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Last Month’s Fake Ad

Publisher

Times Media Group

President

Steve T. Strickbine

Executive Editor

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Associate Editors

Ken Abramczyk, Kenneth LaFave

Art Director

Erica Odello

Graphic Design

Paul Braun, Amy Civer, Nicole La Cour

Administration

Courtney Oldham

Contributors

Kathy Burwell, Israel Gonzalez, Kimberly Hosey, Tracy House, Jill Pertler, Sherry Petta

Contact the Nearby News at 480-348-0343 • Fax: 480-348-2109 Editor@NearbyNews.com

NearbyNews

The Ranch Report is published monthly and distributed to 10,000 residences and businesses within North Scottsdale. (Approx. 8,500 mailed directly to homes and 1,500 distributed on newsstands, and in several hundred high-traffic locations throughout the community.)

community spotlight

By Kenneth LaFave

Scottsdale bond issues address infrastructure

e City of Scottsdale will seek approval for bonds in six areas of civic improvement in a special election Nov. 3. e funds sought, in a principal amount not to exceed $95,960,000, would be used for parks and community facilities; transportation; technology; street pavement replacement; and public safety.

“Together, we will be investing in our community, enhancing our daily lives, and improving areas in need of repair, while at the same time developing an economic environment that attracts tourists, businesses and creates employment opportunities,” said City Councilwoman Virginia Korte, who champions the bonds. e estimated average annual property tax rate for the proposed

bond authorization is 11 cents per $100 of net assessed valuation.

According to Korte, that works out to an average of $3.55 per month per household, based on an average Scottsdale home value of $371,000.

“While the individual tax obligation seems minimal, the beneﬁts for every resident and visitor are profound,” Korte said.

Past City of Scottsdale bond issues totaling some $700 million have resulted in “libraries, parks, senior centers, public safety, transportation needs, a Cactus League baseball stadium, cultural and visual amenities, and so much more,” Korte added. ere has not been a successful Scottsdale bond election since 2000. A 2013 bond initiative failed. City Councilwoman Kathy Littleﬁeld was

against that initiative, because its $212 million amount was too high, in light of an economy still struggling to escape recession.

“Also, it was bloated with special interest handouts and projects that could wait until citizens could get back on their ﬁnancial feet,” Littleﬁeld said.

e present bond proposal, which Littleﬁeld helped to craft, addresses critical needs.

“ e current infrastructure no longer complies with national standards and requirements,” she said. “With the economy slowly recovering and interest rates still low, now is the time to complete these projects and bring our city up to modern-day standards.”

But not everyone favors the new bonds. An anti-bond group, “Taxpayers Speaking Out Against Scottsdale 2015 Bond Questions,” was formed on July 22. e group’s chairperson, Ardith Hildebrant, could not be reached for comment, but a statement at the organization’s website, www.taxpayersspeakingout. com, reads in part:

“General obligation property tax bonds should only be used for items of great necessity, like a bridge that is crumbling (or) for large projects like the Indian Bend wash or the Preserve, not for maintenance or upkeep.”

On the website, group oﬃcials suggest the alternative of a one percent sales tax over the period of a year, which “would equal the same amount as this bond.” Because Scottsdale is a tourist destination, the website further claims, the majority of the cost would then be carried by tourists, not Scottsdale residents.

Mayor W.J. “Jim” Lane countered that Scottsdale has “one of the lowest property tax rates in the Valley, and that would still be the case if voters say yes to this bond request.”

e funding at issue is “no-frills,” Lane said.

“It will repave our streets, revitalize our parks, improve our intersections for better traffic flow, and give our police officers and firefighters the tools they need to keep us safe.”

For more information, including the exact language of the bond proposal, go to www.scottsdaleaz.gov/elections.

By Kenneth LaFave

For many elementary school students, “after school” means a dead zone between 3 p.m. release and their parents’ return home. But for at least one Valley afterschool program, it’s an opportunity to ﬁll in some of the blanks left by school.

“We focus on oﬀering classes [that] have either been cut or are being cut back,” said Eric Schwartz, who directs Scottsdale Club J for the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center.

“ ey pick a class one day in advance. A student might have pottery one day, then engineering, then a sport, then a language,” Schwartz explained.

One language at a time is taught.

Scottsdale Club J will start out with Spanish this fall, and throughout the year at diﬀerent times switch to Hebrew, French and Italian.

“We oﬀer yoga, foreign languages, a LEGO engineering class, pottery and acrylic painting and all kinds of sports, from football and basketball to generic playground games,” Schwartz said.

“We’re adding karate and music soon.”

Although supervised by the JCC, membership at Club J is open to all faiths, and Schwartz said the result is “a good mix” of every background. Each afternoon at Club J begins with snacks and playtime before classes. Students get to the JCC campus at 12701 N. Scottsdale Rd. mostly by bus from various area public, private and charter K-5 schools. e location is close enough to two schools—Sonoran Sky and Pardes—that those students arrive via supervised walk over.

Following snacks and play, students at Club J have their choice of what to study.

Sometimes, a student needs to spend an afternoon grappling with a homework assignment instead of a basketball or French vowels. So Club J also has tutors on hand to help with homework.

Club J is a nationwide program.

Schwartz arrived at Scottsdale Club J this year following 12 years with the Club J in Irvine, California.

Scottsdale Club J is 30 years old.

“I was a ﬁrst and third grade teacher back in the day,” Schwartz said. He learned directly the importance of classes outside the loop of “hard” subjects.

“ is is a place where kids can express themselves creatively,” he said.

Safety is also a top priority.

“Our staﬀ is licensed by the State of Arizona. Everyone is ﬁngerprinted.”

Scottsdale Club J expects 80 to 100 students for this fall semester. For more information, including rates, call (480) 483-7121, ext. 1275, or send an email to cassidys@vosjcc. org.

Club J mixes up the traditional afterschool program

By Israel Gonzalez

As a third grader, Suzy Carruth Kuperschmidt was required to write journal entries in her notebook as part of Mrs. Sewell’s class in 1964 at El Paso, Texas. Little did she know that her journal entries would become the basis of creating her own book 50 years later.

“I never saw myself as an author and don’t even consider myself an author now,” Carruth Kuperschmidt said. “Maybe I was an author in third grade.” e notebooks followed Carruth Kuperschmidt through her life the past 50 years, sealed away in a moving box and traveling with her from Texas, to Utah, to Nebraska, and ﬁnally Arizona. ey were uncovered when she decided to sort through garage full of old boxes in 2013.

One of treasures found in the box was a pair of 50-year-old Beatles notebooks. Carruth Kuperschmidt, a Scottsdale resident, sifted through the notebooks’ more than 150 entries. As she was reading the experiences

and stories she wrote down as a third grader, an idea came to her.

“I was going through my journals and thought, ‘Wouldn’t this be a cute kid’s book?’” Carruth Kuperschmidt said. “I started emailing editors and posting it on Twitter.”

Carruth Kuperschmidt then started a year and a half journey full of hopes and rejections. When she initially sent out the book idea to editors, she was turned down multiple times. is led to her to constantly putting the project down and picking it back up.

Eventually, Carruth Kuperschmidt found Taylor Hoﬀman, a family friend and local graphic designer for PagePer-Page, to design the book cover. She then got Eric Warren, another family friend and illustrator for the hit FX animated series “Archer,” to illustrate the book.

“I was getting bad responses back like, ‘ is isn’t good. is won’t work for us’ and I was defeated,” Carruth Kuperschmidt said. “I’d put it down, but then I would pick it back up.

When (Hoﬀman) did the cover for me I thought ‘this could really be a book.’”

From there, “Ramblings of a 3rd Grader” ﬁnally started taking oﬀ through networking and word of mouth. e two-year process culminated with a Kickstarter project that raised $5,600 and attracted 89 backers across the world.

“Ramblings of a 3rd Grader” contains 32 pages and features stories as they originally appeared on the notebook. Each story is accompanied by an image created by Warren. On the bottom of each story is a small section titled “Suzy Says.” Here the modern-day Suzy asks questions for children or adults to ponder. Stories range from dental hygiene, the tooth fairy and meeting monsters.

“Ramblings of a 3rd Grader” is available in hardback and each book purchase also includes an empty, paperback notebook that mimics the real books design. Readers are encouraged to write their own journals and make their own illustrations.

“I know it’s 2015 and every kid I see has a phone or an iPad,” Carruth Kuperschmidt said. “I just wanted this book in children’s hands. I just wanted

children to experience 1964 with me, when things were so simple. Even just for half an hour every day.”

“Ramblings of a 3rd Grader” is available at Changing Hands bookstore, Sugar Jam Bake Shop or www.ramblingsofathirdgrader.com.

Suzy Carruth Kuperschmidt created her book “Ramblings of a 3rd Grader” from 50-year-old journal entries.

