Scottsdale Airpark News - October 2020

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Welcome Home 7180 Optima Kierland offering tours

Advancing Standard of

Care

Dr. Jasgit Sachdev knows not all breast cancers are the same

Picazzo’s

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Fuel Your Passion

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Contents October

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Welcome Home 7180 Optima Kierland offering tours

Advancing Standard of

Care

Dr. Jasgit Sachdev knows not all breast cancers are the same

Picazzo’s

On the cover:

Dr. Jasgit Sachdev, director of the Breast and Gynecological Early Phase Trials Program at HonorHealth Research and Innovative Institute. (Photo by

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Tim Sealy)

14 Taylor Made

Sports help Casey Taylor score in the Scottsdale Airpark

16 Banking on Community

Gainey Business Bank will provide personalized service

20 Advancing Standard of Care

HonorHealth researches drugs that target differences in breast cancer subtypes

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24 Machine vs. Man

Scottsdale doctor performs first robotic knee replacement

26 Bouncing to Success

DreamTeam Academy finds success in reworked business model

28 Making Sense of Medicare

Connie Health helps seniors navigates insurance with technology

2 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

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PUBLISHER Steve T. Strickbine steve@scottsdaleairpark.com VICE PRESIDENT Michael Hiatt mhiatt@timespublications.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Christina Fuoco-Karasinski christina@timespublications.com

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STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Pablo Robles, Tim Sealy

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Alison Bailin Batz, Connor Dziawura, Griffin Fabits, Joan Fudala, Catherine Hathaway, Weiss Kelly, Kamala Kirk, Jacqueline Robledo DESIGNER Veronica Thurman vthurman@timespublications.com AD DESIGN Christy Byerly - cbyerly@timespublications.com ADMINISTRATION Courtney Oldham production@timespublications.com

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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Maryglenn Boals - MgBoals & Associates Beth Brezinski - Underwriter Beth Cochran - Wired Public Relations Steve Cross - Cross Commercial Realty Advisors John Meyer - Airport Property Specialists Kevin Newell - Hymson Goldstein & Pantiliat

30 The Business of Emotion

Admanity helps businesses speak the language of the consumer

32 Luxurious and Sustainable

Condo tower offering private tours of model homes

35 Polo with a Purpose

World-renowned event returns with social distancing and new charities

38 One of a Kind

Picazzo's is allergen and diet conscious without sacrificing flavor

Published monthly since 1981, Scottsdale Airpark News serves the fastest-growing area in Arizona. Scottsdale Airpark News is delivered to businesses in and around the Greater Airpark Area. ©2020 Scottsdale Airpark News.

For calendar and news items, the deadline for submission is the first of the month previous to the month you would like it to run. All submissions are handled on a space-available basis. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, or illustrations will not be returned unless accompanied by properly addressed envelope bearing sufficient postage. Scottsdale Airpark News has made every effort to authenticate all claims and guarantees offered by advertisers in this magazine, however, we cannot assume liability for any products or services advertised herein. The tradename Scottsdale Airpark News is registered. Reproduction of material in Scottsdale Airpark News in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

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Our printer is a certified member of the Forestry Stewardship Council, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and additionally meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards.

44 Maximize Savings

Year-end tax-planning tips to start on now

Scottsdale Airpark News is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader.

For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@ azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegratedmedia.com.

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Business News Remember When Business Horoscopes

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Business Directory Advertiser Index Scottsdale Airpark Map

4 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

Distribution Services Provided By

AHS Publishing, LLC

480.348.0343

AIRPARK BusinessNews

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Robert Faver to lead UMB Bank’s Arizona region Robert Faver is UMB Bank’s new CEO for the Arizona region. He succeeds Jim Patterson, who served as the market leader for 10 years and is retiring after more than 45 years in the banking industry to spend time with family.

Patterson and Faver have been colleagues since 2001, the last 10 years of which have been at UMB. Patterson will assume the role of vice chairman of the Arizona region and serve on the UMB advisory board for the remainder of the year to ensure continuity for the bank’s clients, prospects and community. In his time as the market leader, Patterson was named one of the top three bankers in Arizona for 2020 and the Lifetime Achievement recipient of the Phoenix Business Journal’s 2019 Most Admired Leaders award.

Alkaline88 adds new natural and organic products distributor

Airpark-based Alkaline Water Company Inc. has added Valu Merchandisers Company as a distributor covering Midwest and Southern states.

Also, H-E-B will carry Alkaline88 aluminum bottles in 288 stores across Texas.

“It is exciting to see momentum build around our eco-friendly and truly sustainable aluminum bottles,” says Ricky Wright, president and CEO of the Alkaline Water Company.

“Since its launch earlier this year, we have seen growing consumer demand for the product and see it as a perfect fit in the all-natural and organic channel. With UNFI and KeHE already carrying this line, the addition of VMC as a channel partner further strengthens our position in this category.

VMC is one of the largest providers to more than 3,800 independently owned supermarkets, with a concentrated footprint in the Midwest and Southern markets. Our recent partnerships now give us reach into over 60,000 regional, national and independently owned grocery stores for our eco-friendly aluminum bottles. This positions us firmly to capture growth in the reusable water bottle market segment, which is expected to reach $1.5 billion by 2025.”

According to statista.com, the value of the U.S. reusable water bottle market stood at just over $1 billion in 2018 and will reach roughly $1.5 billion by 2025. By then, the value of each of the material types used to create reusable water bottles (plastic, metal, glass and silicone) is also projected to grow. The plastic reusable water bottle market is set to expand the most, reaching roughly $530 million in 2025.

“I will cherish the time I spent leading this region and am proud of the work we did while serving our Arizona customers and helping them with their banking needs,” Patterson says.

“And while I will miss the company, my colleagues and clients, I can’t think of anyone more qualified to fill my role than Robert. We have worked together for many years, and I am actually responsible for recruiting him to UMB 10 years ago. He is an ambitious and strong leader with a passion for banking, and I look forward to seeing the great work he will accomplish over the years.”

In his new role, Faver will be responsible for all banking, wealth management and retail operations for the region. He has served alongside Patterson for 10 years and has been in the banking industry for more

than 25 years.

“I’m extremely excited about this new career opportunity and for having the privilege to walk in Jim’s footsteps. He has been a great partner, mentor and friend and has grown our business tremendously over the years—something will continue to strive to achieve in this role,” Faver said. “I believe the best is yet to come for UMB and am eager to continue this exponential growth while creating and maintaining relationships with our clients and customers.”

Faver is a third-generation Arizona native and lives in Phoenix with his wife and three children. He serves as a board member for Teach for America and the Phoenix Art Museum. He held previous board positions with Scottsdale Boys and Girls Club and Scottsdale 20/30 Club.

Scottsdale Bar Association hosts CLE program Beth Jo Zeitzer of ROI Properties will present “Understanding the Real Estate Market and Advising Clients, Post-COVID” during the Scottsdale Bar Association’s Tuesday, October 13,

CLE program.

This month’s program is sponsored by Monica Lindstrom Mediation Services.

The program will be presented via Zoom.

Info: scottsdalebar.com …continues on page 6

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AIRPARK BusinessNews

…continued from page 5

Realtors honor Jeff Fields as Good Neighbor Award finalist Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty Agent Jeff Fields has been selected as a top 10 finalist for its 2020 Good Neighbor Award.

The National Association of Realtors Good Neighbor Award is one of the most prestigious real estate awards in the nation that recognizes Realtors who’ve made an extraordinary commitment to improving their communities through volunteer service.

In the coming weeks, five winners will be selected by a multistage, criteria-based judging process. Winners will receive a $10,000 grant and national media exposure for their community charity, including a feature in the November/December issue of Realtor Magazine.

The winners will also be recognized at the virtual Realtors Conference & Expo this November, while five honorable mention selections will receive a $2,500 grant for their respective nonprofit organizations.

“Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, these Realtors have continued to help their neighbors in impactful and inspiring ways,” says NAR President Vince Malta, broker at Malta & Co. Inc. in San Francisco.

“I am so proud to honor this year’s Good

Neighbor Award finalists for their outstanding volunteer work and for exemplifying everything we strive to be as Realtors and as engaged, compassionate members of a community.”

After losing several friends to suicide by the time he was 21, Fields has been committed to saving teens from what he calls “the most preventable death.” Seeking to turn tragedy into hope for other, Fields got involved with Teen Lifelines, a statewide nonprofit that provides life-saving resources to more than 28,000 teens struggling with suicidal thoughts while providing community education and prevention. He has served as board president of Teen Lifeline. Individually, Fields has been a highly successful fundraiser for Teen Lifeline, calling upon the generosity of some of his real estate clients.

“Jeff puts his heart and soul into everything he does, including Teen Lifeline,” says Todd Gillenwater, CEO of Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty. “His enthusiasm, intellect and influence make him a real asset to organizations fortunate enough to have him involved, including Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty. Jeff makes a difference.”

Bavan Holloway joins board of TPI Composites Inc.

Bavan Holloway joined TPI Composites’ board of directors and the board’s audit committee. She brings more than 30 years of broad finance and audit experience in complex and highly regulated global business environments.

“We are excited to have Bavan join our board,” says Steven Lockard, TPI’s board chairman. “We will greatly benefit from Bavan’s deep audit and global finance experience to help support our strategy of diversified, profitable global growth.”

From August 2010 to April 2020, Holloway served as vice president of corporate audit for The Boeing Company. Holloway also served in various senior finance roles for Boeing from May 2002 to August 2010. Prior to joining Boeing, Holloway worked for KPMG LLP as a partner and in other roles primarily serving investment services, broker dealer and financial clients. Holloway earned a Bachelor of Science degree in administration from the University of Tulsa and a Master of Science degree in financial markets and trading from the Illinois Institute of Technology. …continues on page 8

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AIRPARK BusinessNews …continued from page 6

Chris Smith Investments transitions to Wilde Wealth Management Group

Chris Smith Investments, at 112 W. Main Street in Payson, has formally merged with the Scottsdale Airpark’s Wilde Wealth Management Group, an award-winning independent financial services firm that provides comprehensive retirement, investment, real estate, insurance, legal and tax planning services. Through the merger, Chris Smith Investments will change its name to Wilde Wealth Management Group.

“This name change comes after several years of partnership between our firms.

Like us, they are proudly Arizona owned and operated,” says Chris Smith, who founded Chris Smith Investments in 2004 after working in the industry in the region since 1992.

“I initially met Trevor Wilde in 2005, and in 2015 we formally affiliated with them to add depth to our bench and expand on service offerings for our clients. Changing the name makes sense to better reflect our affiliation both externally and internally.”

Smith, along with all other members of the Payson team, will remain in their same roles, and there will be no interruption of service to any clients in the area. Michael W. Obenauf, an independent investment adviser representative with Wilde Wealth Management Group, has moved to Payson to assist Smith as the firm continues to grow. In his role, Obenauf will focus on wealth management, retirement income planning and asset protection planning while continuing to provide exceptional service to all clients.

“Michael is a coach at heart, actually coaching youth hockey in his spare time, in fact. His approach to client service is to educate versus dictate, talking to each client versus at them. That, combined with belief in the importance of tailoring investment strategies and actuarial science to effectively

Trevor Wilde and Michael Obenauf outside their Payson office, which formally changed to Wilde Wealth Management on September 8. (Photo courtesy Wilde Wealth Management)

accomplish unique financial planning needs, makes him a perfect fit for our Payson team,” says Trevor Wilde, MBA, AIF, the managing director of Wilde Wealth Management. “An avid outdoorsman already in love with the area, he jumped at the chance to make this move.”

Obenauf earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of WisconsinMilwaukee. Community minded, Obenauf is a member of the Scottsdale Active 20-30 Club. Once established in Payson, he looks forward to similar community engagement and volunteerism opportunities.

In addition to Obenauf, the team will continue to work closely with Trevor Wilde, who was recently named to Barron’s annual list of top 1,200 advisers nationwide and No. 1 overall in Arizona. This is Wilde’s 12th consecutive year being honored and highest ranking to date.

