Scottsdale Progress 01-29-2023

Council offers some hope to Rio Verde Foothills

BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

The number of possible short-term solutions to get water to the Rio Verde Foothills community is running perilously thin.

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge on Jan. 20 shot down some area residents’ attempt to force Scottsdale to turn the water back on at the standpipe that once serviced the area while their lawsuit by area residents is hashed out.

And Mayor David Ortega said his meeting the same day with Scottsdale Rep. Dave Cook produced no solution. But there could be a sliver of light on the horizon.

Scottsdale City Council held an executive session to discuss the issue Jan. 24 then issued a press release that said, “Scottsdale is willing to discuss solutions that comply with the city's state-mandated Drought Management Plan and do not negatively impact water resources for City of Scottsdale residents.”

A Maricopa County supervisor and a state legislator have said Ortega’s unwillingness up to this point to help the community of about 2,200 people northeast of Scottsdale is giving the city and Arizona a black eye. The shutoff affects about 700 families who depend on hauled water entirely or use it to supplement their wells.

A group of about 200 residents pooled their money to hire an attorney and file

see RVF page 12

Parada Del Sol marches on for 69th time

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

Scottsdale's longest-running tradition will once again take to Scottsdale Road when the Parada Del Sol returns this year.

The parade is expected to attract over 30,000 people on Saturday, Feb. 4, to gawk at 150 entries parading on horseback, in hot rods or by foot in a marching band.

Though this year marks the 69th annual Parada Del Sol, the parade will have a sense of infancy as this is the second

Andrew Bloom REALTOR®, Senior Partner Andrew@BVOLuxury.com

Over 150 entries will dazzle thousands of spectators at Saturday’s 69th Parada Del Sol. (Progress file photo) see PARADA page 2

time it is be hosted by the Scottsdale Charros and the first year that Charros Vice-Chair Joe Deka will be the Parada Boss after Chair José Leon served last year.

“A couple of years ago, the city asked us to help out with the parade and that was when José Leon was the chairman of the Scottsdale Charros and I was named as the vice chair at that time,” Deka explained.

“We have a succession in place to where we choose internally, somebody who's qualifi ed for the position and they go and go through the ranks and they're involved with the parade for a couple of years before they ascend to the chairmanship. As the vice chair of the Charros, the succession would be that I would run the parade this year.”

Though this was initially a slightly daunting task for the Houston transplant, who relocated westward four years ago, Deka said he is using the success and smoothness of last year's parade as momentum for this year's march down Scottsdale Road.

“(Leon) did a great job last year, so learning from those who came before you is an important lesson for anybody,” said Deka. “He's been instrumental in helping me to lead this year's parade and he continues to help, just like I'm going to help the next chairman behind me.

“We rely on those who have had the role before us to head off any problems and make sure the event runs smoothly first.”

With a successful first run under its belt, the Charros hope that this year

displays growth and features more businesses in this year's parade.

“We're a growing economy and we're blessed to have new residents moving in from everywhere,” Deka said. “With that brings big business and the best of our community determines what we can do with the parade.

“The more entries we can get, the more spectators and as far as fundraising, the more that we can get community businesses and partners involved, then the better we can make the event.”

The Parada Del Sol is not the only event that Deka sees expanding as

he sees large growth potential for the Trails End Festival that follows the parade.

Deka says that increased business participation in the Parada Del Sol and the Trails End Festival could result in “bigger attractions and games for the kids and bigger and better acts on our stages for the Trails End Festival.”

Although Deka hopes to create growth now that the Charros are running the parade for the foreseeable future, he understands that the Parada Del Sol’s tradition has caused its longevity.

“Everybody loves a parade and it's a chance to be outside during the best time of the year in Scottsdale,” Deka said. “It's been a multi-generational thing and there are stories of people's great grandparents and their grandparents and then parents and then them attending the Parada Del Sol and seeing all the horses and seeing all the entries.

“It's a way to celebrate the growth of our city and also importantly, our western heritage and we want to maintain that vision and that tradition.”

This year's Parada Del Sol is slated to offer over 125 entries and

the Trails End Festival, which takes place in the Historic Old Town District along Indian School Road and Brown Avenue, will feature live music, games, food and other familyfriendly activities.

Because of this, Deka is looking forward to providing residents with more fond memories of the Parada Del Sol.

“I’m looking forward to seeing all the people in the community together in one place and having a good time,” he said. “There's nothing that can come close to that, that feeling of being in the middle of a city with 40,000 of your best friends having a good time.”

If You Go:

Parada Del Sol and Trails End Festival

When: Saturday, Feb. 4. 10 a.m.

Parada Del Sol. Noon: Trails End Festival

Where: Historic Old Town District. Scottsdale Road between Drinkwater Boulevard and 2nd Street.

Cost: Free.

Info: scottsdaleparade.com

The Parada Del Sol will be followed by the historic Trails End Festival. (Progress file photo)

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EV CEO’s app aims to help teens

BY JOSH ORTEGA Progress Staff Writer

While everyone else was learning how to make sourdough bread during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Ben Smith was learning how to launch an app that asks users a single question but could hold many answers in the youth mental health crisis.

Smith is founder/CEO of GnosisIQ, an East Valley artificial intelligence software company that partnered with nonprofits Death2Life and notMYkid to provide Arizona teens with immediate access to mental health and emotional support resources.

The GnosisIQ app asks kids a single question: “How are you feeling?”

They answer by picking one of 12 emojis: happy, confident, excited, content, bored, confused, mad, sad, stressed, sick and tired, and depressed. The app records their answers by date

and time of day to help track a student’s well-being.

Gnosis IQ can help predict and track a student’s success, Smith said. It also leverages academic research, artificial intelligence and educator insight to support the holistic success of K-12 students.

Smith said Gnosis IQ allows teachers, administrators, and parents to know how students perform academically and their state of mind at any given time through individualized dashboards.

For those concerned about privacy, Smith said the app doesn’t record location, opting instead for a simpler record-keeping, like that of a journal.

“While the software is free, we don't sell the data,” Smith added.

Smith said tech companies haven’t really innovated much on behalf of education, and this app could be the beginning.

“They focus on aerospace, and the military and different aspects of business, banking, and so on,” Smith said. “No one really innovates in education.”

“We're 100% self-funded, and now I'm just looking to maintain that so I don't go bankrupt,” Smith said.

Both nonprofits partnering with him have a similar vision of finding innovative ways to assist struggling youth amid a shortage of counselors and emotional support specialists on school campuses.

Dawna Allington, director of peer programs at notMYkid based in Scottsdale, said partnering with Gnosis IQ provides a way to find youth who need support.

"My hope is that the software Gnosis IQ provides will find the individuals who would not otherwise ask for help and allow us the opportunity to assist

see APP page 10

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Pronoun restrictions in schools advance in Legislature

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

State lawmakers took the first steps last week to denying students the right to be referred to by a pronoun that matches how they identify themselves.

SB 1001, approved by the Senate Education Committee on a 4-3 party line vote, also would put into law that teachers and other school employees may refer to a student by only his or her given name or a nickname "commonly associated with the student's name of record.''

Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, who crafted the measure, said it would be OK to refer to someone named John as Jack.

"You just can't call 'John' 'Jane,' '' he said.

The legislation does contain an exception in cases where parents first give written permission, whether for a different pronoun or even a name to address the child. Kavanagh said that should take care of cases where parents are aware of and approve of a child's preference.

Kavanagh said this isn't about discriminating against transgender children. Instead, he said, it ensures that parents know when a child may have "gender dysphoria'' where the gender selected differs from the gender assigned at birth.

"The parents have a right to know about serious problems their children may be having,'' Kavanagh argued, problems that could lead to suicide.