Senior ride service committed to safety, security

Envoy America, a new “doorto-door” transportation model designed speciﬁcally for seniors to help them maintain their independence, announced a partnership agreement with Scottsdale-based Reliable Background Screening to screen all of its drivers and employees.

e background screening program includes criminal background checks, safe driving reviews, drug testing and other security programs. Each element of the program is key to maintaining the commitment to safety and security, and trust, for senior passengers.

Envoy America is an aﬀordable time-based subscription ride service. For rates, visit www.envoyamerica. com or call (602) 687-6345.

Its drivers are also companions and helpers. For example, during an outing, the driver may help with errands by carrying groceries or picking items oﬀ high or low shelves. Drivers also accompany seniors to medical or social appointments just like family members. e background screening process provides seniors and their adult children the highest level of conﬁdence and trust in their drivers and in Envoy America.

“Our motto is ‘If you could have known, you should have known,’” said Rudy Troisi, president and CEO of Reliable Background Screening, “We are proud to work with Envoy America, especially given the nature of their business and their passengers. We have designed a custom program just for Envoy America to meet and exceed their expectations.”

Screening is an important part of how we deliver on our brand promise.” e need for reliable, safe transportation options for seniors is growing every year. Envoy America provides a new model that is quickly gaining traction. e model is based on establishing a high level of trust with each passenger and their families and loved ones. Envoy America is proud to team up with Reliable Background Screening to build the foundation of this trust together.

K.C. Kanaan, co-founder of Envoy America, said each client is treated special.

“We treat each of our clients as a precious trust and we devote every possible resource to ensure a safe trip,” Kanaan said.

“ is starts with the careful screening of our driver team members and the on-going monitoring of their full compliance with our policies, procedures and values. Our partnership with Reliable Background

Reliable Background Screening, an award-winning company, is not just a vendor but a business partner based in the Phoenix Metropolitan area serving clients nationwide. Since 1990, Reliable has been helping corporations, business owners, franchise owners, nonproﬁt organizations, schools and governmental agencies, country clubs, yacht clubs, home owners associations, apartment complexes, individual landlords, and property management companies with employee, volunteer, membership, franchisee, and resident and tenant background screening. For more information, call (602) 870-7711 or visit www. reliablebackgroundscreening.com.

neighborhood hearsay

Welcome Le Macaron French Pastries to the neighborhood! The café and pastry shop will celebrate its grand opening on Sunday, Sept. 6, in the Scottsdale Quarter. From 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. free coffee and macarons will be served, while a professional balloon artist creates complimentary balloons for kids from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The eatery, located at 15323 N. Scottsdale Rd., Suite 145, can be reached at (480) 948-1099 or via www.lemacaron-us. com/phoenix.

Casino Arizona was named a bronze winner for “Best Place to Work” in the Best in Biz Awards’ 2015 International competition. Recipients in the “Best Place to Work” division were required to demonstrate employee satisfaction and a collection of employee well-being programs such as mentoring, ﬂexible work arrangements, ﬁnancial and lifestyle perks. Casino Arizona has received tremendous praise for its wide range of entertainment options and thriving work environment since opening in 1998.

To help current and aspiring pet parents enjoy the company of their furry (or slimy) companions without breaking the bank, WalletHub compared the creature-friendliness of the 100 largest U.S. cities across 16 key metrics. Scottsdale was ranked No. 11 and here are some fun facts:

• Scottsdale is eighth in number of veterinarians per 100,000 residents

• Third in number of pet businesses per 100,000 residents

• Sixth in number of pet-friendly restaurants per 100,000 residents

• First in the percentage of pet-friendly hotels

• 26th in the number of dog parks per 100,000 residents

• First in the number of animal shelters per 100,000 residents.

The Scottsdale Uniﬁed School District Foundation has conﬁrmed this year’s two new inductees to its alumni Hall of Excellence. State Rep. Dr. Eric Meyer and U.S. Rep. David Schweikert will join the ranks of other highly accomplished and community-driven Scotts-

dale graduates who have been honored by the foundation. The inductees will be recognized at the Quest for the Best Gala, held at the Scottsdale Resort and Conference Center on Saturday, Sept. 12. Businesses and community members interested in attending the gala or supporting the foundation can visit http://bit.ly/1Jk2xyp for more information.

Salt River Fields shed a little light along the Loop 101 when it illuminated its new electronic marquee which boasts colorful messages and visuals about events at the award-winning facility. SRF is the Spring Training home of the D-backs and the Colorado Rockies.

More than 15,000 treasure hunters are expected to peek around Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market on Saturday, Sept. 19, and Sunday, Sept. 20, in WestWorld. The event, according to organizer Coley Arnold, features all things chippy, rusty, vintage and handmade. Visit www.junkinthetrunkvintagemarket.com for more information.

We know it’s hot out there, which of course means it’s pool time, but just a friendly reminder to keep those pool gates closed! Prevent drowning deaths and have fun the rest of this summer without the worry.

Kudos to our executive editor, Christina Fuoco-Karasinski, who was named a Donation Champion by the Donor Network for her vast coverage of Donate Life Month in April. She will be featured in an upcoming edition of the organization’s newsletter.

What’s the buzz in your neighborhood? New babies or grandbabies? Announcements? Engagements? Let us know! Email hearsay@nearbynews.com.

East Valley clinic provides solutions for Sciatica pain sufferers

East Valley Clinic Gives New Hope for Back Pain

(Chandler, AZ}

(Chandler, AZ) There are several di erent kinds of migraine headaches and a wide variety of methods to treat them. Among the most debilitating headaches are intractable migraines. This refers to migraine pain that continues in spite of all traditional attempts of migraine prevention and treatment. Simply put, they are migraine headaches that just won’t go away.

Novocur Pain Management Clinic is achieving signiﬁcant results for treating intractable migraines with a breakthrough method called neuromodulation or neurostimulation therapy.

Neuromodulation. It’s a big word for a big step forward in the treatment of chronic back pain, particularly for those who’ve not found relief from back surgery. More than a third of back surgeries fail to relieve pain for more than ﬁve years. These Failed Back Surgery Syndrome patients can now be effectively treated with a concept called neuromodulation available at Novocur Pain Management Clinic.

provides a long term reduction in the intensity, duration and frequency of these headaches.

Mark Anderson, a patient who’d tried back surgery twice, says this treatment has changed his life: “It seemed like I’d run out of options to stop my pain, but now I’m on the move all the time pain free.”

Patients can “try out” this therapy before choosing to go ahead with a permanent implant. Novocur’s president and CEO Dr. Alex Bigham says, “Our priority is always to match the very best treatment for each speciﬁc kind of pain.”

Neuromodulation has also proven to be effective for other pain problems such as intractable chronic migraines, sciatic leg pain, peripheral neuropathy along with failed back surgery syndrome.

Bigham adds that neuromodulation has also proven effective for other pain problems related to failed back surgeries, sciatic leg pain, and peripheral neuropathy.

A very small, thin device emits an electric current to nerve tissue, blocking the pain signals and replacing them with a pleasant vibration felt in the back of the head. This nerve blocking e ect

A small electrical current is directed at the pain relay centers of the spinal cord, replacing severe pain with a pleasant sensation of vibration. It’s as though the nervous system is being tricked into feeling something other than the pain. The implantable device that delivers the stimulation is called a spinal cord implant stimulator.

Novocur’s president and CEO Dr. Alex Bigham says, “We’re very proud to be at the forefront in using advanced techniques for a wide variety of pain problems. From head to toe, we offer effective treatments for chronic pain. Details about neuromodulation and other methods for pain relief are available at novocur.com or by calling (480) 855-6686.

A comprehensive guide to understanding migraine headaches and many other types of pain and pain treatments is available at novocur.com. For speciﬁc questions and appointments call the clinic directly at (480) 855-6686.

Neuromodulation technology helps failed back surgery patients at Novocur clinic.

•Rear Vision Camera

•Front & Rear Park Assist

•Remote Keyless Entry

•Remote Vehicle Start

•Bose® premium audio

•Audio system with IntelliLink

•Trailering equipment

•Powerful 5.3L Ecotec V8 engine

•Over 20 MPG est. HWY

•And much, much more!

Camp offers families room to grieve, grow

By Israel Gonzalez

Samuel Phillips is 7 years old, but has already felt pain that many children his age have not: He lost his father. e eﬀects of this traumatic event were mounting. For one, he didn’t want to attend school because he feared he would be the only child in the class without a father.

But thanks to Camp Samantha and its transformative weekend, the Scottsdale resident is laughing with other children his age.

Camp Samantha is a grief camp hosted by Stepping Stones of Hope for children and teens ages 6 to 17 and adults in their lives. is year 43 families and 25 volunteers attended at the Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center in Carefree.

“Camp Samantha oﬀers families a chance to get through grief,” said Clay Foutch, director of Camp Samantha. “ e camp is based on a philosophy of small group activities, connecting with loss, music, yoga journaling and other wide range of activities.”

Samuel’s mother, Lynn Phillips, decided Camp Samantha would be a perfect ﬁt for her son.

