Issuu

Chaparral girls take 4th soccer title / P. 38

Caesar's to build new hotel here / P. 34

FREE ($1 OUTSIDE OF SCOTTSDALE) | scottsdale.org

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

INSIDE

This Week

NEWS............................10 Guy Phillips counterpunches in ethics fight.

NEIGHBORS ..........22 His collects Scottsdale's history on film.

ARTS .............................. 41 Scottsdale Arts Fest marks big milestone.

NEIGHBORS ..........................................22 BUSINESS .............................................. 34 OPINION ................................................ 36 SPORTS .................................................. 38 ARTS .........................................................41 FOOD & DRINK ..................................46 CLASSIFIEDS ....................................... 50

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Bills would Child's play give city more rental controls BY HOWARD FISCHER AND WAYNE SCHUTSKY

tate lawmakers are moving to undo some of the restrictions they placed on cities four years ago to regulate short-term rentals. The House Government Committee approved a measure to let communities limit the number of people who can be allowed into these facilities to no more

see RENTALS page 8

New superintendent eager to start at SUSD BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

hen Dr. Scott Menzel takes over the Scottsdale Unified School District this summer, he will have a lot on

his plate. But for Menzel, his number-one priority is clear: listen. “My top priority is to listen and learn more,”

see SUPERINTENDENT page 14

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Kareem Fakira and over 350 other special-needs youngsters had some playtime by Scottsdale Unified School District at Mountain View Park last week, thanks to its Special Education Department and over 100 volunteers from high school Best Buddies program, other clubs and cheer squads, Arcadia High's SCORE program and special needs students from Chaparral and Desert Mountain high schools. For a look at the fun they had, see page 26. (Christ Mortenson/Progress Photographer

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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 Copy Editor April Morganroth | 480-656-9667 | amorganroth@ timespublications.com Production Coordinator Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 | production@scottsdale.org Circulation Director Aaron Kolodny | 480-898-5641 | customercare@scottsdale.org Marketing Director Lynette Carrington | 480-898-5621 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.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MARCH 1, 2020

Auto shop, resident face off over code issues BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

longtime Scottsdale neighborhood activist is making noise about code enforcement issues in the southern part of the city, charging they are undermining years of effort to revitalize his neighborhood. But the auto shop owner at the center of the complaint claims it’s much ado about nothing and has accused the resident of harassment. For years, Mike Merrill has sent emails to city council and city staff about Scottsdale Discount Auto, a small auto repair shop located at the edge of his neighborhood near McDowell Road and Loop 101, complaining the shop is parking cars in front of its building. Shop owner Scott Nicholson said he has done nothing wrong and Merrill has gone too far. Nicholson said he has obtained a restraining order against Merrill after alleging he showed up at the shop with a gun. According to the city’s report, Nicholson contacted city staff on Dec. 4 and told them “he was approached by a resident holding a gun, taking pictures of his property.” Merrill did not respond to a request for comment at press time. A conditional use permit approved by the city council in 2017 includes the requirement “All vehicles awaiting repair shall be screened from view by a masonry wall or landscape screen.” In earlier interviews with the Progress, Merrill alleged the street parking violates the permit and creates an unwelcoming presence at the entrance to the neighborhood off McDowell Road. “He’s parking this crap on the street,” Merrill said. The business owner denied the allegations, stating cars are regularly left in front of his building by patrons from a bar across the street who do not want to drive home. “They’re all vehicles from other people and it is what it is,” Nicholson said. “It’s a public street and anyone can park on the street for not more than 72 hours.” Nicholson told the same thing to city

Scottsdale resident Mike Merrill alleged an auto shop near his home is violating its use permit with the city by parking cars in need of repair in the street. (Special to the Progress)

inspectors last October when they responded to Merrill’s complaints, according to a city report. This is not Merrill’s first time bumping heads with the city over code compliance and other issues. His name was a frequent mention in the Scottsdale Tribune in the 2000s and he has been involved in a litany of City Hall fights over the years, including ginning up opposition to the re-election of former Councilman Kevin Osterman in 2005 and heading a campaign to keep light rail out of Scottsdale in 2007. Even when he wasn’t showing up for meetings, Merrill made his feelings known to staff and city officials. “Merrill didn’t come to the last two council meetings, but he’s probably sent 20 or 30 e-mails in that time,” former councilman and current mayoral candidate Bob Littlefield told the Trib back in 2005. Merill joked about his sometimesprickly relationship with the city, stating at one meeting then-Mayor Mary Manross “almost jumped over the dais at me” when he made a presentation about the bar district. Merrill has been mostly inactive in city politics in recent years but has hinted code compliance issues in southern Scottsdale could be yet another issue tossed into the 2020 council and mayoral elections – arguing part of the city does not receive adequate representation from a city council that lives fur-

ther north. On Jan. 29, Merrill filed paperwork with the city to organize the Citizens for Responsible Redevelopment political action committee. Nicholson, the business owner, said Merrill is misguided. “The police don’t bother me,” Nicholson said. “I don’t have any tickets; I don’t have any issues with the city.” Merrill has argued the business has a history of flouting city rules. The city requires businesses to obtain a permit before operating vehicle repair shops in areas zoned as highway commercial, including the Scottsdale Discount Auto site. According to a city council report from 2017, the shop has operated at the location since 2013 but was in violation of city zoning rules until it obtained the permit in 2017. This permit included the requirement to shield cars from view, which the shop agreed to do. However, Merrill alleged the business has not followed through. A complaint report for the shop had three violations of its city permit for parking vehicles on property designated for landscaping not shielded by the wall. The report noted Nicholson later put up a temporary barrier last November to stop vehicles from parking there and

see MERRILL page 12

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MARCH 1, 2020

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City may kick in $1.2M for Super Bowl prep BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

cottsdale is considering contributing up to $1.2 million to support events and activities surrounding Arizona’s next Super Bowl in 2023. On March 3, the Scottsdale City Council will consider approving a sponsorship agreement with the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee that will see the city contribute a total of $1,212,401 towards the Super Bowl effort in four annual installments leading up to the event. The money would come from the city’s tourism and development fund, which allocates bed tax dollars generated from hotel stays in the city. Scottsdale is likely not the only city contributing to the Super Bowl effort. According to city documents, super bowl host committees in Arizona have requested contributions from local municipalities since the state hosted its first Super Bowl in 1996. Scottsdale has contributed to all three efforts, donating between $140,000 and $646,000 for Super Bowls in 1996, 2008 and 2015. The substantial jump in the city’s contribution for 2023 is likely driven by increased overall budgets for Super Bowls in recent years. According to the city, the Arizona host committee had a budget of $30 million in 2015, a number dwarfed by budgets of more recent hosts like Atlanta, –which raised $46 million for its Super Bowl in 2019. The Super Bowl Host Committee’s budget for 2023 includes a request for a total of $6 million from all cities in Maricopa County that qualify for Prop 302 funds. Scottsdale’s suggested contribution was calculated using the same formula used to allocate Prop 302 monies, which looks at a city’s share of total gross room sales in the county. The agreement also includes a commitment from Experience Scottsdale, the organization that holds a destination marketing contract with the city. It will work with the city to allocate a $250,000 cash contribution and $225,000 in in-kind services “to leverage the 2023 Super Bowl for the area’s tourism industry,”

In 2015, Scottsdale was the site of 16 events in connection with Super Bowl XLIX, including much of ESPN’s Super Bowl coverage at Fashion Square Mall. (Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images)

according to a commitment letter from the organization. Experience Scottsdale receives approximately 65 percent of its annual revenues from the City of Scottsdale’s tourism and development fund via its destination marketing contract with the city. Stephanie Pressler, Experience Scottsdale’s director of community affairs, said her organization’s contributions will go toward promoting Scottsdale specifically. Council documents show the Scottsdale city staff anticipates the benefits of the agreement will outweigh the costs, citing a projected boost in tax revenues. The city is projecting the Super Bowl will boost bed tax revenues in January 2023 by $826,700 and other sales tax receipts for hotels, retail shops and restaurants by $802,000. If accurate, the total boost of $1.6 million would more than offset the city’s $1.2 million investment. Based on recent history, the city has reason to be optimistic. The last time Arizona hosted a Super Bowl in 2015, the city saw a significant boost in bed and sales tax receipts. Bed tax revenues from January hotel stays in 2015 jumped to $2,271,778 – a 55 percent increase over the year prior. The year after the Super Bowl, the city’s January bed tax revenues dropped back

down to $1,813,107. Overall, the city’s combined tax revenues – including bed taxes and sales taxes applied at hotels, restaurants and retail shops – increased by 31 percent between January 2014 and January 2015. Beyond those expected boosts to revenues, the city also has secured some guarantees in the proposed sponsorship. Those include a commitment by the committee to include 2,747 hotel rooms in Scottsdale in its block of rooms reserved for the Super Bowl. The committee has also submitted a Scottsdale hotel for consideration to host one of the NFL teams participating in the game, though city documents do not specify which hotel was nominated. Kyle Hedstrom, director of the Arizona Super Bowl Hosting Committee, said “it’s a little premature to discuss at this point” which hotel the committee would nominate to host a team. The committee has also committed to working with the city and NFL to promote the use of Scottsdale venues for official Super Bowl events and Scottsdale bars and restaurants for outside events related to the game. In 2015, Scottsdale hosted 16 NFL events. The city is confident it will again be in the hunt to host many of those events in 2023. “I anticipate Scottsdale will remain a top

contender for public and private events in 2023,” said Karen Churchard, Scottsdale’s tourism and events director. Though Arizona won’t host the Super Bowl for three years, local leaders are already trying to prepare the city to host those events. In early 2019, Scottsdale Arts CEO Gerd Wuestemann presented a plan to the City Council’s Capital Improvement Plan Subcommittee to turn the Civic Center Plaza into a premier public park capable of hosting major events. Wuestemann said if the city can get the project up and running by fall 2022, it would give Scottsdale the opportunity to host the Super Bowl Fan Zone. At a recent city council discussion on the $319-million bond approved by voters in 2019, several councilmembers pushed city staff to get to work on the $27-million renovation of Civic Center included in the package. Councilwoman Virginia Korte called projections the Civic Center would not be completed by the Super Bowl “very concerning” and Councilman Guy Phillips said completing the Civic Center in time for the Super Bowl should be priority. “This Civic Plaza is going to be critical to us if we are going to attract any of the events around the Super Bowl and bring them to our city,” Korte said. Scottsdale City Engineer Dave Lipinski said it was unlikely the complete Civic Center project would be complete in time, but said the city will work with the Super Bowl Committee to determine which pieces to work on first. Lipinski told the council it was unlikely the city would completely finish upgrades prior to the 2023 Super Bowl due to the desire to avoid disrupting the downtown tourist season. “The reality of doing everything from east to west and north to south in that timeframe with the limited construction windows we have, it would be awfully tight, if not impossible, without disrupting a lot of our event season between now and then,” Lipinski said. On March 3, the city council will consider approving the allocation of the first $4 million dedicated to the Civic Center project along with a handful of other projects.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MARCH 1, 2020

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than two per bedroom. HB 2875 also permits cities to require installation of noise monitoring equipment, restrict where people can smoke and even require owners, or their agent, to actually meet the people to whom they are renting. The bill was sponsored by Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, who represents much of Scottsdale. At the same time, the Senate Commerce Committee gave its own blessing to SB 1554. It contains not only some of what is in the House bill but adds some additional restrictions, like telling the owners of apartment complexes they cannot convert more than 25 percent of their units to short-term rentals. Scottsdale City Councilman Guy Phillips said he supports both bills but prefers the senate version “because it gives more powers back to the municipalities.” Phillips spoke before the Senate committee and attended the House hearing as well. Phillips said the city council already agreed this type of legislation would be its top legislative priority and he volunteered to represent council at the hearings. “I felt it was imperative Scottsdale be represented as we are being inundated with STRs,” Phillips told the Progress. “These are extremely important bills for the long term health of municipalities and all cities should be represented (and many were).” The restrictions drew opposition from a parade of people who own these vacation rentals. They ranged from individuals who have just one or two properties they bought as investments to companies with multiple units, each telling lawmakers their own stories about how they got into the business. Chante Fox said she and her husband bought and renovated multiple properties. “We are managing our properties, we are there all the time, we followed the rules,’’ she told lawmakers. And with her husband now in the hospital, paralyzed from the waist down, Fox said this is their only source of revenue. “I’m desperate,’’ she said.”It would

Scottsdale Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rea, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, voted for SB1554 but said she wanted "to keep the conversation going" on tweaking the bill. (Special to the Progress)

take away a lot of what we built and what we worked so hard for the past couple of years.’’ Phillips acknowledged some owners are responsible, but argued opposition supported by industry masked real widespread discontent he has seen in Scottsdale. “Ask any neighborhood and you will get a quick response we need to do something about the proliferation of STR’s and the subsequent noise, drugs, defecation, traffic and other abuses of the system,” Phillips said. Scottsdale is not alone in its opposition, Phillips said, pointing to testimony from local officials in other municipalities like Sedona and Jerome. The situation has gotten so bad, Jerome Town Councilmember Mandy Worth said, the tiny community is having problems finding people to work for the city or staff the volunteer fire department. And she said it’s possible the new census will find the population of the town has declined. Not all members of the industry are opposed to increased regulations. Steve Schwab, CEO of Scottsdalebased Casago, said the popularity of platforms like Airbnb lowered the barrier to entry for non-professional property managers and a small minority of “bad actors” are harming the reputation of the industry as a whole. Schwab said new regulations could

see RENTALS page 18

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MARCH 1, 2020

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BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

and was paid an equal or lesser rate than other gatherers for work she performed. “There was no evidence the job was created for her and, in fact, the evidence is quite the opposite since other people were hired to do the same thing,” Phillips wrote. Phillips also said the payments could not constitute a conflict of interest, because Cora Phillips did not begin gathering signatures until after the council voted on Southbridge Two on Dec. 4, 2019. City ethics rules only prohibit council members or spouses from accepting payments from entities with business before the city. Phillips said Wood, a friend, set up the GoFundMe account without his knowledge after hearing he broke his leg after falling from a ladder while installing an air conditioning unit in the course of his job as an HVAC contractor. The GoFundMe ultimately raised $2,470 from 18 anonymous donations. According to documents attached to Phillips’ letter, he disclosed the gift to the City Clerk’s office in December. Phillips argued he did not solicit the gift and Wood was not a member of the Old Town PAC and did not have business before the city. He also denied Norton’s allegation the payments could constitute campaign finance laws because their anonymity could have been used to mask contributions from PAC members. “It is my belief if the anonymous donors are disclosed, it will be found many are also supporters of the ‘Save Old Town’ movement and POTS PAC,” according to the complaint. Phillips said he still does not know the identity of the donors. Phillips argued the GoFundMe had nothing to do with his election or decision made on council. Wood, who set up the fundraiser, signed an affidavit affirming she did not speak with Phillips before setting up the account and the fundraiser had nothing to do with his vote on Southbridge Two.