Paul Bixler, a member of Liberty Elementary School District Governing Board, said that's fine for children who have a loving relationship with their parents. But he said this legislation fails to understand reality.

"There continues to come before this legislature efforts to either force a child to disclose their deepest, darkest secret to a person, maybe even a parent, whose reaction a child cannot predict, trust -- or even fears,'' Bixler said.

Erica Keppler, an activist in the LGBTQ community, testified that SB 1001 is based on another flaw.

"No one commits suicide because they are gender dysphoric,'' she said.

"They do it because family and society won't accept them or allow them to live as their true selves,'' Keppler continued. "Making schools even more hostile environments for trans youth only promotes the problem the senator claims it will help.''

Kavanagh brushed aside concerns that notifying a parent of that preference actually could put the student in danger of abuse or being thrown out of the house.

"That's a very cynical view of the American family,'' Kavanagh said.

Still, he said, if there is such a danger, then a parent could be contacted by a school counselor or even the Department of Child Safety. And if a child simply doesn't want a parent notified, Kavanagh said, the answer is simple: He or she has to live with the pronoun and the name they were given at birth.

David Trujillo, a 15-year-old transgender student born and raised in Tucson, told sometimes it is the support of teachers and friends that helps.

"I know personally that, for me, my teachers and classmates supporting me in the classroom has positively impacted my performance in school,'' he said.

But Heather Rooks, a member of the Peoria Unified School District board, said measures like this are important.

"Why are we so focused on the sexualization of these kids?'' she asked. "We need to focus on the academics right now.''

Sen. Justine Wadsack, R-Tucson, said something is lost in the discussion of the rights of transgender students to be addressed the way they want.

"You're not talking about the other students who don't, and the other students who actually are being forced in the classroom to use pronouns that they don't understand, that they don't feel comfortable using,'' she said. "And then they're getting punished for not using them.''

see PRONOUNS page 16

Republicans quash bill to make sidewalk sleeping a crime

BY BOB CHRISTIE Capitol Media Services

ARepublican state senator from Mesa’s personal experience with mental illness and homelessness derailed a bid by another GOP lawmaker from Scottsdale to make sleeping on a sidewalk a state crime.

Sen. David Farnsworth’s extended comments about his struggles led the chairman of a Senate committee to pull Scottsdale Sen. John Kavanagh’s proposal from consideration during a hearing this past week. Farnsworth described how a breakdown led him to leave his family home and travel to Seattle, where he lived on the streets and spent time in a homeless shelter.

“And it was a very educational experience for me because I came to the conclusion that mental illness like physical illness can come on any of us and we can heal from it,” Farnsworth said, saying he had panic attacks and was unable to live at home.

“As an adult with children, I ran away from home, so to speak, went up to Seattle, spent weeks up there sitting next to a park,” he said. “During that time period, I was homeless even though I owned a home in Mesa.”

Farnsworth spoke during discussions on Kavanagh's plan to make it a top-level misdemeanor for someone to sleep, lie down or sit on a street, sidewalk or other public right of way. Kavanagh’s proposal mirrors a Phoenix ordinance that is currently on hold because a federal judge blocked enforcement.

Federal courts have held that bans on sleeping in public can't be enforced if there are not enough public shelter beds to house the homeless. Marilyn Rodriguez, a lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, told the committee that the ACLU sued over the Phoenix ordinance and if the proposal were to become law it likely would face a similar fate.

The number of homeless in the state's two largest metro areas, Phoenix and Tucson, have grown significantly in the past five years. In Pima County, last year's annual homeless count found more than 2,200 people did not have

housing, compared to just under 1,400 in 2018. In Maricopa County during that same time period, the number of homeless grew from about 6,300 to more than 9,000. Rodriguez noted that Phoenix has just 1,800 shelter beds.

But Kavanagh told Capitol Media Services there are often shelter beds available and that the homeless could go to parks or other public areas rather than camp on the street if there are not open beds. And he noted that the Legislature earmarked $5 million last year for cities to build temporary shelters and Phoenix is not using that money.

“I think it’s because they don’t want to trigger having to clear their streets and parks,” he said.

Losing the support of any Republican in either chamber spells doom for any legislation that lacks Democratic backing, since the GOP has only onevote majorities in both the House and Senate. And even if bills make it out of the Legislature, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs may hit them with her veto stamp, which she has said she is ready to wield as often as needed.

The Legislature has a series of proposals to deal with homelessness, including an effort from Rep. David Livingston, R-

Peoria, that would force homeless people to live in dedicated spots, bar sleeping elsewhere and require the state housing department to dedicate money to creating camping locations.

Livingston was not available for comment Friday. His bill, which failed to advance in the past two years, is set for a hearing on Monday.

New Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs’ executive budget also takes on the crisis in homelessness by putting $150 million into the state housing trust fund, money that can be used for homeless shelters, rental and utility assistance and to leverage federal funds to build new affordable housing.

The trust fund has been mainly neglected since its funding was stripped during the Great Recession, although it got a $60 million infusion last year when lawmakers doled out hundreds of millions in surplus cash.

Cities are struggling with how to deal with the homeless.

Phoenix faces a lawsuit from business owners near a sanctioned homeless encampment known as “The Zone,” a halfmile from the state Capitol, seeking to declare the area a public nuisance.

In Tucson, advocates for the homeless filed suit last week seeking to bar police from conducting clean-up sweeps of encampments ahead of the annual Gem and Mineral Show, a huge tourist draw. The city also faces pressure to address the issue from business and civic groups who say it is a threat to public safety and business.

The sidelining of the ban on sidewalk sleeping was the second Kavanagh bill that hit a roadblock this past week in the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, Public Safety and Border Security chaired by Sen. David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista. His other measure would have made it a crime to solicit for money in a raised or marked median, something that the longtime lawmaker calls dangerous. Kavanagh has tried for years to pass legislation that would prohibit asking for cash at freeway off-ramps or intersections, only to see those efforts fail.

The latest prohibition on begging in a median was pulled from consideration

State Sen. David Farnsworth, R-Mesa, rebutted Scottsdale Republican Sen. John Kavanagh’s bid to make sleeping on sidewalks a crime by candidly talking about a time in his life when he was homeless. (Capitol Media Services)

them," Allington said.

Whether teens need to talk to someone day or night, they will have access to a Death2Life counselor through notMYkid's [I]nspired program app, which connects youth with a certifi ed peer support specialist who has a wide variety of life experiences so that talking about life’s problems becomes a little more relatable for teens.

Smith said the software directly connects students with counselors and peer advisors to organizations that want to help.

Smith knows all too well the struggles kids face – not only with three kids of his own and one foreign exchange student living with his family – but also from his own life.

He grew up in Arizona and struggled academically with an undiagnosed case of dyslexia.

In fifth grade at Yavapai Elementary School in Scottsdale, Smith discovered his passion for computers.

“I remember going into that com-

puter lab in the library and interacting with a computer for the first time and just loving it,” Smith said. “Just seeing all the potential that it had.”

At Coronado High School, Smith continued his fascination with computers and was given the opportunity to accelerate his learning.

As a sophomore, Smith sat “completely bored” in an online learning class reading prompts and answering questions, albeit repetitive and unengaging. So Smith decided to have some fun with the system.

Admitting to this much later, Smith hacked the system, passed his way through the class and spent the rest of the time designing an interactive online learning platform that Smith said he couldn’t have designed without the teachers and lab aides fostering his learning.

“That supported me through experimenting with coding and developing and building out something that ultimately other students would be able to use,” Smith said.

With computers on the forefront of Smith’s mind, mental health also sat heavy on his mind.

His mother suffered from mental

and though her death in 2009 isn’t classified as suicide “it was really selfinflicted over time,” he said.

