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Faith leaders seek signs' removal / P. 14

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

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This Week

NEWS.............................. 04 Skysong developer eyeing greater heights.

ARTS ................................ 30 Symbol of a balanced journey at new hotel.

FOOD .............................. 32 Chef's two restaurants cover many tastes.

NEIGHBORS ........................20 BUSINESS ............................. 27 OPINION ..............................29 ARTS ....................................30 FOOD & DRINK................... 32 CLASSIFIEDS .......................34

Scottsdale grads scored big/ P. 9

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City Attorney to probe NoDDC campaign money BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

he Scottsdale City Attorney will take a closer look at allegations levied against the NoDDC political action committee and its founder Jason Alexander after the City Clerk found reason to believe campaign �inance violations may have occurred. Former Councilman David Smith lodged a complaint with the Scottsdale City Clerk’s of�ice in May alleging a number of violations the NoDDC PAC and individuals associated with the group, including Alexander, Rebecca Holmes and Mike Norton. Many of the complaints arise out of an

alleged commingling of funds between NoDDC Inc. and NoDDC PAC. NoDDC Inc., a now defunct Arizona nonpro�it, was dissolved in December 2018. NoDDC PAC, organized in October 2018, is the most recent itineration of an associated political action committee. A previous entity called NoDDC PAC, also headed by Alexander, was active from September to December 2016. Both organizations were prominent in the �ight against the Desert Discovery Center, later Desert Edge, development that was effectively quashed by the passage of Proposition 420 in November 2018. The complaint included allegations that monies donated to the NoDDC Inc. non pro�it

were funneled to the NoDDC PAC without proper documentation. Smith also alleged that some of the money may have been used to cover personal expenses for Alexander and Norton — both listed as directors of the nonpro�it — and to make donations to City Council candidates in violation of state law. The City Clerk found no evidence that Norton, who was involved with the NoDDC nonpro�it but not the political action committee, committed any violations. The same cannot be said for Alexander or the NoDDC PAC. City Clerk Carolyn Jagger referred the

�� COMPLAINT �� 15

Agency, city team up to help the needy here

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

oss Heyl, coordinator of Scottsdale’s Beat the Heat program and city social worker Kelly Van Wave met at southern Scottsdale resident Helga Charbonneau’s home one day to deliver a Beat the Heat goodie bag �illed with drinks, snacks, toiletries, notepads and pens, a book of stamps and a $35 grocery gift card. The moment she grabbed the handles of the reusable tote bag, Charbonneau was overcome with emotion. “When something like this comes along out of the blue, I sit here and cry,” she said, her eyes welling up with tears. “Every time I have received these gifts, it’s like Christmas in July.”

�� SCP �� 6

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City social worker Kelly Van Wave and Ross Heyl, coordinator of the Beat the Heat program, often encounter moving displays of gratitutde from the seniors they help. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographert)

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

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 Colleen Sparks | 480-898-5638 csparks@scottsdale.org Photographers Kimberly Carrillo | KCarrillo@scottsdale.org Pablo Robles | Probles@scottsdale.org Design Jay Banbury | jbanbury@scottsdale.org 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.

Stockdale Partners is asking the City of Scottsdale to amend zoning for the proposed Marquee office building project next door to the Galleria Corporate Centre to allow for heights up to 150 feet. (Progress file photo)

Developer seeks taller Galleria of�ice building BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

ongstanding plans to build a new of�ice building next to the Galleria Corporate Centre are set to go back before the City Council as the property owner seeks to add additional height to the proposed project. The building, dubbed Marquee by property owner Stockdale Capital Partners, would sit on land just north of the Galleria. Marquee �irst went before the City Council in May 2016 and subsuqently received zoning and development plan approval for a 96-foot, 9-�loor of�ice building with some ground-level retail and restaurant space. Stockdale, which also owns the neighboring Galleria Corporate Centre and nearby W Hotel, is now seeking approval to increase the height of Marquee to 150 feet to accommodate two additional �loors. Jason Morris, a zoning attorney with Withey Morris who represents the developer, said the new request was prompted by changes to Scottsdale’s Old Town Scottsdale Character Area Plan. “Really what occurred is prior to our original zoning case there was a downtown plan in place that limited height,” Morris said. “But subsuquent to our zoning case getting approved, the city did an update to the downtown plan that increased the zoning heights allowable in those areas.”

The Old Town Scottsdale Character Area Plan, adopted by the city in July 2018, allows for heights up to 150 feet in select areas throughout downtown designated Type 3. The Marquee site is located within one of these areas. Stockdale is asking the city to update the zoning for the Marquee site from Type 2, which allows for heights up to 90 feet under the new plan, to the new Type 3 designation. With Marquee, Stockdale is attempting to take advantage of the success of the Galleria, a former defunct shopping mall that was successfully transformed into an of�ice building. The Galleria is now home to a number of tech companies, including Yelp and Indeed and recently hosted Governor Doug Ducey at the ribbon cutting for an of�ice expansion by online home-buying marketplace Zillow. “I think you’ve seen the success of the Galleria, which is probably one of the most successful reuse examples in the country,” Morris said. “The city has helped this transform from an albatross into something that’s an economic generator for the City of Scottsdale. The new Marquee building could provide space for those existing tenants to expand, Morris said. The Marquee will be a Class-A of�ice building and include 250,000 square feet of of�ice space split into large �loor plates designed to attract the same types of tenants coming to the Galleria. The new building will not have physical

connections to the Galleria building, though, due to �ire code restrictions. However, the new application does include some modi�ications to the Galleria to better integrate the two buildings. That includes adding an additional entrance and exit to the Galleria along Scottsdale Road. If Marquee is as successful as Stockdale anticipates, that will mean an in�lux of workers into downtown — a development that will likely concern local business owners who have long complained about a lack of parking downtown. Morris was adamant that the new Marquee will have enough parking to meet its needs. “It’s an issue not only to the surrounding business owners and the retailers who want to make sure that the street parking is protected, but it’s also just as important to (Stockdale), because unless they can guarantee a good parking ratio, no one is going to pay the price for leased of�ice space in a Class A building in downtown Scottsdale,” Morris said. He said the Galleria added two additional levels of parking in recent years and that the new Marquee building will include multiple levels of aboveground parking integrated within the building itself. The new project application submitted to the city indicates �loors four to seven would include parking that is completely enclosed within the building and hidden

�� GALLERIA �� 5

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

GALLERIA �� 4

from street view. The application states there will be 934 parking spots, which is greater than the 906 spots required by the city. “We have to have that parking,” Morris said. It is unclear exactly when Stockdale plans to begin work on Marquee, but available information suggests it will be sooner rather than later. The updated Marquee zoning case was approved by the city’s Development Review Board on June 20 and will reach the Planning Commission on July 10. It is scheduled to go before the City Council on August 27. Though the project has already been approved by the City Council once before, it could still face opposition. A number of residents submitted comments to the city both for and against the project ahead of the 2016 zoning case. Several supporters praised the project for its ability to attract more high-end businesses to downtown. “I love the design of this building and think it would be a great addition to the area,” Scottsdale resident Brianne Brown wrote to the city in 2015. “Old Town

The last time the Galleria Corporate Center was before City Council for zoning changes, members Kathy Littleﬁeld, center, and Guy Phillips voted against them. New member Solange Whitehead, though running for office at the time, expressed views sympathetic to theirs. (Special to the Progress)

Scottsdale has �lourished over the past couple of years and I feel that this building will continue to bring the right kind of commerce and interest to the area…” Still others expressed concerns over the building's mass and the effect it would have on parking in the area. The Coalition of Greater Scottsdale wrote a letter to the city articulating a number of those concerns, including that

the building is too massive for the site’s square footage and that it would further cannibalized scarce street parking in the area. The last time around, the zoning changes were approved on a 4-3 vote. Two of the three dissenting votes were cast by current council members Kathy Little�ield and Guy Phillips. The third no vote came from former Councilman David

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

SCP ��

This year, Beat the Heat will help a record high of 182 homebound, isolated or disabled seniors aged 60 years or older this month. Beat the Heat is just one of many of 11 programs nonpro�it Scottsdale Community Partners oversees in partnership with the Scottsdale Human Services Division. The programs aim to prevent homelessness and help Scottsdale individuals, families and seniors in crisis — through care bags and assistance to homebound seniors like Charbonneau, providing free meals to children in need or assisting residents in need of work. But many residents aren’t aware of the impact SCP has made on its community for the past 44 years and the long hours SCP staff and volunteers put in 365 days a year. So, this year, SCP has made it its mission to raise awareness of its programs. “We’re doing all these amazing things and very few people know about that,” said Jenny Adams, SCP executive director. “We’re entering a phase where we’re trying to put ourselves out there more and let people know who we are and what we’re doing in this building.” That building is Vista del Camino Community Center, one of four Scottsdale Human Services locations. The other three are Granite Reef Senior Center, Via Linda Senior Center and Adaptive Services Center. “When you’re in the middle of doing something, there’s a tendency to keep trucking away and not tell people you’re doing that. And I think for a long time, the nonpro�it and Vista have just kept themselves going and trucked along and had enough donors to get the job done that we wanted to get done,” said Eugenio Munoz-Villafane, Vista del Camino Human services manager. Munoz-Villafane and Adams hope the increased awareness will, in turn, increase SCP’s donor base. “We’re realizing that if we’re going to increase our donor base and we’re going to be able to fund more programs and we’re going to be able to fund at a higher level, then we have to increase our public presence,” Adams said. Last year, the Beat the Heat program assisted 160 homebound seniors, distributing 5,642 water bottles, 5,600 gift cards, and 5,600 stamps, water, snacks and hygiene items — all thanks to nearly 500 donors who donate anywhere from $12,000 to $15,000 annually. “We get new seniors every year,” Heyl said. “Our goal is always to increase until it gets to the point where we [say], ‘This is the max amount we can take.’ But we haven’t approached that.” “Obviously, as we increase numbers,

City social worker Kelly Van Wave, left, and Ross Heyl were touched by Helga Charbonneau's response to their Beat the Heat gift. (Pablo Robles/Special to the Progress)

we’re going to need more help from the community, which I know that they’ll come through,” he added. Beat the Heat is about much more than giving seniors goodie bags each summer. City social workers use this as a time to check in to assess their health and well-being. “We can also watch for declines,” said Van Wave, who has been Charbonneau’s social worker since 2016. Charbonneau, who has lived in her home since 1980, had a brain tumor removed in the late ’70s and, as a result of the tumor and surgery, has a history of falling. Van Wave usually checks in with Charbonneau twice a year: during Beat the Heat and Adopt a Senior, the city’s holiday program that runs from October through December. “I assisted her with getting on a few other programs, including Arizona Long Term Care, so that she now has a caregiver that comes in throughout the week to help with various tasks, [like] grocery shopping,” Van Wave said. “The City of Scottsdale does so much for seniors,” Charbonneau said. “All you need to do is say, ‘Yes, I need this’ and they will help you.” Currently, SCP and Scottsdale Human Services are gearing up for its annual Back to School Event, which will be held July 24 at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. The Back to School program provides

essential school supplies, backpacks, clothing and shoes to income-eligible, Scottsdale-based students, kindergarten through 12th grade. As part of the Back to School program, eligible students can also receive dental screenings and wellness checks by NOAH or the Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health program. Last year, more than 1,000 youngsters received supplies — a total value of $148,800 given to the community; 51 volunteers worked more than 1,000 hours, including months of preparation prior to the event. SCP and Scottsdale Human Services are still in need of donations for its Back to School program. “We need to educate Scottsdale that there’s poverty in Scottsdale,” Adams said. “That’s the brick wall that we hit every once in a while. I can’t tell you how many times people have said to me, ‘Wait, there’s poverty in Scottsdale?’ There is, and not only in South Scottsdale; there’s poverty throughout the city.” Nearly 6,500 children in Scottsdale public schools qualify for the federal program that provides free or reducedprice lunch at school. And some of these children have little to no food to eat on the weekends. SCP’s Healthy Packs program addresses this need by providing bags of easy-to-

