Lovin Life After 50: Phoenix August 2020

August 2020

Fire and Fun

Tinseltown Talks

Kasai Japanese Steakhouse maintains its high energy

‘Tinker Bell’ ties the knot

Going ‘Beyond’ Artist Daniel Moore brightens Tempe storage facility Phoenix Edition Mailed toYour Home Monthly

Jerry O’Connell visualized a ‘Secret’ role, and landed it Page 10

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Opinion

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Leibo At Large

Ask Gabby Gayle

Features

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Going for It

Mesa woman goes from multiple careers to teaching other seniors

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13 Arts Patrons Honored

Jerry O’Connell visualized a ‘Secret’ role, and landed it

Tinseltown Talks

‘Tinker Bell’ ties the knot at 90

14 Fire and Fun

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Entertainment

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Black Forest Ice Cream Cake

Columns

16 Hospice Is Hope Publisher

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18 The Healthy Geezer Senior Account Executive

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Opinion

Leibo At Large

2020 on course to top the horror of 1347

BY DAVID LEIBOWITZ When it comes to bad years, it’s pretty tough to top 1347.

That was the year the Black Death kicked into overdrive, contaminating major cities in Europe and Asia. Ultimately, that epidemic killed more than 50 million people over the next few years.

By any estimation, that’s an epically horrendous year. Though 2020 seems ready to jump up and shout, “What, you think that’s miserable? Dude, hold my beer.”

One measure of tracking how awful a year is tracking the folks we lose over time. 2020 started off on a downer note just a few days after New Year’s when brain cancer took Neil Peart, the drummer and lyricist from Rush.

If you’re a rock fan between the ages of 20 and Methuselah, you’ve madly air drummed in time to Peart’s beats in “Tom Sawyer” or the instrumental “YYZ.” Named the fourth-greatest drummer ever by Rolling Stone, Peart was only 67 when he passed.

Speaking of too young, three weeks later 2020 took Kobe Bryant and his 13-yearold daughter Gianna in a helicopter crash that killed nine people in all.

Bryant, 41 at the time of his death, arguably belongs on the NBA’s Mount Rushmore as a five-time champion, an 18-time All Star and the league’s 2008 Most Valuable Player.

Personally, I loved to despise Bryant, but there’s no denying he was a transcendent talent.

By March, 2020 shifted from targeting famous people to killing the masses. You can blame the COVID-19 fatalities on a perfect storm: a lethal virus meeting clueless elected leaders and an inattentive populace, or you can chalk it up to 2020 doing more 2020 things.

The pandemic count at press time?

Over 15 million cases worldwide and 620,000 dead. I’ll spare you the latest from Arizona, which seems determined to add World COVID Champion 2020 to that lonely Arizona Diamondbacks 2001 www.LovinLife.com

World Series crown.

On the positive side, I’m halfway through this column and I haven’t mentioned President Trump.

I’m trying to stay away from that subject to cut down on my hate mail.

Plus, there’s the folks who track me down online to let me have it every time I mention the president. Had Donald Trump been king in 1347, I absolutely believe his court jester would have put out a parchment press release longer than the Silk Road.

It would have labeled the Black Death the “Mongol Flu” and proclaimed that the world was “better off without that other half of the population, because they weren’t our best people anyway.”

Then Trump would have raided France and given himself credit for “ending the 100 Years War more than 90 years ahead of schedule.”

I still wouldn’t put that past him if things get desperate heading into Election Day. Meanwhile, 2020 continues to pick off some of America’s best and brightest.

Hugh Downs, as smart and classy a newsman as has walked God’s green earth, passed away July 1 in Scottsdale.

Downs was everything today’s network anchor clowns are not: Fair, strong-minded and able to probe without being a jerk.

Strength was also the hallmark of civil rights icon John Lewis, 80, who left us last week at a moment when we need his dignity and unerring instinct for justice. Lewis was 23 when he spoke at the 1963 March on Washington. He survived police batons, segregationist attacks and 33 years in Congress to emerge a legend.

I don’t imagine Lewis quit a day in his life, which is inspiration enough not to give up on 2020.

This year is surely a test, however. And to this point, we are being stretched near to breaking.

David Leibowitz has called the Valley home since 1995.

Contact david@leibowitzsolo.com.

AUGUST 2020 |

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Ask Gabby Gayle

Advice column for the over-50 crowd

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Gabby Gayle: My mom lives we are both professionals and have been Q Dear in an assisted living community. It afraid it would damage our status at work. has been a wonderful living arrangement.

We have a loving and engaged family and visited her often and took her out often.

The community just announced that a few employees have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Now we cannot visit her. She cannot leave her apartment, and I am living in mortal fear that she will catch the dreaded virus. She cannot even see her husband! We feel helpless. I remember you were in the retirement business before you retired. Any suggestions? Signed, Fearful Fearful: I empathize with you.

A Dear I have three close friends in facilities, and all have the virus in their residences.

One of my friends cannot see her husband and tells me she would rather die than be without him. The loneliness of not seeing loved ones is painful to the resident and the loved one.

I have a couple of suggestions. First, find out if someone on the staff could FaceTime or Zoom from your parents’ room to loved ones. Some places are regularly doing this from their activity department. The only other thing I can suggest is if the resident has a spouse, the husband move in with his wife for a few months, until this pandemic is over. Good communities should be providing activities by way of the television—such as exercise, counseling, games and a way for residents to voice their concerns to management. If this is not provided, please talk to the administrator to see if these things can be provided. The pandemic has caught us all off guard and unprepared. This has placed a huge strain on long-term care residences.