As a nurse, his mom would know how to work the system to fill multiple prescriptions at different locations in a single day, and to this day, Smith has vivid memories of his mother’s struggles with prescription narcotics.

“She started mixing the batter and then passed out in the middle of making my birthday cake,” Smith said.

Smith said he designed the app at a third-grade level because that’s the age children start to read or at least understand and recognize what's going on around them. But, he added, it doesn’t look childish for teenagers in high school.

GnosisIQ is scheduled to launch on Jan. 31 in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and Smith said he hopes this will usher in a new era in the youth mental health crisis.

“It's really something that I hope will be a true innovation in education, supporting kids going forward,” Smith said.

For more info, visit gnosis-iq.com.

The app by Chandler-based GnosisIQ asks kids to indicate with a single click how they are

Council voices mixed reaction to Old Town guide changes

BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

Scottsdale city staff proposed a slew of changes and updates to the Old Town Character Area Plan to the city council during a work session Jan. 24. The 20 proposed changes range from limiting height allowances to ensuring structured and continuous shading of sidewalks within the downtown core area. The recommendations stem from comments un open houses in fall 2021.

City Councilwoman Tammy Caputi contends they take away the city’s negotiating power with developers and discourage development downtown.

“Times have changed,” Caputi said. “Downtown needs to be vibrant. Going backward is a recipe for disaster. Without redevelopment, the city will have no ability to negotiate for things like infrastructure improvements, open space and workforce housing.

“Given the high cost of land, rising interest rates, material and labor costs,

and supply chain issues, we need to make it economically feasible for new investment. Most of the proposed changes will simply drive it away. Downtown pays for an out-sized portion of city amenities. We cannot afford to allow our downtown to fail.”

Downtown is divided into four development areas, with type 1 allowing building heights of up to 40 feet in the historic Old Town Area and 48 feet everywhere else. Types 2 and 2.5 allow for building heights of up to 60 feet,and type 3 allows 84 feet. Developers can “buy” additional “bonus” heights with cash and amenities like open space or public art.

The proposed changes to the bonus heights include up to 90 feet in type 2 areas and 115 feet in type 3 areas. The recommendations also propose eliminating type 2.5, which had a maximum bonus height of 120 feet.

Mayor David Ortega liked the changes.

“I believe that the flaws and excesses of the 2018 Old Town Character Area Plan transacted during the Mayor (Jim)

Lane era must be fixed,” Ortega said. “The Southbridge Two debacle and citizen referendum revealed the dissatisfaction with the Old Town Character Area Plan 2018.”

Councilman Barry Graham liked the proposed changes as well, stating, “I'm pleased with the progress to update the Old Town Scottsdale Character Area Plan, a process that started in 2021 and has included and encouraged input from stakeholders across the spectrum.”

He said the proposed changes would allow more consistent and predictable zoning and remove special zoning carve-outs, among other things.

He also said they would strengthen the bonus system by reducing maximum building heights and prioritizing open space and pedestrian connectivity, improve planned block developments (PBD) by requiring parcels to be contiguous and repeal the outdated Infill Incentive District program.

Vice Mayor Tom Durham liked the changes too, particularly changing the development types of several parcels

next to type 1 areas from type 3 to type 2.

Councilwoman Betty Janik also supports changing certain areas around type 1 areas from type 3 to type 2. She also liked the lower bonus heights, but she felt the amount of retail space required for mixed-use buildings needs to be scrutinized on a building-by-building basis.

“We don’t want to have stores and no foot traffic,” Janik said. “It’s not all right ... some streets offer more foot traffic than others.”

Councilwoman Solange Whitehead said, “I have heard from hoteliers, development professionals, business owners, and residents in support of lower heights, higher design standards, public open space, robust landscaping, and a pedestrian path system for downtown. The 2018-approved plan dramatically increased allowable heights without any of these community investments. Unlike the 2018 version, this draft is aligned with tourism priorities, will create a healthier place to live, and is based on a voter-approved General Plan.”

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the lawsuit over the Jan. 1 standpipe shutoff.

They are hanging their hopes on a state law that 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 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.”

However, Judge Joan M. Sinclair ruled that the city was not acting as a utility and that the homeowners “have not provided evidence of irreparable harm.”

“There has been no demonstration that the Plaintiffs are unable to obtain water at all from any source,” she wrote.

And Sinclair did not hold out much hope for the lawsuit as a whole.

“The court does not believe, given the language of the statute noted above, that Plaintiffs have shown a

strong likelihood of success on the merits,” Sinclair wrote. “Loss of water from Scottsdale to persons living outside the city’s boundaries is a hardship to Scottsdale.

“Given the current drought conditions in the area, loss of water to anyone is a hardship. But the Plaintiffs have not shown that they are unable to

access water at all. They just cannot access it from the Scottsdale Standpipe at this time.”

Christy Jackman, a leader of the group that brought the suit, said the homeowners plan to appeal the ruling.

She also said she met with state lawmakers whom she wouldn’t name, on

Jan. 24 and that they have promised legislation that would counteract Sinclair’s decision.

“That’s (the) judge’s decision and her lack of wanting to deal with (the situation) has left every rural community in Arizona at risk,” Jackman said.

Scottsdale turned off its tap as part of the first stage of its drought management plan that was enacted after Arizona’s allotment of Colorado River water was cut by federal authorities.

Cook, who is championing the Rio Verde Foothills cause, proposed a new twist on an old solution to the problem: He had struck a deal with the Gila River Indian Tribe to provide 100 acre feet of water per year to serve the community until a long-term solution can be identified.

It wouldn’t cost the Scottsdale any water and it could pass the cost of treating the water to the Rio Verde Foothills residents.

Cook said it’s a perfect solution, especially since Scottsdale already

Dozens of Rio Verde Foothills families gathered outside Scottsdale City Hall Jan. 10 to protest the city’s shutoff of a standpipe used by water haulers to serve some 700 homes. (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)

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3/10 US Naval Academy Glee Club with the Festival Orchestra

3/7 Williams, Mendelssohn & Tchaikovsky

2/18 The Kat & Dave Show Featuring David Foster & Katharine McPhee

2/7 Black Market Trust

3/5 Michael Feinstein & Jean Yves Thibaudet

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2/25 & 26 Neal Berg’s 50 Years of Rock & Roll Part 3

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buys water from the tribe, so no additional infrastructure would be required.

But that solution would still require the city to treat the water and allow it to be accessed at the standpipe, she said.

Cook said the meeting was fruitful and that the two sides are “in the exact place we need to be.”

“You can talk about the meeting in two different ways: how did it start and how did it end?” Cook said. “It started pretty rocky and rough but it ended in the exact place we need to be … Now it’s time to get the four votes (on city council) to support the plan and where we go from here.”

Cook said he has instructed his staff to reach out to City Council members to explain his proposal.

But Ortega said he reiterated the exact words from his state of the city address.

“Scottsdale taxpayers, Scottsdale voters invested in the best water facilities in the country, and we don’t take kindly to anyone trying to muscle into our water works,” the mayor said. “Especially when we abide meticulously to the law triggered by the drought.

“As to county areas outside of the Scottsdale city limits – they have water. Bulk sales are available in their vicinity.”

Cook had actually brought county Supervisor Thomas Galvin and state Sen. John Kavanagh, among others, along for the meeting but when they got there, Ortega only agreed to meet with each of them separately for 20 minutes at a time, starting

with Cook.

When that portion of the meeting ran long, everyone else left before seeing the mayor.

In the meantime, local lawmakers have said Ortega’s unwillingness to budge on the matter is giving the city and the state a bad reputation.

“Scottsdale is getting negative national attention for cutting-off water access to the Rio Verde Foothills community, which the media is portraying as a ‘water crisis,’” said Galvin, who represents both the Rio Verde Foothills as well as Scottsdale.

