Inflation slams Scottsdale’s capital projects
BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer
Scottsdale Public Works Director Dan Worth recently gave the city council a grim view of what a project costs these days and it wasn’t very pretty.
Capital improvement projects that are part of the 2019 bond this year have run $25 million over what was projected, forc-
ing officials to cover the shortfall from the General Fund.
And it gets worse from there.
Bond projects that are in the works right now are expected to run $39.4 million over budget over the next three years.
The main culprit: inflation.
For example, the cost of roadway and pedestrian improvements on Main Street from Scottsdale Road to Brown are projected to
rise 36% above estimates over five years.
“It’s Valley-wide, it’s nationwide,” Worth said. “I’m hearing from our colleagues that they’re suffering some of the same issues. I’m hearing a lot from the industry, the design consultants and the larger contractors that a lot of them are going out and commissioning studies of their own to take a look at
Andrew Bloom
BY KEN SAIN Progress Staff Writer
Parental rights advocates in Arizona are celebrating huge gains, both in the Legislature and at the ballot box.
Purple for Parents, a parental rights organization, endorsed 38 candidates in November’s school board elections across Arizona and unofficial results show that 20 of them won seats – including two in Scottsdale, one each in Gilbert’s two main districts, one in Chandler and one in Mesa.
“We’re very happy,” said Michelle Dillard,
Scottsdale,
That time of year (480)999-2948 www.BVOLuxury.com VOTED #1 SCOTTSDALE REAL ESTATE TEAM FOR 2021 (480) 999-2948
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the president of Purple for Parents. “It’s great to have school board members elected that support parents’ rights and will promote academics in the classroom.”
The electoral victories follow success last spring, when the state Legislature passed and Gov. Doug Ducey signed the Parental Rights Bill. It further enhances the Parental Bill of Rights passed in 2010.
The newer legislation gives parents the rights to all written and electronic records from a school about their child. That includes any counseling records, even notes taken during a conversation. Parents can sue school districts if a teacher does not comply.
“I think that enforcement is going to be something that all parents are going to have to be keeping an eye out, we’re going to have to be very diligent and making sure that they actually follow the laws,” Dillard said.
She pointed to a school board meeting she watched where the board members changed the policy to comply with state law, but said repeatedly they were not happy to do so.
That was the case in Kyrene School District, where Governing Board members in September lashed out at laws preventing any mandate requiring kids to get COVID or HPV shots, requiring greater parental access and longer review policies for new library books, giving parents the right to get a list of all library books checked out by their children.
But the Kyrene board members’ harshest criticism involved a ban on boys joining girls-only sports teams.
They initially planned to just amend the district’s policy on sports to say Kyrene conformed with Arizona law, until a board member prevailed on her colleagues to include the specific citation for the statute so that parents could find it more readily.
their home or forced to go to conversion therapy.
There were similar concerns about students who are struggling with their gender identity.
Dillard said that is part of the problem: There’s too much sex in schools.
“We don’t want the sexualization of our children to be continuing on this, I mean, it’s accelerated this upward trend,” she said. “The left, who has had control of our schools, wants comprehensive sex education. And I think they call it like 'age appropriate' or whatever. Well, we have a disagreement with that.”
Purple for Parents started in 2018 as a reaction to the Red for Ed movement, in which. teachers were demanding higher salaries and more funding for school districts.
Forest Moriarty, a Mesa husband to a teacher and father to two special needs students, is credited as the founder. He did not return a message seeking an interview.
“I mean, they’re parents too. They have children in schools. And so you know, they were in the group, but they had no influence, nor did they found it. That’s been a blatant lie that local media has pushed from the beginning.”
Purple for Parents really picked up momentum in 2019 after Fox News’ Tucker Carlson highlighted the Chandler Unified School District’s attempt to improve its diversity training. Carlson criticized the Deep Equity program from the Corwin Company as indoctrination.
Angry parents began showing up at school board meetings in the Chandler and Kyrene school districts.
Stephanie Ingersoll, the executive director of marketing and communications for CUSD, said the district no longer uses the Deep Equity program. Instead, the district developed an Equity Advisory Board which is made up of staff, students, parents and community members.
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Critics of the parental rights law say it will have a chilling impact on students.
For example, critics contend, a gay teen who knows his family will not accept his or her sexual orientation will not be able to reach out to a trusted adult at school to talk about what they are going through because they risk their parents finding out and possibly kicked out of
Dillard said Purple for Parents has no ties to Patriot Movement AZ, which has been identified as a far-right hate group and was ordered by a federal judge in 2019 to stop harassing churches across the Valley, that were offering clothing and food to newly bussed migrants awaiting transportation to other parts of the country.
Dillard said it is true that some of the founding members were also members of PMAZ, but rejected they were tied together.
“There were members of Purple for Parents that were in PMAZ,” Dillard said.
Purple for Parents advocates for school choice and parental rights, and wants to keep Critical Race Theory (CRT) out of schools. That theory is a law school class that is not taught at K-12 schools in Arizona.
However, Dillard said it is used as a catchphrase for programs like Corwin’s Deep Equity because it’s a phrase people know, having heard it from former President Trump.
She said issues like that made it easy to find candidates willing to run in the 2022 election.
“I witnessed parents trying to stand up for their parental rights in education to be later ridiculed for doing so,” Heather Rooks wrote in an email about why she ran. She was elected to the Peoria Unified School District Governing Board.
“I heard from so many parents that their child was struggling and falling behind. I had heard from teachers who were afraid to speak up against the CRT ideology in the district,” Rooks said.
Parental rights issues were not the only reason for running.
“[I decided to run after] having witnessed the steady decline in merit-based academics, with test scores tanking and teachers leaving the district in droves,” wrote newly elected Scottsdale Unified Governing Board member Carine Werner.
“Even the 8-year age gap between my oldest and youngest has revealed stark differences in how our children are educated,” Werner said. “I couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer.”
Chad Thompson, newly-elected member of the Gilbert Public Schools District Governing Board, wrote:
“As a father of multiple children that attend GPS schools, I was very concerned about the decisions made by our board over the last few years. As our race developed, I became even more concerned about where our schools are headed.”
He campaigned against social emotional learning and any sex education in schools and said at a candidates’ town hall:
“I think we’ve let way too much stuff come into our school that are distractions from education. Parents are awake; they are seeing this stuff especially after the pandemic. It seems like our schools today want to teach just about everything except for education, actual math,
science and language.”
Thompson also said that students need to be taught accountability and responsibility.
Parental rights candidates won two seats in each of three districts: Cave Creek, Dysart, and Scottsdale. Still, even with this success they will likely be in the minority when they are seated.
“It’s going to be frustrating for them to have to endure being in the minority,” Dillard said. “But I do think that in all of these districts, there’s, a great group of parents … that will also be supportive.
