Issuu

Ethics case splits Scottsdale Council / P. 8

Dinners help wait staffs / P. 25

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An edition of the East Valley Tribune

INSIDE

NEWS................................. 4 Hotdog eatery owner rips City Hall.

NEIGHBORS.............. 16 Guitar heroes help Saguaro students.

BUSINESS.....................21 Scottsdale business is dream come true.

NEIGHBORS...........................................16 BUSINESS................................................ 21 OPINION..................................................22 ARTS......................................................... 23 FOOD.........................................................25 CLASSIFIEDS........................................ 26

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Scottsdale Airport noisier, neighbors complain BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

he coronavirus pandemic has sparked unforeseen complaints from residents neighboring Scottsdale Airport who say flight noise is worse than ever even though fewer planes are flying. “This noise pollution continues unabated,

Mayor, council hopefuls weigh in on city budget

the neighbors are hopping mad, and we want the City Council to step up and stop this nuisance,” according to a citizen petition to City Council filed by resident James Bloch on May 4. Bloch said small planes are “circling for hours,” creating a nuisance for residents. “The small aircraft circling overhead is now ruining my life here,” said Marge Hasslinger,

who has lived near Hayden Road and Princess Drive for seven years. “No more serene desert early mornings. No more open patios and windows to catch the desert sounds and beauty,” Hasslinger said. “At 6 a.m., I leash up the dog for that first walk and am met with three planes circling over-

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see AIRPORT page 12

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

he city budget could be a dominant theme in Scottsdale’s mayoral and council campaigns as the city grapples with major revenue shortfalls due to the pandemic. Several council members, including mayoral candidates Virginia Korte and Suzanne Klapp, have already chastised city staff for being too optimistic with a spending plan featuring about $25 million in cuts. A council majority have called for at least $50 million in cuts as the city loses millions of dollars in revenue from sales and other taxes.

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Lyric Naquin last Thursday held a sign congratulating Notre Dame Preparatory seniors as Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane on the far right extends his best wishes during a celebration during which school officials put in their trunk a gift and their caps gowns before they drove past the chapel, where diplomas were handed out by administrators with gloved hands. “This is not our graduation ceremony,” explained Principal Jill Platt. “That will come in June when it is safe to do so. This is just something fun to do to celebrate these seniors who have dealt with the current crisis with faith, grace, humor and maturity.” (Pablod Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MAY 17, 2020

Mayoral, council candidates forums scheduled An edition of the East Valley Tribune Scottsdale Progress is published every Sunday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Scottsdale. To find out where you can pick up a free copy of Scottsdale Progress, please visit www.Scottsdale.org. CONTACT INFORMATION Main number 480-898-6500 | Advertising 480-898-5624 Circulation service 480-898-5641 Scottsdale Progress 4301 N 75th St., Suite 201, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Publisher Steve T. Strickbine Vice President Michael Hiatt ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Display Advertising 480-898-6309 Classifieds/Inside Sales Elaine Cota | 480-898-7926 | ecota@scottsdale.org TJ Higgins | 480-898-5902 | tjhiggins@scottsdale.org Advertising Office Manager Lori Dionisio | 480-898-6309 | ldionisio@scottsdale.org Director of National Advertising Zac Reynolds | 480-898-5603 | zac@scottsdale.org NEWS DEPARTMENT Executive Editor Paul Maryniak | 480-898-5647 | pmaryniak@scottsdale.org Managing Editor Wayne Schutsky | 480-898-6533 | wschutsky@scottsdale.org Staff Writers Kristine Cannon | 480-898-9657 | kcannon@scottsdale.org Jim Walsh | 480-898-5639 | jwalsh@scottsdale.org Photographers Pablo Robles | Probles@scottsdale.org Design Veronica Thurman | vthurman@scottsdale.org Production Coordinator Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 | production@scottsdale.org Circulation Director Aaron Kolodny | 480-898-5641 | customercare@scottsdale.org Scottsdale Progress 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, and for subscription information, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegatedmedia.com.

PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

ith packed City Council and mayoral races underway, three local civic and business organizations are partnering with local media to host two on-line candidate forums in the coming weeks. The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce, Scottsdale Coalition for Today and Tomorrow (SCOTT) and Scottsdale Leadership will present a mayoral forum on May 27 and a City Council forum on June 3 in collaboration with media partners Scottsdale Progress and Scottsdale Independent. Both events will take place via webcast and streamed live on the Scottsdale Chamber Youtube Channel, the City of Scottsdale’s website and on local Channel 11 news. “Following social distancing guidelines during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Scottsdale Chamber is proud to partner

City leaves hotdog eatery owner steamed

with SCOTT and Scottsdale Leadership to host these webinar candidate Forums for the community,” Chamber CEO Mark Stanton said. The groups will present the mayoral forum noon-1:30 p.m. May 27. Scottsdale Progress Managing Editor Wayne Schutsky will moderate the City Council forum June 3 from noon-1:30 p.m. “It is very important to hear from the candidates as we move toward the primary election scheduled for Aug. 4,” Stanton said. The mayoral candidates are Council members Suzanne Klapp and Virginia Korte and former Council members Lisa Borowsky, Bob Littlefield and David Ortega. All nine city council candidates have agreed to participate in the June 3 forum. They are incumbent Guy Phillips and Michael Auerbach, Tammy Caputi, Bill Crawford, Tom Durham, Betty Janik, Becca Linnig, John Little and Kevin Maxwell.

Scottsdale Leadership Executive Director Lee Ann DeWitt said, “These offerings provide us a point-and-click access to the information we need to become familiar with candidates for office and their stance on critical issues we now face.” The candidates will answer a range questions on public policy and critical city issues formulated by the host organizations, media partners and Scottsdale residents. “This is a critical election for the city,” said Don Henninger, SCOTT executive director. “Not only are we electing a mayor and filling 3 council seats, but it comes when the city is facing daunting fiscal challenges from the COVID-19 crisis...” said Don Henninger, Executive Director of SCOTT. The public can submit questions to communications@scottsdalechamber. com.

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

face-off between the City of Scottsdale and an area restaurant has sparked a debate over whether the city’s stringent design standards are an asset to the city’s brand or simply an overbearing burden. At issue are orange awnings installed last fall by Detroit Coney Grill, which opened its third Valley location in Scottsdale last year. When the restaurant moved into Gateview Park shopping center at Indian Bend and Hayden Roads, it replaced tattered beige awnings with the orange ones that matched its overall branding as part of a $500,000 renovation. But the restaurant failed to obtain city approval for the new color-scheme prior to installation and ultimately had an after-the-fact application go before the city’s Development Review Board in

The orange awnings outside of Detroit Coney Grill were the subject a protracted fight between the City of Scottsdale and restaurant co-owners Dr. Merrill Stromer, left, and Dave Najor. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

December before being denied, in part, by the board in January. The DRB on a 6-1 vote approved the size and shape of the awnings but ruled that the restaurant must replace the orange color with teal or another color more consistent with the shopping center’s centers color scheme, which features mostly tan stucco with teal aw-

nings and rooftops. City Council upheld the DRB decision on a 5-2 vote in May. But just days later, following public backlash, Randy Grant, the head of the city’s planning department, negotiated with business owner Dave Najor and

see CONEY page 6

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MAY 17, 2020

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came to an agreement to allow the majority of the orange awnings to remain. Despite the agreement, the debate over Scottsdale’s design standards is not going away. Scottsdale's development review board – which Mayor Jim Lane referred to as a "design review board" – reviews architectural aspects and layouts of new developments and some proposed modifications to existing buildings. Supporters argue that the existence of the DRB has led to higher-quality design in Scottsdale than other Valley cities. Councilwoman Solange Whitehead, who voted against the orange color in May and as the Council’s representative on thr DRB in January, said “this is why visitors never fail to comment on Scottsdale’s out-of-the-ordinary beauty.” “Scottsdale’s commitment to open space and high design standard brings in the international tourists and retiring executives,” she said. “People all over the world identify Scottsdale as a luxury destination.” But Najor pulled no punches, complaining that the entire process is overly-burdensome on small businesses. “Hopefully no small business will ever have to go through the bureaucratic (expletive)…that we had to go through,” Najor said, arguing he was just trying to beautify an existing building. Najor said the existing awnings on his location were in tatters and there was “no way” he would open the business in that state and that the restaurant received permission from shopping center owner Robert Ong Hing before installation. The restaurateur was dinged by City Council and DRB for moving ahead with the awnings in fall 2019 and then