They have become short-staffed, illness has struck even the administrators, they have had to procure personal protective equipment and teach the staff how to use it, and establish a method of testing the staff and residents. Sending prayers! Signed, GG Gabby Gayle: I am a 60-yearQ Dear old gay woman. I have had a significant relationship for 20 years with another woman. We do not live together because

Everyone, including our families, thinks we are just friends. Now that I am 60 and she is 65, we are rethinking living together. I am not divulging our professions for obvious reasons. Do you have any advice for us?

Signed, In the Closet Closet: I realize that 20 years A Dear ago it was a different world for all LGBTQ persons. However, this is 2020, and I cannot imagine denying yourselves the joy of living together, no matter what your profession. As for family, (they probably already suspect and they don’t care). It is not the business of your workplace to know what you do with your personal life, and you are not obligated to tell them, except to change your address or if you marry, etc. I am an advocate of separating work and home.

You have wasted 20 years! Please enjoy the home stretch of your lives. Signed, GG Gabby Gayle: I am 55 years Q Dear old and lost my job of 25 years due to the pandemic. First, I was laid off. Then they sent me a letter and said they were not replacing my position. Thank you for 25 years, huh? I believe some companies are using the pandemic to reconfigure their staff to save them money. Nevertheless, I am having trouble even getting an interview.

When I got this job, I filled out an application and I either got called for an interview or I went on to the next. Nowadays, it is lengthy online applications, and you don’t even get a chance for an interview. I think they see my age and think “No way,” and there is not a darned thing I can do about it. Any suggestions? Signed, Jobless Jobless: You have joined a A Dear huge group of the formerly employed in our society! First, try applying for jobs within your area of expertise. Then, do not give up. Patience. We have to play the cards we are dealt! Good luck, GG If you have a question for Gabby Gayle, please send to: lagmancreswick@gmail.com

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AUGUST 2020 |

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Features

HEAVY

Metal

Metal artist Daniel Moore creates new public art installation in Tempe for Beyond Self Storage

Metal artist Daniel Moore recently created an art installation for Beyond Self Storage’s new location in Tempe. (Photo by Mike Small of Mike Small Photography)

BY LAURA LATZKO With any public art project, artist Daniel Moore thinks about the purpose behind the building. The concepts of “decluttering” and “compartmentalizing” inspired him when he was developing a piece called “Chaos Restored” for Beyond Self Storage in Tempe.

This is one of the more recent works for 57-year-old Moore, the owner of The Oxide Studio in Phoenix.

This metal art installation is featured on a 65-by-35-foot building face for Beyond Self Storage’s second location at the corner of Ruby and Priest drives.

When developing his design, Moore considered the nature of Beyond Self Storage’s work.

“A lot of people don’t have enough room for the things that they own, and they need a place to organize their lives,” he says.

“That’s what that piece represents, is these elements that are chaotic moving down and having some sense of organization and becoming compartmentalized in those rectangular shapes that are to the left of that giant wall. They are actually boxes. If you look at them closely, all of the elements represent a three-di-

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| AUGUST 2020

mension box, which echoes the theme of a storage facility.

The piece was developed in conjunction with the city of Tempe’s Art in Private Development Ordinance, which requires new developments over 50,000 square feet to either support arts programs or commission works of art for their properties. The piece was made with hot-rolled steel, which Moore often uses in his work.

The process took about a year and a half. Moore says there are different stages to any public art project, including designing, fabricating and transporting the pieces.

“It’s one thing to design it on paper. It’s another thing to figure out how it’s going to be mounted and the materials that it’s going to be made out of—making sure that they are durable and the maintenance is of minimal concern,” he says.

Along with creating the sculptural elements for the building, Moore developed the painted pattern behind it. To do this, he created a color palette and dimensional drawing that outlined where the different colors would go on the building.

He worked closely with the architect, project manager and site supervisor when developing the piece, which is one

of his largest. With his public art projects, he often collaborates with architects, engineers and designers.

Moore has had a lot of help from his family to grow his business.

From the beginning, his wife, Nancy, was heavily involved in the family-run business. Their three daughters also assist when they can.

“They have all, in one way or another, contributed in the past and as we speak to the success of our business. It is definitely a family affair,” he says.

Before coming on full time in October 2016, his wife—a trained ballerina and Russian folk dancer—owned her own business, worked as a Montessori teacher and had jobs in the financial and nonprofit sectors.

He says his wife handles bookwork, marketing, taxes, insurance and public art paperwork for the company, allowing him to focus on creating artwork.

“We both have specialized talents, but they are completely different. We work very well together in that respect,” Moore says.

Hailing from Iowa City, Iowa, Moore always loved to draw and create things as a child, but it wasn’t until his sophomore year at the University of Iowa that he began to think about a career as an artist.

He graduated from the university with a degree in graphic design and photography, minoring in ceramics and jewelry,

and moved to Arizona shortly thereafter in 1986.

Before starting his own business, Moore worked as a graphic designer for a sign company, where he was first to metalwork. While working for the sign company, he was inspired to create more artistic designs. He taught himself to weld, improving on the skill over the years through his work with oxide.

He started making metal sculptures for his wife for Mother’s Day and birthday presents, and then expanded to doing botanical panels for art shows and home tours.

His offerings and clientele soon expanded, and he started Oxide in 2010.

The studio is located out of his garage in the Willo Historic District in Phoenix.

Through his company, he creates sculptural pieces, furniture, custom gates, fences, heavy-metal windchimes and botanical panels for residential and commercial customers and public art projects.

His artwork is shown at galleries in Jerome, Sedona and near Bryce Canyon, Utah, as well as in the Desert Botanical Garden gift shop. Oxide Studio also takes part in shows at the DBG and in Fountain Hills.