According to Airpark resident Wilde,

Caliber earns Inc. 5000 award for seventh consecutive year Caliber: The Wealth Development company made the Inc. 5000 list of fastestgrowing private companies in America for the seventh straight year.

It’s an honor marked by three years of steady earnings growth of 19.5%. Caliber enters the rarified space of elite companies that have been honored six or more times, like Microsoft, Timberland, Vizio, Intuit, Chobani, Oracle and Zappos.com. Of the

nearly 80,000 companies ranked since the program’s inception in 1982, only 8/10ths of 1% have made the list seven times.

The 2020 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2016 through 2019. Caliber has experienced steady revenue growth the past three years: $77 million in 2019, $70 million in 2018 and $64.4 million in 2017.

Overall, Caliber ranked 4,881.

8 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

who founded Wilde Wealth Management Group with his father, Bill, in 2003, the mission for the Payson team as well as the rest of its offices across Arizona and Indiana is two-fold: to offer boutique, customized investment planning advice and to offer clients expanded in-house service offerings from fellow independent specialists in the fields of legal, taxes, risk management, family services, real estate and insurance.

“Together, the team is able to not only take all the pieces of a client’s financial puzzle and organize them, but use them to build a solid foundation that will serve not just the client but his/her family for generations to come,” says Wilde, who in 2018 was honored as among the Most Admired Leaders in Arizona by the Phoenix Business Journal and has been among the top 15 advisers out of more than 1,200 Cetera Advisors annually since 2012.

Info: wildewealth.com

Career Connectors hosts virtual events

The nonprofit Career Connectors helps those in career transition find high-quality resources and hiring companies. It hosts virtual events twice a month—9 to 11 a.m.

October 7 and October 21—to discuss where to look for job opportunities, how to articulate your value and how to network online and in person.

Info: 480-442-5806, careerconnectors.org

Mercedes-Benz selects Matthew’s Crossing for charity initiative

Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale donated $5,000 to Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank in September, as part of its D.R.I.V.E. Initiative.

The Scottsdale dealership reintroduced D.R.I.V.E, which stands for Donations for Recovery & Investment that are Very Essential, as a way to help Valley charities recover following the pandemic. Many have been decimated following the economic downturn combined with critical fundraising canceled in the spring and fall.

The year-long campaign kicked off in June of this year, focusing on supporting and highlighting local causes. The initiative is a continuation of Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale’s commitment to supporting organizations that improve communities. The campaign’s initial $5,000 donation was presented to Fresh Start due to a rise in domestic violence that has been a tragic result of the pandemic. The second donation was given to Arizona’s Children Association because of the nonprofit’s focus on helping with pandemic-specific issues for highly vulnerable children.

In September, Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale says it selected Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank because of the organization’s mission to provide food and other necessities to unite the community and the fight against hunger.

Executive Director Jan Terhune says, “We are navigating the 2020 and 2021 ‘back-to-school’ landscape and ramping up our Meals to Grow student hunger relief programs.

Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale’s very generous gift will help with the distribution of over 10,000 backpack meals to area students ages 4 to 21.”

In the past, Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale has supported such causes as the Arizona Children’s Association, JonesGordon School (which helps twice-exceptional students), Scottsdale Fire Fighter’s Association, Homeward Bound, Arizona Science Center, HopeKids, Health Network Foundation, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Mayo Clinic and Valley View Leadership.

A fourth charity will be announced in the coming weeks, with a $5,000 check to follow. The dealership also welcomes suggestions for future donations from readers, customers and others that are consistent with the efforts of the yearlong initiative.

Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale is located 4725 N. Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale.

Info: mbscottsdale.com, 480-409-0409

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AIRPARK BusinessNews …continued from page 9

Signature Office Suites building sells for $6.85M

The Signature Office Suites building, located at 8585 E. Hartford Drive in Scottsdale, has been sold to a private investor for $6.85 million.

The Class A, two-story office building features self-contained office suites that were 96% occupied at the time of sale.

Saffield Family LLC purchased the property from Signature Suites SPT LLC (San Pasqual Fiduciary Trust Company) in a 1031 Exchange transaction. Greg Hopley, Jim Keeley and Dillon Hopley of Colliers International in Arizona represented the seller in the disposition. Steven Barger with CRE Property Advisors represented the buyer.

“This Class A office building received two different awards for its high-quality design,” says Hopley, senior executive vice president with Colliers.

“The suites feature spectacular desert and mountain views visible through full height glass lines. The property layout also offers a desert oasis courtyard with water features and benches that provide tenants with a very unique indoor and outdoor work environment. Plus, the overall demographics are some of the best in the entire Valley.”

Built in 2000, the building contains approximately 27,797 rentable square feet of

The Signature Office Suites building, located at 8585 E. Hartford Drive in Scottsdale, is a two-story building with self-contained office suites that were 96% occupied at the time of sale. (Photo courtesy The Rodie Company)

office space. Situated on 2.13 acres of land just west of the Loop 101 near Bell Road, the property is a short walking distance from the TPC Scottsdale Champions Course and Scottsdale Sports Complex, and the renowned Princess Hyatt Resort. The interior was remodeled between 2017 and 2019 and

now features break rooms with granitetopped entertainment bar and hardwood cabinets.

Modernized LED lighting, wood blinds, 11-foot ceilings and updated private restrooms provide tenants with high-end office space amenities.

Einstein Bros. Bagels launches gluten-free Eggels

Einstein Bros. Bagels knows there isn’t a gluten-free bagel that can compete with the taste of fresh-baked bagels. So, the brand created Sous Vide Eggels to meet the needs of its gluten-free friends.

These flavor-packed eggs, shaped like bagels, come in three meat and cheese Eggel and veggie egg white Eggel.

“Using the sous vide method to cook the Eggels keeps the eggs light and fluffy,” says Chef Chad Thompson, head of culinary innovation at Einstein Bros. Bagels. “The new Eggels may be gluten free, but they are just as satisfying as a fresh-baked bagel.”

Eggels are offered at participating Einstein Bros. Bagels locations across the country, excluding airport, hotels and university locations. Those looking for the most-convenient way to get their Eggels can order through the Einstein Bros. Bagels app for to-go or curbside pickup; download at the App Store or Google Play.

Einstein Bros. Bagels is located at 10250 N. 90th Street, Scottsdale.

Info: einsteinbros.com

10 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

Einstein Bros. Bagels created Sous Vide Eggels to meet the needs of its gluten-free friends. (Photo courtesy Einstein Bros. Bagels)

…continues on page 12

With Covid Precautions Staff wearing masks Cleaning & sanitation throughout the day Contactless check-in available Sanitizer available throughout the park Parties receive extra rooms free of charge Ball pit balls changed out multiple times during the day

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AIRPARK BusinessNews …continued from page 10

Mary Ann Luciano named ‘One Plexus’ award recipient Mary Ann Luciano was recognized as a 2020 One Plexus Award winner for making a difference at Plexus Worldwide and through her community outreach. This award honors recipients who take extraordinary measures to support peers, give back to their local

Mary Ann Luciano was recently honored as a 2020 One Plexus Award winner. (Photo courtesy Plexus Worldwide)

community and empower others to make the world a better place. In her role, Luciano guides the company’s philanthropic initiatives across the world.

“Mary Ann has been with Plexus Worldwide for more than five years and has brought many new initiatives to the company as head of our philanthropy department,”

says Tarl Robinson, founder and CEO of Plexus Worldwide.

“We created the One Plexus Award as a special honor to recognize ambassadors and employees each year who embody the attributes of One Plexus, which Mary Ann certainly does.”

Recipients of the One Plexus Award share three attributes—belief, partnership and action. These attributes embody the Plexus culture that encourage ambassadors, also known as independent sales representatives, to better themselves, their teams and their communities.

“I’ve spent my entire career helping others from a business and community perspective,” Luciano says. “During my time at Plexus Worldwide, I worked on initiatives throughout the nation and specifically in Arizona to help others and enhance the organization’s culture.”

Luciano has extensive experience leading talent management and leadership development initiatives targeted to corporate leaders, sales organizations and field operations with expertise identifying opportunities for organizational improvement.

In her time at Plexus Worldwide, Luciano introduced many initiatives to help Valley nonprofits on over two dozen campaigns, with hundreds more hours donated by employees in their headquarters here in the United States, Canada and Australia. With her help, Plexus Worldwide donated $500,000 in cash and in-kind donations to more than a dozen nonprofits, including Cancer Support Community Arizona, The Salvation Army and Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

Olga Istomina is with the Scottsdale at 101 office of Coldwell Banker Realty. (Photo courtesy Coldwell Banker Realty)

Olga Istomina joins Coldwell Banker Realty

Olga Istomina has associated with the Scottsdale at 101 office of Coldwell Banker Realty as an affiliate agent.

“I love helping people, especially with something as rewarding as finding their dream home,” Istomina says. “I decided to affiliate with Coldwell Banker because of its great education programs, resources and long-standing reputation of excellence in the industry.”

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Arizona operates 22 offices with approximately 1,465 independent agents throughout Arizona. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is part of NRT LLC, the nation’s largest residential real estate brokerage company.

Info: coldwellbankerhomes.com

Thunderbird Field gives scholarship to Cochise student Airpark-based Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial Inc. awarded an aviation scholarship to Michael Barragan, a Chochise College student pursuing an associate of professional pilot technology degree.

TB2 is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving the history of aviation in Scottsdale, honoring all military veterans and creating unique educational opportunities for Arizona students studying all aspects of aviation.

Barragan served in the U.S. Air Force after high school and earned the rank of senior airman E-4 and crew chief for the A-10 Thunderbolt (aka Warthog).

His last active-duty station assignment was at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. He has a strong interest in becoming an A-10 pilot and eventually becoming a commercial airline pilot.

Along with a full class load and carrying a high GPA, he continues to serve the Air Force in the active Reserve.

“Michael is the first Cochise College recipient of the TB2 Aviation Scholarship,” says Steve Ziomek, chairman and president of TB2. “Michael's dedication to his studies, aviation and the USAF exemplifies his worthiness of this prestigious honor.”

Info: tbird2.org

12 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

Meet Your Neighbors event goes virtual

Meet Your Neighbors is a live, educational and networking event sponsored by AZ Perfect Comfort and hosted by Be a Legend: Hunt or Be Hunted’s Lara Jones.

This month’s program is Jones’ “Part Two: How to Market in Uncertain Times.”

Attendees can learn how they create certainty by investing in digital marketing rather than waiting for success to happen.

The event is noon to 1 p.m. Friday, October 30. Members are $20, nonmembers are $30.

Registration: https://bit.ly/32tEaN3 

MEET YourAirparkNeighbor

Taylor Made Sports helped Casey Taylor score in the Scottsdale Airpark

By Alison Bailin Batz

A

irpark resident and business owner Casey Taylor believes in sweat equity.

Growing up, however, he was mostly just about the sweat part—so much sweating.

“I was born and raised in Tucson, where sports were my life, no matter how hot it got outside,” says Taylor, who excelled at football and soccer once he entered high school.

While at Sabino High School in the late 1980s and early 1990s, in fact, his football team went from a two-win season to earning the state championship in 1990.

Casey Taylor stays busy in his Scottsdale “Playing on that team—as well as for the office. (Photo courtesy soccer team—showed me the importance of Casey Taylor) teamwork, but also the importance of leadership and putting in real dedication over time toward “Both of my parents worked in various tangible results,” Taylor says. business roles, so I decided to major in business In the late 1980s, the school brought on Jeff administration and management, graduating in Scurran as its football coach, who set into motion 1996,” says Taylor, who stayed in Scottsdale after one of the most impressive transformation in school instead of returning to Tucson. the history of Arizona high school sports. He Over the next several years, he would begin converted the school’s auto repair garage into a career in banking, eventually leading the a 10,000-square-foot strength and conditioning Scottsdale branch of his bank to among the facility and began instilling in his players a sense Casey Taylor’s early life revolved around top in the country. He also began investing in of purpose, respect for one another and mental footballs and soccer balls, and that helped real estate, including rental homes, which led shape him into who he is today. toughness. him down a path to consider getting into the “He wasn’t just committed to winning, but (Photo courtesy Casey Taylor) industry. committed to us and our futures,” Taylor says.