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MAY 17, 2020

“Hopefully no small business will ever have to go through the bureaucratic (expletive)…that we had to go through.” for installing an additional awning prior to the vote in January. “And I also think this is a sad case in that it is happening during this time, but, in essence, the owner of the building acted without DRB approval,” Councilwoman Suzanne Klapp said. “And I think that’s certainly not what’s acceptable from the perspective of the city or the DRB.” According to city staff, the Coney Grill pad – which is set off from the rest of the shopping center – had teal awnings from 1999 to 2018 that were replaced with beige awnings in 2019 without city approval. Staff also cited city design rules which discourage tying a building’s aesthetics to a business’ brand. “Buildings that derive their image primarily from applied treatments that express corporate identity are discouraged,” according to the city’s commercial design guidelines. But Najor’s attorney Geoffrey Kercsmar argued before Council that the rules applied by the DRB were “arbitrary and capricious” and that a master sign program for the shopping center approved by the city in 2011 allowed for the integration of corporate logos and colors. Klapp argued that the program applies only to signage and “does not translate to awnings; that’s a whole different animal.”

Other members of Council were more sympathetic to the business, though. Councilman Guy Phillips, who served as Council’s representative on DRB in December when the board voted to delay the proposal to January, argued the new color was eye-catching and would draw in more business to the center, which has struggled with vacancies and turnover in recent years. “It’s actually bringing in business to that old plaza,” Phillips said. Phillips also chastised the city’s rules for punishing a small business as businesses struggled in the pandemic, stating “now is not the time to be doing this.” Kercsmar said Detroit Coney Grill saw revenues drop 90 percent due to the pandemic. Mayor Jim Lane, who also voted in favor of the failed effort to approve the orange awnings, said it was not just about the current state of the economy, though. “In this case it’s not just a matter of sympathy,” said Lane, agreeing with Phillips’ point that the orange awnings may help attract more customers to a spot that has seen significant turnover. But Whitehead said the applicant could have done more to reach an agreement with the city before the DRB made its final decision. “I also reached out to DCG back in December,” Whitehead said. “I spend much of my time on Council working out kinks of applications like this one.” Whitehead said she did not hear back from the applicant until recently. “Perhaps we could have saved stress and money back in December but I think everyone is happy to have this resolved,” But Najor said his issues extend back to when he was first launching the restaurant in summer 2019, well before the December DRB hearing, and that it

Tell our readers about your opinions. Send letters to the editor to pmaryniak@scottsdale.org

takes far too long to move through the city processes. According to Grant, the city’s planning director, design changes to buildings can be approved by city staff in some cases but larger changes are referred to the DRB at staff ’s discretion. Najor said the decision on whether a change can receive staff approval or must go to DRB is arbitrary. “There’s no standard; there’s no policy in place; there’s nothing,” he said. Najor’s attorney argued that the DRB imposed unclear standards on Detroit Coney Grill that were not applied to other businesses throughout the city. Najor pointed to examples throughout Scottsdale of restaurants with awnings colored to match their brands that do not match the larger color scheme of their shopping centers, including a Culver’s and Whataburger near 90th Street and Shea Boulevard and a McDonald’s at Indian School and Hayden Roads. He argued that his small business was being treated differently than chain restaurants throughout the city. Whitehead called the same McDonald’s on Indian School “the prettiest in the country” because it includes some design elements, such as a natural rock façade, to match its shopping center. However, that McDonald’s also has yellow awnings that do not match any other part of the center. The compromise allowed the business to keep the orange color by reducing the number of awnings. “Based on the applicant’s willingness to reduce the number of awnings and therefore the dominance of the orange color on the west face of the building, I felt that a staff approval was justified and was not in conflict with the Council’s decision,” Grant said. Najor said he still has plans to open up additional Detroit Coney Grills in Scottsdale, citing community support and other factors. But, he said, the debacle has convinced him to be active in the upcoming city council and mayoral elections. “I did say I want to take the high road for now, but I did say, come election time, I’m going to remind all small business owners… who was there to support small businesses?” Najor said.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MAY 17, 2020

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hough an independent ethics panel cleared Councilman Guy Phillips of wrongdoing, the ordeal could have political ramifications that extend into the ongoing Scottsdale City Council and mayoral elections. The Scottsdale City Council is scheduled to either accept or reject the panel’s report at its next meeting on Tuesday – the final step in the city’s ethics complaint process. This is the first time since the city adopted its ethics code that a complaint has reached the ethics panel and resulted in a report for City Council review. Based on the agenda for the May 19 meeting, it looked like the Council would accept the report with little fanfare. The report was placed on the meeting’s consent agenda – a catchall category typically used for mundane Council activity that are all approved at the same time with one vote. But the Progress has learned that Councilmember Virginia Korte, a candidate for mayor, plans to pull the report off of the consent agenda. Councilmembers can request that consent items be pulled for further discussion. Korte confirmed her plans to the Progress, though declined to say why. Phillips, who is running for re-election, emailed supporters and speculated that Korte will ask her supporters to submit comments and ask they be read into the record in an attempt to discredit him. In the email, Phillips asked his supporters to submit comments on his behalf and appeared to condone political attacks on Korte. “I will never forgive Korte for this,” Phillips wrote. “And I endorse any Korte trashing from this point forward! To (sic) try to humiliate and defame a public official at a public council meeting is the most despicable attack I can think of.” When asked about Korte’s decision, Phillips emailed the Progress, saying, “Stay tuned,.”

But previously he has been critical of the ethics complaint process, arguing it could be manipulated for political purposes. “Many city leaders in the past have also pointed out that it could be used as a political weapon but up until now it was never exercised,” Phillips said. “Now we know that to be true.” Phillips called the process “extremely flawed,” anyone can file a complaint with no basis. While anyone can file one, all complaints must be vetted by both the City Attorney and an independent ethics officer – typically a retired judge – before it reaches a panel. In 2019, then-acting City Attorney Joe Padilla referred a complaint against Councilwoman Solange Whitehead to the officer, who outright dismissed it. But Phillips said the current process still puts too much power in the hands of Council itself to judge its own members. “Hopefully this council or next will go back and tighten it up or remove it completely,” Phillips said. “The provision that other council members can judge one another without bias is also a political tool that I don’t think anyone on the council would want to be put through.” Phillips is not the only one criticizing the city’s process. Mike Norton, the resident who filed the complaint, told the Progress he has a litany of issues with how the investigation played out, including the fact that the panel did not interview witnesses in a hearing Norton called for Council to reject the report because the panel did not interview Phillips or Sue Wood, the resident who started the GoFundMe fundraiser at the center of the complaint. Instead the panel relied on statements submitted by applicable parties due to the pandemic. Norton’s complaint was based, in part, on allegations that a GoFundMe started by Wood to benefit Phillips following a work injury. Norton noted 18 anonymous donations totaling around $2,400 and that could have been used in an attempt to influence

see ETHICS page 14

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MAY 17, 2020

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MAY 17, 2020

CANDIDATES from front

Not all on the Council are calling for drastic cuts, though. Councilman Guy Phillips, who is running for re-election, argued that years of conservative budgets have put the city in a better position to weather the storm without cuts on the level called for by his colleagues. But it appears Phillips is in the minority among candidates with only one other candidate calling the proposed $25 million in cuts acceptable. The progress last week asked candidates not on the council about the budget.

Are you comfortable with early drafts of the budget?

