The Ranch Report - July 20, 2016 by Times Media Group

Oh, What Fun!

retro cocktails ... Cosmo, anyone? Nosh on some grindage at the all-new Kitchen West, BarSix40 and Twisted Vine. Or, chillax poolside after a totally tubular massage. No matter the decade, it’s time to dive into the ultimate summertime flashback at the center of everything Scottsdale.

INCLUDES:

• $50 Nightly Food & Beverage Credit

• $25 Luna Spa Vouchers

• Kids Under 12 Eat Free**

• Live music poolside from the 70s in June, 80s in July & 90s in August***

• Decades-themed dive-in movies on Friday and Saturday nights***

• Special decades-inspired food and cocktail menu items

*** CODE: SUMMER

5/27-5/29, 6/10-6/11, 6/24-6/25, 7/1-7/2-7/3, 7/15-7/16, 7/22-7-23, 8/5-8/6, 8/12-8/13, 9/2-9/3-9/4.

Nearby News monthly contest

Cover Photo: Tim Sealy

community spotlight

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Lend a hand to the 19K foster children

Dan Shufelt used to keep his volunteer work under wraps, preferring to stay behind the scenes. But the Phoenix resident is so enthusiastic about Airpark-based Arizona Helping Hands, that he’s willing to spread the word.

“I’m so impassioned by what we do that it’s easy for me to speak about it,” he said. “I spoke to the In-N-Out Foundation with 120 people in the room and they had to drag me oﬀ the stage.

“I want this to gain momentum and make a diﬀerence in this community.”

Arizona Helping Hands, which has been invited to McDowell Mountain Ranch Oktoberfest, is hosting a collection drive to provide backpacks and school supplies to boys and girls in foster care. It takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 23, at Sam’s Club, 15255 N. Northsight Rd., Scottsdale.

Sam’s Club will also provide hot dog vending with the proceeds to go to this huge eﬀort. For more information, visit facebook.com/azhelpinghands/; azhelpinghands.org/blog-post/ or azhelpinghands.org, or call 480-8890604.

A CPA by trade, Shufelt was encouraged in the 1980s by his thenmanager to volunteer. Shufelt took it to heart and began working with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Phoenix. In the early 2000s, he met Kathy Donaldson at his church. She founded Arizona Helping Hands with her now-deceased husband, Paul. at changed his life.

He was committed to two jobs, yet took on the position of CEO to help narrow the focus of Arizona Helping Hands, which Donaldson started in response to her sister’s last wish to do a good deed regularly.

“We were an organization that was a mile wide and an inch deep,” Shufelt said. “ ey did a lot of good work, but it didn’t have a focus. ere were a variety of initiatives and activities to help kids and families, but it was as broad as broad could be.” at was until the 2013 CPS crisis

hit the media.

“ at was the ﬁrst major attention on that issue,” he said. “Kids were not being attended to.”

Shufelt met with Arizona Friends of Foster Children founder Kris Jacober and asked her how he could help. He wasn’t interested in duplicating eﬀorts, but bolstering them.

“I thought it would be the start of a long discussion,” he said. “But she succinctly said that we could change lives if we provided beds or cribs to children in foster care.”

In 2014, it provided 470 beds to kids in foster care. Last year, the donations reached 1,515 and in 2016, Arizona Helping Hands is poised to hit 2,000.

“As the community support for the program has grown, we’ve been able to expand our services,” he said.

e 8,000-square-foot warehouse has beds, ribs, clothing, personal care packages and more. e “coolest” initiative, he said, is Birthday Dreams. Foster children are surprised with gifts for their birthdays, something, he said, is often overlooked.

“My wish list includes expanding that Birthday Dreams program,” he said. “It’s fun to donate toys and games to younger kids. It’s a challenge to come up with items for teenagers. But this is a dream job.”

Dan Shufelt of Arizona Helping Hands has turned the organization around.

No cookiecutter meetings

By Caity Hemmerle

Can’t resist a good page turner? Enjoy a baked good while you read?

Scottsdale Bakes is looking for you. e book and baking club meets at Scottsdale Arabian Library 10:3011:30 a.m. on second Fridays.

Beth Cooper, Scottsdale Bakes coordinator, said the inaugural meeting was in February with eight participants. e largest attendance was 20 in May. Cooper said Scottsdale Bakes connects bakers and readers who enjoy gathering to discuss recipes, baking books and eating. Participants may bake something from the book of the month or from a recipe they’ve found elsewhere. Cooper said it is intended to be a fun group.

e Scottsdale Arabian Library, on the southeastern corner of ompson Peak and McDowell Mountain Ranch roads, meets in room one.

Information: scottsdalelibrary.org or contact Beth Cooper at becooper@ scottsdaleaz.gov.

Mayor to hold Constitution contest for local children

By Cassidy Landaker

Mayor Jim Lane is hoping to increase students’ awareness of the Constitution by hosting a contest for kids in ﬁrst through 12th grades.

e Constitution Day contest gives kids the chance to reﬂect on the historical document, and to learn about the importance of the democratic structure and liberties guaranteed by it, the mayor explained.

“I really want participants to speak from their hearts and to get a feeling about what the Constitution means— why it’s unique and what it would be like if we did not have it,” Lane said.

Lane also hopes the contest will get children talking about the Constitution and what it gives citizens of this country.

ere are three categories for the competition: ﬁrst through ﬁfth grades; sixth through eighth grades; and high school students.

Participants in ﬁrst through ﬁfth grades must write a 250-word essay, create art of any medium, or make a video on what the Constitution means to them.

Students in sixth through eighth grades choose one Constitutional amendment and construct a 500word essay, artwork or a video on why it’s important to American society.

Other students can write an essay of at least 1,000 words, create art of any medium or make a video on how the Constitution provides safeguards for a democratic republic. Contest details are available at ScottsdaleAZ.gov, search “Constitution Contest.”

One grand prize winner will be chosen for an essay, piece of artwork, and a video for each grade. Rules for the competition are simple. Essays can be typed or handwritten, and artwork can be in any medium. Videos must be less than 3 minutes long and posted to YouTube, with the link submitted via email. Winners must live in Scottsdale or attend a Scottsdale school. All essays, artwork and videos must be an original work of the student. e deadline for entries is 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, and entries can be dropped oﬀ at any Scottsdale library information desk. Students should include their full name, grade, address, school, title of the work, phone number and email.

Email entries can be sent to kkuester@scottsdaleaz.gov or mail them to City Hall, 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale, 85251.

Entrants and their families are invited to an awards reception with Mayor Lane at the Mountain View Community Center, 8625 E. Mountain View Rd., at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28.