“But first, I decided after that the time was right to invest in Casey would graduate in 1991 and enrolled at ASU with eyes toward becoming an attorney while continuing to play college club myself and my education, beginning my MBA studies in 2000 while sports. There was just one problem: The sweat equity he put into still working full time,” Taylor says. “I saw education as a means to preparing for the career before the first day of class soured his taste for it. transition into mortgage and real estate, but in a methodical, researched “I decided to get a head start on understanding what it took to and well-planned manner.”

By late 2002, Taylor began working more on the mortgage side of work in law, so just before college I interned for a law office,” says the banking as part of his transitional plan while still working toward his enterprising Taylor. “Unfortunately, I hated it.”

At 18, he was already at a crossroads in his life. Should he push MBA. And, again because of his passion for that sweat equity, he also decided make time to seek a better understanding of his Scottsdale forward and study law as was the plan, or pivot to something else?

14 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

With a mask and social distancing, Casey Taylor is back in the office and helping people navigate real estate amid COVID-19.

(Photo courtesy Casey Taylor)

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D I VO RC E community, applying and earning acceptance into Scottsdale Leadership Class 16.

“The mission of Scottsdale Leadership is to inform, inspire and empower leaders to champion and strengthen the interests of the community,” Taylor says. “Through its eight-month core program, Scottsdale Leadership addresses many relevant, timely and comprehensive issues as it relates to the city and surrounding community. They create informed leaders.”

Though his sleep was little during those days, the rewards reaped from both the MBA and Scottsdale Leadership programs were big. They helped inspired him to his biggest move yet.

“In 2005, I made the move to start my own mortgage business, Mortgage Consultants Network,” Taylor says.

He still runs the business along with Taylor Elite Group, founded in 2015.

Taylor Elite Group’s primary focus is educating and empowering buyers and sellers on their rights, their options and the best decisions for them and their families when it comes to real estate, one of the biggest investments in anyone’s life.

“It’s funny that all that sweat on the football and soccer fields—and all of my mentors through sports—led to me being diligent about the sweat equity I put into anything,” Taylor says.

“And it’s even funnier that it all led me to a job dealing with actual equity, as in the real estate kind.”

Not one to slow down, Casey not only pours time into his businesses and the Scottsdale Association of Realtors, but also to his family, including wife Michele and endlessly energetic teenage children Ella and Keston. He is also still breaking a sweat outdoors, though he traded his cleats for a mountain bike many years ago.

He participates in endurance mountain bike races these days, both semi-competitively and to raise funds for charity, including the John Wayne Cancer Foundation.

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AIRPARK Buzz

Banking on

Community Gainey Business Bank will provide personalized service

F

By Kamala Kirk or years, community banks have been on the decline, which has made it more difficult for startups and smaller businesses to gain access to capital. Currently, there are only four community banks in the metro Phoenix area—a huge decrease from the 32 banks that existed in 2008.

Gainey Business Bank, which is slated to open in late 2020 or the first quarter of 2021, plans to change all of that. The new community bank will be headquartered in Gainey Ranch and will focus on fulfilling the financial needs of small and medium-sized businesses, including commercial real estate relationships.

“The No. 1 reason why I joined Gainey Business Bank is the quality of their management team,” says president and CEO Joe Stewart.

“My strength is creating and building on customer relationships.

Approximately 97% of the businesses in our local market are smaller, so we see a great opportunity to serve an unmet need. It’s tougher for the bigger banks to tailor responses for all their clients, whereas we’re going to be working with the smaller companies on an individual basis and provide a much-needed home for them.”

Stewart has more than 35 years of banking experience in the Phoenix market and spent 28 years with JPMorgan Chase and its predecessor organizations, serving as chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase Arizona for seven years. In his role, Stewart will focus on driving the development and growth of Gainey Business Bank while enhancing shareholder returns. He will also build a culture of prudent lending decisions with superior customer service.

Working alongside Stewart is another financial industry veteran, Jim Unruh, who is the company’s chairman. Unruh, who is also the founding principal of Alerion Capital Group, previously served as chairman and CEO of a Fortune 500 company and sat on the boards of CenturyLink, Prudential Financial and Tenet Healthcare.

“As a result of the Great Recession, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which is the primary regulator of community banks, became very restrictive when it came to approving new bank applications,” says Unruh. “They subsequently have realized how important community banks are to the growth of our economy, because the smaller and medium-size businesses drive our economic development.”

One thing that will set Gainey Business Bank apart from other institutions is the high level of personalized service it will provide.

Their responsive staff will cater to the needs of customers, which will include local businesses, entrepreneurs, nonprofits and individuals who demand a more customized and personal approach.

“Through my experience working with larger companies, I saw an absence in the kind of relationships that smaller companies need for their growth,” Unruh says.

16 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

Gainey Business Bank’s chairman is James Unruh, who is also the founding principal of Alerion Capital Group. (Photo courtesy Gainey Business Bank)

“We will have close relationships with our customers so we can tailor the way our products are structured for their best use. We’re also going to be faster in action so they can get a decision in a day or two, and we’ll offer better flexibility in how we address customer needs and work with them.”

Gainey Business Bank will offer many of the mainstream services offered by traditional banks, including providing working capital, standard term loans, cash management and more. As a result of COVID19, many larger institutions have been distracted with other concerns, causing smaller business clients to become increasingly dissatisfied with their existing banks.

“A lot more businesses need help right now,” Stewart says. “Because we have an intimate knowledge of how small businesses work, our ability to step in and help customers is more important now than ever.”

Unruh adds, “Business owners want more than just the ability to borrow money. They’re looking for advice and counsel as well. We plan to do everything we can to address those needs.”

Hispanic business enterprises are a key target market for Gainey Business Bank. This group is a rapidly growing market segment, particularly in the Valley. Gainey Business Bank also has a diverse team of successful business leaders that make up its advisory board, where a variety of genders and ethnicities are represented.

Also committed to supporting the philanthropic needs of the community, Gainey Business Bank looks forward to working on causes that will improve the quality of life within Scottsdale.

“We want to be an asset to Scottsdale and provide support in any way that we can,” Stewart says. “We want people to feel good about banking with us. The purpose of Gainey Business Bank is to support a community of businesses and individuals, and if you build a strong enough bank, you can do that.”

Adds Unruh, “We have a strong passion for building a bank that can make a difference in helping people realize their dreams of building successful businesses. It’s an opportunity to not only provide a good investment for shareholders but to make a difference in the development of our community.” 

Gainey Business Bank gaineybusinessbancorp.com

Frankly Speaking

pcgagents.com/2025Missouri

REAL ESTATE PANDEMIC CAUSE AND EFFECT

Market Dynamic For Q4 2020 David M. Brown Canadians may not be coming to the Valley for a while, but Californians are coming on strong.

The Maricopa County luxury market was red hot in a red-hot summer, despite COVID-19 and in some ways because of it.

Buyers are from out West and from back East and even in town.

They want bigger homes with new spaces inside and they want homes with more space outside: residential social distancing. They even want more pets. What’s more, they bought in the hottest summer ever recorded in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. Only Death Valley made the Valley of the Sun look cool.

“In a nutshell, everybody’s staying home, and everybody’s buying a home,” says Frank Aazami, Brand Ambassador, principal of the Private Client Group at Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty, Scottsdale.

“The first thing we’ve noticed is that no one has said, ‘Let’s take our home off the market. Instead, this summer we’ve thrown seasonality conversations out of the window –– despite how hot it was and the pandemic.”

Aazami and his 17-member Private Client Group have been telling their seller clients, “If you don’t list now, the next market may be a different cycle when the forbearance program is lifted.”

This has been a good market: Real estate licensees have increased worldwide. In Maricopa County, that total was 87,983 for fiscal year 2019; that increased to 88,616 in fiscal year 2020, based on Arizona Department of Real Estate numbers.

“People are selling their luxury homes here,” Aazami says.

“Demand is at a record high.”

A State of Movement, a Statement on Space

The top five states for in-migration to Maricopa County, and a recent monthly tally: California, 4,762; Washington, 1,722; Colorado, 1,292; Illinois, 1,167; and Minnesota, 774 (U.S. Census Bureau). “People still want to come here,” he says. “We have the combination of great weather, jobs and the lifestyle advantages.”

With the Canadian border closed at least until September 21 and the cost of the Canadian dollar low against the American, the regular inter-country trek to the Valley may be cancelled for a while, Aazami explains.

Not so California, which continues to send many buyers of luxury homes across the state border: “They’re tired of politics and policies, taxes and the price of real estate –– and now the pandemic,” says Aazami. “They want privacy and space and they find it here at prices unheard of there.”

pcgagents.com/2025Missouri

And Easterners, many of them snowbirds, are thinking: theaters, closed; restaurants, restricted or closed; sports, playing to cheerless empty seats. They ask: Is that a future, especially now that we have obtained some success in our lives? “And, the high cost of living relative to the Valley is difficult to justify and high-rise living is getting lower and lower on their enjoyment scale,” Aazami says. “They also want the elbow room that we offer abundantly here.”

Valley homeowners buying luxury properties have shifted their home-size goals as well. Pre-COVID-19, they wanted downsizers, less than 5,000 square feet; now they want 6,000 square feet and above, whether the children have fledged or not.

Give me space: I can empty nest with more branches around me. “People are saying they cannot spend time in smaller spaces; they feel locked in,” he says.

Because of this, Arizona communities that are particularly strong for luxury sales offer large parcels and open space: Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Gold Canyon, Tucson and Flagstaff. “There’s a shortage of inventory, which is good for pcgagents.com/2025Missouri

sellers, and people are acquiring them to live in, not just for seasonal stays,” Aazami says, noting that his group is also seeing more demand for hillside and multi-acre parcels. “People want space and are buying space.”

Many people are working at home now. Cromford® Associates cites a recent MIT report, documenting that 34.1 percent of pandemic-affected U.S. workers had switched to telecommuting from home beginning in April. Another 14.6 percent told the researchers they were already doing this prior, making 48.7 percent of the workforce home based.

“Employers see how much they can save on high rents, especially in high-dollar spaces with high taxes and parking issues,” Aazami explains. He notes that this may also affect the commercial market, reducing office leases and the footprint size desired.

Add the costs of travel to work, personal safety and insurance.

“Business owners are finding that they can be more productive working from home, they’ve had less to none HR-related complaints and their people are liking the arrangement, too,” he says. Many have noticed the impact on traffic and air quality nationwide.

As a result, COVID-19 buyers are asking him for bigger spaces to accommodate two split offices, multiple zoom walls are most popular. They want an exercise room to stay fit in place. And outdoors, they’re listing fenced larger yards with multiple patios.

A guest or pool home is popular, as older parents will be staying with their children; many millennial and Z-gen children will also be remaining in nest longer before breaking away. Larger garages are also requested, including an RV garage so travel can also be socially distanced. Buyers have even asked for in-ground trampolines and sport courts.

pcgagents.com/2025Missouri

These changes relate to quality of life as much as to pandemic effects. Aazami says, “They can spend more time with their families, they can balance work/play and even adopt more dogs for companionship.”

Figuring Out the New Market

Aazami notes that Maricopa County broke the mark for average price sold this August, posting $358,279, according to Cromford Associates –– an all-time high. Compare this to the very strong $339,029 for August 2007, just at the verge of the Great Recession, and $157,140, as that bottomed out in October 2011.

Moreover, the number of homes under contract in Maricopa County is up 20 percent year over year for all categories: 13,471 for August 2020 against 10,700 for August 2019, again says Cromford Associates.

“All the factors are there supporting this,” Aazami explains.

“Demand for homes exceeds supply; interest rates are low; there’s a housing shortage with public reports up countywide for new housing developments from fiscal year 2019 to fiscal year 2020; we have that high relocation figure; and home priorities have shifted for locals.”

In June 2020, 1,200 homes exceeding $500,000 sold in Maricopa County; in July 2020, that rose to 1,800 sales of $500,000 plus. In August, the county’s total sales volume was $4 billion; compare that to the previous high in 2008, pre-recession, $3.2 billion for the month, according to Cromford Associates.