David Ortega, mayoral candidate: There was no sense of urgency! Worldwide, COVID-19 has crushed all sectors: autos, agriculture, light manufacturing, retail sales, construction, commercial real estate and toursim. The tentative budget “savings” were: postponement of fleet purchases, hiring freeze, terminating vendors and miscellaneous. Not enough. Seventy-four percent of the City Budget is direct payroll. Some essential services are 24/7 but others are nearly at a stand still. Scottsdale has a $ 105M cash cushion, but measured strategic cuts must be made. Budget discussions omitted level-of-service, what the city can deliver to residents and businesses, scaled to sustainable payroll… The budget must plan for a 2-3 year recovery, not a rebound. Bob Littlefield, mayoral candidate: I am not comfortable with the budget as presented by city staff thus far. Clearly the staff is stonewalling the Council in the hope the economy will open up and miraculously recover, thus saving them the pain of making big cuts, especially in the area of personnel, which accounts for 74 percent of Scottsdale’s General Fund budget. That miracle is not going to happen. Lisa Borowsky, mayoral candidate: I would like the budget process to include more citizen outreach and input. I strongly support reestablishing the Citizen Budget Commission as we work toward an economic recovery. I would encourage the City to decrease dependency on development revenue which can be inconsistent and can dramatically decline, especially during economic downturns such as we are confronting now. We won’t know what reductions are

DAVID ORTEGA

BOB LITTLEFIELD

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necessary until we know revenue totals. Kevin Maxwell, council candidate: Not at all. The budget, as presented at the May 5 City Council meeting, assumes a V or Ushaped return of the economy. Because we are such a tourism-centric economy and there is no data to predict how our tourism guests will respond to the reopening of the economy, we need to prepare for a prolonged economic downturn. Economic analysis from ASU, UA, and the number of nationally-recognized economists predict a recession that will last 9 to 18 months. This budget is reflective of a temporary downturn. I would like to see a budget that is more aligned with a revenue impact loss of 30-40 percent of tax receipts for a extended period of time. John Little, council candidate: Comfortable? No. In a crisis you need leadership, reliable data, clear roles and policy direction all of which are in short supply. First of all, people by now must know that this is first and foremost a public health crisis that is having a devastating impact on our economy and our personal economic well being. Economic recovery can’t be accurately forecast without understanding the trajectory of the disease through testing and ultimately the availability of a vaccine. While we can’t forecast revenues, we can take immediate steps to limit spending. Accordingly, to be prudent I would propose the City Council direct the City Manager to cap expenditures for FY 20-21 at 50 percent of the General Fund operating budget from the preceding FY 19-20 and then make course corrections based on actual revenue through the balance of FY 20-21. Becca Linnig, council candidate: I believe the cuts that have been made were

prudent. I think we should focus on recovery and how we can inject revenue back into our city. Betty Janik, council candidate: I am not comfortable with the sluggish response by city staff at either meeting (on April 7 and May 5). On April 7, staff made a few suggestions to reduce spending resulting in minimal savings while not addressing the depth of the shutdown. Council members responded with several suggestions for action on the budget for the May 5 meeting including revising the budget to reflect decreased revenue and reduced expenses. Unfortunately, the staff presentation on May 5 was woefully inadequate. After reviewing the numbers, I am convinced the receipts to General Fund will be reduced by approximately 30 percent ($98 million) to $230 million from projected income of $328 million. Total expenses of $286 million were anticipated. Spending reductions of approximate $56 million (income $230 million - expenses $286 million) should be considered. Tom Durham, council candidate: No, I am not comfortable with the budget as currently proposed by staff. It does not reflect the reality of the downward spiral of tax revenue we are currently facing, which will continue for several months, at a minimum. I am also opposed to across the board cuts, since we need to be thoughtful and tactical in budget reductions. I am reluctant to specify a certain amount, since it will need to reflect the reduction in revenue for future months. Bill Crawford, council candidate: I’m not comfortable with it, simply because it’s too fluid to address at this time. Of course, we must make cuts, but temporary cuts will not be the long-term solution.

We ultimately must figure out how to put everyone back to work and open up our businesses. We do not want to hinder, even potentially destroy, the industries and businesses that support us; we want to help them succeed. As a city, our finances function like a household budget. We can’t print money like the federal government. We can only spend what we take in. Tammy Caputi, council candidate: I’m deeply uncomfortable with the budget as presented. Reduce spending to realistically match decreased revenues. We are projecting a $25-million shortfall in annual revenues; that’s just speculation for now. Scottsdale is heavily dependent on sales tax and tourism, a revenue model which has failed in past recessions. Michael Auerbach, council candidate: The budget as presented has the good, the bad, and the ugly. The city has a surplus, good. The revenue from taxes will be about 40-50 percent less than that of last fiscal year, bad. Will the recovery be a V, U or a W shaped one? Will a static trend set in 3 months from now, 12 months, or 18 months from now, ugly? The lack of data makes an already difficult decision that much harder. Staff needs to provide more revenue projection. The city has a Triple-A credit rating. Maintaining this is paramount. Sweeping funds to cover loses is not a good idea. Delaying cost cutting is even worse. Not going through with already planned Capital Improvement Projects has proven unwise in the past. Changing service and program levels to bring them in line with revenue is the fiscally conservative approach I would take. Next week: Where they would cut

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MAY 17, 2020

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AIRPORT from front

head, low and loud.” The complaint comes as overall activity is down at the airport due to reduced flights in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. According to an FAA database, total activity at Scottsdale Airport dropped from 17,131 flights in March 2019 to 16,071 flights in March 2020. There were 15,592 total flights last month – nearly 1,000 fewer than in April 2019. Bloch and Hasslinger are likely hearing noise from trining flights, which have increased, according to airport spokeswoman Sarah Ferrara. She told Bloch in an email: “Since the pandemic, corporate traffic has declined and as a result flight training companies are operating more at the airport.” The airport hosts at least six flight schools. Guy Milanovits of Scottsdale Executive Flight Training said his flights are down but he has noticed more activity at other schools. “We are operating at less capacity than would be normal due to the virus outbreak (but) we only train local business people/ clients so we may be different,” Milanovits said. “I have noticed the contract schools have increased their training, but I’m not sure why.” While the training flight pattern hasn’t changed in recent years, data suggest training operations have increased in recent weeks. “These are operations conducted near the airport runway to practice takeoffs and landings – they are done in a circular /rectangular pattern…This flight pattern has not changed and has been in existence for many years,” Ferrara said. According to the FAA database, “local” flights – which can include training operations and local private owners – have increased at Scottsdale Airpark the last two months. Local flights in Scottsdale jumped from 5,980 in March 2019 to 7,017 in March 2020, a 17 percent increase. In April, there were 8,587 local flights in Scottsdale, a 23 percent increase over April 2019. But the airport received 197 noise complaints last month – down from 308 in April 2019. That did come after a spike in complaints in March, though, when the airport

Residents are complaining that an increase in flight training operations has resulted in flight noise issues over nearby neighborhoods. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

received 242 complaints, up from 216 in March 2019. Bloch and Hasslinger have complained that flight noise begins at 6 a.m. and continues throughout the day. Bloch said the issue is particularly noticeable when he walks his dog at the soccer fields at Hayden and Bell roads. “I do not know what is going on, but it is now going from bad to terrible. It now is several consecutive days of this noise starting at sunrise,” Bloch said. But it’s unclear what, if anything, the city or airport can do to stop it. Regulation of airports and aircraft is tangled in a bureaucratic web that spans from local governments to the Federal Aviation Administration, and Scottsdale can’t do much without FAA approval. In many cases, local airports are handcuffed by the FAA, which imposes certain obligations on public airports – including Scottsdale – that receive federal grant funding. Those obligations, or grant assurances, forbid limiting the type of flight activity at an airport. “Scottsdale Airport, as a public airport, must be available for public use without unjust discrimination to all types of aeronautical activities and be available for use 24 hours per day, seven days per week,” Ferrara said. But Bloch said the pilots are “just playing around at 1,000 feet as (if) they owned the playground, as if they owned the airspace.” Ferrara said that the airport has no authority to govern flight paths and that the increase in activity is tied to normal training activity. “I checked into the date and times you referenced in the Public Vue flight tracking

system and most of the flight operations are from flight training operators doing pattern work or touch-and-gos,” she told Bloch. Scottsdale prohibits touch-and-go flights between 9:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. but there are no rules the rest of the day. Bloch’s petition asked the Council “to enforce the designated flight paths from Scottsdale airport.” But it is still unclear if the noise is the result of pilots actually deviating from the path or simply an increase in activity as Ferrara suggested. Ian Gregor, an FAA spokesman, said the FAA does not have regulatory authority over the frequency of training flights but that the agency would investigate complaints of aircraft not adhering to flight paths. “Airport traffic patterns are strictly defined in terms of routes and altitudes, and do not generally change except for safety reasons,” Gregor said. “If the FAA receives a report about unsafe flying, we will investigate.” Even if the City Council were to act on Bloch’s petition, it would need FAA approval to adopt and enforce further noise mitigation efforts. That’s because airports are required by the FAA to conduct ”an extensive analysis of the costs and benefits of the proposed restrictions,” Ferrara said. Those studies can be costly and time consuming and there is no guarantee of success. For example, the Burbank Airport conducted a Part 161 study from 2000 to 2009 at a cost of $7 million in an attempt to impose a mandatory nighttime curfew on flights.