Mayor Jim Lane is hosting a Constitution Day contest for all Scottsdale students.

Rarely does the closing of a restaurant also mean the end of an iconic sports hangout. But that is sadly the case with The Pink Pony, the Scottsdale Road mainstay that closed recently after a tumultuous 70 years in the business.

The steakhouse and grill was so well known in its heyday that Sports Illustrated devoted an entire feature to the restaurant and its owner, Charlie Briley, in 1996. Writer Ron Fimrite noted: “The Pony is much the way you would imagine Valhalla to be—a comfortable spot where famous folks sit around having a helluva good time. The spring clientele is, of course, special.”

Who were they? Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, Leo Durocher, Dizzy Dean, Pee Wee Reese, Willy Mays, Sandy Koufax...the list could go on for quite a while and include almost every baseball player and manager who came through Scottsdale for Spring Training games. Sportswriter Roger Angell even went so far as to call The Pink Pony “the best baseball restaurant in the land.”

But Briley died in 2002, and in 2009

his widow closed down operations. It was purchased in 2011 and stayed in business until 2013, when it once again closed. Then came another purchase in 2014 and the Pony was galloping once more. But changing demographics and changing tastes in restaurant ambience and food apparently slowed the Pony down, and then came this on the restaurant’s Facebook page:

“We would like to thank all of our patrons of the Pink Pony over the past few years and the many years before it. We were sad to close the doors, but the historic Pink Pony will live on in legend.”

Is there a rescuer in the wings, perhaps a restaurateur who can maintain the old image of a once-great sports hangout but polished with an appeal to contemporary diners? Time will tell if someone can saddle the Pony, or if, indeed, it will live on only “in legend.”

It’s hot. You should drink water. But tequila has water in it—right? And July 24 is National Tequila Day (for real). So maybe, just maybe, a margarita or two could supplement that bottle of spring

hydration that you know you should be drinking twice a day.

And maybe you don’t have to wait for July 24, either. Now through Sept. 1, the Thirsty Lion will offer margaritas half price whenever the mercury climbs to more than 105 degrees Fahrenheit, which is most days after noon, before which you should stick to the H2O, anyway. The Lion, at 7014 E. Camelback Rd., will also do a half-price deal on Moscow Mules. Vodka also has water in it—right?

Not to be outdone by Thirsty Lion, Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill (located in Scottsdale Fashion Square) is offering half off all tequila drinks through the summer. And they have a lot of them: the Jalapeno Cucumber Margarita (El Jimador Blanco, jalapeno and cucumber), the Brazos Tequila Cooler (Bracero Blanco, hibiscus syrup and lemon-lime soda) and my personal favorite way to get a brain freeze, the Chambord Margarita, which adds the luscious raspberry liqueur to a traditional margarita.

Echo Coffee Shop, at the corner of 68th Street and Thomas Road, is a Level Seven Red Gym. What does that mean? It means that seven red-team Pokemon are hanging out there, waiting to be battled. Level 7 is one of the highest possible gym levels. Of course, none of this means anything unless you are playing Pokemon Go. But if you are, you might want to take your blue-team Kadabra to Echo for a latte.

What’s the buzz in your neighborhood? New babies or grandbabies? Announcements? Engagements?

hearsay@nearbynews.com.

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Preventative health workshop focuses on kicking sugar addiction

Live Jacked Training Studio, a personal training and lifestyle guidance studio, is teaming up with integrative health coach, Crystal Jarvie, to host a preventative health workshop from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 13.

damage, cell aging, memory loss and more.

Material, labor & painting included. This wonderful special includes your choice of any one room in your home to crown with 60 linear feet of product for $299. Limited time offer. • Exceptional customer service

is interactive forum focusing on “sugar blues” will cover three areas— nutrition, exercise and maintaining a healthy mindset.

e workshop will be held at Live Jacked Training Studio at 4300 N. Miller Rd., Suite G 105, Scottsdale. Jarvie is the owner of HealthStyles 4

• Trustworthy completion of the project

Efﬁcient and timely results

You. She will discuss:

• How to make permanent, healthy lifestyle changes

• Tips for easy meal planning and snack prep

• Understanding the causes of your sugar cravings and practical tools for dealing with them

• Exercise ideas and strategies to stay on track

• Learn healthy mindset training techniques that will energize you

• How to create your support team.

A study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that excess sugar increases the risk for heart failure. In addition to heart disease, a diet high in sugar can cause obesity, hormone imbalances, liver

“Sugar is in most processed food, but we don’t always realize it because there are so many names used to describe sugar,” said Jarvie. “Eating a diet high in sugar is what makes us feel lethargic, moody, irritated and exhausted. And most of all, it can lead to disease.”

e workshop will feature tips on how listeners can take an active role in making healthy choices for their current and future health.

“At Live Jacked, we focus on the whole person. We combine exercise and nutrition in an enjoyable, welcoming environment in order to help our clients lead a longer, healthier lifestyle,” said Michael Blake, owner, Live Jacked Training Studio.

“It’s important for us to educate our clients, Crystal takes a holistic approach to health, and we’re very excited to host her preventative health workshop for both our clients and Valley residents.”

Space is limited for the program, which costs $10 before Aug. 12, or $20 afterward. Additionally, each attendee will be entered into a raﬄe for door prizes at the event. To RSVP, 480-815-1521.

Scottsdale schools appoint principals, assistant principals

For the upcoming school year beginning Aug. 8, students, parents and staﬀ will see new and familiar faces at a few of the Scottsdale Uniﬁed School District (SUSD) campuses.

Hohokam Traditional School

Andrea Wymore is the new assistant principal at Hohokam Elementary School. Wymore joined SUSD in the 2002-03 school year and has worked as a learning resource center teacher at Mountainside Middle School.

Hopi Elementary School

Tamara Jagodzinski was named as the new principal at Hopi Elementary

School. Jagodzinski most recently served as assistant principal at Pima Elementary. Before her role at Pima, she was the assistant principal at Hohokam Traditional and taught 13 years at Mountainside Middle School.

Pima Elementary School

Kimberly Mills is the new assistant principal at Pima Elementary School. Before joining SUSD, Mills worked as a first- and fifth-grade teacher in California and most recently served as the PBIS coach and assistant principal at Litchfield School District.

... continues on page 12

New Principals

Yavapai Elementary School

Ingleside Middle School

Experience the 2016 GMC YUKON

Matt Gromek has been named as the new assistant principal at Yavapai Elementary School. Gromek joined SUSD in 2012 as a ﬁfth-grade teacher at Yavapai Elementary.

Arcadia Neighborhood Learning Center

Kathleen Hughes will join SUSD as the new principal at ANLC. Hughes has been an administrator in the Higley Uniﬁed School District since 2008. She also taught in a K-8 school in Southern California.