“What do you say to a 7-year-old child that lost his father,” Lynn said. “I joined the camp for him. I said, ‘He needs it, I don’t need it.’ (At the camp) I discovered I was holding on to grief and not letting it out.”

e camp features separate but similar programs for children and adults. Lynn said the healing circles, in particular, helped her and Samuel.

our lives. It’s not the same, but you can rebuild it and it can still be beautiful.”

Praising the camp

Lisa Johnstone and her 12-year-old son, Lucas, of Anthem, praised the camp for helping build connections and happiness. ey were referred to the camp after the death of Lisa’s husband, Phoenix ﬁreﬁghter Gary Johnstone.

“ is camp changes and helps you,” Lucas said. “It’s not just a three-day camp. You make friends with people who know what it’s like.”

Lisa said Camp Samantha provides her with peer support as well as the ability to talk through her issues. ose are two things that were lacking in her life before Camp Samantha.

Dr. Ellen Kelman, a psychologist and director of adult camps for Stepping Stones of Hope, said it’s sometimes diﬃcult to get people to grieve in a group setting.

“I see it all the time,” Kelman said. “It’s so diﬃcult to grieve and even more so to grieve in front of other people. Once people get here though, we can help them take that step forward. It’s encouraging people to put concerns aside and come. You won’t regret it.”

“After a tragic event, your children are attached to you and it’s all on you,” Lynn said. “ e camp gives you a chance to breathe. You can do your grieving and you can do what you want to do in a safe environment with other grieving adults. Your children can be in a safe environment with other children that have experienced loss.”

e families reunite at meal times to share stories about their activities. Lynn’s favorite activity and Samuel’s ended up being the same.

“(My favorite was) the smashing of the tile and turning it into something beautiful,” Lynn said. “It represented

Stepping Stones of Hope’s next camp is the adults-only Journeys camp on Saturday, Sept. 19, and Sunday, Sept. 20. Journeys is a camp that helps adults deal and understand their grief after the death of a loved one. eir ﬁnal program of the year is the familyfriendly Camp Paz on Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11.

To register for either camp, call (602) 264-7520 or visit bit.ly/1TdfM3m. For more information visit www. steppingstonesofhope.org.

Lynn and Samuel Phillips share their hope canvas in front of other Camp Samantha participants.

Fitzgerald, friends raising money for charity at Dominick’s

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Sitting at a white linen-draped table at Dominick’s Steakhouse in Scottsdale, Arizona Cardinals star Larry Fitzgerald is admittedly nervous about his forthcoming Fitz’s Supper Club fundraiser.

e seventh annual event, slated for Monday, Aug. 31, will, for the ﬁrst time, feature an auction of photographs taken by Fitzgerald during his world travels. is makes the 6-foot 3-inch wide receiver take pause.

“I’m nervous about that,” he said with his wide grin. “I’m not a professional photographer. Most of my pictures are for me. I show my friends, my family. ey’re never really on display for other people to critique. I hope people like it and I hope it adds a little bit of a ﬂair to the experience.”

Fitz’s Supper Club will allow guests to “experience” Dominick’s Steakhouse as they haven’t in the past. e servers will be Fitzgerald’s Arizona Cardinals teammates and other celebrity friends.

Jeﬀ Mastro, the restaurateur behind

Dominick’s, praised Fitzgerald’s charitable work.

“He’s a great guy,” Mastro said. “He’s a great football player and he’s an even better guy. He does great (in the restaurant). A lot of the football players are servers. I don’t think they want that to be their full-time job. But all the guests really love it. You get to know all the players and they’re so nice—all of them.”

Grammy-nominated R&B singer Brian McKnight will provide the entertainment.

e event serves as a fundraiser for Fitzgerald’s First Down Fund, which, since 2005, has been supporting kids and their families with signiﬁcant gifts of time, money and special resources through numerous associations across the country. Funds raised this year allow the organization to carry on that tradition.

Sponsorships start at $5,000 while individual tickets are $750. is year’s sponsors include Rolls Royce Motor Cars Scottsdale as well as the Starkey Hearing Foundation,

an organization for which Fitzgerald has traveled to Africa, India, Nepal, Philippines, Malaysia and Colombia.

her sons involved in charitable activities as youngsters.

commitment to wellness. Your unique health needs. Your busy schedule. Your questions and concerns. Your right to feel empowered about healthcare. Making healthcare easier to navigate.

Healthcare and John C. Lincoln Health Network are now HonorHealth.

“She would say, ‘Let’s go over there and do Circle of Love,’ or ‘Let’s go over there and do the AIDS Walk.’ It was engrained in us.

“ e work they do is truly special,” said Fitzgerald, as he was donning a chef’s jacket in honor of the Fitz’s Supper Club event.

He said it is a joy to watch the reaction of folks whose hearing is improved once they are ﬁtted with a hearing aid.

Philanthropy is second nature to Fitzgerald, whose mother, Carol, kept

“It’s essential for me to do this. If I’m not making a presence in the community, I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing.” When asked if this is his way of remembering his mother who died as a result of breast cancer, his mood turns a bit somber.

“I hope she’s smiling down and saying, ‘I’m proud of you,’” he said. “But I know she would expect me to do it, too. It’s something she’d expect my brother and me to do. I’m glad I’m continuing her legacy.”

WE HONOR

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver

Larry Fitzgerald is heading up Fitz’s Supper Club at Dominick’s to raise funds for charity.

Electronic monitoring keeps things safe online

By Kenneth LaFave

Alfred Diamond checked his email one morning to ﬁnd a disturbing alert.

“ e email was launched from SAFEid. It had detected a possibly inappropriate comment in a message sent to my daughter,” Diamond said.

SAFEid is an identity-protection app, recently unveiled by Safeguard Security. Diamond, Safeguard’s telemarketing division manager, had signed on to beta-test SAFEid, which includes the monitoring of social media.

Concerned for the safety of his 14-year-old daughter, Diamond checked in with her, only to discover it was a false alarm.

“She and one of her friends were kidding each other,” using a phrase that, in another context, could’ve been interpreted as part of either an ethnic slur from a bully or a sexual innuendo from a predator. Relieved that it was neither, Diamond dismissed it.

“But I was happy to know it had been caught, just in case.”

SAFEid is the newest offering from Safeguard, a Scottsdale-based firm and subsidiary of nationwide SAFE Security. Safeguard has provided physical protection in the form of security and fire alarm systems, video surveillance systems, and other access-control plans and devices since 1961. With SAFEid, it has ventured for the first time into the sometimes shadowy world of identity protection, credit monitoring and antibullying software.

“It’s part of our concept of a 360 protection program,” said Paul Sargenti, president and CEO of Safeguard.

“We’ve been oﬀering physical security for a long time, protecting against intrusion and ﬁre. But right now one of the biggest threats is cyber identity theft. We decided to provide protection there, as well.”

Beta-tested in-house for the past several months, SAFEid is oﬀered on a complimentary basis to new clients who purchase a physical security package.

SAFEid includes nine diﬀerent areas of cyber protection, including identity monitoring and credit protection.

e app tracks account access, fund transfers and password resets, catching any unauthorized attempts. If identity theft does occur, the software can go into “the black Internet,” and corrupt the information captured by the thief.

“We swim with the sharks in order to control them,” Sargenti said.

e app’s anti-bullying protection, called SocialArmor, is its newest feature.

“It monitors Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn, for anything racist, threatening or sexually inappropriate,” Sargenti said.

Cyber-bullying is a serious problem nationwide. A website dedicated to tracking bullying statistics, www. bullyingstatistics.org, states that more than 40 percent of American school children report having been bullied while on line. Victims of school bullying are more than twice as likely to commit suicide as those who are not bullied.

Children attacked online are reluctant to discuss the matter with their parents, which is where SocialArmor comes in.

“Let’s say you’ve got a daughter in middle school and you’ve signed up for SocialArmor,” Sargenti explained.

“If someone calls your daughter a derogatory name on social media, our algorithms will pick up on that and alert you. It takes the child out of the center of the problem and lets the parents handle it.”

In addition to being susceptible to bullies, children are frequent targets of identity theft, because they sometimes naively answer online questions about personal information. A child cannot apply for credit until the age of 18, making it impossible to know until then if their identity has been stolen.

SAFEid monitors email and social media for credit solicitation and loan oﬀers.

Do children ﬁnd the monitoring intrusive?

“I’ve got a 10-year-old daughter who is on Instagram, so I get a lot of alerts,” said Babe Kilgore, Safeguard’s director of national sales and a SAFEid beta user.

“But because my daughter is aware that I know what’s going on, her attitude is actually changing. She thinks more about what she says online.”

Fresh Start Charity Golf Classic

accepting players

e 21st annual Fresh Start Charity Golf Classic presented by Valley Toyota Dealers, and hosted by the Fresh Start Men’s Board, is one of Arizona’s largest noncelebrity charity golf tournaments in the Valley. e event has raised more than $2.5 million, with 100 percent of the proceeds beneﬁtting Fresh Start Women’s Foundation.

is year it will be held at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at Kierland Golf Club, 15636 N. Clubgate Dr., Scottsdale. Tickets are $800 for individuals. Golf opportunities for foursomes include: Hole in one ($7,500), Eagle ($5,500) and Birdie ($3,500).