The FAA decided that the “study did not justify the imposition of the mandatory curfew,” according to Burbank Airport. Ferrara said it is unlikely the airport would qualify for federal funding for the study because there are no homes in the “65 DNL noise contour,” an area where the average day-night sound level from aircraft noise does not exceed 65 decibels. That’s the threshold decibel level at which the FAA considers flight activity not compatible with residential uses. “Because there are no residential impacts within the 65 DNL noise contour, federal funding is not available for such a Study and FAA approval of restrictions would be unlikely,” according a Scottsdale Airport noise study. At this point, all the city can do is collect complaints and work with the FAA under an existing noise-abatement plan – something that is unlikely to appease residents. That plan makes few references to flight training operations directly, other than some existing restrictions Scottsdale has in place – including the touch-and-go limit and a prohibition on stop-and-go operations by multi-engine aircraft. Those restrictions were adopted in the 1980s and 1990s and “grandfathered” in with FAA approval. The plan also encourages pilots of single-engine craft to adopt noise awareness steps from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, but includes no requirements that they do so. The overall plan includes dozens of steps to abate noise caused by airport activity, but does not include limitations on flight training activity.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MAY 17, 2020

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Surprise enrollment numbers beef up SUSD finances BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

nrollment declines in the Scottsdale Unified School District came in well below expectations, providing the district with an infusion of over $3 million that could be used to soften the blow in the event of statewide cuts to education funding for next year. The district could also receive nearly $2 million this year in federal funding to offset costs attributed to the pandemic. On May 5, SUSD CFO Jeff Gadd told the Governing Board that the district had enrollment of 21,543 on the 100th day of this school year, well above the anticipated enrollment of 21,083. Overall, the district lost about 60 students since last year. “We’re fortunate that we have not experienced the level of decline that we did in the prior year…so that’s really good news for the district and for its budget,” Gadd said. The district has struggled with declining enrollment over the past decade. SUSD’s high school enrollment is down 5.3 percent since 2010 while its K-8 enrollment is down 19.2 percent during this time period. Even with this year’s improvement, long-term projections presented to the district in December 2019 showed enrollment dropping to 20,600 by 20282029. Still, by beating projections, the district has reaped some tangible rewards this year in the form of increased state

ETHICS from page 8

Phillips’ vote on Southbridge Two. Phillips denied the allegation and the panel found the GoFundMe was based on a benign purpose. But Norton and others have argued that conclusion was flawed because the panel, which did not have subpoena power, never found out who made the anonymous donations. According to GoFundMe, the names of anonymous donors are made available to both campaign organizers like Wood and beneficiaries like Phillips. Phillips has said he chose not to know

Gadd said that next year is “very likely going to be a year that is not supported by the state to the extent it is currently.” Under Gadd’s proposal, $972,730 of the budget increase would be designated to add teaching positions to accommodate the unanticipated enrollment bump. The district would then transfer the Scottsdale Unified School District handed out Chromebooks remaining $2.7 miland other technology to help students participate in distance lion of the increase learning this year. The district could be in line for up to $1.8-mil- to its capital budget lion in federal grants to offset that and other coronavirus-relatthis year to pay for ed costs. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer) one-time expenses funding for maintenance and operafor new technoltions, which is driven the district’s ogy and a textbook adoption that were headcount. scheduled to be included in next year’s The board voted unanimously on May capital budget. 5 to adopt a revised budget for this year That would free up $2.7 million in that added $3,672,730 to its mainte- next year’s capital budget that Governnance and operations budget. ing Board could choose to transfer back The bulk of that increase – about to the M&O budget if the need arises. $3.25 million – was a direct result of the “I think it is highly likely that the state improved enrollment numbers. will need to take some budget action – Though the enrollment increase af- and we are about 50 percent of their fects the fiscal year ending June 30, the entire budget, K-12 is – to affect the district could carry forward the bulk of budget, and the district hopefully will its newfound funds to next year. be in a much better position by having That will help if the state makes cuts that cushion to use if necessary,” Gadd to education in the wake of its own pan- said. demic-driven revenue losses. SUSD could also be in line to receive the names of the donors. Wood has not made the names public. Norton also called into question whether or not former City Attorney Bruce Washburn, who appears to have aided Phillips during the ethics panel process, had undo influence over the outcome. Email records show that Washburn was in contact with both City Attorney Sherry Scott and Rob Ellman, the city-hired counsel for the panel, during the investigation to request copies of documents pertaining to the trial. Phillips also declared on a gift form filed with the city that he was receiving advice from Washburn.

“Washburn drafted pleadings for Phillips arguing against enforcing the very City Code that he himself had helped draft,” Norton said. “He argued that the code was ambiguous. And based on Washburn’s arguments, the Ethics Panel decided to let Phillips off easy while mildly spanking the perpetrators and sending a moderately blunt message to the City about needing to clean up our messes.” The panel itself raised concerns over the ethics code and recommended changes to prevent unethical candidates from manipulating GoFundMe. The panel stated it was “not suggesting

an infusion of nearly $2 million this year to compensate the district for costs associated with the coronavirus. Gadd said the district has “very preliminary information” that SUSD could receive $1.8 million in grant funding via the CARES Act, the $2-trillion coronavirus relief package passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump at the end of March. The $1.8-million estimate is based on the level of Title 1 funding the district receives versus other districts in the state. “Title 1 funding is based…on socio economics, free and reduced lunch, so some districts in the state will obviously receive a much greater share of this money than would Scottsdale, but, still, $1.8 million is a substantial amount,” According to the National League of Cities, the CARES Act included a total of $30.75 billion for school districts that can be used to offset costs to prepare for extended closures and provide technology for distance learning. Following school closures, SUSD set up pick-up spots throughout the district to provide Chromebooks and internet hotspots to families who needed them to participate in school remotely. The district could allocate some of the grant funding towards the purchase of additional Chromebooks, Gadd said. Meanwhile, all school districts are awaiting word at the end of the month from Kathy Hoffman, state superintendent of public instruction, on guidelines for opening the 2020-21 school year. this happened here” but recommended the city amend the code to address the loophole. Norton called for the city o give more power to the panel to remove ambiguity and give it the power of subpoena. Phillips has called on the Council to “tighten up” the process or remove it completely. “It is extremely flawed,” Phillips said. “Having the council have to go through a council meeting to ‘judge’ the elected councilperson, an embarrassment for anyone, and at the same time no judicial power to put forth any punishment renders it just a political show.”