Copper Ridge School

Lindsay Stollar Slover has been named the new principal at Copper Ridge School. Stollar Slover most recently served as assistant principal at Cordova Middle School in the Alhambra Elementary School District in Phoenix and she was selected as a Rodel Aspiring Principal for 2016. Additionally, Stollar Slover worked as a classroom teacher for 10 years in the Valley.

Tonalea K-8

Dr. David Priniski has been named the K-5 level principal for Tonalea. Priniski most recently served as assistant principal at Supai Middle School. Previously, Priniski served as an SUSD administrator to SUSD Community Schools, Ingleside Middle School and both Yavapai and Tonalea Elementary Schools. Priniski served as a teacher in the Flowing Wells School District in Tucson, and Madison School District in Phoenix. He has also served as a teacher to the Greig City Academy in the London Borough of Haringey.

Dr. Christopher uman has been named the principal of Ingleside Middle School. uman has nine years of administrative experience in the Scottsdale Uniﬁed School District. He most recently has been the executive director of Community Education and Online Learning. Previous to this role, uman worked as a high school science teacher and coach at Desert Mountain High School as well as a K-8 physical education teacher in the Chicago Public Schools.

Arcadia High School

Stephen Cervantez has been named as an assistant principal at Arcadia High School. Cervantez joined SUSD in 2003. He most recently served as a teacher at Chaparral High School and taught economics and social studies.

Saguaro High School

Ann Achtziger has been named as the interim principal at Saguaro High School. Achtziger joined Saguaro as assistant principal two years ago. Before Saguaro, Achtziger served as an assistant principal at Mohave Middle School for four years and as an assistant principal at Hopi Elementary School. Achtziger also worked at Sequoya Elementary as a service learning coordinator.

Sarah Barela will join SUSD as an assistant principal at Saguaro High School. Before working for SUSD, Barela taught English for 14 years at Peoria High School.

Kraig Leuschner has been named as an assistant principal at Saguaro High School. Before joining SUSD, Leuschner worked in the Higley Uniﬁed School District for the past six years as a high school special education teacher.

Shelley Slick-Hummon will serve as the grade 6-8 principal for Tonalea K-8. Slick-Hummon most recently served as the principal of Supai Middle School, which has combined with Tonalea Elementary School to form Tonalea K-8.

Justin Firehawk will join SUSD as assistant principal at Tonalea K-8. Mr. Firehawk most recently taught in the Maricopa Uniﬁed School District and Paradise Valley Uniﬁed School District.

Dan Milligan was named as an assistant principal at Saguaro High School. Before this role, Milligan worked as a math teacher at Desert Mountain High School during the 2006-07 school year. He also taught math in the Paradise Valley School District from 2007-2015 and served as the dean of students at Horizon High School during the 2015-16 school year.

76th Street is driving toward success

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

When Haley Gold and Spencer Bryant met in the ﬁfth grade at Grayhawk Elementary School in Scottsdale, it was musical magic.

“I was singing and we started singing together,” Gold said. “ e rest is history. We never stopped after that day.”

Now the ASU students perform as the duo 76th Street, with Bryant on guitar and Gold on piano and percussion.

“We’re just a duo,” Gold said. “It’s easier to rehearse that way. We have the piano and guitar and we just added a beat buddy. It adds percussion and adds a lot to our show. It sounds like we have an electronic drummer and a full band.”

An entertainment executive told them that their music had “womb-totomb” appeal.

“We try to write songs that please everybody,” Bryant said. “We add humor to our show, too, to keep people laughing and smiling.”

Fans can see for themselves when the women perform around town in August and September. See below for a partial list of dates, all in support of their EP and the new single, “You and I,” produced by Grammy winner Robb Vallier. Rami Jaﬀee, formerly of the Wallﬂowers and the Foo Fighters, played organ on the song, which is available on iTunes and Amazon. e women are adamant about writing songs together—mostly at night. When they feel they have a good handle on the songs, they take a

drive, music turned up loud and cruise around until the sun rises. Bryant wants fans to know that she and Gold write songs that are more meaningful than “mushy love songs.”

“We write about self-empowerment and being independent,” she said. “It’s diﬀerent. at’s really what ‘You and I’ is about—not settling for less than you deserve and really remembering your worth. I think we have a great message with our music.”

Music is more than a job to Bryant and Gold. It’s an obsession.

“Sometimes we just sing to sing for hours,” Bryant said. “We enjoy it. We’ll sing anything. If we do covers, we make them our own. We hope to record a new EP soon. We have so much new music and we need the world to hear it.”

Check out 76th Street

76th Street oﬀers fans plenty of chances to see it perform. For a complete itinerary, visit http://76thstreet.net/shows.html. Here are some upcoming gigs:

6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3, and 9 p.m. to midnight Saturdays Aug. 27 and Sept. 10 at Black and Bleu American Grill, 9343 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, 480-767-1810.

6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, at Hard Rock Café, Collier Center, 3 S. Second St., Phoenix, 602-261-7625.

6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa, 5350 E. Marriott Dr., Phoenix, 480-2935000.

Haley Gold and Spencer Bryant recently released the single “You and I,” which was produced by Grammy winner Robb Vallier. Rami Jaffee, formerly of the Wallﬂowers and the Foo Fighters, played organ on the song.

Desert Mountain High School senior wins Congressional Art Competition

By Alison Stanton

For as long as she can remember, 17-year-old Carson Zick has loved anything to do with art.

“I have always enjoyed art and all kinds of crafts,” she said.

Carson’s mom, Medina Zick, recalls how her daughter’s strong creative side began to emerge at an early age.

“She was always making something out of what she could find around the house,” Medina said.

“In the summers, we’d usually put her in an art camp. She had the opportunity to try ceramics, watercolors, acrylics and other mediums. Her drawing started to stand out in sixth grade, and she won her first award for a self-portrait in eighth grade.”

Recently Carson, an incoming senior at Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale, won the 2016 Congressional Art Competition for District 6 for her charcoal selfportrait, titled “Head On.”

The award was presented to Carson by Rep. David Schweikert.

In addition to having her selfportrait on display at the U.S. Capitol for one year, Carson also received airline tickets to Washington, D.C., for the Congressional Art Awards Reception in late June, as well as a $10,000 scholarship from the Phoenix Institute of Art.

This is the second year in a row that Carson won this competition; Medina said her daughter was also the 2015 winner with a colored pencil piece titled “Summer Sorrow.”

Medina said Carson’s art teacher at school, Kelli Lawhead, selected “Head On” to submit to the competition.

Carson said that while a lot of her artwork comes from class assignments, she spends a lot of time coming up with the image and the look that she hopes to create.

