85085 Magazine - September 2020

SEPTEMBER 2020

Angel on Earth

BURSTING INTO BLOOM POPPIES FLOWER SHOP BLOSSOMS

Alexandra Anderson greets visitors to the Legends District

Diamond Dance Works

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SEPTEMBER 2020 | Volume 7 | Issue 9

Publisher Steve T. Strickbine steve@timespublications.com

features

18

16

20

Vice President Michael Hiatt mhiatt@timespublications.com Executive Editor Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Assistant Editor Connor Dziawura cdziawura@timespublications.com Graphic Designer Shannon Mead

'Angel on Earth'

Driving Success

85085’s Alexandra Anderson greets visitors to the Legends District

Dylan Harvey almost lost his dream of repairing race cars

Nature Comes First APS ‘aggressively’ works to protect wildlife

Staff Photographer Pablo Robles

fresh

home

6

Big Kid Book Club

26 School at Home

Here’s to a New School Year

27 Cool Crafts

Starlight Scholarship

28 Extraordinary Rides

7 8 9

Program provides free reading materials for students A teen’s tips to staying sane during the pandemic Gwendolyn Cain finds healing in performing on stage

Homeschooling becomes the new normal amid COVID-19 Take on these projects to destress during the pandemic Volvo XC90 T8 SUV has frustrating controls

food

Mastering the Grill

Barbecues power backyard living

10 Remote Court Appearances COVID-19 has changed the ways the justice system works

32 'We Can't Forget'

Amped Coffee Co. pledges to remember 9/11 with memorial

Terra Farm + Manor offers a truly Arizona culinary adventure

34 Functional Fitness 36 Shining Brightly

23 The Art of the Deal

Diamond Dance Works offers 'something special'

J&B Furniture Consignment is perfect for new homeowners

37 Care Close to Home

HonorHealth Sonoran Crossing Medical Center set to open this month

23 For the Love of Gaming

D&D brought this couple closer together—in business, too

38 Brainteasers

24 ‘It Will Burst into Bloom’

King Crossword and Sudoku puzzles

Poppies Flower Shop blossoms with boutique flowers

On the cover: Nicole Anderson and her daughter, Alexandra, photographed by Pablo Robles 85085magazine.com

4

85085 | SEPTEMBER 2020

85085 Magazine sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable manner.

This issue was printed on recycled fibers containing 10% post consumer waste, and with inks containing a blend of soy base. Our printer is a certified member of the Forestry Stewardship Council, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and additionally meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards

better Exercise increases confidence and health

business

Production Manager Courtney Oldham

Taco Lasagne

Pita Jungle takes extra precautions to keep its staff and guests healthy

14 Northern Epicurean Adventure

Marketing Director/ Social Media Manager Eric Twohey eric@85085magazine.com

30 What’s Cooking? with Jan D’Atri

travel Jackson Hole offers adventures for outdoorsmen, animal lovers

Advertising sales@85085magazine.com (623) 299-4965

Circulation

31 Staying Safe

12 Hole-y Moley!

Contributors Alison Bailin Batz, Pastor David Bowen, Jan D'Atri, Dr. Curtis Finch, Jadyn Fisher, Shannon Fisher, C.A. Haire, Dr. Brian Hester, Bridgette M. Redman, Shelley Sakala, Judge Gerald A. Williams

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@85085mag | #local85085

85085 Magazine is published 12 times a year for full saturation distribution in Sonoran Foothills, Norterra, Fireside, Deer Valley Airpark, Dynamite Mountain Ranch, Carefree Crossing, Valley Vista, and Amber Hills. You can also pick up 85085 Magazine at many businesses including specialty shops, salons, spas, auto dealerships, libraries, children’s and women’s specialty shops, boutiques, restaurants, health clubs, hotels, medical offices, and many rack locations.

Statements, opinions, and points of view express written consent by the writers and advertisers and are their own, and do not necessarily represent those of the publishers, editors, or 85085 Magazine staff.

Although 85085 Magazine has made every effort to authenticate all claims and guarantee offers by advertisers in the magazine, we cannot assume liability for any products or services advertised herein.

No part of 85085 Magazine can be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the express written consent of the publisher. Publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter at any time.

Postmaster: Please return all undeliverable copies to AIM, 1236 W. Southern Avenue, Ste 105, Tempe, AZ 85282. All rights reserved. ®2020 Affluent Publishing, LLC. Printed in the USA.

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CURT'S CORNER

Big Kid Book Club Program provides free reading materials for students

By Dr. Curtis Finch Deer Valley Unified School District Superintendent

R

eading is the key to success in school, period. The research on reading states students below grade level by third grade will become exponentially behind over time without a significant reading intervention. In other words, the reading gap will only get wider.

Parents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, and grandparents who read to their younger children/siblings/grandkids before kindergarten give them a big advantage over their peers. The goal is to develop children’s own love for reading so eventually they will read to themselves. It is a fact that children love to receive free books in the mail. Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD) combined these two ideas to form the Big Kid Book Club three years ago; today’s book club has accumulated over 1,600 members and continues to grow every month.

Any child who is between the ages of 3 and 5 and not yet enrolled in kindergar-

ten may apply for the program and receive free, exciting and colorful new books from DVUSD throughout the school year.

DVUSD will send parent tips to help keep students on the path of learning and social/ emotional growth. Parents will also learn about interventions and resources for assistance. The premise of the program is to help children begin to develop a love for reading. We also know this love is more likely to happen when it is modeled for them, and especially when that person is a family member. Something also happens

when a child gets a package addressed to them in the mailbox and it is a new book!

The love for reading begins.

The Big Kid Book Club provides parents information regarding the 39 schools in the DVUSD system, its curriculum-specific and award-winning programs, and the many academic and athletic successes of DVUSD students and staff. To learn more about the Deer Valley Unified School District, visit dvsud.org. The website includes access to hundreds of resources for parents, connections to campuses, and lists of awards and accomplishments.

If parents wish to enroll their child in the Big Kid Book Club, it can be found on the district website at dvsud.org/bookclub.

Maricopa County-eligible students are not required to live within the 364 square miles of the DVUSD boundaries. Excitement to receive free books in the mail is the only requirement. The Big Kid Book Club webbased form takes approximately 2 minutes to fill out and the next step is to watch out the window for the mail delivery truck!

Ready? Set? Read!

Dr. Curtis Finch is the DVUSD superintendent and can be reached at superintendent@dvusd.org.

6

85085 | SEPTEMBER 2020

HIGH SCHOOL

Here’s to a New School Year A teen’s tips to staying sane during the pandemic

By Jadyn Fisher

O

ur world is a crazy place right now.

For adults, this pandemic has meant working from home and not catching a break from their kids. For students, it means getting an education from a new online environment.

As a high school junior, this year isn’t what I expected it to be. I feel many students can relate when I say that it can be difficult to stay motivated while sitting at a screen for six-plus hours a day. Here are some things that you can do to stay positive during this time.

Sandra Day O’Connor High School junior Kristen Le says she’s been affected by the pandemic.

“It is hard to focus, because you’re sitting in one spot for six hours with a total of 30 minutes of a break throughout the whole day,” Le says.

“It just fries our brains.”

To combat this, she says having a regular routine and structure helps her to stay on track.

“I just have a ‘schedule,’” she says. “I wake up and shower and then have class, then after school I’ll do any homework that I didn’t get to do during class and then I get ready for work.”

Students are also trying to get involved in clubs while continuing with online school. A lot of socialization forms, like lunch or talking to friends in passing, have been completely eradicated with the online model. Clubs are being bombarded with students just wanting something to do.

Sandra Day O’Connor sophomore Samantha Sharlot is trying to stay positive.

“I’ve been trying to get involved with more school activities through outlets like Zoom,” she says.

Many area schools are trying to get creative with clubs. Those who are interested in clubs should reach out to administration. That way, students know if there’s a virtual club rush or

if there’s club news.

Online communities are great ways to stay involved as well. Even though large group gatherings aren’t a possibility right now, there are so many online communities. Whether that’s a class group chat, meeting new people with similar interests online, a group of friends to play video games with, or just FaceTiming a friend, it makes tough times easier.

Most teachers are open to having students reach out if they are struggling to navigate online school as well. They can be a resource, as well as designated counselors, if students need help—and there’s no shame in needing help.

It’s important to find your rhythm and do things that make you happy.

Everyone is handling the pandemic differently, so see what works for you.

Just think positive and keep your environment positive to make this year successful. Here’s to a new school year!

High school junior Jadyn Fisher offers some tips to staying sane during the pandemic. (Submitted photo)

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7

ARTS

Starlight Scholarship Gwendolyn Cain finds healing in performing on stage

By Bridgette M. Redman

G

wendolyn Cain believes solace can be found in performance, as the troubling aspects of one’s life can be transformed into a character.

She’s needed it during the COVID-19 pandemic, which isolated people and filled them with anxiety.

The 16-year-old Mountain Ridge High School junior is the most recent Amy Bennett scholarship winner, announced in late August.

The $500 scholarship is designated for use toward any of the 2020-21 season productions at Starlight Community Theatre.

The scholarship is a memorial to Bennett, a former Starlight actress who was killed in an accident while riding her bike to a rehearsal.

A “triple-threat” actress, Bennett pursued a degree in theater and moved to New York City.

A foundation was formed in her name and has been giving memorial scholarships to Starlight since the 2017-18 season. Past recipients include Caleb Ormord, Gracie Palmer and Jenna Padro.

Cain joined the Starlight family in August 2019 when she was in the ensemble of “Frozen Jr.,” playing several roles, including the housekeeper. While that was her first time on stage with them, she went to see “Mary Poppins” at Starlight when she was 9 years old.

“It’s not far from where I live,” Cain says. “It’s

in the community and was always in the back of my mind. I didn’t think I could audition for something there. I was just looking for some nearby auditions, trying to get involved and Starlight’s ‘Frozen’ popped up. I love ‘Frozen,’ and I really wanted to try that out.”

The production paved the way for her to play “Anna” in the Stage Dreams Youth Theater production of “Frozen Jr.” Through that, she performed in a junior theater festival when Stage Dreams condensed the show to 15 minutes and took it there.

“Gwendolyn Cain has a bright future at Starlight Community Theater,” Artistic Director Dan Ashlock Jr. says. “As an actress in three of our shows this year, she demonstrated true professionalism, commitment and a lot of talent.”

Ashlock says Cain has two very talented younger siblings, Jonah and Phoebe, who have also participated in several Starlight shows.