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MAY 17, 2020

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Doug Clifford finds voice on ‘Magic Window’ BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Progress Staff Writer

oug “Cosmo” Clifford can’t stop making music. Even though the Scottsdale resident and his bandmates in Creedence Clearwater Revisited stopped touring last year, the drummer is releasing his own music. On April 17 – his 75th birthday – Clifford sent “Magic Window” to CD Baby and all streaming platforms. The album was recorded in 1985 and updated earlier this year. “It’s filled with surprises,” said Clifford, who winters in Scottsdale. “I’m very, very proud of it. I found (the tapes) going through a locker in the garage. It had all this old stuff from my studio. The master tapes had more than 100 songs. I always made sure if someone picked up

Scottsdale resident Doug "Cosmo" Clifford of Creedence Clearwater Revisited is still going strong at 75. (Special to the Progress)

the songs, they would be ready to play.” Clifford wrote the songs sitting at the piano in his Lake Tahoe, Nevada, summer home. More than 6,000 feet altitude, the home is surrounded by bears and deer. During his downtime, he’d gaze out at the lake and mountains and write, sometimes alone, sometimes with collaborators. “I had an analog studio with a good tape deck, so I could try out ideas without looking at the clock,” he said. “I’d invite friends in to jam and experiment. I made ‘Magic Window’ with Russell DaShiell on lead guitar. “He’s also a good engineer and co-produced the sessions with me. I was going to use it to look for a record deal, but I got busy with other projects and forgot about it.”

see CLIFFORD page 18

Dads come through for Navajo School ‘guitar kids’

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

he fifth graders at Navajo Elementary School are unlike other fifth-grade classes in Scottsdale. Students were not only forced to switch campuses after an August 2018 fire, but they were also stripped of the opportunity to return to the newly restored Granite Reef campus this spring – even if just for the last few months of fifth grade. But before the class’s untraditional promotion May 21, two Navajo parents and the fifth-grade teachers weren’t about to let one popular activity fall by the wayside: the cigar box guitar project. “This cigar box guitar is one of our signature STEAM projects for the school

DeLynda Thorne is one of more than 30 Navajo Elementary School fifth-graders who put assembled cigar box guitars, one of the school’s signature STEAM projects. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

that students love,” said Principal Matthew Patzlaff. For the past four years, the collaborative project teaches students how to design and build a cigar box guitar as well as the history of the instrument and how to play it. Navajo teachers have spent the past few years improving and perfecting it. “It’s just grown. Every year it’s gotten better,” said music teacher Jeanette Young. When the school closed, Young was unsure if her students would have the opportunity to complete the project – until she received an email from parents Steve Prince and Greg Thorne, members of Navajo’s dads club called Watch D.O.G.S., “Dads of Great Students.”

see GUITARS page 18

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GUITARS from page 16

recorded and uploaded a total of four videos teaching the students how to assemble the guitar, how to play it and more. “I did a video of them doing the blues because that’s one of the things we did is we studied the blues before this all happened,” Young said. “That’s the culminating thing is they actually play the guitar and play the blues.” It takes the students about 20 minutes to put the guitars together. What DeLynda enjoys about the project, Thorne said, is using the tools to put the guitar together. “I think that’s what a lot of these kids enjoy, like, ‘Hey, I was able to use a screwdriver. I was actually putting all these things and now I have a real working guitar,’” Thorne said. “I’ve heard from a couple parents already who said that the kids had a great time,” he said. Thorne may be phasing out of the Watch D.O.G.S. as the group’s “Top D.O.G.” due to the fact that his daughter is on her way to Mohave Middle School in the fall, but he still plans to help with the project next year. “It’s a great project, and I hope everything continues to go forward, for years to come,” Thorne said. “I’ll pull all of those 20-some hours putting it all together, as long as I get the supplies to the kids,” he added. “It’s up to them to put it together. If they don’t put it together, that’s their choice, but at least I did everything in my hand and my power to make sure they have the opportunity to do it.”

“Steve and Greg emailed and said, ‘Hey, what can we do to get this project to actually happen this year?’” Young said. “I did not want these kids to not experience what the last three classes did,” said Thorne, whose daughter DeLynda is a fifth-grader at Navajo. Thorne, Prince and several other dads spent 16 hours over two days cutting wood, gathering materials and creating about 80 cigar box kits for the students. The kits include a guitar neck, three strings, five screws, a bridge and nut, sandpaper, a guitar pick and a PVC pipe to use while paying the guitar. “I’ve got to give props to Steve Prince because he opened his house up to us to use his woodworking equipment and we spent basically the first Saturday and Sunday of spring break this year getting the necks ready, drilling holes, preparing everything,” Thorne said. The students then dropped by Thorne’s southern Scottsdale home earlier this month to pick up their kits. Young said more than half of the 66 students picked up their guitar. “I thought it was super cool that we have a group of dads that was still willing to make it happen. I wasn’t surprised because that’s just the kind of community we are,” said parent Jill Mullen, whose daughter Chloe is also in the fifth grade. “Chloe was thrilled she wouldn’t have to miss out. She has two older sisters

CLIFFORD from page 16

Those projects included producing albums for Doug Sahm of the Sir Douglas Quintet and Texas Tornados, playing in Steve Miller’s band and then joining Stu Cook to play Creedence hits as Creedence Clearwater Revisited in 1995. That group performed worldwide for 25 years, amassing many fans and crossing multiple generations to bring the CCR hits to people. They also released a platinum-certified live hits album. “We had a dream when we were 13. That’s when we started the band originally,” Clifford said. “Our dream was to have the songs played on the radio. We had 52 years of hits on the radio. The Revisited project

Greg Thorne examines one of the guitars. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

that have gotten them,” Mullen added. As part of the STEAM project, the students work with the technology teacher to learn how to 3-D design the guitar’s bridge and the nuts via Tinkercad, a free, easy-to-use online 3D CAD design tool. Young teaches the history behind the cigar box guitar and how to play it. “This project integrates all of the disciplines in a STEAM project: the sciences, technology, engineering, arts, and math into one project,” Patzlaff said. “It was important to still do it with this group of fifth graders because a

was 25 of touring. No one was more surprised than us that we lasted that long.” When Clifford found is songs, there were 100 in the locker. “Magic Window” took shape organically over several years. “I grew up in the years rock was evolving,” he said. “Blues, rockabilly, country, rhythm and blues and folk music were all around me, so I don’t think about genre when I’m writing. I think about groove; the songs all evolved from the groove.” “I’m the writer on every song. I’m the singer on every song,” he said. “I’m not just the drummer anymore. I love to drum. It was a fun project. Everybody was on the same page. You hire good guys, you make sure your door is open.

lot of the work had already been done before the school closures started,” he added. Typically, the students spend two days a week for two weeks working on the interactive project, during which Young said they bring in Thorne and a handful of other Watch D.O.G.S. to help the students. “They came in on the days that we were building with the kids,” she said. “Some of the kids didn’t even know how to screw a screw, and the kids learned how to tighten the strings.” But with physical distancing orders in effect, Young and Thorne instead “You have them there for a reason. I told them, ‘If you hear anything or think of an idea that might improve something, let me know.’ It’s the best I’ve ever sung in my life. I had a studio in my house.” Once “Magic Window” is out and fans have digested it, Clifford is going to start the writing process again. “I’m not touring anymore,” he said. “The creative bug is biting pretty hard. “I had cancer give years ago and radiation did more damage than the cancer, I think. I’m OK, but I have Parkinson’s. My body was saying, ‘No more.’ Plus, I have a bad back. I played the drums for 60 years. I was sitting off to one side. “My right foot on the bass drum, my left foot on the high hat. My back will go out now just because of the damage

done to my muscles in my lower back. But you know what? I’d do it all again.” Music isn’t Clifford’s only love. Armed with a biology background, Clifford won the Incline Village, Nevada, Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year award in 1991 for a program he created to stop or hinder wildfire. “It turned out to be the No. 1 program in the nation,” he said. “Washington was sending busloads of geeks to see what I was doing. “I was the only guy to get that award who wasn’t a chamber member. Those were mullet days, too. I went to the state senate and was dealing with the federal government. It became a full-time job. It was the best thing I’ve ever done as a human.”

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Great Wolf Lodge lends a great big hand D support to Family Promise by donating hundreds of bath towels, hand towels, washcloths, bathmats, sheets, pillowcases and other linens. Family Promise is sheltering more than a dozen families at its day center in southern Scottsdale. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the nonprofit relied on its network of volunteer churches and synagogues to shelter and feed the families. Family Promise has had to abandon its communitybased model to protect its volunteers and families from the potential spread of the virus. Family Promise said the linen donation is crucial to providing comfort and care to the families that they are currently sheltering and help them get started in their new homes after they graduate from the program.