With each project, Moore looks at clients’ spaces, personal styles and needs.

“Everyone’s home has a different vibe, a different style, a different architecture.

What I try to do is work with the client, taking into consideration their environment, their style, if its eclectic, contemporary or traditional. I try to do something that is conducive to where they live and their environment,” Moore says.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Moore has been busy with projects in private residences because more people want to Metal...continues on page 9

For a recent project, metal artist Daniel Moore created tree-themed artwork for Emerson Elementary School.

(Photo by Daniel Moore)

www.LovinLife.com

Metal...continued from page 8 improve their living spaces.

“So many people are at home, analyzing what they want to do at their house.

They have more time to think about it and will act on a project they otherwise wouldn’t have,” Moore says.

For his public art projects, he has worked with libraries, schools, parks, city governments and businesses.

Recently, he created tree-themed artwork for Emerson Elementary School in Phoenix.

Throughout the years, Moore has worked with clients in different parts of the country. In Oklahoma, he developed a kinetic piece called Bee-52, a hybrid insect/airplane inspired by different themes within the area.

In his work, Moore has often been inspired by nature, especially the Sonoran Desert landscape. Although his work still features botanical elements, he also creates more abstract, geometric pieces.

He started to go in this direction with “Ellipses,” a piece he created for Miller Plaza in Scottsdale. He was chosen to create the work of art for IN FLUX, a program in which artists develop public art for different municipalities.

“It represented particles of space, how things gravitate to and are repelled from one another, and how that mirrors society. It’s very abstract, but I think that was the genesis of me moving towards more geometric composition,” Moore says.

Owning a business is never easy, and making a go of Oxide hasn’t come without its challenges.

When the Moores started Oxide, they sacrificed retirements, savings, investments and a weekly paycheck. They had one daughter at home and two in college at the time.

Moore says they committed to the company and continued to expand it.

Although there have been some financial struggles over the years, Moore says being his own boss, able to create on his own terms, has made it worth it.

Even through difficult times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Moores have supported their family through art.

“I think the key to our success is we are diverse. We do public art, practical art, custom projects,” Moore says.

Daniel Moore

theoxidestudio.com

www.LovinLife.com

Going for It Mesa woman goes from multiple careers to teaching other seniors

BY CONNOR DZIAWURA

Sure enough, she at one point wound up fronting a When Mesa’s Marge Draeger four-piece country rock band, saw something she was interRex Critter, the name of which ested in, she just went for it. was partially inspired by counNow 68, it’s that instinct that try musician Tex Ritter but also has led her down such a varby Truck Shackley & the Texas ied path in life, which includes Critters, a puppet band from dairy farming, singing for a the ‘80s television series “Barcountry-rock band, teaching bara Mandrell and the Mancollege-level computer prodrell Sisters.” gramming and now working “We were very, very popuas a guide for GetSetup. lar in the Wisconsin tri-state The latter is a new platform area—Wisconsin, Minnesota, through which retired educaIllinois—but mostly Wiscontors and experts lead courses—many of which are free— Mesa’s Marge Draeger, who works as a guide for GetSetup, teaching seniors modern sin,” she continues. “We only that re-train seniors in modern skills like Zoom, was previous a dairy farmer, country-rock singer and college-level played, like, weekends—so computer programming instructor. (Photo by Pablo Robles) Friday, Saturday, Sunday—and skills. Courses vary from how to use different devices, apps, software and calls “a little more advanced, maybe, than we spent about eight hours a week practicing, working up new numbers. So it websites to simply crafting quick meals. just early beginner stuff.”

“I wrote one for Google Photos, which was pretty much part time.”

As Draeger puts it, courses are “geared Despite her farming days and time toward helping seniors remain vital in the is, I think, an awesome app for people who might lose their phone and don’t spent as a musician, computer programworkplace.”

She found out the hard way that se- want to lose their pictures or whatever,” ming is “just something that’s in my bones,” she notes. She describes having niors can have difficulty finding jobs, re- she adds.

Classes are not prerecorded; they’re taught for Wisconsin’s Northcentral Techgardless of resume.

“Once I moved to Arizona, I did hit live so as to best help students, she spec- nical College but also managing its web that gray wall. Nobody wanted to hire ifies. A schedule of upcoming offerings is servers and writing its websites.

“Back in the ‘80s, when people were me for anything except maybe a greeter available at getsetup.io/schedule.

Draeger comes to GetSetup with a di- hearing about the internet, I was one of at Walmart,” she says. “So it does exist, the ground-floor people developing. I and it doesn’t matter what your IQ is or verse background.

When she was 18 in Wisconsin, for ex- taught myself to develop website prowhat your background says. If you have gray hair, you might just as well not ask. ample, she married a dairy farmer. She re- gramming and make websites without a It’s so frustrating, and I never would have calls having a “decent” plot of land, which degree, which is why in the ‘90s I could she estimates at around 250 acres and a teach at the college level even though thought that really existed.”

Based out of San Francisco, GetSet- couple hundred head of cattle. But while there were no degrees available yet— up was founded in 2019—before the she loved it, she says it was difficult to because there were none,” she explains.

“Somebody has to start that; somebody COVID-19 pandemic. With mass stay-at- support a family including four children.

“In Wisconsin, dairy farming has always has to get those first degrees out there; home orders several months back, Draeger feels she has noticed a quick pivot been a really expensive hobby. And if and that was one of the things I did, and somebody doesn’t work out and work full I loved it.” from paid classes to more free offerings.

In recent years, she has continued on She has taught numerous subjects, in- time and have health insurance through cluding how to use video conferencing work, you’re going to starve to death,” with various other jobs and relocated technology Zoom as well as what people she admits, noting it as an inspiration to to Arizona—which ultimately led her to GetSetup through an AARP listing. need to know about Medicare. The latter, seek a college degree.