“I think that they will have a voice on the board and so while they may not get certain items passed, or the votes aren’t going to land their way, at least they’ll have a voice and they can let the public and the community and the parents know that … it’s being voted on.”
Some candidates welcome the challenge of being in the minority on the board.
“School board members are non-partisan positions and parental rights are enshrined in state statute,” Anna Van Hoek wrote. She won election in the Higley Unified School District. “Politics should be set aside, and the law followed by all elected officials, administration and staff.”
“If I am in the minority, I will work to bring transparency on what is discussed and voted upon and perhaps why I am not in support or support of a motion,” wrote new Queen Creek Unified board member James Knox. “Too often, items in QCUSD are put into the consent vote when they are not consenting items.”
Said Amy Carney, the other new Scottsdale Unified board member: “I plan to work alongside the other board members to strengthen our school communities by supporting our students and educators and ensuring that parents feel heard and welcomed on our campuses.”
Purple for Parents was strategic in how its endorsed candidates ran for school board seats. Dillard said the group did not endorse any more candidates than there were seats available, so they wouldn’t split the vote.
In Chandler, she said they had their own caucus since there were multiple parentalrights candidates who wanted to run. She said each agreed to not run if they didn’t get enough support at the caucus.
Kurt Rohrs and Charlotte Golla ended up with the most support, so others stood down. Rohrs ended up with the most votes in his election. Golla finished third and did not win.
Dillard said she would like to see school board races become partisan, so voters can determine their candidates in a primary election and give them a better shot at winning in the general.
She said parental-rights board members will want to put the focus back on academics when they take their seats.
“Especially coming off of the end of the pandemic,” she said. “There are kids suffering a lot of learning loss, and there are achievement gaps. And I do think that there could be different programs that the schools can have and focus on to help get our kids up to speed.”
Turning Purple:
The parental rights group Purple for Parents endorsed 38 candidates for school boards in the 2022 general election across Arizona. Unofficial results show 20 won seats. They are:
Scott Brown and Jackie Ulmer, Cave Creek
Kurt Rohrs, Chandler
Paul Carver, Deer Valley
Dawn Densmore and Jennifer Drake, Dysart
Madicyn Reid and Libby Settle, Fountain Hills
Chad Thompson, Gilbert
Anna Van Hoek, Higley
Tom Carlson, Marana
Rachel Walden, Mesa
Sandra Christensen, Paradise Valley
Heather Rooks, Peoria
James Knox, Queen Creek
Raul Rodriguez, Sahuarita
Amy Carney and Carine Werner, Scottsdale
Thomas Trask, Tanque Verde Val Romero, Tucson
Scottsdale law firm leads fight to ban abortion pill
BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media ServicesAScottsdale law firm founded to defend what it says are Chris tian values in court is trying to block the most used method of abor tion.
Attorneys for the Alliance Defending Freedom contend the "abortion pill'' –technically, two separate medications used together – is medically unsafe and charge that the Food and Drug Administration ignored that evidence when approving use, instead choosing "politics over science.''
There was no response from the federal agency to the lawsuit. But the agency, in its postings, said it has de termined that mifepristone, the main drug involved, "is safe and effective when used to terminate a pregnancy'' in accordance with labeling instruc tions.
Brittany Fonteno, president of Planned
Parenthood Arizona, said if the lawsuit is successful it will remove an important option for women here.
The state Court of Appeals is weighing whether to allow Arizona to once again enforce its territorial-era law that bans virtually all abortions.
If that occurs, the only option for women in Arizona would be to find a way to get a doctor from another state to prescribe the drugs so they could manage their own abortions. That would cease to be an option if the lawsuit is successful.
The lawsuit, filed in Texas, is in the name of several medical groups that are opposed to abortion, including the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Christian Medical and Dental Association.
Erik Baptist, the lead attorney, said that President Bill Clinton, on his second full day in office in 1992, directed
his cabinet to legalize chemical abortion drugs in the United States. He said Clinton then pressured a French company to donate for free the U.S. patent rights for mifepristone to the Population Council, an organization that does biomedical research and has developed birth control methods.
It then got the approval of the FDA for use on Sept. 28, 2000, just over a month before the closely contested presidential election.
"The only way the FDA could have approved chemical abortion drugs was to use its accelerated drug ap proval authority, necessitating the FDA to call pregnancy an 'illness' and argue that these dangerous drugs provide a 'meaningful therapeutic benefit' over existing treatments,'' Baptist wrote.
"But pregnancy is not an illness, nor do chemical abortion drugs provide a therapeutic benefit over surgical abortion,'' he said, calling the FDA's asser-
tions "transparently false.''
Baptist said the situation only has gotten worse, with the FDA in 2016 expanding the permitted use of the drugs from the first seven weeks of pregnancy to 10 weeks, reducing the number of required office visits from three to one, and expanded who could prescribe the drugs beyond medical doctors.
And just last year, he said, the FDA said it would stop enforcing its requirement that abortionists provide in-person dispensing of mifepristone and instead would temporarily allow mail-order chemical abortions during the COVID-19 public health emergency. That was later made permanent.
"This decision not only harms women and girls who voluntarily undergo chemical abortions, but it also further helps sex traffickers and sexual abusers to force their victims into getting abor-
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Banner loses land bid
Banner Health had hoped to build a 300-bed hospital on the shaded portion of this map. (City of Scottsdale)
BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer
Banner Health’s plan for a 300-bed hospital and medical center at the northeast corner of Hayden
Road and the Loop 101 is a non-starter.
Banner Health had hoped to build the facility in the Scottsdale Airpark but lost auction for the 48 acres of State Trust
Food banks get lesson in economics as demand, prices soar
BY EMILEE MIRANDA Cronkite News
Arizona food banks head into the holiday season having to buy more food, at higher prices, for more clients, with fewer donations to help them pay for it.
When they can get food at all. “We have had to purchase more food to be able to keep up with demand and of course we’re not able to purchase all of that food at the prices that we need as well,” said Angie Rodgers, Arizona Food Bank president.
The struggles are the result of a perfect storm of events as the holidays approach: Soaring inflation has driven more people to food banks, which have to pay more to feed them, and lingering supply chain issues have been made worse by a disease that wiped out more than 50 million birds for poultry farmers, 8 million of which were turkeys.
Inflation is at a 40-year high, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
with the Phoenix area posting the highest inflation rate in the nation for metro areas over the last year, at 12.1%. While fuel and housing were a large part of the increase, food prices were 12.6% higher this October than last, the latest month for which data was available.
Those higher prices mean more people are having to turn to food pantries to help make ends meet, a trend officials expect will continue through the holiday season. Midwest Food Bank – which distributes to local food pantries – said it expects to see as many as 50,000 more people seeking help over this holiday season than last.
The higher prices are hitting the food banks, too. The Arizona Farm Bureau estimates that a traditional Thanksgiving dinner was 44.9% higher this year, with the cost for a 16-pound turkey alone jumping from $19.40 to $32.02. Everything on the farm bureau’s list was higher this year, from cranberries to stuffing.
