Scottsdale Progress 11.29.2020

Ice cream made easy. / P. 26

It's of�icial: it's Ortega. / P. 2

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

INSIDE

NEWS ................................ 4 Boys & Girls Clubs get first makerspace.

BUSINESS ..................20 His art work lights up your life.

SPORTS ....................... 23 Sabercats make Open Division again.

NEIGHBORS ..........................................18 BUSINESS ..............................................20 ARTS ........................................................ 23 SPORTS .................................................. 24 FOOD ....................................................... 26 CLASSIFIEDS ........................................27

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Virus surges, but SUSD wary of closing schools

Sunday, November 29, 2020

Top teen

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

S

cottsdale Unified School District will not close schools when students return from Thanksgiving despite concerns that holiday travel could contribute to rising COVID-19 cased statewide.

The SUSD Governing Board met in a special meeting on Nov. 23 to discuss the im-

see SUSD page 12

Scottsdale may ban recreational marijuana sales

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

S

cottsdale could be the latest Arizona municipality to ban most recreational marijuana sales and cultivation within city limits before Prop 207 goes into effect.

The proposition, also called the Smart and Safe Arizona Act Arizona, was approved by

see WEED page 6

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CITY NEWS

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.

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | NOVEMBER 29, 2020

Council, county sanction election results

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

S

cottsdale City Council approved the official results in the city’s Nov. 3 mayoral and City Council elections.

On Nov. 23, the Council unanimously approved the election canvass on consent.

The results showed that David Ortega won the mayoral race with 52 percent of the vote.

In the council races, Betty Janik, Tammy Caputi and Tom Durham were the topthree finishers and in January will replace members Suzanne Klapp, Virginia Korte and Guy Phillips.

Janik and Caputi each earned 19 percent of the vote, and Janik led all candidates with 59,753 votes.

Durham earned 18 percent of the vote to secure the final seat, beating former City Manager John Little, who came in fourth place, by around 2,900 votes.

The losing candidates – Little, Becca Linnig and Phillips – all conceded in the days following the election.

In the mayoral race, Ortega led by as many as 11,000 votes when early returns came in on Nov. 3 but his opponent Lisa Borowski closed that gap significantly in the following days.

That late surge was not enough, though, as Ortega maintained a 5,900-vote lead when all votes were counted.

Borowsky was largely silent in the weeks following the election and did not issue a concession when the county finished counting results on Nov. 13.

On Nov. 20, she posted what appeared to be a concession on her Facebook page in a message thanking her supporters, though she did not directly recognize

City Council last week certified the Nov. 3 election results, guaranteeing that Daniel Ortega is Scottsdale's next mayor come January. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

Ortega as the mayor-elect.

“I’ve heard from so many asking ‘what’s next?’ Borowsky wrote. “The support and encouragement following the election has been amazing and, most definitely, leaves me more committed than ever to work hard to make our great city the best it can possibly be!”

More voters participated this year than in any other election in Scottsdale history.

According to the canvas, 156,676 Scottsdale voters cast a ballot this year – nearly 30,000 more than participated in the 2016 General Election.

Overall, 86.26 percent of eligible voters participated in this year’s election, also a record high mark for the city.

The previous high was set in the Nov. 4, 2008 election when 85.49 percent of voters turned out to cast ballots.

The results of the Scottsdale Unified

School Board election are also official after the county Board of Supervisors certified election results on Nov. 20.

Those results show that Julie Cieniawski, Dr. Libby Hart-Wells and Zach Lindsay will replace board President Allyson Beckham and members Barbara Perleberg and Sandy Kravetz, none of whom ran for re-election.

Cieniawski and Hart-Wells were the top two vote getters, coming away with 22 and 18 percent of the vote, respectively.

Lindsay narrowly edged out Rose Smith for the final spot.

Smith led by 278 votes on election night, but Lindsay overtook her as more results came in and eventually defeated Smith by just 383 votes.

Candidates Kathleen Angelos and Lucy DiGrazia trailed, earning 14 and 13 percent of the vote, respectively.

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Send your letters or columns to opinions@scottsdale.org

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | NOVEMBER 29, 2020

Boys and Girls Club unveils 1st makerspace

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

T

he Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale recently debuted the first of seven new makerspaces designed to give children hands-on experience with science, technology and engineering.

The new space, located at Virginia G. Piper branch at Shea Blvd. and Via Linda, opened on Nov.16 and features a variety of high-tech tools and gadgets like drones, 3D printers, laser cutters and engravers and will cover a wide range of specialized topics, from programming to robotics.

The lab, officially dubbed The Ellie & Michael Ziegler STEAM Makerspace, was designed with a STEAM – or science, technology, engineering, arts and math – education in mind.

Dr. Donna Jagielski, who leads BGCS’ STEAM programming, said the programming will be driven by what topics students are interested in.

“And then it’s really creating a lot of programming around that and also coming up with those unique solutions,” she said.

Jagielski holds a doctorate in leadership and innovation from Arizona State University and most recently serving as STEAM and technology integration specialist for Maricopa Unified School District.

“Members can come in and say ‘I

“Members can come in and say ‘I wish our club could do this or could we do that?’ and we kind of leave it in the hands of the youth to create some of those solutions.

We have developed learning experiences targeted for all those age groups in the makerspace.”

Molly McCusker (left) examines an object from the 3D printer with Dr. Donna Jagielski (second from left) while Sarah Joye and Ruby Wendell (left to right) watch.

(Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

10-year-old Sarah Joye works on a project at the new Ellie & Michael Ziegler STEAM Makerspace in Scottsdale. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

wish our club could do this or could we do that?’ and we kind of leave it in the hands of the youth to create some of those solutions,” she said.

The makerspaces have programming in place for students in first grade all the way through high school.

“We have developed learning experiences targeted for all those age

groups in the makerspace,” Jagielski.

The opportunities for children in the makerspace will promote collaboration and communication through ongoing learning experiences.

Jagielski said members will learn that creating solutions to problems they identify is not a “one-and-done” process.

“When you create a solution and you solve one aspect of a challenge, a lot of times it opens up an area of something else that is a challenge that you didn’t expect,” she said.

The space will be a centralized feature in the club and is available at various times for members, including as a part of after-school and summer programs and for those participating in the club’s facilitated virtual learning for students whose schools have gone virtual due to COVID-19.

“So, when kids are done with their schoolwork, they can participate in the regular program,” said Audra Holt, spokeswoman for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale.

BCGS adopted safety protocols earlier this year to keep members and staff safe and combat the spread of COVID-19.

Jagielski said the clubs, makerspace included, follow all guidelines from public health officials, including requiring mask usage and regularly sanitizing the facility.

“We also have plenty enough space in the makerspace facility to appropriately spread children out so that they are socially distanced,” she said.

The facility also includes streaming technology to allow industry leaders to remotely speak to children and provide mentorship opportunities.

The Ellie & Michael Ziegler STEAM Makerspace project was funded by a $1.5 million donation from Valley philanthropists Ellie and Michael Ziegler to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale’s STEAM initiative.

The donation is expected to provide learning opportunities for around 6,000 children when all seven of the makerspaces are built out.

The Virginia G. Piper facility will be BGCS’ largest flagship makerspace, Holt said.

The organization plans to next build out makerspaces at the Mary Ellen & Robert McKee Branch in Fountain Hills and the Thunderbirds Branch at Thompson Peak Pkwy. and Hayden Road in Scottsdale.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | NOVEMBER 29, 2020

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CITY NEWS

WEED from front

Arizona voters and will legalize marijuana possession and use by adults 21 and older.

The new law, which takes effect tomorrow, Nov. 30, also allows for the creation of establishments to sell recreational marijuana.

On Nov. 30 – the day the law takes effect – City Council will consider a new ordinance to heavily restrict recreational marijuana sales in the city and ban its use on public property.

The proposed ordinance would prohibit the sale and transportation of recreational marijuana except by a licensed medical marijuana dispensary.

Scottsdale would also ban marijuana testing facilities except for independent third-party labs that are certified and already authorized by the state.

Prop 207 allows medical marijuana dispensaries to apply for state permission to sell recreational weed.

Cities must allow existing dispensaries “to operate a nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary and a marijuana establishment cooperatively at shared locations,” the new law states.

Scottsdale’s proposed ordinance would

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also ban the use of marijuana in public spaces, including bars, common areas at apartment buildings, entertainment venues, hotels, restaurants and stores.

Council's approval of the ordinance would put Scottsdale among a small but growing list of Arizona cities and towns choosing to impose similar bans.