“I feel like when I saw something I She has a musical side as well. she clarifies, is not advice or a sales pitch; “When I was a child, we had one of wanted to do, I went for it—I did it,” Draerather, it’s education on important inforthose huge wooden cabinets that played ger emphasizes. “And if I were to give admation some people lack.

“It’s things you don’t know and you 78 RPM records, and you would wind it vice to a young person today—I did this, have no way to know unless someone up—you didn’t plug it in—and I would I said this to my 18-year-old granddaughtells you, because the Medicare site is just stand there and sing along with my mom ter—don’t let what you think somebody a puzzle,” she says, acknowledging it was country music records—the really old else expects hold you back. If you want a passionate subject to her due to her Roy Acuff, Hank Williams, really old mu- to do this, do it. Because the only regret sic—and I just loved it,” she recalls. “My you’ll have when you’re 68 is, ‘I wish I had own experiences.

She also mentions starting new class- dad always said, ‘She’s going to be a sing- tried that.’” es with PowerPoint and Excel, which she er someday.’”

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9

Entertainment ‘Dare to Dream’ Jerry O’Connell visualized a ‘Secret’ role, and landed it

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

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Actor Jerry O’Connell was on a set of a TV show and frequently complaining about his life, when a coworker gave him a copy of the book “The Secret.”

“I said, ‘Oh brother. This is going to be like a cult,’” O’Connell recalls. “I read it and it was very helpful. It was a really crazy time in my life professionally. I know it sounds cheesy to say this, but I visualized if they ever made a scripted version of the film, I wanted to be in it.”

He is.

“The Secret: Dare to Dream” hit premium video on demand outlets on July 31. The film was originally slated for an April 17 theatrical release by Roadside Attractions, but the COVID-19 pandemic changed that.

The movie tells the story of Miranda Wells (Katie Holmes), a hard-working young widow struggling to raise three children, when she encounters Bray Johnson (Josh Lucas). He’s carrying—literally—a secret that could change Miranda’s life. Meanwhile, she’s involved with her coworker, Tucker, played by O’Connell.

Written by Rhonda Byrne, “The Secret” was one of 2006’s best-selling self-help books, based on an earlier film of the same name. It is based on the belief of the law of attraction, which claims that thoughts can change a person’s life di-

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Katie Holmes plays Miranda Wells, the love interest of Jerry O’Connell’s Tucker, in “The Secret: Dare to Dream.”

Jerry O’Connell, right, jokes that he nearly fell off the roof when he saw Josh Lucas’ blue eyes. The two co-star in “The Secret: Dare to Dream.” (Photos courtesy Lionsgate)

rectly. It sold 30 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 50 languages.

“The book has such a fanbase,” O’Connell says. “It has changed so many people’s lives. I’m interested to see what ardent followers of the rules of attraction will think about the scripted version of their beloved book.

“It’s an international phenomenon, ‘The Secret.’ This is a dramatic version of that. I think the most challenging part is making sure the secret, this is the dramatic version of that. I think the most challenging part is making sure—I wouldn’t call it the fans—the followers of ‘The Secret’ are happy with what we did.”

The movie was directed by Andy Tennant, with whom Lucas fans would be familiar because he helmed “Sweet Home Alabama” as well.

“They certainly got the right person when they got Andy Tennant

to come do it,” O’Connell says. “He’s our writer/director, and I guess he really is one of the kings of rom-com. It was just so interesting that they went to him with the scripted version of ‘The Secret.’”

O’Connell is keeping busy these days.

Amazon’s IMDb TV is carrying his show “Carter,” which is about an actor who played a cop on television and has a problem determining the difference between reality and fiction.

He also voices Cmdr. Jack Ransom on CBS All Access’ “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” which premieres on August 10. He describes the 10-episode run as a comedic version of “Star Trek.”

During the pandemic, O’Connell says he’s using his “laws of attraction” talents and visualization techniques to get his kids back in school. (He’s kidding.)

He’s hoping that fans and followers of “The Secret” have as much fun with the movie as he did.

“It was a fun set,” O’Connell says. “Katie Holmes is such a doll. She’s so much fun to work with.

“And man, I wasn’t playing his love interest, but that Josh Lucas is so dreamy.

I had scenes with him—not to judge him—but I do get lost in his Paul Newman-esque blue eyes.” www.LovinLife.com

Tinseltown Talks

‘Tinker Bell’ ties the knot at 90

BY NICK THOMAS What could persuade a 90-year-old actress—once a model for Disney animators creating the Tinker Bell character of 1953’s “Peter Pan”—to abandon her West Coast home of nine decades and fly off to a new life in Florida some 2,500 miles away?

Perhaps a sprinkle of Disney magical

fairy dust was involved when World War II veteran Robert Boeke, now 94, was visiting Amsterdam last summer with friends and stumbled on a store sign for “Tinker Bell Toys.”

“He told the people in the group he had actually dated Tinker Bell—me!—70 years ago,” former model Margaret Kerry explains by phone from her new home in Sarasota.

“One of the people with him decided to find me.”

An internet search led to Kerry’s website, Tinker Bell Talks (see tinkerbelltalks.com). Emails were sent, and Kerry remembered dating him. The two eventually reconnected last SeptemMargaret Kelly models for Tinker Bell.

(Photo courtesy Margaret Kelly)

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Margaret Kerry and new husband Robert Boeke were given a farewell party at the Los Angeles Walt Disney Barn in February. (Photo credit In Regions Beyond [YouTube] and PetiteGhostess [Instagram])

ber in North Carolina, followed by marriage in February and the move to Florida soon after.