Carson said her favorite medium are Prismacolor pencils.

“I like them because of the variety

of colors and the ability to add a lot of detail and shading to each piece,” Carson said.

Medina said she is extremely proud of her daughter’s artistic abilities.

“We have always been amazed by the beauty that Carson can create, with or without awards,” she said, adding that she is grateful that young artists like her daughter have opportunities like the Congressional Art Competition to help boost their confidence and encourage them to be creative.

“Art is a tough field. There are so many talented artists, and most of the time, you don’t win any awards. It’s easy to get discouraged.”

Carson said she was “really surprised and honored” to be selected as the winner of the competition for the second year.

“I enjoyed meeting the Congressman and other artists from across the country in D.C,” she said.

As for her future plans, Carson

said she definitely hopes to pursue a career in art.

“I would love to work with Disney and hope to study animation as well.”

Carson Zick recently won the 2016 Congressional Art Competition for District 6 for her charcoal self-portrait, titled “Head On.” Carson, who is a resident of McDowell Mountain Ranch, traveled to Washington, D.C., for the awards reception.

Eric Fellows Stephanie Janower Angelique Sinclair Luke Baster

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

Scottsdale Moms

World of Giant Insects lands at Arizona Science Center

By Kimberly Hosey

If your kids have been bugging you this summer break, you have a way to “bug” them right back, at e World of Giant Insects, the Arizona Science Center’s newest exhibit, on display now through Labor Day.

We love anything with six or more legs, so my son and I headed to the science center this month to check out the oversize arthropods.

e ﬁrst display we encountered—it was kind of hard to miss—was a giant praying mantis. I mean, giant.

e enormous insect lifted its scythe-like front legs (be honest; you call them “arms” too), preparing to snatch an imaginary prey insect.

“I’ll protect you! You have to be brave,” a nearby kindergartener told his younger sister. Towering over the kids, the Chinese praying mantis sure looked like it could easily make a visitor into its next meal.

After watching the intimidating mantis work its limbs for a few minutes, we left it reaching for a family of four and checked out two Atlas beetles, ready to duke it out with giant horns. Up to a few inches in length, these insects are already huge, but at many times their normal size, they took up a good portion of the exhibit’s far wall. Many kids are naturally fascinated by insects and arachnids, and mine

(even as a young teen) is no exception. What is perhaps a little unique is that I, a grown woman in her 30s, never quite grew out of the obsession. My husband has been known to bring home giant insects for me. (What? Not everyone wants roses.)

So I expected to love the displays.

What I didn’t expect was to be joined in my enthrallment by so many others—and not just kids, but most of the other adults. Even those who are creeped out by creepy crawlers will be taken in by these giant animatronic insects, created by Kokoro Dinosaurs and complete with authentic sound eﬀects. e insects, scaled up between 40 and 120 times their actual sizes, are created in partnership with entomologists so they’re scientiﬁcally accurate.

Next was a giant, squishy lime swallowtail caterpillar, like something out of “Alice in Wonderland.” We could hear the ampliﬁed sounds of the caterpillar munching on vegetation, which is pretty much a caterpillar’s main job in preparation for its metamorphosis into a dazzling butterﬂy.

Just as we ﬁnished admiring the plump caterpillar, a giant desert locust “took oﬀ ” over the family next to us. e animatronic display showcases the grasshopper’s specialized wings

as it rises oﬀ the ground. Beside it, a humongous stick insect loomed, and a recreation of a black widow—complete with an ensnaring web—rounded out the path.

Ironically it’s these monsters—not their miniscule, real-life counterparts— that make some people open up to the wonders of the insect world. My son commented that walking among the oversized insects made him feel “like one of them,” and I knew what he meant: e exhibit enlarges insects to bring their characteristics to the forefront, but in so doing it also renders humans like a species of a particularly small insect, wandering through this buggy gathering.

In addition to the animatronic stars of the exhibit, other insects are featured such as a mosquito’s head, built at 600 times its normal size, with “working” mouthparts and large enough that you can see all the facets in its compound eyes. Similarly enlarged bee and dragonfly heads look down on visitors. Below each display, plaques indicate the species depicted, as well as some scientific or societal information on the critter. ere are also interactive displays available for younger children, such as a large dragonfly puzzle that lets kids put together the insects’ body parts.

If you’re feeling emboldened by

the robots and want to check out the real thing, the exhibit includes a small “live insect zoo,” featuring nine diﬀerent species including scorpions, a burgundy bird-eater goliath tarantula, Madagascar hissing cockroaches and more.

If you want to keep bugging out, check out “Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure,” showing at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. daily in the center’s Irene P. Flinn eater. Watch the insect world come alive—much larger than life, actually—on the theater’s ﬁve-story screen. You can easily imagine you’re a small insect as the tiny becomes tremendous in this story that follows the life, from birth to death, of a praying mantis and a butterﬂy. Your kids will probably want to check out this exhibit for the giant robot bugs—but they’ll leave having learned a bit about insects’ role in our world, and hopefully wanting to know even more.

Tickets for e World of Giant Insects include admission to the science center, and are $4 for members, $19 for children 3 to 17 and $24 for adults.

The display uses audio as well as visual to demonstrate how a lime swallowtail caterpillar eats vegetation in preparation for its metamorphosis into a butterﬂy.

A huge replica of a black widow spider stands ready to ensnare visitors in its web.

A Chinese praying mantis extends its limbs while “hunting” in the exhibit. A plaque below describes how the insect uses its razor-sharp forelegs to capture prey.

top 10 family events

July 20-Aug. 20, 2016

1 Splash Welcome Back Pool Party

Celebrate the opening of a premiere aquatic facility with two pools, a splash pad and more. The afternoon will include a live DJ, water activities, treats and a mermaid visit.

WHEN: Sunday, Aug. 21, from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

WHERE: Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale COST: Free

INFO: 480-483-7121 or vosjcc.org/splash

2 Prowl and Play

The Phoenix Zoo will have a fairytale princess- and swashbuckling pirate-themed night complete with fun activities, a magic show and live music.

WHEN: Tuesday, Aug. 6, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

WHERE: The Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix COST: $8

INFO: 602-286-3800 or phoenixzoo.org

3 Lego Build Event

Children 6 years and older are invited to explore their creativity in this team-building event.

WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 20, at 4 p.m.

WHERE: Barnes & Noble, 10500 N. 90th St., Scottsdale COST: Free INFO: 480-391-0048

The Little Mermaid

4

Come see a recreation of Disney’s adventurous and treasured story.