“That paints the Valley in a poor light right before hosting a major sporting event,” he said. “It’s problematic that one person continues to make his city and its wonderful residents look bad, especially in the face of a well thought-out and elegant plan that benefits everyone involved, including Scottsdale.”

Galvin also was a guest two weeks ago on KTAR’s popular afternoon talk show, Gaydos & Chad, whose hosts devoted part of their broadcast for at least four days ripping the city’s shutoff and specifically calling out the mayor.

Galvin went so far as to call Ortega, “sadistic.”

Cook said, “Absolutely it’s hurting not only Scottsdale’s reputation, it’s hurting the entire state of Arizona’s reputation. Arizonan’s are kind, compassionate, welcoming people. (Former) Gov. Ducey, a Republican governor, for eight years has said Arizona is open for business. Please come to our state, to Arizona, we invite you. Well, how does this look after listening to eight years of ‘We’re open for business’ to all of a sudden, ‘Yeah, if you come here, by the way, you could

get treated badly this way?’”

Linda Milhaven, who fought for a solution to the problem before she was term-limited out of council at the beginning of the year, concurred.

“We told them to find another source of water,” Milhaven said, noting that private water utility EPCOR “stepped up and said, ‘We’ll provide water. You tell us how much it will cost you to treat and transport it, add some profit to it and we’ll pay you that amount. Then we’ll sell it to the Rio Verde Foothills,’ which sounds like a win-win for everybody.

“There’s no Scottsdale water, there’s no cost to Scottsdale people and we make a little profit off of it,” Milhaven said. “So to be unwilling to consider that I think is an embarrassment to Scottsdale. And to see an article on the front page of the New York times about how Arizona is running out of water, not only is it an embarrassment to Scottsdale, I think it’s a national embarrassment to the State of Arizona.”

Ortega disagreed with that assessment though.

“On the contrary, Scottsdale residents, businesses and voters tell me that defending their taxpayer investments and control of our water facilities are my duty and the right thing to do,” Ortega said. “We abide by the rule of law and uphold out responsibility to secure waters, clean and deliver it to residents, businesses, hospitals, churches and schools within the jurisdiction of Scottsdale.

“Maricopa County government has the authority – therefore the responsibility for unincorporated areas –not Scottsdale taxpayers.”

EPCOR’s short-term solution was turned down by city staff for several reasons, such as the fact that it is not a governmental agency.

EPCOR has also agreed to a long-term solution that would include providing treated water from its own standpipe. However, it is expected to take two to three years to build the infrastructure to do that.

The Arizona Corporation Commission held a public hearing Jan. 23rd to register residents’ opinions on the long-term solution.

Residents told the commission that they are eating off paper plates, showering at gyms and doing laundry at family’s homes. However, most of the 60 or so people who attended the meeting reverted to arguments for and against the creation of a noncontinuous domestic water improvement district.

Approximately 600 residents in the area proposed the creation of the water district to pull water from the Harquahala Aquifer, treat it in Scottsdale water facilities and distribute it at the city standpipe.

City Manager Jim Thompson hinted that would be amenable to the city in a letter to council, but the issue bitterly split the community.

Ultimately the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted in August to not allow the creation of the district, largely based on Galvin’s recommendation.

At the time, Galvin publicly called on Scottsdale to not turn off the water, which has resulted in a public war of words between him and Ortega.

On Jan. 25th Cook issued a letter to the Arizona Corporation Commission asking them expedite EPCOR’s application for the long-term solution.

Cook said Ortega is treating the residents of Rio Verde Foothills worse than animals.

One provision in Kavanagh's bill could create problems even for supporters.

It says teachers and school employees with religious objections can't be forced to use a student's preferred pronoun, even in situations where the parents have given permission.

Sen. Ken Bennett, R-Prescott, who voted for the legislation, said he believes that the wishes of the parents should always win out. And he said he may not vote for the measure when it next goes to the full Senate unless that is removed.

RVF from page 14

“In this state if you walked out of a Harkins theater or your grocery store and you look over and you see a pet, a dog, locked in a vehicle with windows rolled up, you could legally bust the window out of that car for the pet. We sure don’t treat pets this way so it’s not okay for us to treat Arizonans this way.”

HOMELESS from page 8

after Gowan amended it to allow people to sell items from the center of the street, a change that Kavanagh did not support.

Kavanagh’s bill on homeless sleeping on sidewalks is unlikely to be revived, at least in its current form, unless Kavanagh is able to change Farnsworth’s mind. But that possibility remains remote at this point.

“The homeless problem is a big problem that we need to address,” Farnsworth said.

“I’m not sure this is the way to do it,” he continued. “In fact, I’m not comfortable in addressing it this way.”

Learning to give

Youngsters at Camelback Desert School in Scottsdale are learning early about the importance of giving back. They donated $500 in gift cards to Child Crisis Arizona to bring joy to local families during the holidays. Among those students who helped were, from left, Jaxson DiSanto, Ila Bonomo, Presley Brothers, Eden Gleason and Samuel Porter-Cercone. Child Crisis Arizona provides emergency shelter, foster care, adoption, counseling, early education and parenting support services to Arizona’s most vulnerable children, youth and families. Camelback Desert School is part of Spring Education Group, a multi-school network providing superior private school education from infant care through kindergarten. Information: CamelbackDesertSchool.com.

(Courtesy of Camelback Desert School)

Bill would ban political signs on sidewalks, corners

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Sen. Steve Kaiser has introduced legislation that could make him a hero of Arizona motorists -- assuming it gets approved and survives a likely court challenge.

The Phoenix Republican wants to ban political signs from street corners, medians and other public rights of way. Kaiser said SB 1116 simply does what his constituents want.

"They hate those things,'' he told Capitol Media Services.

"They cause a ton of bad traffic because you can't see around them, people put them in the wrong spot,'' Kaiser explained. "It creates a ton of trash.''

And then they can get defaced "and everybody freaks out.''

What they also are, Kaiser contends, is unnecessary.

"It's the least effective way to reach voters,'' he said. Kaiser said text mes-

saging and digital ads are both more effective and cheaper.

Yet Kaiser, in his 2020 and 2022 campaigns, put up signs around his district.

"If my competitor's going to do it, of course I'm going to do it,'' he explained. Of course, that war of escalation only increases the number of signs that pop up along the roads.

Kaiser also denied that banning these signs becomes an incumbency protection act, denying challengers the ability to create the same name ID that those in office may already have. Instead, he said, the effect would be the opposite.

"Incumbents usually have the most signs and have better funding to carpet bomb an area,'' Kaiser said. "They also are better organized and know exactly when to place and where to place, and usually have professionals doing it for hire.''

While it may not seem like it to the average motorist, there actually already are state laws designed to deal with the

biennial crop of campaign signs.

They cannot be placed in a location that is hazardous to public safety, obstructs clear vision in the area or interferes with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act not to to block access.

Signs are limited to 32 square feet, or half that size in areas zoned for residential use.

They can be erected no earlier than 71 days before the August primary and must be taken down 15 days after the election.

And they can't be placed along state highways or overpasses.

Kaiser, for his part, believes the simpler solution would be to ban them all.

Nothing in SB 1116 would keep residents and businesses from putting signs on their own private property. But it still may run afoul of the First Amendment.

The key is the fact that, as Kaiser acknowledges, his legislation outlaws

only political signs on public rights of way. But signs still could be erected at those same intersections to advertise everything from new subdivisions to yard sales and even church services.

Gilbert found out the hard way that picking and choosing what signs are acceptable is not legally acceptable. That case stems from the fact that the Good News Community Church, like many small congregations, had no buildings of its own.