“Attribute this, too, to a rise in demand and a decline in inventory,” Aazami says. “The fed printed too much money, and this caused hard assets, like brick and mortar, gold and other precious metals to rise in value. It’s unprecedented.”

Another figure: The average year-over-year appreciation rate, August 2019 to August 2020, is 15.2 percent across all areas and types of homes in the county based on the August Cromford Report Daily Observation developed from Arizona Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS) figures, says Mike Balzotti, M.Ed., at RLSIR. Regarding appreciation, the Daily Observation adds, “Prices are now beginning the powerful surge upward that was predicted when the Cromford Market Index started to rocket skywards in June.”

Breaking down market dynamics further, the Daily Observation suggests: “The age of the home is crucially important because a home that is updated and modern is going to sell for a whole lot more than one that is tired and outdated. This is why fix and flip works, even when the size of the home is unchanged.”

And a final. For Scottsdale, the monthly average sales price (different from appreciation) is showing a 25-percent yearover-year increase. Balzotti: “That’s rather stunning.”

Contact Frank Aazami for a consultation, 480.266.0240, text “SIRFAAZAMI” to 87778 or email frank@PCGagents.com PCGagents.com.

Brown is a Valley-based writer (azwriter.com).

Frank Aazami, Global Advisor

480-266-0240 | frank@pcgAgents.com | PrivateClientGroupAgents.com | 844-PCG-8080

Dr. Jasgit Sachdev is the director of the Breast and Gynecological Early Phase Trials Program at HonorHealth Research and Innovative Institute.

(Photos by Tim Sealy)

20 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

Advancing Standard of HonorHealth researches drugs that target differences in breast cancer subtypes

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski ot all breast cancers are the same. The team at HonorHealth Research and Innovation Institute leverage their knowledge of biologic differences in the different types of breast cancer to develop new drugs that precisely target the subtypes of this disease.

“My focus at the institute is developing new medications for women with advanced cancers in order to allow my patients access to these novel cutting-edge treatments here in their community,” says Dr. Jasgit Sachdev, director of Breast and Gynecological Early Phase Trials Program.

“Oftentimes, we are the first ones in the world evaluating a potentially promising new cancer medication.”

At the institute, Sachdev and her team study the safety of these medications, and the best doses and schedules with which to move forward. The hope is that someday these drugs may be approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a new cancer medication and help thousands of patients.

“The last few months, we have been looking at several different aspects of the body’s immune response to cancer and how we can leverage that to improve the effectiveness of our standard chemotherapies and radiation treatments," she says.

"We’re looking for new targets on the

Care

immune cells of an individual and how those targets can be utilized for providing long-lasting responses for our patients with breast cancer.”

Sachdev and her team and are actively engaged in clinical trials for estrogen positive, triple negative and HER2+ breast cancers.

“In the last few years, the prognosis for all of these subtypes of cancers has continued to improve with new medications getting approved almost every year," she says.

“This year, for example, we’ve had three different cancer medications that were approved for advanced HER2+ breast cancer, including for those patients in whom the cancer has spread to the brain. If you look at average survival for patients with stage IV HER2+ breast cancer 20 years ago, it was six months or less. Now, women with stage IV HER2+ breast cancer are living five years or longer. That’s a game changer. These kind of advances in treatment are only made possible through the courage and altruism of hundreds of patients who participate in these early clinical trials offering hope to many others who come after them.”

The survival rates and the quality of life of patients with all stages of breast cancer are continuing to improve, thanks to new medications researched at HonorHealth Research and Innovation Institute.

Recently, Sachdev’s team incorporated immunotherapy medications into the treatment of triple negative breast cancer.

“Immunotherapy refers to medicines that help your body’s immune system recognize where the cancer cells are lurking within the body and reeducate the immune system to go and eliminate them,” she says.

“For triple negative breast cancer, the only standard treatment options used to be chemotherapy, but chemotherapy does not always

work very well for this subtype of breast cancer, especially if it recurs after treatment.

The survival for women with advanced, stage IV triple negative breast cancer is typically a year to a year and a half at most. We now know that there is a proportion of triple negative breast cancers that tend to respond well to these immunotherapy drugs. Researchers are now combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy together to hit aggressive cancers with a one-two punch.

“The goal is to allow patients with stage IV cancers to live longer,” Sachdev adds.

“Eventually, someday, they won’t have to remain on chemotherapy forever. Maybe we can start off by damaging the cancer cells with chemotherapy and then the immune cells of the body can have that memory of what bad cancer cells look like and can fight them off every time they try to resurge.”

In the next few months, Sachdev and her team will look at other forms of new immunotherapy drugs, including trials where they can inject immune stimulants directly into the cancer mass. That will cause local inflammation in that tumor, and that trigger will bring the immune cells toward the inflamed area to get rid of the tumor.

“That’s an innovative approach we’re excited about. Stimulating a local immune response in the injected tumor, we hope, in turn will stimulate an overall immune attack on the tumors all over the body, even the ones that are far away from the injected tumor,” Sachdev says.

About 80% of breast cancers are estrogen positive or hormone receptor positive.

Approximately 30% to 40% of patients who are diagnosed with early stage breast cancer can have a relapse despite surgery and other treatment including chemotherapy, radiation and estrogen-blocking treatments.

OCTOBER 2020 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS /

21

“I really liked his approach of treating each patient individually and tailoring a treatment decision with the patient’s active participation, carefully weighing the benefit and risks of each treatment option,” she says.

“Being a woman, myself, I find myself relating a lot more to my patients. When I was in training to be an oncologist, I had my first child. I would see young women having to make difficult decisions about the impact of chemotherapy on their future likelihood of being able to carry a pregnancy and have children. I would help them navigate through these tough decisions. I could see firsthand the tremendous emotional side effect of our treatments on these young women with breast cancer. That spurred an interest in trying to understand why some women were more susceptible to developing breast cancer at a young age. In the last five to 10 years, genetic risk for breast cancer has been studied more extensively.

“I think we’re still at the tip of the iceberg, but we’re recognizing that clusters of breast cancers and other cancers in certain families could be related to genes that patients inherit. We used to think of those as just being related to those with mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are the most-common genes that cause hereditary breast cancer. Now we know there are many more genes that could be responsible in combination with lifestyle and environmental risk factors.”

Sachdev says there are now treatment options that are geared specifically toward women with hereditary breast cancer. These targeted medications, called PARP Dr. Jasgit Sachdev's focus at inhibitors, have been approved in the last three to four the HonorHealth Research and Innovative Institute is years and work very well in those who have inherited to develop new medications a BRCA mutation. They exploit the vulnerability of for women with advanced these mutated cancer cells and take away their survival cancers and to allow them access to cutting-edge strategy, causing damage to the cancer cell DNA. treatments.

“PARP inhibitors have made a huge impact in improving longevity for these patients,” Sachdev says.

“They’re not chemotherapy. These drugs are pills that patients can take at home with very manageable side “Our goal is to continue to improve our treatment strategies to reduce the proportion of patients who suffer a recurrence despite the best effects—no hair loss, no nausea, no vomiting. So, a lot of times, patients standard treatment. For patients who do have recurrence of their cancer, come in and comment, ‘If I didn’t tell anybody, nobody would know our goal is to make our treatments more tolerable in order to allow I have breast cancer.’ That’s extraordinary, in my opinion.

“The important message here is patients still have a good quality them to live long despite their disease and have a good quality of life.”

Her goal is to move away from chemotherapy that can be life of life. They can spend quality time doing things that they like. At the altering for patients. So, she’s looking at new medications that can same time, these medicines are prolonging their life. That’s because help to continue to delay the need for chemotherapy for these patients. we continue to learn about the biology of all these different subtypes “We want them to stay on effective yet more tolerable treatments, of breast cancers that historically were thought of as one disease with like oral medications that target protein signaling in patients whose one treatment approach. We’re learning to differentiate them through tumors have become resistant to estrogen-blocking pills. These our biologic experiments that provide a platform to develop new medications are different than chemotherapy because patients can take treatment options.

“An important new protocol at HonorHealth Research and them at home without the need for infusions, without losing their hair and without having nausea and other side effects of chemotherapy,” Innovation Institute involves collecting tumor cells from the patient by a biopsy and then growing them in the laboratory to mimic how Sachdev says.

“In doing so, we’re effectively treating their breast cancer. Patients they grow inside the body (called an organoid system). This approach are living longer and feel like they’re living a very normal life by allows us to directly visualize the growth of cancer cells and use not having to go through harsh side effects of chemotherapy. We different treatment approaches to block this growth and disrupt their have ongoing trials that are continuing to explore new targeted oral support system. We are hopeful this will lead to identification of new targets and ways to intercept those targets and cancer pathways.” medication options for these patients.”

Her mission

Sachdev focused on breast cancer, inspired by her mentor, who was a breast cancer specialist.

22 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

Dr. Jasgit Sachdev at HonorHealth Research and Innovation Institute can be reached by contacting the Oncology Research Nurse Navigation Team at 480-323-1364 or email clinicaltrials@honorhealth.com. 

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Dr. James Chow is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in knee and hip surgeries at Abrazo Scottsdale Campus.

He helped design and develop a new robotic surgical system using CORI, the newest robot on the market.

(Photo courtesy Abrazo)

24 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

Machine vs.

Man

Scottsdale doctor performs first robotic knee replacement

By Jacqueline Robledo eff Gordon shattered his kneecap and tore his ACL in a skiing accident his sophomore year at UCLA 38 years ago. But even after multiple surgeries, the 59-year-old man has never had full range of motion in his knee—until now.

After his accident, he had a routine ACL repair surgery followed by 10 days in the hospital, six months of intense therapy and two more arthroscopic cleanups. He has done everything from physical therapy to stem cell injections, but nothing made his knee feel like it did before the accident.

Eight months ago, he explains, his knee “really started acting up,” so he decided to visit Dr. James Chow.

Chow, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in knee and hip surgeries at Abrazo Scottsdale Campus, helped design and develop a new robotic surgical system using CORI, the newest robot on the market.

Chow has been trained in medicine and engineering and has been involved in designing and trailing robotic technology in orthopedics for the last 10 years.

According to Chow, Phoenix has the

single largest orthopedic robotics market in the world.

On top of that, Abrazo Scottsdale Campus has the most robots in the Valley and now offers five types of surgical robots, allowing minimally invasive techniques and adding precision and accuracy to the surgeon’s movements. Chow also explains that every surgeon at the Abrazo Scottsdale Campus is trained in robotics and contributes to the education and design of the robots.

He was instrumental in the design and development of the CORI Surgical System for the last four and a half years. The system uses artificial intelligence that helps surgeons more accurately and efficiently place and size implants.

“I map out the knee so the computer can see the entire knee, I kind of draw the knee and it shows up on the computer screen,” Chow says. “And then the computer has in its database all the different sizes, shapes and designs of knee-replacement implants.

And then you can theoretically put those in.”

The artificial intelligence program allows the surgeon to see exactly how the new knee will perform, allowing adjustments to be made before the procedure.

The final part of the surgery includes the handheld robot.

“It extends and retracts to autocorrect what I’m doing with my hands,” Chow explains. “It takes all of the stuff that I prepare on the computer and allows that to translate to real time in real space.”

Chow performed the first surgery using CORI after it was approved for hospital use on July 10. He performed an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) preserving total knee replacement on Gordon. The surgery works to spare every ligament in the knee, including the ACL. “Now I don’t walk with a limp,” Gordon says. “Still going to therapy twice a week, but I’m getting very, very good range of motion. I already have better extension than I have ever had since the first injury 30 years ago, so I’m thrilled with it.”

Chow explains the surgery he performed on Gordon was much less invasive than a traditional knee replacement surgery, and he has received the benefits of a shorter recovery because of this.

“I walked out of there with a walker that day and really was off all major pain meds within a week and off the walker in about 10 days,” Gordon says. 

OCTOBER 2020 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS /

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my ked e ad wor c A re m ea ss in l T m cce de a e Dr ds su s mo fin sines bu n Fabits By

26 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

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Loren Woods, who played six years in the National Basketball Association in the early 2000s, leads the list of impressive coaches and trainers at DreamTeam Academy, which offers skills and sports performance training to kids.

