugars.

The low FODMAP diet has been mostly studied in people su ering from IBS. According to the Food and Drug Administration, they comprise 20 percent of the U.S. population.

The benefits of a low FODMAP diet include less gas, bloating, stomach

pain and constipation/ diarrhea.

When starting the low-fodmap diet, you should stop eating high-fodmap foods. After two to six weeks, slowly reintroduce these one at a time into your diet to help identify the most troublesome ones for your gut. This will allow you to avoid certain FODMAPs while adding the other foods back into your diet.

Completely eliminating FODMAPs is dicult to do while maintaining a well-balanced diet.

The good news is you can also get relief by using a blend of specialized enzymes and spore-forming probiotics that assist the body in properly digesting highly fermentable foods.

Look for a formula that contains ingredients like alpha-galactosidase, which helps break down galactan and invertase, which helps digest sucrose.

Whether you know you have a FODMAP sensitivity or are still in the learning process, you can find relief by understanding how FODMAP foods react with your body and incorporating supplements into your daily routine to aid in digestion.

Justin Marsh is the founder/CEO of Arthur Andrew Medical, a manufacturer of enzyme and probiotic-based dietary supplements in Scottsdale.

Justin Marsh is the founder/CEO of Arthur Andrew Medical, a manufacturer of enzyme and probioticbased dietary supplements in Scottsdale. (Special to the Progress)

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Z s t a t e l a w A r i z o n a R e g i s t r a r o f C o n t r a c t o r s ( R O C ) : The advertising requirements of the statute does not prevent anyone from placing an ad in the y e l l ow p a g e s , o n b u s i n e s s c a r d s , o r o n f l y e r s W h a t i t d o e s r e q u i r e u n d e r A . R . S . § 3 2 - 1 1 2 1 A 1 4 ( c ) w w w . a z l e g . g o v / a r s / 3 2 / 0 1 1 6 5 h t m i s t h a t t h e a d v e r t i s i n g p a r t y , i f n o t p r o pe r l y l i c e n s e d a s a c o n t r a c t o r , d i s c l o s e t h a t f a c t o n a n y form of advertising to the public by including the words "not a licensed contractor" in the advertisement Again, t h i s r e q u i r e m e n t i s i n t e n d e d t o m a k e s u r e t h a t t h e c o nsumer is made aware of the unlicensed status of the individual or company. Contractors who advertise and do not d i s c l o s e th e i r u n l i c e n s e d s t a t u s a r e n o t e l i g i b l e f o r t h e h a n d y m a n s e x c e p t i o n R e f e r e n c e : h t t p : / / w w w a z r o c g o v / i n v e s t / l i c e n s e d b y l a w h t m l A s a c o n s u m e r , b e i n g aware of the law is for

can check a business' ROC status: http://www azroc gov/

ANDREW BLOOM, HOUSING EXPERT

Andrew Bloom is the CEO and co-Founder of BVO LUXURY GROUP at Keller Williams Northeast Realty. Collectively Keller Williams Luxury has sold over $98 billion in 2021 and Year to date Keller Williams Luxury has represented over 48,000 buyer’s and seller’s over $1M. KW continues to expand globally and remains the number one real estate company in the world as ranked by Realtrends. The BVO Luxury Group is now in it’s 3rd generation, Maricopa County’s #1 Real Estate Team of the year in 2018, 2019, and 2020, and 2021. The team has grown significantly to make 2022 the best year ever headquartered right here in Scottsdale.

The Most Unexpected Real Estate Trend to Come Out of 2022

The market flipped! Nobody expected the bottom to fall out, but like a good upside-down cake, there is opportunity for everyone. We will continue to see the shift in the market throughout 2023 with home sales about 20% below the 6.1 million home sales of 2021 and 4.8 million home sales in 2022.

For buyer’s the pro’s are long and the con’s are short.

Pro’s:

• More inventory

• Price negotiations

• No need to waive inspections

• No need to waive appraisals

• No bidding wars

• Move in at close of escrow

• Time to think

• Seller paid closing costs

• Seller repairs

Con’s:

• Higher interest rates that are still reflective of 30 year averages

Conclusion: Buyer’s can now marry the house they love and date the rate.

For Seller’s the pro’s and con’s are flipped but let’s focus on the pro’s.

• Move up to a larger home with recent equity gains

• Downsize to a smaller home with cash

• Sell NOW and capitalize on equity gains while sitting on the sidelines. You never lose money taking chips off the table.

Help Buyers Emotionally Connect

Staging is about showcasing an engaging, move-in ready home that creates an emotional connection with the buyer. Updating décor with on-trend, inviting style— particularly in living rooms, primary bedrooms, kitchens, and dining rooms—can make a memorable impression.

If you are thinking of selling your home, now more than ever your home must be in TOP condition. At BVO Luxury we offer FREE home improvement and staging consultations.

Keller WIlliams Northeast Realty, Luxury Division

Voted #1 Scottsdale Real Estate Team 2018, 2019 & 2020

CEO AND FOUNDER OF THE BVO LUXURY GROUP