Church officials put up signs directing would-be worshipers to the site.

Gilbert said the signs could not be erected earlier than 12 hours before the event and had to be removed one hour after services ended. And the rules limited the signs to no more than 6 square feet.

By contrast, political signs could be 32 square feet and remain in place for months. And even what the town called "ideological signs'' could be permanent and up to 20 square feet.

Town officials argued there were legitimate reasons for the time limits on church signs, ranging from public safety to blight. But Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for a unanimous Supreme Court in 2015, called that legally irrelevant.

"Innocent motives do not eliminate the danger of censorship presented by a facially content-based statute, as future government officials may one day wield such statutes to suppress disfavored speech,'' he said. "That is why the First Amendment expressly targets the operation of the laws – abridgment of speech – rather than merely the motives of those who enacted them.''

Kaiser called it "an interesting question'' of whether the state could do what he proposes and single out only campaign signs for special treatment. But, for the moment, he has no interest in expanding the scope of his measure to impose similar prohibitions on other signs at street corners and in public rights of way.

"I really just want to focus it on political signs because it gets out of hand, it gets crazy,'' Kaiser said.

His legislation has not yet been assigned to a committee.

East Valley parents turn grief into a campaign

BY CECILIA CHAN GSN Managing Editor

Ayear and four months have passed but the death of his 15-year-old son Christian still gnaws at Bruce Petillo’s heart.

“We are devastated,” the Gilbert dad said. “You never come to terms with it.

“The fact that this was a preventable accident makes it worse.”

It was Labor Day weekend 2022 and Christian was at a friend’s house on a county island in Queen Creek.

The friend was showing off his mom’s handgun to Christian and other boys in a bedroom. As Christian held the gun, it went off, firing a 9mm bullet into his chest, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff ’s report.

The high school sophomore was rushed to the hospital and later pronounced dead. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner determined the shooting was accidental.

The Petillos’ youngest child also left behind a brother and sister.

to guns via education, advocacy and legislation. They’ve also set up a GoFundMe page to raise $10,000 toward that effort.

“One of the reasons we looked at this name for the foundation No Do-Overs is that children are going to make mis-

penalty for violation.

Petillo backed up the effectiveness of such a law by pointing to a report by the RAND Corp.

The nonprofit think tank found that

child-access prevention laws or safe storage laws reduce self-inflicted fatal or nonfatal firearm injuries, including unintentional and intentional self-injuries, among youth and also reduce firearm homicides among youth.

State Rep. Jennifer Longdon, D-Phoenix, introduced HB 2192 on Jan. 12. Longdon is a long-time advocate for gun safety after she was paralyzed in a random drive-by shooting in 2004.

Christian’s Law is actually a resurrection of HB 2367, which Longdon introduced in the 2022 legislative session and was held up in the Republicancontrolled Rules Committee. Longdon introduced a total of 10 bills in the last session related to gun regulation, all of which were stalled in committees.

The three-term representative said she is unsure how this latest measure will fare.

“With dozens of new members and a

see GUN page 20

“As parents you’re constantly looking to protect your children,” Petillo said. “I lay awake at night thinking about ‘what if.’

“Quite frankly we were supposed to be in Hawaii that weekend and postponed the trip because I got sick early in the week…and he went with friends and the accident happened.”

Petillo and his wife, Claire, have now channeled their grief into preventing needless deaths such as Christian’s.

The couple has formed the No DoOvers Organization with the goal of stopping children from gaining unauthorized and unsupervised access

takes,” Petillo said. “Most of the time they have the opportunity to learn from them.

“When it comes to guns there are no do-overs and as we as parents look back, we know we can’t change what happened with Christian. There’s no do-over for us.

“We do know we can take what’s happened and save the next child, the next family from having to endure the same tragedy that we’ve endured.”

The organization is pushing a bill called Christian’s Law, which requires gun owners to secure their firearms and ammunition and carries a $1,000

Christian Petillo’s family keeps a small memorial table in their Gilbert home with photos and keepsakes of their dead son, who accidentally shot himself at a friend’s Queen Creek area house in September 2021. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)

“Responsible gun owners would be supporting this kind of legislation…because these are the types of things that will improve outcomes for kids and start reducing injuries and deaths in children associated with guns and actually help more of these gun owners be more responsible when they are not and help the gun industry. And ultimately it doesn’t infringe on anyone’s right to own a gun.”

new governor, I don’t know how to compare our chances to last year,” Longdon said. “These are often, you know, a very long view with public policy and especially with common-sense gun safety. It’s just been too long.”

She added that as a survivor of gun violence, she – like the Petillos – isn’t going away.

“We’re going to keep pushing this for as long as it takes, for as long as we can because honestly, that’s what we should be doing,” she said. “This is an issue that has broad public support and it would absolutely save lives.

“But the reality is that the Republicans still control a slight majority and they overall are terrified of the power of the gun lobby, the extremist gun lobby. So even incremental commonsense changes are a huge challenge and require political courage and that’s a rare commodity around here.

“And so it takes courage of families like the Petillos and others to get this done. The issue isn’t going away. And neither are we.”

Fellow House Democrat Jennifer Pawlik, whose Legislative District 13 covers a part of Gilbert, is the bill’s co-

Learn more and help Gilbert parents Bruce and Claire Petillo have formed the No DoOvers organization, which attempts to prevent unnecessary gun deaths among children and teenagers. For more information, go to www. nodoovers.org.

The couple also has set up a GoFundMe page for the organization. To donate, go to gofundme.com and search “no do overs.”

House Bill 2192

Here is a summary of a bill that sponsor Rep. Jennifer Longdon, DPhoenix, hopes will get a fair hearing by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

A. A person shall not store or keep a firearm or ammunition, or both, in any residence unless the person either:

1. Keeps the firearm or ammunition, or both, in a securely locked box or equips the firearm with a device that renders the firearm inoperable without a key or combination.

2. Carries the firearm or ammunition, or both, on his person or within such close proximity to his person that the person can readily retrieve and use the firearm as if it was carried on his person.

B. A person who violates this section is subject to a civil penalty of at least $1,000.

sponsor.

“It’s a matter of being responsible and knowing where your guns are and making sure they are properly secured,” Petillo said

Petillo pointed to recent stories in the Valley that’s occurred since Christian’s death such as in November when a 16-year-old boy was accidentally shot by a gun in Chandler that he and another 16-year-old boy were playing with.

In fact, in 2021, 56 children in the state died from a firearm injury and all of them were determined to be preventable, said Petillo, citing from the Arizona Department of Health Service’s latest annual child fatality report.

According to the nonprofit Brady: United Against Gun Violence,

every day 22 children and teens are shot in the country.

“We have over 6,000 kids a year being injured or killed by guns and no other Western society deals with this,” Petillo said. “There are lots of really responsible gun owners out there. Unfortunately, there are also a significant number of gun owners who are not responsible.

“Responsible gun owners would be supporting this kind of legislation… because these are the types of things that will improve outcomes for kids and start reducing injuries and deaths in children associated with guns and actually help more of these gun owners be more responsible when they are not and help the gun industry. And ultimately it doesn’t infringe on anyone’s right to own a gun.”

Petillo acknowledged that some people may get “a little upset” when it comes to any sort of gun regulation but he compared the proposed legislation to laws on the book such as seat belt use and drunken driving – which save lives.

The Petillos also are working with the Song family in Connecticut on passing similar legislation nationally called Ethan’s Law, named after 15-year-old Ethan Song, who was fatally shot by an improperly stored gun at a friend’s house.

Petillo said friends are volunteering to help with the grassroots nonprofit and get the momentum going.

No Do-Overs will partner with other organizations for help in passing legislation, raise awareness and “help us educate and really draw attention to this,” Petillo said.