prepare meals and snacks for children to take home on Fridays. “We’re trying to take people that may not understand the need in Scottsdale and educate them. People are astonished when we tell them that there are almost 6,000 kids in Scottsdale that are on free and reduced lunch, and they are at every single school,” Adams said. Last year, more than 11,000 Healthy Packs were distributed to children attending seven SUSD Title I schools — an impact of $531,708. “The bags are either placed in the student’s backpack or in a discreet place in the classroom; and at the end of the day, the students enrolled in the program grab it,” said Blanca Ruiz-Moreno, community specialist at Echo Canyon School and Kiva Elementary. She added: “The students show excitement when they receive it or see me place it in their backpack or classroom.” Healthy Packs started at Echo Canyon School, formerly known as Arcadia Neighborhood Learning Center or ANLC, in 2011. According to Ruiz-Moreno, a reading teacher at the school at the time, Judy Stall, noticed some students were struggling to focus due to having little or nothing to eat on the weekends. “The Healthy Pack program de�initely �ills the gap for these families,” RuizMoreno said. “Our students are thankful because they have food to eat when they run out.” Ruiz-Moreno said one student’s family will combine the food received from Healthy Packs to feed the whole family. A single mom said the Healthy Packs program allows her to buy more toiletries for her family. “I think it is a wonderful program and it serves many purposes. It provides a little wiggle room for our families that need to buy other things and, more importantly, it helps our students to be able to focus in school and not worry about their next meal. Our families are very grateful,” Ruiz-Moreno said. Echo Canyon had about 50 students enrolled in the program during the 2018/2019 school year. SCP accepts donations year-round, and Adams said monetary donations are preferred. “It’s important for donors to understand that our money goes a lot further than theirs does,” she said. “If somebody buys a grocery gift card for $35, we can get that for $32. We’re tax-free, and our purchasing power is greater.” For more information about SCP’s many programs and to learn more about how you can help, call Vista del Camino at 480-312-2323 or visit scottsdalecommunitypartners.org.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

SUSD grads earned $80M in scholarships BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

cottsdale Uni�ied School District’s Class of 2019 included 1,820 students who collectively earned an estimated $80.3 million in scholarships. A number of SUSD graduates earned sizable scholarships and other accolades for their achievements in high school, including Chaparral graduate Kyle Polen, who was named one of 20 Flynn Scholars in Arizona. Desert Mountain graduates Harrison Douglas, Joel Haug, Michael Kupfer, Nicklas Samanta and Nicholas Savastio were all named National Merit Scholars. Fellow Desert Mountain grad Oyinkansola Oluyeba was awarded the Dorrance Scholarship. Coronado’s Pilar Arteaga received a scholarship from local nonpro�it Community Celebrating Diversity. There were also six appointees to U.S. military academies in SUSD’s 2019 graduating class, including Arcadia High School’s Nick Bourgeois and Carter Murphy, both to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

The Coronado High School Class of 2019 graduation ceremony took place on May 30, 2019. In total, SUSD graduated 1,820 students in 2019. (Courtesy of Scottsdale Unified School District)

From Desert Mountain High School, Michael Dankworth was appointed to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Steve Florence, to the U.S. Naval Academy and Tanner Falls to the U.S. Military Academy West Point. Saguaro High School’s Clayton Randall (U.S. Air

Force Academy). Chaparral High School graduated 504 students who earned $19.1 million in scholarships. Students graduating in the top-�ive percent of Chaparral’s graduating class included Polen, Faith Cain,

Amanda Chin, Sarah Chon, Matthew De Koch, Dylan Fulop, Ashley Holtz, Kira Householder, Sarah Hughner, Bennett Katz, Brian Lee, Robert Leigh, Richard Qi, Noah Silver, Grace Taylor, Jake Trenter, Grace Tully, Lauren Tully, Rachel Turner, Paulina Valdez, Kate Van Houten, Anika Walia, Ashlynn Wallace, Jory Weiss, Anthony Winney and Tate Zall. All students in the top-�ive percent at Chaparral had a GPA of 4.67 or above. All GPAs provided by the district re�lect a student’s GPA at the end of the sixth semester, or the last semester of 11th grade. Coronado High School had 181 graduates, who earned $574,600 in scholarships, including $6,000 in athletic scholarships. Students who graduated in the top�ive percent at Coronado included Kayte Arviso, Katie Cabrera Vargas, Pilar Arteaga, Jose Herrera Sebastian, Kylie Strickland, Hazim Sedek, Melissa Sola, Gabriel Jacques, Angelica Salinas and San Juana Paredes Jurado. All students graduating in the top-�ive

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

CITY NEWS

GRADUATION �� 9

Haug, Nicole Ursprunger, Andrew Frisch, Sydnee Pilarski, Cole Errico, Nicolas percent at Coronado had a GPA of at least Savastio, Chloe Sarocka, Jenna Tarkington, Amelia, 3.80, including Kayte Arviso with a 4.464 GPA. Michael Kupfer, Mickelson, Desert Mountain High had 495 graduates. Jackson Duvall, Skylar Wickman, Erin Desert Mountain graduates earned a total Andrews, Jadyn Brilon, Sarah Congiundi, Leah Roga, Dane Jensen, Samantha Basch, of $28,832,993 in scholarships. Students who graduated in the top 10 Elise Brown, Haniyah Altaf, Jordan Perry, percent of the Desert Mountain graduating Michael Pizzagoni, Nicklas Samanta, class included Courtney Dozier, Kyle Michael Tam, Harrison Douglas, Taralyn Peck, Kevin Trent, Amanda Carlson, Rahman, Alexandra, Meera Shah, Madison Dosek and Brandon Kron. All students graduating in the top10 percent at Desert Mountain had a GPA of at least 4.40. Saguaro High School graduated 301students, who earned $19,723,905 in scholarships. That total included $7,217,742 in academic scholarships and $12,506,163 in athletic scholarships. Scottsdale Uniﬁed high school graduates this year The top-one percent of earned millions in scholarship offers for their hard work. (Special to the Progress) Saguaro’s graduating class Otstot, Noah Mader, Aaron Yang, Steven Florence, Erin Epel, Shaalin Sehra, Nicole Perry, Holly Wills, Jada Warner, Noelle Rapier, Nicole Caryl, Natalie Ho, Mallory Kruse, Tristan Rubio, Brian Prieve, Mika Lambert, Ryan Bear, Adam Coates, Lasya Akshara, Hope Ashworth, Emily Ho, Joel

included Allison Silver (4.928 GPA), Samarrah Stephan (4.885), Dallas Taylo (4.894) and Sabrina Hirshorn (4.875). Arcadia High School graduated 339 students, who earned $12,067,100 in scholarships. Arcadia Valedictorian Luis Ayala Gutierrez had a GPA of 4.882.

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

Final deal keeps Giants here until at least 2044 BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

he City of Scottsdale of�icially reached an agreement with the San Francisco Giants and Scottsdale Charros that will keep the baseball team here until at least 2044. The three parties originally agreed to a memorandum of understanding that was approved by the city council on March 19. That MOU laid out a number of commitments related to the ongoing renovation of Scottsdale Stadium, including each organization’s �inancial commitments. The new baseball facilities lease agreement, approved by the city council on June 11, contains many of those same stipulations. The �irst phase of the renovation is estimated to cost $50.6 million. The agreement also keeps the Giants at Scottsdale Stadium until 2044 and includes two optional 5-year extensions that could keep the team in Scottsdale through 2054. Under the agreement, the city agreed to pay up to $30 million towards the ongoing Phase 1 of renovations in addition to $5 million it already paid towards design. The Giants and Charros are obligated to pay $15.125 million and $2.7 million towards Phase 1, respectively. The stadium’s concessions vendor Delaware North, contracted by the Giants, also agreed to make a one-time capital contribution of $2.5 million towards the improvements on January 15, 2020. At its June 11 meeting, the City Council also approved the second construction contract with Hunt Construction Group for the phase 1 of the stadium project in the amount of $16.57 million. Under the contract, Phase 1 must be complete by Feb. 11, 2020 in time for the Giants to start spring training. The City awarded the �irst construction contract to Hunt on May 19 in the amount of $22.85 million. Assistant City Manager Bill Murphy said the contract was split in two, because the city was eager to secure construction sup-

$2.5 million payment to the city in April 2021 to satisfy obligations to make annual $125,000 payments from 2021 to 2044 for lifecycle costs. In an exchange for the upfront payment, city gave the Giants an annual credit of $167,000 against its other obligations to the city. Beginning in 2022, the Giants will also pay the Charros an annual fee of $275,000. Under the agreement, the Charros are required to use all net revenues from the agreement in ways that will bene�it the city and/or residents, including through charitable and educational donations and through promotion or sponsorship of Scottsdale-based events. A signi�icant change is being made to how the team will pay for cleaning and utilities. Under the old agreement, cleaning and utility payments paid by the team were capped at $400,000 for both ScottThe Scottsdale City Council approved an agreement with the San Francisco Giants and Scottsdale Charros on June 11 sdale Stadium and the Githat will keep the baseball team in Scottsdale for Spring Training until at least 2044. (Experience Scottsdale) ants practice facility at Indian plies in time to meet Phase 1 deadlines. “The urgency for us to get that done was to get long lead items like steel and concrete and things like that secured in advance with the understanding that we would be working towards completing this (facilities) agreement before we would bring the second portion of” the construction contract to council, Murphy said. The City, Giants and Charros will meet in August to discuss plans for Phase 2 of renovations. The complete stadium renovation is scheduled to be completed by January 1, 2023. Though the total price tag for Phase 2 is still unknown, Scottsdale has committed to paying an additional $5 million towards design of that phase, according to

the baseball facilities agreement. Beyond capital costs, the new agreement also laid out changes to how cleaning, utilities, maintenance and operations at the stadium will be paid for. The Giants and Charros will make some payments under the old facilities use agreement, approved in 2005, until 2021. Starting in 2022, the Giants will pay the city $345,000 annually to cover operations and maintenance costs. That payment amount will be adjusted annually based on the consumer price index, but is prohibited from increasing or decreasing my more than three percent in a given year. The Charros will pay the city $65,000 annually for maintenance and operations, subject to the same CPI adjustments and restrictions. The Giants will also make a lump sum

School Park. The new agreement requires the team to pay the city the full cost of cleaning and utilities at Scottsdale Stadium for the time in which the Giants are using the facility. City of�icials estimated that �irst cleaning and utility payment under the new agreement will be around $740,000, Murphy said. The Giants scheduled to move practice operations from Scottsdale’s Indian School Park to Phoenix’ Papago facility by March 2021. Scottsdale leased the Papago facility from Phoenix and then subleased the facility to the Giants. The Giants will be responsible for all utility, maintenance and cleaning costs at Papago, according to the team’s sublease with the city.

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

2nd congressman now target of ethics probe Cronkite News

ASHINGTON – Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Tucson, said he expects “full vindication” after the House Ethics Committee’s request for documents involving four-year-old allegations of a hostile workplace in his congressional of�ice. The request this month makes Grijalva the second Arizona lawmaker being looked at by the committee. The panel has been investigating claims for more than a year that Rep. David Schweikert, whose district includes Scottsdale, may have approved improper payments to a former aide – an issue Schweikert has dismissed as a “clerical screw-up.” Experts said the investigation of two Arizona lawmakers at once is likely “more of a coincidence than anything.” But they cautioned that neither legislator should take the probes lightly. “There’s always a possibility that in the course of the House Ethics investigation they’ll come across other evidence,” said Aaron Scherb, director of legislative affairs for Common Cause. “But I think the investigation is limited to the scope of what was initially referred.”

U.S. Rep. David Schweiker, who represents Scottsdale, has been under a House Ethics Committee investigation for months.