Phillips seeks ethics complaint dismissal

cottsdale Councilman Guy Phillips has filed a motion asking the city’s independent ethics panel to throw out a complaint filed against him stemming from the fight over the downtown development known as Southbridge Two. Phillips sent a letter on Feb. 10 requesting the three-judge panel dismiss the complaint, arguing there was nothing improper about a GoFundMe set up by a Scottsdale resident for him following a work injury or payments made to his wife for gathering signatures in support of an anti-Southbridge referendum. The letter was Phillips’ first official response to a complaint filed on Jan. 21 by resident Mike Norton alleging Phillips violated the city ethics code by accepting improper gifts and failing to disclose a conflict of interest. The complaint cited $3,192 in payments made to Cora Phillips, who was a paid signature gatherer for the Committee for the Preservation of Old Town Scottsdale, a local PAC created the referendum to put the Southbridge project before Scottsdale voters. Norton alleged Cora Phillips received favorable pay because of her husband’s position on the council. Norton’s complaint also alleged a GoFundMe set up by resident Susan Wood for Phillips’ may have violated city and state ethics rules and campaign finance law. Wood set up the fundraiser last October to help Phillips after he was injured at work, but Norton alleged the allanonymous donations to the GoFundMe could have masked campaign contributions for Phillips’ council re-election campaign or influenced his vote on Southbridge. Hon. Ken Fields, a retired Superior Court judge who serves as an independent ethics officer for the city, reviewed the complaint and recommended it be forwarded to the ethics panel. City Attorney Sherry Scott followed this recommendation and referred the complaint to the panel on Feb. 3. In his letter to the panel, Phillips un-

Scottsdale Councilman Guy Phillips filed a motion on Feb. 10 asking the city’s independent ethics panel to dismiss a complaint filed against him. (Progress file photo)

Scottsdale City Council's approval of the Southbridge 2 project generated backlash in the form of a PAC that wants the development on the November ballot. (Special to the Progress)

equivocally denied all allegations of impropriety. “Once all the facts are known I believe it is fairly evident no Ethics Code violation occurred,” Phillips wrote. Phillips said his wife was not paid a preferential rate by the anti-Southbridge PAC. In fact, Phillips wrote his wife was one of the lowest-paid signature gatherers for the referendum drive. His letter included an affidavit signed by Lamar Whitmer, a consultant who

worked with the PAC, stating Cora Phillips was paid $8 per signature. Whitmer’s affidavit said the PAC paid gatherers as much as $18 per signature over the course of the drive. City rules prohibit payments or gifts to council members “that might be construed as an attempt to create a more favorable relationship than that enjoyed by any other citizen.” Phillips argued the payments did not constitute an improper because his wife was just one of several paid circulators

see PHILLIPS page 18

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MARCH 1, 2020

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that inspectors had not witnessed any violations there since. Merrill calls Nicholson’s statement about bar patrons a lie. He pointed to photos he took of various vehicles with visible damage sitting in front of Scottsdale Discount Auto over the past few months. City reports said staff has seen cars with and without damage in the street in front of the shop. Merrill said lack of effective enforcement mechanisms in the city’s permit have rendered the city’s stipulations useless and are undermining a decade of effort to beautify the neighborhood. “It’s a matter of pride in your community; we’ve worked hard to get where we’re at now,” Merrill said. According to the city, the situation is complicated, because the cars could belong to local neighbors or patrons from nearby businesses, as Nicholson alleged. “How do you know if they’re actually waiting, repair or somebody just parked them…That’s the challenge,” said Raun Keagy, city neighborhood services director. Even if the cars are from the shop, Keagy said it is not technically violating the permit if it parks them on the street because the screened parking stipulation only applies to the property itself and not public parking. But Keagy said the city told Nicholson “by putting them on the street, you’re

not really working within the spirit of the CUP.” Still, Nicholson denied parking cars in the street for his business. Merrill said the CUP should contain language outlining the city’s options for recourse if a permit holder is found to be out of compliance, because the current permit “has no teeth.” Merrill said his goal is not to shut down the auto shop. He just wants to see it come into compliance. “Why don’t you revoke his permit for 30 days? Put him out of business for 30 days. See how he likes it,” Merrill said. “Maybe he’ll come into compliance.” Keagy said he has seen no desire from the city council to revoke the permit. Keagy said code enforcement officers and Scottsdale Police have responded to Merrill’s complaints by “red tagging” cars parked on the sidewalk if they have been left in place for 72 hours. At this point, the city considers the vehicle abandoned and can tow it. A city report shows police and staff have been monitoring on a weekly basis since October. Merrill said the red tagging has been inconsistently applied. In January, he complained to the city a car was left in the same spot for five days. Keagy said the city could take a more drastic step, such as banning or limiting on-street parking in the area, but that there is no support for that plan from the Transportation Department or Scottsdale Police, which would have to implement such a change.

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Menzel said. “Engaging in an intentional listening tour with the many stakeholder groups in Scottsdale is my first step.” On Feb. 22, the SUSD Governing Board unanimously names Menzel the district’s next superintendent, pending contract negotiations, to replace retiring Superintendent Dr. John Kriekard. Menzel and the two other finalists each met with the board and five stakeholder groups for over eight hours on Feb. 21. Menzel has been a superintendent in Michigan districts since 2002 and has been with Washtenaw Intermediate School District in Ann Arbor, Michigan since 2011. Washtenaw ISD serves 47,000 students but differs from the 22,000-student-SUSD in it is a regional agency providing services to most districts in Washtenaw County. It coordinates with local boards but does not have authority over them. Menzel also has experience as superintendent of a public school district, albeit with a smaller student population than SUSD. Menzel was the superintendent of Whitmore Lake Public Schools in Michigan for five years. This district had an enrollment of 1,243 students in Menzel’s last year in 2007. Despite little experience in a district the size of SUSD, Menzel said he is prepared for the job. “I have operated at the systems level overseeing a budget of more than $154 million, working with the community to successfully pass special education funding millages as well as a bond issue for facilities, overseeing comprehensive professional development, launching new initiatives, advocating for funding and policy changes to improve the public education system,” he said. When Menzel and the other finalists were announced on in January, there were some questions in the community as to why he – and fellow finalist Dr. Shelley Redinger of Spokane, Washington – would want to move to an Arizona district with significant issues from districts in states with significantly higher education funding. While Menzel acknowledged Arizona’s funding of education is a challenge, he said he has dealt with funding challenges in past districts and sees some hope in Arizona. Menzel also pointed out he has a history

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MARCH 1, 2020

This sentiment is likely welcome news for the SUSD Governing Board, which has battled with declining enrollment in the district for over a decade due in large part to charters and the expansion of school choice. The board’s search criteria included finding a candidate with “an understanding of the importance of creating an exceptional educational experience enabling the district to attract and retain students, parents and staff.” The Washtenaw County district also shares some socio-economic characteristics with SUSD, which serves students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. “We have similar demographic issues and opportunities here in Washtenaw County,” Menzel The Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board on Feb. 22 selected Dr. Scott Menzel said. As superintendent, Menzel as the district’s next superintendent. (Facebook) said he needs to focus on leverof fighting for improved funding. coming in with an agenda; I’m coming aging the district’s resources to He served on the board of the School Fi- in to listen and learn because the vision create positive outcomes for students of nance Research Project in Michigan, which for the future of Scottsdale Unified will all backgrounds. found the state was “underinvesting, par- be the vision it’s articulated by the com“And so, we’ve been working and dealing ticularly as it relates to providing the re- munity.” with different parts of our community that sources necessary to ensure equitable acSome of Menzel’s other reasons for com- have access to resources and some that cess and opportunity for all students.” ing to Arizona were more personal, includ- don’t and working to leverage the resourcMenzel said during his career, he advo- ing a chance to avoid another frigid winter. es that we do have,” Menzel said. “Because cated for successful expansion of stateFor health reasons, Menzel said his wife just like Scottsdale, we’ve got a communifunded preschool for at-risk children. “will not do another winter in Michigan.” ty overall that supports public education.” “Several years ago, under a Republican The move also gives Menzel and his wife “So then our work is how do we align governor and Republican legislature, we the chance to be closer to family. and leverage resources we have to meet were able to secure an additional $130 He has a brother and young nephews the needs of kids who are coming from million to expand the program because who live in Phoenix and a daughter who homes and families that may not have the the data supports the return on invest- already lives in California. Menzel’s other same access to resources and opportuniment,” Menzel said. daughter is planning to move to the region ties?” he said. “It is important to change the nar- when she graduates from Michigan State Menzel still has to sign a contract with rative from viewing education as an University later this year. SUSD. expense to really seeing it as an investBut, Menzel said the district itself was Board Vice President Patty Beckman ment in the future.” the main draw. and member Jann-Michael Greenburg Menzel said SUSD has a lot going for it, He said SUSD is “one of those districts will work with General Counsel Michelle calling it a “destination district.” that has high levels of performance but an Marshall to negotiate it. One key draw for Menzel was commu- even higher ceiling in terms of what is posIt is not known when those negotianity engagement and support. sible.” tions will begin. “There is no immediate Citing the district’s budget overDespite the differences between Ari- deadline, and Dr. Kriekard’s current conride approved in 2019, Menzel said,” zona and Michigan, Menzel also said there tract does not end until June 30, 2020,” it’s a beautiful thing when you’ve got are also some parallels between the states district spokesperson Amy Bolton said. a community engaged and willing to he can build on despite the funding gap The starting point for discussions is uninvest in.” between the two states. clear. The new superintendent said he plans “It’s just like Arizona in we have total Bolton said there was no salary range to build on this existing support by letting school choice and charters and the money posted with the job listing. stakeholders drive the district’s direction. follows the students,” Menzel said. “And so, In the meantime, Menzel said he will “It’s one of the reasons why the listen- when your funding is driven by the num- keep in close contact with Kriekard as the ing tour is one of the most important ber of students enrolled, you have to com- board works towards adopting its budget parts of starting,” Menzel said. “I’m not pete in this environment.” for next year.

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Constitutional limit on school vouchers sought

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

n organization of public-school supporters want voters to limit the number of vouchers of state tax dollars parents can use to send their children to private and parochial schools. The initiative drive launched last week by Save Our Schools would prohibit the state from issuing vouchers to more than 1 percent of the total number of children enrolled in public schools. There are about 1.1 million students in traditional district and charter schools, setting the cap at about 11,000. Priority would be given to students with disabilities, first to those who already get vouchers and then to students with disabilities still in public schools. Then, if there were still vouchers available, first priority would go to those students who already had received vouchers and, finally, to students in other categories the legislature has deter-

mined are eligible. This broad list includes not just students with disabilities but also children in foster care, children of active-duty military, students attending schools rated "D" or "F" and all students living on Indian reservations. To keep this list from expanding even further, the proposal would prohibit lawmakers from creating new categories. It also would prohibit parents from saving the state funds they get for K-12 education and instead set them aside for college tuition, a practice now legal. And the proposal also requires any public dollars in vouchers be used in the state. This is significant, coming the same day the Arizona Senate gave preliminary approval to allow the use of vouchers at schools outside of the state within two miles of the Arizona border. This is designed to help students living on the Navajo Reservation who want to attend private schools in New Mexico.

But as worded, it would allow any student to attend any private school just outside the state’s border. Backers have until July 2 to gather 237,645 valid signatures on petitions to put the issue on the November ballot. Save Our Schools has a track record on this issue – and their ability to put issues on the ballot. This is the same organization two years ago got voters, by a nearly 2-1 margin, to override a move by Gov. Doug Ducey and Republican lawmakers to eventually allow any of the state’s 1.1 million students in public schools get vouchers. The problem, according to Save Our Schools organizer Dawn Penich-Thacker, is Arizona lawmakers didn’t listen to the results of the 2018 vote and aren’t listening now. “The last two legislative sessions we’ve been beating back seven different voucher expansion bills,’’ she said. “We finally realized they’re never going to stop until we stop them,’’ Penich-

Thacker said. “So, the only way to stop politicians from working against the voters is to do a voter-protected initiative.’’ Once voters enact something at the ballot, the Arizona Constitution forbids lawmakers from repealing it or making major changes unless they “further the purpose’’ of the original measure. And even then, it requires a threefourths vote of both the House and Senate. There are about 8,200 students now receiving vouchers, well within the 1 percent of the 1.1 million students in public schools, with a price tag of about $110 million. “We wanted to find a spot that didn’t kick off anyone who’s currently in the program but didn’t allow massive growth because we want to refocus on the public schools and the funding for public schools that 95 percent of kids are in,’’ Penich-Thacker explained. “It’s a reasonable limit.’’ More significant, she said, is the requirement for the priority to go to students with disabilities -- the original reason vouchers were enacted in the first place. “The legislature has never seen fit to take care of special needs students in the ESA program as much as they use them as pawns,’’ Penich-Thacker said. She said the change, if approved by voters, will mean “over time this program serves the students they say it was designed to serve.’’ In 2018 Save Our Schools gathered virtually all the signatures they needed with volunteers. But the number needed this time is greater. The proposal is provoking kickback from various groups supporting the concept of vouchers. Stephen Smith, state director of American Federation for Children, said in a prepared statement: “If we truly want what’s best for each individual student, then let the parents make the decision, not a partisan lobbying group like Save Our Schools.’’ Penich-Thacker countered noted the state allows students to attend any public school they want and there is an extensive network of charter schools.