“Starlight loves having whole families work together on projects, and the Cains are a very talented family,” Ashlock says.

Cain has been performing since she was in fourth grade, when she took part in the required “Alice in Wonderland” stage show. Calling it “magical,” she says it was then she fell in love with theater.

In middle school, she started performing with community theaters. Before the pandemic, she starred as a Russian mobster in her high school’s production of “Matilda.”

“I loved doing that show,” Cain says. “There were several 18-hour days where we stayed at school until 1 or 2 in the morning. Our closing night of that show was Saturday night, and then Sunday morning the entire world shut down. It was a major blessing to finish out that show. It marked the beginning of all the craziness and the end of in-person theater.”

Since then, she has been watching in wonder with the way people have been adapting to creating art.

She’s participated in virtual shows like Starlight’s “Virtual Family” and the teen rendition of “Disorder in the Court.” In the first show, she played Alex, a human version of the Amazon device Alexa. Whenever a member of the house would say her name, she’d pop out and, in what she describes as an “obnoxious British accent,” say, “Hello, what can I do for you?”

In the second show, she played the judge in a court that had no sense of order or decorum.

Gwendolyn Cain has been watching in wonder with the way people have been adapting to creating art during the pandemic.

8

85085 | SEPTEMBER 2020

Mountain Ridge High School junior Gwendolyn Cain, 16, is the most recent Amy Bennett scholarship winner. (Submitted photos)

“This court is completely wacky, and there is no sense of order,” Cain says. “As the overseer of this court, I have lines I had to follow, but it was a very loose structure for my character. I had a lot of freedom to make interesting choices.”

As fall rolls in, Ashlock is making decisions about what the Starlight season will look like. The Starlight board met in mid-August and decided to host “Virtual Theater Trivia” at 7 p.m. September 26; “Adult Virtual Murder Mystery Party” at 7 p.m. October 2; “Young Adult/Teen Virtual Murder Mystery Party” at 7 p.m. October 3; and “Dracula” from October 23 to November 1.

Cain is eager to use her scholarship to return to the stage with her Starlight friends.

“I am just very anxious to get back up on a stage again,” Cain says. “There is something about being on a stage surrounded by your fellow cast members, who basically become your family. That is what is missing from the online experience, though I am extremely grateful to be participating in them amid the chaos and uncertainty.”

She is concerned about the state of community theaters that rely on donations and ticket sales. It’s something she doesn’t want to see die, because theater and performing is a crucial part of her life.

“Theater is like combining all methods of expressing yourself into one,” Cain says.

“You get to become someone else entirely. The deeper you dive in and the more you connect to the character you are embodying, the more fulfilling it becomes. If you are in it enough, everything else just melts away. You are this character. You are telling another’s story, and that is just really beautiful to me.”

C LO S E TO H O M E

Mastering the Grill Barbecues power backyard living

By Shelley Sakala

R

ight about the time the rest of the country is winding down their summer activities, Phoenix is just hitting that sweet spot.

Hot during the day, but not too hot. Cooler temps in the evening, but not too cool. That back patio you’ve worked so hard to prepare is about to get some heavy-duty usage for the next few months. And the engine that powers backyard living is your grill.

There’s something special about food cooked outside. Nobody gathers around an oven or a frying pan. But hanging out and shooting the breeze while you’re fl ipping drumsticks and brats is completely acceptable. The sizzle … the smells … the sight of an open flame … it’s all part of a wonderfully American ritual as familiar as the Pledge of Allegiance.

We are in a golden age of grilling. Never before have there been so many equipment choices, ranging from the classic charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid setup to superslick, gas-burning, Bluetooth-enabled barbecue battle stations. You can get in the game for $25 and be cooking within the hour. Or put the next stimulus check toward a grill that costs more than your first car. There are price points for everyone, not to mention options like smokers, hibachi tops, rotisseries, pizza ovens and deep fryers. To help stave off choice overload, here are five ways to get cookin’ this fall: Cuisinart CCG190 Portable Charcoal Grill: Little grill, little price tag. This super-popular charcoal grill got our attention by averaging 4 stars out of more than 2,000 customer reviews. It’s 14 inches of fury—perfect for a few burgers or a couple of steaks. Great for small groups and small outdoor spaces. An excellent grill for road trips and campouts.

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those who are used to the instant gratification of a gas grill. Smoking your food requires longer cooking times and lower temperatures. It’s like a Crock Pot for your backyard but more manly. Advanced planning and patience are your friends. Delicious food is your reward. $800 at traegergrills.com.

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9

PERSPECTIVE

Remote Court Appearances COVID-19 has changed the ways the justice system works

By Judge Gerald A. Williams North Valley Justice of the Peace

M

ost courts around the nation are performing courtroom functions through teleconferences, e-amil and regular mail. That includes us.

Until it is safe for everyone, operations will not return to how they were before COVID-19 hit Arizona. If you need to interact with any federal, state, county, justice, municipal or tribal court, the best thing you can do is either to call or to e-mail them for an update on their current procedures and requirements.

YOU Do not drive allTO theBE way to a courthouse assuming that you can enter the building. You might be turned away. You will be turned away if you are sick and if you have symptoms consistent with having COVID-19. Expect to be required to wear a mask.

Can people appear by either Zoom or Go

rve You Deserve

To Meeting? Probably not. Some jurisdictions have done jury trials where everyone has appeared by court over a remote video platform. But there are a few problems with doing so, one of which is that a court cannot discriminate against potential jury members or litigants who may have limited technological capabilities.

At the North Valley Justice Court, with very few exceptions, all court appearances are telephonic. Th is works, but it does not always work well. Some proceedings are relatively simple to do over the phone. These include a garnishment hearing, a default hearing or a civil pre-trial conference. In fact, we were doing those by phone prior to COVID-19.

Trials and residential eviction cases are more difficult to do over the phone. Everything that can go wrong with a conference call has happened. These include relatively minor problems (barking dogs and crying children) and more significant problems, such as people who are not even parties to a case interrupting to share their thoughts on what is pending.

As I judge, I find myself frequently saying, “I don’t know who is speaking, but it is not your turn to talk.”

While, from my perspective, doing everything by phone can be a hassle, there are also tremendous advantages. First and foremost, it helps keep people safe. Litigants and attorneys

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do not have to travel and interact with either court staff or with each other.

Perhaps just as important, telephonic appearances have increased access to our judicial system. Many people cannot afford to take significant time off work for courthouse appearances. For North Valley cases, our courthouse is not located in our judicial precinct. Travel to it is complicated by both distance and lack of any public transportation to it.

Residential eviction cases have had a dramatic increase in participation by tenants since tenants have been allowed to appear by phone for landlord and tenant disputes.

My guess is that there will be pressure for either that or for a similar process to continue indefinitely. Increasing access to justice and to due process remains an ongoing journey.

Judge Gerald A. Williams is the Justice of the Peace for the North Valley Justice Court. The court’s jurisdiction includes Anthem and Desert Hills.

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11

NEW ADVENTURES

Hole-y Moley!

Jackson Hole offers adventures for outdoorsmen, animal lovers

By Alison Bailin Batz

S

pacious skies? Check.

Amber waves of grain? Check.

Purple mountain majesty? Check.

Jackson Hole, a mountain-lined paradise in the heart of Wyoming and near the Teton Mountain Range, is America at is most beautiful. The region has earned national attention as a chic refuge for the likes of Kim Kardashian, Sandra Bullock, Demi Moore and Harrison Ford in recent years. Beyond being a mecca for celebrities looking to escape from it all, it is the perfect place for adventure buffs, culinary connoisseurs and nature lovers of every shape and size. It also happens to be one place you need not worry about social distancing, as there is space as far as the eye can see—and then some.

Most who visit do so in the thick of the winter given the tremendous skiing at Jackson Hole Resort, but also consider a trip in the fall or even plan for a spring or summer visit, because it is heaven on earth.

Stay

property also features a seasonal outdoor heated pool and hot tub and executive fitness center that is open 24 hours a day.

Recreational activities abound all season, including mountain biking, water sports, skiing and snowboarding, as well as all of the outdoor experiences offered on Snow King Mountain. Most notably, Snow King Resort is the gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, which make for easy day trips.

Another amazing option: Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole. The Five Diamond AAA resort is just a mile from the entrance of Grand Teton National Park, among the top mountaineering, hiking, backcountry and fishing locales in the United States and home to thousands of species of animals, notably moose, bald eagles, elk, deer, bears and bison.

There are just over 100 rooms, 18 suites and 34 residences on property, and each standard room boasts its own private balcony. The spectacular suites—ranging from 750 to 2,200 square feet—have similarly stunning balconies as well as spacious living areas, expansive master bedrooms and marble bathrooms. The prettier-than-apostcard resort has a heated outdoor pool, multiple hot spring-style jetted tubs, three award-winning restaurants, a small-bite mixology bar, access to a nearby ropes course and hiking trails. There is also a dedicated team of on-site naturalists that lead adventures ranging from wildlife sa-

Surrounded by 3.4 million pristine acres of the Bridger-Teton National Forest and encompassed by the iconic, jagged peaks of the Teton Range and Grand Teton National Park, Snow King Resort is one of Jackson’s most-celebrated resorts. It provides an au- Just one Wyoming resident you see on a Jackson Hole thentic Western lodg- might Grand Teton Wildlife Safari. ing experience with 203 (Photo courtesy Visit Jackson Hole) comfortably appointed guest accommodations and 60 luxury and classic vacation condominium rentals.

The resort’s signature restaurant, Hayden’s Post, features traditional American favorites with a local-centric twist and an expansive outdoor patio with panoramic views. The

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Four Seasons Jackson Hole will take your breath away. (Photo courtesy Four Season Jackson Hole)

Wyoming is wild and wondrous for those who love the outdoors. (Photo courtesy Visit Jackson Hole)

The tour—which starts at $275 and includes meals, water, binoculars and spotting scopes—features hiking, wildlife viewing, an optional boat ride, light mountain climbing and ample photo opportunities along Jenny Lake, the base of the Tetons, Signal Mountain, Jackson Lake and Snake River.

Sip, savor and shop

faris, fly fishing and stargazing daily, given the greatest of the great outdoors awaits at every turn.