(Photos by Pablo Robles)

O

f all of the ways the coronavirus pandemic flipped the world on its head in early March, Mimi Sommers knew the services and opportunities she provides for children needed to remain a constant.

Her basketball training organization, DreamTeam Academy offers skills and sports performance training to kids ages 6 and older. And Sommers knew she needed to provide kids and families with a refuge, as everyone was quarantined and confined to their homes.

“I had this feeling that kids would suffer being at home,” Sommers says. “We went to the drawing board and said, ‘How can we reorganize our business model to accommodate our clients’ wishes?’

“They still wanted to come in. We had to find that happy medium during this troubled time in our history.”

The plan Sommers and her team devised effectively allowed children to continue getting basketball instruction—under strict and unprecedented health and safety concerns.

Known for hosting group trainings, sessions and leagues, DreamTeam Academy has since pivoted to small-group and individual training sessions.

It slashed its prices—by a near 50%—and hoped the Scottsdale community was comfortable to return to their gym. Sommers has since been delighted by the response.

“For me, as a business owner, it’s rewarding beyond during these unprecedented times,” she says.

“I’m ecstatic. I’m hopeful for our future. I think this pandemic has brought our clients closer, and I’m hoping the community closer, so that once we can return back to a normal state, we will prevail.”

Another draw to the academy, founded by Sommers and her husband in 2017, is the impressive list of coaches and trainers it boasts, led

by Loren Woods, who played six years in the National Basketball Association in the early 2000s.

Woods feels it’s necessary, as a former professional, to give back to kids in the community who want to improve their basketball fundamentals.

“It’s an obligation or duty,” he says. “We all feel that way, all my friends who’ve played high-level

S S E C

college or professional or who have been coaches for decades. We all feel like it’s our job, our duty, our obligation to give back.”

Woods joined the DreamTeam staff by happenstance. Earlier this year, he stumbled upon Sommers’ son playing in a club tournament and was impressed by his size and potential.

“I just went up to his dad and gave him a few pointers on some things I thought would be good for him to work on,” he says. “And once everything happened with COVID-19, we just felt it was a great idea to partner up and try to bring the best possible training to the kids that we have in our academies.”

Besides the professional expertise Woods brought with him, he’s also helped attract more high school-aged players to the academy, after it was originally targeting younger kids.

“Through travesty comes the rainbow,” Sommers says. “We found someone who can help complement DreamTeam so that we can offer services to everybody and grow and expand.”

In cooperation with welcoming young athletes back into their building, Sommers is doing so under extreme safety measures. Upon entrance, everyone goes through a health screening, gets their temperatures taken and washes their hands.

Throughout training sessions, the basketballs are sanitized and a 6-foot distance between coach and player is implemented.

“We took pride in wanting to help our community stay safe and have the kids have a fun, safe environment to let off some steam and build some basketball fundamentals,” she says.

The rapport Sommers has tirelessly worked to build with the community since her organization’s inception never wavered during the early months of the pandemic, when families were wary of sending their children to basketball training sessions.

Instead, it only strengthened.

It kept the doors open and the lights on at the DreamTeam Academy. And for that, Sommers is grateful, even as she weighs all that’s been thrown her way this past year.

“We put way too much heart and soul into our company to just throw it away. We slashed our prices just to get people in the door, and they came. Luckily, we had loyal followings.

“If this happened right when we opened, I don’t think we’d be talking right now. We established an amazing client base in our area, and we reached out to them and said, ‘Hey, we want to keep our doors open. Who wants to come for training?’” 

DreamTeam Academy 15955 N. Dial Boulevard, Suite 3, Scottsdale 480-800-8326, dreamteamacademy.com

OCTOBER 2020 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS /

27

Making Sense of Medicare

The Connie Health team is, front, from left, David Luna and Michael Scopa; and back row, from left, Chris Fraser, Sammy Menton, Don Graham and Rita Bancroft.

Oded Eran is not pictured. (Photo courtesy Connie Health)

Connie Health helps seniors navigate insurance with technology

By Alison Bailin Batz pening any new business has its challenges.

Connie Health isn’t immune to that. Michael Scopa founded the health care venture with business partners David Luna and Oded Eran without knowing COVID-19 was on the horizon.

“As you can imagine, businesses opening right now, like ours, are facing some of the most unique challenges of our time,” Scopa says. “Certainly, we are opening Connie

O

Health at a precarious time, but it will take more than a global pandemic to keep us from our mission.”

Launched in August—primarily online in the short term—Connie Health is named in honor of Scopa’s grandmother, Connie Francis, and is focused on empowering local seniors to make confident, worry-free decisions around Medicare plans and coverage.

“People of all ages, but especially those approaching 65, shudder at the mere mention of Medicare, which is a government-run medical insurance program for those age 65 and older

28 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

or people at any age with disabilities,” Scopa says. “It is overly complicated for no good reason, and we are out to change that.”

Scopa, Eran and Luna have more than 25 years of combined experience helping people navigate what sometimes feels like the minefield that is Medicare coverage.

“What we have found is that there were two ways individuals were securing their Medicare coverage,” Eran says. “The first is through technology, meaning finding a provider through a general internet search and then dealing with one of its call center

Medicare Basics Medicare Part A covers Medicare inpatient care including care received while in a hospital, a skilled nursing facility and, in limited circumstances, at home. Medicare covers 80% of Part A expenses.

Medicare Part B covers medical services and supplies that are medically necessary to treat your health condition. This can include outpatient care, preventive services, ambulance services and durable medical equipment. Medicare covers 80% of Part B expenses.

Medicare Part D refers to optional prescription drug coverage.

Source: Connie Health

employees, each of whom is tasked to sell certain products.”

The other, according to Eran, is through a local adviser, with whom they already know or have found through a referral. Both methods have their benefits and their drawbacks.

“The big companies with millions of marketing dollars also have massive infrastructure and technological capabilities, meaning they have information at their fingertips with the stroke of a key, but they are often solely focused on selling a few specific plans,” Eran says. “The licensed, local advisers offer that personal connection but often don’t have the resources to truly access more than a handful of products.”

A former Glendale police officer, Luna was one of those advisers in the Valley, eventually working on the regional and national level because he understood what people needed and wanted, as well as his willingness to guide folks along the way.

“I got to a point in my career where I believed very strongly that you shouldn’t have to choose between working with a licensed adviser who knows the details of plans in your area or using a powerful digital tool,” says Luna, who is also a military veteran. “Connie Health is truly a marriage of both.”

Connie Health provides these services at no cost. “As a licensed advisor, we are compensated by the insurance companies when someone joins,” Luna says. “The maximum compensation an insurance company can provide is regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).” Unlike other industries, Connie Health recommends plans solely based on an individual’s needs.

Due to its choice to affiliate with all major providers, Connie Health can use its technology to advise individuals—either in person from a safe distance, on a video call, via phone or otherwise—about the best options based on personal health care needs, lifestyle and budget.

The team is also able to identify Medicare providers in the area, including those in Medicare Advantage HMO or PPO networks.

“We can also explain HMO and PPO and other unnecessarily complicated things when it comes to health care,” Oded says. “And, we can help find a plan that allows you to keep most or all of your current doctors.”

Beyond initial services, Connie Health also helps individuals handle the sometimes-tedious tasks of enrolling and will continue to serve as a resource for health care questions and decisions moving forward.

“There are ways to maximize your chosen plan, optimize prescription costs and uncover seemingly hidden benefits to plans such as annual wellness screenings, drug and alcohol counseling services, hearing tests, diabetes evaluations and more,” Scopa says.

Though the business will remain virtual for now, there are six licensed team members working locally, with plans to add more in 2021. Medicare’s open enrollment period is October 15 to December 7, meaning those approaching 65 or those with questions about their current plan can start seeking help right now.

Info:conniehealth.com. 

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SELLING TO

Emotion Admanity helps businesses speak the language of the consumer

A

By Connor Dziawura fter selling advertising in the publishing world, Brian Gregory realized something: The “average businessperson” doesn’t know how to create an ad to appeal to consumers.

“Once they see a great ad, they’re filled with confidence and hope and excitement and they want to do it—they just don’t know how,” Gregory explains. “Businesspeople have no trouble spending money on advertising; they have a big problem spending it on advertising that doesn’t work.”

Determined to educate businesses on the advertising, marketing and communications

strategies that work, Gregory founded Admanity with fellow entrepreneur Roy Regalado, who also worked in advertising.

The idea, which Gregory realizes was “a huge, ambitious thought,” was to put all the principles into an algorithm-based test that would provide that information.

The system, called the Admanity Protocol, starts with a simple, true/false series of noninvasive questions. Test results yield a shortened Brand Brief—a four- to six-page analysis with insight for the business—and a full, 150-plus-page Brand Attraction Report, which is a more in-depth analysis providing insight including ad formulas, sample ads, and words and phrases relevant to communications and media.

The key in all this—what Gregory says most people don’t realize—is emotion.

The algorithm “analyzes, in a very short period of time—roughly five minutes—the emotionality of a brand,” explains Gregory, Admanity’s CEO. “In other words, which emotions will best sell this brand to the world.

What do people want to see from this brand?”

30 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

Admanity was founded by CEO Brian Gregory, left, and President Roy Regalado to teach businesses how to cut to the key factor of what draws consumers to products and services: emotion.

(Photo by Pablo Robles)

Admanity has identified 15 relevant emotional archetypes: admiration, affinity, altruism, ambition, approval, attraction, authority, community, fascination, innovation, persuasion, prestige, service, temptation and urgency.

Gregory calls them “primal” and “basic,” saying they are the emotions that have always driven people to buy. The intent is to get brands “to start speaking the language the consumer, the subconscious mind of the consumer, wants to hear,” Gregory says.

“Every business in the world has different tactics and triggers … to make a consumer a possible customer more interested, and most brands have no clue what those are, because most small-business owners have never been given any kind of education in emotional marketing tactics,” he explains.

It’s “very psychological,” he notes; the problem, however, is “most people aren’t psychologists and they’re not going to think that way.”

That’s why the report “cuts to the chase,” saving time and providing businesses or

organizations with the insight Gregory says major ad agencies would be offering for costlier fees. He likens it to a manual on how to appeal to emotion—but customized to the specific brand that takes the test.

“The little guy can effectively borrow from all the tactics, strategies and techniques that the big guys are using” and trigger the same emotional response, he points out.

“This is for the guy (who has) one to a hundred employees who’s struggling and trying to figure out how to not fire half of his employees tomorrow; it’s a battle every day,” Gregory explains. “We designed this (for) the bread and butter of America—the backbone of American business is small—to help them because no one’s ever shown them this stuff.

They’ll never get access to it unless they hire an agency, and most won’t. I think we can help a lot of people the faster, the better right now.”

Gregory, who previously wrote a book on the subject, says it was a lengthy process to pin down the 15 key emotions and then get a mathematical algorithm that determines business advantages based upon human emotion right—something he says has never been done. While the test itself is simple, he says “thousands and thousands of calculations are happening,” with over 1,600 data points and more than a billion outcomes.

The test starts with general questions, gradually becoming more focused as it progresses—determining the next question based on the previous answer. The test has built-in forgiveness, Gregory says, so if two people from the same company were to provide some different answers, they could still find the same path. Taking the test multiple times, he adds, can even yield similar results presented differently—and businesses can take the test separately for different departments, like a restaurant that does both dining and catering.

“When that test starts out, it has 15 choices and it doesn’t know anything about you or your business—your size, your revenues, your employees, nothing,” Gregory explains.

“And we don’t want to know any of that, because none of that matters to determine the emotionality of the brand.”

Admanity’s $397 cost includes the test, the Brand Brief and Brand Attraction Report, as well as access to a Personal Portal and Admanity-U. The Personal Portal creates a sort of community within the brand, storing the documents alongside a growing collection of resources, including a podcast, blog and videos. Gregory describes Admanity-U as more in-depth, hands-on training and realworld examples.