Both Gilbert and Sahuarita approved their own bans in October before voters even approved Prop 207.

Payson Town Council also passed its own ordinance in October allowing existing medicinal dispensaries to sell recreational pot and giving the Council strict oversight over new recreational outlets, according to the Payson Roundup.

The proposed Scottsdale ordinance appears positioned to pass when it goes before Scottsdale Council on Monday.

The ordinance was placed on its consent agenda, which is typically reserved for non-controversial items that require no discussion.

Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield indicated she would support the measure.

“I believe limiting recreational marijuana sales to existing medical dispensaries is reasonable and within the context of the law,” she said.

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A proposed medical marijuana dispensary at Shoeman Lane and Wells Fargo Ave in downtown Scottsdale was put on hold by the Planning Commission as the city considers implementing new rules to regulate recreational marijuana sales following the passage of Prop 207 by Arizona voters. (Progress file photo)

Even if Council approves the ordinance, the city could amend it at a later date to allow recreational marijuana operations.

According to a City Council report, the quick implementation of Prop 207 necessitates the adoption of strict restrictions at the local level.

City staff is recommending the proposed ordinance as a stopgap until it can further study the impact of expanded use on the city.

“Scottsdale should consider implementing the full prohibitions and regulations Proposition 207 allows now…and come back later to potentially add additional recreational marijuana uses and allowances in the future once the City can better study and analyze how to safely and effectively do so in a way that does not disrupt the public peace, health or safety,” the report states.

The ordinance is already having a trickle-down effect in Scottsdale.

On Nov. 18, the applicant behind a proposed medical marijuana dispensary in the city’s Entertainment District asked the city Planning Commission to delay a hearing on the project, citing the pending

ordinance.

“In light of recent legislation and the City’s intent to adopt new guidelines associated with this use, we are inclined, somewhat regretfully, to agree with Staff’s recommendation for continuance for further discussions,” read an email to city staff from George Pasquel, planning consultant with Withey Morris.

Withey Morris represents Shawn and Steven Yari, the downtown Scottsdale property owners planning to build a two-story dispensary and boutique office building at Shoeman Lane and Wells Fargo Avenue.

The project was scheduled to go before the Planning Commission on Nov. 18 before reaching Council on Dec. 4, but the commission pushed the hearing to March 10.

Jason Morris, a partner at the firm, declined comment.

The Yaris are asking the city to amend the site’s zoning and grant them a conditional use permit to allow a dispensary to operate out of the first floor on the pro-

see WEED page 8

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | NOVEMBER 29, 2020

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | NOVEMBER 29, 2020

New day dawns for pot users tomorrow

BY JIM WALSH Progress Staff Writer

A

rizona’s new Proposition 207 likely will become law tomorrow, Nov. 30, enabling as many as three million residents to buy a small amount marijuana legally for the first time without a state-issued medical card and can get high in their home.

The new law, scheduled to take effect when state officials certify the results of the Nov. 3 election, promises millions of dollars for teacher training, substance abuse treatment, suicide prevention and even enforcement of impaired driving laws.

It also promises a host of challenges.

Police are preparing for more impaired drivers. The courts could see a deluge of requests for expungements of prior marijuana possession convictions.

Prop 207 provides for neither defense.

Prop 207 won a much larger victory – 1,946,440-1,302,458, or 60-40 percent, according to unofficial results – than President-elect Joe Biden did in the state.

Although it legalizes possession of up to an ounce of marijuana, its full impact probably won’t hit home until April – when medical marijuana dispensaries will be able to sell weed to millions of new customers who won’t have to qualify for a

WEED from page 6

posed new building.

They are also requesting approval of a citywide text amendment that would reduce separation requirements for dispensaries downtown.

The existing city ordinance requires a dispensary to be 1,500 feet from schools, parks, churches, daycares and homes. The application asks that separation be cut to 650 feet for downtown dispensaries only.

Without that amendment in place, the dispensary concept is dead on arrival as the proposed dispensary is about 1,300 feet away from Perform to Learn Preschool.

Even without the added wrinkle created

by Prop 207, the Yari’s dispensary project was likely to become a lightning rod when it reached City Council.

Prop 207 legalizing the sale and possession of recreational marijuana had opponents in the election, but it sailed to approval by voters 60-40 percent. (Special to The Progress)

medical marijuana card.

Of course, it’s not as if those without a card couldn’t find marijuana in Arizona, a border state known for illegal drug trafficking.

However, voter approval of the medical marijuana proposition in 2010 gave birth to a thriving industry.

Through October, 287,715 residents with cards bought 2,786,197 ounces of marijuana from dispensaries this year

alone, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Tom Dean, a defense attorney who specializes in marijuana cases, said he anticipates many people will not understand all the nuances in the new law.

He said people may mistakenly believe they can buy recreational marijuana now.

They can’t because no dispensary is authorized to sell it and likely won’t be until April and Dean thinks some people “are

The new site is a quarter-mile away from the proposed Sunday Goods dispensary that was pulled from Council consideration by the applicant in 2019 in the face of opposition by local property owners.

They pointed out it was too close to the preschool and a Christian Science reading room, both protected uses under Scottsdale’s city ordinance.

Those property owners said other local businesses, including a nearby coding academy for kids, would also be negatively impacted by the dispensary.

“If a pot store comes in, it’s going to drive some businesses away like (Coda Kid) will be driven away, because no parents will put the kids next to a pot store,” said Daniel Spiro, who owns a building near 5th Ave and Winfield Scott Plaza.

In 2019, the Progress reported Spiro

was part of a group of property owners planning their own redevelopment in the area.

Those same property owners are now speaking out against the Yaris’ proposal on Shoeman Lane.

“So businesses will be driven away and at the same time the businesses that we all like to have here in Scottsdale are a lot less likely to buy or lease space…so eventually it will begin to create some kind of domino effect, and the good high-end clients will move….” Spiro said.

Those arguments could gain less traction this time around as the Yari project, though close to the failed proposal, is located in the heart of the city’s Entertainment District and is mostly bordered by bars and nightclubs.

However, the Yari project on Shoeman Lane is also likely to go before a much

going to say, ‘screw that, I’m going to buy it from someone willing to sell it to me.’’

Assuming the election results are certified tomorrow, the law will allow anyone over 21 to possess an ounce of marijuana legally and smoke it in their home.

Since those without a card won’t find any place to buy it legally, Dean advises people to be patient and wait until April, when dispensaries are expected to have the green light to sell recreational weed.

“I expect at least short term, there will be an increase until April or May’’ in black market sales, Dean said. “When there is demand, there is supply. This will cause a large increase in the black-market supply.’’

Meanwhile, police are readying for more stoned drivers.

Mesa police Officer George Chwe has spent the past year working with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, helping to establish a statewide standard for driving-under-influence investigations, which includes the influence of marijuana.

Mesa alone has 25 officers trained as Drug Recognition Experts and the state has added 50 more, bringing Arizona’s statewide total to 346.

“I think we have a good head-start for this’’ law, Chwe said, noting more Mesa

see MARIJUANA page 9

less friendly City Council when it heads back before the city in March 2021.

Mayor-elect David Ortega was one of the chief critics of the earlier dispensary plan in 2019 and other new council members have voiced opposition to marijuana in the past.

During a candidate forum this year, incoming Council members Betty Janik and Tom Durham said they did not support legalizing recreational marijuana – which could factor into a dispensary vote.

Ortega, Janik and Durham could join current Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield, who voted against the earlier dispensary proposal.

Councilwoman-elect Tammy Caputi said she supported the legalization of recreational marijuana at a candidate forum.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | NOVEMBER 29, 2020

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MARIJUANA from page 8

patrol officers are scheduled to receive additional training in how to spot marijuana-induced impairment.

Chwe agreed with Dean that at least some people won’t want to wait and simply want to get high, fueling an increase in impaired driving.

“It’s going to go up. People will think it’s okay to smoke marijuana and drive,’’ Chwe said. “People smoke marijuana for the feeling it gives them.

“I tell them that feeling, because they feel different, they are going to drive different. If you drive different, you are impaired.’’

Under the new law, simply driving with an illegal drug in your system will no longer apply to marijuana.

One major enforcement issue is the difference between arresting a driver high on alcohol and one high on weed.

While drivers can be arrested for having a .08 blood alcohol level, there is no established number of nanograms of marijuana metabolite at which drivers are presumed impaired on weed.

Officers must instead rely on their own observations of impaired driving and on an evaluation by a certified drug recognition expert.