Play

Beyond what the hotels offer, adventure awaits at every turn here. For those looking to see it from a bird’s eye view, Fly Jackson Hole offers four scenic flight packages daily that start at $295 and range from 60 to 90 minutes. During the tours, expect to soar over the Tetons, Snake River, several waterfalls, alpine lakes and canyons. For the daredevil, Teton Hang Gliding’s experienced FAA Flight instructors lead multiple hang-gliding expeditions daily using a powered buggy with an open cockpit.

Less high in the sky and more wet and wild, Barker Ewing White Water offers whitewater raft ing and scenic float trips along Jackson Hole’s Snake River. The tours, available separately and able to be combined together into package, many with meals included, range from seven to 15 miles and start at $60. The whitewater rafting section of the Snake River is Class III, perfect for people of all ages and experience, while the scenic float is an unhurried, relaxing jaunt down the river best for photographers and nature lovers. Or if a power boat is more your speed, there are four main marinas for boating in Grand Teton National Park that offer rentals, services and other amenities for adventures on the Snake River and numerous lakes. Signal Mountain Lodge is a best bet, as it has deck cruisers, pontoon boats and motorboats.

Also a must for nature lovers is the Jackson Hole Grand Teton Wildlife Safari, an eighthour exploration of the wildlife, geology and natural history of Grand Teton National Park.

Because one cannot live on adventure alone, Jackson Hole has a vibrant culinary, art and shopping scene.

Both Jackson Hole Winery, which sits along a serene creek and makes exceptional chardonnays, pinot noirs and red blends, and Jackson Hole Still Works, which makes vodka, gin and double cask gin using water from the nearby mountains, are both open daily for tastings. If just one wine tasting option won’t cut it, Bin 22, which is inspired by the owner’s visits to European tasting rooms and bistros, features an eclectic wine shop, gourmet groceries and a tapas bar. West Bank Grill, a modern American steakhouse, offers dishes inspired by indigenous flavors and local traditional. Snake River Grill, in the heart of the town square, has become known nationwide for its rustic fine dining. Similarly, Granary Restaurant at Spring Creek Ranch offers refined dining with floor to ceiling views of the Tetons. There is also The Blue Lion Restaurant, which is located in charming historic house that owner Ned Brown purchased in 1978. There, expect dishes such as rack of lamb, elk tenderloin and fresh Idaho rainbow trout.

Among the dozens of art galleries in the region, Gallery Wild, which showcases fine art inspired by wildlife, wild open spaces and conservation, and Wilcox Gallery, home of renowned landscape painter Jim Wilcox and several others, both stand out.

And finally, for the travelers who like to stop and shop a bit, Wyoming Outfitters, a locally owned boutique that dates back to 1910 and features men’s and women’s casual apparel, jewelry, gifts, home decor and children’s items, and Altitude, a designer boutique, are musts.

Jackson Hole

jacksonholechamber.com SEPTEMBER 2020 |

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ADVENTURE Hidden within the Prescott National Forest, Terra Farm + Manor appears to visitors almost out of nowhere 15 miles along a dirt road. (Photos courtesy Terra Farm + Manor)

Northern Epicurean Adventure

Terra Farm + Manor offers a truly Arizona culinary adventure

By Alison Bailin Batz

T

here is thinking outside of the box and then there is thinking outside of the confines of anything anyone has done before to create something wholly new.

Thanks to chef James Porter and his limitless imagination, Arizona boasts one of the truly distinctive culinary and outdoor adventures in the world: Terra Farm + Manor.

Hidden within Prescott National Forest

just a few hours from the Valley, Terra is a palace of epicurean curiosity. The 100-acre property only hosts about a dozen guests each week, tailor made for the most intimate of experiences as well as positioned perfectly given COVID-19 and social distancing measures. A working farm, manor, vineyard and ranch, the property boasts greenhouses, pastured land, rustic barns, orchards, animals, wildflowers, forest trails, black walnut trees, towering cottonwood trees, a fishing pond Among the Terra vacations available is an immersive pasta-making program.

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and a 3,000-square-foot lodge.

“When I was still running Petite Maison in Scottsdale, I got a vision to create an allencompassing program for visitors, which was the combination of experiences I’d myself had around the world,” Porter says.

Reservations must be made in advance to stay at Terra, and each visit is all-inclusive.

Within the lodge are eight guest suites, including one 700-square-foot master suite with a large soaking tub, walk-in shower and romantic private patio. There are no TV sets at Terra, but Wi-Fi is included with all guest stays. Attached to the lodge is a 1,500-square-foot cooking studio as well as an 8,000-square-foot patio with sparkling twinkle lights, a pizza oven, cast iron cooking pit and French stove.

“Each week offers a different theme and itinerary, but all are packed with professional instruction as well as ample time to explore the great outdoors in several unique ways,” Porter says. “By way of example, take our October pasta program.”

According to Porter, during this three-day experience, guests will learn the art and science behind sfoglia, which is a fresh, handmade sheet pasta with a sublime, paper-thin texture.

“During instruction, you see, guests will learn the techniques and tricks to this handmade pasta of Emilia-Romagna. The classes

will progress into creating authentic fi llings and sauces to complement the pasta, including pappardelle, triangoli, gnocchi di ricotta and more,” Porter says. “But that is only a piece of the fun.”

Beyond the instruction is the stay itself, where the aim is to awaken all of the senses by the journey’s end.

Once checked in, expect homemade, farmfresh breakfast daily and three to four hours of hands-on instruction followed by lunch and then a host of optional recreational activities both on-site and off. Just a sampling of activities available on-site: bocce ball; hiking; sporting clays; fly fishing; archery; guided nature walks; hatchet throwing; yoga; horseback riding; meditation; and a host of indoor and outdoor games, such as corn hole, pingpong, poker and darts.

Off-site activities—some of which are an added cost and can be booked upon arrival— available include nearby golf lessons with a

golf pro, helicopter tours of the Grand Canyon, massage services, and kayak tours of the nearby Verde River. Wine and custom libations are also always on the menu, often provided by nationally lauded expert sommeliers and mixologists.

“Each night is capped by a farm-to-table six- to 10-course dinner—held on the patio al fresco, weather permitting—and there are always relaxing after-dinner activities available,” Porter says. “Think cigars, wine, stargazing and such.”

Lovers of the land are in for an extra treat as well, as Terra just announced its partnership with Erich Schultz, owner of Steadfast Farm. Through the partnership, Schultz is using his holistic approach to farm design, crop selection and long-term productivity to showcase produce in very special ways.

He is an expert in what is called small-scale farming, which is a hyper-efficient, precise and extremely kind-to-the-earth method

Terra founder James Porter recently partnered with Steadfast Farm owner Erich Schultz to further enhance the guest experience.

of farming. In fact, small-scale farming is the most sustainable, local food growing method. It is also touted for improving soil quality and the overall health of communities.

“To say you will taste the difference would be an understatement,” Porter says.

Terra Farm + Manor information

Terra Farm + Manor is accepting reservations through 2021. All stays are inclusive of all programming, meals, on-site activities, lodging, specialty amenities and taxes. For more information, visit terrafarmandmanor.com.

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'Angel on Earth'

Alexandra Anderson has Pitt Hopkins syndrome, a rare condition characterized by intellectual disability and developmental delay, breathing problems, recurrent seizures and distinctive facial features. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

85085’s Alexandra Anderson greets visitors to the Legends District

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

T

o Nicole Anderson, hearing her daughter Alexandra say “momma” is a miracle.

Alexandra was born 5 years ago to Nicole and her husband, Matt, who live in 85085.

Since their first-born child was 10 months old, they have been seeing therapists at United Cerebral Palsy.

Alexandra was diagnosed with a rare disorder called Pitt Hopkins syndrome, a condition characterized by intellectual disability and developmental delay, breathing problems, recurrent seizures and distinctive facial features. September is Pitt Hopkins Awareness Month, with September 18 Pitt Hopkins Awareness Day. “It’s so rare that doctors hadn’t heard of it at Phoenix Children’s Hospital,” Anderson says.

“At the time, she was only the third person in Arizona to be diagnosed with it. Now there are seven or eight.”

When the couple received Alexandra’s diagnosis, Anderson did what most people

would do—she dove into the internet to do research and met with parents’ groups on Facebook. She found Pitt Hopkins is caused by a genetic abnormality.

“She’s missing one gene, and this gene causes her body to not make a specific protein critical to being able to speak and walk,” she says. “UCP serves individuals of all disabilities. You don’t have to have a diagnosis of cerebral palsy to be serviced there.”

Most people with Pitt Hopkins are nonverbal, which is true for Alexandra.

“She has said ‘momma’ a few times, and it’s the most amazing word ever to hear,” Anderson says. “That’s been really special for us. Only about half of them walk. She’s 5 and she’s still not walking.

“We are working hard in therapy for her to take her independent first steps.

She takes steps in a gate trainer, and that’s been really special.

That didn’t happen until quarantine.”

Anderson feels fortunate because she captured Alexandra saying “momma” on video. She replays that “amazing moment” repeatedly. Anderson says her daughter understands commands and requests.

“We ask her to hand momma this, or say ‘momma,’ or walk over here, and she knows what we’re asking her to do, which is great,” she says.

“She follows through with Alexandra Anderson became the centerpiece of United Cerebral Palsy of Arizona’s new brand campaign, “Possibilities Realized,” facilitated some of those actions. I kept

by Knoodle Agency on July 16. This photograph hangs in Downtown Phoenix’s Legends District. (Photo courtesy Knoodle Agency) asking her to say ‘momma,’ and she didn’t say anything.

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One time, I asked her, ‘What’s my name?’ and that’s when she said ‘momma.’ It was amazing to hear.”

Perfect pregnancy

Anderson says that when Alexandra was born, she didn’t have a reason to be concerned. Her pregnancy was “textbook perfect,” she says, and Alexandra was born full term at nearly 8 pounds.

“It wasn’t until 6 or 9 months we started to be concerned,” she says. “She wasn’t reaching those developmental milestones that most would be checking off and hitting.”

Alexandra’s pediatrician listened to the Andersons’ concerns and referred them to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for genetic counseling.

Between the pediatrician visit and the genetic testing, Alexandra started therapy at UCP. When Nicole and Matt received Alexandra’s diagnosis, the UCP therapists were equally as interested in learning about Pitt Hopkins.

“Never in a million years did we think it would come back as Pitt Hopkins,” she says.

“Even when the doctor delivered the news, he was very honest and said, ‘We don’t know much about it. I suggest you Google it, and we can talk about it in a week when we talk in person.’ I was at work when he called, so I turned to my work computer and I Googled ‘Life expectancy of Pitt Hopkins.’”