Of�icials with both the House Ethics Committee and the independent Of�ice of Congressional Ethics con�irmed the investigations, but said they could not otherwise comment. The Grijalva case was �irst investigated as a claim that a 2015 severance payment of more than $48,000 to a former staffer on the House Natural Resources Committee

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was improper. That worker had claimed harassment and a hostile work environment on the committee, which was overseen by Grijalva, but the claim was settled. The Ethics Committee cleared Grijalva of the improper payment charges in December – just weeks after the allegations blazed into public view in a Twitter rant by thenInterior Secretary Ryan Zinke after Grijalva called publicly for Zinke to resign. But the committee recently asked for additional documents from Grijalva on the hostile work environment allegation, his of�ice con�irmed. A spokesman for Grijalva defended the payment to the former staffer as “a severance package, not a settlement,” adding that there have been no additional allegations since the original complaint. In a statement last week, after the revived investigation was �irst reported, Grijalva said he believes the latest review “will fully exonerate me, and I’m excited to see it completed as soon as possible.” “I’m proud of the positive and professional work environment I’ve worked hard to create for my staff,” he said in his prepared statement. “I look forward to �inally clearing this up and putting the issue to rest once and for all.”

Schweikert said much the same in May 2018 when the Ethics Committee announced its investigation of his of�ice for possible misuse of of�ice funds and improper campaign contributions. The investigation centers on allegations that Schweikert’s former chief of staff, Oliver Schwab, may have paid campaign expenses on the congressman’s behalf and been reimbursed by his congressional of�ice. The probe also looked into the possibility that Schwab, who ran a campaign consulting business on the side, may have received more in outside income than is allowed for congressional staffers. In comments published in Politico at the time. Schweikert welcomed the investigation, calling it “wonderful because we have been asking to have a formal review so we can present our information since almost December.” But the Ethics Committee announced in April that it was continuing its investigation of Schweikert in the new Congress. And the Of�ice of Congressional Ethics last week urged the committee to further review the allegations, saying it found “substantial reason to believe” the charges against Schwab. Schwab left Schweikert’s office last summer.

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

Faith leaders ask city to remove homeless signs BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

ome Arizona faith leaders have called on the City of Scottsdale to remove new signs discouraging motorists from giving money to panhandlers. In late May, the city put up 20 temporary signs at the �ive intersections in Scottsdale where city staff had received the most complaints about panhandling. The signs read “Most people don’t give money to panhandlers. It’s OK to say no. Give instead to agencies that help those in need.” The signs include directions on how to access a city informational website that has resources for homeless individuals and information about how the city supports local agencies. City spokesman Kelly Corsette told the Progress that the city was trying to direct individuals to give to programs and organizations that support people in need instead of giving to panhandlers directly because “giving money to a panhandler is typically not the best solution long term for the problem.” The City cited an article from the nonpro�it National Alliance to End Homelessness that argues placing homeless individuals in supportive housing can reduce the �inancial bur-

Janine Gelsinger, incoming executive director of the Unitarian Universalist Justice Arizona Network, asked the City Council on June 11 to take down Scottsdale’s new signs that discourage panhandling. (Special to the Progress)

Scottsdale. Gelsinger, who said she grew up in Scottsdale, identi�ied herself as a Unitarian Universalist and a faith leader. Gelsinger will soon take over as executive director of the Tucson-based Unitarian Universalist Justice Arizona Network, according to the organiza-

I ﬁnd the signs to be pretty offensive, especially as a “person who used to be homeless…when I look at these signs, it says you are not welcome here, I would like to think that the City of Scottsdale is a welcoming city; however, just me personally, I think those signs need to go down.

”

— Reverend Redeem Robinson den on taxpayers. That contention was disputed by Eric Tars, legal director with the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, who said there is little data one way or the other about the effectiveness of giving directly to panhandlers versus giving to support organizations. At the Scottsdale City Council’s regular meeting on June 11, Janine Gelsinger said she was “heartbroken and dismayed” to see the new signs pop up in

tion’s website. “When I think about the issue of homelessness and poverty, it is a community issue and it requires community solutions,” Gelsinger told the Council. “And these signs aren’t providing those community solutions, especially if you think about money spent on these signs going up,” Gelsinger said. “That money supports people experiencing homelessness better when it’s invested in veterans support; when it’s invested in mental health care; when it’s invested

in city programs like our library has or career supports.” Gelsinger argued that the signs send the wrong message and were essentially a marketing tool. “Those signs are shaming to people that are in a hard time,” Gelsinger said. “And let’s be honest, the signs didn’t go up to support people experiencing homelessness. They went up to support tourism and Scottsdale businesses…” Gelsinger said those industries are very important to the city and need to be supported, but “if we’re looking to keep Scottsdale beautiful so that tourism industry can thrive, the signs do not make it more beautiful. They expose something really ugly about Scottsdale, and it’s embarrassing to me to see those signs represent our city…” Another faith leader, Reverend Redeem Robinson, also called on the city to remove the signs. Robinson, reverend at Ebenezer Church in Phoenix, is a political activist who ran for the democratic nomination to the state senate in LD30 in 2017. Robinson said the signs “pretty much tell our homeless population here that they are not welcome.” “I �ind the signs to be pretty offensive, especially as a person who used to be homeless…when I look at these signs, it says you are not welcome here,” Robinson said. “I would like to think that the City of Scottsdale is a welcoming

city; however, just me personally, I think those signs need to go down.” The signs have received mixed reviews from Scottsdale residents. Former Scottsdale City Manager and current City Council candidate John Little wrote on Facebook in response to a Progress story about the signs, “Not the thoughtful, compassionate response I anticipated from my city.” Still, other residents took to social media to commend the City of Scottsdale for discouraging panhandling. One resident argued that the prevalence of panhandlers will discourage business investment in the city. Another wrote that “On this particular issue handing people money at street corners does nothing to solve their problems. Those that have mental or physical disabilities should have some type program/help to help make their life better. Those others who choose to be lazy or whatever their reason is deserve nothing.” Tars, with the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, disagreed with the contention held by some that panhandlers are simply lazy and looking for a handout. “Nobody wants to panhandle, nobody wants to be forced to live on the streets — it’s incredibly demeaning, if not outright dangerous. People are only doing it out of pure desperation,” Tars said.

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

COMPLAINT ��

complaint to City Attorney Bruce Washburn after �inding reasonable cause to support several of the alleged violations. Jagger’s report also shows she did not �ind reasonable cause to back up Smith’s allegation that NoDDC PAC violated state law by failing to list all of the bank accounts in which it deposited funds. The report noted that the PAC �iled an amended statement of organization that included a new bank account not listed in the original �iling, which would satisfy disclosure requirements. “No evidence was found to indicate that the de�iciencies in NoDDC PAC’s Initial Statement of Organization were not remedied by the PAC’s Amended Statement of Organization,” according to the report. This is not Alexander’s �irst time going before the City Attorney due to his work with NoDDC. Scottsdale resident Paula SturgeonMortensen �iled a complaint with the city in September 2018 alleging campaign �inance violations by NoDDC, Protect Our Preserve PAC and the Protect Our Preserve nonpro�it organization. In October, Washburn found that NoDDC had violated state law by failing to register as a political action committee, using corporate money to support political candidates, and failing to include proper disclosures on contribution solicitations. That complaint has since been settled after Alexander paid a $5,000 �ine to the city. In a response to the current complaint, Alexander’s attorney vehemently denied the allegations and characterized the complaint as an “attempt at relit gating issues ended in a prior settlement agreement.” In his response to Jagger, Alexander, via his attorney, said that the City Attorney already had full access to all of NoDDC’s �inancial information because of the �irst complaint and settlement. “All information relating to NoDDC (including �inancial records, PayPal records, Facebook ad payments, web hosting information, and cloud storage) was provided to Mr. Washburn during the litigation preceding the settlement agreement. After Mr. Washburn reviewed all the documentation for �ive weeks, Mr. Alexander entered into the settlement agreement with the City of Scottsdale,” according to Alexander’s response. However, the Clerk said that is not true. “NoDDC claims that all information

The Scottsdale City Clerk found reason to believe that most of the allegations leveled by former Councilman David Smith, left, about NoDDC founder Jason Alexander, above, and his handling of NoDDC ﬁnances warranted further investigation. (Progress file photos)

relating to NoDDC, including �inancial records, PayPal records, Facebook ad payments, web hosting information, and cloud storage, was provided to Mr. Washburn during the litigation preceding the settlement agreement. This statement is not accurate,” according to the Clerk’s report. The report states the Washburn was not provided access to the books for NoDDC, the nonpro�it organization, which would have showed whether or not the organization received donations beyond the PayPal transaction history provided to Washburn last year. That contention contributed to the Clerk’s �inding that there is reasonable cause to believe NoDDC PAC failed to accurately report its donations. Jagger found reasonable cause to believe that donations originally made to NoDDC Inc., considered corporate donations, intermingled with donations made after that nonpro�it was dissolved in November 2018, in violation of state law requiring corporate donations to remain in an account separate from individual donations. “Any individual contributions received after that date would be personal contributions and must be segregated into a different bank account from the corporate donations that NoDDC, Inc., had already collected,” the report states. The allegations of �inancial impropriety extend well beyond the mixing of corporate and individual donations, though. Jagger also found reasonable cause to believe that Alexander violated state regulations by using surplus PAC money

for personal use. Smith’s complaint detailed 12 transactions totaling nearly $2,000 listed as expenditures in NoDDC PAC campaign �inancial �ilings that he alleged could be for personal use. The transactions included payment for meals, a $402.88 on Amazon for of�ice supplies and three purchases totaling over $700 for photography and video supplies. NoDDC PAC did not provide Jagger with a justi�ication for those speci�ic purchases, only stating that leftover funds were used for unspeci�ied charitable purposes. “Mr. Alexander indicates that the remaining funds following litigation were utilized for charity, furthering the mission that started with Proposition 420, follow-up efforts to the election, and general community advocacy. Thus, expenditures for of�ice supplies, equipment, meetings with of�icers and consultants should raise no red �lags,” according to Alexander’s response. Additionally, Jagger pointed out two transactions — $55 spent on Arizona Corporation Commission �ilings and notary services — that “that appear to be related to the dissolution of NoDDC, Inc., and would be corporate expenditures, not PAC expenditures.” Alexander may have also spent some monies donated to speci�ic City Council candidates in 2018 using monies originally donated to NoDDC Inc. A.R.S. § 16-916(A) prohibits corporations from contributing to a candidate committee. Jagger wrote that there is evidence that NoDDC Inc. funds may have intermixed

with Alexander’s personal funds — citing the $5,000 Alexander paid from a personal account to resolve the �irst complaint �iled against NoDDC PAC. Later, the PAC’s 2018 fourth quarter �iling listed the $5,000 campaign �ine as well as $2,122 in associated legal fees as a PAC expense. “On December 7, 2018, a $5,000 �ine was paid from the personal account of Jason Alexander and Rebecca Holmes, which suggests that NoDDC did not transfer all of the corporate monies to NoDDC PAC on or before November 28, 2018. Therefore, there is reason to believe that Jason Alexander may have mixed corporate funds with his personal monies,” according to the report. If those funds did mix and Alexander used corporate monies to fund any part of three donations totaling $1,005 that he made to two candidates, it would be a violation of state law. Beyond those alleged �inancial improprieties, Jagger found reasonable cause to believe other violations occurred, including NoDDC PAC's continued failure to include proper “paid for by” disclosures on its Facebook page, which includes solicitations for donations. The PAC was required to rectify that violation as a part of its settlement with the city last year, but the page still lacked the proper disclosures, according to Jagger’s report. Jagger also found evidence that the PAC failed to make “its best effort” to collect donor information as required by the state. State law requires committees to collect information on donors, including occupations and employers. NoDDC’s campaign �inance reports included 25 donations with incomplete information.

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

Arizona ranks low for kids, study claims BY TIM ROYAN Cronkite News

rizona scrapes along the bottom of the nation in children’s well-being, ranking 46th in 2019 Kids Count data released last week. Lack of affordable housing emerged as a pressure point. Arizona dropped one place from last year in the annual report on states. But child advocates often have called out Arizona for low rankings over the years. The 2019 data, released by a national network of activist groups including the Children’s Action Alliance in Arizona, tracks key markers for children’s well-being, such as housing, poverty, education and health. It shows that 32 percent of Arizona children live in a household with high housing costs The report shows children in Arizona are 1 percent more likely than the national average to live in a household where 30 percent or more of income was allocated to housing costs. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, families paying more than 30 percent on housing-related costs are more likely to

face dif�iculties paying for necessities like food, transportation and clothing. Arizona ranks 37th in the nation in this area. High housing costs ripple into other areas of a child’s life, according to Camaron Stevenson, spokesman for the Arizona Housing Coalition. “It affects every impact of their growth

used to be better than the national average; we’ve now slipped a little bit worse than the national average. So, it’s a red �lag that we should pay attention now and not wait until we get to the bottom ranking on this measure.” Although the housing market has continued to make gains since the hous-

It affects every impact of their growth and “ development, If they’re changing schools every year … it makes it harder for them to develop friendships and social interactions.