The spike in turkey prices is being blamed on an outbreak of avian flu,
which has led to the deaths or slaughter of millions of poultry that have been exposed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The supply of turkeys is lower and the cost is expected to be higher. So we were not able to procure a huge amount of them like we have in other years,” said Merliee Baptiste, executive director of Midwest Food Bank Arizona. “We are having to pivot a little bit to find something that would still work for folks for the holidays.”
The Paradise Valley Community Food Bank purchased turkeys and other holiday staples three months ago to avoid supply chain disruptions, said Kay Norris, executive director. But Rodgers said even ordering in time hasn’t always worked because of ongoing supply chain issues.
“We have seen loads canceled and that means the truck did not arrive. We ordered the food and it did not arrive,” Rodgers said.
On top of all that, food banks are seeing fewer donations in these inflationary times.
Norris said that for the first time in 30
years, the Paradise Valley Community Food Bank had to send out 1,500 fundraising letters soliciting donations that typically flow through the door.
“Our donations, food donations and cash donations are not quite keeping up with the increase in our service numbers,” Norris said.
Officials are quick to remind people that Arizona offers a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for donations to charitable organizations, worth up to $400 for individuals or $800 for married couples, according to the Arizona Department of Revenue.
They also note that there are other ways to give. For those who cannot make a donation of food or cash this holiday season, food banks suggest starting a food drive or volunteering at your local food pantry.
“If there are people that have some extra time, whether it’s during the holidays or throughout the entire year, we really welcome them,” Baptiste said. “That’s
the FDA to withdraw it approval for that drug, too.
Removal of the drugs would affect more than half the abortions performed
"I think it would be terribly devastating if access to abortion were further eliminated by the abortion pill becoming unavailable,'' Fonteno said.
"We know that at Planned Parenthood Arizona, and actually across the country, most patients prefer the abortion pill as their method of termination,'' she said. "This is just another attempt to try to block access to essential
Alliance Defending Freedom defines itself as "the world's largest legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, the sanctity of life, parental rights, and God's design for marriage
Founded in 1994, it has been involved in a number of Arizona cases, including getting the state Supreme Court to rule that a Phoenix anti-discrimination ordinance did not preclude two women from refusing to provide custom wedding invitations to a gay couple.
These projects covered by the 2019 bond issue have been completed. (City of Scottsdale)
CIP from PAGE 1
what some of the supply issues and costs issues are doing.
“So, it’s a topic that’s affecting everybody. We’re certainly not unique.”
The dramatic price increases have city council members calling for more oversight over the process.
Councilwoman Linda Milhaven would like to see the Scottsdale Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee to be more involved with projects if they are in danger of running over projected costs.
“I really think that’s an important role that the citizens’ oversight does,” she said.
But Milhaven also wants more oversight by the council as well.
“Given the market volatility is like noth ing we’ve seen in the recent past and some of these increases, clearly some of them are inflation and some expanded scope, I’m thinking we need to have a financial policy that says if a project is going to go X% over or X dollars over, that it’s very specifically reviewed on an individual ba sis with the council rather than putting it in the big budget book,” Milhaven said.
“Just because we’re seeing volatility like we’ve never seen before, we need to be more diligent in expanding the scope
of these projects.”
Councilwoman Solange Whitehead requested Worth to come back with more
information.
“I think what we need is a chart that shows … overruns that were paid for by
the General Fund so we have an accurate picture of how much these bond projects ended up costing the general fund,” Whitehead said.
Some projects are running over because of expanding the scope of the project as well as inflation. For instance, the im provements to the city Civic Center were originally estimated at $27.3 million but the city had to put an additional $6.2 mil lion in General Fund money into it this year.
Some of those cost increases came from higher prices for concrete – which have been impacted by supply chain problems involving gypsum – as well as cost increases for steel.
However, some of the Civic Center project cost increases also were the result of an expanded scope of work: The size of the east bowl performance structure was increased and more lighting and audio-visual equipment were added to both the 360 degree performance structure and east bowl structure.
The “Bell Road Sports Fields” project is another example.
The project is to build a total of 13 sports fields at two locations, 94th St.
These projects are underway and won’t need additional funding for their completion. (City of Scottsdale)
from
and Bell Road as well as Thompson Peak Parkway and McDowell Mountain Ranch Road. It was estimated to cost $40 million but ran over by $4.4 million.
Some of cost overrun is the result of the cost of earthwork that has risen because of higher fuel costs. The project also has been impacted by higher concrete and irrigation costs.
But those irrigation costs also were impacted by the decision to create a lake at DC Ranch for irrigating the fields.
Worth noted that the project scope for the ballfields was reduced in some areas, for instance, by declining to purchase private land for the 13th field created significant savings.
Worth said the consumer price index (the cost to buy things) is about 9% higher than last year, but the producer price index (the cost to build things) soared over 22% during the third quarter of 2022.
That translates into a 95% increase in the cost of steel since 2020 and a 120% increase in asphalt prices during the same time frame.
Increases like that mean the city is expecting higher final price tags on projects in the design and planning phases too.
For instance, the city currently has six projects in design for next year with an anticipated price increase of $14.2 million above the original estimate.
Those projects include expanding the Via Linda Senior Center, modernizing the Stage 2 Theater at the Center for Per-
forming Arts, building a new fire station at 90th Street and Via Linda and installing a solar shade structure at the City Hall parking lot as well as a solar system at Civic Center campus.
It also has 13 projects on the books that are not yet in the original design phase with an estimated price increase of $40.3 million over the original cost estimate.
Those projected price increases could drop if the inflationary rate comes down, Worth said.
He noted, without making a recommendation, that if Council wants to push projects back to subsequent bond issues, the projects that aren’t even in the design stage yet would be the logical place to start.
For example, he suggested the city could cut a projected cost of four Ques-
tion 1 projects – where the projected increase in cost is $31 million – by delaying the replacement of Cactus Pool while going forward with expanding the Granite Reef Senior Center, replacing aging buildings at the Paiute Community Center and doubling the solar power generating capacity at Appaloosa Library.
“I know there has been some concern about bond projects and bond project budgets, specifically about the concern about the feasibility of some of the projects,” Worth said. “We estimated these projects four to five years ago. We’ve since gone through an unprecedented period of inflation and there’s been some concern about what that means for our ability to finish the program.”
Land for the project to a competitor, HonorHealth.
The land, appraised by the state Land Department at $57 million, was sold for approximately $84 million.
“We still intend to build a medical campus in the northeast Valley,” said
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Becky Armendariz, Banner Health associate vice president of marketing and public relations. “We are now considering other land options as we did not win last week’s auction. I do not have additional details to share at this time.”
That doesn’t mean the site may not ultimately be used for medical purposes, although HonorHealth has no immedi-
ate plans for that parcel.