Anderson admits she was “devastated for about a week. It was the worst week of my life.”

She hoped to awaken from a “nightmare,” but she realized she had a choice: stay in that place, a dark place, or accept it and move on.

She rose to the occasion and is helping Alex-

andra be everything she can be.

“It’s amazing, honestly,” Anderson says.

“I’ve seen others with Pitt Hopkins who are a little bit older. Parents are having conversations with their children and young adults through an iPad. The more she uses it and is exposed to it, the quicker she’ll pick it up through speech therapy. The iPad will ultimately be her voice. One day, she’ll tell us all what she’s really thinking of everything. She speaks volumes without speaking right now.”

The Andersons have another daughter, Austyn, who is a perfectly healthy infant.

“We opted to learn as much as we could about Austyn before she was born,” says Anderson, the director of communications for ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. “Everything came back normal.

That was exciting. She’s a sweetheart.

“As a momma to Alexandra, I can see how neurotypical babies should be a little more receptive, make eye contact and grab on to things. Austyn is 14 days old and she can hold her bottle. Her sister is 5 years old and she can’t hold her cup.

It’s a different, really unique perspective.

We don’t take any of them for granted.”

Anderson is determined to let Alexandra live as close to a normal life as possible.

“I’m not going to let medical journals label her,” she says. “We’re not going to listen to that. We’re going to work hard to give her the best future possible.”

Matt and Nicole Anderson have been reassured that their infant daughter, Austyn, right, is healthy.

Their daughter Alexandra, left, has a rare condition called Pitt Hopkins syndrome. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

Nicole Anderson sits holding her infant daughter, Austyn.

(Photo by Pablo Robles)

In lights

Alexandra may look a familiar to those who frequent Downtown Phoenix’s Legends District. On July 16, she became the centerpiece of United Cerebral Palsy of Arizona’s new brand campaign, “Possibilities Realized,” facilitated by Knoodle Agency, a branding and public relations agency.

The campaign is highlighted by a giant 42-by-36-foot outdoor board, located directly across from Chase Field, on Jefferson and Seventh streets. A series of 18 branded bus shelters is also planned along Camelback Road, between Central Avenue and 44th Street, to complement the campaign.

This culminates six months of work using the campaign direction “Possibilities Realized.” UCP of Central Arizona awarded Knoodle the account in December after an extensive agency search.

“We are so proud of our organization and the people we serve,” says Brenda Hanserd, CEO of UCP of Central Arizona.

“We wanted a message of hope that conveyed the children and adults we serve as our heroes, and our ‘Possibilities Realized’ brand handle goes beyond cerebral palsy. Every day, we work with children, adults and families with CP and various disabilities to maximize every person’s fullest potential.”

Knoodle’s chief creative officer, John Meyer, developed the campaign and created a way to safely shoot it. The campaign celebrates transformative treatments with an individualized purpose of empowering lives to reach their full potential and addressing relevant issues that relate to life with cerebral palsy or other disorders.

“Through great coordination and cooperation with UCP, we photographed the children 15 feet away with a very small but talented team,” he says.

Meyer and his team shot at six area loca-

tions, many with UCP children and adults.

“My approach was to showcase these children as princesses, cowboys, swimmers and dreamers to inspire Arizonans with these triumphs. UCP makes this happen,” Meyer adds.

Meyer tapped nationally known photographer Paul Markow for all photography, including on-site at the UCP headquarters and off-site at the McCormick Ranch Park, a private horse ranch and at a Phoenix-area home.

The campaign also includes a new website, direct mail effort and a digital donation drive, where the “Possibilities Realized” campaign will be showcased.

“We were beyond honored,” Anderson says. “It was unreal that they had asked us to be part of that opportunity, the ‘Possibilities Realized’ campaign. We’re her parents, so we can think of no one better.

“We’ve been witness to everything she’s been able to accomplish through her time at UCP, and she’s a living, breathing example of a child given a grave diagnosis who has excelled beyond measure, as far as what medical journals have said.”

When Markow spoke to the Andersons, he asked them if Alexandra had a princess gown.

“I said, ‘Do we have a princess outfit?’” he says with a laugh. “‘Sure we do. She’s our princess.’ She was a princess for Halloween. She’s our angel on earth.

“No one should have this disability. For those who have been lucky enough to get to know Alexandra are truly changed for the better—not just for her smile but for the hope she brings to everyone around her. Without saying one word, she says books of dialogue and changes all of us because of that.”

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Dylan Harvey almost lost his dream of repairing race cars

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

D

ylan Harvey dreamed of working as a pit crew member and repairing race cars as a youngster.

When he was 17, however, that career choice almost took a detour.

“I was on my way to school (AAEC Paradise Valley) on my motorcycle, and it’s believed the truck in the left-hand turn lane pulled into the left lane and I rear ended him,” says Harvey, a North Phoenix resident.

“I don’t know the medical terms, but the shin bone came out of the back of my calf. My arm was broken. It had severe nerve damage.

I don’t remember anything from the actual accident at all.”

It turned out Harvey suffered significant injuries and damage to the nerves in his brachial plexus. Left with an arm that was essentially paralyzed, amputation seemed likely.

Fortunately, Harvey’s family connected with Dr. David Adelson, the chief of pediatric neurology at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

Adelson, who is skilled in microsurgery, was able to repair Harvey’s nerve injury using Avance Nerve Graft, a human nerve allograft, restoring movement to his arm and the possibility of pursuing a lifelong dream.

The eight-hour procedure involved an offthe-shelf processed human nerve to fi ll the gap between a nerve to help it regenerate over time.

“The biggest challenge had been he suffered this really bad injury and the arm was not working,” Adelson says.

“He was given a very poor prognosis and they could have amputated his arm. It’s important to get these children and adults referred early (to specialists). This gives us the best opportunity to try and intervene and see if we can improve their overall function.”

About seven months later, movement started to return to his arm. It was useable after a year and a half.

“It was two years before I was lifting a bag of groceries or a jug of milk,” Harvey says.

The work continues

When Dylan Harvey was 17, he suffered significant injuries and damage to the nerves in his brachial plexus, leaving his arm essentially paralyzed and amputation likely. Luckily, a doctor skilled in microsurgery was able to repair his nerve injury.

(Photo by Pablo Robles)

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85085 | SEPTEMBER 2020

Harvey was determined to live his dream.

He went to physical therapy, sometimes twice a day, for two years. He admits that a year into it, he started to lose motivation.

“I was thinking about the bad side of it— what if it doesn’t come back?” he recalls. “How was I going to cope with that? I had a drive,

though, to not be like that. I had a lot of people around me saying it was possible to recover. I held on to that as hard as I could.”

It worked. The teen spent time at Universal Technical Institute furthering his education in automotive craftsmanship, then moved to North Carolina to attend NASCAR Technical Institute. He’s now able to lift heavy weights, replace tires and be the jackman on a pit crew.

“Ultimately, I wanted to come back to Arizona,” he says.

“I did work for a couple teams.”

Harvey now works for a Tempe performance shop that builds race cars.

“I love it here,” he says. “Business is going great and my injuries don’t slow down my work performance. I’ve always wanted to do this. After the accident, I was concerned. Sometime the things you planned forever for may not be possible, simply because you’re unable to do it. That was pretty upsetting.

“I definitely plan on staying at the place I’m at now. I really like it here. I do exactly what I trained for.”

He even built cars for the SEMA Show, the premier automotive specialty products trade event that’s held each fall. Set for Las Vegas, this year’s show was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s really spectacular,” he says. “It’s really amazing. I’m very fortunate to be here.”

Harvey says he still lacks the ability to pick

up temperature on his left arm.

“If something hot touches me, it takes significantly longer for the arm to register that it’s touching me,” he says. “The strength is a little bit lower than my right arm. I try not to work out my right arm. I don’t want to put off the appearance that one side is larger than the other.”

Harvey admits, though, he does miss riding motorcycles.

“It’s extra hard when you believe you’re never going to go down,” he says. “You believe you’re the best and then you wake up in a hospital room. It just sucks.”

Adelson says he’s proud of Harvey’s hard work and his ability to realize his dream.

“Dylan is very fortunate in a number of ways,” he says. “He healed great. He really jumped right into his therapy, which contributed to his good outcome. His enthusiasm and his optimism and his great work ethic contributed as well.

“We have wonderful success in the right patients in the right situations a lot, but this is really a tribute to him and his family for their hard work and being able to really achieve this nice outcome.”

Top, Dylan Harvey works for a Tempe performance shop that builds race cars.

Middle, Dylan Harvey spent time as a teen at Universal Technical Institute furthering his education in automotive craftsmanship, after which he moved to North Carolina to attend NASCAR Technical Institute.

Bottom, Dylan Harvey has built cars for the SEMA Show, the premier automotive specialty products trade event that's held each fall. (Photos by Pablo Robles)

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Nature Comes First APS ‘aggressively’ works to protect wildlife

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

M

alu Buckmaster and her husband, Jeff Paris, were mortified when they saw dead Harris hawks beneath APS lines near their New River home.

“It was just so sad,” Buckmaster said. “I hate to see birds, especially Harris hawks, electrocuted like this.”

Buckmaster and Paris were relieved when the utility company immediately jumped on

Nicole Rodriguez, shown here with a golden eagle, is in charge of APS’ avian protection program. (Photo courtesy APS)

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the case to ensure this doesn’t regularly happen.

“It’s difficult to tell from their photos if the deaths are electrical related, but I treated it as an electrocution,” says Nicole Rodriguez, who oversees APS’ avian protection program across the utility’s service area that includes 85085 and 85086.

“We do that even if we don’t have enough evidence. It is an older pole, which is common throughout the United States. When we have

an incident like this—whether it’s a raptor like an owl or hawk—if they have an electrical contact or collision with equipment, we will bird guard 11 consecutive poles, which can stretch for over a mile.”

The APS crews quickly completed the job.

Rodriguez says all utility companies have folks who will work to protect birds and wildlife, and hers is one of the more aggressive programs.

“I am very proud of that,” she says. “We respond to incidents, but we mitigate before incidents occur. We predict where problems may arise. We proactively bird guard poles before an incident occurs.”

Rodriguez frequently receives calls from the public saying Harris hawks are “hanging out on poles,” and she says those are valuable to APS. “Myself and the other folks on the team cannot see the entire territory,” she says. “It’s a partnership with our customers. It’s a lot of fun. The public gets engaged.

