Scottsdale Progress - 12.13.2020

COVID testing firm complaints / P. 2

State shortchanges school district / P. 12

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An edition of the East Valley Tribune

INSIDE

Council OKs mammoth downtown project

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

BUSINESS ................... 18 Husband-wife law firm helps SUSD.

ARTS................................ 19 Artists Breakfast Club members display works.

FOOD...............................21 Where to find Christmas dinner.

NEIGHBORS ..........................................16 BUSINESS ...............................................18 ARTS .........................................................19 FOOD ........................................................ 21 CLASSIFIEDS ....................................... 23

Sunday, December 13, 2020

C

ity Council narrowly approved the $450-million Scottsdale Collection last week, paving the way for a project that promises a new mix of uses in the downtown bar district.

Stockdale Capital Partners’ project covers over 10 total acres spread across three

Sports complex near WestWorld wins approval

main sites in the northeastern quadrant of downtown Scottsdale, primarily located in the Entertainment District.

Stockdale, owned by developer brothers Shawn and Steven Yari, is the largest land owner in the Entertainment District and owns other properties like the W Scottsdale hotel and the Galleria Corporate Centre.

Council approved the Scottsdale Collec-

tion on a 4-3 vote Dec. 7, with Mayor Jim Lane, Linda Milhaven, Suzanne Klapp and Virginia Korte voting for it.

Overall, the development plan calls for replacing dated office and club properties with 580,000 square feet of commercial space, and hundreds of apartments and hotel rooms.

Young helping old

see COLLECTION page 10

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

C

ity Council unanimously approved plans for a new sports complex near WestWorld in north Scottsdale that will double as special event parking for major events like Barrett-Jackson and the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

The Bell Road Sports Complex will include six fields and be paid for using bond money approved by voters in 2019.

The three-question, $319-million bond package included $40 million to build up to

see SPORTS COMPLEX page 8

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Scottsdale Mayor's Youth Council members recently rolled up their sleeves to assemble food bags for elderly residents. The need is great among Scottsdale seniors, as explained in the story on page 16. (Special to the Progress)

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

SUSD officials concerned about COVID test company An edition of the East Valley Tribune Scottsdale Progress is published every Sunday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Scottsdale. To find out where you can pick up a free copy of Scottsdale Progress, please visit www.Scottsdale.org.

CONTACT INFORMATION Main number 480-898-6500 | Advertising 480-898-5624 Circulation service 480-898-5641 Scottsdale Progress 4301 N 75th St., Suite 201, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Publisher Steve T. Strickbine Vice President Michael Hiatt ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Display Advertising 480-898-6309 Classifieds/Inside Sales Elaine Cota | 480-898-7926 | ecota@scottsdale.org TJ Higgins | 480-898-5902 | tjhiggins@scottsdale.org Advertising Office Manager Lori Dionisio | 480-898-6309 | ldionisio@scottsdale.org Director of National Advertising Zac Reynolds | 480-898-5603 | zac@scottsdale.org NEWS DEPARTMENT Executive Editor Paul Maryniak | 480-898-5647 | pmaryniak@scottsdale.org Managing Editor Wayne Schutsky | 480-898-6533 | wschutsky@scottsdale.org Staff Writers Kristine Cannon | 480-898-9657 | kcannon@scottsdale.org Jim Walsh | 480-898-5639 | jwalsh@scottsdale.org Photographers Pablo Robles | Probles@scottsdale.org Design Veronica Thurman | vthurman@scottsdale.org Production Coordinator Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 | production@scottsdale.org Circulation Director Aaron Kolodny | 480-898-5641 | customercare@scottsdale.org Scottsdale Progress is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegratedmedia.com

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BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

A

small Valley home healthcare company may have been offering COVID-19 tests to Scottsdale Unified students and families without a license from federal regulators.

In October and November, SUSD General Counsel Michelle Marhsall and Susan Segal, an outside attorney advising the district, told the state Attorney General’s office their concerns about 360Care, a concierge healthcare company based in Gilbert.

Emails obtained by the Progress show the district was concerned about allegations from some parents and staff that 360Care would not report test results to the state or was otherwise providing inaccurate testing.

A spokesperson for the Attorney General stopped short of saying it opened an official investigation but confirmed it was looking into the district’s concerns.

“These are serious allegations and we are doing everything to get to the bottom. Additionally, we’ve sent the matter to the Department of Health Services to make sure officials there are aware,” the spokesperson said.

360Care owner Tara Thompson, a registered physician’s assistant, said the company was reporting all test results to the state but is no longer offering tests.

However, the Progress found 360Care may not have had the required federal authorization to provide tests in the first place.

According to the state Department of Health Services, all facilities providing COVID-19 tests must receive CLIA certification from federal regulators.

CLIA, or Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment, certification is overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

A search of the online database of all CLIA-certified laboratories showed no certifications for 360Care or any other business sharing its Gilbert address.

When asked for her CLIA identification number, Thompson said “the tests

are CLIA-waived” and said she would provide a waiver number but never did to the Progress.

A CMS spokesperson confirmed it has no CLIA certification on record for the firm. “‘CLIA-waived’ does not mean waived from CLIA requirements,” the spokesman said. “A laboratory would still need to have CLIA certification for waived testing. Any facility that performs testing on human specimens and provides patient specific test results is required to be CLIA certified.”

This is not the first time 360Care has raised red flags in Scottsdale about its COVID-19 tests.

The company was booking rapid tests through 360rapidCOVIDtesting. com and promising five-minute results. That website is still active, but the scheduling feature has been disabled.

According to the site, the company was offering rapid IgM/IgG antibody tests.

Chaparral High teacher Andrea Danis told the Progress she received a false negative test from 360Care.

Danis said she was referred to 360Care by a family friend who has a child at Chaparral after she had already received a COVID-19 PCR test from Embry Women’s Health, a provider recommended by Scottsdale Unified.

A document on 360Care letterhead shared with the Progress stated “the patient named above was tested for COVID-19 using an FDA EUA approve COVID19 Rapid Test…The result was (negative).”

But days later Danis received the results of her PCR test from Embry Women’s Health showing she had an active COVID-19 infection.

The source of the confusion could be the difference in the type of tests Danis received.

PCR tests are considered highly accurate at detecting active infections, according to the FDA, but can typically take three to five days to return results.

The test administered by 360Care – rapid IgM/IgG – should not be used to diagnose an active infection because

it detects SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that are typically present in the blood several days after the initial infection.

Without a proper explanation on what test they received and what it actually tested for, some individuals could have returned to school with an active infection even if they received a negative result on the antibody test like Danis.

“A negative test means that you have no COVID-19 antibodies, so you probably were not infected with the COVID-19 virus in the past,” according to the Mayo Clinic. “Because it takes time for antibodies to develop, falsenegative test results can happen if the blood sample is collected too soon after your infection started. In some cases, the test may be flawed.”

Danis said Mackenzie Eastman, the medical assistant who administered her test, never explained the details of the test or the possibility of a false negative.

“Thank God I had a swab test from a reliable source,” Danis said.

Danis said Eastman provided her results in three minutes, which could have also led to inaccurate results.

A photo of Danis’ test strip shared with the Progress resembles the strips produced by China-based Assure Tech.

According to FDA literature on the Assure test, “Reading test results earlier than 15 minutes after the addition of Buffer may yield erroneous results.

Do not interpret the results after 30 minutes,” according to the literature.

Danis also alleged other unprofessional behavior by Eastman.

“I was told many Chaparral families used her and didn’t think she was a quack until she pricked my finger without gloves and told me her test was 96 percent accurate,” Danis said.

Thompson confirmed Eastman worked with 360Care but said they did inform patients about the limitations of the rapid antibody tests.

SUSD Nancy Norman told the Progress seven families and one staff member contacted the district about 360Care.

Additionally, reporter Joe Ducey with

see TESTING page 6

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

Ducey plans no eviction ban extension

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

G

ov. Doug Ducey won’t impose any new restrictions on individuals or businesses despite what appears to be a record number of daily COVID-19 cases and a trend that is pushing even higher.