“With each family that we serve, our goal is to guarantee a quality experience for them while they are in our care and to get them settled into their own home after graduating from our program while working to keep everyone safe during this health crisis,” said Executive Director Ted Taylor. Brian Johnson, general manager at Great Wolf Lodge Arizona, said is company’s mission “is to bring joy to families, and we’re proud to support Family Promise as they ‘keep the promise’ to families during this challenging time.” We’re grateful for this opportunity to support our community and provide these linens to families in need,” he added. Homeless families are more at-risk during crises and pandemics than other populations as housing instability limits access to hygiene and families facing homelessness are not always able to secure basic needs such as cleaning products and sanitizers. Family Promise needs donations and information is at FamilyPromiseAZ.org. For information on the Paw-Pledge: greatwolf.com/arizona/paw-pledge.

cation Specialist Haley Honeman in a joint statement. The seals are awarded for achievements in dance, media arts, theater arts, visual arts and music and the most, 297, were earned in music. “To see those qualities in someone of this age is truly extraordinary,” Kriekard said. “We could not be more proud of these first-ever SUSD recipients of the new state Arts Seal. And we are equally proud of and thankful to their district teachers, who, over each of these students’ high school years, have helped develop and hone their talents to amazing levels.” Scottsdale recipients include: Arcadia High: Lainey Durchslag (band/ film), Toni Stark (theater/visual art), Oriana Valcamp (theater) and Jamie Villarreal (theater/visual art) Chaparral: Ayda Bayati (band/choir/theater), Cole Carney (band/theater), Alexis

Goldschmidt (choir/band/theater) and Sarah Wolin (visual art). Desert Mountain: Nikita Anand (choir), Kaitlyn Antioco (choir), Elisabelle Bizon (theater), Trinity Chin (visual art), Lauren Dresler (band/visual art), Trevor Enault (theater), Mikayla Glancy (theater), Eleni Katergaris (band), Rebecca Laakso (visual art), Brittany Matthews (theater), Lauren Oh (dance/theater), Mia Person (dance), Lauren Reilly (theater), Cara Richman (theater), Kamryn Smith (dance/theater) and Macie Wilson (theater). Saguaro: Chloe Colbert (band), Lauryn Davis (choir), Acacia Dustman Wastchak (band), Matthew Gross (theater/choir), Jeffrey Harrison (orchestra), Ethan Hughes (visual arts), Daniel Hutton (orchestra), Aidan Jacobson (orchestra), Anna Jakubczyk (orchestra), Alexis McNally (theater), Violet Rowland (dance), Sydney Steinmetz (band), and Alessandra Velarde (choir).

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espite having to close during the pandemic only weeks after it opened, Great Wolf Lodge Arizona felt compelled to give back to the community. It donated hundreds of linens to Family Promise of Greater Phoenix to be used by homeless families who turn to the Phoenix shelter for a temporary place to live. Family Promise rescues primarily firsttime homeless families and their pets and helps them return to independence. They were thrilled with the gift, part of Great Wolf Lodge’s company-wide Paw Pledge initiative, which focuses on health and safety of its guests and pack, commitment to the community, and providing travel flexibility to families. Located within the Salt River Pima‐ Maricopa Indian Community’s Talking Stick Entertainment District, Great Wolf Lodge Arizona was the planned site of Family Promise’s annual fundraising event that had been slated for April. The event was postponed to October, but Great Wolf Lodge wanted to show

Great Wolf Lodge Arizona’s character, Violet, assists in assembling the donation of hundreds of linens to Family Promise of Greater Phoenix. (Courtesy Great Wolf Lodge)

37 SUSD grads earn new state arts seal

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

hirty-seven Scottsdale Unified School District seniors are among the first 585 Class of 2020 members from 58 schools to earn the new State Seal of Arts Proficiency. The state Department of Education awarded the new seal to four Arcadia High seniors, four from Chaparral, 16 attended Desert Mountain High seniors and 13 from Saguaro High. “The arts are essential components of a complex and well-rounded education,” said Scottsdale Unified Superintendent Dr. John Kriekard in a prepared statement. “These excelling students have shown a passion for the art of their choice, be it dance, music, theater or visual, and, for some of them, a combination of these pursuits. They exemplify what it means to

commit to an endeavor, to dedicate themselves to learn more and to improve their craft,” Kriekard continued. The seal, established last year by the Legislature, recognizes graduates’’ high levels of achievement in meeting Arizona Arts Education Standards. The recipients graduated with a 3.0 or better GPA in four or more credits of qualifying arts courses. Statewide, the recipients completed a combined total of more than 17,550 hours of arts extracurricular activities and finished a student-led capstone project demonstrating their artistic learning. “We are incredibly proud of the creativity and dedication of the inaugural cohort of young artists who overcame immense challenges to receive this rigorous honor. We can’t wait to see where their creative skills take them in life,” said Director of Arts Education Dustin Loehr and Arts Edu-

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MAY 17, 2020

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Trio realizes dream with House of Nailz BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

riends and co-workers Tahnee Reed, Ericka Rosas, and Samantha Mahoney dreamt of owning their own respective nail salons. For two years, the trio – with a combined 30 years’ experience in the beauty industry – discussed how they’d make the jump from employees at Terés A Nail Bar in Old Town Scottsdale to business owners. The pandemic helped them do just that, Reed said. “With everything that came along with the pandemic, the opportunity presented itself, and we ran with it. It all just came together,” she said. When Teres closed, Reed spent weeks shopping for decor, designing the Old Town space and perfecting the first iteration of the new salon’s menu of services. On May 15, House of Nailz, tucked away in a complex off the corner of 4th Street and 70th Street, hosted its grand opening. “We are very innovative, creative and we want to have a lot of fun in our space,” Reed said. “We have a lot of amenities inside the salon -- but at a very affordable price point.” House of Nailz offers 14 services, from $12 regular polish changes and $37 gel manicures to $54 55-minute luxury milk and honey soak gel pedicures and $75 long-length soft gel extensions. Reed said their signature service is the luxury soak, which is also available for $35 for 35 minutes. The service includes shaping, trimming, cuticle care and exfoliation of the heels, as well as a flower petal milk and honey soak with customers’ choice of an added herbal scent. Guests will also be treated to a complimentary whipped shea butter massage and a warm oil treatment, followed by warm towels.

Ericka Rosas, Tahnee Reed, and Samantha Mahoney are the owners of House of Nailz, a new nail salon in Old Town (Courtesy of House of Nailz)

“A lot of people have been booking that one online,” Reed said. “We’ve ordered everything from fresh lemon slices, chrysanthemum, [and] rose petals. We definitely want to let people know that their health, their self-care, their relaxation, that’s top priority at House of Nailz.” They plan to add services and Reed described the 330-square-foot space as “intimate,” “personal” and “innovative and fun.” “We want people to know that when they’re there, Nailz is more about an experience.,” she added. The owners confronted unique challenges starting out because of the pandemic. “We’ve had to submit business licenses,

we had to buy furniture, we’ve had to buy supplies – all while this was going on,” she said. “We’ve had to go about this very strategically and safely because we’ve had to be out in stores and in different business offices and places trying to get the business together while still in quarantine.” Reed admitted feelings of apprehension and concern opening . “It was hard, definitely, to put the business together because on one hand we’re like, ‘Are people even going to come? Are we going to be able to do this? Are nails going to become obsolete because people are too scared to sit across from one another?’” Reed said.

“But then at the same time,” she continued, “we are under strict, strict sanitation guidelines and we just are so secure in how much safety we can provide people that we kept pushing forward.” The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends nail salon workers wash hands before and after working clients; wearing disposable gloves and throwing them away immediately after use; cleaning and disinfecting tools, foot basins, and spas after each client; and wearing dust masks with filtering face pieces, like N95s, to protect them from breathing in harmful gases, vapors, and dusts. “A nail salon is actually a very safe business to go to during a time like this because we operate with hospital-grade disinfectant,” Reed said, calling it “second safest place you can go” outside of hospitals. House of Nailz has implemented various safety measures. They include a maximum of six people in the salon –three technicians and three guests; requiring all personnel and guests to wear facial covering; asking them to only necessary items such as keys, phone and wallet – and to wash their hands. If any guests do not follow the rules, their appointment will be canceled and they will be charged. “We are really enforcing strict safety and social distancing guidelines for the salon,” Reed emphasized. “The main concern from our standpoint and from the client’s standpoint is that everybody just wants to feel safe, and everyone just wants to feel like they can do things that bring them a sense of normalcy safely,” she said. “It will be a different experience, no doubt, to get your nails done and have to sit there and talk through a face mask, but I think that it’ll still be a very positive experience,” Reed added. Information: 3533 N. 70th Street; linktr.ee/houseof_nailz