“It’s really rewarding. I think the customers, when they finally get to work with you, take ownership for their home and area.

Hunters will let us know activity, too. Even the folks out there on federal lands will help us.”

Photographs are helpful as well. Rodriguez reviews all the reports to keep APS in compliance with federal and state laws.

“That is a big priority with this company— to make sure we’re abiding by the recommendations,” says Rodriguez, who has a degree in natural resource management. “We go above and beyond to do our due diligence.”

Recently, APS partnered with Liberty Wildlife and Wild at Heart Raptors to train field employees on how to rescue birds.

“It’s important to safely rescue a bird that’s injured, whether it’s related to our equipment or not,” she says. “We have employees who bring in injured birds. They want to rescue them. This year, folks from all over the state— Four Corners, Douglas, Yuma and down to Phoenix, where Liberty Wildlife is located— learned how to transport them and make it to Liberty Wildlife or another rehab that’s closer to them.

“We learned how to pick up a hawk, for example. We want to make sure those folks and a lot of our employees are motivated to save wildlife.”

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S P OT L I G H T

The Art of the Deal

Barbara Willis opened J&B Furniture Consignment in 2012. (Photos by Tim Sealy)

J&B Furniture Consignment is perfect for new homeowners

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

B

arbara Willis never imagined she would open a consignment store.

But when she heard an Anthem shop was available, she took the opportunity.

In 2012, she opened J&B Furniture Consignment, which is filled with sofas, clocks, artwork, beds and other household items.

Willis even challenges visitors to a game of air hockey on a nearby table.

“I just happened to be in the right spot at the right time,” she says about taking over the business. “For whatever reason, he wanted to sell the store. It just made sense.”

Willis receives a major of her items from homeowners in Anthem Country Club, Scottsdale and as far away as Colorado.

“Sometimes we’ll get entire homes,” she says. “We’ve received baby grand pianos. I just love them. They’re just such a beautiful piece of furniture. We’ve had gorgeous antiques.”

The strangest thing she’s seen in J&B Furniture Consignment is the world’s largest elan antelope head.

“A cute young gal bought it,” Willis says.

“She was into taxidermy.”

She frequently sees repeat customers.

“Sometimes, when people buy things here for their homes, they’ll bring it back after a couple of years and I’ll take it— provided it’s still in good shape—because they’re moving.”

When Willis peruses items, she makes sure they’re clean, of current style and in good condition. She’s quick to say that many customers visit J&B Furniture Consignment looking for a deal. That’s not always the case.

“A lot of people think this is a thrift store,” she says. “It’s not.”

She does call her prices fair, though.

“Because it says ‘consignment,’ customers think they can call the shots on the prices,” she says. “I think our prices are great. They’re fair. You’re not paying re-

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J&B Furniture Consignment is filled with sofas, artwork and other household items.

Beds and clocks are two of the items that can be found at J&B Furniture Consignment.

J&B Furniture Consignment 42407 N. Vision Way, Suite 101, Anthem 623-551-4135

tail. Our items are perfect for a first-time homeowner.”

Willis’ lease is up in December, and she’s considered another location. However, she’s settled in Anthem, which she calls a

“great community.”

“I like the people here a lot,” she says.

“I’m going to stick around for a while. It’s a fun business. It’s a lot of physical labor, but I enjoy it.”

S P OT L I G H T The Gaming Goat is the largest board game/ role playing-specific retail chain in the United States and is the largest Kickstarter game retailer in the world. (Photos by Pablo Robles)

For the Love of Gaming D&D brought this couple closer together—in business, too

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

T

he novel coronavirus pandemic has caused an unexpected surge in game and puzzle sales among those quarantining with family.

After less than a month in business as The Gaming Goat, Mark Gorden has witnessed this—and maybe did a little game shopping himself.

“People are looking for puzzles,” the North Phoenix man says. “We’re trying to order puzzles right now. During the height of the pandemic, I was going to game stores and dropping a lot of money on games.”

The Gaming Goat is the largest board game/role playing-specific retail chain in the United States and is the largest Kickstarter game retailer in the world. The Gaming Goat also carries full lines of Pokemon TCG products and supplies.

The Norterra store also carries Dungeons &

Dragons products, Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon cards, and card games like Mille Bornes.

“There’s a complete mix of people coming through the doors,” says Gorden, who formerly ran hyperbaric chambers at St. Luke’s Hospital. “I had to pick up more games for younger kids. A lot of families are coming through. I was surprised at the number of people in their 50s who come by.”

Gorden, 40, is a longtime gamer who was introduced to the hobby by his parents in the late-1980s. They’d play Life and the Titanic game. When he married his wife, Paola, the two started enjoying Dungeons & Dragons again, and it gradually led to board games.

“It brought my wife and I together. It completely elevated our relationship with the interaction. We were painting miniatures for Warhammer and it created a bond, and it just grew from there.”

A dialysis tech, Paola and her husband pondered how they could turn their love of

Mark Gorden has been in business as The Gaming Goat for less than a month. Here he is pictured with team member Susanna Arenas.

gaming into a business.

“We were thinking what we could do to take this a step further,” he says. “There’s a Gaming Goat at Mesa Riverview that we went to because the prices were so good. We thought there was no way to compete with this. If you can’t beat them, join them.”

The Gaming Goat The Shops at Norterra 2470 W. Happy Valley Road, Unit 1182, Phoenix 623-248-0075 SEPTEMBER 2020 |

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S P OT L I G H T

‘It Will Burst into Bloom’

Poppies Flower Shop blossoms with boutique flowers

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

N

atalie Gilliland has always loved flowers because of their beauty and the creative ways in which she can arrange them.

After she and her husband, Michael, retired from their commercial landscaping business, the goal was to open a flower shop.

Gilliland couldn’t wait.

In October 2019, she opened Poppies Flower Shop in Tempe. Nearly a year later, on September 1, Gilliland is moving it to Norterra to be closer to her Anthem home.

“I had always wanted a retail store,” she says. “I have always loved flowers and plants.

I’ve played with flowers for as long as I can remember. It’s a creative outlet for me.

“I’ve wanted a boutique flower shop, something that wasn’t a traditional type of flower shop. You can pick up a dozen red roses, fi ll out a card and leave. But I wanted something more boutique, like in a very small town in

Traditional flowers like daisies, roses and carnations will be aplenty, but Poppies Flower Shop will specialize in novelty flowers like sweet peas, peonies, blushing bride protea, ranunculus and irises.

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Europe. You walk in. There are a lot of loose stems, not a lot of premade stuff. Customers can pick and choose what they want.”

Traditional flowers like daisies, roses and carnations will be aplenty, but Gilliland will specialize in novelty flowers like sweet peas, peonies, blushing bride protea, ranunculus and irises.

“You get the traditional roses with the baby’s breath,” she says. “I want to keep the usual stuff. I have gorgeous white snapdragons right now—the stuff you can’t pick up at the market. When you come into my store, I want you to have an experience.

Natalie Gilliland opened Poppies Flower Shop in Tempe last October. She and her shop will move to Norterra on September 1. (Photos by Pablo Robles)

“The girls and I are well versed in the different types of flowers and how long they’re going to last. Some flowers and plants are fussy, some like direct sunlight, some like partial sunlight. We’ll show you how to care for them and when the change out the water.”

Aside from flowers, locally sourced gifts will be available at Poppies Flower Shop.

(Photos by Pablo Robles)

Poppies Flower Shop

The Shops at Norterra 2450 W. Happy Valley Road, Suite 1147, Phoenix 480-649-7100, poppiesflowershop.com

Gilliland’s goal is to educate her customers because, then, everyone is happy. She’s especially interested in offering tips about succulents, such as water them infrequently and keep them out of the sun and heat.

Poppies will also have a small garden area so Gilliland can get the “best of all my worlds.”

“We’ll have small plants and small succulents,” she says. “Customers can pick out succulents and pot them here if they like. We can also help them pot it or they can take it home and make a mess themselves in their kitchen.

“We have all different varieties of eucalyptus and all the different greens you need to put together an arrangement. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience. It’s like you’re strolling through those shops in Europe.

You can walk out holding 20 loose stems of whatever you want.”

Poppies Flower Shop arranges flowers for events, namely weddings and corporate affairs. Locally sourced gifts will be available at the store.

“It goes naturally with if you’re coming in to get flowers for a girlfriend, you can pick up a book or a candle, or things like that,” she says. “We’re featuring all local vendors, with the exception of books.

I couldn’t find local vendors for books. This makes it really unique and special, versus going into a big-box store.”

Gilliland grew up in Southern California and moved to Arizona after high school. She recalls, during her childhood, hearing stories about her grandfather’s dog, affectionately named Poppy, hence the shop’s name.

“I love poppies,” she says. “I love the red poppies because I love red.

But Poppy was my grandfather’s dog’s name. He died when I was young, so I don’t really remember, but my mom would always talk about my grandpa’s dog.

“When I was coming up with the name, I thought about my favorite flowers. I love sweet peas, but then I came across poppies. My grandfather was an entrepreneur. That’s all of his entrepreneurial genes in it.”

In Gilliland’s signature line of her email is “Isaiah 35:2.” A line reads, “It will burst into bloom.” Her faith is going to help her make Poppies Flower Shop a success.

“We’re Christian,” she says. “Whenever God has a plan for you, you just roll with it. That’s how the flower shop came about. I can’t stop.

You just have to roll with it.

“Owning a business is stressful, especially when COVID hit. The event market died. The blessing in all of that was it allowed us to focus our time on the retail side and opening this store.”

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F A M I LY

School at Home Homeschooling becomes the new normal amid COVID-19

By Pastor David Bowen Standing Stones Community Church Standing Stones Christian Academy

I

n April, UNESCO announced nine out of 10 school children in 185 countries are out of school. Also in April, the Wall Street Journal ran an article, “Where Schools Reopen, Distancing and Disinfectant Are the New Coronavirus Routine.”

Five months later, not a lot has changed.

The upcoming school year still looks unpredictable. Kids and parents are still trying to figure out how to deal with the fall and school.

The National Home Education Research Institute reports there are more than 2 million children, by choice, being homeschooled in the United States. It is estimated that number is growing 7% to 15% each year. However, there is a big difference between being homeschooled and having to do school at home. One is a choice; the other is an adjustment with little or no choice.