And he has are no plans to extend a moratorium on residential evictions once a federal ban on ousting tenants expires at the end of the month.

The Department of Health Services on Tuesday reported 12,314 new cases – a figure that hasn’t been seen since the beginning of the pandemic. There also were 23 more deaths, bringing the Arizona total to 6,973.

In Scottsdale, the latest data released by the county health department on Dec. 10 show that for the week beginning Nov. 30, cases per 100,000 people rose from 230 to 318 – an indication of substantial virus spread.

But positive new test results – another of three metrics that measure virus spread – dropped from substantial to moderate, falling from 10.1 percent to 8.8 percent. The third benchmark, hospital visits with COVID-like symptoms, was also in the moderate spread category.

Readings for Scottsdale Unified were in similar ranges.

This graphic from the Arizona Department of Health Services shows the surge in COVID-19 cases statewide since the pandemic began.

(Arizona DHS)

The statewide numbers could include a spike in tests over the weekend. And with delays in those reports, the agency eventually sorts the tests based on the actual date the test is administered.

But what cannot be denied is that even the department’s own day-by-day delayed analysis, after sorting the numbers

by actual test dates, shows there were a record 7,645 cases actually reported for Nov. 30.

That compares with the June 29 peak of 5,452, the day that the governor concluded he had made a mistake in allowing bars, gyms, water parks and movie theaters to reopen.

Since that time, though, the governor has relaxed his restrictions, allowing businesses to operate, though some at reduced capacity and under certain health protocols.

Those restrictions appear to not be working.

For the current week, 23 percent new tests were positive – up from 18 percent the previous week and 14 percent the week before.

At last count there were 3,157 patients in Arizona hospitals with positive or suspected cases of COVID. The last time the figure was that high was July 17.

There were 744 intensive care beds in use, also the highest since July. And while they represent just 43 percent of ICU capacity, the number of available beds dropped as low as 143 – within 8 percent of total capacity.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is predicting an average of 55 deaths a day by the end of the year, eventually reaching 73 by the third week of January. That’s even with a rapid rollout of vaccine to the highest risk individuals.

In his latest forecast, Joe Gerald, a doctor at the Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona, predicted dire problems with access to critical care due to shortages of space, per-

see VIRUS page 6

Virus forces Barrett-Jackson to postpone auction PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

A

signature Scottsdale event has been delayed by the pandemic.

Barrett-Jackson announced last week it is rescheduling the January 2021 Scottsdale Auction to the week of March 22 at WestWorld of Scottsdale, with exact dates to be announced later.

“The difficult decision to postpone the auction was made out of an abundance of caution to safeguard auction customers, sponsors, guests and employees from the current spike of coronavirus cases – the worst since the pandemic began – as well as the spike in the number of cases following the upcoming holidays that health authorities

“While every indication showed that our bidders, consignors and sponsors were behind our efforts to hold our auction next month, we decided it would be prudent at this time to safeguard everyone’s health.” are predicting,” the company said in its announcement.

The March event will include the return of the Barrett-Jackson Cup Competition, featuring 50 vehicles from some

of the nation’s top custom car and truck builders.

“While every indication showed that our bidders, consignors and sponsors were behind our efforts to hold our auction next month, we decided it would be prudent at this time to safeguard everyone’s health,” said Craig Jackson chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson.

“We determined that moving our event to March 2021 seemed like the right thing to do to avoid the coronavirus spike that is currently being predicted,” he added.

Earlier last week, another annual Valley event was canceled outright for the year when the Renaissance Festival organizers said they would return in

2022.

That six-week festival draws thousands from across Arizona to an area outside east Mesa.

Gov. Doug Ducey earlier this month issued an executive order prohibiting gatherings of more than 50 unless local governments approve.

Those governments must to have a written agreement with event organizers that they will require and enforce certain safety measures, like distancing and the use of masks.

But there was no indication that the order influenced either event.

Indeed, Jackson said, “We appreciate

see AUCTION page 14

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

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VIRUS from page 4

sonnel and critical supplies.

“If not addressed within the next one to two weeks, this crisis will evolve into a humanitarian crisis leading to hundreds of preventable deaths,’’ he wrote. “At this point, only shelter-in-place restrictions are certain to quickly and sufficiently curtail viral transmission.’’

Even White House Coronavirus Task Force, one of the sources Ducey has said he has relied upon, urges Arizona to do more.

“Mitigation efforts must increase,’’ the report says. That includes “no indoor gatherings outside of immediate households.’’

And Ducey’s reaction to all this?

“It’s clear the numbers are moving in the wrong direction and are having a tremendous impact on our health care system,’’ said press aide C.J. Karamargin. But he had no announcements of any changes in current regulations.

Ducey does have other powers to deal with the pandemic above and beyond health precautions.

In March he imposed a moratorium on evictions of renters affected by CO-

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VID-19, whether due to themselves or a family member with the virus or simply by virtue of having lost a job because of the outbreak.

He said this is health related because keeping people in their homes helps prevent the spread of the virus.

Ducey extended his order several times before allowing it to expire at the end of October. But the governor noted at that time there would be no immediate effect because the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had imposed its own moratorium.

That federal bar itself self-destructs at the end of this month.

On Tuesday, citing the rise in COVID-19 cases and that Dec. 31 expiration, Democratic legislative leaders called on the governor to once again protect tenants from losing their homes and apartments.

But Karamargin said the governor has no plans to step up, saying it’s a federal issue.

Karamargin acknowledged that the governor did not wait for federal action earlier this year. But he said Ducey believes that this should be part of the discussion going on in Washington about the next step in federal coronavirus relief.

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Rep. Kirsten Engel, D-Tucson, said that makes no sense, given that the governor has advised people that the safest place to be is at home.

“You can only stay home if you have a home,’’ she said.

The most recent survey by the U.S. Census Bureau shows about 14 percent of Arizonans said they were caught up on their rent. About 56,000 said they are very or somewhat likely to lose their homes or apartments in the next two months.

It’s not just Ducey who won’t recommend changes in what Arizona individuals and businesses should and should not be allowed to do.

“The number of cases added to the dashboard today is concerning but not unexpected,’’ said Health Director Cara Christ.

She said the agency anticipated an increase two weeks after the Thanksgiving holiday, the normal incubation period for the virus, as families gathered in increased numbers.

In anticipation of another spike after the December holidays Christ is urging people to take additional precautions and limit contacts beyond their immediate families.

TESTING from page 2

PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

Year’s Eve in the U.S. and six other countries, with limited exceptions for renters who have a track record of good behavior.

“Effective today, in these countries, guests without a history of positive reviews on Airbnb will be prohibited from making one night reservations in entire home listings on New Year’s Eve,” the company wrote in a press release on Dec. 3.

Guests who are allowed to book onenight reservations will still be required to agree not to throw an unauthorized party and “that they may be pursued legally by Airbnb if they break our rules on parties and events,” according to the company.

Airbnb will also have staff on call in a “virtual command center” on New Year’s Eve to deal with any issues.

Many of the new restrictions put in place

by Airbnb this year have come in response

ABC 15 posed as a patient and was told

by Eastman that the rapid IgM/IgG antibody test would test for an active COVID infection, Eastman also wrongly told the ABC 15 reporter she was a physician’s assistant and other individuals claim she told them she was a nurse.

According to her Facebook page, Eastman has a degree from Arizona College, which offers a 30-month medical assistant degree program.

The state Board of Nursing sent Eastman a cease-and-desist letter on Dec. 1 due to allegations that she misrepresented herself as a nurse.

“Based upon a review of nurse licensing databases, you do not have an Arizona nursing license, nor a privilege to practice nursing in Arizona,” according to the letter. “This conduct, if accurate, places both the patient and the larger public at significant risk for both infection related to the testing, and spread of COVID-19, a potentially fatal disease.”

Eastman did not respond to a request for comment through her Facebook page.