“As the largest employer in the City of Scottsdale, HonorHealth felt it was our responsibility to bid on this land to ensure that any future development is done responsibly, and in a manner consistent with community need,” Honor Health said in a written statement.
“Concerns have been expressed that
premature development of additional healthcare services at this location could create further stress on workforce challenges and infrastructure such as water,” the statement continued, adding:
Musicfest director to appear at Scottsdale church
PROGRESS NEWS STAFF
Assumption Greek Church in Scottsdale will host a special presentation next Sunday by Allan Naplan, executive and producing director of Arizona Musicfest. Presented by the Brandeis National Committee Phoenix Chapter, the program will include Baplan’s stories and a musical program of his own compositions. A dessert buffet will round out the evening. The program begins at 7:15 p.m. Dec. 11 at Assumption Greek Church, 8202 E. Cactus Road.
“It provides the opportunity to see and hear, in an intimate setting, the man who has been called, the Valley of the Sun’s own Music Man,” a spokeswoman said, calling Naplan “the driving force behind Musicfest’s tremendous growth over the
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the City of Scottsdale, business leaders and others to ensure that this land is developed in a manner that is responsible and sustainable.”
Banner Health had filed a zoning application with the city and was scheduled to go before the Scottsdale Zoning
FOOD BANKS from PAGE 12
equally important as some of the food or financial donations that they might
last decade.”
When he arrived in the Valley in 2013, Naplan already had extensive experience in the music industry.
Following a career as an operatic baritone performing nationwide, he held senior management roles with major opera companies.
His works as a composer were performed in over 40 countries and at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the White House. He is also a well-known cantorial soloist, performing locally and in California.
“Naplan continuously sought wellknown, dynamic performers across musical genres in spearheading the growth of Arizona Musicfest,” the spokeswoman said, pointing to its expanded season and extensive list of musical artists from
Commission Dec. 14.
Banner Health had proposed three phases for the project:
Phase 1. 385,000 square feet of hospital space that would have included a five-story, 136-bed hospital tower with adjoining two-story diagnostic and treatment building housing emergency, surgical facility, laboratory,
have.”
Despite the struggles, officials said they are still optimistic that the holiday spirit will push people to donate, citing
multiple genres that broadened Musicfest audiences and increasing attendance.
He also added special programs for youth and seniors.
“It’s amazing what happened and how invested and generous our community has been,” Naplan said.
Turning to Arizona Musicfest’s 202223 season, the lineup includes big band, jazz, rock n’ roll, Broadway, choral music and more. The classical offerings include the Festival Orchestra and piano and violin concerts.
Tickets start at $40 and benefit the Legacy of Louis new library campaign at Brandeis University. Tickets are available at brandeisphoenix.org/ events. Information: ruth.bncphx@ gmail.com.
pharmacy, and associated support services. It also would have included a three-story, 120,000-square-foot medical office building and a ground-level helipad.
Phase 2. A 90,000-square-foot, threestory cancer center and a four-level parking structure.
Phase 3. To accommodate anticipat-
the typical spike in donations during the holidays.
“We’re still hopeful for a strong holiday donation season both in terms of
ed staff and patient volume growth, the final expansion of the hospital would have included a new patient tower at the east end of the main building and additions to both the diagnostic and treatment building and parking structure. A secondary roof-mounted helipad was also planned for the east-wing patient tower.
food and funds … we’re hopeful that people still remember that there are people struggling to put food on their table,” said Rodgers.
WARNING!
PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY AND CHRONIC PAIN TREATMENTS NOT WORKING!!
Mesa AZ – When it comes to chronic pain and/ or neuropathy, the most common doctor-prescribed treatment is drugs like Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin. The problem with antidepressants or anti-seizure medications like these is that they offer purely symptomatic relief, as opposed to targeting and treating the root of the problem. Worse, these drugs often trigger an onset of uncomfortable, painful, and sometimes harmful side effects.
The only way to effectively treat chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is by targeting the source, which is the result of nerve damage owing to inadequate blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet. This often causes weakness, numbness, balance problems. A lack of nutrients causes the nerves degenerate – an insidious
cannot survive, and thus, slowly die. This leads to those painful and frustrating consequences we were talking about earlier, like weakness, numbness, tingling, balance issues, and perhaps even a burning sensation.
The drugs your doctor might prescribe will temporarily conceal the problems, putting a “Band-Aid” over a situation that will only continue to deteriorate without further action.
Thankfully, Mesa is the birthplace of a brandnew facility that sheds new light on this pressing problem of peripheral neuropathy and chronic pain. The company is trailblazing the medical industry by replacing outdated drugs and symptomatic reprieves with an advanced machine that targets the root of the problem at hand.
1. Finding the underlying cause
2. Determining the extent of the nerve damage (above 95% nerve loss is rarely treatable)
3. The amount of treatment required for the patient’s unique condition
Aspen Medical in Mesa
AZ uses a state-of-the-art electric cell signaling systems worth $100,000.00.
Th is ground-breaking treatment is engineered to achieve the following, accompanied by advanced diagnostics and a basic skin biopsy to accurately analyze results:
1. Increases blood flow
2. Stimulates and strengthens small fiber nerves
3. Improves brain-based pain
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13-year-old choreographer lights up holiday musical
Ballet Arizona honors local man for his contributions
PROGRESS NEWS STAFFAScottsdale man has been named board member emeritus of Bal let Arizona for his long time ser vice to the dance organization.
David I. Thompson, the former board chair, joins the ranks of Jacquie Dor rance, Barbara Ottosen, Carol Schilling and Gwen Hills, former board members who are still actively involved in the Bal let Arizona community.
“To be named a board member emeri tus is the greatest honor a board can bestow upon a retiring board member,” said Mike Bolar, Ballet Arizona Board Chair. “This honor is earned through a long and dedicated successful service to an organization.”
Shilling praised Thompson’s contri butions, stating that for more than 20 years, “he has nurtured the organization with his wisdom, leadership, and dedi cation.
BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff WriterAs Ralphie has been resurrected for a big-screen spinoff of “A Christmas Story Christmas” on HBO Max, another Ralphie is singing and dancing in Desert Stages Theatre’s musi cal rendition of the holiday favorite.
The play, which hit the stage on Nov. 18, features a cast of actors as young as 5 and adds a musical score to the classic Christ mas comedy – which is rare, according to the musical director Kent Campbell.
“There’s not a lot of Christmas musi cals and being a music director, I was drawn to the chance to jump on a Christ mas musical,” said Campbell.
Campbell, who is musically directing his
second show at Desert Stages Theatre, is not the only creative person tasked with jazzing up the the comedy with music.
The play also features the debut of Maddie Sue Miller, 13, as coordinating the choreography.
“I had been in ‘Matilda Jr’. when audi tions rolled around for ‘A Christmas Sto ry’ and I knew I wanted to do a Christ mas show, so I decided to audition for it,” Maddie Sue said.