For marijuana consumers, the new law does come at a financial cost.

Prop 207 includes a 16 percent excise tax on recreational sales – a surtax on top of normal state sales taxes.

Paul Paredes, a Tempe-based marijuana consultant, urged anyone with a medical

marijuana card to continue using it because they won’t have to pay the excise tax.

He also noted that a medical marijuana card allows the purchase of 2½ ounces of marijuana in a 14-day period while someone without the card will be able to buy an ounce a day starting in April.

“The medical marijuana program is not going away,’’ Paredes said. “It would be advantageous for all patients’’ to have a medical marijuana card.

The proposition creates a potential market of more than 3 million recreational marijuana customers, he said.

“The dispensaries are stocking up and ramping up production,’’ Paredes said.

“The product is going to expand in availability. It won’t be about quantity – it will be about quality.’’

But Dean said many users will opt to risk arrest and continue buying from their street dealer to avoid paying any tax.

“The black market will be able to offer a product for substantially less,’’ Dean said.

“There’s going to be a lot of people who decide to sell without a license.’’

He said some users resent the fact that the marijuana industry will become a monopoly under the new law, likening it to behavior of the tobacco industry.

Prop 207 allows all current medical dispensaries to apply to the Arizona Department of Health Services for a recreational license, starting in January.

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see MARIJUANA page 10

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CITY NEWS

MARIJUANA from page 9

equity licenses’’ in communities that have been disproportionately affected by the war on drugs.

Although AZDHS has until April to set the rules for such licenses, many people in the marijuana industry believe those licenses will go to minority communities, based upon arrest statistics and other metrics.

Beyond the creation of instant “marijuana millionaires’’ through the awarding of these new licenses, thousands of past felony convictions for possession of small quantities of marijuana could be expunged from defendants’ records under Prop 207.

The first step in this potentially lifechanging process is already underway.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | NOVEMBER 29, 2020

Maricopa County prosecutors already are dropping charges on pending cases related to possession of less than an ounce of marijuana.

Mesa prosecutors also are dropping related charges of possession of drug paraphernalia if they are related to marijuana possession cases filed in Superior Court.

“Instead of continuing to spend resources on these cases, this office will begin implementing the will of the voters immediately. We are instructing deputy county attorneys to file a motion to dismiss any charge covered by Proposition 207,’’ said Jennifer Liewer, a spokeswoman for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

“If those charges make up the entirety of the charges of the case, the entire case will be dismissed. If there are other felony

charges the case will remain pending, but we will file motions to dismiss the charges covered by Proposition 207,’’ she said.

Dean said he anticipates a second wave of defendants with convictions for possession of 2 ½ ounces or less will petition in July for expungements.

He is working with the Arizona Cannabis Bar Association to set up a nonprofit that will file the petitions for free.

“If it’s pending, you get it dismissed. If it’s over, you get it expunged. But what about the people in the middle?’’ he said.

Gray areas affecting defendants serving time in prison or who are on probation will probably end up being litigated in court, said Dean.

He said the potential pool of defendants who can improve their job prospects by getting felony records expunged is enor-

mous, State Department of Public Safety records list about 15,000 to 18,000 marijuana possession arrests a year since 2006 and numerous other defendants merely being cited for a violation.

Will Humble, the former director of AZDHS, said there’s no doubt marijuana hinders the development of the adolescent brain and that parents will need to communicate with their children about the new law.

But Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association, said he ended up endorsing the law for it’s potential in helping people get better jobs and live healthier lives.

“To me, the existing marijuana law caused more public health damage than the drug,’’ he said.

Tell our readers about your opinions.

Send letters to the editor to pmaryniak@scottsdale.org

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CITY NEWS

SUSD from front

pact of rising case numbers and decide whether to continue in-person learning through the end of the semester and beyond.

The agenda included an action item to modify teaching and learning methods – including shutting down in-person learning – but the board took no action, leaving schools open for the foreseeable future.

Superintendent Scott Menzel said the district could delay classroom openings in the second semester, noting “the potential that in-person might not resume right away for our secondary students, given what might be happening with COVID.” “I don’t want to mislead the community to think that I’m looking at a crystal ball and believe that suddenly the data is going to look a lot better on Jan. 4,” he said.

Currently, approximately 70 percent of SUSD’s 22,000 students are in classrooms and the other 30 percent are enrolled in Scottsdale Online or enhanced distance learning, according to the district.

At least 20 Valley districts have reverted to online learning only, including neighboring Paradise Valley Unified, which serves 31,000 students.

SUSD board members expressed concerns about rising case numbers in the community but also cited relatively low numbers on campuses.

They said they needed to rely on the guidance from federal, state and county public health officials.

That voluntary guidance relies on three benchmarks to gauge spread of COVID in a community: cases per 100,000 residents, percent of positive new test results and percent of hospital visits with COVID-like symptoms.

The state guidance previously said if any one metric in a district showed substantial spread for two straight weeks, a district should consider closing schools. Under revised guidelines, it suggests all three categories show substantial spread before school closures occur.

“They also note that it is the recommendation for each governing board and school district to consult with county public health officials and leave the final decision in the hands of our lo-

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | NOVEMBER 29, 2020

cal governing boards there,” said Menzel, who has also consulted weekly with Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, the county’s Public Health Department director.

As of Nov. 24, only one metric – cases per 100,000 – was red for two straight weeks in SUSD. Maricopa County reported districtwide, SUSD had 182 new cases per 100,000 from Nov. 1 to Nov.7 – the 100 cases per 100,000 that indicates substantial spread.

Percent positivity and COVID-like illness indicated moderate spread.

SUSD has tracked case numbers in the 15 ZIP codes where most students live.

“Three weeks ago, we had a handful that were in the red and each week that number has grown pretty significantly,” Menzel said. “And for the first time, this past reporting period, every ZIP code had exceeded the 100 per 100,000 number of cases.”

That included four ZIP codes with more than 200 cases per 100,000 and another with more than 300.

As of Nov. 19, the district had 229 total cases of COVID-19 among 19,001 students, teachers and staff, including 39 active cases.

As of Nov. 23, the district had directed 1,832 students and staff into quarantine due to close contact with an infected person.

According to the district, 1,517 of those were quarantined due to close contact on school campuses and 315 were contacts outside of school.

Menzel said the district still has no evidence that the virus is actually being transmitted in classrooms.

“We have no known positive cases from students who were quarantined as a result of being a close contact in school,” Menzel said.

The community has been split on whether or not the district should offer in-class learning. Some parents lament the negative impact of online schooling on children while others emphasize the health risks that in-person learning poses to students, teachers and staff, especially those with underlying medical conditions.

Menzel said the majority of teachers he has heard from want the district to close schools, but that some teachers – mostly at the elementary level – want them to remain open.

At a board meeting Nov. 17, Scotts-

dale Education Association President Becky Williams spoke for some of those teachers.

Williams said an SEA survey showed 60 percent of the respondents did not feel safe at schools due to COVID-19 and 70 percent supported returning a majority of students to virtual learning after Thanksgiving for a limited period of time.

In its meeting last week, the board appeared sympathetic to both those groups.

“Please know that these decisions that we’re making don’t come lightly,” board President Allyson Beckham said.

“I know that they’re weighing on everyone…and we are listening to your view.”

Menzel said the district will provide increased protection for teachers and staff, including medical-grade KN95 masks and Plexiglas barriers at their desks for any teacher who requests one.

For parents of in-person students concerned about rising case numbers, Menzel said the district will accommodate requests to move back online through the end of the semester without asking those students to change teachers or adopt a different learning model.

Menzel cited some recent medical studies in support of keeping schools open, including a study by The Journal of American Medical Association suggesting the loss of in-school learning could result in lower life expectancy for U.S. children.

He also expressed concern over the number of students who struggled with online learning earlier in the year and feared they could regress even more if the district returns to that model.

“The pandemic has really been harsh and cruel to too many young people, so it’s that balancing act to figure out is that exchange one that we need to make now,” he said.

No board member actually voiced support for closing schools at this point.

Board member Jann-Michael Greenburg said he believes county health officials who have said there are likely three to four times more COVID-19 cases in the county than has been reported.

But he acknowledged that it’s difficult to determine whether or not the spread in the community is also occurring on campus because there is no daily testing in place and the data avail-

able shows relatively few cases in SUSD schools.

Greenburg, who has previously criticized state and federal government officials for forcing school boards to make public health decisions, said at this point the board has to rely on the metrics.