Golfers will delight playing the beautiful links at Kierland Golf Club, enjoy breakfast, lunch and beverages

on the course and ﬁnish with a lively awards banquet and live auction.

e format includes a four-person scramble playing 12 par 3, four par 4 and two par 5 holes.

For available sponsorship opportunities, contact Michelle Gere at (602) 261-7169. To register to play in the tournament, visit www. freshstartwomen.org.

Scottsdale Charros introduce executive committee

e Scottsdale Charros have named its 2015-2016 executive committee, known as the Concilio—a nod to the organization’s western heritage.

e mission of the Scottsdale Charros is to promote the City of Scottsdale and its community through sports and cultural activities. As philanthropic ambassadors, its membership is focused on providing support and funding for youth, education and local charities.

e 2015-2016 Concilio includes:

• Patron (president): Dan Postal, Wentworth, Webb & Postal

• Segundo (vice president): David Westra, Miller Russell Associates

• Ladron (treasurer): Rick Carpinelli, Crown Realty & Development

• Secretario (secretary): Brandon Paul, Design Ethic

• Alegrador (general meeting chairman): Mark Bramlett, DTZ

• Pasado (past president): Tim Cowdrey, RBC Wealth Management

• Senor (past president of e Charro Foundation): John Schultz, Schultz Development

“I am honored, excited and humbled to have the opportunity to lead a group that has contributed so much to our community for more than 50

“Last Monday I Was Scared... My Back Hurt So Much I Couldn’t Even Walk”...

Revealed: How, For Over 12 Years, More Than 80 People Per Week In The Phoenix Area Have Ended Their Crippling Back Pain WITHOUT Needing A Referral From A Doctor (Or Paying For Chiropractic)...

- By Leading USA Back Pain Expert, Scott Gilbert.

PHOENIX, AZ - If you or a loved one suffer from chronic back pain - so bad that it can even stop you from walking - then reading this report may be the most important thing you do this year. It may unlock the agonizing mystery of your back pain and show you a way to get back to the life you deserve...

• A life where you can sleep at night without tossing and turning, hoping to find one posi-tion where the pain stops.

• A life where you can wake up in the morn-ing and not take 20 minutes to get out of bed... and then another 20 minutes to put on your socks and shoes, always restricted by a back so stiff and tight.

• A life where you can pick up and play with your kids without worrying when your back is going to “go out” and leave you crippled on the floor.

• A life where you can do and enjoy all the things you see so many others doing and en-joying but your bad back has kept you watch-ing from the side-lines. ...Basically, a life without the curse of back pain.

Here’s What You’ll Learn Inside This New Report:

7 urgent coping strategies every back pain sufferer must never forget when back pain strikes!!

• Why 50-53% of people make their own back pain WORSE by doing just this one thing wrong!

• The 3 things you can do if you’re hoping to avoid surgery that’ll cost you nothing.

• The most successful treatment for low back pain that doesn’t involve any drugs, chiro-practic or talking to a doctor.

years,” said Patron Dan Postal.

“It’s hard to believe but July is almost over and we have hit the ground running. Our new Concilio is focused on enhancing several key initiatives including Spring Training baseball, our charitable gifting endeavors and the Charros’ education programs.

“While it’s diﬃcult to think about Spring Training already, our baseball committee is in full swing and has been at it for months now. We are getting get ready for the 2016 season and working on an exciting enhancement project for the Charro Lodge for the 2017 season.”

Formed in 1961, the Scottsdale Charros are comprised of business and civic leaders dedicated to providing support and funding for youth programs, educational scholarships and grants to local charities. With a history of innovative fundraising, the Charros have leveraged spring training baseball as a chief economic driver in Scottsdale making the Charros one of the community’s largest philanthropic contributors.

For more information about the Scottsdale Charros or Spring Training baseball, visit www.Charros.com or call (480) 990-2977.

Finally, one of the nation’s leading back pain experts – Scott Gilbert, a specialist from Phoenix who has already helped 100’s of people over the last two decades with his back pain recovery advice – has recently released a new free 12 page “Back Pain Consumer Awareness” report that reveals the best kept secret in Phoenix... How to actually get to the bottom of back pain without talking to your insurance, a chiropractor, or needing a referral from your doctor.

Back Pain “Truths” Finally Exposed This report exposes how weekly (and costly) visits to a chiropractor are NOT always needed, how pain medications and muscle relaxers might be cheaper (for your insurance!) and easy for a doctor to prescribe, but may not necessarily be right for you in the long run... have you seen the list of crippling side effects these days?

This 100% FREE report, entitled: “The 14 Best Kept Secrets For Eliminating Back Pain And Staying Pain Free!” (Value $27!) reveals the leading cause of back pain that is overlooked by 95% of doctors (hint: there’s a chance you’re doing it right now!), and even shows how you can get to the bottom of back pain quickly, naturally, for FREE, and without needing a referral from a doctor!...

More: The report also exposes what most doctors fail to recommend people aged 40+ when treating back pain, and reveals for the first time to the residents of Phoenix simple, yet often overlooked routines that help make back pain go away fast... as well as improve posture, all at the same time – I’d say they’re perfect if you’re a lady aged 40+ and worried about looking “awkward” or losing your confident, healthy posture at the hands of chronic lower back pain.

• The 100 year old secret exercise routine that NO chiropractor will tell you about - in case you start doing it (and realize there’s no need for the weekly visits!)

• How you can find out what’s REALLY causing your back pain, in under thirty min-utes, with no cost incurred (...hopefully, it’s nothing too sinister!).

• And, even what to do right now... if you suffer from any nagging back pain. If you’re currently seeing a doctor (or chiro-practor), thinking about it, or just don’t want to face the hassle of talking to your insurance, but still want to get some real help, then you need this free report which reveals everything you need to know about how to actually get to the bottom of your back pain without needing a referral from a doctor!

More: It includes at least 3 ways to ease back pain at home that most people say they were shocked (and disappointed!) that no one else had told them about, until now. Request your 100% Free copy to be sent to you, by calling free (877) 415-6227... you can leave a message, 24 hrs.

Or, if you want the report right now, please visit: www.canyon-pt.com/back and you can download it instantly.

■ P.S There are just 17 Free copies left of this valuable report (worth $27)...so please call NOW to get yours and when you do, you will breathe a sigh of relief once you realize how easy (and cost free) it is to finally find out what is actually causing your back pain - and all without needing a referral from a doctor!

P.P.S To confirm - no one will ask you for money for anything else when you call (877) 415-6227 to collect your free consumer awareness report, perfect for people aged 40+ suffering with back pain for longer than 9 days.

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We need your help in completing our new community map, designed exclusively for Nearby News by talented artist Palmer Saylor III. Please email any additions you would like to see on the map, including local landmarks, businesses serving our community and other relevant items to mapit@nearbynews.com.

Aquatic Center

Taliesin West

LEARN HOW TO:

• Know if you have enough money to retire

• Establish a plan to minimize your tax risk

• Protect your portfolio against stock market loss during retirement

• Use the 3 basic types of retirement accounts to maximize cash ﬂow in retirement

• Develop strategies to maximize your social security income that include insulating it from potential taxes

• Avoid the three pitfalls of retirement distribution

• Understand if your portfolio is truly “diversiﬁed”

• Plan for incapacity due to illness or injury

• Reduce, or eliminate unwanted expenses or delays with estate planning For additional workshop dates, locations, more information, or to register online please visit: www.myretirementclass.com that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so”

“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble.

Twain

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

WHO SHOULD ATTEND THIS WORKSHOP

You will ﬁnd this workshop relevant if you are developing a retirement plan, nearing retirement, or recently retired. Regardless of your stage in the process, you’ll learn updated strategies that will help you build and preserve wealth in volatile times. Above all, this workshop is designed to help you assess your current ﬁnancial position, then lay out a personalized roadmap that helps you achieve your retirement goals.

WHY THIS WORKSHOP MATTERS

Perhaps most importantly, this workshop will teach you how to develop a personalized strategy as you confront the challenges of retiring in a rapidly changing world.

BALANCED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

There’s a difference between taking your ﬁnancial cues from media outlets and learning the basics of retirement planning from a trusted, reliable, unbiased source. This workshop is designed to give you an exhaustive and comprehensive view of ﬁnancial education while uncovering the many new pitfalls that threaten to derail many retirees in the 21st century.

WORKSHOP

OVERVIEW

RETIRING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

• The old retirement paradigm vs. the new paradigm

• How to create a clear vision for retirement

• Creating a retirement road map

• Keys to transitioning to retirement

TAX RATE RISK

• Why experts say tax rates could double

RETIREMENT DISTRIBUTION PITFALLS

• How the new rules on “Rate of Withdrawal” affect you

• How to ensure you won’t run out of money in retirement

• How to liquidate your retirement assets in the right order

• How to protect against “sequence of returns” risk

PROTECTING AGAINST MARKET LOSS

For additional workshop dates, locations, more information, or to register online please visit: www.myretirementclass.com

PROVIDED

IN THIS COURSE

You’ll receive a two-volume set of workbooks.