As Arizonans enter into month No. 6 of dealing with COVID-19, one would think it gets easier now that we have some routines that make life seem normal. However, there

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is very little normal about many aspects of our daily public life. One of the biggest challenges many have had to adapt to is kids and school. The school day is not just an important part of our kids’ lives, but millions of parents start their own days by dropping off their kids before heading to work. School is how the day begins. Traditional school is built around routines. There are specific start and finish times. There are designed hours to each day. Teachers, classrooms, meals and activities all have a natural flow to them.

In reality, how well can 10-year-olds physically distance? With the number of students each teacher is responsible for, how effective would offering staggered schedules be? Does having a morning group and a different afternoon group add to or distract from the teacher’s ability to be focused and effective?

Universities have made online learning and

distance learning a marketing plus. However, for elementary through high school, the benefits of online or distance learning are not as appealing.

Do our kids follow adult guidelines? If that’s the case, all school gyms would be closed and each student would be asked to bring their own lunch and eat at their desks. Crowded hallways would be discontinued, meaning middle and high schools would have to go back to their elementary school days and stay in one classroom for the entire school day. So, either teachers rotate from classroom to classroom or one teacher has to teach multiple subjects on a middle school/high school level.

Reality is what it is. Let’s look at some tips to surviving school at home. First, parents have patience with your kids; they are confused, too. They also are out of their environment. Many may feel all alone. Try to embrace some of the benefits of school at home, such as the time the day starts. Online learning is likely to be a big part of the mix—either full time or as a complement to in-person schooling, which allows for some flexibility. Homeschoolers are said to get more sleep and are better rested than kids attending traditional school; however, and this is important, don’t fall to the temptation thinking we are learning at home, so it’s not as important as real school. It’s still real school, just with a different routine. Another temptation will be to give older siblings, who are more independent, too much responsibility in teaching younger siblings.

School at home is the new normal for now. It’s OK. You can do it!

CRAFTS

Cool Crafts Take on these projects to destress during the pandemic

By Shannon Fisher

R

aise your hand if you have been feeling stressed. I think most of us have.

September is a great time to create relaxing crafts to calm your mind. Here are some ways to relax your mind while making a cool craft.

Watercolor drops are easy to create and do not take much thought, aside from choosing colors. Start with watercolor paper, watercolor paint, a paint brush and a cup of water.

Chose any colors and paint a circle with the paint. You can add a bit of another color in the center of your circle and watch the colors blend. Keep creating relaxing circles all around the paper. Once done allow to dry.

You can outline the circles with Sharpie or even write positive words in the circles. Hope these help your brain take a break from the day.

Another craft is an optics illusion hand.

The repetition of drawing the lines can be relaxing. Start with a white paper and trace your hand or someone else’s with a pencil lightly.

Make sure to include a little bit of wrist. Now, take a marker and draw straight lines across the paper to the outline of your hand. Make sure to skip the hand part or go back and erase inside the hand area. After that point, starting with line one and make small arcs to connect the lines on either side of the hand. Last, use at least three markers colors to trace the lines.

Enjoy your optics hand art.

Scribble art is fun to create while listening to music. Use a Sharpie and create circle shapes and scribbles all over your paper. You can overlap the shapes as you just free draw.

After the lines are done you can color in the spaces with markers. You can use cool colors like blue, green and purple as they are relaxing and calming.

I hope you enjoy making crafts this month that help you relax and create something fun with your family.

Shannon Fisher is a local wife, mom of two girls and owner of Shannon Fisher Photography. She taught high school and elementary art before opening her photography business.

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WHEELS

The T8 boasts optional LED headlights, air suspension, 21-inch wheels, metallic paint, a Bowers & Wilkins sound system and other goods. The tested vehicle’s tab was $84,440.

Extraordinary Rides Volvo XC90 T8 SUV has frustrating controls Story and photos by C.A. Haire

V

olvo is a top-tier European brand, and the XC90 is the flagship of its SUV lineup. There are three flavors from which to pick.

First up is the T5, with a 2.0-liter engine that puts out 250 horsepower. The T6 has the same 2.0 motor, but, by adding a turbocharger and a supercharger, horsepower climbs to 316.

The one we tested is the T8. It combines the same T6 engine setup but adds an electric motor on the rear wheels for a total output of

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400 horsepower and a healthy 472 pounds per foot of torque for stronger pulling ability.

With a total weight of about 5,000 pounds, this rig needs it.

Another T8 feature is the electric plug-in system. You take the vehicle’s power cord, plug it into a household outlet and, when charged, this Volvo can move up to 14 miles on electric output alone. Once this energy is depleted, the gasoline/hybrid system kicks in. The EPA claims average fuel economy of 27 mpg in this mode. But if you ran 14 miles

electric one way, then gasoline power 14 miles on the way home, that could compute to 52 mpg combined. This can work out great for drivers who take lots of short trips.

Without using the electric-only method, our hybrid driving showed 26 mpg on the highway and 23 in mixed commuting. This XC also has the optional air suspension. This can raise the ground clearance for going on those off-pavement desert trails. But tread lightly, as this hybrid doesn’t come with a spare tire, so getting a flat can ruin your day.

The XC90 has one of the industry’s nicest cabins. There’s no cost cutting here. It’s very plush, and the seats are comfortable for long trips. The stereo units offered are first rate. We did not care for many of the controls, which are unusual and frustrating to operate. Examples include a transmission shifter that requires you push twice to place in gear, rather than once; a starter switch on the console; and other oddball items that require a learning curve.

The base T5 starts at $49,000. This T8 draws you in at $67,000. With options like LED headlights, air suspension, 21-inch wheels, metallic paint, a Bowers & Wilkins sound system and many smaller goodies, the total tab was $84,440. This is not cheap, but with an electric drive range of 14 miles, look at the money you can save on gas.

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RECIPE

What’s Cooking? with Jan D’Atri

Taco Lasagne

I

think we would love any excuse to enjoy a great Mexican dish!

Well, September 16 is Mexico Independence Day, so there you go!

This taco treat is easy to assemble and can be made ahead. I will guarantee there will not be one bite left in the casserole dish.

I’ve recommended using Herdez Roasted Salsa Roja for the salsa, which is found at Bashas’. It adds a terrific zing to the dish, but you can use your favorite brand of salsa. ¡Ay, qué rico!

Watch my how-to video for taco lasagne here: jandatri.com/ jans-recipe/one-minute-kitchen/ tacolasagne

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Taco Lasagne (Makes a 9-by-13-inch casserole) Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons olive oil - 1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped fine - 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced - 2 lb. lean ground beef or turkey - 1 1/2 packages Lowry’s Taco Seasoning Mix - 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped fine - 1 green bell pepper, chopped fine - 1 (4 ounces) can diced green chiles - 2 (15.7 ounces) jars Herdez Roasted Salsa Roja or any red salsa of your choice - 1 (15 ounces) can black beans, drained - 1 (15 ounces) can corn or 1 ear of fresh corn, shaved off the cob - 8 large flour tortillas, divided, or corn tortillas if desired - 1 (15 ounces) can refried beans - 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, or more if desired - 1 (16 ounces) container sour cream For optional toppings: Sliced black olives, chopped cilantro, chopped tomatoes, diced avocado, sliced green onion, sliced jalapenos, diced mini bell peppers

browned. Add taco seasoning spice packets, stirring to combine well. Add cilantro, bell pepper, diced green chiles and salsa and cook for several minutes to soften. Stir in black beans and corn, combining gently.

Simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the casserole dish. Line the bottom of a lightly greased or buttered 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Cover the bottom with half of the flour tortillas. (Tip: If you cut the tortillas in half, the cut site will fit nicely into the edges of all four sides of the pan.) Warm the refried beans in the microwave for about 45 seconds for easier spreading. Lightly spread the refried beans over the tortillas.

Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese over the refried beans. (Use more if desired.)

Spoon one half of the meat mixture over the cheese. Repeat the process for the second layer. Top with remainder of cheese, or more cheese if desired.

Bake in 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.

(Optional, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. Cut into portion and serving for toppings and sour cream on the side.)

Another way to make this dish: For appetizer- or kid-sized portions, line a cupcake or muffin tin with In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute onion small street-sized flour or corn tortillas. Follow the same directions as the casserole. Bake for about 15and garlic until soft and translucent.

Add ground beef or turkey, cooking until 20 minutes.

Directions:

RESTAURANT

Staying Safe Pita Jungle takes extra precautions to keep its staff and guests healthy

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

P

ita Jungle is taking its staff ’s health seriously.

Restaurant co-founder Bassel Osmani and his partners hired Company Nurse, a triage and reporting service for workplace injuries, to further protect their employees, customers and vendors from COVID-19 exposures. Company Nurse uses a COVID-19 digital screening solution and triage guidance service.

Osmani says employees are screened before entering the workplace. Employees have a unique link and QR code to access the service via website or mobile phone.

Screened, healthy employees will receive a digital “green light” to share with their supervisors upon entering their workplace.

If employees indicate COVID-19-related symptoms or exposures that may need to be addressed, they will schedule a call with one of Company Nurse’s triage nurses for additional guidance. Th is is an optional, additional service.

Employers’ program coordinators have access to a secure admin portal to monitor and manage users’ screening statuses.

“At Company Nurse, we want to help employers protect their workplaces and their organizations from COVID-19 exposures,” says Paul Binsfeld, president and founder of Company Nurse. “We’re proud to help participating Pita Jungles maintain healthy work environments and show their employees that Pita Jungle cares about their well-being.”

Osmani calls Company Nurse a great program that allows Pita Jungle to introduce an extra layer of protection.

“The Company Nurse program is helping us vet someone who’s symptomatic and putting them on the right track—where to go have a test if you run to the ER because you can’t breathe,” Osmani says.

“It’s really helpful. It beefs up morale.”

Next, he’s hoping to secure testing for the employees’ families.

“I got the idea from the charter school my

Pita Jungle's menu is influenced by tastes from around the globe with the benefits of the Mediterranean diet always apparent through the use of healthy lean proteins, veggies, legumes, nuts, grains and fruit. (Submitted photo)

Pita Jungle

The Shops at Norterra kids go to,” Osmani says. “It makes it eas2530 W. Happy Valley Road, Suite 1261, Phoenix ier to catch something in the beginning 623-587-5572, pitajungle.com of it if we can get test results quickly— less than 72 hours—and take action on it.