“Someday it’s just going to be this amazing compendium of knowledge and examples and ‘how they did it’ and ‘how you can do it’ type stuff,” Gregory explains.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic,

Admanity, founded by CEO Brian Gregory, back, and President Roy Regalado, employs an algorithmbased test that determines the key emotions to which a business appeals and then funnels into a portal that hosts agency-level insight, from brief and full-length analyses to a podcast, blog and other regularly updated information. Gregory says he developed the idea because his time in the publishing world led him to realize most businesses don’t know how to successfully advertise.

(Photo by Pablo Robles)

the company is offering a $100 discount with the promo code “NOCOVID100.” There is a 30-day, unconditional money-back guarantee.

Additionally, organizations that partner with Admanity—such as chambers of commerce or trade organizations—will be able to offer free tests and the resulting briefs to their members, who, if interested, could then pay for the full reports. Gregory calls it “our altruistic way of helping businesses through these organizations that have a vested interest in their success.”

The company also licenses the algorithm and software to ad agencies “to help them acquire new business and service their current clients,” Gregory explains. The program is fully customized; contact Admanity for a free demo and price quote.

“We are hoping to partner with agencies in every city across the USA who want to use Admanity as a powerful marketing advantage,” Gregory says.

He reiterates that attracting customers all comes back to emotion.

“We want to make sure we teach it nice, easy and slow, because if you can master this, you can sell anything,” Gregory explains.

“You can sell anything on the planet if you know emotionally how to do it.

“And that’s what Admanity has between all the 15 archetypes.

“We can show you how to sell any product on the planet of the Earth and make it appeal to the people most likely to want it. That’s the key.”

Info: admanity.com. 

OCTOBER 2020 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS /

31

LUXURIOUS and

SUSTAINA Optima Kierland offering private tours of model units

T

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski he opening of the 12-story residential tower 7180 Optima Kierland brings a high-tech gym, amenities like a doggie bathroom and a spectacular sky deck that overlooks the Valley, and a high-tech gym

to Scottsdale.

The North Scottsdale building was created

by David Hovey Jr., Optima’s president and principal architect. Optima is known for cutting-edge, residential buildings that have been nationally and internationally recognized with more than 50 awards for the company’s commitment to design, innovation and sustainability.

As the building surpasses 70% sold and the first homeowners begin moving in, one

of the biggest draws for buyers has been the array of lavish amenities on the rooftop and the ground level.

Set atop the 12th floor is the spectacular Sky Deck, which was designed to feel as if it has a negative-edge view, with the railings lowered just beyond the sightline so the eye goes straight to the vistas beyond and gives the sensation of floating above the city. The Sky Deck offers residents Arizona’s first residential rooftop running track, a heated lap pool with built-in seating areas, spa and a cold-plunge pool; a steam room, sauna and hydrotherapy areas; an outdoor theater, fire pit seating areas, an indoor/outdoor yoga studio and a full kitchen and entertaining spaces with barbecues, covered bar and counter seating with large flat-screen televisions.

32 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

Living rooms at 7180 Optima Kierland provide stellar views of Scottsdale.

(Photo courtesy 7180 Optima Kierland)

The ground-floor amenity offering is Club One, which includes an indoor/outdoor fitness center with state-of-the-art cardio and fitness equipment, free weights and a yoga studio; a steam room, massage room, sauna, cold-plunge pool and spa; barbecues, fire pits,

ABLE The Sky Deck at 7180 Optima Kierland offers residents Arizona’s first residential rooftop running track, a heated lap pool with built-in seating areas, spa and a cold-plunge pool; a steam room, sauna and hydrotherapy areas; an outdoor theater, fire pit seating areas, an indoor/outdoor yoga studio and a full kitchen and entertaining spaces with barbecues, covered bar and counter seating with large flat-screen televisions.

(Photo courtesy 7180 Optima Kierland)

lounge areas and an outdoor fitness area; a covered dog park and dog wash; a game room with a golf simulator, table tennis and billiards; a party room with a chef’s catering kitchen and outdoor entertaining space; basketball/pickleball, squash and bocce ball

7180 Optima Kierland has 202 one-, two- and three-bedroom homes, plus a collection of premium penthouses perched atop the highest floor. (Photo courtesy 7180 Optima Kierland)

courts; a lounge area with seating, TVs and a coffee and tea bar; a theater room with a large-screen display; and a business center and conference room.

Among the building’s most unmistakable features is its next-generation vertical landscape system, with self-containing irrigation and drainage that enables a palette of vibrantly colored plants at the edge of each floor to grow both up and over the building.

Other sustainable design elements include a dynamic, undulating facade with perforated panels and sun-screening louvers that create shade and shadows, voids and textures, punctuated by the desert sun; technologicallyadvanced building materials including a posttension concrete structure, an aluminum infill window-wall system, aluminum sunscreens and louvers; a variety of energy efficient and CO2 emission-reduction design aspects and water conservation from plumbing fixtures.

7180 Optima Kierland presides over a 6-acre, lushly landscaped oasis accented by a sparkling water feature. The park’s beauty is second to its remarkable function, which was designed to reduce ambient temperature, mitigating the heat-island effect. Optima worked closely with Dr. Chris Martin from ASU to develop and refine a plant palette that thrives in the desert climate and is sensitive to the water demands. All of the landscaping creates a microclimate that lowers the ambient temperature from 5 to 9 degrees.

“With the unveiling of 7180 Optima Kierland, we are proud to showcase Optima’s continued commitment to design-driven luxury residential living that is at the forefront of the industry for innovation, sustainability and technology,” Hovey says.

“We’ve carefully curated these residences

to fit the needs of today’s homeowners who expect intuitive design and tech-focused features within a beautiful, comfortable setting. Plus, the convenience of the very best in health, wellness and social connections via on-site amenities that rival five-star resorts.

We’ve delivered all of this within one building, and we look forward to our homeowners experiencing 7180 Optima Kierland first-hand.”

Recently, four model homes opened for private tours. The models showcase Optima’s clean, contemporary aesthetic with Italian custom cabinets, Kohler faucets and fixtures, Bosch appliances and floor-to-ceiling window walls that open to private terraces to maximize indoor and outdoor living and showcase the dramatic backdrop of the desert mountains.

The model tours are by appointment only, face masks are required and no more than four people are permitted within a group. Sanitizing stations are setup within the building.

Optima is also taking necessary precautions to ensure the building’s common areas meet CDC standards for health and safety.

7180 Optima Kierland is the most-elevated tower within the $500 million Optima Kierland Center, which is steps from the dining, shopping and nightlife of Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter. While the residential enclave is at the center of the city’s bustling core, it is also set against a captivating desert backdrop with immediate access to the country’s top golf courses, spas, hiking and biking trails.

Priced from the $500,000s to over $2 million, 7180 Optima Kierland is comprised of 202 one-, two- and three-bedroom homes, plus a collection of premium penthouses perched atop the highest floor.

Info: Optima-Kierland.com 

OCTOBER 2020 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS /

33

Fe b r u a r y 2 6 th, 2 0 2 1

As one of the Chamber’s most time honored signature events, the Sterling Awards embody the spirit of our organization by celebrating the people and companies that have demonstrated excellence, innovation and community stewardship, making Scottsdale one of the best cities to live in our Nation. Over the years we have honored our city’s outstanding corporate neighbors and

Don’t miss this celebration of achievement, perseverance and community service.

brightest rising stars.

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Big Business

Small Business

Recognizes significant contributions to q u a l i t y o f l i f e a n d t h e e c o n o m i c f a b r i c of the community.

Recognizes a company that demonstrates success through product or service innovation and professionalism, and has made contributions to community-orientated projects.

Micro Business

Non-Profit Organization

Recognizes an entrepreneur ship or emerging business exhibiting success through innovation, creativity and collaboration.

R e c o g n i z e s t h e s o c i a l , c u l t u ra l , e d ucational and economic impact of an organization on its constituents and/or the broader community.

go to www.scottsdalechamber.com/events to view upcoming events and opportunities

34 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

POLO with a PURPOSE World-renowned event returns with social distancing and new charities

S

By Kamala Kirk ince 2011, the Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships has been the United States’ premier polo event, attracting thousands of people from around the world, including top polo players, sponsors and

celebrities.

This year’s event will return on November 7 under a new name, The Stella Artois Polo Classic: Presented by Ketel One, accompanied by socially distanced safety measures and a focus on helping charities, schools and nonprofits.

“This year we wanted to send a different message to everyone,” says Jason Rose, the event’s co-founder and co-owner. “We still want people to come out and have a great time, but things are going to be a little different due to the current environment. We’ve had to balance everything in order to put together this year’s event. Next year, we expect to return to our original name and event.”

The Polo Classic will be held at WestWorld of Scottsdale at 10:30 a.m. with three polo matches. Arizona Polo Club and Andres Camacho Castilla will play Colombia in the featured match.

The signature charity match of the day— The EPR Polo introduces The Celebrity Cruises Match Up supporting Arizona Equine Rescue and Southwest Wildlife—will be the day’s highest-goal polo match and will feature

Jason Rose of Rose Law Group and Rose + Moser + Allyn Public Relations founded The Stella Artois Polo Classic: Presented by Ketel One. (Photo by Whitney B. Photography)

professional polo players John Gobin and Jared Sheldon.

“We have some professional polo players participating in our featured match that have never played at the event before, so we’re very excited that some of the best polo players in the world will be able to experience this unique event for the first time,” Rose says.

For the first time, Morehouse College Polo Club from the private, historically Black college in Atlanta, will play in the event against the Women’s All-Stars for a “Battle of the Sexes” match.

“Our event has always been progressive, and we partner with the African American community every year in innovative ways,” Rose says. “We’re happy to have Morehouse College, which Martin Luther King Jr. attended and was the first historically Black

college to have a polo team, joining us this year.”

Attendees can also look forward to the presence of local restaurants and food trucks; a selection of unique sculptures by acclaimed artist Pete Deise; the Molina Fine Jewelers VIP Lounge; Sanderson Lincoln Black Label Lounge; the Barrett-Jackson Outdoor Polo & Jazz Lounge; and a display of collector cars, including McLarens. Between matches, The World’s Longest Catwalk Fashion Show will be presented by Phoenix Fashion Week, as well as The Lugari Canine Couture Dog Fashion Show.

New sponsors for this year’s event include Celebrity Cruises, Mark-Taylor Residential, Bud Light Seltzer and McLaren Scottsdale.

Another sponsor is the “Million Dollar Mingle,” a high-profile luxury fundraising

OCTOBER 2020 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS /

35

The Stella Artois Polo Classic: Presented

by Ketel One provides top entertainment every fall. (Photo by Dave Seibert)

organization led by former NFL player AC Caswell, which brings together professional athletes, celebrities and others to raise money for nonprofits.

Due to COVID-19, limited tickets will be available for the 2020 event and must be purchased in advance as a result of new safety protocols. In lieu of its oversized tents, the Polo Classic will be entirely open air with umbrellas and feature an extensive social distancing plan that includes expanded sideline parking and lawn seating, an elevated South Road seating option, and reserved seating areas with more space between tables.

Other measures and protocols will include mandatory masks, temperature checks and sanitation stations.

In addition to rigorous reviews by the Scottsdale police, fire and tourism officials, the event was also certified by HealthyVerify, a medically based, scientific and professional, full-service certification company that has partnered with ASU and Barrow Neurological Institute to help minimize the spread of

infectious diseases.

By going a step further with the additional verification, Rose wants to ensure guests’ comfort, safety and confidence during the event.

“This year we want to let the event breathe and we’ve expanded our sideline parking, which people love because you can drive your car right up to the field,” he says. “We’ve also done away with our Birds Nest area at the entrance, where people would dance and drink amidst all the action. We still have some spectacular VIP sections, and we’ve also created space for charities so they can raise money at the event.”

Charities and nonprofits are the other main focus of this year’s event, which is dedicated to helping schools and organizations whose fundraising and operations were devasted in the past months. The Polo Classic is offering the chance for local charities to raise money utilizing its unique platform and event, and all participating organizations will keep all of the revenue generated from ticket and table sales.