Many of the retirement strategies utilized by your parents have grown outdated and may no longer have application to those looking to retire today. This workshop compares and contrasts the old retirement paradigms of yesteryear and the new paradigms of today as you prepare to retire in the 21st century. You’ll discover how to insulate yourself from the risk of rising taxes, protect your Social Security from taxation, and avoid common pitfalls as you distribute your assets in retirement.

UNBIASED APPROACH

Instead of focusing on a specific strategy or topic, this course takes a more comprehensive view of your retirement. This broad-based approach lays a foundation for proactive planning in an updated, 21st century context. Because of the educational nature of the workshop, no specific financial products are presented or discussed.

AN INTERACTIVE CLASSROOM SETTING

This course is taught by a nationwide network of instructors. These instructors are ﬁnancial professionals from your community who bring to their workshops years of experience and knowledge from their careers in personal ﬁnance. They often supplement their presentation with real life stories and experiences to help personalize the principles and strategies taught in their workshops. This personal and interactive approach to the material helps make the educational process both practical and informative.

THE CHANGING WORLD OF RETIREMENT PLANNING™ WORKBOOKS

As part of this course, you will receive a two volume set of workbooks that provides examples and illustrations designed to reinforce the concepts taught in the workshop. These workbooks help you follow along during the presentation and give you a step-by-step process to help implement the knowledge you obtain during the course.

OPTIONAL ONE-ON-ONE STRATEGY SESSION

If you have questions on how the principles you learned in this workshop apply speciﬁcally to your ﬁnancial situation, you may arrange for a private strategy session with your instructor after the conclusion of the course. The strategy session is complimentary for all attendees but is not required.

• How rising taxes may affect your retirement cash ﬂow

• The “Catch 22” of 401k’s and IRA’s

• How lost deductions may affect your taxes in retiremen

RETIREMENT DISTRIBUTION PLANNING

• The three basic retirement accounts

• How to accumulate dollars in the right types of accounts for retirement

• What’s better for you: tax-deferred or taxadvantaged accounts?

• How to deﬁne a “true” tax-advantaged investment

• When should you convert to a Roth?

• How IRA’s and 401k’s cause Social Security taxation

• Strategies to reduce or eliminate taxes in retirement

ESTATE PLANNING

• Planning for incapacity

• Reducing estate taxes

• A will vs. a trust

• Types of trusts

• How to avoid probate

• Asset gifting

• Transferring property at death

MAXIMIZING SOCIAL SECURITY

• The causes of Social Security taxation

• The Social Security thresholds you need to be aware of

• The real cost of Social Security taxation

• Strategies to eliminate Social Security taxation

• Social Security maximization strategies

• The impact of dramatic market loss in retirement

• Is “buy and hold” appropriate in retirement?

• How to protect against the two types of investment risk

• How to protect your assets from stock market volatility

• Why “asset allocation” alone may not be enough

• How to truly diversify your retirement portfolio

LONG-TERM CARE PLANNING

• How a long-term care event may affect your retirement

• Medicaid spenddown rules

• Community spouse rules

• The 4 common alternatives to pay for longterm care

• Recent innovations in long-term care planning

For additional workshop dates, locations, more information, or to register online please visit: www.myretirementclass.com

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

YOUR INSTRUCTORS

Your instructors are Garry Madaline & John Kieber. Investment Advisory Services offered through Brookstone Capital Management, LLC, a SEC Registered Investment Advisor. United Retirement Advisors Group, Inc. is not afﬁliated with Brookstone Capital Management.

This event is not sponsored nor endorsed by ASU, Maricopa Community Colleges, the Social Security Administration or any other Government Agency.

REGISTRATION FORM

I WILL ATTEND: Saturday Workshop (Sept. 26th & Sept. 3rd) Thursday Workshop (Oct. 1st & Oct. 8th)

Your Name: ____________________________________________

Your Address: ___________________________________________

City, State, Zip: _________________________________________

Workshop sizes are limited so register today! Advance registration is required. Each workshop consists of two sessions Workshops held at:

SCOTTSDALE

Saturday Workshop September 26th & October 3rd 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM Building SB – Room 184

ASU

SKY SONG

REGISTRATION FEE: $49 (advance registration required)

I am bringing my spouse/guest at no additional charge. Registration fee includes one workbook.

Name of spouse/guest: ____________________________________

Thursday Workshop October 1st & October 8th 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM Sky Song Building 1 — Discovery Room 349

Scottsdale Moms

Planting a seed

Love of nature grows at Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Story and photos by Kimberly Hosey

Like any sentimental mother who can’t believe her little cherub is already a surly teenager, I’ve taken (and frequently look back on) my share of snapshots. Happily, with one destination that’s become a family tradition, I have a ready-made excuse, as well as a lovely background for those photos.

My son and I have regularly visited Boyce ompson Arboretum, which houses more than 3,000 diﬀerent desert plants as well as the animals that call the plants and environment home, since shortly

after he learned to walk. In those days, it was the best local spot I knew to take long walks and expose him to the natural world. As time went by and we got to know the trails well, we found favorite spots: the main trail as it winds around a canyon rim, ﬂowers alive with hummingbirds

and butterﬂies and many more. We’ve visited at all seasons, become members and even volunteered there.

On this visit, my son and I showed up just in time for a guided dragonﬂy

Brought to you by:

walk led by photographer and dragonfly enthusiast Roger Racut. We’ve been on most of the interpretive tours the arboretum offers; exploring plants, lizards, insects and more. e groups often, but not always, include other children. is time, he was the youngest participant. It didn’t matter; everyone in attendance watched with childlike enthusiasm as Racut netted a large, orange-red flame skimmer dragonfly, gave everybody a close look and photo opportunity, and then placed the insect gently on my son’s finger, where it stood briefly before safely flying away.

interests. One highlight not to miss is the Children’s Garden, a well-designed collection of mazes, flowers, mosaics and more. Kids can navigate the maze and pretend to be javelinas, excavate “fossils,” watch butterflies dance among the flowers, become a human sundial and more. It’s all about interacting with the natural world.

e arboretum has many events and interpretive walks coming up in the next few months, great for all members of the family:

e opportunities at the arboretum are limited only by you and your kids’

• Saturday, Aug. 22, at 8 a.m.—Geology Walking Tour: Geology rocks—literally—as the minerals and volcanic

... continues on page 25

A julia butterﬂy pauses while sipping nectar in some ﬂowers at Boyce Thompson Arboretum.

A broad-billed hummingbird perches in the Hummingbird and Butterﬂy Garden.

slices of life

By Jill Pertler

Remembering a special dog

She wasn’t even my dog. Not even close. Even though she and I lived in the same house, she clearly answered to another master—my husband. Still, I loved her like you love a family dog that’s been around for more years than you have fingers. She loved playing fetch. She was a retriever, so I guess that makes sense. We could throw a ball or a stick (or whatever object she was fetching that day) for hours and she’d keep going until we made her quit.

I’m so glad we had the lake for her to love.

She was a good dog (great dog) in most regards. She didn’t chew or jump on the furniture. She was awesome with kids and she patiently and gently put up with the cats (sometimes with a deep doggy sigh). She was pretty good about staying in the yard (unless a neighbor’s garbage was calling to her nose). If something was broken or someone got into the cat treats, she was pretty sure she was in trouble, even when

Her favorite place was the lake. She loved to swim. Combine that with retrieving and you had perfection—from her perspective, at least. Each summer, she’d find herself a good stick and it would be her “toy” to fetch from the lake during the long, hot days we spent there. My husband would throw it as far as he could and she’d joyfully (and I do mean joyfully) bound into the water—swimming once it got deep enough. She’d grab the stick in her mouth, swim back to shore and drop her toy at my husband’s feet. Then she’d give whomever was nearby a doggy shake shower before turning toward the lake to fetch again. And again. And again. As long as we’d let her.

it was clearly the cats’ fault. She was a trustworthy, loyal companion. She never did learn to walk properly on a leash. She wouldn’t relent to it, always tugging and pulling to the point that we thought she might choke. I am sure she fully understood the “heel” command. She was a smart girl. She just refused to acknowledge it. It was one of the few instances of her asserting her independence.

Another involved her phobias. She was a big dog—85 pounds in her heyday—but the smallest details could put her in a tizzy. Certain floor coverings were taboo. She’d walk on wood, but not laminate. Vinyl was OK, but not her favorite. She refused to go down the stairs to the basement. The kitchen pantry terrified her. It happened to be where we kept her food so that sort of benefited us. One time we got her a fancy new water dish. She wouldn’t drink out of it because it scared her. She went out the back door to do her business, but would only access it from the right side of the door

frame. She wouldn’t go out the door leading to the garage. The garage itself, however, was fine. We quit trying to figure her out years ago and just loved her for what she was— quirks and all—because every family has its quirks.