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RENTALS �� page 8

or space to help make ends meet,’’ she said. Instead, Blanc said, it became an invitation for corporations to come in and buy up housing to convert to short-term rentals. And she brushed aside complaints from those who own and operate these rentals restricting what they can do improperly infringes on their rights. “How is it all of a sudden my property rights of owning my residence in the community where I have lived for 20-odd years suddenly has less value than a business owner?’’ Blanc asked. Rep. Walt Blackman, R-Snowflake, said his support for new oversight was based on a simple belief the state should not be in the business of telling local governments how to handle purely local issues like housing. “I have a real problem when (state) government is not letting local government do its job,’’ he said. Phillips offered a similar sentiment, arguing letting cities regulate shortterm rentals through conditional use permits and other requirements and levy fines on repeat offenders “is the only way to get this rental party business under control.” “As a city and as a city councilman, we owe it to our residents to make every effort to ensure their quality of life is not diminished,” Phillips said. Both measures face uncertain futures as they go to the full Senate and House, respectively, along with the possibility of a gubernatorial veto. Wayne Schutsky is the Progress managing Editor and Howard Fischer runs Capitol Media Services.

help by forcing those bad actors to play by the same rules his company has abided by for years, like paying appropriate taxes and verifying the identity of occupants. Of HB 2875 and SB 1554, Schwab said “there are good things and bad things to them. There’s no such thing as perfect legislation.” One change he supports would be modifying the language in HB 2875 requiring on-site meetings at the rental home prior to check-in, saying the requirement would be arduous for companies like his with hundreds of properties. “It’s in the right spirit (but) I think it’s going to be arduous for a lot of property vendors,” Schwab said. Schwab said he would like to the requirement modified to allow both parties to meet face to face at a licensed business. The legislation has seen pushback at the Capitol. “I see this as bigger infringement on property rights,’’ said House Majority Leader Warren Petersen in opposing HB 2875. It’s also the attitude of Gov. Doug Ducey who signed the 2016 legislation, pushed by rental sharing company Airbnb, to restrict local regulations. “You have property rights when you own a home,’’ he told Capitol Media Services. “You can live in it,’’ Ducey said.”If you want to rent it out you can do that as well.’’ And Ducey said this is all part of promoting the state’s business environment.

PHILLIPS �� page 10

Wood told the Progress she took steps to avoid violating city rules by consulting with City Clerk Carolyn Jagger before setting up the GoFundMe, but her affidavit makes no mention of seeking guidance. A city spokesperson said Jagger declined to comment, because she may be contacted as a witness in the ongoing ethics investigation. In January, Wood told the Progress she set up the fundraiser in accordance

State Rep. John Kavanaugh is the sponsor of the House bill that would restore some local controls over short-term rentals. (Special to the Progress)

Tempe State Rep. Isela Blanc, whose district includes a bit of Scottsdale, said short-term rentals are hurting neighborhoods. (Special to the Progress)

“We’ve allowed a lot of Arizonans to have an entrepreneurial energy and make money.’’ He declined to say, however, what he would do if either bill reaches his desk. But Phillips said the existing legislation is hurting neighbors’ property values and ability to enjoy their homes while also making it difficult to buy

purchase new homes. “This lowers property values of those who do live there and at the same time makes it hard to buy anywhere because international STRs are willing to pay higher-than-normal prices for the same home,” Phillips said. Sen. Tyler Pace, R-Mesa, who was not in the Legislature when the original bill was passed, suggested perhaps the lawmakers at the time and the governor did not realize how large an effect the measure would have. He said if there had been a more “delicate’’ approach to easing regulations at that time “we wouldn’t be sitting here today’’ trying to fix the problems created. Rep. Isela Blanc, D-Tempe, said the issues with the 2016 law are even more basic than that. “It was sold as this idea if you own a second home or if you’re a primary owner of a residence it was an opportunity for you to rent out your room

with guidelines laid out by the clerk to avoid conflict of interest. “We actually went to Carolyn Jagger, the city clerk, to find out if it was okay to do so and then she gave us proper structure to help us set it up,” Wood said. Wood declined to comment when the Progress requested proof of this guidance, citing the ongoing ethics investigation. A public information request by Norton requesting “copies of all records of any communication by or between Susan Wood and City Clerk Jagger or City

Attorney Scott in the period 90 days prior to October 7, 2019, the date of formation of the GoFundMe.com account in question through 1/31/2020” turned up no results. “Please be advised the City searched its records and has no responsive records or documents related to your request,” according to the city’s response. The Wood affidavit also shed some light on where the money from the GoFundMe went. The Progress previously reported the

“This lowers property values of those who do live there and at the same time makes it hard to buy anywhere because international STRs are willing to pay higherthan-normal prices for the same home.”

fundraiser was used to offset Phillips’ medical bills, based on Wood’s statement the money “had to go directly to the doctor or the insurance company or whoever.” However, the affidavit shows approximately $1,915 went to pay bills from Verizon, Allstate Insurance, Chrysler and Ferguson HVAC – a Valley HVAC supplier. The affidavit also shows one $470 payment to Scottsdale Emergency Associates, an emergency room medical provider.

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Library offers rich homage to Spring Baseball BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

hile the City of Scottsdale continues to try to bring an ambitious Spring Training museum to Scottsdale Stadium, a group of baseball historians has brought their own homage to the Cactus League to the Civic Center Library. The group, called the Arizona Baseball Legacy and Experience, includes longtime baseball writer and historian Charlie Vascellaro and retired City of Scottsdale Public Information Officer Mike Phillips. Vascellaro said the exhibit focuses mostly on Spring Training history in Scottsdale but also includes some artifacts related to points of Cactus League history throughout Arizona. The exhibit is open now open in the lobby at Civic Center Library and will run through the duration of the Cactus League season, Vascellaro said. The collection includes the New York Giants championship banner from 1954, folding chairs from the original Scottsdale Stadi-

A new historical exhibit at Civic Center Library includes Arizona Spring Training artifacts like folding chairs from the old Scottsdale Stadium and Hi Corbett Field in Tucson; home plate from the old Francisco Grande complex in Casa Grande; a signed Frank Robinson autobiography; and a replica Colt 45 hat and jersey. (Special to the Progress)

um and Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, and the home plate and pitching rubber from Francisco Grande, the San Francisco Giants spring home in Casa Grande from 1961 to 1984. The exhibit also includes display cases dedicated to the Chicago Cubs and Japanese and international involvement in Spring Training in Arizona. Other notable pieces include an autographed copy of Frank Robinson’s autobiography. Robinson, a Hall of Fame player and Major League Baseball’s first black manager, made his managerial debut with the Cleveland Indians in Tucson. “More is coming,” Vascellaro said, noting he was waiting for a collection of notable bats to arrive. Vascellaro said his group decided to put the exhibit together after noticing a void in Scottsdale. “We’re baseball historians and writers…and we just decided it was time to do one together for

ourselves,” he said. “I felt like it was a need, especially this year I didn’t see any of these types of things happening in Scottsdale.” The city made an effort over the past year to fill this void. The Progress reported in February the city put out a Request for Qualifications looking for a developer to lease land behind left field at Scottsdale Stadium and build a baseball-themed tourist attraction focused on Cactus League history. The city’s latest RFQ comes on the heels of a similar request for proposal issued in 2019 that did not receive any qualified responses. Vascellaro said the Arizona Baseball Legacy and Experience is interested in being involved in the proposed project at the stadium. “We are definitely interested in being involved in that, and I think this was a way of letting people know that,” he said. Vascellaro declined to comment on whether his group would respond directly to the city’s RFQ or partner with another organization to develop a response.

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Old photos a treasure for Scottsdale man BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

n the basement of the Little Red Schoolhouse in Old Town Scottsdale, Bob Fowler delicately slides out an old photograph from its plastic sheathing. The black-and-white photo shows a dozen or so couples dancing inside a barn; the women are wearing poodle skirts, the men bolo ties or colonel ties, and hats are hung on wooden beams. This is just one of hundreds of photographs Fowler has left to scan into the Scottsdale Historical Society’s digital archive. “I’ve scanned about 1,600 in the time that I’ve been doing it, and I would say that, in our files, we have another 700, 800,” Fowler said. “That’s still enough to keep me out of mischief,” he added with a smirk. The northern Scottsdale resident celebrates his 10th year as a Scottsdale His-

Northern Scottsdale resident Bob Fowler has been Scottsdale Historical Society’s digital archivist for nearly 10 years. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

torical Society (SHS) volunteer. He initially volunteered to be a docent at

the Little Red Schoolhouse and eventually became SHS’ designated digital archivist.

He’s also on SHS’ board of directors. “It’s helping to fulfill the mission of the society, as far as preserving and presenting history,” Fowler said of what he enjoys about being SHS’ digital archivist. “That’s really satisfying that we’ve provided the public with an opportunity to see the photographs because they’re usually just in a file cabinet, and we don’t normally have people go in and look at them person,” he added. A four-drawer filing cabinet in the Little Red Schoolhouse basement is nearly full of old photographs donated by the public as far back as 1984. The photographs themselves, however, date even further back. And while a majority of the photos are donated by Scottsdale residents, many come from families out of state. “We just had a woman from Pennsylvania come,” Fowler said. “Her brother actu-

�� FOWLER �� 24

Stars who conquered cancer take stage BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

orthern Scottsdale resident Linda Luth was 64 when her doctor told her she had ovarian cancer. “He called me from his vacation to tell me I had ovarian cancer on the phone,” Luth said. “I’m looking at the phone, and I said to my husband, ‘I have cancer.’” More than one year later, in the midst of undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer, she was also diagnosed with appendiceal cancer. “It turns out a cyst was attached to my appendix and they found an

early stage of appendiceal cancer,” she explained. Luth has always maintained a healthy lifestyle — she ate well, and she exercised every day — so needless to say, the diagnoses were a shock. But, she said, her faith never wavered. In fact, she said, Katy Perry’s 2013 smash hit “Roar” became her mantra. “My husband bought me this shirt. It says, ‘You’re going to hear me roar,’” Luth said. Now cancer-free for two years as of last week, Luth is one of eight Arizona women — all cancer survivors — who will tell their respective sto-

ries as part of “S.T.A.R.S.: Survivors Take a Real Stage,” hosted by A 2nd Act. S.T.A.R.S. is a live, curated storytelling performance featuring local women who have faced a terrifying diagnosis and are using their gifts of life and experience to give back to the greater good. The event takes place March 22 at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts in Old Town Scottsdale. “There [are] tons of research supporting the theory that healing in helping. Our amazing storytellers are doing wonderful things in the

�� S.T.A.R.S. �� 24

Northern Scottsdale resident Linda Luth is one of eight cancer survivors taking part in this year’s “S.T.A.R.S.: Survivors Take a Real Stage” event on March 22. Luth is a survivor of ovarian cancer and appendiceal cancer. (Jeff Luth/ LuthPhotography)

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FOWLER �� 22

ally called me a couple of months ago, and she was going to be in Scottsdale.” The donor’s father was manager of ABC Ranch from 1948 to 1954. The ABC Ranch and Polo Club was one of the late Jerry Wendell Mitchell’s several ranches; he also owned Rawhide, Krazy Horse Ranch and Polo Club, and Wranglers Roost Dude Ranch. “I had not heard about the ABC Ranch, and I didn’t know anything about it,” Fowler said. “So, she lent us some of the pictures she had of her parents in 1948, and she actually brought some scrapbooks.” Fowler comes into the Little Red Schoolhouse about once a week to scan. Once scanned in the highest possible file quality setting, the photos are categorized into one of about 40 categories, like “Downtown Scottsdale” or “historic buildings before 1950.” “I scan to a fairly high level, that way when we put it in the library website, if somebody wants to make a copy, they can,” Fowler said. “We’ve had a number of restaurants and businesses put up historical photographs, from Village Tavern and

S.T.A.R.S. �� 22

world,” said Judy Pearson, founder of A2ndAct.org. “And the value of a 2nd Act isn’t defined by size. Giving time one-on-one is just as valuable as creating foundations and building hospital wings.” Luth began giving back while she was still undergoing treatment. She is one of many ovarian cancer survivors and caregivers who take part in Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance’s Survivors Teaching Students program. As part of the program, the nearly 1,000 survivor volunteers educate future healthcare providers about ovarian cancer by sharing stories of diagnosis, treatment and survivorship, along with facts about the disease. The program is offered in 36 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, UK, Canada, and Australia; and in 2019 alone, the program reached nearly 13,000 students. “I’m all for helping and getting out there and doing; and that’s what 2nd Act is. It is anybody who continues to help people and help survivors,” Luth said.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MARCH 1, 2020

Denny’s to Wells Fargo and, I think, some Albertsons.” Fowler said SHS met with the Scottsdale Public Library in 2011 to discuss the idea of hosting the photos in SHS’ digital archive on the library’s digital collection on its website as well. He’s been sharing SHS’ photographs since. “What I do is I usually collect 50, 60, 70 [photos], put them on DVDs, and then I go to the library,” he explained. Each donated photo comes with a document called an accession form that lists the date the photo was donated to SHS, the donor’s name and contact information, and a description of the photo, including — if Fowler’s lucky — the names of the people pictured. “For each photograph, I try to tell a story of the people in the photograph. I try to put down the names and that kind of stuff. I’m not just throwing a photograph up there; I’m trying to give some information that people can use,” he said. He’s also found himself connecting pieces of Scottsdale history. For example, an accession form that was submitted to SHS in July 1992 read, “1 5x7

“I thought everyone who did this had to have a dot-org or a nonprofit — and I did not,” Luth added. One S.T.A.R.S. participant who does raise money for nonprofits, however, is an ovarian cancer survivor of three years this May, Cristan Creasy. Creasy, a southern Scottsdale resident, battled endometriosis for 10 years and was diagnosed with Stage 1 ovarian cancer at 36. She pursued a mix of traditional cancer treatment (chemotherapy) and alternative treatments and went into remission in May 2017. During treatment, Creasy spent a lot of her time sketching the designs for what would become her apparel line, Swearing Off Cancer. “I started by sketching because it was like a multiple of feelings. I felt at peace, honestly, with my diagnosis because I felt like things were going to be OK. But there was other stuff that goes along with that. The treatments are very difficult. I did not tolerate chemo at all,” Creasy said.