“I was initially cast as the dance captain for the adult ensemble, but before I knew it, I was promoted to choreographer, which allowed me to work with these amazing kids in this amazing theatre.”
Though this is Maddie Sue’s first time
“David has been a true pillar of strength for Ballet Arizona,” she said. He helped write the history of the orga nization at several key turning points: reuniting the school with the dance company, helping secure funding for the company’s signature production ‘The Nutcracker,’ chairing the board through pivotal times, finding a new physical home for the organization.
“Through it all, he has been and re mains a quiet and legendary figure for Ballet Arizona.”
Thompson got involved with Ballet Arizona when his daughter joined its school.
“My daughter clicked with the pas sionate and committed teachers at the school and I clicked with the community leaders …in bringing Ballet Arizona into the forefront of American ballet compa nies,” he said.
“Having chaired the Board as we head ed into the Great Recession of 20082009, and then again as we began to confront COVID in 2020, I sometimes feel like a walking bad-luck charm for the company,” he joked.
“In all seriousness though, I have al ways gained much more from my asso ciation with Ballet Arizona than I have given.”
Thompson joined Ballet Arizona’s board in 2004 and served as chair for the 2019-2020 season, in addition to serving as vice chair from the 20162017 season to the 2018-2019 season.
He has over 40 years of experience in law practice, specializing in providing legal advice and translating expertise to medium-sized businesses and health care companies of all kinds.
Ib Andersen, Ballet Arizona’s artistic director, said Thompson’s “guidance and support has helped the organiza tion navigate some crucial moments throughout its history, including the CO
choreographing a show, the competitive dancer and experienced actress have taken on the role gracefully.
“It’s amazing. Even though she’s 13, she choreographs like she has many years of experience,” said show director Dan Ashlock.
Humbled by the compliment, Maddie Sue says she has worked tirelessly making instructional videos and working with the casts of dancers to ensure that each knew the various routines and often reflected on how she would want to be taught the dances throughout the process.
“As I was teaching it, I was thinking about when I had just started theater and how people said things to me,” Maddie Sue said. “I also looked at the steps I choreographed and tried to figure out similar stuff to help (the actors) get the point.”
With a newer musical director and a
rookie choreographer working on the show, the two created a symbiotic relationship with Ashlock, who had previously directed “A Christmas Story The Musical” at Starlight Community Theatre.
“A Christmas Story has always been my favorite Christmas movie and when it was announced that (Desert Stages Theatre) was doing ‘A Christmas Story The Musical’ here, I was very hopeful that I would get a shot at directing it,” Ashlock said.
“It takes all the fun parts of the original movie, all the gags, all that the kind of stereotypes of the first movie and puts it around music like the leg lamp and the Red Ryder Model 1938 Air Rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time.”
The three admit they each had their fair share of trials and tribulations during rehearsals.
Campbell had to teach every cast member every song in case a an actor or actress missed a show.
Maddie Sue said she had to teach some students an intricate tap number and recoordinate her dances to account for the large set pieces that take up most of the stage while Ashland had to ensure that the entire show went off without a hitch.
However, the hard work has paid off, according to Desert Stages Theatre Executive Director Ellen Versen.
“I sit in the audience as much as I can. During the shows, I purposely watch the audience as much as I watch the show and the grins on the faces from start to finish do not go away,” Versen said.
Because of this, the cast at Desert Stages Theatre hopes to keep the audience grinning with its next set of shows learning up to the final performances on Dec. 18.
“I hope they find the magic of Christmas, that they look at their traditions and families and find similarities or are reminded of things that make them laugh throughout their life,” Ashland said.
“I hope they also find the Christmas magic and see how much work went into this,” added Maddie Sue.
If You Go:
Desert Stages Theatre presents: "A Christmas Story The Musical" When: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays now through Dec. 18
Where: Desert Stages Theatre, 7014 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale Cost: $30 Info: desertstages.org
BALLET ���� PAGE 20
VID-19 pandemic.”
Ballet Arizona is the official ballet company of the Arizona. Information: balletaz.org.
Popular retailers glam up for holiday shoppers
BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff WriterTwo of Scottsdale’s hottest retail venues have created cool events and experiences for holiday shoppers.
Both Scottsdale Quarter and Scottsdale Fashion Square have converted their elegant spaces into slices of a winter wonderland to immerse shoppers in the holiday spirit.
“We are helping our guests get into the holiday spirit with various events here at the quarter,” said Christina Calhoun, Scottsdale Quarter marketing director.
Although both shopping facilities have already set up their Santa centers and
families have already begun lining up to get their photos with him, the two venues have different events slated for shoppers to see Santa this season.
This morning, Dec. 4, the lively, bustling Scottsdale Fashion Square will dim its lights and shut off the music to allow children with sensory needs to see Santa and shop in a comforting environment during what is called the “Sensory Santa” event.
“We want to make sure that all families and children feel welcome,” said Fashion Square Senior Marketing Manager Melanie Sutton.
“With the partnership that we have
Scottsdale of�ice complex sells at $48.8M
PROGRESS NEWS STAFFAFlorida real estate investment company has bought the Scottsdale Promenade Corporate Center for $48.8 million.
Cardone Capital bought the four-story, two-building complex on the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and Frank Lloyd Boulevard from Goldman Sachs, paying the lowest price among three transactions involving the site since 2012, according to Valley real estate tracker vizzda.com.
Built in 2004 on 6.8 acres, both buildings contain 129,030 square feet of of�ice space and are a component of an 86-acre retail-of�ice complex, vizzda reported. The square foot price of the deal was $189, it added.
According to vizzda data, Goldman Sachs bought the two buildings in 2015 for $65 million from a seller that paid $56 million three years earlier from a real estate investment trust.
According to marketing materials, only 10 of the 81 adjacent retail spaces are available for lease.
Cardone Capital was formed in 2016 by longtime Florida real estate investor Grant Cardone with the invention of giving “everyday investors access to the institution-
al-grade real estate deals that are normally reserved for only the largest investors,” according to the company’s website.
It boasts more than 11,800 investors who have reaped over $230 million in distributions and has raised close to $1 trillion across 11 different funds.
Cardone Capital’s portfolio consists comprises 36 multifamily complexes with a total 11,903 apartment units as well as 500,000 square feet of commercial of�ice space, according to its website. Meanwhile, two different limited liability corporations under the same California real estate swapped ownership last month of a Scottsdale strip mall for $50 million.
The two LLCs, both tracing to West Valley Properties, exchanged ownership of the East Thunderbird Square North at 14202 N. Scottsdale Road near Thunderbird Road at a sale price of $304 per square foot, according to vizzda.
Built in 2000, the power center has six buildings totaling about 165,000 square feet on 15 acres. Some of its tenants are Goodwill, Spencers TV & Appliance and Salt Creek Home Furniture.