It will also lobby the technology industry to come up with solutions to provide more safety and security when it comes to firearms and kids, according to Petillo.

“All of us love our children,” he said. “And I think if we look at this from a human perspective and understand that this is a very small step that can actually save a substantial number of children’s lives without infringing on Second Amendment right, I think it makes sense.

“It can happen to anyone. This was not something we would ever think would happen to us. We didn’t have guns in our home. It was just a personal preference. At the end of the day this is a human discussion.

“It’s really a matter of our children and doing what is right for them.”

Bruce Petillo, holding a photo of his late son Christian, has launched a crusade for gun safety laws but he faces an uphill battle with a Republican-controlled state Legislature, which has refused to even consider similar bills in the past. (David Minton/GSN Staff Photographer)

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notMYkid opens outpatient care for troubled teens

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Sta Writer

It’s no secret by now that most Americans, especially teens, struggle with mental health.

According to the O ce of Population A airs, “an estimated 49.5 percent of adolescents has had a mental health disorder at some point in their lives.”

Because of this, Scottsdale nonprofit notMYkid has launched an on-campus 12-week intensive outpatient program with a rotating curriculum that includes three days of group therapy sessions, individual and family counseling and peer support.

“I felt that there was a need to incorporate that family component to improve those connections and we also wanted to build a space where we can feel like it's part of their community,” said notMYkid clinical director Lorretta Mue elman. notMYkid had attempted to launch its outpatient care in early 2020 but was quickly stifled by the pandemic.

As the world began to re-emerge from stay-at-home orders and shut-

downs, Mue elman noticed an increase in teens who were struggling with their mental health.

“Now we're starting to see the aftermath of the pandemic and how it increased isolation and all that social separation and

the lack of connection and communities and in families,” Mue elman said.

“The pandemic added an extra level of stress on everybody in the family component and also added fear causing further disconnection and isolation.”

Like many other aspects and studies, Mue elman sees another major actor in the deterioration of mental health; social media.

“I think it's a crutch for trying to connect to other people and it's not really an organic, real life connection that we still need,” she said.

Mue elman has heard more teens say they have felt an increased need to harm themselves.

“Self-harm and low self-worth are things that can be attributed to social pressures, and the feeling of imposter syndrome, which I think we all struggle with at some point in our lives,” Mue elman said.

Because of this, Mue elman said that notMYkid needed to utilize a larger space to accommodate an influx of young people seeking help.

Because of this, notMYkid converted a building on its 13,000 square feet campus that previously housed yoga therapy to accommodate the surge.

Nearly 2,000 square feet have been transformed into a luminescent space decorated with a calming white hue equipped with cozy individual rooms for sessions.

“We really tried to be mindful of having the space be very uniform and utilize colors that are calming to our bodies and our brains,” Mue elman said.

Although the outpatient facility o ers a calming ambiance, the real work is done by a sta of master-level clinicians who will work to provide teens with healthy coping skills and a sense of hope.

“My hope is for them to have better family connections, to be able to communicate and advocate for themselves and for them to have peace,” said Mue elman.

Although Mue elman admits it can be controversial, the first step for teens entering a more positive state of mind is limiting their social media presence.

“This might be kind of controversial, but I would say to limit yourself on social media and really try to be present in the moment with whatever it is you're doing, whether it's art, or whether it's being with your family for dinner time,” she said.

“Trying to engage in an in-person way rather than going to the social media, I think that those relational connections are so important for our well-being that I think we missed the boat a lot with.”

Currently, notMYkid is assisting roughly 45 patients but anticipates that caseload could grow with the introduction of its Intensive Outpatient Program.

That program “is the call to action for early intervention,” Mue elman said. “It’s for when we see that kids are starting to experiment more or utilize substances to minimize their mental health struggles.

“With the program, we're really hoping to get those kids who might just barely be experimenting, or parents are just starting to notice that there's a struggle and we can o er them the skills that they'll need to know to combat that or manage their mental health with pro social healthy ways.”

Mueffelman hopes that the outpatient facility makes the patients feel welcomed and comfortable in a space where they can find happiness.

“We really want it to be trauma-informed but feel warm for families and we wanted a space for kids to just come and hang out,” she said.

Loretta Mueffelman is clinical director at notMYkid, which recently renovated part of their Scottsdale campus and created new outpatient facilities. (David Minton/ Progress Sta Photographer)

Separate therapy rooms are used for different age group,s such as this room designed for older children and teenagers, at notMYkid’s recently renovated Scottsdale campus. (David Minton/Progress Sta Photographer)

Moon Valley Nursery plants HQ in Scottsdale Airpark

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Sta Writer

Moon Valley Nursery last week cut the ribbon on its new 25,000-square-foot corporate o ce in Scottsdale Airpark. Its new o ce, located o loop 101 and Pima Road in the Pima Northgate o ce building, will comfortably house members of its corporate operations teams in departments like marketing and customer service call auditing – and likely will make a strong impression on visiting investors.

“One of the important things to us about the space that we were in previously, most of our employees had offices and we wanted to continue to have offices where possible for employees,” said Moon Valley CFO Deborah Keeley. “One of the big selling points was we could design it ourselves and we could build our offices.”

Moon Valley Nursery had previously housed its corporate headquarters less than 15 miles east of the new office at a space o of 7th street and loop 101.

But after seeing large growth over the past four years, CEO Brian Flood felt the company had outgrown its former home base.

“Over the last three or four years, we went from a 1,000-person company to nearly a 2,000-person company… so really it became a need to expand,” Flood said.

“We needed to continue growing the size of the personnel and have enough space where we could have an open space and not just use cubicles everywhere.”

Not only has the company doubled the number of its employees over the past half-decade, but Moon Valley

Nursery has also expanded into more southwestern markets including California, Nevada and Texas.

“We went into new states and new areas and hired new agents, we expanded into Austin and Dallas and now we’re expanding into multiple locations throughout Dallas and all through California – where we have just about 2,000 acres of a growing facility and have had a presence since 2014,” Flood said.

When asked what he would attribute his company's rapid growth too, Flood cited his biggest seller: trees.

“People once underestimated the importance of a tree and the importance of how nice it is to be in their yard,” said Flood.

However, Flood says that when stayat-home orders were enacted, people began understanding the value trees

bring to yards around the valley and our ecosystem.

“During that time, when everyone was at home, looking at their yard and had the time to take care of the yard, they realized how important it is to be outside,” he said.

Because of this, Moon Valley Nursery proudly touts itself as being “the largest tree grower in the United States” with tree farms in Texas, California and Tonopah, Arizona.

Moon Valley Nursery feels its new headquarters gives it a new home to continue to vertically integrate itself.

“We have a lot of nurseries in this world. We have a lot of farms, have a lot of landscapers and we've married the three to vertically integrate our company,” Flood said.

Amidst the growth, Keeley admits that only one place in the Valley made

sense for Moon Valley Nursery to relocate to.

“We knew that we wanted to be in north Scottsdale. However, we weren't exactly sure where,” Keeley recalled. “(We) looked at a lot of di erent spaces, and then once we saw this space, that was it.

“We loved the location of being right off the freeway and we love that it's close to restaurants – which is good for our employees – and we thought that the building is a beautiful building with the bonus that we could build it all out to our specifications and make it open and modern.”

With the facility opened after a three-month renovation and move-in, Moon Valley Nursery is shifting its focus to its plans to add 10 new locations this year – one of which will open in Scottsdale this spring and two others open around the Valley later this year.

“We are set right now to open 10 stores this year throughout the Southwest in Texas, throughout California and Arizona and we'll continue to expand,” Flood said.

Flood said that the coming years could also see Moon Valley Nursery branch out of the Southwest.