�� S.T.A.R.S. �� 25

black and white glossy photo of the Stevenson family (Christmas 1944?).” According to the handwritten description of the photo, the picture showed a “small building with a frame for swings,” and, in the background, “a house with a large tree.” Turns out, the house was the Titus House, one of the oldest houses in Scottsdale located near McDowell and Hayden roads and built in 1892. “The Stevenson family used to work in the Titus House, and there’s a picnic behind that Titus House,” Fowler said. “This is one I hadn’t seen before.” Fowler chooses the photos he scans based on what he finds – and what he thinks others will find – interesting. “Sometimes, we might have pictures of families that have 20 pictures, and the question is, how many of those pictures, at least immediately, do you want to scan. That’s kind of a challenge,” he said. Fowler’s not only interested in Scottsdale’s history – which he calls “short, but fast” — but also European history. “For a while, I was working for a French computer company, and I went on a lot of trips to Paris,” Fowler said, adding that

that’s when he got interested in learning all about World War I. “Over the years, I actually started in the battlefield sites of Verdun and then went across that part of Western Europe,” Fowler added. But Fowler doesn’t light up quite the same way than while discussing Scottsdale’s history. “There’s a lot of aerial photos of Scottsdale over the years that I like,” he said. “There’s one we have actually on display that is Scottsdale in 1936. You can see it as this kind of a dusty old farming town in the downtown area.” While SHS is always in need of volunteers, Fowler said he prefers being a team of one “because I have a little more control over the information and how we do it.” What Fowler does welcome, though, are more donated photographs. “Most of the photographs came in the '80s and '90s,” he said. “Two or three times a year, maybe, we get photographs. It’s really slowed down from where it used to be.” “Maybe people don’t think of us as far as donating the photographs to,” Fowler added. Information: scottsdalehistory.org

Plenty to cheer about

Notre Dame Prep'S varsity cheer team scored second place in the finals of the USA Spirit Nationals last week in Anaheim, California. “We were so excited when we heard that we hit a perfect routine in prelims,” said senior Emily Roudin, a four-year veteran on the cheer team. “When you’re in first place all the teams are coming for you and they are all very competitive,” she added. The Saints scored the Notre Dame's highest place the school ever has earned at the annual national competition after placing third last year. “Our goal going into Nationals was to make it to the finals, and we exceeded that goal,” Roudin said.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MARCH 1, 2020

S.T.A.R.S. �� 24

Launched in August 2017, the Swearing Off Cancer apparel line features shirts with phrases like “F Cancer,” “this is my silent protest against cancer,” “still recovering,” and more. “The word ‘cancer’ freaks most people out, so don’t let them force upon you their insecurities about talking about it,” Creasy said. “It’s about making it approachable for everybody. Just talk about it, guys.” Swearing Off Cancer donates 15 percent of online retail sales to cancer-related charities, including the Joy Bus, Make-A-Wish Arizona, and Colleen’s Dream Foundation — so far raising and donating close to $2,000 to charities. But through its outreach program, Creasy also teaches restorative yoga classes and gives yoga nidra sleep-based meditation sessions to cancer patients and survivors free of charge through the Body, Mind, and Spirit Program at Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center in Scottsdale. This program is 100 percent free to all cancer patients and survivors, regardless of where they’ve received treatments. “The way that I can interact with the students is very personal, and they come and talk to me about certain things, and they understand that I understand that,” Creasy said. “I would’ve never thought that when I was diagnosed with cancer that I would end up treasuring the parts that came after cancer,” she added, “the relationships and the experiences and friendships that have come because of it.” When Creasy shares her story with the S.T.A.R.S. audience, she hopes to get across just how fortunate she feels. “And that’s what pushes me to do more for others,” she added. As for Luth, she said she’s stressing the importance of speaking up and being one’s own advocate, as she did when her gynecologist, as she put it, dismissed her. “I went to the gynecologist and I said, ‘Something’s wrong with my belly. I don’t know what it is.’ I was 64 at the time, and I looked seven months, eight months pregnant. And he said to me, ‘This is out of my realm of expertise,’” Luth recalled. “Those nine words will stick with me.”

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Southern Scottsdale resident Cristan Creasy is a survivor of ovarian cancer. In 2017, she started her own apparel line, Swearing Off Cancer, which donates a portion of sales to cancer-related charities, including Colleen’s Dream Foundation, the Joy Bus, and Make-AWish Arizona. (Jes Maewood Photography)

“I think ovarian is not as silent as we think,” Luth added. “It’s that the doctors aren’t listening.” Olivia Fierro, anchor of 3TV’s Good Morning Arizona, will emcee the S.T.A.R.S. performance. This year marks A 2nd Act’s fifth annual performance; it’s also the organization’s only annual fundraiser. Money raised by the S.T.A.R.S. performance supports the organization’s programs, including workshops and microgrants, which provide seed money for local women survivors ready to launch or grow their 2nd Acts. “Let me assure you, this performance is thought-provoking, humorous, and motivating as well as inspiring,” Pearson said.

If you go

S.T.A.R.S.: Survivors Take a Real Stage When: March 22 at 2 p.m. Where: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. 2nd Street Tickets: $22 (plus a $4.50 theatre surcharge) Call: 480-499-8587 Website: scottsdaleperformingarts.org

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What a day!

pecial-needs youngsters - aided by a host of students from various Scottsdale Unified schools, the district Special Education Department, city police and firefighters, and mascots from Phoenix pro teams - enjoyed a day in the sun during Field Day last week at Mountain Mountain View Park. Progress Staff Photographer Chris Mortenson was there to catch their joyous reaction. Among participants were, all from left: 1) Lucia Fairchild and Sharlize Jafari; 2) Taylor Lujan; 3) Ashley Crowe; 4) Jacob Goldfarb and Jace Jones; 5) the Desert Canyon Spirit Team; 6) Brandon Thomas with Grace the dog; 7) Adam Turner, Officer K. DeShetel and his horse Kota; 8) a boy named Jacob; 9) Melodie White-Harris; 10) Riontasho; 11) Michael Faila; and 12) Jack Hanon.

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Walkin’ Wednesdays Make friends while exercising during a brisk 1.5 mile walk through The J neighborhood 9-10 a.m. at Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road. Bring water and walking shoes and meet at the campus’ flagpole. Strollers, dogs and all walking paces are welcomed. Information: 480-481-1797.

Days MARCH

Fido Frisbee Meals

Sunday

1 Knights of North Castle The North Scottsdale United Methodist Church is taking applications for summer camp held 9 a.m.-noon on June 15 through 19 for children ages 3 to 12. The requested donation is $45 per child for the entire week’s program. This day camp offers energizing music, interactive bible puppetry, super science experiments, creative crafts, hands-on mission work, yummy snacks and active games. The church, located at 11735 N. Scottsdale Road, is accepting registrations now. Information: 480948-0529.

Basketball League

Young basketball players will participate in 10 weeks of skill development and exciting game play weekly with sessions from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays in March. Times vary depending on the players grade level. Cost is $135 to $190.

Monday

2 New Faces AA Find recovery from alcohol addiction alongside this support group at 7:45 a.m. at North Scottsdale Fellowship Club, 10427 N. Scottsdale Road Club membership is not required to attend meetings.

The Brunch Cafe at 15507 N. Scottsdale Road is serving $5 Fido Frisbee meals to all wellbehaved dogs on their patio 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dogs are served two scrambled eggs on a frisbee and owners get to keep the frisbee. Information: www.brunchcafe.com.

Books 2 Boogie

Children up to 5 and their caregivers are invited to participate in music, movement and song 10-10:30 a.m. at Mustang Library, 10101 N. 90th St. Information: 480312-7323.

Tiny Tot Time

Develop babies’ literacy with songs, rhymes, movement and board books 11-11:20 a.m. at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-3127323.

SCORE Mentoring

SCORE’s large network of volunteer business mentors will offer questions to business questions noon-4 p.m. at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Free. Registration is required. Information: 602-7457250.

Teen Advisory Board

Teens are encouraged to gather to brainstorm new ideas for teen programs and collections in the library 5-6 p.m. at Arabian Library, 10215 E. McDowell Mountain Ranch Road Information: 480-312-7323.

Homework Help

Students 8 to 18 can stop by the Arabian Library at 10215

Full STEAM Ahead

E. McDowell Mountain Ranch Road for help on any subject 3:30-5:30 p.m. Information: 480-312-7323.

Tuesday

3 Twos and Threes Young children 2 and 3 can learn social and literacy skills 10-10:30 a.m. with short stories, finger-plays and action rhymes at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480312-7323.

Happy Hour Book Club

This fun and informal book club will be reading “The Yellow House” by Sarah M. Broom 6-7 p.m. Call for location. Registration is required. Information: 480-312-7323.

Book Discussion

Join Arabian Library’s discussion of Kevin Hearne’s "Hounded” 5:30-7 p.m. The discussion will be off site and limited seating will be available. For information about location, please email Sara at sschettler@scottsdaleaz.gov.

Wednesday

4 Speedy Bridge Join others in a fast round of bridge at 10:30 a.m. at Via Linda Senior Center, 10440 E. Via Linda. Registration is required. Information: 480-3125810.

Children ages 7 to 11 are invited to use create inertia zoom tubes and witness the effects of force through experimentation 3:45-4:30 p.m. at Palomino Library, 12575 E. Via Linda. Setain is limited, so please see a staff person prior to the start of the program to pick up a ticket while will serve as registration. Information: 480-312-7323.

loosa Library, 7377 E. Silverstone Drive. Information: 480312-7323.

Musical Storytime

This program is a fun, interactive way for families to bring music into their home. Using children’s stories, each child and caregiver duo will learn how to play together in ways that will enhance their child’s musical and general development. Learn new songs and games, and play music on child friendly instruments 11-11:45 a.m. at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480312-7323.

Friday

ESL Classes

Beginner to intermediate speaking levels are encouraged to practice the English language 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Arabian Library, 10215 E. McDowell Mountain Ranch Road Information: 480-312-7323.

Cards and Games

Enjoy a variety of games including card games 9:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. at Appaloosa Library, 7377 E. Silverstone Drive Information: 480-312-7323.

Thursday

5 Tai Chi Everyone is welcome to join a class that focuses on gentle and controlled movements that center the mind, body and spirit for health benefits 3-3:45 p.m. at Ironwood Cancer and Research Centers, 8880 E. Desert Cove Ave. Information: 480314-6660.

Memory Cafe

Join Memory Cafe for a music therapy session designed for community members with Alzheimer's or Dementia and their caregivers. The group meets 10-11 a.m. at the Appa-

In Stitches Knitters Gather with other knitters to work on individual projects, share advice and talk with others 1-3 p.m. at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480312-7323.

Advanced Beginner Bridge

Join others in playing a fun game of bridge 10:30 a.m.12:30 p.m., Appaloosa Library, 7377 E. Silverstone Drive. Information: 480-312-7323.

based learning environment program 10:30 a.m.-noon at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. While children play, caregivers can learn about a variety of early childhood topics from local resource professionals. Information: 480-312-7323.

Saturday

7 Family Storytime Children up to 5 and their caregivers can listen to stories and music and participate in rhyming activities 10:30-11 a.m. at Appaloosa Library, 7377 E. Silverstone Drive Information: 480-312-7323.

Littlest Scientists Club

Children ages 2 to 5 can enjoy a scientific world of discovery through exploration and play 10:30 a.m.-noon at the Arabian Library, 10215 E. McDowell Mountain Ranch Road. Space is limited, so please see a staff person prior to the start of the program to pick up a ticket which will be your registration. Information: 480312-7323.

Sunday

Chair Pilates

Pilates improves the cardio system, eases back pain, improves bone density and boosts heart rate. Join a class to better physical health 1-2 p.m. at Ironwood Cancer and Research Centers, 8880 E. Desert Cove Ave. Information: 480-314-6660.

Mustang Writers

Practice writing exercises and share writing in a pressurefree and supportive group 10 a.m.-noon at Mustang Library, 10101 N. 90th St. Information: gpaulson4@gmail.com.

Stay and Play

Give children up to 5 an opportunity to explore, create and investigate with a play-

Story Stop Build children’s literacy with a free picture book program from 2 to 2:15 p.m. at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-312-7323.

Comedically Challenged

This comedy even will feature three comedians, including Chris Cluff, Rich Prange and Mike Bolland, at 7 p.m. at The Comedy Spot Comedy Club, 7117 E. 3rd Avenue. Cost is $10. Proceeds will benefit Parkinson’s disease research and Discount Tire will match the fund raised. Information: www.thecomedyspot.net.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MARCH 1, 2020

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Rodeo Scottsdale continues for the 67th year BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Progress Staff Writer

North odeo is in Dave Alford’s Scottsd ale

blood. He rode in the late ’60s and early ’70s, until he fell into rodeo production. Four decades later, he’s producing the Rodeo Scottsdale, which has bucked its way through town for 67 years. This year’s event is Thursday, March 5, to Sunday, March 8, at WestWorld of Scottsdale. “We look forward to the rodeo each year, adding more talent and creating a buckin’ fun weekend for all ages that you won’t forget,” says Alford, Rodeo Scottsdale’s general manager. “Over the past six decades, the only thing that that has changed about the rodeo is the location, we sustain the roots and tradition to keep the rodeo spirit alive.” Beginning Thursday, March 5, Rodeo Scottsdale’s professional all-bull riding event jumps out of the chute with roping, riding, thrills and spills. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) event showcases more than 50 top bull riders competing for their 8 seconds of glory of trying to stay on top of the most highly ranked bulls. More than 20,000 fans from all over the country will witness more than 500 contestants competing Friday and Sat-

Rodeo Scottsdale general manager Dave Alford says rodeo is a good American tradition. With hard work and practice, you get results. (Courtesy of Knoodle)

urday evenings, and Sunday afternoon for tens of thousands of dollars in prize money. The full, traditional rodeo will have seven events, including roping, barrel racing, bronc and bull riding. “It’s the rodeo you would have seen in the ’50s and ’60s,” Alford says. “There are not a lot of fireworks and explosions. It’s a good, clean wholesome traditional rodeo.” Other events include the Coors Hoedown, which takes place after the rodeo on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and features popular country music for kids of all ages. CounRodeo Scottsdale general manager Dave Alford says try music band Jason rodeo has a bright future because younger kids are get- Boland and the Stragting into it. (Courtesy of Knoodle) glers highlight the

music scene with their performance on Saturday. Thursday will feature 50 bull riders, while Friday and Saturday there will be traditional seven events. This is Alford’s 37th year with the rodeo. “I grew up in Scottsdale,” he says. “I’m one of those rare natives. As a young kid going into it, when I was a teenager, I competed in rodeo. “My father was on the original committee that started the rodeo in 1953. It’s pretty much in my blood.” The tradition of rodeo is what keeps him motivated and inspired. “Rodeo is a good American tradition,” he says. “With hard work and practice, you get results. My kids are all involved. I have five kids and they’re very involved in putting on the rodeo, and now my grandkids are, too.” He remembers the days when Scottsdale schools excused kids from school early to attend the rodeo. “When I was a kid in the ’50s and ’60s, they let us out of school early on Fridays to go to the rodeo,” he says. “My

sisters and all the girls in school loved it. It was the only day they could wear jeans because there was a dress code. It’s changed. There aren’t many people raised in the agricultural world or the rodeo world.” Nevertheless, the event sells out on Saturday night because the interest is there. “I see a lot of the younger kids getting into rodeo,” he says. “Some make money at it. They work hard and stay healthy and practice. The future of rodeo is bright.”