A post-event concert with local rock legend Roger Clyne will take place adjacent to the field and is being produced by Scottsdale Airpark-based R Entertainment. Tickets for the concert are available separately at scottsdaleconcertseries.com.

“We’re really excited about the concert and are planning to include that as part of our program in the upcoming years,” Rose says.

“When we first created this in 2011, our goal was to create the Phoenix Open of polo, and now people around the world know about our event. Some of the best and most famous polo players have played here, and we’ve been blessed to have wonderful partners and sponsors throughout the years. Every year we’ve been audacious and creative, putting things out there that have created an atmosphere that is unlike anything else in the world of polo.”  The Stella Artois Polo Classic: Presented by Ketel One 10:30 a.m. Saturday, November 7 WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale Tickets start at $20 thepoloparty.com

36 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

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Serving The Scottsdale & Deer Valley Airparks Since 1981 OCTOBER 2020 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS /

37

FOOD & WINE

d n i K a f One o

Picazzo’s is allergen and diet conscious without sacrificing flavor

By Catherine Hathaway

G

Picazzo's opened its Scottsdale Airpark store in 2004.

Chris Disney, shown here with the lunch special of pepperoni pizza and Mother Earth salad and Tuscan chicken breast, is the operations manager. (Photos by Tim Sealy)

38 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

oing out to eat has become less of a caloric indulgence with the surge of fresh, healthy dining options that cater to various dietary restrictions. Although some restaurants may feature a light menu, Picazzo’s Healthy Italian Kitchen has made a commitment to be “healthitarians” and serve 90% to 95% organic produce while creating menu options that are healthy, tasty and accommodate gluten-free diners.

Rick Freedman founded Picazzo’s in Sedona in 2002 when he saw the need for a nice pizza place in the growing area. In 2004, the restaurant expanded into the Valley and opened its Scottsdale Airpark location.

“The market was starting to get a little competitive,” says Chris Disney, the operations manager. “A gourmet pizza place wasn’t as special as it had been. We started looking into cleaner food.”

The company reevaluated what makes it unique from its new saturated market of competitors. The business built off of its alreadypopular gluten-free pizza crust when it opened its Paradise Valley location in 2008.

“It was a takeover of an old Italian restaurant, so the kitchen was set up to have pasta and pizza, and so we added pasta,” Disney says of the Paradise Valley location. “And we needed to be gluten free

FOOD & WINE

The lunch special at Picazzo's is pepperoni pizza and Mother Earth salad, organic mixed greens, blanketed with herb-roasted sweet potatoes, apples, watermelon radish, candied walnuts and sliced avocado, with a vegan avocado “honey” mustard dressing.

because we have a gluten-free pizza, and we offer those options.”

Moving toward full Italian options was Picazzo’s turning point. It pioneered offering a full menu of gluten-free options for people to choose traditionally gluten-filled dishes without fear.

“Usually those carb-heavy menu items are full gluten, so we became known as that place people could eat gluten free an entire menu with the exception of one pizza option in case people come in and they want that gluten option,” Disney says.

As it appealed more and more to the gluten-free customers, Picazzo’s saw an opening to provide options for other types of dietary restrictions, including soy, GMO, corn, dairy and veganism.

“It became an allergy thing, and we continued to look at our menu,” Disney says. “It’s a constant microscope at our ingredients.”

What sets Picazzo’s apart from the other restaurants is its commitment to providing the best food and having the most organic menu possible, Disney says.

“Nobody else is doing anything like this,” Disney says. “You have places that are doing healthy (entrees) and salads, but they’re not buying organic. There are very few doing as much organic as we are. I know because on the back end I can see the ingredients in some of the products these restaurants are ordering. I know we really make an effort.”

Picazzo’s has also made a commitment to its vegan customers. It offers a full vegan menu with options that don’t sacrifice health or taste. Vegans can order hearty meals like its “Chik’n” Parmesan ($22.50) or signature pizzas ($15 to $25) while sticking to their dietary needs.

“It’s a clean approach to allergens,” Disney says. “It’s not just pumped with a bunch of chemicals. A lot of vegan products are trying to mimic fast food. It seems so counterproductive to what it should be.”

Staying 90% to 95% organic is vital to Picazzo’s. It values that extra level of healthy, good foods for its customers—and its customers have responded. In uncertain times, like the recession or COVID-19, Picazzo’s remained popular by offering dishes its customers couldn’t get anywhere else.

“To have that as an expense is much higher,” Disney says. “It’s a challenge, but it’s kind of been our lifeline to have these options. We were pioneers in that realm. It brought in an entire new clientele.”

Customers don’t have to be allergic to soy or gluten intolerant to dine at Picazzo’s.

Disney says many people aren’t aware of all the health-conscious decisions and just come to enjoy the unique pizzas, like the hot honey, fig and salami pizza ($20/$30) or elote ($19/$29).

“We definitely get that,” Disney says.

“That normal demographic. People who don’t have any restrictions; they just want their food. People come in and think we’re just typical Italian and then we have people who come in and appreciate it for what it is.”

Picazzo’s has started adding a label designating a food “keto friendly” for customers who subscribe to that diet.

Keto diners can order mouth-watering meals like baked brie with housemade focaccia ($13.95) or bianca pasta with grilled chicken on top of fusilli noodles and alfredo sauce ($18.95).

Round out the meal at Picazzo’s with gluten-free and vegan desserts like its New York-style “Cheezecake” with housemade raspberry sauce ($8.95) or what it claims to be Arizona’s only gluten-free tiramisu ($8.95).

Disney says Picazzo’s has a goal of building a larger vegan menu with recognizable options. He says he’s already working on a flavorful mushroom risotto.

He says the business also hopes to expand out of state to offer its unique menu at more locations.  Picazzo’s Healthy Italian Kitchen 7325 E. Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, Scottsdale 480-990-2212, picazzos.com

OCTOBER 2020 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS /

39

REMEMBER When

Scottsdale landscape has inspired artists

S

By Joan Fudala

cottsdale’s climate has always been a draw for visitors and relocating residents; the natural environment and breathtaking Sonoran Desert landscape have particularly attracted and inspired scores of visiting or resident artists for well over a century.

Scottsdale’s signature landmark, the McDowell Mountain range, is depicted in numerous works of art and is celebrated each October during McDowell Sonoran Preserve Month.

Here’s a look at just some of the artists who have captured the majesty of Scottsdale’s geology, flora, fauna and colorful desert denizens:  Scottsdale’s first resident artist, Marjorie Thomas, created an historic record of Scottsdale’s pioneer days that is unduplicated.

She opened the settlement’s first art studio in 1909, launching Scottsdale’s reputation as an art center and haven for artists that continues to thrive today. A graduate of Boston’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts, she had planned to continue her art career there, but family obligations intervened.

Her brother Richard had tuberculosis, so 24-year-old Marjorie, her mother Emma and brother—like so many others at the time—moved to the healthy climate of the Arizona Territory. Town namesake Chaplain Winfield Scott gave the Thomas family a welcome tour of the area in his horse-drawn wagon. Scott brought his mule, Old Maud, over to Marjorie’s cottage and asked her to do a painting of the animal he brought home from service in the Army.

She remembered decades later that Scott told her if she painted Old Maud she would “put Scottsdale on the map.” She donated the Old Maud painting to the Scottsdale Fine Art Collection in the 1970s.  Although Scottsdale had become Marjorie’s home, and the animals and desert landscape her inspiration, the area lacked galleries

Marjorie Thomas was Scottsdale’s first artist, arriving in 1909; Walter Bohl created etchings of desert scenes throughout the 1950s-1980s. (Photo courtesy Scottsdale Historical Society)

and museums. She became a frequent exhibitor at the Arizona State Fair’s Fine Art Expo and had shows at the Arizona Biltmore and the Phoenix Women’s Club during the 1920s and 1930s. Marjorie created the artwork for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair Rodeo program and was commissioned by the New Deal’s WPA to do a painting that hung in Sen. Carl Hayden’s office for many years.

Embracing the rugged outdoor life in Arizona, Marjorie often ventured into the mountains or desert to make sketches for future paintings. She met Western writer Zane Grey through Scottsdale acquaintances, and in 1929, he invited her to join a pack trip to

40 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

Granddaughter of Scottsdale pioneer rancher/businessman E.O. Brown, Gene Brown Pennington created the bucking bronco artwork for the city seal. (Photo courtesy Scottsdale Public Library)

REMEMBER When level of culture to Scottsdale and the desert by of Design in New York City, Lillian hosting frequent salons, cabarets and holiday Wilhelm Smith came to Arizona to programs, a coveted invitation for locals. They accompany her cousin-by-marriage also encouraged their apprentice architects to Grey on one of his expeditions. Her create art, and Taliesin West became known illustrations from that trip were for its collection of original paintings, graphic used in Grey’s 1915 book, “The design and sculpture.

Rainbow Trail.” She lived on the  Wisconsin native Walter Bohl and his wife, northeast corner of what is now Ann, lived in the Pinnacle Peak area through Indian School and Miller roads in his death in 1990. During this period, Bohl Scottsdale until circa 1960, when created dozens of etchings of owls, roadrunshe moved to Prescott. Beyond oil ners, Gambel quail, white-winged dove and paintings and book illustrations, other birds he found living in his backyard. she designed the “Whirlwind” Also fascinated with desert plants, he incorpattern for fine china sold at Goldwater’s department store.  Bertha Menzler Dressler Peyton, trained at the Art Institute of Chicago and in Paris, was a frequent visitor to Arizona in the early 1900s.

She was entranced by the Arizona landscape and received commissions from the Santa Fe railroad. Among her paintings were those with titles such as “Evening in the Desert,” “Desert Effects” and “Sunshine and Shower.”  George Elbert Burr was praised in his November 18, 1939, Arizona Republic obituary, “An artist who glorified the southwestern desert country with etchings which were famous for their deft, sure touch and their delicacy of expression, Mr. Burr had been given international recognition. While he had produced many beautiful etchings of other than desert vistas, it was his interpretations of such familiar Arizona scenes as the mystic Superstition mountains, the desert when the saguaros and candles of God are blooming, that won him his greatest renown.”

Madame Jessie Benton Evans painted Scottsdale In 1937, the local art and architecarea scenes from her home studio, Casa de Desierto, tural community received an unexat the base of Camelback Mountain. (Photo courtesy Evans Family collection/Scottsdale Public Library) pected boost when one of the most famous architects in the world, Frank Lloyd Wright, established his winter home porated indigenous cacti and trees into his and School of Architecture at the southern watercolors and etchings. He explained in an foothills of the McDowells. After several oral history interview with Jennings Morse for winter trips to Scottsdale’s Jokake Inn, Wright the Scottsdale Historical Society in 1981: “In and his wife, Olgivanna, built a winter home the spring of 1951, we contacted K.T. Palmer, and school of architecture they called Taliesin who had holdings in the Pinnacle Peak area, West. The grounds overlooked the entire on the west slope of Pinnacle Peak. I fell in Valley of the Sun, and the architect taught his love with the area because of the beautiful apprentices to follow his concepts of organic desert growth that is present here. My architecture, creating buildings from and in purpose in wanting an acreage in this region is harmony with their natural Sonoran Desert so that I’d have beautiful desert backgrounds surroundings. The Wrights brought a new for my etchings and watercolors of desert  Trained at the National Academy

Bill Schimmel was an artist and teacher at the Craft Village on Miller Road from the 1950s onward. (Photo courtesy Scottsdale Public Library)

Rainbow Bridge in Northern Arizona. Her work illustrates one of Grey’s books, and the Scottsdale Fine Art Collection acquired one of her paintings from the Zane Grey trip, “End of the Rainbow Trail.”  Jessie Benton Evans migrated to Scottsdale in the 1910s for the same reason—family health concerns. Schooled at the Chicago Institute of Art and in Italy and France, she had shown her work at several Paris salons.