Vizzda data shows the strip mall last sold in 2015 for $39.1 million and the year prior for $26 million after it was auctioned in 2011 for $16 million.
with Autism Speaks – which is also in partnership with our Santa photo partner, Cherry Hills, we wanted to tag along with them and invite the kids that are very sensitive to their surroundings that want to see Santa (to) have that experience.”
Patrons waiting in line to get their photo with Santa can also donate to Autism Speaks.
Retailers inside both Scottsdale Quarter and Scottsdale Fashion Square will also be opening their doors to shoppers with their four-legged friends for photos with Santa.
“We do have two apartment complexes here on the property, as well as several in the area, so (this is) a popular place for people to visit with their pets and enjoy their morning or afternoon walk,” Calhoun said. “We want to make sure that they feel welcome and know that they can walk their pets here and shop here.”
Scottsdale Quarter will also be hosting a contest for the best-dressed dog in holiday apparel and the winners will
win a variety of prizes including a Yeti dog bowl.
Shoppers at Scottsdale Fashion Square are invited to bring their pets to the destination shopping center on tomorrow, Dec. 5 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Scottsdale Quarter Shoppers are encouraged to purchase with their pooches on Dec. 10 from noon to 3 p.m.
Adding to the fanfare, a cast of characters will join Santa.
Scottsdale Fashion Square shoppers can also get their picture taken with characters from the hit Pixar �ilm Frozen, Kristoff and Olaf, and the Grinchwhich Sutton said is a fan favorite.
“Go Green with Grinch is a very popular one,” Sutton said. “We see lines of kids ready to meet and greet and get their photo taken with the Grinch. He’s a character that we enjoy over this holiday season.”
Over at the Quarter, shoppers can see these characters in their favorite holiday movie through Dec. 30 each night in The Quad.
With the added fanfare, Sutton admits comes an additional crowd and extra hours of operation.
“We are very fortunate that we’re a destination shopping center and since the pandemic, we’ve only seen an increase in traf�ic each year, year over year,” Sutton said.
“What’s nice is that we provide extended hours, which allows shoppers to come in during the evening so that everyone has the opportunity to come whenever they want to,” Sutton said.
Because of this, she says she is witnessing a return to in-person shopping.
“With the increased traf�ic that we’re seeing, everyone is still hoping to do that in-person holiday experience,” Sutton said.
“I know online shopping is popular,” she continued, “but this is a great opportunity for shoppers (who) are still wanting to come here and feel and make sure they can try on and �ind the best gift for their loved ones.”
With an increase in foot traf�ic, Sutton is also hopeful that shoppers will give back this holiday season as Scottsdale Fashion Square and its owner Macerich are hoping to cut checks of $100,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“We hope our shoppers have a giving
spirit this year,” Sutton said.
With all of the festivities freshening up the shopping facilities, Sutton and Calhoun hope to see smiling faces, high spirits, and arms full of shopping bags when they walk around their respective spaces.
“We hope to see people enjoying themselves,” Calhoun said. “It’s �inally a year where people feel like they can get back to normal and we’re just looking to see people out and about in the holiday spirit.”
Scottsdale Fashion Square is located at 7014 E. Camelback Road, 480-5685568, fashionsquare.com. Scottsdale Quarter is located at 15059 N. Scottsdale Road, 480-270-8123, scottsdalequarter. com
Scottsdale native Kenny Dillingham introduced as ASU coach
BY ZACH ALVIRA Progress Sports Editor
Kenny Dillingham became emotional after his two-word initial statement Nov. 27 at Sun Devil Stadium.
“I’m home. This is literally home. Home,” Dillingham said before taking a brief pause to gather himself. “So, I say that because this place is special. This state is special. The people in this room are special.
“Pretty emotional. That’s just who I am … I’m �ired up to be here. Fired up to be a Sun Devil.”
Dillingham, an alum of Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, was introduced as the next head football coach at Arizona State. It was a search school Athletic Director Ray Anderson said took months to perform.
It began in September when former coach Herm Edwards and the schools agreed to mutually part ways and opened the door for Anderson and university President Michael Crow to search for a candidate that they believed would truly love leading the Sun Devil program.
They believe they found that in Dillingham.
“This was a coast-to-coast extensive search,” Anderson said. “We looked at multiple candidates at various points of their career of all varieties … This new head coach had to be in tune with and relatable to the new era student-athlete. Energetic, �lexible, adaptable, collaborative, innovative, great partner, great personality, great listener, great experiences winning and learning from others, strong, passionate about this place.
“As young as he is, the multitude of accomplishments and successes Kenny Dillingham brought to the table was undeniable.”
Dillingham’s coaching career began as a senior in high school at Chaparral. An injury derailed his playing career, but he stuck around under former coach and current Idaho State head coach Charlie
Ragle.
He quickly moved up through the ranks at Chaparral and eventually became offensive coordinator before he graduated from Arizona State in 2013. He then joined former ASU coach Todd Graham’s staff as a graduate assistant, where he remained until 2015.
Dillingham’s coaching career then took him to several schools. He went to Memphis with Mike Norvell where he remained until 2018, where he eventually became the offensive coordinator.
In 2019 he joined Gus Malzahn’s staff at Auburn before reconnecting with Norvell at Florida State.
He spent this past season as the offensive coordinator at Oregon.
“I knew the best way to get this dream opportunity was to be the very best I could be every day,” Dillingham said. “That’s who I am. You wake up every single day and try to be the best version of yourself. It motivated me more to work.”
Dillingham’s ties to the Valley and state of Arizona run deep. He spent the last season actively recruiting the state for
Oregon and emphasized Sunday during his introductory press conference how important it is to keep talent in-state at Arizona State.
Part of that, Dillingham said, will have to do with who he has on staff.
He announced former Chandler coach and running backs coach Shaun Aguano, who served as the interim head coach after Edwards’ departure and re-energized the program, would remain on staff. He said some of the rest of his staff would be put in place quickly while others will take time.
Dillingham said he aims to have a staff that is dedicated to Arizona and knows how important it is for Arizona State to be successful. He didn’t go into further detail about who he is targeting for his staff, but rumors have swirled that it would involve current Arizona high school football coaches and some athletic directors.
“Our staff is going to be people who will build relationships in this Valley because they love this Valley,” Dillingham said. “We’re going to hire a staff that has
roots and connections here in Arizona.”
Dillingham showed passion, humility and an overall love for Arizona State during his press conference. He said coaching the Sun Devils is his “dream job,” and became emotional and animated on several occasions.
The 32-year-old is the youngest coach among Power Five schools. And while he comes in with no prior head coaching experience, he understands along with recruiting the state and hitting the transfer portal that Name, Image and Likeness has to become a priority moving forward.