The hardest part about having a dog is that they grow old too soon. She was old and this has been coming for some time.

But you’re never ready. Not really. I’m not sure it’s possible. Still, I didn’t realize how much I wasn’t ready—to wake up without her under the bed. To never throw the stick for her again, or get the eyeball or make her eggs.

She wasn’t even my dog. But she was our dog. And she was a part of our family—an important part. I’m going to miss her. Sure am. Already do.

Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright and author. Don’t miss a slice; follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook.

around the neighborhood

The City of Scottsdale invited residents to help celebrate water safety during its second annual Safety Luau in early August at Eldorado Aquatic Center. This event featured fun games and activities for the whole family, plus a mock rescue demonstration with the Scottsdale Fire Department. The evening ended with live hula and ﬁre dancers. Photos by Kimberly Carrillo

1. Lauren Levanovic has a blast playing games with the kids. 2. The fountains keep the pools patrons nice and cool. 3. Participants were given free gifts related to staying safe. 4. A lifeguard watches over the crowded pool. 5. Phoenix Phreeze was available for the swimmers. 6. Burgers were available for lunch. 7. Lifeguard Lauren Levanovic high ﬁves a game winner. 8. The Scottsdale Fire Department comes out to show the swimmers what to do and what happens in case of an emergency. 9. Decorations brighten up the atmosphere of the luau. 10. It feels great to be splashed when it’s so hot outside. 11. Albert Moreta and Jim Hoyt teach boat safety. 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11

By Erica Odello

Bottle cutting

You will need the following: Bottle cutter, glass bottles and jars, sandpaper (recommend Dremel sanding drums in 60-, 120- and 240-grit along with 400grit wet/dry sandpaper from 3M) Sharpie Oil-based Paint Marker and glass glue.

e ﬁrst time I tried bottle cutting, I bought an extremely cheap tool at the craft store and it worked about as well as expected. A few months ago I read about the Kinkajou Bottle Cutter, which is designed to get rid of all of the problems I experienced the ﬁrst time around. When I priced them on Amazon, however, I was shocked. I’m not sure I’m willing to invest $50 (or more!) in a single tool for doing casual art projects. After reviewing the list of “related products” Amazon so helpfully provides, I settled on the AGPtek Glass Bottle Cutter, which appears to address the same issues the Kinkajou was designed to take care of, but for $30 less.

Step 1: Scoring

I think calling these tools “glass-cutting machines” is rather misleading. ey are designed to enable the user to make near-perfect scores in the glass that allow the pieces to break cleanly. I learned very quickly that even with a much better glass cutting tool I needed to start with twice as many glass containers as I planned to ﬁnish with because there’s a steep learning curve and I broke about half of them.

e trick to good bottle cutting is keeping a constant pressure on the bottle as you’re making the score. If there’s a section of the bottle where the applied pressure is lower, that’s the area where the cut won’t break cleanly, most often spiderwebbing and ruining the entire piece.

e other thing I’ve learned is that the start and end of the score in the glass need to meet each other. If they are oﬀ at all when the glass splits in the next step, best case scenario is you will be left with an oﬀset nub of glass that will take more time to sand away. Worst case scenario is the break in the glass will spiderweb through the entire bottle and ruin it.

Step 2: Separating

You will need a deep pot of boiling water and another of ice-cold water.

Grasp the glass piece with an oven mitt and submerge the scored section in the boiling water for at least 30 seconds. Immediately transfer to the ice water and submerge above the score. You should hear pings as the glass contracts. More often than not if I did it right, the two pieces would separate after a few seconds in the ice water. If it doesn’t separate after 30 seconds in ice water, transfer back to the hot water and continue alternating until the pieces ﬁnally separate.

Step

3: Sanding

I had two intended uses for the glass pieces I cut: Vases/candle holders and drinking glasses. For the pieces that weren’t going to be used for drinking out of, I used three grits of sandpaper to smooth

away the sharp edges left when the pieces separated. I went over them once with 60-grit, then 120, then 240 and this was more than adequate for making the glass safe to touch. (Note: it is important to wearing gloves, eye protection and long-sleeves when using a Dremel on glass.) It throws oﬀ small, sharp shards of glass throughout the process. For the drinking glasses, I took the extra step of going over the edges by hand a ﬁnal time with 400-grit sandpaper.

Drinking glasses

I tried two versions of drinking glasses, one where I used glass glue to adhere the top of the bottle to its base to create stemware. e other was simpler, just turning the cut-and-sanded base into a 12-ounce tumbler.

Candle holders and vases

As you can see from the picture below, the rest of the pieces I cut were turned into either candle holders or vases. I turned my kids loose on some of the ﬁnished pieces with Sharpie’s Oil-based Paint Markers to decorate. I bought the pastel collection but they’re also available in metallic and primary colors. I haven’t washed them yet, so I am not sure how durable the decorations are. I also recommend battery-powered votive candles, as the bottles that were sitting over the real candles got extremely hot.

MEXICO OPEN HOUSE

Thursday, September 24 | 5pm 8pm

Make your next vacation a esta!

Learn all about cruises to Mexico from Norwegian Cruise Line and all-inclusive resort options from Apple Vacations.

• EXCLUSIVE OFFERS from Norwegian & Apple Vacations

• DOOR PRIZES, MEXICAN BEER & SNACKS

top 10 family events

Aug. 20-Sept. 20, 2015

1 Hello Kitty’s Supercute Friendship Festival

Hello Kitty and her super cute friends will perform during their ﬁrst live tour, which features dance sequences and interactive displays. WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 22, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 23, at 12 p.m.

WHERE: Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale COST: Varies

INFO: (800) 745-3000 or bit.ly/1ek6On8

2 Brazilian Day Arizona

The day-long festival showcases indoor and outdoor entertainment, including live performances and interactive demonstrations of Brazilian music, dance and martial arts.

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 19, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

WHERE: Scottsdale Civic Center Park, 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale COST: $5 to $10

INFO: (480) 499-8587 or www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org

3 Celebration of Honey

Butterﬂy Wonderland celebrates the National Honey Month with activities aplenty for the family. See the pavilion’s website for a complete list of events.

WHEN: Throughout September, various hours

WHERE: Butterﬂy Wonderland, 9500 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale COST: $12.95 to $19.95

INFO: (480) 800-3000 or www.butterﬂywonderland.com

4 Greasepaint Youtheater’s “Much Ado About Nothing”

The production, directed by Jody Weiss, is set in postwar 1940s, when victorious soldiers have returned to their ladies and have now set their sights on love and merrymaking.

WHEN: Friday, Sept. 4, through Sunday, Sept. 13, various times

WHERE: Stagebrush Theatre, 7020 E. Second St., Scottsdale

COST: $15 to $17

INFO: (480) 949-7529 or www.greasepaint.org

5 Breakfast Bébés Social Time

Scottsdale

COST: Charge for food items

INFO: (480) 948-1099 or www.lemacaron-us.com

6 Meet Batman

Kids can learn superhero moves from and pose for photos with Batman, while they play with all the toys, books and puzzles in Toys and Playtime Oasis.

WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 27, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: Toys and Playtime Oasis, 13802 N. Scottsdale Rd., Suite 116, Scottsdale

COST: Free

INFO: (480) 948-4630 or www.azdollhouse.com

7 Tween/Teen Night

All tweens and teens, ages 12 and older, are invited to AZ Air Time to enjoy dodgeball tournaments, dance contests and runs on the trampolines.

WHEN: Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

WHERE: AZ Air Time, 13802 N. Scottsdale Rd., Suite 145, Scottsdale COST: $8 per hour to jump INFO: (480) 427-2000 or www.azairtime.com

8 Family Storytime

Listen to stories and participate in ﬁnger plays, music and rhyming activities.

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 29, from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

WHERE: Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale COST: Tickets required INFO: (480) 312-7323

9 First Fridays

Join other kids ages 12 to 18 for First Fridays, where children can showcase their talents, artwork or poetry. Performers and audience members welcome.

WHEN: Friday, Sept. 4, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: Palomino Library, 12575 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale

COST: Free INFO: (480) 312-7323

10 Full STEAM Ahead

Create and innovate with paper model building.

WHEN: Sunday, Aug. 30, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Le Macaron French Pastries is inviting moms to bring their babies for relaxation and socialization. French coffee, teas, croissants, macarons and other sweet treats are available.

WHEN: Mondays in September, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

WHERE: Le Macaron French Pastries, 15323 N. Scottsdale Rd., Suite 145,

WHERE: Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale COST: Tickets required INFO: (480) 312-7323

formations along the Main Trail take center stage. Guests cover almost 2 billion years of geologic history with professional geologist Rich Leveille.

• Sunday, Aug. 23, at 7:30 a.m.—Guided Bird Walk: Discover how to spot yellowbreasted chats, Lucy’s warblers, Bell’s vireos, northern cardinals and many more birds during this interpretive walk led by members of the Arizona Field Ornithologists board.

just for kids. Anyone with a love for lizards and other reptiles will be fascinated as “Wildman” Phil Rakoci uses humor and his way with critters to entertain and educate.