“We just celebrated our four-month anniversary,” Kerry says in mid-June. “And we haven’t yelled at or kicked each other.”

“Well, it’s early in the marriage,” I tell her wryly.

“Thank you very much, I’m hanging up right now!” she says, laughing.

Kerry’s film career began at the age of 4 in an uncredited role in Warners’ “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1935) playing—as if to foretell her future—one of the fairies.

“I remember it clearly because one of the big studio lights caught fire and Mickey Rooney, who played Puck, dragged me into this little, 2-inch deep stream on the set so I’d be safe from any flames.”

More roles came her way, including a half-dozen “Our Gang” (aka “The Little Rascals”) shorts, although as a member of the Meglin Kiddies troupe of child performers, she received no individual screen credit on some.

Her claim to fairy fame came in her early 20s as the model for Disney’s Tinker Bell. She also modeled for the red-headed mermaid in “Peter Pan” and did her voice.

“June Foray was the brunette mermaid,” Kerry recalls. “One day after a recording session, we stepped out on the Disney lot. ‘Why are we trying to get in

Talks...continues on page 13

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AUGUST 2020 |

11

Axe to Grind TSO guitarist Angus Clark and local musicians rip through ‘Burn’

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist Angus Clark vividly remembers the day the world shut down. He was playing guitar for Cher and took a side trip to an NBA game in Oklahoma City.

Clark knew something was wrong.

“This year, I was slated to play 10 shows with Cher, and the second one was in Oklahoma City,” Clark says. “The whole band drove to Oklahoma City to see the Utah Jazz play.

“We sat there waiting for the game to start and then the cheerleaders came out and did the halftime show before the game started. Then they said the game was canceled. Our shows were canceled.

The basketball season was canceled, and I haven’t left home since.”

Instead of laying low, Clark has been creating music with friends. His latest project is a cover of Deep Purple’s “Burn” with singer Bobby Sisk (Drop Diezel) from Cave Creek, bassist Greg Smith (Dokken, Ted Nugent), drummer Jason Hartless (Ted Nugent), keyboardist Marine Lacoste (Uncle Kracker) and Phoenix guitarist Brian Buzard.

“I just recorded and there was Bobby, who has a lot of touring credits,” says Clark, photographed here with a Jackson guitar. “He’s a tremendous singer. I just recorded my parts and put the video and the audio in a Dropbox. It came out great.

After I submitted my parts, that was pretty much it.

“I’ll do anything that helps people stay connected and to give people something to do and makes them feel better about

12

| AUGUST 2020

the fact we all have to stay on lockdown right now. I want to keep people safe and healthy until we have a national strategy.”

“Burn” was a logical choice for Clark, who has played with a Deep Purple tribute band.

“Ritchie Blackmore is a huge influence for me,” he says about the original Deep Purple and Rainbow guitarist. “I had, in particular, been a fan of the early Rainbow (Ronnie James) Dio material.

“The Deep Purple material is much more popular than Rainbow material.

When getting together with Greg Smith a few years ago, we had always done Deep Purple material; the stuff that has Glenn Hughes in it. I had learned all that material.”

To put this project together, he had to “dive deep” and make sure he was get-

ting the guitar solo “YouTube ready.”

“You don’t want to mess it up on YouTube,” he says with a laugh. “It was a personal challenge. I feel I got a good result out of that.”

Clark grew up in New York City with an opera singer mother and a father who played the cello. Music filled his home.

“I took up the guitar in earnest when I was 13, the same year Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ came out,” he says. “After that, I was just learning Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath and ‘London Calling’ by The Clash.

Then I discovered Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow.

“I was a huge devotee of the giants of guitar, like Michael Schenker, Randy Rhoades, David Gilmore, Tony Iommi and Yngwie Malmsteen.”

Clark landed his first deal in 1992 with

the band Naked Sun, a progressive metal act. But the musicians were dropped as “grunge took hold,” he says.

After that, he spent the rest of the ’90s touring the world with Japanese new age musician Kitaro, who was signed to Geffen Records.

“I was playing, essentially, instrumental Pink Floyd-style, orchestral rock music with no singers,” he says.

Around 1999, his friend and Kitaro fan Marty Friedman recommended him to Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

If there are concerts this fall, Clark will celebrate 20 years with the West Coast team of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He’s especially fond of the Valley.

“We love that area,” he says. “I’ve previously worked with some guitar builders based out of Phoenix and (Peoria’s) Atomic Guitar Works. They’re great. We love that town. I can’t wait to get back there.

“I love playing with TSO and the fans are the best. The band is really tight knit.

Al Pitrelli, Jane Mangini and I have all been in the West Coast-touring band for about 20 years.”

For now, he’s spending a “fortune” on cameras and home recording gear through the pandemic and posting content on his socials @angusclarkGTR. “Since the lockdown hit, we’ve becoming self-producing broadcasters,” he says with a laugh.

“Burn”

featuring Angus Clark, Bobby Sisk, Greg Smith, Jason Hartless, Marine Lacoste and Brian Buzard. youtube.com/watch?v= CbjMdDVWTZ8

www.LovinLife.com

Arts Patrons Honored

the Phoenix Chamber Music Society, the Barrow Neurological Foundation, Arizona Theatre Company, ASU’s Friends Arizona Opera renames plaza after longtime advocates of Jewish Studies, the Harvard Club of Phoenix and the Phoenix Country

BY LAURA LATZKO Day School.

Even when they had busy Many arts supporters make schedules with work and family, meaningful contributions to local they tried to stay involved with organizations. Some individuals, the arts. such as Robert (Bob) and Shosha“We felt the community has na Tancer, have an even greater been very good to us, and we are influence in the Phoenix arts comgiving back to it,” Shoshana says. munity.