WHEN: Through Friday, Aug. 19, various times

WHERE: Hale Centre Theater, 50 W. Page Ave., Gilbert COST: $18-$30

INFO: 480-497-1181 or haletheatrearizona.com

5 Pajama Jump Day for Preschoolers

Preschoolers can have a fun morning of jumping, playing in the foam pit, rock climbing and bouncing in their pajamas.

WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 10, from 10 a.m. to noon

WHERE: AZ Air Time, 13802 N. Scottsdale Rd., Suite 145, Scottsdale COST: $5

INFO: 480-427-2000 or azairtime.com

6 Legoland Discovery Center

The indoor family attraction ideal for

children ages 3 to 10 features two Lego rides, 4-D cinema and a large soft-play area.

WHEN: Ongoing

WHERE: Legoland Discovery Center at Arizona Mills, 5000 S. Arizona Mills Circle, Suite 135, Tempe

COST: $22; free for 2 and younger INFO: http://bit.ly/23g1lpo

7 Flashlight Tours

Bring a ﬂashlight and explore the desert gardens at night. Different discovery and activity stations are planned for each evening.

WHEN: Every Thursday and Saturday until Sept. 23 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

WHERE: Desert Botanical Gardens, 1201 N. Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix

COST: $10-$22

INFO: 480-941-1225 or dbg.org

8 Monarch Walk Series

Visit the Butterﬂy Conservatory and learn about the monarchs’ migration.

WHEN: Friday, Aug. 12, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: Butterﬂy Wonderland, 9500 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale

COST: $12.95-$19.95 INFO: 480-800-3000 or butterﬂywonderland.com

9 Free Summer Sunday

Enjoy a free day of art, and come see the Yellowhouse Indian Dancers perform.

WHEN: Sunday, July 24, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Heard Museum, 2301 N Central Ave., Phoenix

COST: Free

INFO: 602-252-8840 or heard.org

10 Summer Movie Fun

Harkins Theaters will bring back 10 of the best family movies for the summer.

WHEN: Continues through Friday, Aug. 5 at 9:45 a.m.

WHERE: Harkins Theatre, 7000 E. Mayo Blvd., Scottsdale, and other Harkins locations

COST: $7

INFO: 480-732-0110 or harkinstheatres.com/smf.aspx

slices of life

By Jill Pertler

Polyester win is a real stretch of imagination

Laundry’s never been my thing, even though I’ve had more than my fair share of experience with the spin cycle. Lord knows I’ve tried, but despite a decadeslong love affair with bleach, my kids were always the ones with the grayish, never-quite-perfectly white socks. I finally figured out the black athletic socks don’t show dirt like the white ones do, so now I try to buy those. I may have scored a small triumph over the socks, but every laundry CEO understands you can’t avoid white completely. My current battle involves a long-sleeved white polyester T-shirt. It belongs to my son and was a special birthday gift he picked out himself. It is embellished with the correct and trendy logo favored by those who wish to score high on the cool-meter.

CANTINA LAREDO 7361 E. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. Scottsdale, AZ 85260

Let me tell you a little something about polyester. It’s the fabric of choice for stylish sports-oriented kids and yoga-pant wearing moms. According to my extensive internet research, polyester is a synthetic polymer, which is a fancy term for plastic in disguise. It resists wrinkles, fading, shrinking and is form ﬁtting, durable and pretty darn comfortable. It’s also troublesome for laundry-challenged folks like myself. at’s because oil and polyester do not mix.

Polyester is touted as an easy-tocare-for fabric. Unless you get an oil stain. My son got an oil stain. Unfortunately, as the laundry guru I’ve already established myself to be, I did not notice the stain or pretreat the stain or otherwise attend to

the stain in any manner or fashion until after the (nearly new, favorite) shirt went through the entire laundry cycle—including the dryer. I can hear your gasps of horror and disbelief, and I do apologize. at was two weeks ago. We’ve been at war ever since—me versus the shirt. What started as a small grease stain has morphed into a larger area, probably because of my attempts to remove the stain with any number of concoctions that were not Googleapproved. (I started this ﬁght as a lone soldier. I’ve since gone online for expert reinforcements, which have, regrettably, also proved unsuccessful.)

In the process, the shirt seems to have taken on a dingy, grayish tint that I’m determined to correct. I’ve tried every remedy outlined online by my allies—laundry kings and queens who actually blog about the topic.

Right now the little bugger is soaking in a mixture of vinegar, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide and hot water. I think/hope it’s looking whiter. e whole experience has left me exhausted and smelling like pickles. I am tempted to take the shirt out of the soak and put it through another wash cycle, but I’m afraid of my adversary’s next move. Still, I remain determined. Although the shirt has proven a worthy opponent, failure and defeat are not in this warrior’s vocabulary.

A tiny grease spot on a favorite shirt has grown into something bigger than any shirt or stain or laundry-crusading mom. It is about relentless pursuit of the enemy, endurance during combat, conquering the opposition and claiming victory over the polyester. No surrender. No retreat. Mark my words: e. Shirt. Will. Not. Win.

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LINDA BACON

Student Chronicles

Know a Scottsdale student who’s doing something remarkable? Send items for Student Chronicles to christina@timespublications.com.

Katherine Liming, of Scottsdale, has been named to University of Delaware’s dean’s list for the spring 2016 semester. e dean’s list, an honor conferred at the end of the fall and spring semesters, recognizes outstanding academic performance by undergraduate students. Undergraduate students who have been graded in a minimum of 12 credits counting toward their GPA for the semester and who have earned a minimum 3.33 GPA for a given semester are honored with Dean’s List recognition for that semester.

Panagiota Terzis, of Scottsdale, earned a MPH-MPH Program degree from the University of Iowa at the close of the spring 2016 semester.

Boston University awarded academic degrees to 6,220 students recently. Earning degrees were Scottsdale natives Richard A. Ortiz, Master of Science in insurance management; Zachary A. Evans, Juris Doctor in law; Engin L. Altinoglu, Doctor of Philosophy in economics; Natasha R. Khona, Bachelor of Arts in

Biology; and Courtney E. Torres, Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering, Summa Cum Laude.

Jaron Anthony Ahmann of Scottsdale has been named to the deans’ list/explore center list of distinguished students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the spring semester of the 2015-16 academic year. Ahmann, a senior computer science major, is studying in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Wheaton College (Illinois) student David Christensen of Scottsdale, was named to the dean’s list for the spring 2016 semester. To earn dean’s list honors at Wheaton, an undergraduate student must carry 12 or more credit hours and achieve a 3.5 grade point average or higher on the 4.0 scale.