”

— Camaron Stevenson and development,” Stevenson said. “If they’re changing schools every year… it makes it harder for them to develop friendships and social interactions.” Dana Naimark, president and CEO of Children’s Action Alliance, said the housing-cost metric is one of the most important indicators of a child’s well-being. “It’s really a warning sign,” Naimark said. “And this is an area where Arizona

Strengthen your teeth

ing crisis in 2008, many in Arizona are burdened by rent. “We’re seeing a lot of development, but only for certain demographics,” Stevenson said. “There’s lots of opportunity for people who would be considered the middle class to �ind affordable places to live. However, we’re seeing the rent burden increase on those who are living below middle class, and even more so for those who are living on or below the poverty line.” Also, there’s more to childhood economic well-being than a strong economy. “What we know is that a strong economy does not automatically translate into good conditions for children and families,” Naimark said. “We have to make that connection actively and strategically.” With wages rising slower than cost of living increases, rent burdens could lead to homelessness. “We’ve been hearing right that the economy is getting better and all this, but also the housing costs are going up and up and up,” said Chela Schuster, director of strategic housing resources with UMOM, a nonpro�it organization tackling

homelessness. “Income plus housing is what ends homelessness.” Such families who end up homeless often go unnoticed, hidden from of�icial counts, according to Schuster. “Counts often will shows that there’s no street (living) homeless families. But we know that that’s not true,” she said. “It’s just really dif�icult to �ind them. They’re afraid that they’ll get reported to DCS (Department of Child Safety) or, for safety reasons, they don’t want to be found. So families are really good at hiding.” The data show one out of �ive children in Arizona are living in high-poverty areas, which is 8 percent more than national �igures. This is further impacted by lack of access to affordable housing, Stevenson said. “While there are more people buying and selling homes and less people who are having homes foreclosed…what we’re also seeing is that there is a large gap in the type of housing available,” he added. “For a large portion of people who live in Arizona, there are only 22 housing units that are within their price range, or being below rent-burdened, for every 100 people.” “Both lawmakers and voters and just residents need to realize is that these housing issues, they tie into so many other aspects,” Stevenson said. “We have a very, very low rated education system in Arizona. This is part of it. Housing stability will raise the quality of education for teachers, children and parents.” For Stevenson, addressing these issues requires collaboration. “The biggest dif�iculty for families who are in the situation is that they don’t have the means or the time to advocate for themselves,” he said. “It’s up to the people who may not be suffering directly to stand up, contact their lawmakers, work with advocacy organizations, and let their elected of�icials know that these need to be priorities.”

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

Corporation Commission bans power cutoffs celebrating

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tate utility regulators voted last week to immediately block electric companies under their purview from shutting off power to residential customers who do not pay their bills from June 1 through Oct. 15. The 4-0 vote by the Arizona Corporation Commission requires utilities to give those who fall behind up to four months after Oct. 15 to repay the outstanding balance. And it bars the utilities from charging interest or late fees. The emergency rules also say that any customer whose power has been shut off since June 1 must be immediately reconnected, also without any additional fees. The whole question of waiving additional charges bothered Commissioner Justin Olson. “We may be actually creating an enticement to not pay one’s bill,’’ he said. “If one has other bills that will accrue interest and late fees, as most bills do, then there’s an enticement to delay paying this bill.’’ Olson that creates a risk that some people will get in so deep that they will end up having problems bringing their ac-

count into balance by the following Feb. 15, resulting in them losing power at that time. But Sandra Kennedy defended adding the no-fees language to the emergency order. “I think what we have seen recently is a utility that has learned to beat the system,’’ she said.

may be actually creating an enticement to not “payWeone’s bill,’’ he said. “If one has other bills that will accrue interest and late fees, as most bills do, then there’s an enticement to delay paying this bill.

’’

– Commissioner Justin Olson Kennedy never made a speci�ic reference to Arizona Public Service, the state’s largest electric company. It was that utility’s action last summer disconnecting the power of 72-year-old Stephanie Pullman after she had paid just $125 of her $176 bill that led to Thursday’s emergency rules. Pullman had been found dead in her Sun City West home,

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with the death certi�icate saying she had preexisting conditions that were exacerbated by the temperature in her house. Kennedy argued that that eliminating extra fees actually gives customers a chance to catch up on what they owe. But Kennedy, the lone Democrat on the commission, said there’s a larger issue at work in why customers — 110,000 last

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year in APS territory alone — are being cut off in the �irst place. “It’s a hardship because the rates are too high,’’ Kennedy continued. “What do we do about that? We’ve been very silent on that.’’ “If we sit idle, and we sit silent, then we are just going along to get along,’’ she said. The emergency rules also contain an additional provision designed to help customers avoid having their power cut off, not just during the summer but on a year-round basis. It says if a utility has a deposit on hand, the company must �irst look to the deposit to make up anything owed. Then customers will get four months to bring the deposit back to where it was before. The commission’s temporary rule came several days after Gov. Doug Ducey said it has been getting into areas beyond its constitutional authority to set utility rates. “There’s been a bit of mission creep,’’ the governor said. The governor also said he’s not sure that the commission is the agency, which is constitutionally created, may be overstepping its bounds in telling utilities how much of their power has to come from renewable energy. Those contentions drew a surprised reaction from Bob Burns who chairs the �ive-member panel. “Maybe he ought to read the constitution,’’ Burns told Capitol Media Services, speci�ically rejecting Ducey’s contention that the question of when a utility can shut off power is an issue to be decided by the Legislature and the governor. “We have rule-setting authority to establish rules to have utilities follow,’’ said Burns. “It’s part of our charge.’’

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

Ready to move? Now is the time to be wary, AG advises AFN NEWS STAFF

o, you’ve bought a new home and are ready to move — meaning you may be exposing yourself to one of the more frequent scams around, according to state Attorney General Mark Brnovich. He’s warning people that besides being stressful, moving can make people a victim of scams that “can result in lost or damaged possessions, hundreds or even thousands of dollars in ‘extra’ fees, and hours/days of wasted time. “Moving is stressful enough and Arizonans should be able to trust a moving company with their most valuable possessions,” said. “Arizona consumers need to be wary of moving scams and know their rights.” Moving scams can include false advertising, undisclosed fees, possessions being “held hostage,” and low-ball prices. Some movers will quote a low price, load all of a consumer’s household goods, and then refuse to unload the goods until the consumer pays a higher price. The “hostage loads” are “illegal and put consumers in an impossible position of either paying a scammer or risking the loss of their possessions,” Brnovich’s of�ice

said in a release, noting movers must accurately disclose information about fees, charges and insurance before loading. The law “also prohibits movers from adding additional costs on the back end and refusing to deliver goods unless they provided consumers with an upfront, written estimate and the consumer has not paid that previously agreed upon amount,” the AG said/. But that doesn’t mean customers have

no worries. He advises people who are moving to follow these tips: Thoroughly research moving companies. Before hiring a company, check on a business’s complaint history and reputation with organizations like the Better Business Bureau. Start your research early. Read online reviews. Check mover’s registration with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administra-

tion and have a U.S. DOT number. Arizona has no registration or professional licensing requirements for movers. Beware of extremely low estimates. Dishonest moving companies will lowball estimates and then illegally demand more before loading the truck. Ask about charges or additional fees. Moving companies may charge additional fees for travel time, packing materials, stairs or gas, and/or have minimum charges. Get a detailed, upfront and written estimate. Move valuable items separately by yourself. Have proper insurance. Most moving insurance is based upon weight and not the value of your goods, so expensive heavy items may not have enough basic coverage if damaged in the move. Most insurance companies will require you to purchase additional insurance if you want to cover the cost of any mishaps beyond the basic level of coverage. Read the insurance coverage and ask questions before signing any contract. If a company holds goods hostage, call police and call the AG at 602-542-5763.

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Neighbors

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

Scottsdale.org l

@ScottsdaleProgress

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First responders lose horse therapy program BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

unkapi, a therapy horse farm in northern Scottsdale, is asking for the community’s help. On May 9, Hunkapi terminated its first responder program due to lack of funding. The nonprofit organization needs $30,000 to revive the program. “I’m emotional because I feel like it was a very tight-knit group. There were some participants in the program that could have benefited from being in longer,” said Hunkapi Founder and Executive Director Terra Schaad. “We really wanted to be able to offer something that was effective and preventative.” Gila River Indian Community donated money to Hunkapi back in November, funding the 16-week pilot program for first responders, including firefighters, cops, nurses and more, suffering from PTSD, addiction and other issues.

see HUNKAPI page 22

Dave Vargo (left) is a Chandler Fire Department firefighter of 17 years. He attended the first responder program at Hunkapi, a therapy horse farm in northern Scottsdale founded by Terra Schaad (right), for eight weeks. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

Realtor finally realizes his passion project BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ Progress Contributor

ather’s Day was extra special for Scottsdale’s Benjamin “Tres” Brooks III this year. Just after Father’s Day the founder of Brooks Real Estate & Advisory hosted a grand picnic and open house in Flagstaff to fete his family’s passion project: The Estates. “While he never went to college, my father Benjamin “Ben” Brooks II, had a vision to create a legacy for our family as well as others with the land,” said Tres. So, according to Tres, Ben — already involved in residential real estate sales at this time — launched Ben Brooks & Associates in 1969 to get a start in land development. “His vision was briefly put on hold, however, soon after launching when he learned the industry — at that time — had some bad apples,” said Tres, noting Ben fell back

into residential work using the Ben Brooks brand for a while. Ben would grow his business to six offices statewide, making a name for himself in Scottsdale and beyond. Many folks will remember his most iconic office on 44th Street and Camelback Road, which is still standing and houses Schmidt Jewelers. “He was able to re-commit to land development in 1985, just as I was graduating from (The University of Arizona),” said Tres. “I earned my real estate license in high school, but it was my parents’ dream for me to be the first of in our family to attend and finish college, so I obliged. Go Wildcats!” Diploma in hand, Tres earned an entrylevel job from his father. Tres worked his way up, earning his broker’s license at just 24. “In a twist, my dad pushed me to go out on my own,” said Tres, at the time dumb-

see BROOKS page 22

Benjamin “Tres” Brooks III, known for his oft-worn black cowboy hat, boots and red shirt shown here, recently launched The Estates, a new community in northern Arizona. (Special to the Progress)

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

HUNKAPI �� page 20

anymore, and I would rather lay in bed — and that’s not me. I’ve changed as a person because this job has changed me since I have no outlet to do this,” he added. According to an April 2018 white paper commissioned by the Ruderman Family Foundation, less than 5 percent of the 18,000 law enforcement agencies across the United States have suicide prevention training programs. “In my 20 years of service, I responded to tens of thousands of emergency calls and received thousands of hours of training. At no point did I receive any training on how to cope with all of the trauma I witnessed for 20 years,” John said. Additionally, the aforementioned study stated that first responders are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. In 2017, there were at least 103 firefighter suicides and 140 police officer suicides. In contrast, 93 firefighters and 129 police officers died in the line of duty. The study goes on to say that PTSD and depression rates among firefighters and police officers are as much as five-times higher than the rates within the civilian population. “[First responders] are seeing how it’s been affecting other guys. People are leaving early. We’ve had some deaths and drug overdoses and people with chemical addictions who are trying to battle that stress on a chemical level,” Dave said. The Hunkapi program was split up into two eight-week sessions. Dave attended one of those sessions. For two hours, sometimes more, Dave and his group of around 10 other male and female firefighters and first responders from all over the Valley meditated with John and worked with the horses on-site. “When you come in through the gates, you’re in a community of people who have lived and breathed and spilled blood in the same mud that you have. It’s easier to re-

late versus talking to someone who has no idea of what you’ve seen, what you’ve been through, what your day is like, what your life is like,” he said. Dave worked with Montana, one of the Hunkapi therapy horses. He would walk Montana through an obstacle course, feed him and, ultimately, build up trust with each other. During one session, Schaad asked Dave to round-pen Montana. “It was very emotional for me because the horse reacted off my body language and the more I was at ease, the more the horse was at ease. You can ask it to trot, you can ask it to run, you can ask it to walk,” Dave explained. At one point, Schaad suggested Dave ask the horse to stop in its tracks — not verbally, but in his heart. “I did and he stopped. I got pretty emotional,” Dave said. “Terra asked me, ‘How’d you feel when you got in there?’ and I said, ‘I just didn’t want to screw up Montana.’ It wasn’t about me; it was about Montana.” Schaad then asked him, “Is that how you feel about your life? You don’t want to screw it up?” “That was a breakthrough,” Dave said. John saw the impact of the program firsthand. “I can say, without a doubt and no exaggeration, that lives were changed and saved because of this program,” he said. Fellow firefighters at Chandler Fire Department caught wind of Dave’s Hunkapi experience and would quietly ask him about the program. “When people heard that I come, no one would talk to me about it in front of other people; but there have been a lot of people who have grabbed me in the parking lot when I was leaving work or coming to work, like, ‘Hey man, can you tell me a little bit more about this?” Dave said, adding:

“There’s an undertow of people or of the job that nobody wants to admit they have any kind of problem because we’re first responders. We’re not weak. We don’t have problems. We take care of other people’s problems. So, there’s that macho type thing that happens, [but] the guard is coming down a little bit.” Through the program, Schaad said she hopes to normalize what the first responders go through on a day-to-day basis. “They are a culture that says you are weak if you are feeling the effect of your job,” she said. “They’re living people’s nightmares every day.” Dave added: “The culture of the first responder is to just pull your boots up, keep going. We have to overcome that part of our brain saying flight, fight or freeze. We can’t freeze and we can’t fly; we have to fight every time. And we do that five to 10 times in a 24-hour shift.” As Hunkapi attempts to raise another $30,000 to bring back the first responder program, members have started their own support group. They meet every Thursday. “[They] wanted to keep the community,” Schaad said. “They weren’t ready to leave,” Dave added. Schaad, along with Clinical Therapist and Counselor at Hunkapi Lacey Schuster, have also extended 10 private sessions. “That’s our way of giving back and also of feeling like you need to be out there to support,” Schaad said. Dave’s message to the community regarding re-funding the first responder program is a simple, yet impactful one. “We take care of you. Take care of us,” he said. “We’re human and we live other people’s nightmares for a living.” For more information about Hunkapi and/or to donate, visit hunkapi.org.

BROOKS �� page 20

properties for the next several years. Tres even starred in commercials for some of the ranches in his cowboy attire and often on a horse. Among the most notable of the projects was Wild Horse Ranch, a 40-acre gated lakefront ranch community in Wyoming known for managing 150 wild horses protected on the property. Within Arizona, many folks recognize his Spring Flower Ranch, which is nestled at the base of Bill Williams Mountain and the Kaibab National Forest, one of the largest Ponderosa Pine Forests in the world, and Stagecoach Trails just outside of Kingman. “Everything was humming along nicely until 2007 when everything changed,” said Tres. “And I am not simply talking

about the recession.” Beyond the recession, which effectively dried up their businesses for a spell, in 2007 Ben was involved in a motorcycle accident near Tres’ Scottsdale office and lost his life. The next 10 years would be filled with the highest of highs — Tres is now married with three children himself — and lowest of lows, notably keeping a real estate business afloat during the worst time in the industry’s history. By 2017, 10 years after losing his father, things were on the upswing for Tres professionally again. So much so, he began to work on a passion project. Yes, it’s The Estates. “Our family has always loved Flagstaff,” said Brooks, noting that his father (and

now sister) and he both have homes in Flagstaff’s Forest Highlands, using them as gathering places for the entire family. One weekend while gathering up north with the family Tres learned that 160 acres of pristine land with access through and entry into Forest Highlands was becoming available for development. He jumped at the chance to lead the project. The project soft launched in June. Tres believes these 10-acre estates will become a legacy for families for several generations. “Given my dad’s vision, it feels like quite the legacy for our family, too,” said Tres, noting that between his father and him, the Brooks family has now purchased and developed nearly one million acres of land in the west.

The program primarily focuses on somatic experience, equine therapy and meditation. Chandler Fire Department firefighter of 17 years, Dave Vargo, was one of the first responders who participated in the program. Vargo was introduced to Hunkapi through his brother and retired 20-year firefighter and paramedic, John Vargo. After he retired, John started a nonprofit called Turn In to introduce meditation and mindfulness to first responders, “so that they can calm their minds and find peace in their lives,” he said. John heard about Hunkapi’s first responder program in December 2018 from Dr. Vershalee Shukla, a radiation oncologist from Vincere Cancer Center in Scottsdale who specializes in screenings and treatments for first responders. John asked Schaad if Turn In could participate in the program, providing meditation sessions. She agreed, and he drove to Scottsdale from San Diego once a week for 16 weeks. “Over the course of the program, I witnessed mentally exhausted and depressed first responders come back to life. At the conclusion, they were laughing again and had found some peace return to their lives. We have received several heartfelt testimonies from past participants that confirm this program should never end,” John said. Dave compares the stress and impact of being a firefighter for nearly two decades as drops continuously collecting in a bucket until, one day, the bucket overflows. “You don’t realize it until your cup is full, type of thing,” he said. “I had stress at home that affected my family and things that were starting to affect my work. I didn’t want to go to work

founded by the idea. “So, in 1996 I founded Brooks Realty Advisory Group, focused on developing land in Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming and specializing in ranch estates and parcels.” Tres, who loved the ranch/cowboy lifestyle and is today known for his signature cowboy attire, grew the business quickly and earning a reputation within months. “So much so, when my dad earned the biggest project of his life — the development of 130,000 acres near Lake Havasu — he brought my team on in 1997,” said Tres, who led the project to historic success. Together and apart depending on the project, they developed land and ranch

NEIGHBORS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

VETERAN VETERAN by Mike Phillips

he Marine Corps League was founded during a reunion of World War I veterans in 1923. The idea was to support the Corps and fellow leathernecks. Today, there are detachments around the country but none in Scottsdale. Dan Zuczek wants to change that. He’s seeking a handful of other Marine vets to help him organize a Scottsdale chapter of the Marine Corps League. The organization is a Congressionally chartered nonprofit group founded to foster camaraderie, preserve traditions and promote the interests of the Marine Corps. Members also volunteer and raise funds to assist veterans in need. Membership in the League is open to any active or honorably discharged Marine, plus Navy corpsmen and chaplains who served with Marines. Zuczek was an active duty Marine in the 1980s and got involved in the League be-

cause he missed the fellowship of the Corps. “I wanted to reconnect with Marine veterans,” he said. “I was surprised that there was no detachment in the Scottsdale area. After driving a long way to other detachment meetings, I decide that I would look into starting a detachment in Scottsdale.” If you’re interested in assisting Zuczek start a Scottsdale chapter, email him at azmarinedan@gmail.com or visit facebook.com/azmarinedan. Information: mclnational.org.

Arizona units training around the world

At any one time, there are roughly 1,000 Arizona guard and reservists deployed around the world. Here’s what members of several local units have been up to lately:

Marine Corps League detachment sought for Scottsdale Members of the Army National Guard’s 2/363rd Training Support Battalion, based in Mesa, participated in a major Canadian military exercise in May. They served as observers, coaches and trainers during Exercise Maple Resolve at Canadian Division Support Base Detachment Wainwright, Alberta, Canada. Maple Resolve is an annual exercise for the Canadian Army’s High Readiness Brigade and is designed to foster partnership among different nations’ forces. Among them are Staff Sgt. Eric Wendt and Sgt. Zachary Wilks with Mesa’s 2/363rd. Meanwhile, members of the Guard’s 253rd Engineer Battalion based in Florence continue a deployment to Kuwait. Army Pfc. Landon Palmer, a petroleum supply specialist assigned to the unit, recently participated in a sacrament meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Kuwait’s Camp Arifjan.

The meeting was significant because the Kuwaiti government only recently recognized the church.

Free billiards for veterans

Here’s a great way to beat the heat on the cheap. Jester’s Billiards, on the southeast corner of Baseline and Gilbert roads in Mesa, offers free billiards to veterans every Wednesday and Thursday with a minimum purchase (as in a soda or beer). Just show your veterans driver’s license or DD214, buy a soda and rack ‘em up. Mike Phillips is a Marine veteran. Send your veteran or military news, along with a contact name and phone number, to AzVetsToday@gmail.com

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019 noon to 1 p.m. at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-312-7323.

Thursday

Days Sunday

23 Story stop (Ages 0-5)

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.

Dinosaurs storytime

Babies through 24 months of age can enjoy storytime activities and a reading of “Hello, World! Dinosaurs” with their caregiver at 11 a.m. at Barnes & Noble, 10500 N. 90th St. Information: 480-391-0048.

Summer Splash Party

Gather friends for a pool party at Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road., from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There will be a DJ, rock wall, kids activities and more. Food will be available for purchase. Information: 480-483-7121.

Monday

24 New Faces AA meeting

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.

Film series: ‘The Upside’

Enjoy the heartfelt comedy inspired by a true story, “The Upside,” from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. The film is rated PG-13. Information: 480-312-7323.

Alphabet Yoga

Children ages 3 to 6 can have

fun alongside their parents while learning letters and animals from 10:30 to 11 a.m. at Appaloosa Library, 7377 E. Silverstone Dr. Information: 480-312-7323.

Kids Cafe

Stop by the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd., at 12:30 p.m. for a free lunch provided by Scottsdale Unified School district, followed by an educational activity, for anyone ages 18 and under. Information: 480-312-7323.

Book character bingo

27 Piano Fusion

video games, board games, read books and more. The half-day camp takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and costs $50. The full-day option takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and costs $75. A catered lunch is available for an additional $10. Registration is required. Information: 480-800-8326.

Let’s knit

Learn or practice knitting with others from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road. Free. Information: 480-483-7121.

Mustang writers’ group

Play a game of bingo based on favorite children’s book characters from 2 to 2:30 p.m. at Mustang Library, 10101 N. 90th St. Caregiver assistance for younger children is required. Information: 480-312-7323.

Meet with other writers to share and critique writing in a pressure-free and supportive group from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Mustang Library, 10101 N. 90th St. Information: 480-312-7323.

Give children up to 5 years old an opportunity to explore, create and investigate with a play-based learning environment program from 10 to 11 a.m. 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.

Stay and play

Tuesday

25 Basketball camp

Kids ages 7 to 13 will have the chance to enjoy a basketball camp weekdays all summer long through Aug. 5 at DreamTeam Academy, 15955 N. Dial Blvd., Suite 3. Camp days include three hours of basketball training with two hours of open court time. In the afternoons, children can watch parent-approved movies, play

Wednesday

ESL classes

All conversation levels are encouraged to practice the English language from 1 to 3 p.m. at Mustang Library, 10101 N. 90th St. Free. Information: 480-312-7323.

Tail waggin’ tales

Children 6 to 10 can practice their reading skills with a certified therapy dog from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Appaloosa Library, 7377 E. Silverstone Dr. Information: 480-312-7323.

Piano Fusion is a nonprofit keyboard group that rehearses from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. each Thursday at Scottsdale Neighborhood Arts Place, 4425 N. Granite Reef Road. The group is open to all levels of piano playing. $10 monthly donation requested. Information: 480-276-2425.

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 from 11 to 11:45 a.m. at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-312-7323.

Introductory English

Learn English from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. No prior experience necessary. Information: 480-312-7323.

Mark Carter science

Mark Carter will demonstrate amazing magic tricks with ceramic, neodymium and electromagnets from 1 to 2 p.m. at Appaloosa Library, 7377 E. Silverstone Dr. Information: 480-312-7323.

Friday

28 In stitches knitters group

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: 480-312-5810.

Gather with other knitters to work on individual projects, share advice and talk with others from 1 to 3 p.m. at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-312-7323.