Airbnb bans one-night New Year’s Eve rentals

A

irbnb will continue to ban partying at all properties listed on the vacation rental website in advance of the New Year’s Eve holiday.

The company first adopted a global ban on partying in August at all properties listed on the site and threatened bans and legal action against property owners who did not comply.

The August rule change also capped occupancy at Airbnb properties at 16 individuals. Scottsdale already limited occupancy in all dwelling units, including vacation rentals, to six adults and their children.

Airbnb went a step further over the Halloween weekend in the U.S. and Canada, prohibiting all one-night reservations in an attempt to reduce partying.

Now, the company announced it will again ban most one-night reservations for New

see AIRBNB page 7

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

SPORTS COMPLEX from front

13 new multi-use sports fields near WestWorld.

The Bell Road complex, located on 37 acres of currently-vacant desert at the northwest corner of Bell Road and 94th Street, is the first phase of that project.

The Bell Road complex has nearly 600 permanent parking spaces and could accommodate up to 3,000 to 3,500 cars during special events when the fields function as parking stalls.

A Council report shows the 596 permanent parking spots are above the 235 spaces required by city code.

The city is also planning to build a park north of the Bell Road Sports complex for the neighboring DC Ranch community.

That park will not include any sports fields but will offer trails and a lake to irrigate the fields at Bell Road and 94th Street.

The DC Ranch neighborhood park received unanimous approval from the Scottsdale Planning Commission on Nov. 18 and is scheduled to go before the City Council on Jan. 12.

The Bell Road complex received little pushback when it came before the City Council on Dec. 7, though neighboring residents expressed concerns at open houses hosted earlier by the city over potential light pollution from the fields and parking and traffic issues caused by the increased activity generated by the new complex.

Chris Irish, DC Ranch’s director of public affairs, asked Council to include additional concessions to neighborhood requests, including a closing time from 10:30 p.m. to no later than 10 p.m.

Residents previously expressed concerns about the impact of field lighting.

In noting the fields will provide parking for special events for two to four weeks each year, Scottsdale Preserve Director Kroy Ekblaw told Council the complex will use newer LED lights that prevents light from shining beyond the fields and into neighborhoods.

But that only addressed part of neighbors’ concerns.

“I’m going to make an educated guess that if any of you lived next to a facility that generated noise until 10:30 p.m., you would think that’s too late,” Irish said.

The city did not adjust the park’s closing time at the meeting, though.

Irish made other requests, such as add-

Scottsdale City Council approved the first phase of a multi-use sports field project approved by voters in 2019 to be locate at 94th Street and Bell Road. (City of Scottsdale)

The city is planning to build 13 new multi-use sports in the area around WestWorld that will double as special event parking for two to four weeks each year. (City of Scottsdale)

ing a gate to the eastern edge of the site to control access to the facility when it is closed and improving pedestrian access and safety.

Irish asked the city to lower the speed limit on 94th Street to 35 miles per hour and add a crosswalk at north of the Bell Road intersection at 94th Street and Palo Brea Bend to accommodate an expected increase in pedestrian traffic to the complex.

Ekblaw said the city has included the eastern gate in the new plan for the complex.

Council did not vote to include the speed limit change or crosswalk in the site plan approval but directed staff to look into the need for those changes.

Phil Kertcher, the city’s traffic engineering manager said, the city is studying the need for the speed limit change.

He said city staff’s observations of current conditions in the area did not justify the creation of a crosswalk but did not rule out the option entirely.

“We will do a more formal evaluation as time goes on and as the park continues to move towards development,” Kertcher said.

The overall sports complex project has

see SPORTS COMPLEX page 11

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

COLLECTION from front

The project’s centerpiece is City Center, a 150-foot building at the northeast corner of Scottsdale and Camelback Roads that could feature between 200 and 400 hotel rooms, 100 apartments and over 40,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

The project could also feature up to 60,000 square feet of public space, including a plaza at the City Center site, according to development plans.

Other buildings would stand between 32 and 141 feet. That includes 96-foot and 60-foot-tall buildings straddling the east and west sides of Saddlebag Trail, respectively, on the site of the former Mint nightclub and a 141-foot hotel next to the Maya Day and Nightclub site.

Prior to the rezoning, entitled heights varied widely in the district, ranging from 34 feet at the southeast corner Scottsdale and Camelback Roads to 90 feet at The Stetson Apartments and 150 feet on the site of the Marquee office building.

The developer will pay the city up to $896,000 in bonus payments for that extra height.

The development outline includes plans to replace the former Mint nightclub with a 116-room hotel or 62 units of multifamily housing and building a 165-room hotel next to the Maya Day and Nightclub.

The city also approved reduced stepback and setbacks for some buildings by up to 20 feet at certain locations and a zero stepback on the proposed hotel near the Maya despite city rules requiring stepbacks beginning at the 45-foot mark.

At an early open house in 2019, Shawn Yari pitched the project as a way to activate the eastern edge of downtown and improve walkability and the pedestrian experience through public art, which will be dispersed throughout the development.

Backers of the Scottsdale Collection said it will mark the “maturation” of the district, where bars and nightclubs packed into less than a tenth of a square mile and has been the subject of fights among the industry, city and neighbors over the past 20 years.

The bar district, as it is also called, is the central hub of the downtown night-

The Scottsdale City Council voted 4-3 to approve the Scottsdale Collection, a major redevelopment of downtown Scottsdale’s bar district. (Stockdale Capital Partners)

The Scottsdale Collection redevelopment covers over 10 total acres spread across three main sites in the northeastern quadrant of downtown Scottsdale, primarily located in the Entertainment District. (Stockdale Capital Partners)

life scene.

The Yaris played a large role in developing the district over the past 20 years as owners of the W hotel and other night clubs in the area.

Longtime defenders of the area, including Lane, have called the Entertainment District a financial boon for the city, though they have acknowledged its problems in recent years and adopted some area-specific policies and ordinances to reduce crime.

Some residents over the past two decades have complained about noise, crime, littering and public intoxication downtown.

Detractors have also called into ques-

tion how much economic benefit the area really generates for the city.

In 2011, former City Councilman David Smith, then the city treasurer, reported that the area produced $400,000 in revenue but also generated $1.2 million in public safety costs.

The next year, a report by economic consultant Elliot D. Pollack & Co. – commissioned by an industry trade group – gave a rosier outlook, reporting that downtown bars generated a total economic output of $306 million annually.

The development team behind Scottsdale Collection made a concerted effort to win over previous critics, hiring longtime downtown business owner

and advocate Bill Crawford.

“This project is a dream come true for this part of downtown Scottsdale,” Crawford told Council.

Crawford years ago waged a campaign against the entertainment district that resulted in a messy defamation suit.

The Yaris pitched the Scottsdale Collection as a way to transition the Entertainment District away from just bars and night clubs.

“We’re eliminating nightclubs and bars; we’re adding hotels, restaurants, residential,” attorney John Berry said, adding that will result in a demographic shift to an older demographic and families with higher income.

Lane said he had high hopes for the project, citing the Yaris’ history of investment in Scottsdale, including developments like the W Scottsdale hotel, which the brothers spearheaded during the Great Recession.

“Stockdale has been around for quite a while, and, of course, it’s backed by a family that actually assisted the City of Scottsdale to a great extent,” Lane said.

Berry said Stockdale Capital has invested $434 million in Scottsdale as of 2019.

Not all council members felt ready to throw their support behind the Scottsdale Collection because of concerns over specifics of the development deal with the city that still needed to be ironed out.

Those concerns led to a familiar outcome at the Dec. 7 meeting when Council members Kathy Littlefield, Solange Whitehead and Guy Phillips voted against it.

Over the past several years, some controversial downtown projects, including Southbridge Two and the Yaris’ Marquee office building, passed Council along identical lines.

But the Scottsdale Collection did not face the same volume of resident opposition that those projects generated.

No member of the public or Council outright opposed the project.

Rather, some called on Council to delay the vote in order to give more time to residents to weigh in and to the city and developer to iron out the details.