Specter was friends with Bob In honor of the couple, the Ariand Shoshana. zona Opera is renaming the Arizo“Bob and Shoshana have not na Opera Center’s courtyard the just been colleagues and board Shoshana B. and Robert S. Tancer members. They have been Plaza. among me and my family’s clos“Bob and Shoshana have been est friends,” Specter says. “That for five decades such important is a testament to how Bob and people, not just to the community Shoshana engage, because there at large but to the arts community are so many people whose lives in particular and most especially have been touched by their work to Arizona Opera,” says Joseph that feel a similar closeness.”

Specter, Arizona Opera’s presiBob’s energy and mindfulness dent and general director. inspired Specter.

“They are the kind of wonderful “It’s a huge loss for us to not people for whom we do all of this have him here. The naming of the work. They’ve worked so tirelessly The Arizona Opera is renaming the Arizona Opera Center’s courtyard Shoshana B. and Robert S. Tancer Plaza in honor of the couple, plaza for Bob and for Shoshana, to help us realize our value to the the pictured here. (Submitted photo) these two special people, gives us community, connecting us with a chance to celebrate that memory, enpeople. It just seemed proper to be able velopment committee chairman.

Specter says Bob had a special way of ergy and spirit that certainly embodies to celebrate them in this way. “ them but also are infused into the comcommunicating with others.

A ceremony will be held later this year, “Bob was so magical in his approach. In pany that they spent so much time suppossibly in the fall. The announcement came shortly after Bob’s death on March a conversation with him, you just always porting and championing,” Specter says.

Shoshana and Bob witnessed the felt you were the most special person in 17.

Phoenix arts evolution for more than 50 The couple, who were lawyers and pro- the world,” Specter says.

Shoshana is a past president of the years. Shoshana says it’s important to fessors with the Thunderbird School of Global Management, were married for Phoenix Opera League and has served have a thriving art community.

“We were delighted to be able to par65 years and had four children together. as chairwoman for the Arizona Opera’s They met in junior high and married their special events. She has been an Arizona ticipate in the growth and development first year of law school. They moved to Opera honorary trustee since 2015 and of various arts forms,” Shoshana says.

Bob fell in love with opera at a young Phoenix 50 years ago from the Domini- joined the opera’s board this spring.

Along with his contributions to the Ar- age and was given a subscription to the can Republic.

The two have been very active in the izona Opera, Bob served as chairman for standing room at the Metropolitan Oparts community and involved with orga- OPERA America’s National Opera Center era for his bar mitzvah.

“His parents were afraid that if he did nizations like the Arizona Opera. Shosha- Board of Overseers and was later on the na says having the plaza renamed after organization’s national board of direc- not have the subscription, he would just be standing in line and probably her and her husband means a lot because tors.

Recently, Shoshana became a member wouldn’t be able to get his homework of her and her husband’s love of the arts.

She never anticipated that the Arizona of the organization’s National Opera Cen- done,” Shoshana says.

Bob and Shoshana instilled a love of Opera would honor her and Bob in this ter Board of Overseers.

Bob and Shoshana have also been on the arts in not just their children but their way.

“I am absolutely overwhelmed. I think the National Patrons Council for the Op- grandchildren and great-grandchildren. it is incredible and completely unexpect- era Theatre of St. Louis, after being ac- Shoshana says this was one of her motivators for being so involved in the arts. quainted with it through its co-founder. ed,” Shoshana says.

“We wanted for our children and Locally, the couple has supported or Bob served as the opera company’s board chairman for two terms, from 1999 held leadership roles on the boards of grandchildren—other people’s children to 2001 and 2015 to 2017. He has also held Act One, Ballet Arizona, the Desert Bo- as well—to be enriched by various art other roles for the company, such as de- tanical Garden, the Phoenix Symphony, forms,” Shoshana says. www.LovinLife.com

Talks...continued from page 11 front of the camera to be actors?’ we asked each other.

We realized voice-over work was heavenly because we didn’t have to put on makeup, fix our hair or get dressed up.

And we could read from scripts—no lines to memorize. We both decided right there to go into voice-over acting. June became one of the most famous (e.g., Rocky of ‘Rocky and Bullwinkle’) and I went on to do about 600 cartoon voiceovers.”

Although it’s been nearly 70 years since Kerry’s famous fairy job, her tiny-winged alter ego has never been far away especially during the numerous fan conventions she’s attended for decades. She plans to continue giving talks and lectures.

“Tinker Bell and I share some characteristics. We’re perky and adventurous,” says Kerry, who turned 91 in May. “I think getting married and moving to Florida after living 90 years in California counts as an adventure!”

Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama and has written features, columns and interviews for over 800 newspapers and magazines.

AUGUST 2020 |

13

Dining

Fire and Fun Kasai Japanese Steakhouse maintains its high energy

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI When Sapporo in Scottsdale rebranded as Kasai Japanese Steakhouse in November 2018, the move infused new energy into the 11,000-square-foot airy building.

14

| AUGUST 2020

Owner Michael Russello says that energy hasn’t subsided. The teppanyaki restaurant had a facelift over the pandemic break from March 17 to July 1.

“We took away other tables and added four teppanyaki tables, totaling 14,” Russello says. “Nowadays, people want more of the Japanese steakhouse.

“We were busy last night. Guests were just having fun. It’s a dinner show where you forget about the world for a little while. I’m blessed with the best chefs around, which make me look good.”

The teppanyaki tables seat 146. Previously, the tables were only at the back and sides of the restaurant. Now, with the addition of the four hoodless tables, teppanyaki is the dining room’s focal point.