Receive help with downloadables. Bring your device, library card and questions from

Enjoy a mini concert series featuring tunes from various world

Speedy bridge

Drop-in e-reader help

Phoenix Conservatory of Music

cultures from 4 to 5 p.m. at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-312-7323.

Advanced beginner bridge

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

Meet Your Neighbors

Meet Your Neighbors is a monthly networking event held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the last Friday of each month. Today, meet your networking neighbors at Nirvana Indian Cuisine, 14891 N. Northsight Blvd. Preregistration for Scottsdale Chamber members is $15 and guests are $30. There is an additional $5 fee for registration at the door. Information: www.scottsdalechamber.com.

Memory Cafe

Memory Cafe is a pet therapy session designed for community members with Alzheimer’s or dementia and their caregivers. The group meets from 1 to 3 p.m. at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-312-7323.

Saturday

29 Books 2 boogie (Ages 0-5)

Children and their caregivers are invited to participate in music, movement and song from 10:30 to 11 a.m. at Mustang Library, 10101 N. 90th St. Information: 480-312-7323.

Family storytime (Ages 0-5)

Children and their caregivers can listen to stories and music and participate in rhyming activities from 10:30 to 11 a.m. at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-312-7323.

Etiquette course for teens

Registered students will practice handshaking, eye contact, body language, the art of small talk, social media etiquette, dating etiquette, job and college interviewing, grooming and more from 1 to 4 p.m. on June 29 and 30 at St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Church, 10755 N. 124th St. Attendance is $285. Information: 480-510-6346.

Family storytime

Children up to 5 and their caregivers can listen to stories and music and participate in rhyming activities from 10:30 to 11 a.m. at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-312-7323.

‘Spider-Man: Homecoming”

Enjoy the action-packed film, “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Mustang Library, 10101 N. 90th St. The movie is rated is PG-13. Information: 480-312-7323.

Sunday

30 Tail waggin’ tales

Children ages 6-10 can practice their reading skills with a certified therapy dog from 2 to 2:45 p.m. at Mustang Library, 10101 N. 90th St. Information: 480-312-7323.

Story stop (Ages 0-5)

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.

Monday

1 Stay and play (Ages 0-5)

Give children an opportunity to explore, create and investigate with a play-based learning environment program from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Appaloosa Library, 7377 E. Silverstone Dr. Information: 480-312-7323.

‘Captain Marvel’

Enjoy the superhero film, “Captain Marvel,” from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-312-7323.

GOT NEWS? CONTACT PAUL MARYNIAK

480-898-5647 orpmaryniak@timespublications.com

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

Flood insurance mandate lifted for many in Grayhawk PROGRESS NEWS STAFF Progress Staff Writer

The homes in the Grayhawk community affected by the recent floodplain boundary changes are several miles downstream from the mitigation project, Couch said. In May, the Scottsdale City Council approved the acquisition of 9.14 acres of vacant land in the Rawhide Wash for the project in collaboration with Maricopa County and City of Phoenix. According to the city, the goal of the project is to keep as much of the natural wash intact as possible while using existing infrastructure along with some new floodwalls to meet federal levee safety criteria. Due to the location of the wash and existing federal and city restrictions the land in question has little development potential, according to the city. With the new project, the natural wash will continue to provide space for flood waters and sediment to move without impeding nearby Happy Valley Road. According to the city, the city plans to expand Happy Valley Road from two lanes to four lanes, which will require additional right-of-way included in the nine-acre site. A study by the Flood Control District of Maricopa County found that 800 structures within the 2,200-acre wash were at risk of flooding in the event of a 100year flood and recommended improvements to shrink the floodplain. According to a City Council memo about the land acquisition, the project could result in the elimination of mandatory flood insurance requirements for hundreds of property owners. The City of Scottsdale entered into an agreement with the City of Phoenix and Flood Control District of Maricopa County for the design, land acquisition and utility relocation for the Rawhide Wash Flood Hazard Mitigation Project. The land acquisition cost will be shared by the parties in the agreement. The City of Scottsdale has allocated $2 million towards the project, according to the city’s 2018-2019 Capital Improve-

North Scottsdale

lood insurance is no longer required for hundreds of homeowners in the Grayhawk community following changes to the 100-year floodplain boundaries in the Rawhide Wash floodplain. Revisions to the city’s flood insurance rate maps based on a recent restudy of the area took effect on June 14. The study covered the area from the Deer Valley alignment south to Legacy Boulevard, east of Scottsdale Road, according to the city. Scottsdale Floodplain Administrator Ashley Couch said the Grayhawk Community Association hired an engineering consultant to model and analyze flood hazards and justify the floodplain boundary changes for Rawhide Wash within the Grayhawk Master-Planned Community. The study accounted for infrastructure improvements in the wash and improved flood modeling techniques. Flood insurance is no longer mandatory for property owners with a federally-backed mortgage on a home located within the boundaries. Residents living within the affected area can request a flood hazard determination online at scottsdaleaz.gov/ stormwater. They can then provide that information to their mortgage company with their request to cancel flood insurance. Even though coverage is no longer mandatory, the city still suggests homeowners in vulnerable areas carry insurance. “Because severe weather and flooding can be unpredictable in the desert, Scottsdale urges all residents to consider carrying flood insurance, even though it will no longer be mandatory for mortgage holders within this area,” according to a city press release. The City of Scottsdale is taking additional steps to limit the affects of flooding in the area through a Rawhide Wash Flood Mitigation Project.

A map showing the revised ﬂoodplain in the Rawhide Wash in northern Scottsdale, which affects homeowners in the Grayhawk community. The revised ﬂoodplain is outlined in yellow. (City of Scottsdale)

ment Plan. The land acquisition approved in May will be funded through that existing CIP project. The City of Scottsdale will be responsible for operating and maintaining the Rawhide Wash, though that agreement is not official. A City Council memo indicated the

city will sign an official intergovernmental agreement with City of Phoenix and Maricopa County Flood Control District in the future that lays out those responsibilities. Questions about the �loodplain changes can be directed to Ashley Couch, Scottsdale’s �loodplain administrator, at 480-3124317 or acouch@ScottsdaleAZ.gov.

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

Alexa Michelin, 10, has been a student at the International School of Arizona since she was about 3 years old. Her mother, Samantha Michelin, drives about 20 miles each way to drop off and pick up Alexa from school. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

Art permeates International School’s curriculum Since the Creative Visual Arts Center was completed in August, ISA teachers have utilized acked to the walls and Scottsdale the space to incorporate art dangling from the ceilinto their respective lessons ing of the new collaboraand projects. tive art space at the International “Something that I found very inSchool of Arizona are patches of color- teresting about the curriculum in France ful, student-created artwork. and Spain that we teach here is that The nonprofit school in southern there’s not a separate art class; there’s Scottsdale received a generous donation not a separate art time. It’s integrated from an unnamed donor in May 2018, into the curriculum with everything and what started as essentially a storage they do,” Pearson said. room has been fully transformed into ISA was founded in 1997 by a group of the Creative Visual Arts Center, which French American community members. opened last August. The school is accredited through the In a way, this multi-use space turned French Ministry of Education, as well multi-colored-speckled art room mir- as the Spanish Ministry Education, with rors the diverse student body at ISA — the U.S. accreditation from AdvancED. at least, that’s how northern Scottsdale ISA began teaching French immersion resident Samantha Michelin sees it. in Tempe in 1998, and Spanish immerSamantha’s 10-year-old daughter, Al- sion was later introduced to the school exa Michelin, has been a student at ISA in 2005 at the preschool level. since she was about 3. Samantha, who drives almost 20 miles “The children in [Alexa’s] classroom and each way to drop off and pick up Alexa at the school are every different shade and from school, was attracted to ISA for there’s no one majority,” she said. several reasons, including its language Over the past seven years, Alexa has immersion, class size and the diversity seen the school undergo major and of the students. more minor changes, from uprooting “Being from San Francisco Bay area, I from Tempe and relocating Scottsdale in was raised with a lot of cultural diversity 2016 to the more recent addition of the and that was important to me. So, seeing Creative Visual Arts Center. that in the classroom, the fact that the As part of the donation, ISA was able to instructors are actually native speakers, purchase six large art tables and 24 chairs, that was very important,” Samantha said. as well as convert a former storage closet Outside of academics, the Creative into a fully stocked art supply room. Visual Arts Center hosts art and draw“This was kind of a free-for-all zone,” ing classes not only for kindergarten to said Adeline Pearson, ISA operations eighth grade students, but also ISA parmanager. “We had two parent volun- ents. teers, who worked tirelessly last sumOther parent classes offered at ISA mer. (They) pick out all of the furniture, include yoga and French and Spanish all of the supplies, and design the room.” classes. BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

South

Samantha and Alexa began taking an art class together at the Center this summer. “She’s a very talented artist, although she doesn’t believe it,” Alexa said. “The stuff she makes is very realistic.” Alexa’s time spent at ISA has also motivated her mother to further her own education, taking two semesters of French at Scottsdale Community College — to give herself a “fighting chance,” Samantha said. Alexa may enjoy her art classes and learning French, but her favorite subject is math. “I love the numbers; it’s difficult,” Alexa said. “I love the challenge.” At ISA, students not only learn both the imperial and metric system, but they also learn math in French and Spanish. “And European math is taught differently than American math, so all of our students are learning two ways to approach math problems,” Samantha said. Alexa also enjoys the small class sizes, which cap at 20 students. “If you’re struggling in the class, you just tell your teacher and they’ll explain it to you. They won’t get mad because you don’t understand,” Alexa explained. “I’ve talked to my friends that go to public school, [who said], ‘My teacher is getting mad at me because I didn’t understand this,’ and I’m like, ‘Why?’” What Samantha has noticed in Alexa — and the rest of Alexa’s ISA classmates — is they’re all excellent communicators. “One of the things that ISA does very well is that our students are very good at talking to adults, and I think the learning two languages, learning many cultures, contributes to that,” she said.

Samantha believes, in the long-term, ISA is preparing its students to be leaders on a global level. “Thinking about attending university in other countries, thinking about positions and careers that definitely have a global component is not only not out of the realm of normal, it is normal,” she said. Samantha continued: “Our students have a comfort with so many different cultures with language, with not only understanding of language, but really intrinsically understand the cultural aspects, not just the language component.” ISA — an 18-month to eighth grade school with 300 total students, over 80 percent of which are from Scottsdale — also expanded its middle school to the third floor of the building. Looking ahead, ISA will continue to expand its middle school, which was introduced just four years ago to the school. The school will also begin offering a French class for preschool students. “We’ve had a 1-year-old Spanish class for the last two years, and this will be the first year we have enough interest for 1-year-old French class. Parents are starting their kids earlier in the program, which is great,” Pearson said. She adds that ISA plans to make capital improvements on the building, as well as add two sports fields in the parking lot. ISA has been raising money since February for the fields, and they have about 25 percent raised so far. “We don’t yet have a solid number on what they will cost and what we need to raise; we’re still in the planning stages,” Pearson said. “Any donations will help to make them a reality.” Information: is-az.org

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

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Oregon tourist campaign targets Scottsdale PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

n case you need incentives beyond cool weather and majestic views to fly or drive to Mt. Hood Territory in northwestern Oregon, tourism officials there have a suggestion: Head over to Scottsdale Fashion Square June 24-30. Between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. June 24-28, there will be a vending machine where visitors can pick up a free sample of a local product from the end of the 2,170mile Oregon Trail, the wagon route that connected the Missouri River to the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Then, from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. June 29 and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. June 30, tourism officials will be on hand for a pop-up event with the vending machine as well as a chance to see Mt. Hood and its surroundings through virtual reality goggles, enjoy a free snow cone and maybe win a grand prize trip to the area. The two-night trip for two includes

A variety of trinkets representing products and activities in the Mt. Hood, Oregon, area, will be available in a specially designed vending maching at Scottsdale Fashion Square this week. (Special to the Progress)

$500 in travel vouchers, a two-night stay at the Best Western Rivershore Hotel in Oregon City, a $120 gift certificate to Mt. Hood Outfitters for a tour or gear rental, a visit to an alpaca ranch, an even a gift certificate to Bob’s Red Mill and Wholegrain Store. Guests can go to omht.us/win at any time to get a unique 6-digit code they can use at the vending machine to receive a random boxed item that relates to Mt. Hood Territory. A total of 18 different items are packed in the vending machine — things like a stuffed alpaca to get you interested in seeing the animals for themselves at the Marquan Hill Ranch; a dry sack to store your valuables while you rent a kayak or paddleboard to reach the base of Willamette Falls, second only to Niagara Falls in water volume; a Bigfoot air freshener since the territory has the fourth most

see HOOD page 28

Creamistry owners now delivering nitrogen BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

ollowing the expansion of Creamistry into the West Valley for the first time this spring, Arizona Creamistry franchisees Andre Wadsworth and Ryan Zeleznak have launched a new venture called N7 Delivery. Up and running as of May, N7 Delivery provides nitrogen delivery to retail businesses around the Valley, in addition to Wadsworth and Zeleznak’s own Creamistry stores. It’s a new business that the former Arizona Cardinal player and real estate professional, respectively, have had on their collective minds since opening the first Arizona Creamistry in 2016 on the southeast corner of Camelback and Marshall Way in southern Scottsdale. “Early on, we saw how hard it was to secure nitrogen for small businesses like ours,” Wadsworth said.