Councilmember-elect Betty Janik said there were too many unknowns in

see COLLECTION page 11

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

COLLECTION from page 10

the deal, citing language in the development agreement making the public space at the City Center site optional.

Janik found allies in her future colleagues Littlefield and Whitehead.

“I would say some of the most outstanding concepts in the proposal are simply not nailed down contractually,” Whitehead said.

Janik was also concerned that the agreement includes multiple options for what the developer can place on the sites.

“We have options for 214 to 449 hotel rooms and 0 to 237 residential units. I would suggest that dependent upon what numbers you choose, the traffic patterns and the parking needs will vary with the different options,” Janik said.

Janik suggested the project be broken up into three separate submissions to Council.

She expressed concerns that stipulations in the agreement call for the city to use $896,000 in bonus payments– paid to the city by Stockdale to increase building heights – to pay the developer

SPORTS COMPLEX from page 8

also received some criticism for providing parking for private events like BarrettJackson and the Phoenix Open on the city’s dime.

In 2019, City Manager Jim Thompson said the city was facing an impending shortage of special event parking near WestWorld in the coming years as the state trust land currently used for parking is sold at auction to developers like Nationwide.

The fields and parking project were the only items included in the 2019 bond package that did not receive support from at least 50 percent of residents who submitted comments when the city requested feedback.

That year, council members Linda Milhaven and Solange Whitehead supported a failed motion to remove all projects connected to WestWorld from the bond proposal and Milhaven also tried to reduce funding for the fields by $20 million, suggesting private event organizers foot the bill for their own parking.

“I think these events need to pay for their own parking,” Milhaven said.

back for other public improvements.

“For the most part, all the bonus money he’s giving to the city could, in theory, be returned to him and one would think then what is the benefit to the city to allow a 156-foot-tall building?” Janik said.

Littlefield and Whitehead sought a delay in the vote until the new Council comes in.

“If we vote on this tonight, we basically would be making the decision without the majority of the council who will have to deal with any and all future issues regarding it,” Littlefield said.

Three of the four votes in favor of the project – Lane, Klapp and Korte – are leaving office at the end of the year, and the new Council majority – Littlefield, Whitehead, Janik and Tom Durham – have been more skeptical about developer requests for greater heights and densities.

But the four yes votes – including the three departing members – said the process was not rushed and they were well within their authority to vote on the project at the last meeting of their terms.

City staff has said the city is negotiating with Barrett-Jackson and The Thunderbirds, who host the golf tournament, to work out long-term fees for use of the sports fields for parking.

“We're still working toward that," Assistant City Manager Bill Murphy said.

"We're getting closer every day and talking with everybody. It's just, I think, the uncertainty of this year with the event season and the fact that we're in a COVID situation."

The city plans to begin site work on the project in January with the goal of completing the complex in January 2022, Murphy said.

The city is currently planning to bid on state trust land located east of WestWorld near McDowell Mountain Ranch Road and Thompson Peak Pkwy. for the second phase. That 7-acre site is set to go to auction on Dec. 28 with a starting bid of $1.15 million.

If the city wins the auction, it will build four to seven sports fields at the WestWorld Sports Complex. The complex will also be able to park 3,000 to 3,500 vehicles during special events.

“I respect the fact that there are new councilmen and continuing councilmen, but it’s incumbent on us as council people to vote on things that we believe are good projects for the City of Scottsdale,” Klapp said, noting the current council has been looking at the project for over a year.

“This has not been rushed,” she said.

Milhaven, the lone supporter who will still be on Council next year, said she had no problems with the freedom given to the developer in the agreement.

“We need to give them the flexibility they need to develop the project right,” she said.

“Is it going to be retail? Is it going to be office? Is going to be residential? Is it going to be a hotel? I welcome them all….” Milhaven said.

It will likely be years before locals find out exactly what the developer will bring to the sites.

Phase one would include the Maya Hotel followed by the City Center parcel in phase two and the Mint parcel in phase three. A potential phase four could include other scattered properties the Yaris own in the area.

11

Back in 2019, Shawn Yari said the redevelopment could take 10 to 15 years, and the development agreement gives the developer 25 years to build out the whole project.

“This isn’t a blank canvas. This is a successful entertainment area in downtown Scottsdale,” Yari said in 2019. “The opportunity is piece by piece, time to time, there’ll be a piece of that canvas available for me to develop.”

In order to qualify for bonus payment reimbursements under the development agreement, the developer must submit design plans for phase one within two years and start construction on that phase within three years of receiving design approval from the city’s Development Review Board.

They must then begin construction on phase two 30 months after the start of phase one and start work on phase three 30 months after that.

However, the agreement also gives the developer the ability to extend those deadlines twice for up to six months, and City Manager Jim Thompson can also modify the deadlines without City Council approval.

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

State stabilization funds fall short for SUSD, other districts

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

A

promise by Gov. Doug Ducey to protect state aid for schools during the pandemic is coming up short – and in some cases, a lot short.

SUSD, with enrollment down 837 students this year, expected to receive about $16 million from the state, but only saw $9.6 million.

“This was very disappointing news, complicating an already difficult year,” SUSD Superintendent Scott Menzel said.

That left the district with a $7 million shortfall in the budget the SUSD Governing Board adopted in June.

The board will consider a proposed revised budget at its meeting on Dec. 15.

“SUSD is financially much more stable than many districts, but if this difference is not made up by (the state or federal government), we will have to make some tough decisions,” board member Jann-Michael Greenburg said.

Ducey announced in June he was setting aside $370 million in federal cash to cushion schools against bud-

“This will ensure budget stability, even with more students participating in distance learning, and provide dollars when students are learning in the traditional classroom setting.’’

get shortfalls due to anticipated enrollment declines.

“This will ensure budget stability, even with more students participating in distance learning, and provide dollars when students are learning in the traditional classroom setting,’’ the governor said in a press release of his program. Ducey said he recognized “the additional costs in-person learning will bring to districts this school year.’’

In essence, Ducey said his plan

Gov. Doug Ducey and Kathy Hoffman, state superintendent of public instruction, discussed school stabilization grants earlier this year. (Progress File photo)

would guarantee that schools will have at least 98 percent of the state aid they were getting this past school year.

That is crucial for schools as the cash they get from the state is based on the number of students in attendance. And even with schools being allowed to count children who are in online-only learning situations, the number is off sharply.

Last year, the regular “average daily membership’’ count was 1,117,521.

This year, on Nov. 3, a benchmark for determining aid, the count was down by 3.7 percent.

But the requests for cash from what was dubbed the Enrollment Stability Grant program exceeded the $370 million available. So, when the grants actually were made this past week, it left a lot of districts in the lurch.

Chandler Unified School District wasn’t hit as hard, getting about $14.3 million out of the nearly $15.6 million it expected.

Tempe Union’s $3.5 million fell $2 million short of what it expected, though a spokeswoman said the impact of the lower number would be minimal.

Mesa Public Schools got about $25 million of the $27 million it expect.

Daniel Scarpinato, the governor’s chief of staff, conceded that schools are getting less than what they

thought they would be receiving.

But he said, in effect, that the schools should be pleased they’re getting anything at all, as governors in other states have not agreed to any supplemental funding and, in some cases, have cut K-12 dollars in the wake of the pandemic.

Scarpinato said schools are getting less state aid because they just don’t have the same number of children they did before the virus. He said there are multiple reasons, suggesting some of these are the fault of districts themselves and the choices they make.

“One of them is students transferring to schools that are offering inperson learning,’’ Scarpinato said.

He also said there are “massive amounts of digital truancy’’ where students are not logging in and therefore not being counted for attendance.

But Kathy Hoffman, the state superintendent of public instruction, said she believes schools are being shortchanged.

Hoffman said schools made plans based on the promised dollars to fund everything from COVID-19 mitigation strategies to setting up distance learning programs.

“Based on the allocations provided to schools last week, the state has broken that promise,’’ Hoffman said.

Scarpinato said Arizona schools ac-

tually got $716 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. Everything above the $370 million was specifically earmarked for schools. But Scarpinato said Ducey made the decision to add that additional $370 million out of the state’s allocation to provide additional relief.