• Saturday, Sept. 5, at 8:30 a.m.—Dragonfly Walk: Blue-eyed and common green darners, flame and roseate skimmers, Mexican amberwings, blue dashers…even the names are colorful. Roger Racut guides this walk around the arboretum’s pond and water features to find and study these brilliant insects.

• Saturday, Sept. 12, at 8 a.m.—Learn Your Lizards: is guided walk isn’t

e arboretum also oﬀers history walks, photography workshops, home school day tours and more.

ese days, my son is as likely to swipe my camera as he is to pose in front of it, but it’s nice to see this family tradition has continued.

Indeed, the biggest problem we encountered was overhearing a toddler crying as they left: “My butterﬂies!”

“I don’t think he wants to leave,” my son said. “I don’t blame him.”

Boyce Thompson Arboretum

37615 E. U.S. Highway 60 Superior 85173 (520) 689-2811 arboretum.ag.arizona.edu

Student Chronicles

Sarah Huschke and Katherine Liming were named to the dean’s list at the University of Delaware dean’s list. To meet eligibility requirements for the Dean’s List, a student must be enrolled full-time and earn a GPA of 3.33 or above (on a 4.0 scale) for the semester.

Wheaton College (Illinois) student

David Christensen was named to the dean’s list for the spring 2015 semester. To earn dean’s list honors at Wheaton, an undergraduate student must carry 12 or more credit hours and achieve a 3.5 grade point average or higher on the 4.0 scale.

A NCALA C OUNTRY C LUB

Your Neighborhood Has Everything WHICH INCLUDES THE ANCALA COUNTRY CLUB

Your home is just minutes from the spectacular Ancala Country Club. For more than 24 years, we’ve been creating enduring family memories, and now we’d like to start those for you.

Here in this remarkable refuge from the everyday, golf and the good life is enjoyed by Young Professionals and their families. Our membership provides a wide range of great activities and amenities including:

18 Hole Pete Dye Championship Golf Course

State-of-the-Art Fitness Center

Exciting Youth Programs

Tennis Courts

Lap Pool

At Ancala everything is transparent & flexible. Unlike most country clubs, there are no hidden or mandatory monthly fees which makes your membership both convenient and affordable.

Golf Memberships Starting at $395.00

Don’t miss our Early Fall Enrollment Program! Plus

Mention this Ad and receive $500.00 off your initiation fee!

If you haven’t experienced Ancala lately Come see what your neighborhood country club has to offer!

To learn more about memberships and the application process, contact Colette Bunch.(480) 391-1096. FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.AncalaCC.com

A northern cardinal looks down from his perch.

By Jan D’Atri

Tammy Hines’ Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookies What’s Cooking?

So many of my fondest memories are related to food, and the beginning of the school year is no exception.

I had a best friend in ﬁrst grade. Didn’t everyone? To this day, I still remember the beyond-delicious homemade chocolate chip cookie that Michele’s mom would pack in her lunchbox.

I would have traded everything I had in my brown bag and then some for just one bite of that cookie. Fortunately, Michele had a generous heart and would share the cookies with me every time her mom would bake them.

chocolate chip cookies. e ﬁrst thing that popped into my head was Doubletree. If you’ve ever stayed at a Doubletree Hotel, you know that the ﬁrst thing that happens when you check in is you’re handed a wonderful chocolate chip cookie.

“After searching the Internet she tried and modiﬁed several recipes that claimed to duplicate the Doubletree cookies. After baking and testing batch after batch, the results are a cookie that our friends and family can’t resist. Be prepared to never love another chocolate chip cookie like this one!”

I’ve been on a lifelong search to ﬁnd a recipe that even came close to that treasure. So you can imagine my excitement when I received an email from Valley resident Lee Hines about his wife’s chocolate chip cookies. Tammy Hines was determined to duplicate a well-known winner and ﬁnally succeeded. And I had found the recipe that has come the closest to the cookies I loved so many years ago! Lee shares the story of Tammy’s quest:

“Yes, I remember that fateful day. It was a few years ago when Tammy announced she was going to make

As I plant my face in a plateful of decadent chocolate chips, I’m thanking Tammy and her dedication to the pursuit of “ e Cookie,” while reliving memories of snowy Lake Tahoe school days and the best warm-out-of-theoven chocolate chips a 6-year-old could ever dream of!

If you have a recipe that you think our readers would love to try, email me. While you’re there, check out more recipes and cooking tips at www. jandatri.com.

Tammy Hines’ Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

2 1/4 cups all-purpose ﬂour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 large eggs

3 cups semisweet premium chocolate chips (Ghirardelli or Guittard preferred)

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the oats, ﬂour, soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, cream together the butter, sugars, vanilla and lemon. Add eggs and mix until smooth. Stir in dry ingredients. Mix in chocolate chips and nuts. Spoon rounded balls (about 1/4 cup each) onto a parchment or foil-lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown on outside edges but still soft in the middle. Makes 40 large cookies. Note: Tammy refrigerates the dough, which helps to hold the cookies together. And Lee (who says he hovers over every batch to make sure he gets to scrape the bowl clean) tells me that these cookies freeze well, too.

on the town

By Sherry Petta

Tesoro Ristorante Italiano

As a Scottsdale Ranch resident, I’m always looking for new places to dine that oﬀer exceptional food near my home. Recently I found a hidden treasure— Tesoro Ristorante Italiano.

I was unfamiliar with the restaurant, but now it’s my oncea-week treat. Even my Italy-born father loves Tesoro. When I took him there he said, “Now this is how all Italian food should taste.”

what I consider to be the best marinara in town.

Tesoro makes everything from scratch, from the sauce to the pasta. One of my favorites is the crespelle ($15), freshly made crepes ﬁlled with ricotta and spinach. Topped with a delicious and not-too-heavy cream sauce, it’s decorated with a splash of

e lasagna ($17) has also called me back a few times— the noodles are the way lasagna pasta is supposed to be (not boiled from crunchy noodles out of a box!). e meat and cheeses and sauce meld together so smoothly, not overpowered by onions or spices that don’t belong, making me close my eyes and savor each bite. Another dish I’ve enjoyed (several times already) is the eggplant ($16). It’s baked with cheese and served with a side of pasta. Hands down, it’s the best eggplant I’ve ever had. Unlike other restaurants, which bread and fry the eggplant, the ﬂavor of Tesoro’s

eggplant focuses on the squash itself— not on breading and seasoning. It’s pure and delicious.

I find the staff to be extra friendly, and the ambience lovely—perfect for a romantic date, dinner with friends, or family dining. e table settings are beautifully set upon white linens, and they look even better once the freshly baked bread is brought to your table. ere’s a glass-front cabinet off the dining area that showcases an impressive wine selection, something perfect to imbibe with any of the menu items, including linguini with a combination of delightfully prepared seafood ($25); chicken or veal piccata in wine sauce with vegetables or pasta ($17/$25); or another of my favorites, the uniquely wonderful gnocchi in a tomato-cream sauce with sage ($16).

On one occasion, Tesoro owner Jacob Grady personally brought dinner to our table. I was impressed. Jacob is the relatively new owner of Tesoro, and at age 26, his hard work and dedication shows. His polite and friendly demeanor sets the tone of the restaurant. Jacob’s brother, Joshua, is a chef who also surprised us at our table one evening with a most beautiful dessert (a made-fromscratch chocolate mousse alongside a custard-ﬁlled milk chocolate shell). From the appetizers to the homemade bread, the entrees and the beautiful desserts, I would deﬁnitely recommend Tesoro.

Tesoro creates everything from scratch, from the sauce to the pasta.

events calendar

Aug. 20-Sept. 20, 2015

The Rev. Vernon Meyer Jr.

Noted scholar and historian the Rev. Vernon Meyer Jr. presents a slide show and talk about El Camino de Santiago.

WHEN: Sunday, Aug. 23, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

WHERE: Paradise Bakery, 7145 E. Indian School Rd., Scottsdale COST: Donations accepted; reservations required INFO: connected@ impulsuscommunity.com

Art Discovery Series with Marshall Trimble

State historian Marshall Trimble will share jokes, stories and songs about Arizona during the event.

WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m.

WHERE: La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church, 6300 E. Bell Rd., Scottsdale COST: Free

INFO: (480) 948-1234 or jsheldon@lacasadecristo.com

ImpulsUS Book Club

“The Untethered Soul” by Michael Singer is the book selection chosen by ImpulsUS for a six-week discussion period.

WHEN: Thursdays beginning Aug. 27, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Paradise Bakery, 7145 E. Indian School Rd., Scottsdale COST: Donations accepted; reservations required INFO: connected@ impulsuscommunity.com

Live and Local: Inspiración Flamenca

Founded by Julia Chacon in 2008, Inspiración Flamenca provides an authentic, powerful ﬂamenco experience, including beautiful costumes, ﬁery footwork, intricate guitar and soul-stirring vocals.

WHEN: Friday, Aug. 28, at 8 p.m.