What sets Creamistry apart from its ice cream competitors is it uses liquid nitrogen to create made-to-order ice cream. Wadsworth and Zeleznak were almost immediately met with obstacles getting convenient, consistent access to liquid nitrogen at a more affordable rate when they opened their first store. Compared to California, where the Creamistry concept was originally developed, the nitrogen delivery service offerings in Arizona are very limited and come at a much higher price. “That was the most challenging piece to this whole made-to-order ice cream concept for us,” Zeleznak said. “Because it’s such a new niche, delivering to retail centers, nobody wanted to do it. There were very few that would, and then when we looked at the premium pricing that we knew we were going to be paying it, it

see N7 page 28

Creamistry co-owners Ryan Zeleznak, left, and Andre Wadsworth have launched a new venture called N7 Delivery, LLC, which provides nitrogen delivery services to local retail businesses around the Valley. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

BUSINESS

HOOD �� page 27

sightings of the legendary creature in the country; and other gifts. And on each of the two pop-up days, the vending machine will contain a box with the free trip. As for the other pop-event offerings, the free snow cones will come in flavors huckleberry, blackberry and lavender because huckleberries are found on the slopes of Mt. Hood, blackberries are available at upick farms nearby and the region is home to multiple lavender farms. Along with tourist representatives to answer questions, the pop-up events also will allow guests to use virtual reality goggles that will whisk their minds to whitewater rafting on the Clackamas River and riding the Alpine Slide at the Adventure Park at Mt. Hood Skibowl. Arizona is a guinea pig for this new approach to vacation advertising, said Casey

N7 �� page 27

definitely came on our radar early on.” After spending about three years expanding Creamistry’s Valley locations from one to six, Wadsworth and Zeleznak invested an excess of $250 million dollars into N7 Delivery.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

Krupnik, spokesman for the Clackamas County Tourism & Cultural Affairs Bureau, which is also holding the pop-up event this weekend at Arrowhead Town Center in Glendale. “This is the first time that we are doing a pop-up like this,” Krupnik said. “We have done other awareness campaigns but nothing like this. Until now our efforts in the Phoenix area have only been on the traditional marketing side: cinema videos, airport ads, office elevator screens and digital ads.” He said he and his tourism bureau colleagues decided their campaign needed “a fun and exciting way to raise awareness about” the area. “We thought, what better way to help visitors experience our area than by bringing part of Mt. Hood Territory to them,” he said. “When the idea for the vending machine came up, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. We worked with local businesses to find products that

They invested in their own truck and tank, which was custom built by a company in the Midwest and brought out to Arizona. It took the co-owners two months to get the business up and running, with the biggest obstacle they faced securing a part-time — and back-up — driver with

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two, be able to do that for others as well. And that’s the objective with N7 Delivery,” Zeleznak said. Wadsworth and Zeleznak, through N7, want to help other businesses by also putting together a plan for them and perform an overall assessment, helping to identify room for improvement and cost savings. “We’d love to evaluate their current circumstances — look at their past performance and their future, look at current invoicing — and see how we can

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a commercial driver’s license, or CDL. “And if you are familiar with the trucking world today, there’s high demand for drivers,” Zeleznak said. Wadsworth was admittedly very nervous taking the leap into the new, unfamiliar industry. “It was a big, big move to do something like that. I don’t have a truck or drive with a CDL,” Wadsworth said. “When things get tough, we’ll get dirty and we’ll make ice cream — we’ll do all the different things. But this is one thing

and easy flight from Phoenix,” he said. “We also know that our fall up here is a little bit different than the fall in the Southwest that Arizonans are used to and believe that they will really enjoy the variance of what Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory can offer. The weather is beautiful, the trees are changing colors, the summer crowds have left and it truly is an amazing time to visit.” As for why Glendale and Scottsdale were selected, Krupnik said “a lot of research and data” pointed to the city. “We wanted to find places that were inside so people would be gathering away from the heat, areas of large populations, easily accessible and highly trafficked,” he said. “We also wanted to select places with enough distance from each other that it would make it easy for people from different areas to check out one of the pop-up events. These two locations rose to the top.”

Knowing the obstacles we faced, we know that “ others are out there, and so there’s certainly a

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helped tell our story and highlight the experiences visitors can expect to find throughout Mt. Hood Territory, in a fun and unique way of claiming the prizes.” The snow cones were thrown in as “a bonus treat for visiting” while the virtual reality goggles are meant to provide “even more inspiration of possible trip ideas,” Krupnik said. Krupnik said the whole campaign is unique. “We are unaware of anyone else who has done a pop-up like this,” he said, adding that the custom vending machines have been done before by businesses. Though he and his colleagues wouldn’t mind seeing Arizonans before fall, the campaign is really targeted to luring outof-staters to Mt. Hood after Labor Day. “We know that it does take time to plan a vacation and wanted to do the pop-up during the summer when people were starting to think about places they could travel. Portland International Airport is a quick

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we couldn’t jump in and do and cover if things went bad.” The goal is to have N7 Delivery running five-plus days a week to provide local companies, from food and retail to cryotherapy businesses, with wholesale liquid nitrogen tank fills. Wadsworth and Zeleznak are saving more than 15 percent on their own liquid nitrogen costs, and they hope to help other businesses save about the same amount, as well. “Knowing the obstacles we faced, we know that others are out there, and so there’s certainly a satisfaction to being able to, one, save yourself money, but

improve and better their circumstances,” Zeleznak said. “We want to simplify it.” Possible savings include cutting costs on delivery fees and hazmat fees. “Because of us being a small business and really recognizing the need of fluidity, agility and moving things around, we’re willing to listen and say, ‘How can we help accommodate your specific needs in your business?’” Wadsworth said. Currently, N7 Delivery has seven, soon-to-be eight clients. For more information and/or inquiries, email info@N7delivery.com.

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

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Scottsdale must do more to protect dogs BY EMILY AUSTIN Progress Guest Writer

t is disturbing hiking in the Preserve during the broiling hot summer months when people bring their dogs either out of ignorance or because they think their dog is physically �it. I have been researching how heat affects dogs, and it is rather scary. When a dog is in distress, professionals urge owners to get their dog in the shade as soon as possible, wet it down with cool wet towels on their head and paws and use a fan. As we know, that’s not possible in the Preserve, because there is very little shade. I don’t want to shame dog owners. I think it would be a fair compromise to have a curfew where dogs would need to be out of the Preserve by 9 a.m. April through October.

That way, those who love to hike with their dogs still have a window of several hours to hike. Responsible dog owners are going to get out early anyway, and this curfew would minimize needless suffering and deaths. It’s a win-win for everyone. There were several deaths in the Preserve last year and that doesn’t address countless dogs with burned paws and other physical complications, sometimes resulting in death. More importantly, we need to protect dogs that don’t have a voice nor a choice. We have to do something! Keep in mind: • Dogs can only expel heat through their paws and by panting; • Heat stroke is not easily recognizable to pet owners; • If you can’t hold the back of your hand on the ground for �ive seconds, it’s too hot for your dog’s paws;

• Dogs can’t handle high heat and humidity; • There is no dog accustomed to the heat; • The Arizona Humane Society receives up to 50 calls a day in the summer for animal rescues and investigations; • Just one of many emergency vet clinics sees �ive or more heat-stressed dogs a week. A newspaper article from last September quoted Yvonne Massman, natural resources coordinator with the City of Scottsdale, who said “The city will possibly prosecute you for animal cruelty so it is not like we need a second ordinance in place.” Seriously? This makes no sense to me when death or injury and needless suffering can be prevented, or at least signi�icantly reduced, with a curfew. It’s also not fair to Stewards who witness dogs in distress and have possible confrontations with dog owners.

Speaking of hundreds of our highly regarded Steward volunteers, they are responsible for picking up hundreds of bags of dog excrement every week left behind on the trails, which is not right. This is one of the reasons dogs were banned from Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak. My hope is that Scottsdale will pass a resolution to modify summer Preserve hours for dogs. Additionally, we need to adopt a similar ban in Scottsdale in regards to walking dogs when it’s over 100 degrees. People should be �ined for walking their dogs when it’s over 90 degrees in Scottsdale. Of�icers should stop ignorant people from walking their dogs on the hot pavement in full sun and have a chat with them as well. The death and suffering of one dog is one too many. Emily Austin is a Scottsdale resident.

Even more startling was Kravetz’ response to board member Jann-Michael Greenburg’s suggestion that the district follow its own written policy of having an internal auditor. “We’ve had auditors before, internal auditors, and correct me if I’m wrong, um, and, you know, if somebody wants to hide something, it’s unfortunately gonna get hidden,” she said. Kravetz also stated that dollars spent on an internal auditor would be dollars that could not be spent in the classroom. While noble in sentiment, Kravetz’ reasoning rings hollow in the face of the enormous amount of money that she allowed to be siphoned from those same classrooms by the Birdwell regime she recruited and unleashed on our community. Perhaps an internal auditor back then would have brought to the board’s attention that they were about to hire a superintendent who had been mired in controversy while she was employed at Higley Uni�ied School District. Perhaps an internal auditor would have

spotted that Louis Hartwell was not only the superintendent’s de-facto brother-in-law, but was a part-time warehouse manager at Higley. An auditor might have found it odd that Hartwell would suddenly be elevated to the position of district COO, in charge of disbursing hundreds of millions of dollars of bond funds. Perhaps an internal auditor would have spotted that Laura Smith, SUSD’s CFO, was writing checks to a company she owned. This might have saved the District the embarrassment of having their CFO indicted. Perhaps an internal auditor would have discovered that SUSD administrators were participating in a bid-rigging scheme and saved the Attorney General the time of having to sue SUSD for participating in bid-rigging. Perhaps an internal auditor would now question why SUSD is paying board member Barbara Perleberg’s legal fees for a lawsuit Perleberg �iled as a private individual without board approval. Perhaps the auditor might ask why Michelle Marshall, the general counsel

for the district, is currently having her employment performance review for her contract renewal conducted by Jennifer MacLennan, an attorney with Gust Rosenfeld. MacLennan was recently hired by Marshall to negotiate the roo�ing contract and solar panel contract for Coronado High School. An auditor might point out that having a vendor to whom business had been awarded conduct an employment review of the person who awarded the contract would appear to be a con�lict of interest. It is clear that Kravetz’ desire for being able to govern by �iat, without any checks and balances that could be provided by an internal auditor will make her life easier. It will perpetuate the myth that she is blameless for the enormous mistakes she made during her tenure while leaving the district subject to a complete lack of accountability. Mark Greenburg is a resident of Scottsdale and father of SUSD Board member JannMichael Greenburg.