Ducey has more federal cash at his disposal.

Of the nearly $1.9 billion appropriation directly to the governor, he sent $400 million to state agencies for their own operations, including salaries. They then used the federal infusion to give some of their budgeted dollars back to the state.

Scarpinato is unapologetic about using those CARES funds for basic state government operations.

“It’s really important for the education community and for public schools that we have budget stability,’’ he said.

Without that, Scarpinato said, Arizona would be in the same position as other states whose economies have been buffeted by the COVID-19 outbreak and spending had to be cut, including on education.

He also said that $370 million is more than the districts would have received through the basic state aid formula.

But the shortage of funds is only part of the issue.

The additional aid was designed to go out on a per-student basis. Put simply, the amount of aid to get them back to that 98 percent level was linked to how many students they were short.

But the governor’s office imposed a cap of $500 per student. So the districts with the biggest losses are not only not getting anywhere close to the 98 percent but they are getting an even smaller share than some other districts where the attendance losses have not been as great.

Scarpinato said that $500 cap was based on guidance from the U.S. Treasury.

Scarpinato said if schools are dissatisfied, there is an option: “The best place for this discussion is in the legislature.”

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

Christmas parties at Scottsdale church, offices fall as pandemic marches on

BY CONCETTINA GIULIANO Cronkite News

T

he staff at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church in Scottsdale was planning to go ahead with its annual office Christmas party this year – but with social distancing and other COVID-19 precautions in place.

As coronavirus cases continue to surge in Arizona and across the country, however, the Rev. Thomas Hallsten and parish manager Lynda Melton decided it was safer to pull the plug.

“As much as we’d like to have that bonding and social time, it’s really not essential,” Melton said. “We’ll do it down the road when things improve.”

The church joins offices across the country that are canceling holiday parties this year, finding ways to celebrate virtually or with other precautions in place, like holding the party outdoors and taking partygoers’ temperatures.

Just 23 percent of companies who responded to a survey by the outplacement company Challenger, Gray and Christmas said they plan a year-end celebration this year.

That’s a complete reversal from the 76 percent that held parties last year.

Of the 189 businesses that responded to the annual survey, just 1.3 percent said they planned to go ahead with a traditional party with no restrictions.

That doesn’t mean the desire for a holiday party is any less, said Andrew Challenger, the senior vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

“I think the idea is companies still would like to try to get people together,”

Challenger said. “Even if it’s only virtually to do something other than talk about business, like getting people together within an organization to connect with each other, in some way is meaningful.”

The annual holiday party is important to staff at the Phoenix IT company Adopt Technologies, said Brett Helgeson, its president and CEO. “We genuinely like hanging out with each other,” Helgeson said.

Office culture is vital and the office party is one way for co-workers to connect, he said.

With so many employees working from home because of the pandemic, he said it “was even more critical that we get together in some fashion and have some sort of event.”

But not everyone in the office is comfortable with larger gatherings, so this year’s party will be shaped by COVID-19.

“We want to be really conscientious and respectful of all parties, but at the same point in time, afford people the opportunity to get together,” Helgeson said.

“Kind of the first thing that we’re going to be doing is a virtual happy hour where we’re hiring a mixologist,” he said. “Then the second thing that we’re going to do, which will include the families, is going to be a pop-up movie, where we’re all going to go to a drive-in theater.”

Challenger agreed that holiday parties are an integral part of an office environment.

He said workers may spend about eight hours a day with their officemates, but the holiday party, and other gatherings, help create stronger bonds.

“There’s all these just really human,

community elements of a holiday party that you don’t get to see almost any other time of the year,” Challenger said.

Even though St. Maria Goretti has only a handful of staff members, Melton understands the need to get together after months of distance work.

“I think there is a lot of screen time,” Melton said. “It doesn’t replace being able to gather together … I don’t think Zoom fills that.”

In previous years, staffers exchanged presents in a game of secret Santa and had a team-building activity. She tried to think of ways to pull it off this year, but always came back to the health risk.

“You might be 6 feet apart or you might have a covering over your buffet,” she said. “But again, you’re still introducing that element of potential risk.”

So now, she said, it’s time to reinvent.

Melton said she will still bring staff their end-of-year gifts, but they will be delivered to the employee’s office, or might be distributed outdoors.

Melton said she has even considered a virtual party. For the church, she said, Christmas holds a deeper meaning.

“For us, it’s not simply a Christmas party,” Melton said. “Christmas has a different meaning for us than it does in the secular world.”

But the social aspect of the season is the same everywhere, and Melton said a holiday gathering is vital to staff morale and bonding.

Because of that, Challenger believes the holiday party will come back as soon as companies feel safe.

“I think there’s a real loss this year for not being able to have it,” he said.

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

First COVID vaccine doses expected here this week

rizonans in the highest priority categories of risk or need could get their first doses of COVID-19 vaccine this week.

But they won’t be risk-free for weeks after that. And it won’t be until summer or early fall before everyone who wants to get inoculated will be able to do so.

Pima and Maricopa counties will divide up Arizona’s first allocation of COVID-19 vaccines while rural areas will have to wait a little while longer.

Steve Elliott, spokesman for the state Department of Health Services, said it’s not a question of deciding that urban residents are entitled to a higher priority. He said it’s a matter of practicality.

The first vaccine set to arrive will be from Pfizer, which has to be kept at -70 degrees Celsius – or about 94 degrees below zero on the Fahrenheit scale. That requires access to special equipment.

And then there’s the requirement that shipments come in minimum doses of 975.

“The big lots and handling requirements of the Pfizer vaccine make it better suited to places where many people can be vaccinated in one place in a finite period,’’ Elliot said.

Maricopa County will get 46,800 doses by the end of December, with 11,700 for Pima.

The vaccine developed by Moderna.

That needs to be kept only at minus 20 Celsius, or about minus 4 Fahrenheit, more like a regular freezer. Moderna will ship out the vaccine in lots of a minimum of just 100.

State health officials report that 593 health care providers have completed the approval process and are certified to start administering the vaccine when it arrives. Another more than 1,200 are in the pipeline.

They also reported that every skilled nursing facility in Arizona has opted to participate in a program by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide vaccinations to all residents and staff.

Both of the vaccines require a second dose, within 21 or 28 days, to be fully effective.

Under the state plan, the top priority for immunization will be health care workers, particularly those working directly with patients. Also in the first group will be home health aides, nursing assistants and medical assistants.

After them come residents of skilled nursing facilities and independent and assisted living centers.

The second-priority people include adults with high-risk medical conditions living in shelters or other congregate living settings.

Then there are the teachers, about 146,000 of them, along with police, cor-

rections officers and other emergency response workers.

This group also includes others who work at schools including bus drivers, cafeteria workers and front-office staff that deal with children.

After that come workers for utility companies and then people in food industries including those at grocery stores and restaurants, transportation workers like those who drive trucks and buses as well as gas station employees.

Also, in that second group are other “essential workers” which the state says includes everything from financial services to funeral home employees.

The next priority would be nearly 2.3 million Arizonans with underlying medical conditions like obesity, heart diseases and chronic lung disease.

Then there are more than 1.2 million Arizonans older than 65 not in highpriority groups.

This category also includes those confined to prisons and jails. But Christ said that inmates who have underlying medical conditions may, on an individual basis, be moved into a higher category.

That leaves everyone else as supplies become available – and as people choose to get vaccinated.

State health director Dr. Cara Christ said that even with a public relations campaign aimed at those who appear most hesitant, she knows there will be those who refuse.

All this assumes that the system of delivering and administering the vaccine works as planned.

“So, it’s really important that everyone continue taking precautions even after being vaccinated to ensure that everyone is protected,’’ Christ said.

She said procedures are being set up to ensure that people come back for the second dose.

Even after everyone who wants to be inoculated is served, that doesn’t end the matter.

“What we don’t know is how long that immunity lasts,’’ Christ said.