“I think we need to look at this the way that the County is telling us to, and we just have to do what they tell us,” Greenburg said.

Both Beckham and board Vice President Patty Beckman said they were concerned about rising numbers in the community but that the spread was not reflected in on-campus case numbers.

Beckman said she takes teachers’ concerns seriously but was also concerned about the effects on students, noting that closure could be “at even a longer duration and pretty soon it’s a year that these kids have not really been in school.”

Menzel said the administration could close a single school, if necessary, without board approval.

Beckham said the board would remain on call throughout the holiday season in the event a vote was required to take more substantial action.

Staffing issues, specifically difficulty finding substitute teachers, could force SUSD to close schools in the future.

The district’s percentage of teacher absences actually filled by a substitute teacher is 71 percent this year – down from around 90 percent last school year.

That means schools across the district have been forced to cover vacancies internally by having administrators, counselors and other teachers step in.

“It’s not that there were rooms that were uncovered, but I have heard stories where teachers might be in adjoining rooms and they’re covering two classrooms,” Menzel said. “That becomes worrisome for me because we need to have a sub in each classroom.”

The situation varies some schools operating above the district-wide average while others are hovering around a 5060 percent fill rate.

Menzel the schools in the worst position are Chaparral and Desert Mountain high schools, Mountainside Middle School, Cocopah Middle School and

see SUSD page 14

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | NOVEMBER 29, 2020

SUSD winter athletes could face weekly COVID-19 tests

BY ZACH ALVIRA Progress Sports Editor

T

he Arizona Interscholastic Association Executive Board has set Jan. 5 for the start of winter sports – and Scottsdale Unified Superintendent Scott Menzel’s doesn’t like that decision, suggesting athletes might have to be tested weekly for COVID-19.

The winter sports season was originally scheduled to begin on Nov. 9 but was delayed as COVID-19 cases surged and the AIA hopes the delay might see a downward trend in the virus, as what happened when fall sports was delayed.

“It is safer to be at school with your kids than at home,” AIA Executive Director David Hines said. “Delaying the start of the season will give our coaches and administrators time to implement safety protocols and put sports modifications in place.”

For competition to begin, specific guidelines must be met.

Students who participate in a non-school team must be excluded from practice for 14 days. All winter sports modifications must be followed, and scrimmages, invitational tournaments, regional tournaments and out-of-state competition are banned.

The metrics introduced in the fall by the AIA’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee will be used to determine when and if fans are allowed to attend events. However, they will not be used to determine when competition may begin.

“The metrics can be all over the place but if kids are doing all the mitigation they’re required to do when at school, practice and games, the health department and our sports medicine said they are safer there than at home,” Hines said.

“They aren’t following the protocols when they’re home.

“The cases are not being caused by being at school or playing sports.”

The AIA board also approved specific regulations for wrestling, the winter sport with the most contact of the three. Wrestlers can now compete in 14 matches rather than 12 and it will be considered a team sport.

Saguaro basketball coach Lucas Ramirez said he and his team were pleased with

the AIA’s decision to implement a plan for winter sports to move forward with a season, even if that meant a later start date.

He said he will continue to hold modified offseason workouts with players on campus, which the Scottsdale Unified School District approved in September.

“We believe the AIA made their decision with the best interest of the studentathlete in mind with full intent from the beginning wanting to play,” Ramirez said.

“We will be working out as we have been seen SUSD gave us the green-light in September.”

Ramirez, who was hired last March to take over the Saguaro basketball program, has actively reminded student-athletes on social media to do their part to slow the spread of the virus since it forced the cancellation of spring sports. His main goal is to build Saguaro into a championshipcaliber program.

But he’s aware that can’t be done without playing a season.

“All we can do moving forward is [keep] remaining vigilant in the community and respecting the virus and doing all we can to control it,” Ramirez said. “We look forward to competing this season.”

At a Governing Board meeting on Nov. 23, Menzel said he was not happy with the AIA’s decision to push forward with the winter season as cases rise, so the district could adopt its own mitigation strategies.

“That wasn’t enough for us to feel comfortable though, and so the other thing that we are proposing to implement as a part of a condition to participate in winter sports at Scottsdale Unified is that parents agree that their student athlete will be part of a COVID testing expectation as well,” Menzel said.

He said the district is working with Embry Women’s Health to provide testing for free and that Maricopa County health officials recommend testing athletes at least once a week.

“Some of those details need to be worked out, but we believe it’s important to, implement a testing protocol, in addition to the other screen mechanisms, if we’re going to be able to move forward

see SUSD SPORTS page 14

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | NOVEMBER 29, 2020

Ducey: Vaccine could bring ‘normal’ by summer

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

G

ov. Doug Ducey believes Arizona could be “back to normal’’ by this summer once Arizonans get vaccinated for COVID-19.

In a conference call last week, the governor laid out a schedule for business leaders that he said should make the vaccine available for “prioritized groups’’ in the middle of December.

And the general public? That, Ducey figures, would be “in the spring, in March or April.”

State Health Director Cara Christ said her department already is looking to qualify providers who could actually administer the vaccine.

But the governor said the key is getting Arizona from where it is now to the point when those vaccines are widely available.

Christ said there is a “concerning’’ increase in COVID-19 infections. And Ducey has conceded Arizona has a “stressed’’ hospital system.

Still, the governor said he has no plans for any new restrictions beyond those that remain in place, such as occupancy limits at bars, restaurants, movie theaters and fitness centers.

Ducey press aide Patrick Ptak

SUSD from page 12

Pueblo Elementary.

District administration said currently schools are able to fill the vacancies internally but that the situation could be less sustainable over time.

Greenburg posed a hypothetical question, asking if the district could free up substitutes to work at elementary and middle schools by returning only high schools to all virtual learning.

“It theoretically would free up a significant number of subs to be available to be repurposed in those other buildings to cover those sub needs,” Menzel said.

Menzel already sent a letter home to families asking them to voluntarily quarantine for 14 days if they travel and the board briefly discussed adopting

Gov. Doug Ducey and state health director Dr. Cara Christ, seen here at a press conference two weeks ago, held a telephone conference last week with Valley business leaders. (Progress file photo)

brushed aside questions about the decision by the Pima County Health Department which on Monday implemented a voluntary nightly curfew designed to keep people home as much as possible between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

through the end of the year.

Ptak said county health officials already have options, like business occupancy limits, mask mandates and prohibitions on large public gatherings.

Ducey and Christ held the conference

new quarantine requirements for some students who travel during the holiday season.

Menzel said the district likely did not have the authority to adopt a blanket quarantine requirement but may be able to adopt a more selective requirement.

“We’re not likely to get a position from the Maricopa County Department of Public Health to make (travel quarantines) mandatory,” Menzel said.

“But, Dr. Sunenshine indicated the district likely has the authority to make such a policy if we’re using scientific evidence to support the quarantine.”

For instance, Menzel said data shows plane travel constitutes a higher risk of transmission compared to travel by car, so the board could require quarantine for students who traveled by plane.

SUSD SPORTS from page 13

with those sports,” Menzel said.

Ramirez said he would support mandatory testing.

“I would be for it,” Ramirez said. “I get tested for free every week on my own doing. It would put more people at ease, I think. We are in support of whatever can create a safe environment for our students and student athletes.”

As was the case with fall sports, once schools are approved to begin practicing and competition in the winter, the AIA will not stop the season – only state health officials or the governor can make that call.

Hines and the AIA have said on numerous occasions they want to avoid the same scenario that unfolded last spring, when baseball, softball, boys’ volleyball,

calls as concerns mount over virus spread from Thanksgiving gatherings and Black Friday shopping.

Christ said businesses can increase the use of “touchless’’ payment systems and insist that customers wear masks.

“We know that these can be difficult to implement and everybody wants to get back to normal,’’ said Christ. “But at this time this is how we can control the spread, help reduce the risk of increased cases after the holiday and help avoid additional mitigation measures.’’

The governor emphasized the message.

“Right now, businesses are open,’’ he said. “They’re open because businesses have been responsible and worked with health officials to implement smart mitigation measures.’’

And Ducey said he wants businesses open.

“But I need them open safely,’’ he told the owners and managers. “And to do that, we need your help today.’’

Christ said all 15 Arizona counties have infection rates greater than 100 for every 100,000 residents. And in all but two, more than 10 percent of the

see DUCEY page 15

beach volleyball, track & field and tennis saw their seasons cut as the pandemic’s impact increased.