SUSD board member showed her true colors BY MARK GREENBURG Progress Guest Writer

uring the June 6, 2019, special study session of the SUSD Governing Board, Board Member Sandy Kravetz articulated for maintaining the status quo of her tenure by thwarting attempts at instilling accountability that were coupled with her desire to eliminate public comment at meetings. Dr. John Kriekard and President Patty Beckman suggested the restoration of public comment to the time period immediately after the superintendent’s report and allow public comment opportunities on agenda items before each is voted on. In response, Kravetz said: “Well the other thing I would like to remind us, is that we are not (a) one bound, to have public comment.” Kravetz’ response re�lects her desire for ruling without dissent and is in keeping with the prior board’s activities of threatening and suing constituents who came forward with commentary not �lattering to their stewardship of the district.

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Skysong hotel artwork promotes enchantment BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

ave Creek artist Mark Carroll’s many sculptures seemingly stretch from coast to coast — from the 13-feettall horse monuments at both entrances of Cave Creek to an 11-sculpture garden at Weinberg Campus in Getzville, New York. And as of June 12, Carroll has one more art installation to add to his growing list of commissioned work: the 8-foot-tall, stainless steel “Balanced, Journey” that sits prominently at the garden entrance of the new Element Hotel Scottsdale at SkySong. Element Hotel Scottsdale at SkySong is a 157-room property slated for completion in late June and located within the masterplanned SkySong development, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center. It was “designed to fuel a balanced life while on the road,” according to Michele Wheeler, development partner of the Element Hotel Scottsdale at SkySong, and president and chief operating of�icer for Jackson-Shaw, the hotel developer. Carroll’s recently unveiled art installation will echo the Element Hotel Scottsdale at SkySong’s mission. “We are striving to create a unique sense of place at the Element Hotel Scottsdale

Artist Mark Carroll displays his 8-foot stainless steel sculpture, approriately titled "Balanced Journey" since it will greet guests at the new Element Hotel Scottsdale at Skysong. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

at SkySong, and the ‘Balanced, Journey’ artwork being installed on the site is an important part of that vision,” Wheeler said. “Mark’s incredible sculpture aligns our vision, engaging the senses that will hopefully inspire and enchant visitors.” With “Balanced, Journey,” which was forged in 304 stainless steel, Carroll aimed for a design that was “open and airy, with balanced movement and a joyful uplifting feeling,” he described in a press release. Carroll said viewers are encouraged to bring their own interpretations to the sculpture. “It might be seen as �igurative, like a dancer, or maybe a cloud-�illed sunset, or maybe a star in the cosmos,” he told the Progress. Carroll has been a local professional sculptor and in business as The Sculpture Studio since 1985. He started designing and creating the drawing for “Balanced, Journey” one year ago and started the fabrication of the stainless steel sculpture three months ago. The parts were cut with a water jet and

Carroll started work on "Balanced Journey" a year ago by designing it and later spending three months creating it. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff)

were then assembled and TIG-welded together. “Since a drawing is only 2D, I made a small maquette in urethane foam so I could work out the forms in 3D. The maquette helps me, as well as the client, to visualize what the �inal sculpture will look like,” Carroll said. Carroll’s forthcoming projects this year include two 5-foot-tall �igures of saints St. Mary Magdalene and St. Phoebe made of basswood for a Catholic Church in Austin, Texas. He is also working on an 11-foot-tall stainless steel sculpture for a private residence in Las Vegas. “Another project is a 7-foot-tall limestone and steel sculpture for a hotel in Pleasanton, California,” he added. The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center will house the iconic shade structure and several public art exhibits, including new public art to be installed upon the completion of the new SkySong 5 building, as part of an extensive overall art program at SkySong. The SkySong 5 building, which is already achieving 73 percent occupancy, is currently under construction and expected to open this summer. A grand opening will be held in the fall.

“We are absolutely thrilled with the SkySong 5’s success and are already looking forward to pre-leasing on SkySong 6,” said Sharon Harper, president and CEO of Plaza Companies, the master developer of the project, in a press release. She added: “These two dynamic buildings really illustrate the vision of innovation and technology that makes SkySong so attractive to companies.” SkySong 6 is the next building to be constructed at SkySong. SkySong 6 will be approximately 340,000 square feet and will feature �loor-to-ceiling glass windows facing out to the intersection of Scottsdale and McDowell Roads, as well as a new parking structure to serve both buildings, a large public space located on the corner, with a second-story balcony overlooking the area, and 55,000-square-foot �loor plates — the largest �loor plates built along Scottsdale Road in the past 20 years. SkySong will exceed 1 million square feet when SkySong 6 is completed. In the meantime, Carroll’s large art installation is available for viewing at 1345 N. Scottsdale Road.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

FOOD & DRINK

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He needs 2 restaurants to share all his ideas BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

asta Brioni owner and Executive Chef Michael Siggins vividly remembers the day he and his the Coyotes Curling Club won the 2019 Club National Championships in Lakeville, Minnesota, in March. “The last few times I went out of town for curling, my family tried to die,” Siggins said. On day five of the nine-day competition, he received a call from his wife, Ashley, who told him their 15-month-old daughter was in the hospital with the A and B flu, pneumonia and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. The Coyotes Curling Club was in first place thus far, so Siggins was ready to hop on a flight back home. “I was about to go to the airport, but my wife called and said, ‘You get your ass back there and win this. You guys have a chance to win, and you can’t do anything from here,’” Siggins recalled. So, he stayed, and they won. “I got off the ice after I won and first thing I did was call my wife,” Siggins recalled. “She picks up the phone, she’s crying, and I [said], ‘What’s the matter with Nora?’” to which Ashley, who was watching a live-stream of the competition, responded, “You guys won! I can’t believe it.” Much like shuffleboard, curling is a sport where two teams of four players send eight different 45-pound stones down a 150-foot sheet of ice toward a 12foot diameter circular scoring zone called the “house.” Siggins and the rest of his curling team will continue to train and practice for upcoming competitions as they continue to make their way to the 2021 Olympic curling trials, their ultimate goal. All the while, Siggins owns and operates two restaurants, the aforementioned Pasta Brioni and NPX - A Neighborhood Joint, which opened in July 2018 in northern Phoenix. His journey to owning Pasta Brioni was as full of twists and turns as his road to winning the Club National Champion-

Michael Siggins is the owner and executive chef of Pasta Brioni in southern Scottsdale and NPX - A Neighborhood Joint in northern Phoenix. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

ships, too. Siggins’ career in the restaurant industry started while attending Arizona State University, pursuing a degree in economics. He held various kitchen jobs, but it was his position as executive chef at Starfire Golf Club in the early aughts that opened the door to what would become a new career path for Siggins: accounting. “The CFO and I were fairly friendly and I said [to him] I’m getting this degree in economics and I have no idea what I want to do,” Siggins recalled. He asked to shadow the CFO, but the CFO did Siggins one better: He offered him a position in Starfire’s accounting department. Siggins enjoyed accounting so much, he then started his own accounting firm one year later — a firm called Martini Management catered specifically to restaurants, as Siggins didn’t want to leave the restaurant industry completely. As fate would have it, his first client was Pasta Brioni, a southern Scottsdale

restaurant located just off Miller Road and north of Indian School Road. “The first night I worked here, I was taking notes on a legal pad, and I meet with them the following morning and [the owner said], ‘Alright, let me see your notes.’ He grabbed the notebook, throws it in the garbage and says, ‘Just count the money. I’ll take care of the food,’” Siggins said with a laugh. Siggins became a part-owner of Pasta Brioni in 2006 — the same year he discovered curling while watching the Olympics from his couch, sick — and purchased the restaurant in 2013, prompting him to sell Martini Management. Over the past six years of owning Pasta Brioni, Siggins has gradually made changes to the menu, as well as improvements to the 65-year-old building. “Since I took over, there’s been one big project every summer, trying to work on major renovations. Last year was the patio, [which] is gorgeous now,” he said. Siggins pushed this summer’s project,

adding sliding glass doors leading to the patio, to next summer. Regarding the menu, Siggins made the executive decision to make everything inhouse. “We make literally everything, soup to nuts, inside of these walls, including pasta,” he said. “We started making all our own pasta and all our own raviolis about three-and-a-half years ago. And that’s brought things to a different level because nobody else does that.” Siggins updates the menu five to six times a year, and the menu features new chef’s specials every night. “This list of different specials that we’ve done is almost one thousand now,” he said. “I let my chefs have a lot of room to play, if they want to make something up.” More recently, Siggins added soft shell crab and halibut, among other seasonal specials, to the summer menu. However, he assures many recipes are still very similar to Brioni’s recipes from

see BRIONI page 33

FOOD & DRINK

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JUNE 23, 2019

What’s Cooking

Siggins is also a curling Olympic hopeful. (United States Olympic Committee/Special to the Progress)

BRIONI from page 32 when the restaurant opened in 1993. “It’s Brioni’s recipes from Jersey from 50 years ago, and you don’t want to screw with it too much,” he said, adding, “Everything’s got my spin on it now.” But at NPX, the menu is purely comprised of Siggins’ — and his wife Ashley’s — recipes. “NPX is 100 percent all ideas that I’ve had brewing over the years,” he said. “I have this Word Doc on my computer that I’ve had for 20 years, and every time I go somewhere and try something I think is unique or I think is good, I write it down there.” That Word doc is about 15 pages long. One NPX menu item, Fried Spam Benedict, was even inspired by his curling team. While on a curling trip in Denver, Siggins made Spam eggs benedict at the request of one of his teammates — and the breakfast dish was a hit, much to Siggins’ surprise. “I probably haven’t had Spam in — I don’t even know how many years. I was

like, ‘That sounds gross; I’ll just get some regular ham,’” he laughed. Having frequented his fair share of sports bars, Siggins’ goal with NPX was to not only serve “fancy bar food,” but also, and more importantly, create a neighborhood atmosphere. “It’s a sports bar with a family twist to it,” he said, adding that he was inspired by his former client’s restaurant, Arcadia Tavern. “I really marveled at the way that they were able to plug themselves into the community.” And Siggins has done just that; every week this past school year, he fed the Horizon High School and Pinnacle High School football teams and soccer teams. “Those 15-year-old football players can eat, let me tell you,” he said. In the meantime, NPX offers brunch on the weekends and continues to play sporting events on its 195-inch TV, among other specials and events. Information: pastabrioni.com, npx.life

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With JAN D’ATRI Progress Contributor

Guests will giddyap to the table for Cowboy Caviar

all it Cowboy Caviar, Texas Caviar, even Redneck Caviar. You can bellow about beluga all you want, but here in the Southwest, we love our caviar made with black beans, black eyed peas, roasted corn on the cob and a bunch of colorful and crunchy diced vegetables that make up the perfect salad, appetizer, dip or side dish. Cowboy Caviar is the perfect picnic or potluck recipe and you can spice it up as much as you want with more jalapenos and hot sauce.

You can make it up the night before and let the tangy dressing settle into the veggies and spices. There are two additions to this Cowboy Caviar that give is a smooth, unique twist: diced avocado and sliced red seedless grapes. That burst of sweetness does a happy dance in the bowl with the spicy ingredients and vinaigrette dressing so your taste buds just want more and more. Grab a big bag of your favorite tortilla chips for dipping and dive right in!

Cowboy Caviar

1 tablespoon hot sauce 1 large clove fresh garlic, pressed or minced 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper Directions: If using fresh corn, shave the corn kernels off the husks. For canned corn, drain and rinse. For added ﬂavor, place the corn in a dry, hot skillet and cook until kernels are charred or blackened. Set aside to cool.

Ingredients: Salad 2 ears fresh corn shaved or 1 (15-ounce) can corn kernels, rinsed and drained 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained 2 cups tomatoes, seeded and diced Roma tomatoes (about 1 pound) 1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced ¼ cup red onion or shallot, diced small 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional) 1 large ripe avocado, diced 1 ½ cups seedless red grapes, halved ¾ cup fresh cilantro, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper Mix greens for garnish, optional Tortilla chips for serving Dressing cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes) 2 teaspoons honey

In a large bowl, add the corn, black beans, blackeyed peas, diced tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper, red onion or shallot, jalapeño, chopped avocado, red grapes, cilantro, salt and pepper. Gently toss to combine. Prepare dressing. In a medium bowl, combine extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, honey, hot sauce, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined. Pour over salad and gently stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve over a bed of greens or with tortilla chips. Watch my how-to video: jandatri.com/recipe/cowboy-caviar-2

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