The Sun Angel Collective was established by Sun Devil Athletics to assist athletes in NIL deals. It came with an initial million-dollar donation from boosters. But on Sunday during Dillingham’s introduction, booster and ASU alum Nap Lawrence pledged another million to the 501 (c) (3) public charity.
Dillingham stood and applauded.
“We’re ready when everybody is ready,” Dillingham said of Arizona State’s readiness level to compete from an NIL perspective. “We need everybody. We just got a million dollars. That’s unbelievable. He did that to inspire everybody else.”
Dillingham said his �irst initiative as head coach will be to meet the players and become involved within the Arizona State community.
His energy was infectious within the room. The overall reaction from the crowd was similar to the way Aguano won over media in September when he took over head coaching duties. From media to his family and friends he played Little League baseball with as a kid growing up in Scottsdale,
Not only does he want to make Arizona State into a championship contender, he wants to do it with the support from those across the Valley and state.
“We need the Valley behind us. We need the state behind us,” Dillingham said. “We need butts in seats. We need everything this Valley has, all in. Because I am. All in.”
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess welcomes the holidays
BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff WriterIt all began 13 years ago with a fourstory Christmas tree and a vision at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.
“It started with one Christmas fourstory magnificent Christmas tree and our goal was to create an experience that our guests could visit year after year and create traditions with their families,” said Teresa Thompson, the Fairmont’s director of resort experi ence
Since then, the resort has been con verting its 60-acre campus into a whimsical winter wonderland with glittering lights, countless Christmas trees, and myriad entertainment offer ings.
It has made its mark with signature displays like two 6,000-square-foot ice
rinks, a 120-foot four-lane ice slide on which guests race in inflated inner tubes and the VIP climate-controlled igloos for patrons to dine in.
This year, the AAA Five Diamond re sort has added two new experiences for guests and visitors to meet Santa.
The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess launched its new Ultimate Santa Experi ence, allowing guests to meet Mrs. Claus, experience the Elf Academy, enjoy milk and specialty cookies, listen to an exclu sive Santa story time, and take up to 10 digital photos.
“Santa is such a magical experience and our guests enjoy all the time they have with Santa,” Thompson said.
Because of that, the Fairmont Scotts dale Princess has also added an in-room Santa experience where guests can have Santa and his elves visit their room to tell a story and take pictures with jolly
St. Nick.
Outside of the rooms, Thompson touts that Christmas at the Princess has added five new rides to its Twinkle Town like
Where to find Santa in Scottsdale this year
ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer
As kids begin making their lists and checking them twice, parents have a slew of opportunities to get pic tures with Jolly Old St. Nick around the city or get in the holiday spirit.
OdySea Aquarium
Returning this year is OdySea Aquari um’s ultimate Santa experience which it touts as one of the most unique and spec tacular seasonal offerings in the Valley. The experience can accommodate as many as 15 people.
Included in the cost of admission is exclu sive access to the spectacular VIP Room, a SeaTREK Santa Meet & Greet with photos, a private escorted animal encounter, pro fessional photos with SeaTREK Santa that will be printed and packaged for guests to take home, a dedicated Elf concierge/room
host, and assorted refreshments.
Santa can also be seen splashing around the aquarium’s large under water habitat and people can interact with this fun-loving underwater St. Nick through the Deep Ocean exhibit window. This Santa interaction is included in the standard admission price.
When: 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Dec. 10-11, 17-18, 19-24, and 26-31. The VIP Sea Trek Santa Holiday Experience will only be available at 11:30 a.m. Dec. 1922, 24, and 26-31.
Where: OdySea Aquarium, 9500 East Vía de Ventura Suite A-100, Scottsdale
Cost: $995 for up to 15 people
Info: odyseaaquarium.com/ promotions/#winter
Reading with Santa: 12:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. Dec. 9-11, 16- 31; 12:15 p.m.
PRINCESS
Swings.
���� PAGE 26
While Twinkle Town is optimal for little kids, older guests might find enjoyment in Winterland, which is illuminated by twinkling white lights, romantic igloos, and the famed Love Arbor.
Visitors enter the festivities through a 32-foot-long infinity tunnel lit with LED bulbs and complimentary firepits and once inside, guests can enjoy an ice bar stocked with specialty cocktails, and hot winter alcoholic, and non-alcoholic beverages.
New this year, guests can also get their giggles by heading down a 70-foot ice luge slide.
Guests 21 and older can partake in another new ultra-luxe experience titled “Chateau Champagne,” in which guests meander through a candlelight path that leads them to semi-private fire pits juxtaposed in front of an Alpine Chalet backdrop.
Once cozied up by the fire, guests can munch on an all-inclusive menu consisting of Moet Imperial Brut, a shellfish tower, truffle Gouda fondue, assorted artisanal petit fours, and artisanal s’mores board complete with ginger snaps and chocolate-stuffed, vanilla-infused marshmallows.
The new events have already drawn a crowd and reservations.
“We’re getting a lot of reservations and booking times and our guests are
excited about the happenings,” Thompson said.
“They can expect a great opportunity to create cherished moments within their family and friends,” she said. “When they come to Christmas at the Princess they can expect to be excited, be curious and savor the moments and we’re excited to welcome all of our new first-time visitors to Christmas at the Princess.”
Though Thompson is thrilled to welcome new faces to the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess for Christmas at the Princess, she is equally excited to bring in the returning faces to show them new attractions.
“I’m most excited for all of our guests to experience all of our new experiences,” she said, “There’s nothing else like seeing the kids’ faces light up as they meet all of our Christmas at the Princess characters and experience the rides attractions.”
If You Go:
Christmas at the Princess
When: 4 p.m. nightly Now through Monday, January 2 Where: The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Cost: Tickets start at $80 per carload. Info: ChristmasatThePrincess. com
the Progress)
SANTA ���� PAGE 26
only Dec. 19-22 and 24-31.
Scottsdale
Fashion Square
Shoppers at Scottsdale Fashion Square have several opportunities to socialize with Santa this season.
Four-legged friends will be on hand 4-7 p.m. tomorrow Dec. 5 as part of Scottsdale Fashion Square’s Santa Paws Pet Photo. Registration is available online and is highly recommended.
Festive Fridays will offer interactive holiday crafting and photo experiences. The weekly events are free with a receipt showing proof of a Santa Claus photo package or a $20 donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. When: Dec. 9 and 16.
Where: Scottsdale Fashion Square, 7014 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale Cost: Free Info: fashionsquare.com/holiday
Scottsdale Quarter
Scottsdale Quarter I offering an opportunity for people to shop with their pets and have their pets get a picture with Santa Claus.
Patrons looking to pick up a pet can also fill out adoption forms with the ASPCA, who will be on hand during the day.
When: Noon, Saturday, Dec. 10 Where: Scottsdale Quarter, 15037 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale Cost: Free Info: scottsdalequarter.com/eventsnews
Enchant
Running from now through New Year’s Day, guests are invited to Salt River Fields to experience the world’s largest holiday-themed light event beefed up by an ice-skating rink and, of course, Santa. When: Through Jan. 1.