Four weeks ago, if someone wanted to get says. “We already had the footprint and our tested, they wouldn’t have the results until customers, who obviously kept their habits. eight days after the fact. Obviously, for those Those who didn’t, switched to it. We’ve held eight days, they’re not coming to work.” our ground. It hasn’t been a stellar year, but In addition to using Company Nurse, Pita it’s a year of survival. We count our blessings Jungle has implemented safety practices that we have the foundation to do deliveries. closely following the recommendations is- Now we’re working on enhancing it, putting sued by the CDC and state authorities. These our product in front of our customers, instead include enhanced sanitation procedures; face of them coming to us. We’re thinking food masks; social distancing; curbside pickup trucks and such things.” with tamper-evident bags; and strict food To help families stay healthy during the safety guidelines at all Arizona locations, pandemic, Pita Jungle started offering famincluding the one in Norterra. ily meals for takeout and curbside pickup.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Pita Jun- The $35 meals include Pita Jungle’s signagle serves a variety of vegetarian, vegan and ture hummus or caramelized cauliflower; a gluten-free options. Pita Jungle’s menu is in- family-style service of healthful ingredients fluenced by tastes from around the globe with to wrap pitas or build bowls; a choice between the benefits of the Mediterranean diet always signature salads and sides; and a sampling of apparent through the use of healthy lean pro- Pita Jungle’s walnut baklawa. teins, veggies, legumes, nuts, grains and fruit.

Pita Jungle is also offering a shortened ver“Pita Jungle is having to adapt to this new sion of its regular menu for to-go orders and reality,” Osmani says. selling wine ($15 select bottles) and beer by “We hoped it would have waned by now, but the bottle with any meal purchase at select we’re still in the midst of it. We’re still hop- locations. ing for vaccines, but in the interim, it is the “We also rolled out a flatbread pizza menu new reality and people are adapting to it and and a happy hour platter,” Osmani says. “Four modifying consumption methods.” times a year we roll out a new menu with natPita Jungle was fortunate in that it linked urally sourced items that are as organic as with third-party delivery services before the possible. Last season it was paleo cuisine and pandemic hit. keto. We’re looking next at immune-boosting “We turned it up when this happened,” he foods to figure flus and viruses.”

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RESTAURANT

‘We Can’t Forget’ Amped Coffee Co. pledges to remember 9/11 with memorial

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

K

eith and Janine Walashek remember the 9/11 terrorist attacks vividly.

They recall exactly where they were, and the pain and fear that overcame their bodies.

So when Keith heard that at one point New York was considering canceling the 9/11 Tribute in Light due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was angry.

“I promised to never forget,” he says.

“Well, this is how you start forgetting, You start canceling things. You start forgetting things. There’s a whole generation right now who doesn’t even know about 9/11. We need to keep that going.

“When I heard New York canceled their lights, it was like a kick in the gut. So we thought, ‘OK, let’s do something.’ So I thought we’d do lights.”

It was easier said than done, because lights that bright and that illuminate that high aren’t readily available. One company in Arizona offers them. The town of Gilbert was going to use them, but when it canceled its memorial, the Walasheks grabbed the lights.

“It will be the brightest lights in Arizona,” Janine says. “We want the first responders to know this matters to us because it really

affected them.

When she thinks of 9/11, Janine recalls the sounds of the television and the feelings she felt that day. She kept her kids home from school.

“They were little, and I was scared,” she says.

“I remember feeling bonded with my neighbor over this because they felt the same way I did. I think we’re losing that feeling. We’re all in this country together, and we need to support each other.”

The event will take place in the parking lot of The Green Room and its sister coffeeshop, Amped Coffee Co., at 6:30 p.m. September 11.

Introducing The Green Room

Housed in the former Pizza Hut, The Green Room is a relatively new venture for the Walasheks. The couple received the keys to the building in January, but, of course, the contractors started working two weeks before COVID hit.

The Superhero salad is vegan, with spinach and three types of kale, with shredded carrot, quinoa, broccoli, edamame, butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries and a citrus poppyseed vinaigrette.

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Janine and Keith Walashek recently launched a new venture, The Green Room. (Photos by Pablo Robles)

“We were out of the country when COVID hit,” Keith says about a trip to Israel. “It was the worst time ever to commit to a build. On the other side, we were shut down, so it was the best time to do it.

“We took advantage of that. We moved everything out of this space (Amped) and did a super deep clean to keep everyone safe. We took that opportunity to rearrange how we function, too.”

The Green Room did open in July. The salad restaurant—not a walk-up salad bar—was the result of the Walasheks’ studies. They monitored what the community was saying, and most wanted to see a healthy restaurant or salad restaurant go into that space.

“It’s full service, like Chipotle,” Janine says.

“We serve you. I think that’s the hardest part about opening it right now, is really getting the word out that this is full service. We even made our sneeze guard extra tall—like, taller than what the health board requires.”

The Green Room—a further play on music, like the Amped Coffee Co. name—boasts five salads. One is the Amptastic, a Southwesternstyle salad with black beans, crunchy jalapeno, corn, cheese, red peppers and fire-roasted red peppers and served with a Chipotle ranch dressing.

The Superhero salad is vegan, with spinach and three types of kale, with shredded carrot, quinoa, broccoli, edamame, butternut

squash, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries and a citrus poppyseed vinaigrette.

For the protein powerhouse cobb, bacon, eggs, chicken, tomatoes and shredded cheddar cheese sit on a bed of crisp Romaine lettuce.

Spinach is topped with quinoa, chicken, mandarin oranges, edamame, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries and shredded white cheddar is the Thai citrus salad.

Last, the Fruitopia is a spring mix lettuce with quinoa, shredded carrots, peaches, chicken, dried cranberries, white cheddar and walnuts with a raspberry vinaigrette.

Guests are welcome to design their own salad as well.

Amped opened in June 2018, and in mid-August 2019 a customer arrived who wanted to purchase treats for first responders. She paid for a $100 gift card and left it behind the counter. Since then, the Amped employees and customers have kept the card topped up so first responders’ tabs will always be paid.

“The card hasn’t hit zero since we started,” Janine says. “It’s been really cool. It’s not like they make a whole lot of money. So, they just come in and they eat. It’s a great way to show them that the community is behind them.”

The Walasheks opened Amped as a way for their son, Austin, and other musicians to have a place to showcase their talents.

“We thought it would be great to have a stage here in Anthem for the community,” Janine says. “We’re a platform for up-andcoming musicians. That’s where the name ‘Amped’ comes from.”

It’s personal

The Walasheks say the 9/11 memorial and

Kaelyn Marble prepares a salad for a customer. (Photos by Pablo Robles)

the fi rst responders’ gift card are personal missions as well. Their oldest son, Dylan, is a medically retired police officer. His partner was Clayton Townsend, a Salt River police officer who was killed by a distracted driver.

Dylan named his son Clayton.

The 9/11 event will benefit Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which has a local chapter. Siller, who was assigned to Brooklyn’s Squad 1, had just finished his shift and was on his way to play golf with his brothers when he got word over his scanner of a plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Upon hearing the news, Siller called his wife, Sally, and asked her to tell his brothers he would catch up with them later. He returned to Squad 1 to get his gear.

The Green Room and Amped Coffee Co. are sister businesses. The former, a salad restaurant, opened in July.

Siller drove his truck to the entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, but it had already been closed for security purposes. Determined to carry out his duty, he strapped 60 pounds of gear to his back and raced on foot through the tunnel to the Twin Towers, where he gave up his life while saving others.

“It turns out they’re the reason New York is doing the 9/11 lights again,” Keith says. “The Tunnel to Towers Foundation just pressured them.”

Amped Coffee Co.’s memorial will feature bagpipers; a testimonial from 9/11 survivors; and then Austin Walashek’s band, Wild Giants, will perform the Jimi Hendrix version of the “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

“It’s going to be kind of cool,” Keith says.

“We’ll be led into prayer and then we’ll go into a moment of silence, and the silence is going to be broken by Wild Giants playing the ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ Jimi Hendrix style.

“When they hit the part ‘bombs bursting in air,’ that’s when the lights will go on. It should be cool. It’ll be bright.”

Janine hopes this event makes Americans remember the importance of community.

“We’re not missing 9/11,” she says. “We’re missing 9/12. Do you remember how we felt, as a nation, on 9/12? It doesn’t matter how you voted. We’re just all in it together.

“The 9/12 feeling is slipping away. We can’t let it slip away. Even though we’re just a little coffee shop here in Anthem, we want to do a little something and make a little difference to those who aren’t forgetting.”

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FITNESS

Functional Fitness Exercise increases confidence and health

By Dr. Brian Hester

W

inston Churchill once famously stated that “Americans always do the right thing—after they’ve tried everything else.” For those of us who work in preventative care, it has been painfully obvious for quite some time now that we’ve tried “everything else” in regard to our health and wellness. That approach has most notably gotten us to two distinct places: sicker and near the brink of bankruptcy.

This statement is founded in the fact that, as a country, we spend nearly $2.3 trillion, (yes, trillion with a “T”) on health care annually, which is leaps and bounds ahead of any other country, yet according to the World Health Organization, U.S. health care ranks 37th among other nations. We spend twice the amount on health care per capita as European countries, yet we are twice as sick with chronic diseases.

Why are these numbers so imbalanced?

The problem can largely be attributed to the fact that nearly 100% of every dollar allotted toward health care is spent on treating the current issue as opposed to trying to

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prevent the issue from happening in the first place. Literally about 75% of current health care costs can be accounted for by the big five: breast cancer, diabetes, heart disease, prostate cancer and obesity. And what’s maddening about these statistics is the fact that all five of these are largely preventable and, in a lot of cases, reversible given some pointed and intentional lifestyle changes in terms of diet and exercise.

Now, I do not claim to know how to fi x the problem; however, being a fitness professional throughout the last decade, I have seen some pretty great results along the way simply by instilling in people the importance of making healthy deposits.

Because, let’s be honest, everything is important. That is, until you are sick, that’s when you realize there was only ever one thing that was important: your health. But nonetheless, so many of us borrow from the bank of our health, taking loans on stress and sleepless nights to pay for something that, at the end of the day, doesn’t matter.

And for quite a few individuals, it takes a decline in health to realize what actually matters the most.

So, what does “making healthy deposits” mean? Aside from taking a good hard look at what you are consuming (including but not limited to food), today we are going to chat a little bit more about functional fitness. No, it’s not the newest “here today,

gone tomorrow” trend; it’s a way to train that teaches you how to move properly outside of the gym using exercises inside the gym. It’s learning how to properly move that couch you don’t want to move. It’s learning how to put luggage in the overhead compartment without throwing out your back or dislocating your shoulder. It’s the act of engaging in everyday movements properly.