For teppanyaki, guests are treated to seven-course meals of shrimp starter, mushroom soup, house salad, fried rice, seasonal vege-

tables, protein and Dole Whip Hawaiian pineapple frozen dessert.

Teppanyaki, which is cooked on hoodless grills, features a slew of options individually or in combinations—filet mignon ($36), New York strip ($34), sumo filet mignon ($48), sumo New York strip ($44), chicken breast ($20), soy-glazed tofu ($20), calamari steak ($24), salmon ($30), scallops ($34), shrimp ($28), sea bass ($42), lobster ($46) and Wagyu filet mignon ($70).

There’s more to Kasai than teppanyaki, though. When Kasai reopened, it listed on its menu some old favorites, like the Misoyaki black code with eel sauce and

togarashi butter ($18) and the Mongolian lamb chops with Asian slaw, coconut curry and beurre blanc ($24).

“We did reduce some items on the menu, though,” he says. “With coronavirus, you want to keep your inventory down. It’s a good amount of money sitting in inventory when you have to shut down. It’s not fun.

“You’re going through a lot of product. You can’t just keep produce or fresh fish around. I’m a foodie type of guy, and every item we do right now is great. We do care about the appetizers. We have incredible sushi, too.”

Russello couldn’t donate the leftover produce, because the boxes were open.

“When you have an open box, you’re not allowed to donate, I don’t think,” he says. “We’ll have 15 cases of eggs and it’s open. You’re not allowed to donate it.

That was one thing I said when this thing Kasai...continues on page 15

www.LovinLife.com

What’s Cooking?

Black Forest Ice Cream Cake

BY JAN D’ATRI Whoever came up with the combination of cherries and chocolate hit a home run!

That combo is especially delicious in a black forest cake with layers of cherry filling, chocolate cake and whipped cream. Have you ever thought about a frozen version of this favorite dessert? It’s delicious.

This cake starts with a thin layer of chocolate cake or brownies on the bottom, then layers of cherry ice cream, ice cream sandwiches and whipped topping make this recipe a frozen dream. It all gets topped with fresh berries, cherry pie filling and maraschino

cherries for color. I screamed, and you’ll scream for this refreshing gourmet ice cream cake!

Black Forest Ice Cream Cake Ingredients: - 1 box chocolate cake mix or fudge brownie mix (or store-bought cake or brownies) - 1 quart cherry or cherry chocolate ice cream, thawed - 1 package (12) ice cream sandwiches - 1 tub, Cool Whip, thawed in the refrigerator - 1 package Oreo cookies, thin or regular - 1 small jar maraschino cherries - 1 can cherry pie filling - Fresh berries like blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, optional - Chocolate coating, optional Directions: Line an 8-by-8-inch square cake pan with foil, extending enough foil on both ends to be able to lift the cake out when frozen. Bake the chocolate cake or fudge brownies according to package instructions in a shallow baking sheet pan so the cake is only about 1 inch high. When done, cut the cake or brownies to fit the 8-inch cake pan.

(You can also use a store-bought frozen chocolate cake or store-bought brownies.)

Thaw the cherry ice cream in a container enough so it can be spreadable.

Spread about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of the melted ice cream over the cake bottom.

Place the ice cream sandwich bars over the ice cream so that they all fit snuggly together. Press down on the ice cream sandwiches so they press into the ice cream. Top the ice cream sandwiches with the remainder of the melted ice cream. Cover and freeze overnight.

When cake has hardened, spread Cool Whip over the top and sides of the cake.

If desired, put some Cool Whip in a piping bag to decorate the top. Combine about 1/2 cup of the cherry pie filling with several fresh berries, mixing gently to combine. Spoon the berry mixture in the center of the cake. Press Oreo cookies around the top of the cake so that they are standing up. Rinse maraschino cherries and place a few around the top of the cake.

(Optional: In addition to the bright red cherries, you can also dip cherries in chocolate coating. Let harden, and place around the cake.)

Return to freezer for several hours.

When ready to serve, cut cake immediately and serve while cake is still frozen.

Kasai...continued from page 14 started; they should have changed that rule.”

Restaurants are nothing new to Russello. He also owns the ice cream shop The Creek Cookies and Cream at The Shops at Dynamite Creek, 28248 N. Tatum Boulevard, Suite B1, Cave Creek.

“We have raspberry Dole Whip there,” he says, before quickly adding, “My focus is on Kasai, and we want to grow the concept in the area. There are a couple of locations that we’re eyeing. We have Downtown Phoenix ready to go as soon as we want to pull the trigger.

“We planned on taking over the space in June. With this hoodless teppanyaki grill it’s way better. We can go anywhere and do them. There’s no teppanyaki in Downtown Phoenix.”

Colorful, potent drinks are a centerpiece as well, like the Violet Solstice made with Hendricks Mid-Summer Solstice gin, crème de violette and fresh lemon juice ($14) or The P. King cocktail (in honor of original owner Patrick King, who lost his battle with melanoma earlier this year) made with Toki Japanese whiskey, lychee liqueur, fresh lime juice and a dash of bitters ($14).

Whether it’s the bar, teppanyaki table or dining room, guests will be greeted by staff wearing masks.

“We’re really abiding by the rules,” Russello says. “Everybody’s wearing the masks. The chefs, they’re more strict than anybody in the building. It’s a little easier for us because we have a bigger place. It’s tough to be 50% in a smaller restaurant.

We’re lucky that it’s a big space.”

Kasai is still about having fun, though.

“It’s high energy, and we play fun music,” he says. “It’s not a place for a really quiet dinner. People yell at the tables.

They’re just having fun. We have a great staff, and they’re pushing the fun element, too.”