The delay in winter sports now pushes back the start date of spring sports by a week from Feb. 8 to Feb. 15. Spring championships schedules have not been changed.

“If we didn’t do some of these protocols, we aren’t playing sports,” Hines said.

“If we don’t make adjustments and follow the health data and listen to experts, we don’t get to do these things.

“I know sometimes that’s hard for people to understand but we are going through a lot of important people that have a lot of say. We aren’t going to do anything that would cause the government entity to shut us down.”

Wayne Schutsky contributed to this report.

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | NOVEMBER 29, 2020

DUCEY from page 14

tests are coming back positive.

The only thing that is keeping her agency from listing those counties at “substantial’’ risk of spread is that hospital visits for COVID-like illnesses have remained below 10 percent.

But that measurement, Christ cautioned, is on the upswing.

“This indicates increased visits to the emergency room and admission to the hospital for COVID-19,’’ she said. “The number of in-patient and ICU beds in use has not been this high since June or July.’’

For the moment, Ducey and Christ are limiting their effort to encouraging more voluntary compliance. That, said the health director, starts with masks – and not just while shopping.

“This includes every setting where you will be around people who do not live with you,’’ she said, even in private homes.

And for businesses, Christ recommended limiting the number of people indoors, even to the point of having customers wait outside.

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Arizona’s hospitals nearing breaking point

BY CALAH SCHLABACH Cronkite News

T

he recent surge in COVID-19 cases could push hospital staff and hospital bed capacity to the limit in coming weeks, particularly if people are not careful over Thanksgiving, an Arizona hospital official said last week.

Marjorie Bessel, chief clinical officer for Banner Health, said its projections show the system will be using 125 percent of its licensed hospital beds by Dec. 4 as it grapples with the usual winter rise in patients and the sudden spike in COVID-19 cases.

She compared this holiday weekend to Memorial Day weekend, when unrestricted gatherings were followed by a sharp spike in coronavirus cases.

“If you reflect back in May, you know that Memorial Day weekend was a significant catalyst that caused continued exponential growth of our COVID pandemic here in the state of Arizona,” Bessel said.

Unlike May, however, when Arizona was one of the few states facing a COVID-19 surge, the current outbreak is widespread.

That means hospitals in the state will be hard-pressed to find relief workers from other states, Bessel said, even if they can work around the shortage of beds.

“We have been accumulating pharmaceutical supplies, beds and ventilators since the surge in the summer and we believe that we are prepared,” she said.

“What we will have a shortage of will be staff.”

A spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Health Services said the agency is not able to comment on projections from Banner or any other external organization.

But Holly Poynter said that while “hospital ICU bed availability has decreased over the past few weeks, there is still adequate capacity in Arizona’s hospitals.”

see HOSPITALS page 17

Marjorie Bessel, chief clinical officer for Banner Health, said that Banner hospitals are on pace to be at 125 percent of bed capacity by Dec. 4 because of surging COVID-19 cases, and that the situation could get worse if people do not practice healthy habits over the Thanksgiving holiday. (Courtesy Banner Health)

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HOSPITALS from page 15

The department’s COVID-19 dashboard showed that early last week, 89 percent of ICU beds in the state were occupied, leaving 192 beds available. That is more than were available at the height of cases in the summer, Poynter noted.

Bessel’s comments come just days after Arizona health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued pleas to the public to tone down holiday celebrations, staying home, limiting the size of gatherings, wearing masks and meeting outside where possible, among other steps.

“The best mitigation that you can do as an individual out there, is to keep your circle tight, once you break that circle risk goes up,” Bessel said.

Bessel said Banner just hired 1,000 out-of-state staff to work the winter surge that Arizona hospitals normally face, and it is looking to hire more.

But “the entire country is surging at the same time. This is significantly different than what Arizona experienced in the summer.”

In a normal winter, she said, 14,000 positions might be posted for out-of-

state medical workers; this week alone, 20,000 positions were posted.

While Banner often runs at a high capacity in winter, Bessel said the COVID-19 patients being admitted this winter “are very sick. They take a lot of staff to take care of them and this adds an extra load” on staff.

“It’s all of these factors that add up to a significant, significant stress that our healthcare system is experiencing as we care for COVID patients going into the surge,” Bessel said.

If Banner gets to 125 percent of bed capacity, Bessel said it would “cause quite a bit of stress on our healthcare system,” but she does not think it would require drastic steps like “a triage situation.”

“We have a lot of plans in place to be able to meet that demand, but it is going to be stressful on our healthcare system and we won’t be the only one.”

Poynter said Arizona DHS has put a number of measures into place to help hospitals manage bed capacity, including a “surge line” that allows hospitals that don’t have the capacity to care for a patient to search online and find an available bed.

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A spokeswoman for the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association said hospitals will be able to share the load across the state.

“The good news is hospitals have come together during this pandemic response,” said Holly Ward, the association spokesperson. “Chances are, we will see spikes in the communities.

“But we are very optimistic that we won’t be in the situation where it’s statewide – there, there are no beds available.”

Bessel stressed that the 125 percent

17

projection is just that – a projection – and that what Arizonans do over the weekend can keep hospital beds open for people who need care.

“Strong mitigation now will help us not get to that 125 percent. I ask everybody out there to take personal accountability, especially as it relates to this holiday week,” she said.

“I know it’s a very significant holiday that we have with Thanksgiving,” Bessel said. “I asked everybody to think about what Thanksgiving 2021 can look like, and please do your part.”

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Scottsdale boy nominated for Kid of the Year

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

N

ickelodeon and TIME magazine have nominated a Scottsdale teen for “Kid of the Year 2020.”

Rancho Solano Preparatory School student Dylan Capshaw, 14, is one of the final 20 nominees for the first multiplatform initiative that recognizes extraordinary young leaders making a positive impact on their local community.

“It feels amazing!” Dylan said. “I still remember the shock when I found out people nominated me for this because I never did what I do for recognition.”

Capshaw was among the more than 5,000 kids ages 8-16 nominated for the initiative.

“My mom told me a few people nominated me and explained what Nickelode-

Rancho Solano Preparatory School student Dylan Capshaw, 14, is one of 20 nominees for the first-ever Kid of the Year 2020, a multiplatform initiative sponsored

by Nickelodeon and TIME magazine that recognizes extraordinary young leaders making positive impacts on their local communities. (Courtesy of Dylan Capshaw)

on and TIME Magazine were doing and I couldn’t believe it. When I found out I was a finalist it was even crazier,” Dylan said.

“The fact that Nickelodeon and TIME Magazine are bringing attention to kids making a difference is so amazing.”

Dylan has been inspired by his fellow nominees.

“Each of the other 19 kids were doing something so amazing and something I never thought was possible,” Dylan said.

“They are all so inspirational and powerful.”

As is he.

Dylan started his own nonprofit, Dylan Capshaw Wildlife Foundation in 2017 during Hurricane Harvey.

He said watching coverage of the hurricane motivated him – at the mere age of

see DYLAN page 19

Chapman Ford helping Tonalea K-8 kids

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

S

ince Nov. 2, Chapman Ford has amassed several hundred school supplies donations from its employees, customers and Scottsdale residents.

And the school supply drive is far from over.

Through Dec. 4, Chapman Ford will continue to accept donations, including mini hand sanitizers, Kleenex, reusable water bottles, pencil and pens, snacks, notebooks, and more — all for Tonalea K-8 School.

“Tonalea K-8 is a Title 1 school close to our dealership and we know the kids served in this community would greatly benefit from the donation of books and much-needed school supplies,” said

Steve Countryman, the dealership’s general manager.

The drive is part of a larger collaboration between Ford Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, and First Book, a nonprofit that addresses literacy shortfalls among children in underserved community and provides opportunities for student to learn about STEAM disciplines.

Ford Motor Company Chief Customer Experience Officer Elena Ford announced in October a $200,000 investment that will provide 30,000 books and other school supplies for 1,500 educators and their students hit hard by COVID-19 in Phoenix, Dallas, and Houston.

“We’re showing the kids that no matter where you learn – school or home – books can inspire dreams and spark interest in subjects that could be the be-

Chapman Ford employees working on the supply drive for Tonalea K-8 include, from left, Tammy Barks, Jennifer Baltazar, Madeline Hoppman, Carmen Griffin, Lynn Peterson and Annmarie Petrinovic. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

ginning of an exciting career,” Ford said.

By the end of this year, Ford Fund estimates it will have invested more than $600,000 in the initiative and delivered

more than 130,000 books since the initiative began in 2015.

see DRIVE page 19

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DYLAN ���� page 18

11 – to take action.