She said it could end up being a situation like the flu, where people have to get revaccinated on a regular basis, or whether it will be like the measles where there is a need for a “booster’’ after a certain period of time.

“Those kinds of studies will still be ongoing,’’ Christ said.

Christ said the state has no plans to force the shots on anyone. But she said that employers, particularly those whose workers deal with the public – and especially those who are vulnerable – are free to impose such a requirement.

The government is providing the vaccine without cost to those who agree to administer it. And she said that insurance companies have agreed to waive any out-of-network deductibles as to what providers charge for giving the shots.

the support we have received from the City of Scottsdale and State of Arizona regarding this decision.”

“We were widely praised for the safety protocols we put in place for our recent fall auction and we want to be able to provide customers and fans the same safe environment and great BarrettJackson experience during our Scottsdale Auction this spring,” he added.

The company said “plans were underway for the January event with extensive measures in place” but cited “the uncertainty related to the coronavirus pandemic.”

Three counties – Yavapai, Apache and Navajo – last week were declared by the

state Department of Health Services to have entered the category of substantial COVID-19 spread, raising the possibility of possible business shutdowns and closure of classrooms.

Experts say it is likely more counties in Arizona will fall into that category this week, including Pima.

Ducey press aide C.J. Karamargin does not dispute the sharp hike in COVID infections. Dr. Cara Christ, the state’s health chief, said Thursday that the rate of infection in the entire state for the past week has reached 500 per 100,000.

“This far exceeds the benchmark for substantial transmission, which is far above the 100 per 100,000 people,’’ she said But Karamagin said that the evidence

shows the spike is coming not from businesses that the state can control but instead from things the state cannot, like family gatherings.

He said Ducey believes it makes no sense to close down businesses because of rising infections.

A separate state-by-state analysis looks at what researchers call the “Rnaught” number, essentially an indicator of how fast the virus is growing.

Anything above 1.0 shows spread.

On Thursday, Arizona hit 1.22. That’s not only the highest in the nation but the highest for Arizona since the middle of May, before Ducey ordered many businesses to close their doors.

“This is truly an unprecedented challenge in our country’s history, and one

we take very seriously,” said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “Our decision to delay the auction was made to protect the public’s safety and health.

Our consignors have been very supportive, and we already have a fantastic docket of collector cars shaping up for the March auction.”

Current auction ticket holders can have their tickets transferred to the new event dates. Full refunds will be also available. Details for transfers and refunds will be communicated directly to ticket holders.

Barrett-Jackson is accepting consignments for the 2021 Scottsdale Auction.

To consign a vehicle or receive more information on becoming a bidder: Barrett-Jackson.com.

BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

A

AUCTION from page 4

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

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Father Harold Knight, state’s oldest citizen, dies at 108

PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

F

ather Harold Stanley Knight, a retired Mesa Episcopalian priest believed to have been Arizona’s oldest man and who served for a while on the staff of a Scottsdale church, passed away Nov. 17 at age 108.

After retiring from St. Mark’s in 1977 as the longest-serving rector in its 104-year history, Father Knight served twice as interim rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Phoenix and also was a part-time staff member at St. Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church in Scottsdale.

Born on July 26, 1912, to a prominent New York State Baptist family, Father Knight also had been the world’s oldest Episcopalian priest.

He moved in 1957 to Mesa, where he was pastor of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church for 20 years.

Before joining the Episcopal Church, he had been a Baptist pastor from 1937 to 1948 and then became an Episcopalian pastor at three New York State churches between 1948-77.

Father Knight in 1934 earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in philosophy from the University of Rochester in New York and three years later earned his master’s degree from the Colgate Rochester Divinity School, a Baptist theology school.

After moving to Mesa, he embraced the community, where he was a member of Oriental Lodge 20, the Mesa Rotary Club, president of the Mesa Community Council, twice president of the Mesa Association of Churches and a member of the Mesa United Fund, Salvation Army and Tri-City Service Center boards.

“The Mesa community loved him and he comfortably adapted to a real western culture, which he loved back,” said his son, Dr. Douglas W. Knight.

His involvement in the community

After retiring as the rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Mesa, the late Father Harold Knight served for a while at St. Barnabas in Scottsdale. (Progress file photo)

earned him numerous accolades, including the 1978 Mesa Citizen of the Year Award, the Salvation Army’s Others Award in 1978 and the William Booth Award in 1984 and Mesa United Fund’s 1983 Service Award.

He loved writing poetry and reading.

Tattered copies of paperback books – such as “Nobel Prize Conversations” and “Theosophy: A Modern Expression of the Wisdom of the Ages” – could be found at his bedside table.

In an interview with The Progress just prior to his 107th birthday last year, Father Knight attributed his longevity to his wife’s cooking. He was married for 47 years to his wife Edithanne, 97.

He also said he came from strong stock, partly Scottish.

“No one else in my family has ever done this,” he said. “Something like this age, I think, is in the DNA molecules somewhere.

I credit that. How it got there, I don’t know.”

His father was always very involved in his childhood, he recalled.

“I had a father who was very attentive and very kind. He gave me a lot of time, and I appreciate that,” Father Knight said.

“I have nothing to regret.”

He said his studies of psychology and philosophy influenced his approach to life as a religious man.

“Philosophy is a wide field of interest,” he said. “The philosophy of science, in the

past, was all materialism – matter is the only thing that exists. But that has changed now, in some ways. There’s more than matter . . . I say, God, of course.”

Knight added that philosophy “continued to be [my] major all [my] life.”

He led St. Mark’s into broader ecumenical relationships with other Mesa churches, expanded its ministries and focused extensively on Christian education for children, teens and young families.

When the present church was built in 1981, a designated event space was renamed Knight Hall in the rector’s honor.

While Knight had become a renowned leader within the church from 1957 to 1977.

“I did a lot of things in town. We had a group in Mesa called the Mesa Community Council, which was a group to look into things we might need to be done,” he said.

“We’d make suggestions to the city council or do things ourselves, and I headed that for some time.”

An avid tennis player in his youth, Knight developed a knack for poetry back in 1937.

When asked if he thinks writing poetry has helped to keep his mind sharp, he laughed and said, “If it kept my mind sharp, I could still be writing poetry.”

Father Knight is survived by his widow, his son Douglas (wife Rosemarie Heywood Knight and their children Christian Knight), Jennifer “Jan” Barglowski, Eric Knight (Olga) and daughter Cheryl Knight Durfee (and her children Zane, Tracy, Kylynn, Todd, Linda and Cherry). He also is survived by a total of 13 great grandchildren and six great grandchildren as well as his step-children Barbara Anne Gibson and Bryn Elise Allen.

Services have been deferred because of the pandemic and the family requests interest persons stay in touch with St. Barnabas Church in Scottsdale for future announcements.

Tell our readers about your opinions.

Send letters to the editor to pmaryniak@scottsdale.org

16

NEIGHBORS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

Neighbors

The Scottsdale Mayor’s Youth Council assisted City of Scottsdale’s Senior Services by packing over 200 bags full of non-perishable food items for the Adopt-a-Senior program. (Scottsdale Human Services/Facebook)

Scottsdale.org l

@ScottsdaleProgress

/ScottsdaleProgress

Matt LeVac utilizes this therapy swing during sessions as an occupational therapist at ACCEL. (Photo courtesy Matt LeVac)

Scottsdale comes to local seniors’ rescue

He helps those with exceptional needs

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

BY ANNELISE KRAFFT Progress Contributor

E

very year, the City of Scottsdale’s Adopt a Senior holiday program assists, on average, more than 200 Scottsdale seniors in need.

This year, thanks to the public’s help, the city far exceeded that number – 320 adopted seniors – and expects adding around 15 more from the waiting list.

“We do have a waiting list right now but we are anticipating having more at the end of the program,” said Anya Wright, human services representative.

From October through December, Adopt a Senior serves low-income, home-bound, isolated seniors, who receive two gift bags.

The first gift bag arrives around Thanksgiving and includes all of the ingredients for a full Thanksgiving meal and a $35 Fry’s gift card.