The foundational movements we’re going to get into are universal; however, depending on where you train or who you train with, there will probably be variations in lingo that’s used as well as different levels of importance placed on each movement.

Technically, there are seven foundational movements: squat, lunge, push, pull, hinge, twist and walk. For the sake of simplicity, I am going to put them in three main categories and expand from there.

• Squats (which includes lunging).

• Floor lifts (often referred to as a “pull,” helps us engage in hinging).

• Overhead lifts (often referred to as a “push”).

Squats! In my professional opinion, squats are one of, if not the most important functional move there ever was. A squat, even though typically seen incorporated on leg days, does a fantastic job of utilizing nearly every muscle in your body and becomes increasingly important as we age.

Through the aging process, we gradually lose our ability to stand unassisted, it becomes harder and harder to pick things up off the floor, and our own body weight can be difficult to carry around freely. To maintain our quality of life as we age, we need to focus on strengthening our hips, glutes, quads, hamstrings, core and low back as well as ensure close to a full range of motion, and squats help us do this.

Pressing movements such as an overhead lift allow you to bring objects up overhead in a safe and efficient way. Similarly to a squat, overhead movements also do a great job of recruiting more muscles than just your arms and shoulders. To protect your low back while sustaining said load overhead, your core, glutes, quads and hamstrings need to be engaged as well. Shoulder injuries are nearly as prominent as low-back injuries, so the importance of not only strengthening the muscles involved with pressing movements but doing them properly is integral to your overall health and wellness and quality of life.

Lastly, we have floor lifts, commonly referred to as pulls. You can think of this in terms of a deadlift or, as I previously mentioned, moving a couch. These types of movements do a great job of strengthening your posterior chain as well as incorporating hinge movements, which help strengthen your hips and hip flexors. Low-back pain costs Americans at least $50 billion in health care costs each year; add to that lost wages, as it’s also one of the most-common reasons people miss work, and that figure easily doubles. Knowing this, it’s incredibly important to engage

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in activities (such as functional fitness) to strengthen your low back and the surrounding musculature so you don’t fall victim to simply being another statistic.

Beyond the clear health benefits, learning and being able to perform each of these foundational movements allows you to feel more confident in your everyday life as well as expand on these and learn other important and fun movements to incorporate into your day-to-day routine.

Back to Health

41930 N. Venture Drive, Suite 110, Anthem 623-551-6677, myanthemhealth.com

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DANCE

Shining Brightly

Diamond Dance Works offers ‘something special’

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

D

iamond Dance Works has been sharing its techniques with North Valley students for five years, and each year it’s grown.

“People love bringing their kids to us, and we love serving the community,” says Nick Cicogna, who co-owns Diamond Dance Works with his wife, Danielle.

“We have every genre of dance—ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and contemporary. We really do everything.”

Recently, they launched the Diamond Conservatory of Ballet, led by Juliana Fisher, a Sandra Day O’Connor graduate. It is designed for serious, professionally minded students who are at a high-intermediate or advanced level and want to achieve their highest level of ability in ballet. The program is selective, and students are chosen based on their mental readiness and professional potential.

“A lot of people will travel downtown or to different conservatories that specialize in ballet,” he says. “We have an amazing ballet

The co-owners of Diamond Dance Works recently launched the Diamond Conservatory of Ballet, which is designed for serious, professionally minded students who are at a high-intermediate or advanced level. (Photos by Pablo Robles)

teacher who’s been with us since we opened.

We thought, ‘We can do that.’

“Our ballet instructor has the background.

She’s danced in a lot of prestigious ballet companies. Danielle and Juliana met through the dance community. The dance community is a very tight knit.”

Danielle has been dancing since she was young, while Nick’s background is in business.

“She grew up dancing,” he says. “She and her sister danced together since they were kids.”

Danielle is a Queens, New York, native, while Nick hails from Upstate New York.

Both families moved to the North Valley.

Nick and Danielle were in the first graduating classes of Boulder Creek and Sandra Day O’Connor high schools, respectively. The couple met in the Valley and have been married for eight years.

Danielle earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance education from ASU and is certified to teach dance to students in kindergarten to 12th grade. Danielle is Dance Masters of America certified in tap and jazz and is also a member of the National Education Dance Organization.

For the past five years, Danielle has been the Cactus High School dance director, junior varsity spirit line coach, pom coach, performing arts lead and drama instructor.

At Diamond Dance Works, Nick handles the administrative and legal work and Danielle is the creative one.

“She has to focus on overseeing our staff,” he says. “She oversees our competitive team, although we have a competition director since we started. She wants to make sure she’s in every aspect of the business and knows what’s going on.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, DiaThe Diamond Conservatory of Ballet program is selective, and students are chosen based on their mental readiness and professional potential.

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85085 | SEPTEMBER 2020

H E A LT H

Sonoran Crossing Medical Center is slated to open this September, east of the I-17 and south of Carefree Highway. (Photo courtesy HonorHealth)

Care Close to Home Danielle Cicogna co-owns Diamond Dance Works with her husband, Nick. (Photo by Pablo Robles)

mond Dance Works closed for 60 days. The Cicognas found it stressful.

“We didn’t know what was going to happen,” he says. “Ultimately, we continued to focus on our business and what we do well.

Once we were allowed to reopen, we did, but we took more risks, like the ballet conservatory.

“That’s what we’re built on. Nothing is going to deter us from servicing the community and expanding our dance realm into the community.”

The couple are also behind Anthem’s Starting Blocks Academy, which they recently purchased. They’re expanding it from a twoclassroom preschool.

“The North Valley is really a family-oriented part of town,” he says. “It’s not like Tempe or Scottsdale, where you’re 21 and single and you say, ‘I want to go and live there.’

“With this part of town, you live here because it’s family oriented. It’s close to everything. There are so many things for a family here. Knowing that it’s a family-oriented community, we wanted to make an impact with children.”

“I’ve lived here since 2001. She’s been here since 2002. I feel in tune with the needs of the community. I think we can offer something special.”

Diamond Dance Works

Sonoran Desert Village 34406 N. 27th Drive, Phoenix 623-582-9858, diamonddanceworks.com

HonorHealth Sonoran Crossing Medical Center set to open

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

S

onoran Crossing Medical Center, located east of the I-17 and south of Carefree Highway, will accept new patients in September.

An exact date has not been revealed.

The three-story, 210,000-square-foot, 70-bed hospital will serve North Phoenix and Anthem residents, and any others who need care.

“The services and extraordinary care are just the beginning of what the community can come to expect from our sixth medical center,” says Kim Post, executive vice president, chief operations officer at HonorHealth.

“What’s more are the architectural features and multiple healing environments that we offer to our patients and guests for comfort.

This truly allows for an optimal experience that far exceeds what you have traditionally experienced from a medical facility.”

Planned for patient comfort, Sonoran Crossing offers a healing environment inside patient rooms and waiting room areas with the mountainous views. It also boasts an outdoor healing garden that allows visitors to gather their thoughts peacefully.

With new families making up the majority of the fastest-growing communities of North Phoenix and Anthem, providing labor and delivery services was apparent. Sonoran Crossing will offer comprehensive obstetrical and gynecological care. These services include prenatal and postpartum, labor and delivery services, and a newborn nursery designed to meet the needs of babies with more-complicated care requirements. This unit can accommodate babies 34 weeks of age and older.

Surgical services at Sonoran Crossing in-

clude highly skilled surgeons performing a variety of surgeries using the latest technology. HonorHealth team members will guide patients through the surgery process from preadmission and testing to preparing patients about what to expect before, during and after a surgical procedure. They offer education classes for those who are interested.

The operating rooms are slightly larger than average to help make them ultra-flexible. This allows the surgical team to accommodate a greater array of cases in a comfortable environment with state-of-the-art technology.

Whenever possible, surgeons will use minimally invasive surgery to reduce the length of the patient’s hospital stay, shorten healing time and allow patients to get back to their lives more quickly.

The emergency department anchors the facility. Sonoran Crossing Medical Center will be ready to treat patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and staffed with residencytrained, board-certified emergency physicians. The existing outpatient center will continue to offer outpatient medical imaging that includes CT scans, MRIs and breast health services featuring 3D mammography.

“We have been proud to serve this community at this location since 2013, when we opened the HonorHealth Sonoran Health and Emergency Center,” Post says. “The community can continue to expect an elevated level of care with our emergency services, outpatient and ambulatory services. No matter what level of care you need, you can get it at HonorHealth.”

Info: HonorHealth.com/SonoranCrossing SEPTEMBER 2020 |

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BRAINTEASERS

Difficulty This Week:

★★

★ Moderate ★★ Challenging ★★★ HOO BOY! 38

85085 | SEPTEMBER 2020

DOWN 1 Prior nights 2 Encircle 3 Lady -4 Cleric 5 Pea-family plant 6 Ms. Brockovich 7 Hung 8 Half a circus clown’s pair 9 Vagrant 10 -- The Red 11 Dilbert’s worksite

19 20 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Stench Go a few rounds Snitch Ostrich’s cousin Pass (off) Total Auction action Wet wriggler Payable Football garb Genie’s home Chapeau Expires Marching-band section Half of 49-Across’ fight song Booty Otherwise Census statistics Snare PC picture “Unh-unh” Attend

Answers:

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down, and each small nine-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

ACROSS 1 Early bird?

4 Said “not guilty” 8 Molt 12 By way of 13 Emanation 14 Rent 15 Work unit 16 Whirl 17 Long-billed wader 18 Sprinter’s device 21 Many millennia 22 Parcel of land 23 Allude (to) 26 Driver’s license datum 27 Foundation 30 Out of control 31 “Oklahoma!” baddie 32 Stead 33 Vat 34 Haw partner 35 Tureen accessory 36 Prohibit 37 Emeril’s shout 38 Extremely exciting 45 Plankton component 46 Love god 47 Dove’s remark 48 Works with 49 New Haven school 50 Choose 51 Not so much 52 Resorts international?

53 “The Matrix” role

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The 85085 Real Estate Market is Hot Home Selling, Buying and Loan refinancing Made easy.

Serving Home Owners in 85085:

40 active listings.

110 closed sales 110 Pending Sales / Under contract $188.78 Avg $ per SF Single Level homes $157.85 Avg $ per SF 2 Level Homes

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