“I saw animals stranded on the news and I knew it was time to make a change...

I started my foundation and raised money for an animal shelter in Houston, Texas,” said Dylan, who flew to Texas, donated the check and funded an expedition to save 10 dogs from a flooded grocery store.

Dylan has rescued hundreds of animals in crisis via fundraising efforts and events, including Sponsor an Emu, the Australian Fires Fundraiser, local supply runs for animal shelters, VIP sponsoring and wildlife education.

“I am most proud of my sanctuary and all of the animals I have rescued,” Dylan said. “I now have a 24/7 phone line for rescues and to help answer questions.”

His Australian Fires Fundraiser raised $3,000 for the Koala Hospital and Dylan has donated supplies to animal shelters overwhelmed by the more recent West Coast fires.

“We were able to get dozens of donated items including dog food, dog cans, dog

treats, beds and blankets in wholesale,” Dylan said. “But due to an overwhelming amount of support, most vet offices declined the supplies and they are being outsourced to other shelters upon request and need.”

Dylan isn’t solely passionate about helping animals.

In response to the pandemic, he also founded two other organizations: For The Frontline and The Sanitation Stations.

“At first, starting a nonprofit seemed intimidating but my dedication to making a difference kept me going and I filed two nonprofits completely myself using online tutorials,” Dylan said.

As part of For the Frontline, Dylan partners with a local shipping company to create 3-D printed reusable filtered masks and face shields for healthcare workers.

So far, he has shipped more than 3,000 masks and face shields to essential workers across the country.

“We probably sent the most to Navajo Nation which needed the most help at the time,” Dylan said. “We also sent a care package to the NYC Fire Depart-

ment because we heard they were sharing masks.”

The Sanitation Stations equips businesses with PPE vending machines to help make essential items such as wipes, gloves, and surgical and reusable masks more readily available.

Dylan came up with the concept in September and will “very soon” place a fully stocked vending machine at the Scottsdale Quarter.

“My goal is to make PPE readily available to all who need,” he said.

“Whether it’s an animal or a person, I want to help whoever I can,” he added. “I just hope people stop thinking that you have to be an adult to do something.”

The top five nominees will be featured in a TV special at 8 p.m. Dec. 5 and will be hosted by “The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah; one will be crowned Kid of the Year and featured on a cover of TIME with a companion story in TIME for Kids. It will air on Nickelodeon, CBS Television Network, TeenNick and Nicktoons.

Dylan said he hopes to win to show kids that they, too, can make a difference.

DRIVE ���� page 18

“We want kids to understand that reading is fun and rewarding and will allow them to take advantage of educational opportunities that can help them achieve personal success,” Ford said.

Countryman noted, “By working together with Elena Ford, Ford Motor Company Fund, First Book and our dealership, we have been able to deliver a literacy initiative that positively impacts both local students and educators.”

“We just wanted to make this as big as possible to help support Elena Ford and her vision,” he added.

“With the pandemic and a good portion of businesses operating remotely, fundraising efforts, like school supply drives, have been unfortunately mostly eliminated within our local community,” Countryman said.

Chapman Ford will offer an additional $250 off any vehicle purchased by customers who bring in a drive valued at $20 or more.

“During this season of thanks, we’re hopeful our community joins us in this effort, even if you aren’t in the market for a new vehicle,” Countryman said.

Steve Countryman is the general manager of Chapman Ford in Scottsdale.

(Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

To kick off the initiative, Ford led a live virtual reading party earlier this month for more than 10,000 elementary students from 44 Ford dealer-nominated and other schools, including Tonalea K-8.

Ford was joined by award-winning children’s author Andrea Beaty, who

read her “New York Times” bestselling book, “Rosie Revere, Engineer.”

Teachers were also given an e-gift card to purchase books, school supplies and safety items such as hand sanitizer and wipes.

The event inspired Chapman Ford to

19

“The false conception that you have to be an adult to do something needs to end. Kids can make a difference!” he said. “Just for me to be this far as a finalist has helped immensely in spreading my message and fueled me to do even more.”

“I am so happy I am able to offer constant support and relief to my community,” he added.

Celebrity guests will help introduce each of the top five honorees during the broadcast, including Kristen Bell, Simone Biles, Brie Larson, Zachary Levi and Russell Westbrook, among others.

“In the unprecedented times that we are living in today, it has been inspiring to see humanity come together to help one another, and I’ve been especially drawn to the stories of kids using their creativity to bring resources to their communities,” Noah said . “After all, the person who’s going to bring us a better tomorrow is a kid who’s out there doing it today.”

Information: dylancapshawwildlifefoundation.com, kidoftheyear2020. com

give more to Tonalea.

“We’re fortunate that our dealership has been able to remain open and we saw an opportunity to directly benefit a local school with great needs,” Countryman said.

“We know that it’s been a challenging year for both teachers and students alike,” he continued, “so we wanted to do something that might ease their burdens and put a smile on their faces.”

The public can drop off the following items to Chapman Ford: Kleenex, mini hand sanitizer, reusable water bottles, individually packaged snacks, 8.5-inch by 11-inch colored construction paper, pencils and pens, composition notebooks, colored pencils, backpacks, and colored copy paper.

“Chapman Ford is the best!” Tonalea wrote on Facebook.

If You Go

School Supply Drive When: Through Dec. 4 Where: 3950 N. 89th St. Call: 480-420-1460 Website: chapmanfordaz.com

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Preserving nature inspires interior designer

BY DAVID M. BROWN Progress Contributor

T Newt Grover was in the jewelry industry until he found his passion with glassblowing. He taught himself the craft and founded Newt Glass, which has been in the Valley for roughly 20 years. (Courtesy Newt Glass)

Glassblower wants to beautify the world PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

G

lassblower Newt Grover has one mission: to share his work with the world.

“By the time I die, I want to put as much beauty and as much work in the world as possible,” Grover said.

Grover has been working on this since 1998, when he founded Newt Glass, an Airpark-based company that produces custom-blown glass pieces and installs them in residences and commercial properties.

The heart behind what Newt Glass provides is not based on function, but the glass’ pleasing aesthetic components.

This passion for glass began at Coronado High School in Scottsdale, as a jewelry maker at age 15. He forged a successful career with it and eventually taught himself how to make neon. His art grew from there.

However, Grover realized he wanted to make a career change—glassblowing.

see GROVER page 21

anya Shively was inspired to be an interior designer by Mother Nature.

Born to a fourth-generation family in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the Scottsdale resident grew up admiring and visiting adjacent Grand Teton National Park and its signature snow-tipped peaks.

“The love of nature, preserving its beauty for future generations and protecting the environment were always part of my mindset,” she said.

Shively opened Sesshu Design Associates in December 2005 and next month will celebrate 15 years providing sustainably focused interiors for her clients in and out of the Valley.

The name honors the 15th-century Japanese artist, Sesshū Tōyō.

In pioneering sustainable design, she has completed large and small renovations as well as whole homes.

In this spirit, clients make environmentally friendly design choices such as energy-efficient lighting and appliances; water-conserving plumbing fixtures; indoor air quality through nontoxic finishes and materials; sustainable materials that are responsibly sourced; and using recycled or reclaimed materials for flooring, tiles or furnishings.

“Recycling and repurposing can include vintage or antique furnishings or repurposing an old door into a headboard or cocktail table,” Shively said. “It can also be recovering quality sofas rather than buying new.”

In addition, eco-easy plumbing fixtures, including toilets, showers, tank-

Scottsdale interior designer Tanya Shively is celebrating 15 years as Sesshu Design Associates in December.

(Jerry Portelli/Architectural Photographic Specialists)

less water heaters and faucets are now almost the norm, she said.

And low or zero-VOC paints and finishes are widely available. Volatile Organic Compounds, such as formaldehyde, benzene and styrene can seriously affect health.

“These paint products offer a wide range of color options now, which was not always the case,” said Shively. “In the early days, you could have any color – as long as it was white, or close to it.”

Self-sufficiency, grit and determination: “That’s just how we did things,” Shively recalled of her childhood.

see TANYA page 21

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GROVER ���� page 20

“I saw on PBS a program on glassblowing and I told my wife, ‘This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen, and I have to do it’,” Grover said. “So I looked around and there wasn’t really any place to even learn how to blow glass in Phoenix, so what I ended up doing was build my own studio so I could learn. It was going to be a hobby, but it just morphed into what I am doing now.”