“We're excited about the opportunity to be able to grow the company and our goal is to open up to 10 new locations per year,” she said.

“What we plan to do is kind of fill in the states that were already in – so that's Arizona, California and Nevada, Texas – and then once we've filled in those states, then we would expand outside of those four states.”

Information: 602- 493-0403. moonvalleynurseries.com

Attending the ribbon cutting for Moon Valley Nursery’s new corporate headquarters were, form left: Bill Serva, company chief technology o cer; Cheryl Koury, executive director, Arizona Nursery Association; State Rep. Matt Gress; Scottsdale Councilwoman Betty Janik; Sal Bracale, Moon Valley Nursery vice president of operations; Moon Valley CEO Brian Flood,; Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega; Scottsdale Vice Mayor Tom Durham; Tom Ducey, director of operations and membership for the Arizona Chamber Of Commerce and Industry; Scottsdale Councilwoman Tammy Caputi; Moon Valley CFO Deborah Keeley. (Courtesy of Moon Valley Nursery)

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.

Desert Mountain ready for late-season, playo grind

BY ZACH ALVIRA Progress Sports Editor

It’s no secret a season in any sport can be grueling for athletes and coaches.

Time spent away from friends and family, from schoolwork and for high schoolers, everyday life with peers. But a player’s love for the game trumps all of that, especially in basketball.

Gone are the days where a high school sports season is all players compete in. Now there’s the club scene, summer ball with schools and then the long, grueling season that can include multiple in-season tournaments on top the regular schedule.

The new year for every Arizona high school basketball program is typically the turning point. In-season tournaments have concluded along with non-region games. The back-half of the season is all about taking down region foes, rivals. This time of year is the litmus test for teams and players.

“It’s coming down to where it’s really tight,” Desert Mountain basketball coach Mitch Armour said. “You can’t have any bad practices. You can’t have a bad quarter or bad possession. You have to make sure you’re playing tight at every aspect.

“That’s what separates teams this time of year. Can you stay consistent against everybody.”

Desert Mountain’s rise to become one of the top programs in the state doesn’t come as much of a surprise. At least, not for those who knew what they had coming into this season.

Kaden and Kalek House, twin sons of former Phoenix Sun Eddie House, have started to transform the Wolves program. They bring size, strength and a certain level of intensity on the court. Their basketball IQ is o the

charts, which isn’t much of a surprise given their father’s long career and what they’ve learned from their older brother, Jaelen, who won four state titles with Shadow Mountain and is now a star at New Mexico.

Having those two in their corner has helped them become who they are as freshmen for the Wolves: A dynamic duo that, along with fellow starters Zach Anderson and Vincent Parise, have elevated the program.

It also helps when the twins have their uncle, Mike Bibby, and father regularly in attendance for games. Michael, Bibby’s son, and the twins’ cousin is also an assistant coach at Desert Mountain.

“It’s really helpful because they got to the next level,” Kaden said. “When they’re shouting orders, it helps us continue. It really means a lot.”

Kaden’s rise as one of the top freshman players in a stacked class has been quick. He averages over 25 points per game, a stat line commonly

seen only by players with at least two to three years of experience at the varsity level.

He plays with a certain level of intensity on the court, mirroring how his father and uncle played for years in the NBA. He knows defense is the key to every successful team. That was the case for his older brother when he helped lead Shadow Mountain to four state titles during his time in high school.

Though Kaden and Kalek both admit while they aim to be like their father, Jaelen is the most intense out of the three. Though, they aren’t far behind.

“I do bring some intensity,” Kaden said. “On the defensive side my dad was a dog and Jaelen is a dog on defense. Jaelen brings the most intensity out of all of us, though.”

“Jaelen’s defense is very good, and his antics,” Kalek added before saying between him and Kaden, he is the most like Eddie. “I talk more than him. He talks, but it’s more subtle. I feel like I’m

more extreme with it.”

Like Kaden, Kalek has come into his own this season as a freshman. He isn’t the ball-dominant guard that Kaden is, electing to be more of a facilitator on both ends of the court. But he gets his fair share of points every night.

He averages over 16 points per game and has come up clutch on several occasions for Desert Mountain in close contests. Overall, he adds another layer to the Wolves, one that has allowed them to not only become one of the favorites in the 5A Conference, but a close-knit unit at the same time.

“I’m very proud of how the whole team is playing,” Kalek said. “We all talk o the court, chill o the court at each other’s house. It’s been good.

“(The seniors) really lift us up.”

Desert Mountain’s remaining schedule favors the Wolves. But they know every team will give them their best.

They’ve become a target in the 5A Conference, drawing large crowds with every matchup. They’ve weathered the chaotic atmospheres up to this point with relative ease, stumbling on some occasions but bouncing back the next night.

But they know the postseason will be a di erent animal, especially with the Open Division. But Armour is confident in his team’s ability. He knows they’ll be ready.

“It’s win or go home here pretty soon,” Armour said. “Even though we do have a lot of freshmen on the team, we have some older players who understand this time of year. We’re expecting to grind it out through February, but we’re focused on finishing January first.

“Once we do that, I think we’ll be ready.”

Desert Mountain freshman Kaden House is leading the way for the Wolves this season with over 25 point per game. He’s become the focal point along with twin brother Kalek, as the Wolves prepare to embrace the grind of the last regular season games and playoffs. (Dave Minton/Progress Sta )

Artists enjoy camaraderie at Celebration of Fine Art

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

Susan Morrow Potje still remembers when the Celebration of

Fine Art debuted three decades ago.

Back then, the 40,000 square feet of tent space off Loop 101 and Hayden Road that houses nearly 100 artists from across the country sat on a dirt floor that would often turn muddy on the rare rainy day.

The event hasn’t expanded physically, but it continues to grow in popularity, revenue and scale of artwork, according to Morrow Potje, the show director and daughter of show founder

Tom Morrow.

“We've evolved quite a bit from that first year. Back then, it was quite basic in that we had dirt floors and we had lots of rain that came through the tent,” she said. “Now, we have floors and our painting sizes have grown as well as the houses that we're filling with art since they have much bigger walls.”

Veteran artist David Jackson, who is returning for his 32nd Celebration of Fine Art, also has seen a dramatic change.

“If you were to go through and look throughout the years at the evolution

see CELEBRATION page 29

Former House Speaker’s art part of new exhibit

DAVID M. BROWN Progress Contributor

Three Arizona artists from different backgrounds will be honored in February when Scottsdale’s Larsen Gallery will showcase works of former Arizona House Speaker Russell ‘Rusty’ Bowers, the late pioneering Native-American artist Fritz Scholder and young Black painter, A.J. “Ahmed” Cannon.

An opening reception for “An Iconic Painter, A Politician, a Painting of Icons” exhibition will be held 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, 5at Larsen Gallery, 3705 N. Bishop Lane, Scottsdale.

“This exhibition is showcasing three artists who all called or call Arizona home,” said Polly Larsen, co-owner with husband Scott of the 30-year-old gallery.

“Bowers depicts a love of nature and his beloved home state in his dramatic landscapes; Scholder was probably the

most well-known artist in Arizona prior to his death in 2005, painting iconic images of Native American subjects; and Cannon, an emerging artist, has chosen jazz musicians to create a series of paintings that chronicle his love of music.”

Scott added: “Their backgrounds and life stories are as divergent as the works they create, yet they still share Arizona roots that impact their art and countless artists who have spent time in our great state. Their art is compelling, original and trailblazing.”

Bowers has been a professional artist for decades, mixing long-term public service with water and oil painting and sculpting. A lifelong conservative, he received a John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award in 2022 for affirming the results of the 2020 presidential election despite political pressure not to.