WHERE: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts’ Virginia G. Piper Theater, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale COST: $10

INFO: (480) 499-8587 or www. scottsdaleperformingarts.org

Luna Aura

The sound of Luna Aura, also known as Angela Flores, is heavily inﬂuenced by hip hop and trap beats but also relies on indie and Top 40 elements.

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m.

WHERE: Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale

COST: $10

INFO: (480) 970-6980 or www.livewireaz.com

Black Bottom Lighters

The six-piece reggae-inﬂuenced group from Glendale has garnered a strong local fanbase since its inception in 2010.

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 5, at 8 p.m.

WHERE: Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale

COST: $15

INFO: (480) 970-6980 or www.livewireaz.com

Nils Lofgren

Nils Lofgren has been a member of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band since 1984. His mastery of instruments has also seen him tour alongside Lou Reed, Crazy Horse and Ringo Starr.

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 12, at 8 p.m.

WHERE: Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Indian Bend Rd., Scottsdale

COST: $25 to $45

INFO: (800) 745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com

Robert Randolph and the Family Band

The funk and soul group is led by pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph. The band’s secular and gospel vibe attracted the attention of prominent blues and soul artists, such as Eric Clapton, with whom it has collaborated.

WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 13, at 8 p.m.

WHERE: Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale

COST: $28

INFO: (480) 970-6980 or www.livewireaz.com

The Boxmasters featuring Billy Bob Thornton

The American roots-rock band features actor Billy Bob Thornton and several other seasoned musicians whose sound is rich in rhythm and story. Tommy Ash opens the show.

WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m.

Walk to End Lupus Now

The largest lupus walk in the country, Walk to End Lupus Now events are held in more than 60 cities, bringing together community members to raise money for research and education programs, increase awareness of the disease and rally public support for those who feel its impact.

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 19, at 4 p.m.

WHERE: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

COST: Free INFO: www.WalktoEndLupusNow.org/ Arizona

Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market

Junk in the Trunk, Scottsdale’s unique two-day shopping experience, will feature more than 170 handpicked artists and antique vendors.

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 19, and Sunday, Sept. 20, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WHERE: WestWorld, 16601 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale

COST: $8 for general admission tickets; $15 for two-day pass. $5 parking

INFO: (480) 312-6802 or www. junkinthetrunkvintagemarket.com

K-BACH Radio Presents Shining Night

The music of Morten Lauridsen is explored during this concert.

WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 20, at 4 p.m.

WHERE: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts’ Virginia G. Piper Theater, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale

COST: $10

INFO: (480) 499-8587 or www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org

Bowling for Soup

Spend an evening with the jokesters that make up Bowling for Soup, best known for their song “1985.”

WHEN: Monday, Sept. 21, at 8 p.m. WHERE: Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale

COST: $20

WHERE: Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale

COST: $33

INFO: (480) 970-6980 or www.livewireaz.com

Toto, Yes pairing makes perfect sense to bands

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

When booking agents paired prog rockers Yes with the softer sounds of Toto for a summer tour, some saw the lineup as odd. Toto’s guitarist/ vocalist Steve Lukather acknowledges this, but said the partnership works on several levels. Namely, both bands have recently witnessed the deaths of core members—Yes’ Chris Squire and Toto’s Mike Porcaro.

“ ey lost Chris tragically,” said Lukather of the musician who died in Arizona of leukemia. “He was one of the greatest musicians ever. We lost our brother, Mike, a couple years ago. ere are no egos on the tour.”

Although they play diﬀerent genres of music, Toto and Yes have utmost respect for each other, said Lukather, who goes by the nickname “Luke.” ose diﬀerences actually make for the perfect tour.

“We just wanted to be a little more eclectic,” Lukather said. “It was so exciting. Chris was supposed to get better and he didn’t. It’s really tough for their camp. It was like us losing Jeﬀ Porcaro, our leader, our guy. We just lost Mike, we’ve lost two.” roughout the run, which includes a Friday, Sept. 4, show at e Pool at Talking Stick, Yes and Toto are paying tribute to their fallen musicians.

“If I was to go (die), I’d like the guys to continue playing music,” he said. “Not playing isn’t going to bring me back.

“If anything, we celebrate the memories. Mike was a legend. Chris

was one of the greatest musicians ever. We have to carry on with respect. All this does is remind me that every day is a blessing. We have to make the most of it. I’m a very sensitive cat, but I also have a great sense of humor.”

His silliness shines during the second half of the interview, which focused on Toto’s new album “Toto XIV,” which hit stores March 20. It is one of the band’s most critically acclaimed albums.

“We’re not used to good reviews,” he said. “We always got our asses kicked. ey compared us to punk music, which is like comparing a massive rump steak to a vegetarian. You can’t put the two on the same plate.

“We survived it all. It’s been a great long career. It’s a rollercoaster ride, one we had to hang on to without being ﬂung out from the top. We all went to school together. ere’s something we have that very few people understand.”

e Pool at Talking Stick gig is a rarity for Toto, who primarily tours overseas. But he’s excited to bring the noise to the United States

“We’re bringing it,” he said. “ e band’s tight. We’re having fun. We haven’t toured the U.S. as much, so we’re kind of fresh meat, if you will, for the lost era.”

Yes and Toto perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, at e Pool at Talking Stick, 9800 E. Indian Bend Rd., Scottsdale. Tickets are $55 to $150. For more information, call (800) 745-3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Toto is in the midst of a rare U.S. tour that brings the band to The Pool at Talking Stick with Yes on Friday, Sept. 4.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

P.O.

8115 Scottsdale, AZ 85252-8115 www.allinonerepairs.com allinone@cox.net

P.O. Box 8115 Scottsdale, AZ 85252-8115 www.allinonerepairs.com allinone@cox.net

P.O. Box 494 Scottsdale, AZ 85252-0494 www.allinonerepairs.com allinone@cox.net

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IRRIGATION/SPRINKLER REPAIRS

BILL PAINTER

Total care for broken pipes, heads & wires

Valve locating a specialty New clocks installed/repaired

That’s right; I do all types of repairs

Lush green plants and lawns again 602-992-3274

LANDSCAPING SERVICES

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All care from timers to trees Lush lawns Leaks Weekly and Bi-Weekly Service Free Estimates Call Mike 602-686-0498

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business spotlight

By Ken Abramczyk

Female contracting duo tackle home renovations

Rella Carpenter and Heidi Vail own and operate a company that is in the male-dominated ﬁeld of construction in home remodeling and renovations.

ey don’t disparage their male counterparts but they believe they have the edge because some women clients are more comfortable working with female contractors.

“Because we are women, we know how women like to do things in the home,” Carpenter said. Vail said they know how a room “works” and how to plan space.

builder, as Vail was the builder’s marketing director and Carpenter was the design manager.

e women own the Scottsdale-based ru the Buyer Eyes, a contracting company, created about 10 years ago when the women lost their jobs with the same builder.

As Carpenter describes it, the company “got in over their heads” and went bankrupt. “We both lost our jobs,” Vail said. “We were on our own.”

Carpenter and Vail opened their business despite a bleak economy and a dreary outlook in 2007 for the construction industry.

Getting started

Both women took diﬀerent paths into the construction business.

Carpenter hired a builder to construct her home. As Carpenter reviewed his plans, she saw the need for upgrades to the homes he was building. Seeing the opportunity, Carpenter told him she could design upgrades for him.

Carpenter was hired, worked ﬁve years for that builder, then took the builder’s state exam and passed. She was one of six women who received builder licenses in 2005.

Before Vail moved to Arizona, she learned about homes and familiarized herself with the housing market when she marketed and advertised planned communities in Florida.

Eventually they worked for the same

After the layoﬀs and they started the business, the women joined a business networking group. ey were hired by a woman who needed a remodeling project completed. “After that, it was friends, or people in the neighborhoods or someone who Heidi knew who had friends that needed work done,” Carpenter said. “All of our business was referrals.” ey also worked on a business name. ey wanted something diﬀerent, Carpenter said. ru the Buyer’s Eyes was suggested by Vail’s husband, a freelance copywriter. Carpenter and Vail say they follow the philosophy behind the name. “We listen to the clients and we see things through their eyes,” Carpenter said. e contractors complete home renovations throughout the Valley. Many of their jobs are in Scottsdale, but they’ve also done work in the West Valley, too. “ ere were jobs we got because they had friends who we did work for,” Carpenter said.

Knowing the space

e company will update kitchens and bathrooms, install ﬂoors, add rooms and build patio areas.

Carpenter and Vail oﬀer complimentary consultations. ey will show drawings and make product recommendations based on the client’s taste and lifestyle and the home’s architectural elements, and suggest ways to save money. ey check job sites daily.

“I ﬁnd the most exciting part of it is the end when it comes together and when they see it,” Vail said.

Rella Carpenter: (602) 689-6698

Heidi Vail: (480) 399-7022

Rella Carpenter and Heidi Vail founded Thru the Buyer’s Eyes, a home remodeling contracting business, in 2007.