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Scottsdale Community College makes the most of summer BY CHRIS HAINES Progress Guest Writer

nrolling in a summer class or two can be a solid choice for many of us. Working professionals can stay current in their field while investing in their career growth or re-careering. High school and college students can take a class during summertime, even if they are enrolled in a different program, saving them time and money along their educational journey. Others may simply enjoy the pleasure of learning a new hobby or

Highlight your graduating senior in your local paper. High Schools will have their own section highlighting their students and achievements throughout the year.

area of interest. Attending a local community college, like Scottsdale Community College, can be a good option since tuition is affordable at only $85 per credit hour and numerous scholarships, grants and financial aid resources are available. Today, many high school students attend SCC as part of a dual enrollment program so they can earn high school and college credits simultaneously. SCC has agreements with local high schools, and coursework is offered in occupational and academic areas. Enrolling in a class over the summer, and beyond if so desired, helps reduce course duplication and can be instru-

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mental in developing early occupational skills. College students currently attending or looking to attend other educational institutions can take courses at a much lower cost and then transfer to a wide variety of public and private universities seamlessly. SCC offers degrees designed specifically to transfer and participates in many transfer agreements with colleges and universities. Learners can choose specialized instruction working toward a high-demand career opportunity or general education and graduate with a certificate or associate’s degree or transfer into a four-year university, if desired. For students who are undecided about their major, taking introductory coursework enables them to begin their educational journey while they work with skilled academic and career advisors to determine their future academic pathway. The extraordinary situation we’re all facing today has indeed interrupted many lives. If a student’s Spring classes were impacted, they should consider taking a class(es) during the summer to keep their academic journey on track. For working professionals, continuous learning is critical to staying competitive in many industries. Enrolling in summer school can provide the additional training and skills needed for career growth and advancement. For certain certificate programs, simply completing one or two courses can provide the technical competency needed to help master a new skillset – and that can potentially lead to higher pay and increased job responsibilities. In addition to serving up traditional academic programs in business, sci-

The extraordinary situation we’re all facing today has indeed interrupted many lives. If a student’s Spring classes were impacted, they should consider taking a class(es) during the summer to keep their academic journey on track. ence, communications, English and many more, SCC offers career and technical degree programs in film/theater, fine arts, criminal justice, interior design, nutrition, hospitality/tourism, business, and computer information systems, just to name a few. Coursework for Summer Semester is available 100 percent online, providing greater flexibility. Students can expect the same robust curriculum and educational opportunities on par with other accredited academic institutions. Almost 70 percent of SCC faculty members have a master’s degree and 26 percent have a doctoral degree. The average class size is only 16, helping ensure personal interaction and a strong learning experience with the instructor. So why not learn something new and use summer to your advantage? Scottsdale Community College is here to help. Summer Semester begins May 26. Chris Haines, M.Ed., is interim president of Scottsdale Community College, a Maricopa Community College. Information: 480-423-6700 or scottsdalecc.edu.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MAY 17, 2020

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Salt River Fields goes to the movies BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Progress Staff Writer

cottsdale Airpark-based R Entertainment is promising to “adapt and overcome” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of throwing events with elbowto-elbow crowds, R Entertainment is taking social distancing seriously and hosting drive-in movies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. “We wanted to show people that they could get out of their houses in a safe way and have fun,” said Kerry Dunne of R Entertainment. “One thing we believe is people feel safe in their cars, as opposed to a room with 5,000 people.” And it worked. All 100 spots were sold out for the first weekend’s movies, “Frozen II” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” May 1 to May 3. “The faces on these kids were priceless,” Kerry said. “Everybody was smiling and happy. People were dressed up in princess costumes. It was all worth it.” His brother, Dave Dunne, who runs Salt River Fields, said interest has blossomed for the pop-up drive-in movie experience. “We’re getting a lot of interest from people who want to do corporate buyouts for their staff or customers to come out for a night,” Dave said. “I know it’s going to start getting hot here pretty soon, but I think this might have more legs than I thought. Once the governor lifts everything off and we go back to normal, we might keep trying this for a while. “We’ve even thought about bringing it back for other times of the year, when the weather is a little nicer, like Christmas or early December/late November. We could have a Christmas Village with Santa and show some holiday movies.” The movies are shown in the Center

R Entertainment even sets up a small snack area near the screen during its drive-in movies at Salt River Fields. (Pablo Robles/ Progress Staff Photographer)

Field lot on the east side of the complex on an LED wall attached to a stage. Sound is piped in through the car radio. The price is $25 per carload and concessions can be added. For a list of movies, visit srfdrivein. com. “I was happily surprised with the picture quality and the sound was fantastic,” Dave said. Kerry added, “It’s really amazing to have this kind of technology to be able to do this. When technology meets opportunity, it really works out for everybody. The experience, the sound and the picture were great. The screen was out with a major rock band

all last year. It’s just been hanging around in a warehouse with the guys from Showboss. Pro Production said they had a stage. My brother runs Salt River Fields. It felt like the Hardy Boys do a festival.” Kerry said they’re working with the Diamondbacks to create a Little League night, and others have called for a first-responders’ night. The Dunnes are considering other types of events, too, such as concerts, karaoke nights and comedy shows. “There was a car concert in Denmark that went off really, really well,” Kerry said, “We’ve been discussing that. We were

thinking of rolling out some really cool concerts where everyone turns on their speakers and they beam the show into the car. We can make the shows interactive with Instagram, too. We can be creative as can be. The technology allows us to do so many things. “What makes this so fun is the technology is so flexible. This has been a blessing for Salt River Fields, our partner, and us. We’re on the cutting edge of doing something positive and we keep exploring our options. It may die out the end of May and it’ll be an interesting chapter in our lives.”

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Dinner series will aid out-of-work eatery employees BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

ithin less than one month, a local events company known for its picturesque pop-up dinners has raised nearly $20,000 for 15 local chefs. “We believe that restaurants function as one of the most important frames through which we experience our community, and we want to help support them the way they quietly support all of us during this time of need,” said Olivia Laux, co-founder of Cloth & Flame. Laux founded Cloth & Flame in 2016 with husband Matt Cooley and together have hosted countless farm-to-table dinners in unique, scenic settings. Those settings have included northern Scottsdale and Gold Canyon among the towering Superstition Mountains. On May 8, Laux and Cooley announced the Arizona Community Dinners Fundraiser, comprising 10 future outdoor dining events that will feature menus by top local chefs. Participants include Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco, Cat Bunnag of Glai Baan, Branden Levine of Sel Restaurant, Nick Campisano and Joshua James of Born & Raised Hospitality, Erik Syhre of Fox Restaurant Concepts, Silvana Salcido Esparza of Barrio Café; Also among them are Stephen Jones of the larder + the delta, Jeff Kraus of Crepe Bar, Eric Ramirez of Upward Projects, Tamara Stanger of Cotton & Copper, Dara Wong and George Murkowicz of Shift Flagstaff, Genuine Concepts, and Juan Zamora, Kyle Kent, and Jade Montoyal of Chula Seafood. As part of the fundraiser, future guests donate at least $50 to the restaurant of your choice. All funds donated will immediately go to that restaurant.