If you go

Rodeo Scottsdale When: Various times Thursday, March 5, to Sunday, March 8 Where: WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale Cost: $18 general admission, $5 for children 12 and younger, $45 reserved box seats Info: 480-648-4369, paradadelsol.net

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MARCH 1, 2020

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Master architect’s work at Scottsdale school BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

South

f the name Al Beadle S cottsda doesn’t ring a bell, le chances are you’re familiar with the late architect’s mid-century modern buildings throughout the Valley. Most notably, Beadle is the architect behind a three-unit apartment development — and the only Arts & Architecture Case Study program project built in Arizona – known as the Triad in Phoenix, built in 1962. Beadle passed away in 1998 at 71, but his presence remains strong in the Valley, including in the Scottsdale area, where a Beadle sculpture was recently dedicated. The Beadle-designed sculpture – an 8-foot-tall, blue-painted steel sculpture – was installed in September in front of Scottsdale Artists’ School in Old Town Scottsdale and dedicated on Feb. 22. In attendance at the dedication was Councilwoman Solange Whitehead, Beadle’s business partner of 35 years Ned Sawyer and his wife, and Beadle’s kids, among others. “Ziggy’s Sister” was donated to the City of Scottsdale as an anonymous gift in honor of Ziggy’s Sister, 2000, was designed by the late Alfred Newman (Al) Beadle. Four of six of his children are seen here with the sculpture during the dedication ceremony. the Beadle family. (Skye Fallon) “’Ziggy’s Sister’ is a cool, blue, modern piece that has the added benefit of beOriginally part of a residence in Paradise rized Tempe-based constructor, Gary Slater, ing locally historic,” said Wendy Raisanen, Valley, “Ziggy’s Sister” is one of only two to fabricate full-size pieces. curator of collections and exhibitions for Beadle sculptures painted blue; the other Proceeds from the posthumous sculpScottsdale Public Art. “It’s an eye-catching is installed at Upper Iowa University in Fay- tures built using Beadle’s original maaddition to the Scottsdale Arts District.” ette, Iowa. quettes benefit the artist’s family. Scottsdale Public With virtually no training in architecArt manages the ture, Beadle began his career as a designer sculptures and oth- and builder in 1950. er works of art in “He was, initially, unlicensed,” Sawthe City’s collection. yer said in a 2017 interview with Palm “Ziggy’s Sister” Springs Life. “Because of that, he said, ‘The was created in 2000 drawings have to be better, the design has based on plans and to be better and less expensive, so no one maquettes, or mod- has any place to criticize the quality of our els, Beadle created work.’” before his death Now considered one of the Valley’s most two years prior. important architects of the post-World Beadle created War II generation, Beadle has designed more than 40 ma- many homes and commercial buildings in quettes of larger Arizona — mostly in the Phoenix, Paradise sculptures, Valley, and Scottsdale areas. The late Al Beadle, posing here by one of his creations in Palm steel In 1963 alone, Beadle brought the ExecSprings, ranks as a mid-century architectural master. (Special to which are still used the Progress) today by his autho- utive Towers, a 22-story midtown highrise

that established Beadle as a prominent modernist architect. At the time, the Executive Towers was the tallest building in Arizona, and it’s currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Beadle was also known for the design of the million-dollar Safari Resort, considered the most elaborate and finest “motelhotel” in the state for its decor, facilities, and personnel. Opened in 1956 on Camelback Road, Safari Resort was known for its live music and for being a popular late-night diner. The resort, however, closed in 1998 to make way for a $143 million Marriott hotel and conference center that never materialized, the East Valley Tribune reported in 2006. “I started working for Al while attending ASU College of Architecture. He wanted me to learn similar skills and would take me with him to experience our buildings being constructed,” Sawyer said. “He told me,” Sawyer continued, “‘Ned, if you see construction, it will be easier for you to draft our buildings and design them in the future. Always remember our drawings and designs have to be better and our buildings have to be more economical.’” In addition to “Ziggy’s Sister,” Scottsdale Public Art also recently installed another donated sculpture in the patio courtyard at the Appaloosa Library in northern Scottsdale. This untitled, 10-foot stainless-steel sculpture by New York City-based Roger Phillips was created in 1983 and features red aluminum discs that spin in the wind. The sculpture was donated to the city by John and Judith Ellerman and installed in September. “In particular, we are pleased to accept artwork, much like the Al Beadle sculpture, when there is a particular connection to Arizona’s art and culture,” said Kim Boganey, director of Scottsdale Public Art. “Beadle is a well-noted architect and artist, known for his work throughout the Valley, and now we have a beautiful sculpture by him located here in Scottsdale.” “Ziggy’s Sister” is located at Scottsdale Artists’ School at 3720 N. Marshall Way. Information: scottsdalepublicart. org.

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The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO/AA institution and an equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or national origin. A lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in the career and technical education programs of the District. The Maricopa County Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities. For Title IX/504 concerns, call the following number to reach the appointed coordinator: (480) 731-8499. For additional information, as well as a listing of all coordinators within the Maricopa College system, visit www.maricopa.edu/non-discrimination.

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Legislature may double state gas tax BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

S Giada De Laurentiis and Rick Huffman of HCW Development pose for a photo at the Caesars Republic hotel and conference center groundbreaking event on Feb. 26. (Everardo Keeme/Photo Fusion Studio)

Ground broken for new Caesars hotel concept BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

eal estate development company HCW Development has finally broken ground in Scottsdsale for the first Caesars Republic hotel and conference center – the first non-gaming boutique hotel brand from Caesars Entertainment. Slated to open in 2021, the Caesars Republic will have two new restaurants: Luna by Giada, a new concept, and Pronto by Giada, a fast-casual restaurant that will serve Food Network personality and celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis’ signature

Italian fare with California influences. De Laurentiis was among numerous VIP guests at the groundbreaking Feb. 26 at Scottsdale Fashion Square on the southeast corner of Goldwater Boulevard and Highland Avenue. “I’m so excited to be part of this team, and I’m even more excited to bring my Italian heritage and my culture to Scottsdale,” De Laurentiis said. De Laurentiis first opened Pronto by Giada last year inside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

see CAESARS page 35

tate lawmakers last week took the first steps to what could be a doubling of the state’s gasoline tax. HB 2899, approved by the House Transportation Committee on a 6-0 vote, would add six cents to the current 18-cent-a-gallon effective on July 1. That would go up an additional six cents every year until it hits 36 cents on July 1, 2023. Potentially more significant, the measure being pushed by Rep. Noel Campbell, R-Prescott, is crafted so that the levy would increase annually starting July 1, 2024 to match inflation. That would preclude the need for future legislators to have to deal with the politically sensitive issue of voting for a tax hike. Rep. Bob Thorpe, R-Flagstaff, said that’s how Arizona got to the point where it is now, with road construction needs outstripping the available revenues because the current tax has not been increased since 1991. “We haven’t had members with the backbone to adjust this,’’ he said. But it’s that inflation adjustment that is giving heartburn to the Arizona Petroleum Marketing Association which represents gasoline dealers. Lobbyist Mike Williams told lawmakers that if the 1991 legislation had an inflation index, Arizona now would have the highest gasoline tax in the Western states. Campbell is not limiting his plans to raise revenues to hitting up only drivers of gas-driven vehicles. It also addresses diesel fuel. Potentially more significant, HB 2899 imposes new taxes on hybrids and allelectric vehicles on the basis that they, too,

use the roads but, from Campbell’s perspective, are not paying their fair share of construction and maintenance costs. The move comes even as Gov. Doug Ducey has consistently said he does not believe the state needs additional gasoline taxes. Campbell is counting on a rising public sentiment for better roads to not just get him the two-thirds margin he constitutionally needs in the Republican-controlled House and Senate for a tax hike but to convince the governor that there is broad support for the plan. He even got House Speaker Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, to testify in favor. And Tony Bradley, president of the Arizona Truckers Association, whose members will pick up a big share of that additional cost, added his voice. He figured the delays for truckers due to traffic congestion currently are costing more than $800 million a year. By contrast, Bradley estimated, the legislation would raise an additional $640 million a year with the higher fuel taxes on everyone. “This bill would save us by paying more,’’ he said. “And we’re willing to pay more.’’ But gubernatorial press aide Patrick Ptak said after the hearing that Ducey’s views have not changed. One sweetener Campbell built in to encourage support is kind of a reverse voter veto. It would require the state transportation board to come up with a plan to use the new revenues and have it updated every five years to show the progress that actually has been made. That report would go to legislative leaders and committees to review.

see GAS TAX page 35

BUSINESS

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CAESARS �� page 34

Luna by Giada, on the other hand, is partly inspired by De Laurentiis’ other Las Vegas restaurant, Giada, which opened in 2014 inside The Cromwell hotel. At Luna, patrons can expect upscale Italian fare and personalized service, as well as an eye-catching wine display and a robust wine list crafted from new and oldworld wines. The restaurant will also feature a sophisticated environment with outdoor seating and scenic views of Camelback Mountain. “I’m excited to bring my brand to Scottsdale with the opening of an all-new restaurant concept, Luna by Giada, as well as my fastcasual eatery, Pronto,” De Laurentiis said. “My restaurants are a reflection of me, my family and my home, and I can’t wait to share that with guests and locals.” The 11-story, 265-room hotel will also host on its seventh floor a rooftop pool deck, terrace and bar called SVN, operated by Riot Hospitality Group of Scottsdale.

GAS TAX �� page 34

Campbell said if they were dissatisfied with how the money is being spent they could put a measure on the ballot recommending that voters rescind the additional taxes. Campbell said he’s not worried. “We know we’re going to meet them

Described as an “elevated pool lounge and fine dining concept that connects elite clientele with an environment boasting unparalleled views, impeccable style, and an experience that will leave you thinking, ‘Lucky me,’” SVN will serve a light poolside food menu with craft cocktails and nightlife experience and be open to the public. Guests at the groundbreaking were treated to SVN cocktails like the Blueberry Nirvana, which combines Nolet’s dry gin, white pepper, sage, simple syrup, muddled blueberries, and fresh lemon juice and garnished with fresh blueberries and sage leaf. “It’s truly an honor to be part of such an incredible project,” said Ryan Hibbert, cofounder of Scottsdale-based restaurant group Riot Hospitality Group. “My Riot team has worked extremely hard this evening to give you a taste of what Seven will offer. The entertainment and infectious energy we all feel being here, we’re very excited to share with you as the project gets under way,” he added. SVN will also offer bookings for pribecause we’ve had testimony upon testimony of the areas that need improvement, the projects that need to be done,’’ he said. “We know what needs to be done in this state,’’ Campbell said. “What we lack is the political will to do it.’’ The proposed new taxes on electric vehicles drew opposition from Tesla.

vate events. The four-star luxury hotel – developed by HCW Development and operated by Aimbridge Hospitality – will also offer 10,000 square feet of meeting space and a 7,000-square-foot column-free ballroom with 34-foot sliding glass doors that will open out onto the adjacent lawn, suitable for outdoor events for up to 600 people. The ballroom is divisible into four sections and can host banquets up to 500 people. In addition to king, double queen and one- and two-bedroom suites, the Republic Scottsdale will feature a bridal suite and five luxury entertainment suites on the 11th floor. The contemporary 11-story glass structure will pay homage to Las Vegas, according to a press release, and will incorporate stone and faux wood accents to complement the adjacent luxury residential developments and the newly constructed luxury entrance to Fashion Square. “Scottsdale Fashion Square and the new Caesars Republic Scottsdale are a natural Lobbyist Meghaen Dell’Artino said her client is not opposed to Tesla owners paying their fair share in taxes. But she believes that the formula for the levy, based on the electricity used, means they would be paying more than the owners of gasoline-powered vehicles. Caryn Potter of the Southwest Energy

fit,” said Macerich President Ed Coppola. “The addition of this exciting new hotel is part of the next phase of development for our high-end mixed-use property, which will also include Class A offices and upscale residences to bring even more energy to Scottsdale.” Twenty-five people donned white hardhats and broke ground at the event, including De Laurentiis, Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane, Scottsdale Chamber President Mark Stanton and Experience Scottsdale President Rachel Sacco. “We are thrilled to be breaking ground for the highly anticipated Caesars Republic Scottsdale,” said Richard Huffman, chief executive officer and president of HCW. “Upon its opening in Fall 2021, the hotel will offer a dynamic destination experience to both locals and visitors traveling from afar,” he added. “Caesars Republic Scottsdale will be a new kind of lifestyle hotel experience.” Information: caesarsrepublicscottsdale.com Efficiency Project registered her own objections, saying that higher taxes on allelectric vehicles could discourage people from buying them. And that, she said, would harm the environment, particularly with some Arizona cities facing problems complying with ground-level ozone standards.