What captivated Grover about glassblowing was the routes he could take with it. He doesn’t have mass-producible items, instead he custom makes all of his pieces.

“We do a lot of chandeliers, wall displays, metal and glass sculptures and it varies so much,” Grover said.

He considers his work the “cherry on top” of any room’s décor.

Newt Glass does not just design and build the glass pieces, but it makes sure the instal- Newt Grover calls this chandelier “Tornado” and it is one lation goes smoothly. If of many different hanging pieces he has designed for a piece is being shipped homes and commercial buildings. (Courtesy of Newt Grover) across the country, Grothat artwork does in society that people ver said Newt Glass will travel to make sure the glass piece is in- don’t even think about.”

Roughly 20 years after it was foundstalled properly.

Although Newt Glass creates pieces ed, Newt Glass has firmly planted itself for residential homes, it is not afraid of in Scottsdale. He said he likes to work a good challenge. Grover said he always with clients closely since they will be enjoys taking on bigger projects and is the ones who look at his finished piece willing to go outside of his comfort zone. every day.

"I don't feel like I need to make a state“I do a lot of larger-scale jobs for commercial environment for people who ment with my art, Grover said. "I like paneed that ‘wow’ factor or something rameters and by these parameters that clients give me, it helps center my mind spectacular,” Grover said.

His blown glass pieces have graced and get the client something they are goMaestro's Steakhouse, Wild�lower Bread ing to love."

“My job is to put beauty into the world Company, Helios Educational Foundation and Butter�ly Wonderland, among and I think that artwork is extremely important for society,” Grover said. others.

Information: newtglass.com or call 480“Artwork heals,” he said. “It changes people’s attitudes, and there is so much 405-1561 to book an appointment.

Shively transformed this Paradise Valley kitchen with new cabinets, countertops, backsplash, appliances, plumbing and lighting. (Photo by Joe Cottita)

TANYA ���� page 20

She embraced art and design; her pastimes included building houses from Legos and rearranging the family furniture.

“When I took a class in high school focused on interior design, I knew it was the career I wanted,” she said.

She studied the ideas of sustainable design for a few years, and, with her early-life experience across from a national park, she affirmed the concept of stewardship for the environment in her life and work.

An early inspiration was Ed Mazria, who started the 2030 Project, which hoped to make all architecture sustainable by 2030.

“He opened my eyes to what an impact architecture and buildings have on the environment and therefore how much we can change by being more thoughtful about how we design,” noted Shively.

In addition, Shively’s father had asthma, which inspired her to create home interiors free from toxins, mold, dander, allergens and other negative aspects.

“I knew that I wanted to provide a high level of design for clients who wanted to be more sustainable and healthy,” she said.

She lived in Michigan and Montana before moving to the Valley in 1992,

when she started her career with Susie Hersker and Design Directives, part of the Interior Studio Group in the Scottsdale Airpark.

Nine years later, she opened Sesshu Design and continued to office with the group until moving to a studio near historic Cattle Track in Scottsdale.

“That experience of working in proximity to four of the best designers in Scottsdale was invaluable. There was always someone who could answer any questions and provide direction when needed,” she recalled.

“They were and are like family in many ways.”

Just after Sesshu opened, LEED for Homes became an option, so she pursued that accreditation, specifically with the Interiors designation.

At the time, her firm focused on recycled or reclaimed materials, such as reclaimed wood floors, for countertops ice stone slab, a terrazzo-type material comprising recycled glass chips, and products such as Kirei board, which is made from recycled wood products.

“We have always used natural fiber carpets and fabrics: including wool, cotton, silk and linen,” she added.

As part of her mission to be responsible to the planet and create “WELL Designed” homes that are eco-conscious, healthy and very livable, she

see TANYA page 22

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TANYA ���� page 21

“The business really just comes down to a commitment to providing the options and the education about the benefits of using sustainable, healthy products.”

recently founded The Furniture Angel, a nonprofit that helps to keep high-end furniture out of landfills by offering a path to donation and a tax deduction.

“The business really just comes down to a commitment to providing the options and the education about the benefits of using sustainable, healthy products,” said Shively.

Clients, architects and builders praise her commitment to green design and preservation.

Debra Gooding worked with Shively

for about eight months during a remodel on a vintage Paradise Valley adobe home built in the 1960s.

“Her exquisite taste and talents proved invaluable in reconstructing this modest smaller home,” she said.

And Doug Edwards, co-principal of The Edwards Design Group in Scottsdale, added, “I have known and worked with many interior designers, and Tanya is definitely the quintessential green designer in the Phoenix area.”

Shively believes that many designers incorrectly believe that sustainable design is too much extra work or that their clients won’t be willing to pay extra for it.

“It is true that many clients are concerned about what it adds to the bottom line, but unless they are wanting LEED certification, then the cost of materials and products on high-end homes is negligible,” she explained.

“The advantage is that they are contributing to a healthier home, reducing stress and illness and enhancing well-being for the people in the home.”

Information: sesshudesign.com.

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Saguaro advances to Open again Horizon COVID-19 related issues forced Horizon to cancel two games midway through the season. The Huskies managed to reschedule the contest against Saguaro, which turned out to be one of their three losses on the year.

An Open Division team a year ago, Horizon was bumped out of playoff consideration by Notre Dame Prep in the regularseason �inale, ending their season with a 3-3 overall record.

BY ZACH ALVIRA Progress Sports Editor

T

he 2020 football season is nearing its conclusion – a feat many might deem incredible, given the impact of the pandemic.

Several Scottsdale programs were forced to take bye weeks or cancel games due to COVID-19.

It was a tough season across the board for several of the big schools, but Saguaro managed to break through to the Open Division once again.

Teams were able to schedule a “bowl game” after the regular season concluded. Here’s how each Scottsdale football team fared in the COVID-shortened 2020 regular season.

Saguaro For the second straight year, Saguaro is among the top-ranked teams in the state. The Sabercats, who’s only loss was to second-ranked Hamilton, �inished as the No. 3 overall seed in the Open Division playoffs.

An already dif�icult year challenged Saguaro even more on what seemed like a weekly basis.

The Sabercats’ �irst game of the year was canceled due to COVID-related issues with Chaparral. The Sabercats were then forced to scramble and schedule Casteel last-minute after Horizon had COVID-19 issues.

Campo Verde then canceled on Saguaro, which opened the door for the matchup with Horizon to be played at a later date. Overall, the Sabercats �inished 5-1 and hosted sixth-ranked Salpointe Catholic in the Open Division quarter�inals.

Chaparral Chaparral’s season was equally as difficult when it came to its schedule.

For the second straight year, Saguaro finished as one of the top teams in the state and went on to compete in the Open Division as the third-ranked team. (Pablo Robles/ Progress Staff)

The Firebirds found out just two days before the start of the 2020 season it would be forced to miss two games due to COVID-19 cases in the program.

Those two games turned into three as the Firebirds didn’t have enough time to prepare for Hamilton. Once on the field, however, Chaparral was impressive.

Its only two losses came against Open Division teams Centennial and Liberty. Overall, the Firebirds finished 3-2 and entered the 6A Conference playoffs last Friday as a dangerous No. 7 seed against second-ranked Queen Creek.

Desert Mountain Second-year coach Conrad Hamilton has Desert Mountain on the right path, as the Wolves finished 4-2 overall on the year and clinched the No. 3 seed in the 5A Conference playoffs.

Led by a stout defense, Desert Mountain dominated most of its opponents, allowing the offense to have its way on the scoreboard. The Wolves’ only two losses came to Open Division team Salpointe Catholic and 5A No. 2 Sunnyslope. Desert Mountain faced No. 6 Ironwood last Friday.

Notre Dame Prep Two losses and a canceled game appeared to put Notre Dame Prep on the bubble heading into the final game of the regular season on Nov. 20. The Saints matched up with Horizon, another fringe playoff team.

Notre Dame ultimately prevailed, bumping the Huskies from playoff consideration while securing the No. 7 seed in the 5A Conference. This past Friday in the first round of the 5A Conference tournament, the Saints traveled to face Sunnyslope.

Coronado Coronado struggled to �ield a team early on in the season due to several injuries to an already limited roster.

The Dons were unable to �ind any momentum all season, scoring just 13 total points in �ive games. Coronado �inished the pandemic-shortened season 0-5.

Scottsdale Christian Scottsdale Christian knocked off San Tan Charter in the 2A Conference play-in tournament on Friday, Nov. 20 to advance to the round of eight.