Alexandra Bloom, a SUNY Canton Liberal Arts major from Scottsdale, made the president’s list for the spring 2016 semester. e president’s list recognizes students who earned a GPA of 3.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

around the neighborhood

The Red, White and Blue Independence Day Car Show displayed high-performance and exotic cars at The Shops at Gainey Village. The motorsports gathering generally shows Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches and Aston Martins, but for the July 2 event, red, white and blue autos took center stage. The group meets from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. the ﬁrst Saturday of the month. Photos by Will Powers.

1. This Bentley participated in the goldRush Rally which is well-known for vehicles with outrageous wraps. 2. Peter Grant takes a shot of Ed Winkler’s 48 MGA TC. 3. The First Saturday Car Show at Gainey Ranch started out as a show for exotic European sports cars but has transitioned to a show for all types of vehicles. 4. Rob Vondracek’s Amphicar 770 is equally at home on the road or on a lake. 5. The Volkswagen Microbus remains a popular vehicle for auto enthusiasts of all ages. 6. Barry Kolesar with his 2013 Viper GTS.

1 2 3 4 5 6

OFFICE SPACE TO SUBLEASE

Facts about school district bond, additional assistance override

By Kristine Harrington

At the June 7 Governing Board meeting, the Scottsdale Uniﬁed School District (SUSD) Governing Board called for a special bond election and additional assistance budget override election to be held Nov. 8.

Bonds and overrides are tools that communities can use to provide funds for their schools above and beyond what the state provides. With voter approval, districts may issue bonds (which are purchased by investors) to fund projects that have a useful life longer than ﬁve years. Examples include building new schools, building improvements, technology, school buses or equipment. Bonds are repaid over a set period of time.

Overrides are used to provide additional funding to support what happens inside school classrooms. Capital improvement overrides fund items such as equipment, furniture, technology. A district may ask for an increase of up to 10% of the revenue

control limit (RCL) for a capital improvement override.

SUSD will be requesting voter consideration of a bond and an additional assistance override. It was noted during the meeting that the SUSD Governing Board could, depending upon economic climate or need, elect to forgo issuing a bond or override during any particular year.

e bond election will ask Scottsdale voters to approve up to $229 million in bonds (up to $40 million per year for six years). Bond funding would be utilized to rebuild schools, for life cycle renovations (i.e., roof replacements, waterprooﬁng, carpet replacement), safety and security, high school tracks and ﬁelds and student transportation.

e bond would result in no increase

in taxes to Scottsdale residents.

e additional assistance override will request voter consideration for classroom capital up to $8.5 million annually which will be eﬀective July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2024. e override would bring back funding lost in ﬁscal year 2016 due to expiration of the capital override.

e District Additional Assistance Budget Override would provide:

• Instructional equipment, digital materials, textbooks, and resources to support student learning

• Classroom furniture and school equipment to support student safety

• Athletics, ﬁne and performing arts equipment and materials to support the development of the whole child

• Software licenses to support curriculum and operations.

Community members interested in learning more information about the proposed bond and additional assistance overrides are invited to visit www.susd.org and click on the “elections” tab.

By Erica Odello

Oversize outdoor games

Whether you’re braving the heat and having picnics, or are eagerly awaiting the cooler weather so you can entertain outdoors, here are two projects that are sure to be a hit with guests of all ages—giant tic-tac-toe and giant jenga.

GIANT TIC-TAC-TOE

You will need: From the dollar store: Nine pool noodles (ﬁve of one color, four of another), shower curtain. From a hardware store: duct tape, scissors, serrated or utility knife, Sharpie.

Creating an X

Measure and mark the halfway point on ﬁve similarly colored noodles. Using your utility knife, slice the noodle in two pieces at an angle. Repeat the process on one of the halves so you end up with three pieces.

Fit the ends of the shorter pieces to the longer piece, forming an X. Secure with duct tape. NOTE: Use good duct tape for this, the dollar store tape doesn’t stick well.

Creating an O

Using the other four similarly colored pool noodles, bend the ends until they form an O. Use a piece of duct tape to temporarily secure, then wrap duct tape around the ends, as wide as at least three widths of duct tape.

Creating the game board

GIANT JENGA

You will need: At least 36 feet of 2x4s from the scrap wood section of your local hardware store or whatever you have laying around your backyard (cracked wood is ﬁne), circular saw and sawhorse, 80-grit sandpaper and hand sander, spray paint and wood sealer (optional).

Cutting

Measure a length of wood that is the width of three 2x4s (NOTE: 2x4s are not 2 inches wide, that is their original size when they are ﬁrst cut but they shrink in the drying process). Use the circular saw to cut this length of wood, then use this piece to measure out the rest. You want at least 36 pieces of wood.

Painting

Sanding

It is imperative to take the time to sand all of the edges of the cut lengths of wood to avoid splinters. is didn’t take a long time with a hand sander. Start by putting the sander ﬂat against each end of wood and sanding until all of the sharp parts are worn down. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Next run the sander over all of the corners and edges, rounding them out like the original corners of the wood. If you use old wood, this process will take longer and you may have to sand down the ﬂat sides as well as the ends to remove splinters.

Lay the shower curtain ﬂat and cut oﬀ the reinforced top where the curtain rings go. Fold in thirds, and use a Sharpie to mark along the two folds. Spread out again, and apply the duct tape in a straight line along the marks you just made for yourself. Repeat the process in the parallel direction creating the iconic tic-tac-toe board.

I selected about half of the ﬁnished pieces for painting including all of the pieces made from older wood. e spray paint will help seal the older wood and keep it from splintering. e other half of the pieces got the wood sealer treatment. ese will be stored outside and I didn’t want the wood to split and splinter over time. e diﬀering textures also make the game more interesting.

Once the paint and sealer dry, it’s game on!

events calendar

July 20-Aug. 20, 2016

“Into the Woods” Desert Stages Theater brings together the best of classic fairy tales with “Into the Woods.”

WHEN: Through Sunday, Aug. 7, various times

WHERE: Scottsdale Desert Stages Theater, 4720 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale

COST: $18

INFO: 480-483-1664 or desertstages.org

Lone Wolf: Cowboy, Actor and Artist

Come see the new exhibition that highlights the life of artist Hart Schultz. The exhibition will feature a selection of the artist’s paintings, sculptures and illustrated books.

WHEN: Through Wednesday, Aug. 31, various times

WHERE: Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, 3830 N. Marshall Way, Scottsdale

COST: $8 to $13

INFO: 480-686-9539

Permanent Collection/ Impermanent Museum

Visit the museum for the exhibition

that highlights the museum’s history. This exhibition will focus on places where a passerby can see marks and remnants of the museum’s many exhibitions.