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Improved communication needed for food recalls BY ADAM GARBER Progress Guest Writer

s consumers, we rely on the food safety system when we buy groceries. And, we expect that if one of our purchases has been recalled our grocery store will warn us. However, a new report by the Arizona PIRG Education Fund states that Americans are not hearing about food recalls, and that communication breakdown can have serious repercussions for public health. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 48 million Americans continue to get sick from the food they eat every year. Although the food safety system focuses on getting recalled food out of stores, individual consumers may be unaware they have contaminated food in a pantry, refrigerator or freezer in their home. Effective communication about recalls is

critical to combat foodborne illness. Although they might not be the cause of a recall, grocery stores are access points in the food safety system in which consumers frequently interact. Grocery stores often have unique information about us and our purchasing habits making it easy to improve transparency about recall noti�ication efforts. And they should. Based on publicly available information, the Arizona PIRG Education Fund recently assessed whether the nation’s 26 largest supermarket chains tell customers about recall policies, in-store noti�ication, and direct customer noti�ication. Eighty percent of the nation’s 26 largest supermarket chains – including Albertson’s, Safeway and Whole Foods – received a failing grade for recall information. Only Harris Teeter, Kroger, Smith’s and Target received a passing grade. To avoid consumers needing to go on a scavenger hunt to �ind out if food they re-

cently purchased was recalled, we recommend the following: FDA and USDA should: • Require stores to make recall noti�ication policies available on their website and upon request. • Require stores to post signs about recalls at the cash register and on the store shelf where the product would normally appear for at least two weeks for perishable food and for at least one month for frozen foods. • Require stores to create direct customer noti�ication programs that alert consumers of recalled products within 48 hours of a recall. Grocery stores should: • Post food recall noti�ication policies on their website and provide a copy upon request. • Post signs for recalls at the cash register and on the store shelf where the product would normally appear for at least two weeks for perishable food and for at least one month for frozen foods. Use the infor-

mation collected through loyalty programs to directly alert customers of recalled products within 48 hours of a recall. Consumers should: • Sign up for recall alerts on the FDA website at fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts and USDA website fsis. usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/home. • Follow FDA and USDA social media accounts for updated information about recalls. • Ask the customer service desk for information about how you can be noti�ied about recalls for food you purchase and where recall notices are posted in the store. Until customers can easily �ind information on food recalls, many people will unnecessarily put their health at risk. -Adam Garber is the consumer watchdog for the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, an organization that conducts research and education on issues in the public interest. The organization’s report, Food Recall Failure, can be found at arizonapirgedfund.org

of volunteers to assist in our service to boys and girls in foster care. In 2019 alone 1,397 individuals dedicated 13,026 hours of work to aid in our mission of bringing hope to kids who have been abused and neglected. On average 36 hours each and every day! John has run delivery errands, Rich has stacked diapers in the warehouse. Linda has answered the phones while Phyllis and Ellen wrap birthday presents. Corporations have sent in teams of workers to assist, GoDaddy employees sorted holiday toy donations, VOYA staff decorated birthday bags with messages of hope. It takes many hands to accomplish all the good that we do for boys and girls every single day of the year. I love asking our volunteers what they get out of volunteering. Our regular weekly people will point to the camaraderie they’ve

built with new friends. Those who come for a one-time project might talk about how it made them feel good. There are some for whom volunteering in our warehouse is therapy for loss or pain. I’ve met more than one volunteer who has told me that we made a profound impact in their life. Their helping hands will give a child a safe place to sleep tonight, or will say happy birthday to a child who has been neglected and forgotten. Using their time and talent to make life better for others has given them purpose. Volunteers have told me that Arizona Helping Hands is their church, their way to give back and feel that they are making a difference. More than one volunteer has said that loss of a spouse left them in a state of depression,

and that by putting their efforts into helping others they have found a way to cope and to move forward. We rely on the generosity of each and every one of our volunteers. Your time is a gift to us, and to the boys and girls whose lives we impact every day. From my desk I can see volunteers log in and out on our tracking forms. I love seeing the smiles on their faces as they sign in for their shift, and it seems to me that smile is even bigger when they sign out. They know that their time has been spent helping children, and I don’t think there can be any better form of therapy. Thank you to all our volunteers. -Dan Shufelt is president/CEO of Arizona Helping Hands, the largest provider of basic needs to Arizona’s children in foster care. Information: azhelpinghands.org. Contact Dan at dshufelt@azhelpinghands.org.

Volunteers help care for foster children BY DON SHUFELT Progress Guest Writer

f you search for reasons to volunteer, you might come across a list of 20 great reasons. Responses could be to help others, to make a difference, to meet new people or to expand your horizons. It could be to contribute to a cause you care about, or even to impress your mom – or maybe yourself. The Corporation for National and Community Service says that volunteering improves psychological and physical health. Volunteers reap the bene�its of feeling a personal sense of accomplishment while building social networks that, in turn, support them in times of stress. Arizona Helping Hands relies on an army

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Scottsdale players showcase skills at Under Armour Camp BY ZACH ALVIRA Progress Sports Editor

early 200 of the best football players from across Arizona and six other states flocked to Williams Field High School in Gilbert Sunday morning to showcase their skills as part of invite-only camp. The Under Armour All-America Camp Series made its first and only stop in the Valley on Feb. 23, inviting athletes from Arizona, Utah, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas and Nevada to partake in a day of position-specific drills being filmed to send off to college coaches across the country. It was also an evaluation period for those involved with the Under Armour All-America Game taking place every January. The East Valley was represented by 79 athletes in total, all from different schools across Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Scottsdale and Ahwatukee. Saguaro, which finished as the run-

BRAM WALDEN

JARED WILLIAMS

QUINTIN SOMERVILLE

ner-up to Open Division champion last season, was depleted of several senior starters following the end of the 2019 season. However, as they have every year of head coach Jason Mohns’ tenure,

the Sabercats have once again reloaded with several key returning players and those looking to make a splash at the varsity level. Several of those players were among

those invited to the Under Armour AllAmerica Camp, including senior to be Bram Walden.

see CAMP page 39

Chaparral girls win 4th straight soccer title, boys fall to Brophy

BY ZACH ALVIRA Progress Sports Editor

embers of the Chaparral girls soccer program held up four fingers as cameras flashed around them. The girls, grouped near the home sideline on Campo Verde’s turf field, were in the midst of celebrating their fourth straight state championship, the second at the 6A level. Fueled by senior forward Isabella Struckman’s three goals, the top-ranked Firebirds defeated No. 7 Hamilton 4-0 to win the championship. All four of Chaparral’s championship wins have come at Campo Verde, the Firebirds’ “home away from home.”

The Chaparral girls soccer team won their fourth straight state title Wednesday night after the Firebirds defeated Hamilton 4-0 in the 6A championship. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff)

“All four of our titles have come on this field,” Struckman said. “The Campo Verde field, our home away from home.” Chaparral pressured Hamilton’s back line throughout the first half, challenging Huskies goalkeeper Asia Hart. Hart, however, remained poised in net. She racked up seven first half saves on nine total shots by Chaparral. Despite the Firebirds’ ability to dominate possession and numerous trips inside Hamilton’s box, the two teams remained scoreless through the first 40 minutes of play. “The girls came out with an intensity and drive, I’m just so proud of them,” Chaparral coach Robyn Carlson said. “We went at it

see CHAPARRAL page 39

SPORTS & RECREATION

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MARCH 1, 2020

CAMP �� page 38

“I just wanted to play my best football,” Walden said. “I haven’t done one-on-ones in a while, so I came out a little rust, but I got back into it. I think I did pretty well.” Walden, a 6-foot-4, 270-pound offensive tackle, is rated by 247Sports as a four-star recruit in the 2021 class. He is being courted by major Division I and power five college football programs, including Oregon, Auburn, Florida State, Michigan, Arizona and Arizona State, among others. He showcased his talents during the four-hour long camp at Williams Field, dominating opposing defensive linemen during one-on-one drills. At the end of the camp when all players were brought together, he was rewarded for his strong performance. Walden was one of three players from the camp to earn an invitation to the Under Armour All-America Game next January in Orlando, Fla., one of the premier high

CHAPARRAL �� page 38

first half, but we knew we had to keep up our intensity and the goals would come. Chaparral continued to pressure Hamilton’s defenders in the second half. Another shot on goal by Chaparral, its 10th of the game, was saved by Hart. Finally, in the 42nd minute, the Firebirds broke the tie. Struckman’s shot went across Hart’s face and into the far side of the net, sending the Chaparral faithful into a frenzy. “First half we felt like we should have been scoring, we had a lot of chances we just weren’t finishing, which was frustrating,” Struckman said. “I think we knew once we got one, we could open the floodgates and get it going. It was nice to get that first one.” The Firebirds continued their relentless pressure and Struckman scored again eight minutes later in the 50th minute, this time off an assist from fellow senior Chloe Steinhilber. Just nine minutes later, freshman middle fielder Sami Fisher extended Chaparral’s lead to three goals. Hamilton tried to answer Chaparral’s goals on several occasions late in the second half. Corner kicks were sent away by defenders, and clean looks at the net were corralled by Firebirds goalkeeper Avery Fletcher, who had five saves on the night. The meeting between Chaparral and

school All-Star games designated for some of the top recruits in the country. “I came here trying to play football here and have fun, I just wanted to compete against a great group of guys,” Walden said. “It’s a blessing to receive this. I’ve been dreaming about this for so long. It’s just crazy, man. I feel so blessed.” Walden was joined at the camp by Saguaro teammate Quintin Somerville, a four-star defensive end with scholarship offers from programs across all of college football’s major conferences. He plans to announce his commitment on June 20, his mother’s birthday. At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, Somerville was instrumental in Saguaro’s success throughout the regular and postseason. Like Walden, he was dominant in position drills using both his speed and strength to overpower opposing offensive lineman. “At this point in my recruitment I know what I’ve got,” Somerville said. “This was kind of just a chance to get better and show

everyone what I can do.” Saguaro athlete Xander Werner, wideouts Javen Jacobs and Shawn Miller and defensive tackle Alani Ma’afu also represented the Sabercats’ program at the camp, as well as several others. Chaparral running back Jared Williams torched opposing linebackers during oneon-one drills with several of the camp’s quarterbacks, including teammate Brayten Silbor, throwing to him. Williams showed his versatility as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, at one point diving for an underthrown ball and coming up with the catch despite contact from the defender. “I had a lot of fun out there,” Williams said. “I stayed humble, did what my coaches told me to do. It was a really great experience and I’m thankful for it.” Williams enters his senior season in 2020, as he will once again be the lead back in the Chaparral offense that made the first-ever Open Division playoffs behind

Chaparral goalkeeper Cole Johnson’s efforts in net against Brophy gave the Firebirds opportunities on the offensive end despite a 2-1 loss to the Broncos in the 6A state championship Tuesday night. (Chris Mortenson/Progress Staff)

Hamilton was the third during the 2019-20 season. On Dec. 17, the first meeting, the two teams tied 1-1. On Dec. 30 in the Arizona Soccer Showcase, Hamilton won 2-0. Chaparral’s redemption was also a family affair for Carlson, who’s two daughters, Lauren, a junior, and Mikaela, a freshman, are both on the varsity roster. “When they were little, they shared these experiences with me but to have both of them on the same team now is pretty cool,” Carlson said. “It’s amazing to see the intensity and drive pay off. “Just to see all of these girls start off as

freshman and learn from the seniors to now, it’s an amazing feeling.” Following the girls’ win, Chaparral’s boys soccer team took the field as the No. 2 seed to play top-ranked Brophy for the 6A state title. Chaparral scored early on in the match but couldn’t contain the speed of Brophy’s midfielders, as two second-half goals helped the Broncos defeat the Firebirds 2-1 and win the 6A crown. “Brophy gave us everything they had, they deserved it tonight,” Chaparral coach Jason Speirs said. “It’s hard for them right

the arm of Ohio State signee Jack Miller. He watched last season as his older brother, former Mountain Pointe offensive lineman Steven Williams, signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his football career at Minot State. Already with an offer to Northern Arizona University, Williams expects to have a breakout season as a senior. He wants to catch the eye of college coaches all over the country, and the Under Armour All-America Camp was his first step in doing so. “When I got the invite, I was shocked,” Williams said. “I ran downstairs and told my parents. I got the chance to show what I’m about. Now I just want to ball out and help (Chaparral) in any way I can. I want to make me memories with my brothers.” Along with Williams and Silbor, Chaparral offensive linemen Azeez Sardar, Mason Osborn and TJ Ritter, as well as wideout Max Minor and defensive lineman Anthony Lucas also received invitations to the Under Armour camp.

now to think about it but they worked as hard as they possibly could. It just wasn’t in the books for us tonight.” Chaparral’s lone goal came in the 7th minute of the match. A corner kick led to a deflection by Brophy’s keeper in the direction of Chaparral senior forward Aysa Hamid, who found the back of the net. Strong defensive play by Chaparral throughout the rest of the first half helped the Firebirds maintain their one-goal lead. Goalkeeper Cole Johnson stood strong in the net for Chaparral, as he recorded 6 of his 11 total saves in the first 40 minutes of play. Brophy’s midfielders consistently gained possession on Chaparral’s side of the field, challenging the Firebirds back line. In the 54th minute, Brophy senior forward Mathew Hartman scored to tie the game. Just 6 minutes later, Anthony Hidalgo gave the Broncos the lead. As time was winding down, Chaparral’s forwards created opportunities to potentially send the game into overtime. However, the Firebirds were unable to capitalize. Brophy stormed the field as the buzzer sounded, signaling the Broncos successful title defense. “(Cole Johnson) gets up for big games, that’s the kind of goalkeeper he is,” Speirs said. “We needed to do more than just depend on him tonight. We had a chance to tie it or even win it. We just didn’t take advantage of our opportunities.”