The Eagles dominated competition all season long on their way to a perfect undefeated record. The team on both sides of the ball dominated, averaging nearly 52 points per game while giving up just over eight. Scottsdale Christian faced No. 7 St. Johns Friday.

Scottsdale Prep Scottsdale Prep’s lone loss of the season came against Scottsdale Christian when both teams were undefeated.

The Spartans have rolled over its opponents, dominating on both sides of the ball. They defeated Miami in a highscoring affair in the 2A Conference playin tournament on Friday, Nov. 20 and went on to face third-ranked Santa Cruz as the No. 6 seed in the playoffs this past Friday.

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Ballet students pirouette amid online challenges

BY SRIANTHI PERERA Progress Contributor

O

f all the online lessons being taught via Zoom nowadays, ballet probably gets an A+ for difficulty.

Try moving rapidly across a carpeted bedroom without striking the dresser or pirouetting with an arm poised dangerously close to a rotating ceiling fan at home – all this while ensuring that you remain visible to the instructor on the computer and vice versa.

Nadja Langenhorst, a Chandler resident who teaches ballet at Scottsdale Community College, is in this unenviable position.

With the pandemic in force, she continues instruction three times a week to a coterie of adult students she can’t meet face-to-face in the studio.

But rather than lament and wring hands, this instructor has risen to the challenge.

“I’m trying to make it as positive as possible and make it so we are getting as much as we can,” said Langenhorst, a former ballet mistress at Gilbert-based Ballet Etudes.

“The exercises have to be designed in a different way,” she explained. “I’m thinking

Nadja Langenhorst

more of developing stamina and really good strong technique so when we get back there, we are ready to move forward.”

During the last several months, Langenhorst, who is also a health coach, improvised her teaching.

First, there’s a certain atmospheric flatness she has to address, inevitable at the start of a class.

“When you go to the studio and you see people live, you feel a certain energy A Zoom ballet class in progress, led by Nadja Langenhorst, to students of Scottsdale Community in the room. That energy, I College. (Srianthi Perera/Progress Contributor) have to create myself,” she said.

I have to use a lot more words to explain they can hear me, at the same time.”

So, she utters a loud and cheery “Hi, ev- things.”

One advantage is being able to record eryone.”

Alexis Montoya, who has been studying the exercises and listen to the corrections “And they’re all standing wherever they ballet for seven years, is challenged by the later. are in their house and it’s just really quiet, unusual instruction and the lack of cama“Instead of live in the mirror in the studio there’s no chatter going on. They’re all raderie. we can go back and kind of replicate that muted, waiting for me to start the music,” “I miss sharing the space with my fellow with recording,” she said. “As long as they she said. dancers and feeding off of everyone’s en- are very active, pro-active, and they’re reLangenhorst explains the selected exer- ergy,” she said. “I also appreciate the tactile ally desiring this, there can be that change cise and starts the music. corrections that I normally get in a studio.” for the good, the better in their technique.”

“And I’m dancing with my chair, which The pandemic feels draining most of the Despite the difficulties, Langhorst beis now my bar in my bedroom. I have my time, Montoya said. lieves her students are learning. She tells camera on. And I’m talking when I’m doing “A big part of dance is the group gather- them: “when you go back to the studio, I it. And then I say I’m going to watch and I ing and energy passing in the room. Due to think you’re going to be more acute, I think select a couple students to watch. I give the pandemic, I no longer get to release my you’re going to be more aware because them corrections while they’re doing it.” emotions with my friends beside me. The you’re going to have it live in front of you, If she looks at the whole class through technology makes it all feel very stagnant.” which is going to give you a whole different the computer screen, it’s not possible to Langenhorst feels that the students also feel and, I think, a greater appreciation.” see the details of everyone’s movements. must be open to new ways to learn.

For students, the pandemic has also Hence, she keeps alternating between the At first, mastering the music was a chal- meant the loss of experiencing college. students she watches. lenge as well. With Zoom, there’s a half“This is time we don’t get back and I “There’s a difference in energy, there’s a count lag in music and it reaches various feel a little bitter about it at times,” Mondifference in actually applying the correc- people at different times, so the musicality toya said. “I don’t get to spend hours in the tions and giving the corrections because is missing. studio with my classmates after class creof the space. There’s a difference in how I Initially, class members couldn’t hear ating pieces that probably won’t ever see have to explain, because I know they can the tones of the music either. the stage. It’s mostly the social side of big see me on the camera, but I can’t go up to “It sounded like a little kid playing a study groups and improvisation sessions them and touch them,” she said. baby piano in the closet,” Langhorst said. see BALLET page 25 “I just feel like there’s a space there, but “Now, at least they can hear the music and

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BALLET ���� page 24

that have been impacted.”

California-born Langenhorst has been dancing since she was 10 years old and teaching for 30.

She has lived in South Africa and France, participating in shows, commercials and modeling assignments. In the US, she studied in Reno, Nevada, but cut her ballet teeth during her studying and working stints in Paris, for nearly four years.

Those years were special.

“Being in France and being able to live there and make a living for so long, learn the language, eat great food and meet fun people and just being in your twenties with no responsibilities, except for to dance all day long and make a living,” she recalled, “it can’t get better than that.

When I did come back, I cried.”

The dancer returned to the US just before she turned 25, and entered college.

Later, she married her pilot husband, Curt Langenhorst.

They have two daughters, both now in their twenties, who studied ballet but didn’t pursue it professionally.

What does she like about the dance form?

“I like that ballet is a group sport, but it’s really an individual sport and art.

You have to put in the work yourself. You have to figure out how to put your body in the technique. And the technique is a technique that works, but not everybody’s body works with it,” she said.

“You have to figure out how it works with your body.”

Figuring out the best technique may be hard for some with the prevailing mode of teaching, but Langenhorst feels students may gravitate toward online learning even after she can resume teaching in the college’s studio.

“I have older community members who have been taking my class for years, and they’re very happy to see everyone, they’re excited that we’re still doing ballet,” she said.

“Even some of my younger students feel like, in their own privacy of their home, some of them have felt a new freedom.

“I don’t know that it will surpass a live class. I think that sometimes, the people that don’t have the ability to travel or are nervous about getting the virus, or people who are very shy, I think it could develop into something that could stay around,” she said.

25

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FOOD & DRINK

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | NOVEMBER 29, 2020

Food & Drink

Scottsdale.org l

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Historymaker Jim Bruner shares ice cream recipe

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

Bruner’s Homemade Ice Cream

T

he Historical League of the Arizona Heritage Center’s latest cookbook, “Tastes & Treasures II: A Storytelling Cookbook of Historic Arizona,” has just the dessert to make this holiday season.

Scottsdale resident and Historical League Historymaker Jim Bruner offers a homemade vanilla ice cream paired with Sedona-based Elote Café’s famed pumpkin �lan.

“Simple homemade ice cream has been a part of the Bruner family for at least 70 years,” Bruner wrote in “Tastes & Treasures II.” Bruner and the family made the ice cream the old-fashioned way – “with the wooden bucket and hand crank,” he recalled. “Homemade ice cream makes me recall my early childhood memories.”

As for Elote Café’s pumpkin �lan, the rich, creamy dessert is topped with freshly whipped cream and maple-glazed pumpkin seeds and described by the restaurant as “a step above pumpkin pie.”

“Tastes & Treasures II” is a 216-page cookbook curated and written by the Historical League, which celebrates 40 years of support of this Arizona Historical Society Museum, a Smithsonian af�iliate.

The cookbook is chock-full of recipes

Ingredients 1 large fresh pasteurized egg (or 1⁄4 cup liquid eggs) 1 cup granulated white sugar 2-1⁄4 cups whole milk 1-3⁄4 cups half and half 1-1⁄2 teaspoons La Vencedor Mexican vanilla, if available Pinch salt Jim Bruner and his wife make his family’s vanilla ice cream over the holidays.

“Sandy mixes up the ingredients. My job is to work the machine, adding ice and salt,” Jim said.

(Historical League)

and evocative food stories from 24 historic Arizona restaurants and Historymakers like Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, and past Arizona State University President Lattie Coor.

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Directions This recipe has been reduced to �it the smaller electric ice cream makers used today. Follow manufacturer’s directions on pre-freezing the center freezer container. This recipe makes about �ive cups of vanilla ice cream.

1. In a medium bowl whisk the egg, then slowly blend in the sugar while continuing to whisk.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until smooth.

3. Place mixture in refrigerator and chill thoroughly.

4. Pour into the center freezer container and put into an electric ice cream maker, following the freezing directions.

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