WHEN: Through Sunday, Oct. 2, various times

WHERE: Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, 374 E. Second St., Scottsdale

COST: $5 to $7 INFO: 480-874-4666

Allison Gill

Allison Gill was voted the funniest woman in San Diego and now performs regularly at Improv, The Comedy Palace, and Mad House Comedy Club.

WHEN: Friday, July 22, and Saturday, July 23, at 7 p.m.

WHERE: Scottsdale Comedy Spot, 7117 E. Third Ave., Scottsdale

COST: $10 to $12

INFO: 480-945-4422

Brian Chartrand & the Voce Project Enjoy an evening of original songs performed by world-class musicians

BLK Goes ‘Live’ Concert hall adds to restaurant’s vibe

BLK Live is blending three important facets of entertainment—live music, recreation and food—to create a onestop destination for an evening out.

e venue, a 20,000-squarefoot casual restaurant with a fine dining feel, offers a dining room, bar and patio dining, and a pool with custom cabanas, a palapa-covered bar and an adjacent concert hall that accommodates 1,000 guests for live entertainment, wedding receptions or other private events. An official ribbon-cutting opening with the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, July 1.

BLK takes its name from the black Wagyu cattle considered to be the United States’ highest quality beef, featured prominently on the menu. e restaurant’s name also gives a nod to the live music it oﬀers in the dining room, concert hall and poolside on weekends.

e contemporary American menu emphasizes grilled hand-cut

and written by Phoenix’s Brian Chartrand.

WHEN: Friday, July 22, at 8 p.m.

WHERE: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale

COST: $12 to $15

INFO: 480-499-8587 or scottsdaleperformingarts.org

“Moon Over Buffalo”

In this comedic play, two traveling actors get a call from a famous ﬁlm director to star in his new movie, but not everything goes as planned.

WHEN: Friday, July 22, through Sunday, July 24, various times

WHERE: Scottsdale Desert Stages Theater, 4720 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale

COST: $22 to $25

INFO: 480-483-1664 or desertstages.org

Pick Your PoisonA Tribute to Poison

Pick Your Poison will play classics such as “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” and “Nothin’ But A Good Time” to pay homage to Poison.

WHEN: Friday, July 22, to Saturday, July 23, at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Casino Arizona, 524 N. 92nd St., Scottsdale COST: $15

INFO: 480-850-7777 or casinoarizona.com

Robert Cray

Five-time Grammy winning guitarist and singer Robert Cray will perform hits like “Smoking Gun,” “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” and “The Forecast.”

WHEN: Friday, July 22, at 8 p.m.

WHERE: Talking Stick Resort, 9800 Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale

COST: $45 to $140

INFO: 480-850-7777

Fooz FightersA Tribute to The Foo Fighters

This tribute act will honor the Grammy Award-winning band with an accurate representation.

WHEN: Friday, July 29, and Saturday, July 30, at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Casino Arizona, 524 N. 92nd St., Scottsdale

COST: $15

INFO: 480-850-7777 or casinoarizona.com

Sistahs Too

Rochelle Raya and Lila Sherman will present their newest blues songs that feature vocals, harmonica and slide guitar.

WHEN: Friday, July 29, at 8 p.m.

WHERE: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale

COST: $12 to $15

INFO: 480-499-8587 or scottsdaleperformingarts.org

Wagyu (American Kobe) steaks from Snake River Farms, a family-owned business founded in Idaho in 1968.

BLK also serves Akaushi Wagyu beef from Heart Brand, fourth-generation cattle ranchers in Texas who work to maintain and protect the Akaushi breed.

“Our goal is to serve delicious and approachable food with the highest quality ingredients,” said Kevin Johnson, a principal of Skydoor Restaurants, which owns BLK Live. “We are providing Scottsdale residents and visitors the unique combination of a ﬁne dining destination in a relaxed atmosphere with great entertainment. is will be the ﬁrst venue of its kind in the area.”

Executive Chef Daniel Hackett and Sous Chef Michael Casanova created the menu for BLK Live, which is managed by Robert “Cookie” Oliver.

e BLK menu includes an array of appetizers including tuna poke (ahi tuna, wonton chips, wasabi mayo, Sriracha mayo); crispy pork belly

(braised pork belly, smoked peaches, brown sugar bourbon); frog legs (fried, served with a creole aioli) and more.

BLK also serves soup made from scratch daily, and a variety of salads made fresh with chicken, ahi and Kobe steak options. Nearly a dozen burgers and sandwiches are featured, including a barbecue-stuﬀed burger (Sailor Jerry spiced rum barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese and fried onions); blackened chicken sandwich (blackened organic chicken, pepper jack cheese, avocado, red onions, tomatoes, Salanova lettuce and roasted garlic aioli); El Jimador

Burger (El Jimador-marinated patty, tequila guacamole, bacon, pickled jalapenos, carrots, onions and pepper jack cheese); and a Coppola Cabernet Burger (cabernet-marinated patty and grilled tomato), turkey and veggie burgers, among others.

Other entrees at BLK include roasted pork tenderloin, served on cheddar bacon polenta with a red wine cherry reduction, and rack of ribs, slathered with Sailor Jerry spiced rum barbecue sauce, served with jalapeno mac & cheese and French fries).

Locals and visitors can get a reprieve from the Scottsdale heat at BLK Live’s pool, where live entertainment is featured every weekend for the 21 and older crowd, while Fridays have Family Funday with families and kids of all ages welcome from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Kid-friendly menus and music are offered during Friday Family Funday.

BLK Goes ‘Live’

Concert hall adds to restaurant’s vibe

BLK Live is blending three important facets of entertainment—live music, recreation and food—to create a onestop destination for an evening out.

BLK takes its name from the black Wagyu cattle considered to be the United States’ highest quality beef, featured prominently on the menu.

e restaurant’s name also gives a nod to the live music it oﬀers in the dining room, concert hall and poolside on weekends.

e contemporary American menu emphasizes grilled hand-cut

Wagyu (American Kobe) steaks from Snake River Farms, a family-owned business founded in Idaho in 1968.

BLK also serves Akaushi Wagyu beef from Heart Brand, fourth-generation cattle ranchers in Texas who work to maintain and protect the Akaushi breed.

“Our goal is to serve delicious and approachable food with the highest quality ingredients,” said Kevin Johnson, a principal of Skydoor Restaurants, which owns BLK Live.

“We are providing Scottsdale residents and visitors the unique combination of a ﬁne dining destination in a relaxed atmosphere with great entertainment. is will be the ﬁrst venue of its kind in the area.”

Executive Chef Daniel Hackett and Sous Chef Michael Casanova created the menu for BLK Live, which is managed by Robert “Cookie” Oliver.

e BLK menu includes an array of appetizers including tuna poke (ahi tuna, wonton chips, wasabi mayo, Sriracha mayo); crispy pork belly

(braised pork belly, smoked peaches, brown sugar bourbon); frog legs (fried, served with a creole aioli) and more.