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Scottsdale Arts Fest marks big anniversary BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

very spring in Scottsdale, the flowers bloom, the Spring Training games are in full swing – and the Scottsdale Arts Festival opens up to the public for three days with the best-of-the-best local art, plenty of fun family-friendly activities and nonstop live music. This year is a particularly special year for the festival, taking place March 13 through 15 at the newly renovated 20-acre Scottsdale Civic Center Park. It’s the Scottsdale Arts Festival’s 50th anniversary. And to celebrate and commemorate its milestone year, Scottsdale Arts Festival has commissioned longtime attendees and local husband and wife printmakers Stephen and Bonnie Harmston, known collectively as HarmstonArts, to

Scottsdale Arts Festival’s featured artists are local husband and wife printmakers Stephen and Bonnie Harmston. Known as HarmstonArts, Stephen and Bonnie’s art studio is located in the garage of the Chandler home they purchased 34 years ago. (Chris Mortenson/Progress Staff Photographer)

create an original piece of art. “When they came to us and said, ‘It’s the 50th anniversary, and we want you,’ it really does mean a lot to us because we have a real strong history with this show,” Bonnie said. “Of all the shows we do all across the country over the years, there’s a few shows we have a real tender spot for, and we always get very excited to go,” she added. This year’s festival will showcase more than 180 jury-selected artists from the United States and beyond. Attendees will have the opportunity to both experience and purchase works ranging from paintings, sculptures, and ceramics to jewelry, photography, and more. Hands-on family-friendly activities include banana screen printing, a scav-

see ARTS FEST page 42

Nikki and Brie bring party to Valley Ho BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Progress Staff Writer

ust because Valley natives Nikki and Brie Bella are pregnant, it doesn’t mean they can’t throw a party. The former WWE Divas will kick off Cabanas After Dark, the Hotel Valley Ho’s poolside parties under the stars, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 7. The party and a VIP rooftop meet and greet also introduce their new Bonita Bonita rosé and signed bottles will be available. “We’re so beyond excited,” says Nikki, who recently announced her engagement to her former “Dancing with the Stars” partner, Artem Chigvintsev. “Brie and I are known as winos. We love being

Nikki and Brie Bella are hosting a party Friday at Hotel Valley Ho to introduce their new wine. (Special to the Progress)

part of the wine industry. Just because we’re pregnant, it doesn’t mean we can’t have a pool party and make mocktails. This, we know: the Bellas know how to throw a good party.” Brie adds it makes sense to celebrate Bonita Bonita in Scottsdale. The Bellas were born 16 minutes apart Nov. 21, 1983, in San Diego and raised on a farm near Scottsdale. The soccer-playing girls graduated from Chaparral High School in 2002. “Obviously, Arizona is home to us. Every time we have something to launch or showcase, the first thing we think about is here. We’re these young girls with big dreams and to introduce Bonita Bonita at home makes it much more special. Everyone can taste our rosé, which is fantastic, at

see BELLA page 45

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MARCH 1, 2020

ARTS FEST from page 41

enger hunt, all-level yoga sessions, upcycled journal decorating, storytelling with the Scottsdale Public Library, and more. Festivalgoers can also enjoy live music and other entertainment on two stages by local and regional bands. They will include jazz-based collective House of Stairs on March 13; Southern California yacht rock band Yachty by Nature, short performances by teen dance groups from local Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale branches, and a silence disco on March 14; and the Vets Rock Band on March 15. Other lineup highlights include the Sugar Theives, Jovert, and the Salt River String Band. “The Scottsdale Arts Festival has been a part of Scottsdale’s DNA for five decades and has continued to bring the best in visual, cultural, performing and culinary arts nestled throughout the beautiful park,” said Jamie Prins, Scottsdale Arts Festival director. “The Festival is Scottsdale’s oldest, continuous arts festival and attracts a

Scottsdale Arts Festival commissioned HarmstonArts to create an original commissioned artwork celebrating 50 years of the annual southern Scottsdale event. (HarmstonArts/Scottsdale Arts Festival)

broad audience, from families and young professionals to retirees and discriminating art buyers,” Prins added. The Harmstons have nearly as long a history together as partners and as an artist duo as the Scottsdale Arts Festival. Bonnie and Stephen met more than 40 years ago at Utah State University; they then purchased and moved into their Chandler home 34 years ago. “There were six houses out here and nothing but farmland,” Bonnie recalled. Stephen and Bonnie didn’t stay in the East Valley long, though, moving to Flagstaff and then to Seattle; but they always kept the house, and eventu-

ally moved back to Chandler. “It was probably in ‘96 when we officially became HarmstonArts,” Stephen said, adding this is when he transitioned into a full-time printmaker and they began taking on more art shows. Now, they do about 20 shows each year. “We do shows pretty much nonstop, and then we stay home in the winter,” Bonnie said. The first time the Harmstons attended the Scottsdale Arts Festival was sometime in the early ‘90s. Since, they’ve been featured artists a few times. “We have a real love for this show,” Bonnie said. “We don’t do very many shows in Arizona, period.” Stephen added: “A lot of people do well. It’s just this is not our market, oddly enough. It’s still to us is the best show in the whole state, period. It’s got the best quality of any show in the whole state.” HarmstonArts also won Best in Show at last year’s Scottsdale Arts Festival, which Bonnie said was “huge” for them.

see ARTS FEST page 44

Scottsdale entrepreneur marks Persian New Year BY OCTAVIO SERRANO Progress Staff Writer

awdan Shojaee grew up in Los Angeles where her Persian culture is vibrant and present. She misses it, so she’s bringing it to the Valley, where she lives now, with the second annual Persian New Year Festival. “Growing up, I was very close to it and I could have access to it,” said Shojaee, the founder of the Scottsdale software company Axosoft. “When I moved to Arizona 20 years ago, I started missing having that proximity.” The event is from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, March 7, at the Scottsdale Waterfront. The event is free, but RSVPs are encouraged. Last year, 6,000 people attended. “I started noticing we don’t have enough Persian culture here in the Valley, so I thought why not take a stab at putting together a festival,” Shojaee said. “I really enjoy going to other festivals in town and I thought, ‘What if we

Some delectable treats await people who attend the Persian New Year Festival Friday at Scottsdale Waterfront.

The Persian New Year Festival Friday offers a chance for old friends to gather and new friends to be made.

(Special to the Progress)

had the opportunity to introduce my culture?’” It started as a simple event with cultural food, but now she’s showcasing her favorite thing about the Persian culture—hospitality. “The entertainment we bring on stage is absolutely top-notch,” Shojaee said.

“We have a dance studio who brings their top dancer to dance on our stage with some of the most amazing costumes.” Fashion designer Masha Page is organizing a show set to music that will display the clothing of Iran. “What will surprise people is Iran is very different than the rest of the Mid-

dle Eastern countries in fashion is very important to them,” Shojaee said. She is increasing the festival’s size to accommodate more than 40 vendors, who will display items like sculptures, paintings, jewelry, pottery and calligraphy.

see PERSIAN page 45

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Clear Title Agency bringing new technology to real estate closings By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Clear Title Agency of Arizona has introduced a tech-savvy solution for depositing earnest funds during a real estate transaction. The Arizona-based company has teamed up with the application provider Zoccam to bring customers enhanced options that utilize technology to improve the real estate closing process. This new technology being offered by Clear Title, allows earnest money to be deposited via mobile app using a photo of the check. The earnest money deposit is a key step to officially opening escrow during a real estate transaction. Clear Title Agency Executive Vice President Mike Winters says his company saw the need in the marketplace and took the initiative to find a solution. “We open thousands of real estate transactions each year and we listen to feedback from those customers,” Winters says. “This type of thing has been around in consumer banking but not been available when accepting deposits for earnest funds during a real estate transaction. It’s new and unique to our industry. As a locally owned and operated company we are proud to be leading on this and bringing new technology to the market.” The mobile app is easy, he adds. Customers can download the free app from the App store for Apple users, or Google Play for Android devices. Once they download the app, they create an account and take a photo of their check to deposit earnest money needed to start the escrow process. “Prior to this technology, title companies needed to be in possession of the physical check to receipt in earnest money. With this new technology, the process is expedited saving everyone valuable time. The mobile app is being quickly adopted and has already been used by customers in every single Clear Title branch location. Locally owned and operated, Clear Title Agency of Arizona provides full-service residential and commercial title and escrow services with multiple locations across the Valley and in Flagstaff. The company has been recognized by Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies and Phoenix Business Journal’s Best Places to Work numerous times and ranks in the top 1% of all First American agents nationally.

For more information, visit cleartitleaz.com.

ARTS FEST from page 42

“We won printmaking awards there in the past, but never in all the years we’ve done the show have we ever won that big of an award there,” she added. HarmstonArts is known for its aspens- and cloud-focused pieces; the commissioned piece for Scottsdale Arts Festival showcases the latter. “They wanted the building in it. It was our idea to put the boosts in there,” Stephen said. Guests can bid on HarmstonArts’ original piece, as well as other items donated by participating exhibiting artists, in the festival’s silent auction from 5 p.m., March 13 to noon, March 16. In addition to the commissioned artwork, the festival and Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation has curated a retrospective exhibition to commemorate the 50th anniversary. The retrospective exhibition, located in the ArtReach Space inside Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, features previous festival items, from photos, merchandise, and posters to magazines, newspaper articles and more. Other local artists include Roy Wasson Valle and Koryn Woodward Wasson, who will present their “Camp Dreamtree” at the festival for the first time. Presented by Scottsdale Public Art and Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation, “Camp Dreamtree” is an all-inclusive, interactive installation comprised of three main parts: a visitor center, a fire pit, and four stations/houses with self-guided and artist-led projects to take home. “Our goal is to continue to offer unique, experiential opportunities that will not only engage and inspire attendees, but [also] encourage a future generation of art buyers and collectors,” Prins said. As far as food and drinks are concerned, the festival will have plenty of it. Vendors include popular food trucks and eateries, including 2 Fat Guys Grilled Cheese Truck, Be Crepeful, Biscuit Bombers, Dilla Libre, Eur Haus, Hibachibot, Mustache Pretzels, Paletas Betty, Short Leash Hotdogs, The Maine Lobster Lady, The Pizza Sloth, and

much more. Fine wines, beers, cocktails, and other beverages, including Milagro Tequila, Boochcraft Hard Kombucha, and other featured Hensley Beverage products, will be available for purchase at three bars. Attendees can also bring their own reusable water bottles and use the City of Scottsdale’s water trailer for refills to stay hydrated. “The City of Scottsdale has built a reputation as a community that values and supports the arts and I am very proud this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Arts Festival,” said Mayor Jim Lane. “As one of our most popular and long-standing events, the Arts Festival showcases some of the most talented artist from across the nation. “Our world-class community appreciates arts and culture as evidenced by this event’s 50 years of success, and we look forward to further growth under the Scottsdale Arts leadership,” Lane added. Throughout the weekend, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) will offer free admission where its new spring exhibitions “Murmuration,” “Design Transfigured/Waste Reimagined,” and “Unapologetic: All Women, All Year” will be on display. And on display at Center Space inside Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is “I hear what you’re seeing.” The festival attracts nearly 20,000 loyal visitors annually and is a major fundraiser for Scottsdale Arts and proceeds support the performances, exhibitions, installations, and arts education and outreach programs presented by Scottsdale Arts. “We are proud to continue this legacy for Scottsdale and the surrounding communities. We hope the community will get involved in celebrating the 50th anniversary with us,” Prins said.

If you go

Scottsdale Arts Festival When: March 13–14 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., March 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: Scottsdale Civic Center Park, 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Tickets: $12 single-day admission Website: scottsdaleartsfestival.org

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MARCH 1, 2020

BELLA from page 41

the Valley Ho.” Plus, Brie is a big fan of the Valley Ho. “I remember when I was 22 years old and living in Los Angeles,” says Brie, who’s married to fellow wrestler Daniel Bryan. They share a 2-year-old daughter Birdie. “I went to this fun party here. I thought this restaurant and whole lounge here is insane. I love that whole ’60s and ’70s throwback vibe.” Besides the wine, two babies and Nikki’s upcoming nuptials, the women have other things to celebrate. Nicole + Brizee body line is going to have new products, “Total Bellas” returns to E! on April 9 and they are launching a book. “We were originally going to launch it in the fall, but we’re going to tie it to Total Bellas’ premiere date,” Nikki says. “We’re going to announce our title and book cover soon.” Their clothing line, Birdiebee, is launching a spring line soon and it’s going to feature sustainable items. “Brie’s always been so eco-friendly and one of my resolutions is to make a change in this world,” Nikki says. “We wanted our companies to do so. Our products are going to use recycled plastic bottles, and we’re going to have more lifestyle clothing. We’re so excited for it to drop. We have so many new products.” They’re most excited about their pregnancies. The Bellas are due two weeks

PERSIAN from page 42

The tea house is the largest attraction, said Shojaee, whose volunteers will hand out free tea with a ticket obtained from the festival’s website. Tea is vital to her culture, Shojaee said, and one at the center of many social gatherings. “You walk into any (Persian) family, they will offer you the tea in the exact way these ladies offer the tea at the tea house,” Shojaee said. The festival is also an opportunity for Shojaee and her team to give back to the community, specifically the Ivy Brain Tumor Center at the Barrow Neurological Institute. The center offers a bold approach to identify effective new experimental therapies for malignant brain tumors, including glioblastoma. Patients receive individualized care in a fraction of the

CABANAS AFTER DARK Cabanas After Dark kicks off Friday, March 6, with the Bella Twins, spirits and wine, live bands, passed appetizers and drinks. Following the event with the Bellas, the series will continue with Tiki Night on March 13, Country Barbecue on March 20, and the St. Tropez White Party on April 3. Tickets for the kick-off event on March 6 are $25 and include a featured drink. VIP cabanas are $379 to $1,999 and include VIP access to the rooftop event that starts at 7 p.m. and two to eight bottles of the rosé signed by Brie and Nikki. Tickets for the events from March 13 to April 3 are $10, with VIP cabanas available from $229 to $1,499, including bottle service and one to two bottles of the featured spirit. Information: 480-376-3600, hotelvalleyho.com

apart in the summer. “We’re so thrilled,” Brie says. “Never in a million years did I think this could happen. It’s very hard to get pregnant. It wasn’t easy ever for me. The fact we’re so close is amazing. People ask if we planned it. But you can’t plan pregnancy. Trust me.”

time and cost associated with traditional research and development. “We’ve partnered with them to make sure we donate to their cause,” she said. “We wanted to show our philanthropic arm as a culture and every year we choose a different local nonprofit to donate to.” Shojaee said she feels the festival has developed into an authentic experience. “The joy we have in putting this together really resonates in the festival,” Shojaee said. “It’s absolutely beautiful. The colors, the sounds, the smells, it just adds to the beauty of the day.” Persian New Year Festival

Scottsdale Waterfront, 7135 E. Camelback Road, Suite 155, Scottsdale, persiannewyearfestival.com, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, March 7, free.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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Coming Thai eatery promises to be ‘Tang-y’ BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

os Angeles native Courtney Luengthada spent years working his way up the ranks at the renowned but nowshuttered modern Thai restaurant Tommy Tang’s in Hollywood and became good friends with Tang himself. But it’s always been Luengthada’s lifelong dream to open up his own Thai restaurant. Now, nearly two decades since Tang’s Los Angeles restaurant closed, Luengthada and his partner, Jeffrey Fisher, will finally do just that. Kin Dai Kin Dee, a 2,400-square-foot, full-service, contemporary Thai concept, is slated to open late spring. The restaurant will occupy the old Melting Pot space just off Hayden Road and north of East Via de Ventura. At Kin Dai Kin Dee, Luengthada and

Jeffrey Fisher and Courtney Luengthada are the owners of Kin Dai Kin Dee, a contemporary Thai concept slated to open in late spring. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

Fisher will combine Luengthada’s Thai family recipes and his experience working in a highly-touted Thai restaurant with the

couple’s combined past experiences living in seven different cities together, including four in Italy.