“From the halls of the Arizona Capi-

tol and national controversy to the walls of a Scottsdale gallery, I couldn’t be more excited, and nervous, to exhibit my art for the first time alongside these other artists,” said Bowers, whose bronze sculptures celebrating

state pioneers such as seven-time governor, George Hunt, can be seen in the Arizona House mezzanine at the State Capitol.

see ARTISTS page 29

Susan Morrow-Potje is show director of the Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale. (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)

Larsen Galley owners Polly and Scott Larsen are displaying the works of three legendary artists at the Scottsdale gallery. (Courtesy of Larsen Gallery)

of the gallery spaces, the studio spaces and you see how much they've improved and how much better the art is displayed, it's almost hard to put into words,” he said.

Jackson brought nearly 40 pieces of artwork with him and plans to create an additional 50 to 60 works during the show, which attracts about 50,000 people.

“I’m a high-energy guy and I feed off of the energy that goes on on this campus,” Jackson said.

In addition to seeing the works that fill the walls of the Celebration of Fine Art grow in stature, Morrow Potje has witnessed artists migrate to different mediums like leather work, paintings on metal, stone

and wood sculpting, oil and acrylic painting.

“In the earlier years, there was a lot more Southwestern-type art here, but we’ve evolved much more into contemporary art,” she said. “Today, we probably have a little bit more contemporary and abstract than the traditional Southwest.”

She has noticed a trend toward richness in the palettes of colors.

These colors can best be seen in the vibrant works of Tubac artist Ray Tigerman, who describes his works as “labor-intensive, abstract, Southwestern figuratives” and is returning to the Celebration of Fine Art for his second consecutive year.

“I call my artworks ‘wall sculptures’ because I put a lot of time, energy and layers into them,” Tigerman

said.

Although the works are larger and brighter, Morrow Potje has witnessed a second generation of artists working across from their parents.

“Most of our new artists come by way of referral from existing artists, however, we have a couple of multi-generation artists like Robin Branham and her son, Colin – who I first met when I was a young toddler,” she said.

Though Robin and Colin have worked next to each other at the past three celebrations, Robin admits it is special.

“It’s funny, though, because after being here so many years, it's all about your competition and outselling them and then you create your own best competition,” Robin said.

Although she hopes to sell as much art as possible, Morrow Potje said the

artists enjoy the camaraderie.

“These artists are always evolving and part of what happens here in the 10 weeks that they're together, the artists really kind of collaborate on things or give each other ideas,” she said. “It's kind of a little bubble here of learning and experiencing new things.”

If You Go:

Celebration of Fine Art:

When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through March 26

Where: 18400 N. Hayden Road, Loop 101 and Hayden Road, Scottsdale

Cost: Tickets start at $10 Info: celebrateart.com

His pioneer family came to eastern Arizona in 1875. He was born in Mesa in 1952, lived in Chino Valley, north of Prescott, moved to Scottsdale through the primary grades, then returned to the Valley, graduating from Mesa High School where he took an art class and won interscholastic art awards his senior year.

From Brigham Young University, he earned a degree in watercolor and took courses in sculpture and printmaking.

“I have always enjoyed the large skies and vistas of Arizona’s landscapes,” he said.

“I am enjoying coming back home to my studio for longer periods of time for sure,” he said. “It is good to focus on something that results in beauty and hope rather than what happens over in the Legislature. Peace is not a bad place to dwell in, but there are other things to do servicewise, and I am weighing how to combine them all.”

Scholder is remembered as a “color-

ist” combining bright pink, sherbet orange, blue and purple, often with noncomplementary colors, Polly explained.

More importantly, he was a stereotype breaker as a prime exponent of the “New Indian Art Movement” of the late 1960s and early 1970s, portraying what he called the “real Indian.”

Scholder’s pioneering works include “Indian at the Bar” (1969), showing a Native American leaning at a bar with a Coors can, or “Super Indian” (1970), another Native American eating an ice cream cone. “

They were very controversial when they were done as it was the fi rst time an artist had shown Native Americans outside the realm of romanticism and idyllic landscapes,” Scott said.

In 2015 a significant exhibition, “Super Indian,” traveled to the Phoenix Art Museum and reaffirmed Scholder as a significant 20th-century painter, and his market has continued to expand ever since; one of his 1970s paintings recently attracted $550,000, an auction

record.

By the mid-1970s, his home and studio on historic Cattletrack in Scottsdale became his main residence. He died there from diabetes.

More than 100 museums have Fritz Scholder works in their collections and His art has been the topic of more than a dozen books and two PBS documentaries.

Also based in Scottsdale, Cannon was born in Chicago and moved while young to Washington, D.C., his home until he was 10.

“I started drawing at the age of 3 and I couldn’t be stopped after that, but my painting skills didn’t quite measure up until college,” he recalled.

“My fondest recollections were walking into our home, which was only eight blocks from The White House, and seeing art all through our home,” he added, noting that his favorite artists, in addition to his parents, include Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Charles White and Norman Rockwell. His mom made hand-crafted jewelry and his dad

was an artist.

After moving to Arizona, he also took a few classes at The Scottsdale Artist School, and in 2022, he won the Scottsdale International Jazz Artist of the Year Competition. Here he met musician Doc Jones, head of the organization.

“What I admire most about Doc is how much he cares about seeing the future become brighter for youth that might not have an opportunity to prosper,” Cannon said.

Jones is also the executive director of The Molina School Of Jazz, a Phoenixbased charity that provides music education for children. Cannon intends to donate a portion of the proceeds from the month-long event to enable the school to purchase instruments for children in underserved communities.

“I really liked jazz but never in a million years thought to paint jazz artists,” Cannon said, “but these are some of the baddest jazz musicians on the planet — with names you wouldn’t even recognize.”

Information: larsengallery.com or 480-941-0900.

CLASSIFIEDS.PHOENIX.ORG

NOTICE OF CITY COUNCIL HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, will hold a public hearing on February 14, 2023, at 5:00 P.M in the City Hall Kiva, 3939 N. Drinkwater Boulevard, Scottsdale, Arizona, for the purpose of hearing all persons who wish to comment on the following:

2-AB-2020#2 (Scottsdale & Dixileta) Request by owner for re-approval of an expired abandonment approval of certain 33-foot General Land Office Patent (GLO) easement segments and the east 13-feet of the 33-foot (GLO) easement running along N. 71st Street, all within a +/-17.52-acre site, located at the northwest corner of N. Scottsdale Road and E. Dixileta Drive with Single-family Residential, Environmentally Sensitive Lands, Foothills Overlay zoning (R1-43 ESL FO). Owner to dedicate property interests to the City. Staff contact person is Jeff Barnes, 480-312-2376. Applicant contact person is Eric Gerster, 480-588-7226.

For additional information visit our web site at www.scottsdaleaz.gov search “Scottsdale Planning Case Files” or in your URL search bar you can type in https://eservices.scottsdaleaz.gov/bldgresources/Cases/

A COPY OF A FULL AGENDA, INCLUDING ITEMS CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS AND ANY MEETING LOCATION UPDATES, IS AVAILABLE AT LEAST 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING AT THE FOLLOWING:

Online at: https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/council/meeting-information/agendas-minutes

CHAIRMAN

Attest

LORRAINE CASTRO

Planning Specialist

For additional information visit our web site at www.scottsdaleaz.gov

PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY MAY REQUEST A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION BY CONTACTING THE CLERK’S OFFICE AT (480-312-7767). REQUESTS SHOULD BE MADE 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE, OR AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE TO ALLOW TIME TO ARRANGE ACCOMMODATION. FOR TTY USERS, THE ARIZONA RELAY SERVICE (1-800-367-8939) MAY CONTACT THE CLERK’S OFFICE AT (480-312-7767).

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