What’s Cooking?

By Jan D’Atri

Shrimp burger recipe an award-winning dish

I often feature old recipes; ones that would slowly fade away if not for a new generation of home cooks.

So when I heard about C-CAP, the Careers through Culinary Arts Program in Arizona, and when I tasted an awardwinning recipe for shrimp burger sliders with curry aioli and slaw, I had to share it.

Founded in 1990 by educator/ author Richard Grausman, C-CAP is a nonproﬁt organization that teaches youth about the value of home cooking. C-CAP works with public schools across the country to prepare underserved high school students for opportunities in the

restaurant and hospitality industries. So far, C-CAP has awarded $37 million in scholarships and donated $2.8 million worth of supplies and equipment to classrooms. At C-CAP’s Heavy Metal Culinary Competition, chef mentors like Lee Hillson compete every year to encourage student chefs to reach their full potential. Last year’s winner, Hillson, the Phoenician Resort executive sous chef, repeated his championship with his shrimp burger sliders with curry aioli slaw. ank you, chef, for doing all of the above with your sensational shrimp burger sliders.

Shrimp burger sliders with curry aioli and slaw

For the shrimp burgers

2 lbs. fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped ﬁne

1 clove garlic, minced

I teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped ﬁne

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped ﬁne

1 stalk celery, diced ﬁne

2 scallions, chopped ﬁne

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped ﬁne

1 lemon (zest and Juice)

1 egg

3 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Slider Buns or Pita Pocket Bread

For the curry aioli:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium shallot, chopped ﬁne

1/2 clove garlic, chopped ﬁne

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

Sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil for 1-2 minutes. Stir in curry powder and cook until softened. Cool down and add mayonnaise.

For the slaw:

2 romaine lettuce leaves, sliced thin

6 scallions, grilled and sliced thin

1 mango, peeled, grilled and sliced thin

1 tomato, seeds removed and sliced in thin strips

In a bowl mix together all of the above ingredients for the shrimp burgers. Form into 12 slider patties (or six large burger sized patties).

In a skillet with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, cook patties over a medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.

6 slices cucumber, peeled and sliced in thin strips

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the curry aioli with slaw ingredients until well combined. Place shrimp burger on bun or in pita pocket and spoon slaw over top.

on the town

By Kenneth LaFave

Freshness, authenticity await at Hiro Sushi in Scottsdale

How to get to Japan from Scottsdale: Get on the 101 and take the Pima/90th Street exit. Proceed from there to Hiro Sushi, arguably the ﬁnest and certainly among the most authentic Japanese restaurants in the Valley.

When you enter the tiny, storefront digs (maximum capacity: 42) that have been Hiro Sushi’s home since the 1990s, you see a wall of little framed photographs showing chef/ owner Hirofumi Nakano with a host of Japanese athletes and actors who have made a point of eating his cuisine when they’re in the Valley. It’s common to overhear Japanese conversation among the diners, mixed with English.

While I have never been to Japan, friends who know that country

well have accompanied me to Hiro Sushi over the years, and without exception they proclaim wonder at Hiro’s authenticity. Part of that is the conviviality of the staﬀ and the clientele, who make new friends and reconnect with old ones over nigiri at the busy sushi bar.

On a recent visit, three of us began with chicken katsu as an appetizer ($6.95). e katsu enthusiast among us proclaimed it the best she had ever tasted, the tender white-meat chicken a tasty foil for a katsu sauce of just the right pungency and not too sweet. (“Katsu” was adapted by the West, which added tomato and called it “Katsup”—ketchup.)

We then ordered two rolls that are ubiquitous in the sushi world: e Caterpillar and the Rainbow. e

keys to both are freshness and presentation. e Caterpillar ($13.95) is especially tricky, as the avocado that gives it its greenish glow must be ripe without any hint of brownness, yet able to hold the wormy shape. Ours held ﬁrm, enclosing a feast of broiled eel with cucumber, in a tangy eel sauce.

e Rainbow ($13.95) is always a good way to test a sushi restaurant’s readiness. Consisting of salmon, tuna, shrimp (cooked), whitefish and yellowtail over a simple California roll, it is a panoply of colors and flavors. Each of the ingredients at Hiro were perfect specimens and distinctly flavorful, from the succulent, rich salmon to the meaty red tuna.

cream wrapped in dough) in a wild range of ﬂavors: mango, green tea and red bean among them.

Pieces of nigiri sushi (individual sushi) vary in price. e albacore, the butteriest of all fish, is highly recommended, wither as sushi or sashimi (larger cuts of fish, without rice). For those timid about raw fish, try the smoked salmon sushi.

e meal was accompanied by cold sake, of which Hiro boasts a large selection. Dessert was mochi (ice

Hiro Sushi is small and popular; reservations well in advance (24 hours is best) are recommended for one of its eight tables. Seating at the sushi bar is ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst serve. Even on a weeknight, expect to wait for half an hour or more. It will be worth the wait.

Hiro Sushi 9393 N. 90th St. Scottsdale 85258 480-314-4215 hirosushiaz.com

The Rainbow is salmon, tuna, shrimp (cooked), whiteﬁsh and yellowtail over a simple California roll.

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4 Bed, 2.5 Bath, + Game Room Pool/Spa

2 car garage

3,842 sq. ft.

Beautifully updated single level home in La Cuesta! Tasteful, high-end finishes throughout. SPECTACULAR kitchen updated in 2013 features floor to ceiling custom maple cabinetry, S/S appliances — 2 ovens, slab granite, custom touches. Many other updates in recent years. Dual pane windows, plantation shutters, updated cherry bath vanities / fixtures, tile & 3/4" maple flooring throughout, front courtyard entry, RV gate & security front door. Community tennis courts. Almost 10,000 sf, this lot backs to a wash for privacy!

3 Bed, 2 Bath

Diving Pool/Spa

2 car garage

2,185 sq. ft.

Beautifully updated patio home in Pleasant Run! Spacious, great room ﬂoor plan with split bedrooms, travertine tile & dramatic wood burning ﬁreplace. New in 2015: Custom high end triple doors in Master & Great room with custom window treatments. 2015 roof re-coated with transferable warranty & A/C updated 2010. Kitchen features mission style cabinetry, slab granite with breakfast bar, S/S appliances, large pantry. 2 car garage. Master suite offers 2 closets, double sinks & large walk in shower! Crown molding, tall baseboards, plantation shutters. Heated community pool/spa.

2 Bed, 2 Bath

2 car garage

1,590 sq. ft.