“It’s grounded in a mixture of family recipes; but because we’ve had the opportunity to live across the U.S. and Europe, we’re trying to bring some of those influences in [not only] from an experience perspective, but also from a menu perspective,” Fisher said. Kin Dai Kin Dee’s menu features a traditional, yet elevated take on pad Thai: Instead of the egg mixed into the pad Thai dish, the noodles are wrapped with egg, like an omelet. An example of Thai-with-a-Europeantwist is the Ragu Curry Di Tailandia, which combines short ribs, Panang curry, and kaffir lime with organic penne pasta. “The recipes and the flavor themselves, they really need to be grounded in authenticity, but we want to have fun with them, and we want to bring a different approach to it because there’s really good Thai food

see KIN DAI page 48

The flavors of Michigan come to Scottsdale

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Progress Staff Writer

hen David Najor moved to Arizona, he brought the feelings, the work ethic and the love he has for Michigan. His new Detroit Coney Grill restaurant in Scottsdale is peppered with Great Lakes State freeway signs and photos of famous Michiganders, but more importantly, there’s the food. The Detroit native lines his shelves with Sanders hot fudge, Better Made chips, Sanders trail mix and Vernors and Faygo pop – not soda here – everything Michiganders have come to love. Coneys are the top dog here, with chili, mustard and onions piled high.

David Najor said his faith in God assures he’ll be successful—and he has with Detroit Coney Grill, which recently opened in Scottsdale. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

“I noticed the Coneys out here were garbage and a lot of the restaurants out here were not mom-and-pop establishments,” Najor said in between guests’ hugs. “It was all chain after chain after chain. Everyone thought I was going to fail because it’s a new business, new state, new industry, but I just kept it simple.” Najor and his family are in the grocery store business, but by keeping it simple, he has found success with food. “I just treat people the way I would want to be treated,” Najor said. “I offer good food at a fair price. I have God on my side, so I can’t lose—ever.” The extensive menu includes a Detroit

see DETROIT page 49

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FOOD & DRINK

KIN DAI �� page 46

in the marketplace,” Fisher said. The real star of the menu, however, has to be the return perhaps the most popular dish on Tang’s past menu: the Tommy Duck, a boneless crispy Long Island duck dish with honey-ginger sauce and asparagus. In 1986, the New York Times described Tommy Duck as “a crackly skinned and succulent creation in which the meat is marinated in ginger and soy, then steamed.” After which, the duck is “flash-deep-fried and glazed with a sweet plum and ginger sauce.” On Kin Dai Kin Dee’s menu, they call the dish “’Eat’ the Original Tommy Tang’s Duck.” “Tommy’s given us permission to have it on the menu,” Luengthada assured, adding it’s not the only Tang-penned dish they’ll have on the menu, once finalized. Fisher added they would like to have Tang visit the restaurant in the fall and possibly host a couple of dinner at Kin Dai Kin Dee, too. “Which we’re really excited about doing,” Fisher said. “Courtney is very dear friends with Tommy.” Tang is “somewhat retired,” Luengthada said, and currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand. Also flying in from Thailand — albeit, pre-opening, not post- — where they will present the desserts. Alex Axelson of Noi Cacao is creating the

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MARCH 1, 2020

grandmother was doing, and, actually, a lot of it came to the really amazing cutting and presentation of the fruit.” Fisher added: “Plating is really quite important.” The design and aesthetic of both the indoor and outdoor spaces are important to the owners, too. Construction will begin shortly, and the space will transform into what Fisher describes as contemporary and “very warm.” Inside, they’ll add a Kin Dai Kin Dee will serve the original Tommy Tang’s duck, bar, a partially open a highly touted dish that was popular at Tang’s now-shutkitchen with counter tered Los Angeles Thai restaurant. (Courtney Luengthada) space, and plenty of dessert menu. Axelson previously worked seating, including taat République Café in Los Angeles and now bles, booths, and lounges. lives in Phoenix. “The design of the restaurant is intended The menu has been a labor of love for Lu- to be more contemporary as well to try to engthada, who teamed up with his moth- compliment the very contemporary plater’s Los Angeles-based cousin, Auntie Tim ing of the dishes,” Fisher said. Jittra, and his Thailand-based cousin, Al Outside, they’ll add a canopy, an archBenjasiriwan, to create the dishes. way, luminaria lining the walkway to the “What’s interesting is Auntie Tim’s fam- entrance, cypress trees as “a nod to Italy” ily, they come from a very long line of cooks and lots of other greenery – including in the kitchen. Her grandmother worked hedges and fresh herbs, like lavender and for the king in the palace,” Fisher said. “She rosemary. remembers some of the preparations her “It’s intimate, but it’s lively, and it has a

really wonderful indoor-outdoor sensibility,” Fisher said. “The intention was to be as complementary and seamless from indoor to outdoor.” Fisher and Luengthada have also partnered with Advanced Sommelier Wesam Kawa, who is creating the restaurant’s wine list — one that includes large and small producers from the world’s major viticultural regions — as well as training the staff. “The wine list will be very complementary with the menu,” Fisher said. In addition to wine, will also serve local microbrews and a full bar with Thai-inspired craft cocktails. In the end, Luengthada and Fisher simply want guests to “eat good,” and “eat well.” This is what Kin Dai Kin Dee means, after all. “It’s very important,” Fisher said. “We’re planting roots here. My parents have lived here for 20 years in West Phoenix, and so we’ve really decided this is our home. We really want to become part of the community.”

If you go Kin Dai Kin Dee Where: 8260 N. Hayden Road, Ste. A100 Opens: Late spring Website: kindaikindee.com

Scottsdale eateries ‘Devour’ awards

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

ay One of the Devour Culinary Classic at the Desert Botanical Gardens was overcast and plagued by sporadic rainfall, spotted with multi-colored umbrellas bobbing along from vendor to vendor. But hungry Devour attendees still, well, devoured all the mouthwatering bites and gulped down all the frothy booze and sweet and spicy cocktails the food and drink festival had to offer this year. Last weekend was full of twists on classic dishes, like Proof at Four Seasons’ grilled strawberry shortcake with candied jalapeños and Arizona honey cream; and fun and unexpected fusions, like newcom-

Proof at Four Seasons was named a Gold Medal Winner at this year’s Devour Culinary Classic, which took place Feb. 22 and 23 at the Desert Botanical Gardens. Proof served a grilled strawberry shortcake with candied jalapeños and Arizona honey cream. (Kristine Cannon/Progress Staff)

er Josephine’s Cajun-Vietnamese spring roll filled with crawfish, shrimp, and Chinese sausage. And while the offerings from all 55 of Arizona’s top restaurants representing the best-of-the-best culinary talent in the state were virtually can’t-misses, the results are finally in — and a handful of Scottsdalearea restaurants were named winners. While none were Double Gold Medal Winners, a new fifth category added this year, five Scottsdale restaurants were named Gold Medal Winners. They include Fellow Osteria, which served Sardinian gnocchi with octopus sausage, pecorino Romana, and fennel flowers; Lincoln Steakhouse at Camelback

see DEVOUR page 49

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DETROIT �� page 46

Coney ($4.85); the Detroit loose burger ($5.45), seasoned ground beef with chili, mustard and onions; and a “plain” Coney dog ($4.45) with mustard, ketchup, relish, onions and kraut. There are other odes to Michigan, such as the Big Mack “Inaw”—named after the village—that includes four hamburger patties, cheese, lettuce, pickles, onions, Thousand Island dressing on a tri-level bun ($7.95). Boneless Red Wings ($5.95) are boneless tenderloins with Frank’s Red Hot Sauce. Occasionally he carries Sanders “bumpy cake,” and Superman ice cream, two standards in Michigan. In Scottsdale, he serves breakfast of skillets/omelets, breakfast burritos and sides like pancakes and turkey sausage. The chili is proprietary, but, Najor said, he starts with National Coney Island chili, and adds his own beef and spices. He’s won awards from the Food Network and Travel Channel. “Travel Channel thinks our burgers are the ninth-best in the country,” Najor said. “I beg to differ. We grind our own beef. The hot dogs are all made by hand. We

DEVOUR �� page 48

Inn, which served a “surf and turf” lobster escargot and beef tongue popover with cholla cactus bud. Along with Proof at Four Seasons, Sweet Republic won. It served a red bean ice cream in a fresh-made krumkake cone. Also capturing the gold was T.Cook’s at Royal Palms Resort, which served its Arcadia Orange Bombe with white chocolate Grand Marnier mousse, hazelnut dacquoise, and citrus curd. “Yet another dessert triumph, called the Arcadia Orange Bombe, a ball of hazelnut dacquoise and white chocolate ganache infused with a jolly amount of Grand Marnier,” food critic Howard Seftel wrote in his tasting notes. Scottsdale-area Silver Medal Winners include Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa for their Spanish octopus with squid ink fideo, preserved lemon, soffit, and espelette. Other silver winners were Merkin Vineyards Osteria for their braised wild board and creamy polenta; Roka Akor for their Grilled Tako with ricotto crema, mizuna, and pickles; Sel for their little neck clam

Detroit Coney Grill owner David Najor, left, has a laugh with customer Tim Schraser. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

use the same dogs as Tiger Stadium and Lafayette Coney Island.” The new location at Hayden and Indian Bend roads is ideal, Najor said. He recently added a covered patio, which will be perfect for the Spring Training crowds. More than 60,000 cars a day pass by the free-standing building, according to Najor. “I fell in love with the corner,” he said.

“I fell in love with the traffic and the fact that I had a free-standing building. The fact that I was able to build a patio in Arizona is a plus because everyone eats outside.” Most of his memorabilia is donated, but he’s careful about what he accepts. Michiganders love his restaurant, he said. “I love a lot of Detroiters coming here,” Najor said. “Most of them live out this way

ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho won Silver for their “Ferdinand” beef cheek ﬂauta with white bean puree, green Chile pork, fried egg crema, lime, chiles, and cotija. (Kristine Cannon/Progress Staff)

ceviche with prickly pear apple cider jus, smoked trout roe, yuzu-prosecco gelee, and squid ink tuile. And Sushi Roku scored a silver for their large shrimp seared with a hanabi sauce and butter mixture and topped with Serrano and Fresno confetti served over sushi rice.

ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho’s silver recognized their “Ferdinand” beef cheek flauta with white bean puree, green Chile pork, fried egg crema, lime, chiles, and cotija. “People-pleasin’ (and judge pleasin’) empanadas stuffed with beef cheek, green chile pork, and white bean puree. Good stuff,” Seftel wrote.

or they’re willing to come to this location. I love it when Detroit customers come in here. They’re the ones who are going to post about it on social media, ‘Hey, you got to go try Superman ice cream.’” He has a deal with Faygo to have the pop shipped to his store. “I get mine direct because I’m in the supermarket business,” Najor said. “I also know the CEO of Faygo very well. I call him all the time. I was trying to get Rock and Rye (a flavor of Faygo) pop slushies out here, but I had to buy a certain machine. I just wasn’t really willing to invest in it yet.” The Scottsdale restaurant is the prototype for Najor’s restaurants moving forward. He’ll have beer, wine and liquor like his new store. “I say this and I mean this: I’ll never lose because I have God on my side,” Najor said. “What that means is I’m not scared. The fear is gone because when you know he’s behind you, you do the right thing. You bust your tail, you work hard, you treat your people with respect no matter who it is. You follow God’s ways and you’ll be successful.” Information: 6953 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale; 480-597-4300 Bronze Medal Winners included J&G Steakhouse at The Phoenician for their bacon-wrapped gulf shrimp served with passion mustard sauce and avocado, and newcomers Prep & Pastry for their duck confit hash. The Devour judges this year consisted of food critics and writers from around the country, including Howard Seftel, Christina Barrueta, and Craig Outhier from Phoenix; Astrid Taran from New York; Jillian Dara from Boston; and Carey Sweet from San Francisco. After tasting all samples, the judges divided the medalists into five categories: Double Gold, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and No Medal. Double Gold was reserved for those restaurants receiving a unanimous Gold Medal ranking from all the judges. Devour presenter Local First Arizona also worked with Chef Danielle Leoni, a national leader in sustainable seafood at her Phoenix-based restaurant, The Breadfruit & Rum Bar, to judge chefs on their sustainability practices, including where they sourced their food from. View the full list of winners at devourphoenix.com.

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There’s a secret to making steak salad tasty

f you love main dish salads, this is one to try. The tasty ﬁxins’ – chopped crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs and candied pecans – add to this hearty plateful of goodness, but I think it’s the dressing that really makes the meal. The sweet and tangy mixture in this dressing is a family favorite and one that we’ve used on spinach salads for years. I’ve changed things up a bit for this bountiful meal. I’ve added spring mix to the spinach greens, and I’ve accompanied the greens with a beautifully pan-grilled Flat Iron Steak, cooked medium rare and sliced into strips. If you prefer grilled chicken on the side, it will be just as delicious.

Secret: There is one important tip in tossing this salad. Add the dressing at the very last minute, right before you’re ready to serve it up. Also, instead of pouring the dressing directly over the greens, spoon the dressing along the inside of the bowl and let the dressing ooze down the sides. Then, give it a gentle toss. This is to keep the greens from getting soggy. If you decide that you don’t want to make this salad a main dish, it makes a savory side salad for just about any entrée. Make up a double or even triple batch of this liquid gold dressing, refrigerate, and then you’ll have it on hand for the next couple of few weeks.

Ingredients Salad: 1 to 1½ bags fresh spinach and/or Spring Mix (about 12 oz.) washed and dried ½ pound crispy bacon, rough chopped (4-6 pieces) 2 large eggs, hardboiled and chopped 1 cup candied pecans 1 teaspoon salt (or more as needed) 1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper Steak of your choice, cooked and cut into strips

Directions: Prepare salad dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, brown sugar, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire Sauce and garlic until well blended and thickened. Set aside. In a large bowl, add spinach and/or spring mix, crisp chopped bacon, chopped eggs, candied pecans, salt and pepper. Reserve some eggs, bacon and pecans for garnish. Drizzle dressing around the side of the bowl (so leaves don’t get soggy) then gently mix. Serve on chilled salad plates and top with bacon, eggs and pecans for garnish. Lay slices of steak over the salad and serve immediately. Watch my how-to video: jandatri.com/jans-recipe/one-minute-kitchen

Dressing: ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (important to use a good extra virgin olive oil) 2 heaping tablespoon brown sugar ½ large lemon, juiced 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 large clove fresh garlic, minced

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