This fall, Kasai will take a new turn.

“I want to do brunch in the fall,” Russello says. “We’re starting to think about it right now. It’s a two-month process for a teppanyaki brunch. I want to figure it out and get suggestions from the chefs. I think it could be a fun brunch place, too.”

Kasai Japanese Steakhouse 14344 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480.607.1114, kasaiscottsdale.com

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15

Columns Hospice Is Hope

HOV volunteers pay tribute to veterans

BY LIN SUE COONEY

Director of Community Engagement, Hospice of the Valley

in 2011, the program has honored more than 2,700 veteran patients for their service to our country.

These volunteers normally provide special recognition in a face-to-face visit—but all that has changed in recent months due to the coronavirus. Instead of being there in person to present a ceremonial pin and small flag, volunteers like Bash are invited into a family’s home through a video screen. Just like before, the two veterans are able to spend time reminiscing about their service—one last chance to share experiences. It’s quite obvious how much pride and gratitude veteran patients feel as they recall special times of camaraderie and accomplishment. And their families are grateful to

PUZZLE ANSWERS

Denny Bash’s military career is one of steely dedication. The Vietnam-era veteran served 32 years in the Navy— spending nearly half of that time providing medical support for the Marines.

And when his children joined the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, he joined it, too.

He’s a pretty tough cookie. But each time he pays a tribute visit to a fellow veteran at end of life, the Hospice of the Valley volunteer gets emotional.

“I cry at every one of them,” he confesses. “I love the service. The military has given me every break in my life, and that’s the reason I’m giving back.”

Bash is one of 45 volunteers—all veterans—with our agency’s Saluting Our Veterans program. Since its inception

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Prior to the pandemic, Hospice of the Valley volunteer Rodney Dehmer met with Tom and Jim Dorr and their father, World War II veteran Chester Dorr, who was honored on the 75th anniversary of D-Day. (Photos courtesy Hospice of the Valley)

have some precious new memories to treasure after their loved one has passed.

“Even during a global crisis, we want to make sure our veteran families know how grateful we are for their service and sacrifice,” says Stacia Ortega, director of volunteer services at Hospice of the Valley.

“We knew we could find a way to make that happen.”

COVID-19 has certainly caused some challenges—but our volunteers agree: Virtual visits still provide a beautiful way to honor the brave men and women in our community who are facing an endof-life journey. “The veteran-to-veteran connection gives our hospice patients an opportunity to unpack some things they’ve never shared with anyone, things they will only tell another veteran,” Bash says. “When I ask them if they would like to talk about their service, they jump at the opportunity to discuss what they’ve done, where they’ve been, what the service meant to them.”

Every veteran is unique. And each has a unique story.

Chester Dorr stormed the beaches of Normandy in France in World War II. Prior to the pandemic, volunteer Rodney Dehmer, a Vietnam War veteran, honored the

99-year-old on the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Dorr’s family was overcome with emotion during the ceremony. “This is one hell of a program,” says his son Jim, also a Vietnam veteran. “It just tops the cake.”

Arizona is home to more than half a million veterans. Many were never recognized or thanked for their courage. That’s particularly true for the men and women who fought in Vietnam. The prestigious We Honor Veterans national program has recognized Hospice of the Valley for providing superb care to all veterans, with special emphasis on the unique needs of Vietnam-era and combat veterans.

“In good times and hard times, it’s our extraordinary honor to pay tribute to these heroes in our community,” says teary-eyed volunteer Bash. “It feels incredibly rewarding.”

If you are a veteran and think you’d enjoy volunteering for Hospice of the Valley’s Saluting Our Veterans program, please visit hov.org/volunteer/saluting-our-veterans or call 602-636-6336 to find out more.

Lin Sue Cooney is director of community engagement for Hospice of the Valley.

Due to COVID-19, Hospice of the Valley volunteer Denny Bash performs virtual tribute visits to veteran patients. The Saluting Our Veterans program honors veteran hospice patients with a commemorative pin, small flag from their branch of service, and gratitude for their courageous service and sacrifice.

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Medication can cause dry mouth

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These include drugs for urinary incontinence, allergies, high blood pressure, depression, diarrhea and Parkinson’s disease. Also, some over-the-counter medications often cause dry mouth.

Dry mouth can also be caused by cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation, nerve damage in the head or neck, the autoimmune disease Sjogren’s syndrome, endocrine disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, anxiety disorders and depression.

Sjögren’s syndrome can occur either by itself or with another autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Salivary and tear glands are the major targets of the syndrome. The result of the syndrome is a decrease in production of saliva and tears.

drome can occur at any age, but the average person with the disorder at the Sjögren’s Syndrome Clinic of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) is in his or her late 50s. Women with the disorder outnumber men 9 to 1.

In addition, tobacco, alcohol (in beverages and mouthwash), drinks with caffeine, snoring and breathing with your mouth open can aggravate dry mouth.

If you think you have dry mouth, go to your doctor or dentist. Your doctor may adjust your medication that is suspected of causing the problem. Or, your doctor may prescribe a medication to stimulate saliva production.

There are other ways to improve saliva flow. Try sugar-free hard candy or chewing gum. Avoid lemon-flavored hard candy, because it makes saliva acidic, increasing the possibility of tooth decay. You can also sip water regularly, try over-the-counter saliva substitutes, avoid breathing through your mouth, and use a humidifier in your bedroom.

If you have dry mouth, you have to pay greater attention to your teeth. Brush your teeth with an extra-soft toothbrush after every meal and at bedtime. If brushing hurts, soften the bristles in warm water.

Floss your teeth gently every day. Always use toothpaste with fluoride in it. If you have a sweet snack, brush right away.

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