Resort spas tell clients their future / P. 27
An edition of the East Valley Tribune
INSIDE
This Week
NEIGHBORS ................25 Interior designer giving back to those who helped her.
ARTS................................. 32 Old Town to see its first live musical in nearly a decade.
FOOD .............................. 35 Thousands of tacos will be served up next weekend.
NEIGHBORS .........................19 LOOKING BACK ..................26 BUSINESS ............................. 27 OPINION ..............................28 SPORTS .................................31 ARTS .................................... 32 FOOD & DRINK...................34 CLASSIFIEDS .......................36
Meet the SUSD board hopefuls / P. 16
FREE ($1 OUTSIDE OF SCOTTSDALE) | scottsdale.org
Sunday, October 07, 2018
Deciphering the Preserve Prop battle can be daunting BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor
T
he debate over the future of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and the potential Desert Edge development – formerly the Desert Discovery Center or DDC – has become confusing for Scottsdale residents who are deciding how to cast their vote. Do voters want to “Protect Our Preserve” or “Protect Your Preserve?” Will they vote yes on 420 and say no to DDC, or vote no on 420 and say yes to DDC? Between the political action committees supporting either side – Protect Our Preserve PAC and Protect Your Preserve PAC – and the rhetoric coming from some supporters of campaigns for and against Proposition 420, it can become confusing for voters, who can start casting early ballots Wednesday. For the record, the Protect Our Preserve PAC supports voting yes on Proposition 420. That would create a city charter amendment requiring a public vote to approve any alterations to preserve land and regulate the use of city funds designated for the preserve. Detractors have argued this will bog down
(Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)
The proposed Desert Edge project would be built just south of the Gateway Trailhead, a popular spot for residents and tourists.
or prevent nearly all alterations, such as building new fire breaks or watering holes for wildlife. Proponents say this is not the case. Vocal Prop 420 supporter Jason Alexander said that the charter amendment language
contains several exceptions that address minor alterations and safety issues. Those exceptions include allowing for the building of new trails approved by the Mc-
see 420 page 11
City Hall’s father sought ‘open friendliness’ in design
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor
A
s the 50th anniversary of Scottsdale’s Civic Center Library and City Hall approaches, the city has decided to rename a downtown street in honor of Bennie Gonzalez, the iconic architect who designed the buildings. On Oct. 2, the City Council approved the name change for a section of 1st Avenue
between Drinkwater Boulevard and 75th Street. The new street will be called Bennie Gonzalez Way. The street is already undergoing planned maintenance, and the city will install new street signs to reflect the name change. The signs, which will cost the city $47 each, will be paid from the Streets Opera-
see GONZALEZ page 17
(Courtesy of Scottsdale Historical Society)
The late archiect Bennie Gonzalez will be honored.
CALL 480-998-0110