“These small businesses statewide have been losing money for weeks and many are taking on additional costs to continue to serve and nourish us safely through pickup and to-go programs, many of which don’t yield enough revenue to continue to pay cooks, dining room service team members, or bartenders,” Laux said. Each dinner will seat 100 people on a firstclaimed basis, and all dinners will occur on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Once the dates and locations are scheduled, attendees will pay an additional $95, which will go to the site landowner, service staff, production team, dishes, and more. Sel Restaurant chef Branden Levine is one of 15 local chefs hosting fundraiser dinners orgaCloth & Flame will acnized by Cloth & Flame. (Chris Mortenson/Progress Staff Photographer) cept no profit for any of the dinners. Once it’s safe to dine out in a group “We don’t usually have a lot of turnThree participants — Bianco Restausetting again, Cloth & Flame will email over, so these people have been with us attendees with the dates, locations and for a while, both front of the house and rants, Fox Restaurant Concepts, and additional dinner details. back of the house, and it was difficult Upward Projects — chose to donate all “What drives our business is the having to let them go,” said co-owner proceeds to the other restaurants benefiting from this fundraiser. community. Without their support and Cat Bunnag. “Being included in the Community trust, we would not be here,” said ManBunnag will co-host a Cloth & Flame dy Heflin, co-owner of Chula Seafood, dinner with chef Branden Levine of Sel Dinner Fundraiser provides the opportunity to lessen the blow of COVID-19 which has a location in Scottsdale. Restaurant in Old Town. Heflin added that the Cloth & Flame “It’s a partnership and connection and lets us give back to all the local resfundraiser will help support the Chula that I enjoy having with him. And that’s taurants we’ve come to know and love,” Seafood employees who have been laid what this dinner is really about: con- said Erik Syhre, who leads the culinary off or lost their jobs. nection. We want to go back to con- team for Culinary Dropout and the Yard “We are doing whatever we can to necting with not only guests, but with at Fox Restaurant Concepts. “Without our staff to spend service give back to them and let them know other chefs and workers in the Arizona with and great spots to spend our days they have a home with us when this is food community,” Bunnag said. over,” Heflin said. Cloth & Flame launched the fundrais- off at, there’s an integral part of the culture that is missing,” Syhre added. Layoffs and reduced hours have been er on April 22 with a goal of $50,000. To book and donate, visit clothandthe biggest COVID-19 impacts on Glai In 21 days, they raised a little more flame.com. Baan in central Phoenix as well. than $19K.

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Public Notices NOTICE TO CREDITORS In the Matter of the Estate of Shelley N Lewis, Deceased. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed as the Personal Representative of this estate. All persons having claims against the estate are required to present their claims within 90 days after the date of the first publication of this Notice or the claims will be forever barred. Claims must be presented by delivering or mailing a written statement of the claim to undersigned Personal Representative at 5875 W Oakey Blvd Las vegas, NV 89146. DATED this 6th day of May, 2020. /s/ Renee Simkins Renee Simkins Published: Scottsdale Progress May 10, 17 and West Valley View /Business May 13, 2020 / 30594

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Adjustment of the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, will hold a remote public hearing on June 03, 2020, at 6:00 P.M in Scottsdale, Arizona: Until further notice, Board of Adjustment meetings will be held electronically. While physical facilities are not open to the public, Board of Adjustment meetings are televised on Cox Cable Channel 11 and streamed online at ScottsdaleAZ.gov (search “live stream”) to allow the public to listen/view the meeting in progress.

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5-BA-2020 (Catanese Carport/Garage Variance) Request by owner for a variance to the City of Scottsdale Zoning Ordinance, Section 5.404.E.1.a pertaining to the front yard setback requirement for an existing carport with Single-family Residential (R1-10) zoning located at 5110 North 73rd Street. Staff contact person is Omar Smailbegovic, 480-312-3087. Applicant contact person is Santo M. Catanese Jr., (520) 390-1133.

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6-BA-2020 (Schwartz Cabana Variance) Request by owner for a variance to the City of Scottsdale Zoning Ordinance, Section 5.104.F.1, as documented in case 5-ZN-1989, pertaining to the minimum required distance between an accessory building and a main building and Section 7.200.A.2 pertaining to encroachment of an existing accessory structure within the required side yard for a parcel with Single-family Residential (R1-43 PRD) zoning located at 10800 East Cactus Road #3. Staff contact person is Omar Smailbegovic, 480-312-3087. Applicant contact person is Robert Schwartz, (602) 799-8633. 8-BA-2020 (Huston Storage Shed) Request by owner for a variance to the City of Scottsdale Zoning Ordinance, Section 5.504.E.5. pertaining to the required front yard setback along the longer street frontage and Section 5.504.F. pertaining to the minimum distance between buildings required for a corner lot property with Single-Family Residential (R1-7) zoning located at 8156 E Whitton Avenue. Staff contact person is Desirae Mayo, 480-312-4218. Applicant contact person is Robert Huston, (480) 945-8375. For additional information visit our web site at www.scottsdaleaz.gov search “Scottsdale Planning Case Files” or in your URL search bar you can type in https://eservices.scottsdaleaz.gov/bldgresources/Cases/.

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Attest Melissa Berry Planning Specialist For additional information visit our web site at www.scottsdaleaz.gov PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY MAY REQUEST A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION BY CONTACTING STAFF AT (480-312-7767). REQUESTS SHOULD BE MADE 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE, OR AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE TO ALLOW TIME TO ARRANGE ACCOMMODATION. FOR TTY USERS, THE ARIZONA RELAY SERVICE (1-800-367-8939) MAY CONTACT THE STAFF AT (480-312-7767). Published: Scottsdale Progress, May 10, 2020 / 30482

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www.irsaz.com

Serving Scottsdale Residential

FREE ESTIMATES

ROC# 256752

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602.550.7732

Licensed/Bonded/Insured

Landscape/Maintenance

CR 42 DUAL

623-873-1626

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Valleywide

ROOF COATINGS One Stop Shop for all your flat and foam roofing supply needs • Elastomeric Coating • Roof Patch • Application Tools • Sealants • Emulsion • Caulk • Aluminum • Roof Membrane Family owned and operated since 1975 (480) 967-9407 w w w.pdiroofcoatings.com 3003 N. 73rd St., Suite 1 • Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Monday - Friday 7:00 am - 3:30 pm

Check Our Online Classifieds Too!

MORE CLASSIFIED ADS ONLINE! www.Scottsdale.org

Insured/Bonded Free Estimates

ALL Pro

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www.Scottsdale.org Rooﬁng

The Most Detailed Roofer in the State

602-938-7575

1000 OFF

when you show this ad

on qualifying complete roof replacements

Let us show you the In-Ex Difference! Serving The Valley Since 1996

inexrooﬁng.com

Tim KLINE Roofing, LLC

480-354-5802

Roofs Done Right...The FIRST Time!

Your Ad can go ONLINE ANY Day! Call to place your ad online!! Classifieds 480-898-6465

www.timklineroofing.com

15-Year Workmanship Warranty on All Complete Roof Systems

CALL FOR YOUR FREE ROOF EVALUATION

FREE Estim a and written te proposal

480-357-2463 R.O.C. #156979 K-42 • Licensed, Bonded and Insured

Licensed • Bonded • Insured ROC # 269218

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MAY 17, 2020

V I R T U A L

SELLING

P R O G R A M

HOW IT WORKS...

SCHEDULE A NO PRESSURE VIRTUAL CONSULTATION TODAY

Record a virtual tour/photos of your homes interior and exterior Send us an email with the video and your availability to meet We will schedule your virtual listing consultation where we will discuss your property value and our process. Electronic signings

ANDREW BLOOM Senior Partner | REALTOR® (480) 531-8859 Andrew@BVOLuxury.com

Contactless photography Virtual showings

Babs Bloom

Director of Marketing | Client Care

Tyson Barnhart REALTOR®

Tim Benedick

Melissa Kalinowski REALTOR®

Ron Rupert REALTOR®

Brian Chin

REALTOR®

Keane Kennedy

Ramazan Seker REALTOR®

Austin Bloom

Director of Expansion | REALTOR®

REALTOR®

Mikisha Steel REALTOR®

Stacy Klein REALTOR®

David Van Omen

Senior Partner | Associate Broker

Torrey Daniels REALTOR®

Karin Larson REALTOR®

Andrea Steiniger

Director of Client Relations

Dina Stevens

Michael Gorman REALTOR®

REALTOR®

Stephanie Thomas REALTOR®

REALTOR®

Colby McMahon

Susan Tessmer REALTOR®

Director of Technology | REALTOR®

Transaction Coordinator

Jason Hamann

Amber Burgan Mayville

Travis Lange

Shelly Mayol

Director of Operations | REALTOR®

REALTOR®

Dan Irwin

REALTOR®

Jeanne Johnson

Aimee Olinger

Gigi Peterson

Taylor Pfeifer

Chris Illgen

REALTOR®

Thomas Uhlenberg REALTOR®

REALTOR®

Patricia Whorton REALTOR®

REALTOR®

Pierre Wilson REALTOR®

Peter Zaidan REALTOR®

(480) 400-1985 | www.BVOLuxuryGroup.com