Where: Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, 7555 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale
Cost: Tickets start at $25
Info: enchantchristmas.com/scottsdale-az-salt-river-fields/
Christmas at the Princess
In total there are three Santa experiences. The Santa Experience includes up to eight people per reservation, a meetand-greet with Santa and his elves, Mrs. Claus’ Christmas carols, the singing reindeer stable, and the new interactive Elf Academy Experience.
The Ultimate Santa experience is new this year and includes a trip to the Elf Academy where guests can munch on specialty cookies and sip milk as they listen to Santa tell an exclusive story.
Then the in-room Santa experience is only available for staying guests.
Information: christmasattheprincess. com
Santa at the Railroad park
Santa can be found at the McCormickStillman Railroad Park each night as part of its holiday lights celebration through December 30.
When: 6 p.m. nightly through Dec. 30
Where: McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, 7301 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale.
Cost: $15
Info: therailroadpark.com.
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Salt River Fields ‘Enchants’ with radiant display
BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff WriterPatrons passing by Salt River Fields at Talking Stick off Loop 101 and Indian Bend at night may have noticed that the baseball field beckons with a sparkling holiday wonderland.
Enchant presented by Hallmark Channel, which touts itself as the world’s largest holiday light display, has witnessed success with its Scottsdale debut since opening Nov. 25.
Because of that, Enchant manager Ryan Harris said his team thought the area would be perfect for a display that dazzles.
“Our creative team and operations team source markets and venues that can accommodate such an extravagant experience as this –where we take over 10 acres of space. So, what’s most important is space,” Harris said.
“We also look for a city that loves Christmas and Scottsdale seemed like the perfect choice.”
The next task became finding a venue large enough to accommodate the colossal lights festival.
“In years past at other ‘Enchants,’ we’ve discovered that a baseball stadium lends itself perfectly to the type of events (we do),” Harris said. “It is common to find an Enchant that is laid out where we have the ice trail and the light maze on the field level.
“So when you walk over the overlook of the concourse and peer down into the light maze, ice trail and some of our market vendors, it looks like you’re peeking over into a Christmas Village.”
Because of that, the team selected Salt River Field at Talking Stick – the Arizona Diamondbacks spring training facility.
“There’s just something about descending into what was once a baseball stadium that is now an all-encompassing atmosphere that looks like something that can be seen inside of a snow globe that is enchanting,” Harris said.
After locking in a site, a year of planning and months of assembly began.
“Our creative team and operations
teams have been working all year since Enchant locations in 2021 closed and we began installing in Scottsdale right before Halloween since it’s about a monthlong process to build Enchant,” Harris said.
After arriving in late October, crews began 10- to 12-hour days hanging lights, erecting sets, and laying the foundation for an expansive ice rink made of real ice.
Once finished, the expansive light festival covered 10 acres of the spring training facility filling the grounds with over four million sparkling lights.
There is also a 100-foot-tall holiday tree, and myriad entertainment options — including a place to visit Santa.
Harris says guests can expect plenty of fun for the entire family during their visit to Enchant.
“We keep everyone in mind,” Harris said.
“For the little ones, we have a little elf play place where they can frolic and have Storytime with Mrs. Claus and they can also meet the big guy himself and take photos.
"For adults, we have our Merry Lodge, Our Tipsy Tree Tavern, and a Polar Ice Bar – which is chilled at 14 degrees and guests can sample three different types of vodka at a bar where the interior is made entirely of ice.”
With all the options for fun at their feet, Harris expects guests to enjoy themselves and make merry memories that will last a lifetime and hopes Enchant becomes a staple at Salt River Field at Talking Stick during future holiday seasons..
“We know that the guests are going to enjoy themselves. They’re going to be overwhelmed by the 100-foot pine tree that’s completely made up with lights.
"They’re going to be overwhelmed by our RGB light tunnel as they walk through it, and I know that we’re going to see just lots of joy on faces of children of all ages, adults, grandparents,” Harris said.
“The whole family is just going to be filled with joy and making them happy is going to make us happy.”
If You Go:
Enchant at Salt River Field at Talking Stick
When: Through Jan. 1 Cost: Tickets start at $34 Info: enchantchristmas.com/ scottsdale-az-salt-river-fields
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Asphalt Roller: Multiquip AR13HA, Trencher: 2017 Vermeer RTX200, Skid Steer: 2020 Bobcat S770, 4-Tele. Forklifts: 2012 JLG G10-55(4x4), 2011
Skytrak 10054(4x4), (2)Unused Skytrak 6036(4x4), 3-Forklifts: Hyster GDP155, Cat NRR40, Cat 6BRU18, Tracked Boom Lift: 2014 Teupen TL51A, 13-Scissor Lifts: (7)2015-2014-2013
Skyjack SJ3219, (2)JLG 4069LE, (2)2018 Magnum Pro MMG45, 4-Air Comp.: (4)2013 Doosan 185CFM, 10-Light Plants: (8) Amida AL4000, (2)Wacker LTW8K, Screening Plant: 2021 Suihe Grizzly Deck(4ft.x5ft.), 3-Truck Tractors: (3)2013 IH 8600, 3-Pickups: (3)2022 Chevy Silverado 1500(4x4), 3-Collectible Autos: 1952-1950-1948 Studebaker Coupe(Studebaker engine), Dump Trailer: Gearmore 8-ton, Multi-Use Container, 9-Pressure Washers: (6)New Easy Kleen, MI-T-M Hot Water, Hotsy Hot Water, 2017 Karcher 5,000psi, 42-Attachments: (17)Skid Steer, (14)Forklift, 46-New & Used Support Equip.
Go to WWW.LYONAUCTION.COM for more details
CollectivelyKellerWilliamsLuxuryhassoldover$98billionin2021andYeartodateKellerWilliams Luxuryhasrepresentedover48,000buyer’sandseller’sover$1M.KWcontinuestoexpandgloballyand remainsthenumberonerealestatecompanyi ntheworldasrankedbyRealtrends.TheBVOLuxury Groupisnowinit’s3rdgeneration,MaricopaCounty’s#1RealEstateTeamoftheyearin2018,2019, and2020,and2021.Theteamhasgrownsignificantlytomake2022thebestyeareverheadquartered righthereinScottsdale.
HelpBuyersEmotionallyConnect
Stagingisaboutshowcasinganengaging,move-inreadyhomethatcreatesan emotionalconnectionwiththebuyer.Updatingdécorwithon-trend,invitingstyle— particularlyinlivingrooms,primarybedrooms,kitchens,anddiningrooms—can makeamemorableimpression.
Ifyouarethinkingofsellingyourhome,nowmorethaneveryourhomemustbe inTOPcondition.AtBVOLuxuryweofferFREEhomeimprovementandstaging consultations.