She and husband, Denver, bought land on the southern slope of Camelback Mountain circa 1913 and built an Italian-style villa they named Casa Del Deserto, which became a focal point of cultural activities throughout the coming decades. She quickly adapted to desert living, painted numerous local and Arizona landscape scenes and mentored many young artists. The McDowell Mountains east of her home are featured in several of her oil paintings. She was also a judge at the only large-scale art event in the Salt River Valley during the 1910s, ’20s and ’30s—the Fine Art Exhibition at the Arizona State Fair.  At the time of its statehood in 1912, Arizona was perceived as the scenic Wild West, an image created in part by nationally renowned artists like Thomas Moran, Frederic Remington and Charles Russell and novelist Grey. Folks “back east” fantasized about the rough-and-tumble frontier lifestyle of Arizona and the West, creating a market for Western art, literature, and Native American art and crafts.

OCTOBER 2020 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS /

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REMEMBER When

Beginning in 1937, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West School of Architecture taught organic architecture to its apprentices, who also created artwork of their own. (Photo courtesy Scottsdale Historical Society)

through a Depressionera WPA program for Citizens for Community Health/Scottsdale Public Library) artists and was part of the artist group at birds.” He received commissions from local the Phoenix Art Center in the 1930s. In 1937, banks; Valley National Bank President Walter he met and married the Scottsdale-based Bimson was a particular fan. Bohl also did sculptress Mathilde Schaefer. Davis served several paintings for the Arizona Bank branch as a civilian employee/graphic artist at Fort that opened in Scottsdale at Brown and Main Huachuca during World War II, creating in the 1950s. In 1971, his bird etchings and murals celebrating the history of African watercolors—all created at his home studio, American soldiers stationed at the fort.

Wing Haven—were featured at the first city of  Phil Curtis, a founder of the Phoenix Art Scottsdale/Fine Arts Commission Scottsdale Museum during the Depression years, settled Art Festival. Several of his works are in the in the Cattle Track area of Scottsdale in the Scottsdale Public Art’s Fine Art Collection. late 1940s and maintained his art studio there  Lon Megargee, whose home became until his death in 2000. He loved the desert the Hermosa Inn in Paradise Valley, created and incorporated the McDowells and other numerous paintings of Valley landscapes, desert backdrops in his unique oil paintings. as well as murals for the Works Progress His work is part of both the Scottsdale public Administration (WPA) during the 1930s. He art and Phoenix Art Museum collections. also depicted Arizona’s famous cowboys in  Lotan Lotan, a mysterious and somewhat ads for the A-1 beer company. elusive painter living in Scottsdale in the  Lew Davis was born in Jerome in 1910.

1950s and 1960s, received commissions from His stylized paintings of Arizona’s scenery, Walter Bimson and others. His oil of E.E. horses, mining towns and people gained “Brownie” Brown on horseback shows what national attention throughout the 1930s and life was like on Brown’s Ranch in its heyday. continued to receive acclaim until his death in Lotan also penned a regular column on local 1979. He created works for the U.S. Treasury art and artists in the Arizonian newspaper in the 1950s.  Bill Schimmel, a commercial artist from New York, moved his family to Arizona while he served in World War II. After the war, and at the urging of his friend Wright, the Schimmels settled in Scottsdale. Bill became a resident artist at Segner’s Craft Village on Miller Road. His watercolors and oil paintings of desert scenes were popular with businesses Joyce Segner hangs a painting of desert scenery in the gallery at Segand private collectors. ner’s Craft Village in the 1950s. (Photo courtesy Scottsdale Historical Society) He also taught art at the In 1999, Mario Martinez led a group of his neighbors and friends to create murals commemorating Yaqui culture. (Photo courtesy Concerned

Craft Village.  Gene Brown Pennington, a graphic and fashion artist and granddaughter of rancher and entrepreneur E.O. Brown, was commissioned by Scottsdale’s first mayor, Malcolm White, to create art for the town’s official seal.

Her cowboy and bucking bronco lives today as a city’s beloved emblem.  Oscar Strobel, a transplant from Cincinnati, created murals, oil paintings and watercolor illustrations throughout the 1930s to 1960s from his home studio in Paradise Valley.

Beautiful depictions of Arizona’s landscape were featured in a nationally distributed calendar in the 1950s. A colorful character himself, he served as a grand marshal for the Parada del Sol in the 1960s.  Mario Martinez grew up in Scottsdale, trained as an artist, then returned to his hometown to help his neighbors create a mural commemorating their Yaqui culture and heritage. Camelback Mountain is featured as a backdrop in one of the scenes.

The murals reside at the Vista del Camino neighborhood center.  Ed Mell’s dramatic art—paintings and sculpture—can be seen throughout Scottsdale, from his Jackknife sculpture in the roundabout on Main Street to oversized oils of flowers and desert landscape at places like Mayo Clinic. He also provided the scenery artwork for the opera based on Grey’s “Riders of the Purple Sage.”  These artists are representative of the many other artists and craftspeople who have lived, worked or featured Scottsdale’s McDowell Mountains and Sonoran Desert landscape, flora, fauna and people in their work. Some are internationally known and collected; others have a more local following. Their media—oil paintings, watercolors, sculpture, photography, quilts, architecture and more— are as varied as their muse, the Sonoran Desert. All have perpetuated Scottsdale’s reputation as an inspirational destination for art and other creative pursuits. 

OCTOBER 2020 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS /

43

FINANCE

Maximize Savings Year-end tax-planning tips to start on now

By Tom Wheelwright

M

any Americans hate taxes and avoid thinking of them until Tax Day is right around the corner. What people don’t realize is that the tax law is written as a roadmap to create savings, and when you plan accordingly, you’ll be rewarded. The end of the year is an important time in a tax strategy, because once it’s ended, some tax opportunities are lost forever. Consider these tips to make sure you get the best results from your year-end tax planning.

Update your bookkeeping Bookkeeping impacts nearly every part of tax planning. That’s why it is so important to make sure your bookkeeping is current before the end of the year is here—“current means” it is done through the end of last month or last quarter. In addition, be sure to have all documentation on hand and organized, as it will help you successfully get through an audit. It’s also a great way to increase tax deductions, because proper documentation leaves less room for deductions to get missed.

This includes documentation for travel, meals and entertainment, home office and vehicle.

Determine if you’re itemizing With the current standard deduction at $12,400 for single filers and $24,800 for married couples, it may seem pointless to itemize your deductions instead. However, if you take the time to review your options, you may find that itemizing will create more tax savings. There are hundreds of available deductions identified by the IRS, including medical expenses, property taxes, charitable contributions, mortgage interest and more.

If you decide to go this route, you must have records of all items you plan to deduct, so be sure to gather your receipts and additional documents now.

Get reimbursed for your business expenses If you have paid for any business expenses personally, including for your own business, and have not been reimbursed, it’s time to submit that expense report and get paid.

These expenses are easy to forget, and that means the tax deduction could get missed.

If your business doesn’t have a policy in place to reimburse you for these expenses, it’s time to get that in place.

Contribute to retirement accounts If you haven’t contributed the maximum amount to your 401(k) this year—$19,500 for employees under 50 and $26,000 for employees 50 and older—consider increasing your withholding. This is a win-win, as it allows you to defer paying income tax on the money contributed and puts more money into your savings. In addition, you can deposit up to $6,000, or $7,000 if you’re over 50, in an individual retirement account, better known as an IRA, and defer income tax until the money is withdrawn from the account later.

Consider tax-loss harvesting Chances are that due to the pandemic, you may own stocks that have lost money.

The good news is that you can sell them a deduct up to $3,000 on your taxes with a strategy know as tax-loss harvesting. An important rule to be aware of is the washsale rule, which states that you can’t buy the same or similar stock within 30 days before or after the sale.

44 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS / OCTOBER 2020

Start a business The coronavirus pandemic disrupted nearly every industry and left many unemployed. Have you been considering using this time as an opportunity to become your own boss? Now is a great time to start your own business. The government wants you to start a business to fuel the economy, so the tax law provides a plethora of tax breaks only available to business owners.

The biggest key is to set up a legal entity that will increase your tax savings. Work closely with your CPA to determine which entity would be best for your company.

Taxes can make you rich or they can make you poor. It all depends on your approach. Tax planning is a critical component to save on taxes and create wealth. Take the time this year to create a strategic plan and you can legally reduce your taxes and reap the rewards.  Tom Wheelwright is a CPA, CEO of WealthAbility, best-selling author of “Tax-Free Wealth (Rich Dad Advisors Series),” speaker, entrepreneur and host of two popular podcasts: “The WealthAbility Show with Tom Wheelwright CPA” and “The WealthAbility for CPAs Show.”

ADVICE fromWeiss OCTOBER 2020 Business Horoscopes

By Weiss Kelly, PMAFA

ARIES 3/21-4/20 In October, everything matters! Check out a repeat of the energy on August 24.

Mars in your sign gives you a second chance. You’ll be sorry in mid-November if you don’t do it. The new moon on October 16 gives you the push.

Personal power days: October 1, October 2, October 3, October 29 and October 30 TAURUS 4/21-5/20 Uranus is in your sign, and it’s turning the economy’s piggy bank upside down.

Expect interest rates, postage, employment and real estate rentals to go up. New sources of earning income can be found through learning new skills, say, over the internet.

Utilize the two full moons on October 1 and October 31.

Personal power days: October 4, October 5 and October 31 GEMINI 5/21-6/20 You finally get a break. The two full moons this month provide necessary information or opportunities you need to move ahead. Circle October 1 to October 14. Delays, interferences, protests and other issues will force you to put matters on hold.

Circle October 15 to October 31. Barriers are holding you back—don’t let them.

Personal power days: October 6, October 7 and October 8 CANCER 6/21-7/22 It won’t be hard to miss this month’s two full moons—a full moon rises in the east and sets in the west and shines all night long. The dates are October 1 and October 31. The moon rules your sign, Cancer.

It’s a month of endings—a job, career or event. Don’t panic; endings are just new beginnings. Note: The real Age of Aquarius begins in 2021.

Personal power days: October 9 and October 10

LEO 7/23-8/21 Keep your day-to-day agendas flexible and plan for last-minute reversals. Get pending projects out of the way before October 14. The road to the White House could be bumpy, and with some reverses after that date. The Scorpio intensity will be in full play. Circle October 23.

Personal power days: October 11 and October 12 VIRGO 8/22-9/23 Stay at work, school or home. You may not have choices once Mercury slows down.

The media will be in demand. Those who were laid off or furloughed will take center stage now. Prepare yourself. The gate to the White House is being pushed with the November 3 election. As Mercury (information) turns, the saga begins.

Personal power days: October 13 and October 14 LIBRA 9/24-10/23 Your month starts in a more relaxed and personal matter. Your business and personal relationships require corporative agreements. Some may require more of a compromise from October 1 to October 13. Expect some reversals in your earning potentials. You’ll face “control” issues in the second half of the month.

Personal power days: October 15 and October 16 SCORPIO 10/24-11/22 The timelines have changed for you, Scorpio. Your finances will reset this month, like a game of chess. Don’t ask.

Opportunities present themselves the week of October 19.

Personal power days: October 17 and October 18

but they may be just temporary due to weather, community, virus or economy.

On a lighter note, you’ll adapt easily to a change in workload soon.

Personal power days: October 19 and October 20 CAPRICORN 12/22-1/19 You take surprises, media madness and political slurs in stride. Why? You are about to leave behind a challenging three years and step into a brighter October. Get new tools and skills, and get ready for that positive shift in December. Staying the course pays off.

Personal power days: October 21, October 22 and October 23 AQUARIUS 1/20-2/18 The month’s positive aspects allow you to get what you need. So, change your direction and increase your social skills.

Watch your words, as intense Mercury (ruling communications) goes backward on October 14 and could repeat unforeseen conditions. A family matter will concern some Aquarians.

Personal power days: October 24 and October 25 PISCES 2/19-3/20 First responders need to hang a sign that says, “Not home or I would help.”

The first week, work alone. This allows you to let go of what is not helping with your self-development. The potential for emergency tactics later in the month may be demanding. When we heal wounds in others, we often heal ourselves. Mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health are put on the political table.

Personal power days: October 26 and October 27 

SAGITTARIUS 11/23-12/21 Get ready for a long list of restrictions, OCTOBER 2020 / SCOTTSDALE AIRPARK NEWS /

45

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