“That way they can, if they wanted to, go out and buy a turkey for themselves and any additional items,” Wright said.

Mayor Jim Lane’s Youth Council assisted the Senior Services by packing more than 200 bags of non-perishable food items for the program.

“This program is a valuable asset to the community, and the students were happy to help a group of individuals in need for the holidays,” Scottsdale Human Services wrote on Facebook.

The second bag arrives the two weeks leading up to Christmas and that one is a bit more customized.

It includes three to five items purchased by donors from the senior’s holiday wish list as well as a $35 gift card, a book of forever stamps and hygiene products.

And this holiday season, supporting

see ADOPT page 17

F

rom a young age, Scottsdale Airpark resident Matt LeVac has known how to make the best of any opportunity.

“I grew up in Hawaii and moved to Payson with my dad when I was 12, after my parents split up,” LeVac said. “It was definitely a big adjustment, but I look at it as a blessing. Payson was a wonderful place to grow up and I actually ended up meeting my wife at Payson High.”

After enrolling at Grand Canyon University in 2006, LeVac was faced with a challenge when his major was dropped in 2008 as a result of the recession.

His passion outside the classroom pointed him in a new direction.

“I was on the baseball team at GCU for three years, and that was what prompted my advisers to recommend pursuing a

degree in exercise science,” LeVac said. “It was a great decision because I was able to use that knowledge to get into graduate school to become an occupational therapist.”

Occupational therapy focuses on improving the ability to do activities required in daily life. Similar to physical therapy, which focuses on improving movement and mobility of certain muscles, the purpose of occupational therapy is to help perform daily tasks more easily, including basic skills from eating to personal hygiene.

After graduating from GCU in 2010, LeVac continued his education at A.T. Still University of Health Sciences in Mesa.

“My wife, Tanya, was a huge part of my success in grad school, as she made sure school was the only thing I had to wor-

see LEVAC page 17

NEIGHBORS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

ADOPT ���� page 16

Scottsdale’s seniors has been given special emphasis by the city.

“Our seniors have struggled greatly during this pandemic,” said Human Services Supervisor Jennifer Murphy, citing struggles with loneliness and getting food.

The city developed a new program for emergency food delivery. It also delivered paper goods, like toilet paper and paper towels, and provided transportation when needed.

“We’re mostly going to them versus them coming to us,” Murphy said. “They’re just afraid, and I understand that; they’re at a higher risk. Food still continues to be a high-demand item – getting food and proper nutrition.”

Loneliness, in part, came as a result of the closure of Scottsdale’s two senior centers, Via Linda Senior Center and Granite Reef Senior Center.

“Our two senior centers that we have in Scottsdale are like second homes to many of our seniors. ... And since the pandemic, at some point our doors were closed. We still are meeting with clients by appointment only, but our doors aren’t open like

LEVAC ���� page 16

ry about,” LeVac said. “We make a great team.”

In 2014, LeVac began his career in geriatrics, working with elderly residents at a Fountain Hills nursing home. In 2015, he found a new way to apply his passion for helping others, this time with individuals who have developmental disabilities.

“I took a leap of faith and joined the therapy team at ACCEL in the middle of the school year, without having any background in private placement schools,” LeVac said. “I had no idea what it would be like until I started working there, and it turned out to be a perfect fit.”

ACCEL is a nonprofit and private school that serves individuals who have developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder, cognitive disabilities and behavioral disorders.

Founded in 1980, ACCEL is celebrating 40 years of providing exceptional services to disadvantaged and underserved populations.

“Everyone who works at ACCEL is amazing and incredibly dedicated to our students, adult members and clients,” Le-

17

before,” Murphy said. “The loneliness has been very difficult.”

According to the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging in June, 56 percent of adults between 50 and 80 years old reported feeling isolated from others, compared to 27 percent in 2018.

“As the pandemic continues, it will be critical to pay attention to how well we as a society support the social and emotional needs of older adults,” said John Piette, a professor who worked with the poll team.

“As we gather new evidence, all of us can take time to reach out to older neighbors, friends and relatives in safe ways as they try to avoid the coronavirus.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, the city’s social services team reached out to all their homebound seniors.

And since, social workers have connected daily with them, calling, delivering meals and even hosting virtual classes and activities, like full-body stretches and cardio workouts.

Seniors in need of food this holiday season can enroll in the city’s Holiday Meal Pick Up. As part of the activity, eligible and en-

rolled seniors pick up a free holiday meal, including rosemary garlic beef and roasted potatoes, from Via Linda Senior Center on Dec. 18.

The Granite Reef Senior Center is full.

“We’re doing a lot of things to try to connect,” Murphy said. “I think connection has been super important.”

“And we always knew the senior centers were important, but this year, we really realized the importance of what we do. And we want to make sure our seniors weather this storm the best way they can,” Murphy continued.

This past month, Murphy has seen Scottsdale residents increasingly support seniors, too.

“The city of Scottsdale has a very beautiful, generous spirit,” she said. “Every year, they come through to really take care of our seniors, and it is heartwarming, especially amidst this pandemic this year, that our community has, once again, come together to support our senior community. It is a beautiful thing.”

The city still needs monetary donations to cover the $35 grocery store gift cards, as well as help cover the cost of rent, mortgage and utilities for those in need.

“Any type of financial assistance towards helping seniors that are struggling with rent and utilities is super helpful,” Murphy said.

They also need any food donations, which can be dropped off at Vista del Camino Community Center.

“If we have a senior in need of a food box, we will get a food box from Vista and deliver it to them,” Murphy explained.

What the city is not in need of, however, are volunteers.

“We normally have a wonderful group of volunteers that help us, but because of the pandemic, we haven’t been able to utilize all of our volunteers. So, that’s been very difficult,” Murphy said.

Despite the challenges, both Wright and Murphy are more than appreciative of residents who’ve helped support the Adopt a Senior program.

“I think this year is especially important, as we all need each other. That’s what has been highlighted most for my staff is the fact that we need them as much as they need to us,” Murphy said.

Those interested in donating money, can visit scottsdaleaz.gov/seniors/adopt-asenior.

Vac said. “Our goal is to help every individual in our care live a life of dignity and self-worth.”

In 2017, LeVac was promoted from occupational therapist to therapy supervisor, overseeing ACCEL’s entire therapy program while still making time to work individually with students.

“Our main goal is to help students feel less overwhelmed in the classroom and focus on a student’s ‘readiness to learn,’” LeVac said. “OTs work on skills like handwriting, sensory processing and fine motor skills – all based on the student’s individual goals and academic performance.”

With individual needs come different equipment, techniques and approaches to get the best outcome.

“Every child is different: for some, they are successful using a paper with symbols as a tool to communicate, but others need expensive devices,” LeVac said. “I noticed that a lot of the assistive technology I wanted was either incredibly expensive or needed to be created and didn’t exist yet, so I looked for another solution.”

After attending an online webinar with ATMakers.org, LeVac found his answer.

The website offers free, online resourc-

es that aim to solve problems in assistive technology by using the skills and tools of the “maker” community, pairing the two together to build customized technology for the professionals who utilize assistive technology and the individuals who benefit from it.

“The webinar opened my eyes to how partnering with the ‘maker’ community can help professionals who work with individuals who have disabilities find alternative and affordable equipment,” LeVac said.

In 2019, LeVac started the Arizona Chapter of Makers Making Change, which connects people who have disabilities with volunteer “makers” to build assistive technologies.

For the “makers,” LeVac sought out partnerships with high school engineering programs, giving local students the opportunity to get involved.

“Our main partnership has been with Bioscience High School in downtown Phoenix, typically working with the seniors in its engineering program,” LeVac said.

For eight weeks through November, the students were focused on the Makers of

Change Assistive Technology Challenge happening this fall.

The Southwest Human Development program challenged the brightest upand-coming minds to apply their knowledge to helping improve equipment for young children with disabilities.

All products created and funds raised benefit Southwest Human Development’s ADAPT Shop, helping young children with disabilities become independent and active participants in their home, school and community.

LeVac and his “makers” also tackle projects that can be used by ACCEL students and adult members.

LeVac’s personal toy testers, his 4- and 6-year-old sons CJ and Parker, also look forward to the completion of their dad’s projects.

“I always look for a way to get them involved and help them understand the basic engineering process,” LeVac said.

“What I love most about my job is the ability to adapt or create something to meet a person’s need, and it’s been really rewarding to be able to share that with my sons. They and my wife have been the biggest blessing.”

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BUSINESS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

Business

Scottsdale.org l

@ScottsdaleProgress

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Lawyer couple helping Scottsdale teachers

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

B

y day, longtime Scottsdale residents and husband-wife team Bryn and Andrew DeFusco work together as the partners and attorneys at DeFusco Law, which they founded in 2015.

But in their spare time as parents to their two middle-schooler children, the couple ful�ills another shared passion: supporting and giving back to Scottsdale schools.

Andrew and Bryn raise money twice a year for Scottsdale Uni�ied School District teachers via the DeFusco Law Classroom Supply Stipend Fund.

Since 2018, the DeFusco Law Classroom Supply Stipend Fund has awarded more than $14,000 to SUSD teachers.

Their Winter 2020 donation was their biggest to date: $4,800 to 16 teachers – six more than their usual 10 recipients.

This time around, they also received more applications than ever, hovering in the low 20s – an increase Bryn attributes to the COVID-19 pandemic and “the struggles the teachers are facing to accommodate getting online and ... not having the funding for the supplies that they need.”

Historically, teachers requested the stipends to fund school supplies, including staples such as colored pencils, markers, notebooks and musical instruments.

But this year, Bryn noticed a stark difference in how the teachers planned to use the stipend.

“In years past, I’ve never had anyone request clear face masks,” Bryn said, adding that some teachers also asked for the stipend “so they could give students their own set of supplies” in an effort to prevent sharing amid the pandemic.

When choosing the recipients, Bryn said they try to award stipends to teachers at schools that may lack the resources

tional therapist at Navajo Elementary, will also use her stipend to purchase adaptive seating like wobble chairs and ball chairs as well as weighted items to assist students with focus in the classroom.

“These are non-conventional items that are not typically purchased or available to our students,” Stuckenschneider said.

“So often, monies are not available in my department’s budget to support general education students that do not receive special Bryn and Andrew DeFusco are longtime Scottsdale residents and the founding partners and attorneys at DeFus- education services,” co Law. Their Classroom Stipend Fund recently awarded she continued, adding $4,800 in stipends to 16 SUSD teachers. (Courtesy of Bryn DeFusco) that she was “excited and grateful” to be of a PTA. chosen as a recipient “I think many don’t realize that there “especially in this time where budgets are can be fundraising inequities among stretched.”

PTAs/APTs in SUSD. Some PTAs are able Andrew observed, “It’s kind of ironic: to reimburse teachers for classroom sup- You say, ‘Scottsdale Uni�ied School Displies,” Bryn said. trict’ and people think wealthy parents, Most of this year’s applicants work at wealthy schools and they don’t have to Title 1 schools, which serve a high num- worry about resources — which couldn’t ber of low-income families. be any further from the truth.”

They included teachers like Briana “It is a real mistaken belief for people Reed, a �irst grade English Language De- to think that there are people right here velopment teacher at Tonalea K-8 who in the Scottsdale Uni�ied School District will use the stipend on �lexible seating who are not in dire need of support,” he options for her students. continued.

“I also was able to purchase some supIt’s for that reason Andrew and Bryn plies to make reusable resources for my started the DeFusco Law Classroom Supstudents,” Reed said. “I am so grateful for ply Stipend Fund. organizations that are looking to support “I never knew before I started doing this teachers and feel very fortunate to have with Bryn that there are Title 1 schools received the stipend.” right here in Scottsdale, and that there Sara Stuckenschneider, an occupa- is the reason why ... most [stipends] are

going to certain schools because there’s a greater need for the resources there,” Andrew said.

Both Bryn and Andrew are products of public schools: Andrew graduated from Saguaro High and Bryn graduated from North High in Phoenix.

“We both grew up in very generous households,” Bryn said. “My parents didn’t have a lot of means but they were very giving and probably gave more than they should.”

And with their two kids attending Cocopah Middle School, where they volunteer regularly, Bryn and Andrew decided they wanted to do more to help the SUSD community.

Since the mid-1990s, the couple has organized holiday drives to provide food, toys, clothing, and other items for local charities like Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale and St. Mary’s Food Bank.

Bryn serves on the boards of the Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest and the New Life Center.

But the Stipend Fund is closest to Andrew’s heart.

“I have to say, helping SUSD has meant the most to me, just because the responses I’ve seen and how it’s emphasized how far small donations can go when they’re speci�ically directed to individual classrooms,” Andrew said.

The DeFuscos hope to expand the program to other districts, but in the meantime, they’re focused on making the stipends available to more SUSD teachers.

“I think now more than ever the people who were already disadvantaged and lacking resources are being impacted tenfold,” Bryn said. “That’s why now is the most important time to give back.”

Those interested in helping a local teacher can contact them at info@defuscolaw.com.

Information: defuscolaw.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020 19

Arts & Entertainment Scottsdale.org l

Two new holiday drive-thru events are spreading holiday cheer in Scottsdale this month: Holiday Lights at Salt River Fields and the Live Nativity Drive-Thru at North Scottsdale United Methodist Church. (R Entertainment)

@ScottsdaleProgress

/ScottsdaleProgress

"Sunscreen," by Phoenix artist Ellen Nemetz, is part of the Artists' Breakfast Club exhibit at Scottsdale Civic Center Library. (Courtesy of Jill Friedberg)

2 holiday drive-thru Artists Breakfast Club events help nonprofits exhibit a feast for eyes

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

T

wo new holiday drive-thru events are spreading holiday cheer in Scottsdale this month.

Salt River Fields’ Holiday Lights not only boasts 1.2 miles of a staggering five million lights but the inaugural event also supports five local charities.

And farther north, North Scottsdale United Methodist Church kicks off its free Live Nativity Drive-Thru on Dec. 19.

Much like Holiday Lights, the Live Nativity Drive-Thru features festive holiday lights and raises money for AZ Helping Hands, a nonprofit that cares for children in the foster system. The church’s event also includes live actors, live animals, and

free Advent gift bags to the first 100 vehicles.

The last time the church hosted an outdoor live nativity was nearly two decades ago and the COVID-19 pandemic motivated organizers to bring it back.

“We understand how different 2020 has been, and we just want to share the love of the season with our community,” said Terry Wright, the church’s co-director of Christian education.

Both events require guests to remain in their vehicles as they take in the sights and sounds of holiday music and Christmas stories.

The Holiday Lights team – R Entertainment, Salt River Fields and lights course

see DRIVE-THRU page 20

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

F

or 20 years, the Artists’ Breakfast Club, comprising Arizona-based artists, has met regularly to exchange ideas, learn from and support one another and continue to develop the art community.

And to celebrate their 20-year milestone, Scottsdale Public Art featured the group in a new exhibition at the Civic Center Public Gallery inside the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, appropriately titled “Artists’ Breakfast Club, 20 Years.”

“Artmaking can be a lonely profession once you’re out of school,” said Wendy Raisanen, curator of collections and exhibitions for Scottsdale Public Art.

“Since the pandemic,” Raisanen continued, “I think more people understand how important it is to have connections – having a group of people who have similar interests and goals. This exhibition provides a look at the high quality of art that grows from this kind of support and community.”

Artists’ Breakfast Club members created artworks in a variety of mediums, including mixed media, metal, ceramics, photography, painting and more.

Club member and Scottsdale resident Jill Friedberg’s piece “Distant Future,” for example, is a 24 inches-by-18 inches mixed media artwork that represents a future haven of peace and safety,” Fried-

see BREAKFAST page 20

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

DRIVE-THRU ���� page 19

designer Steve Driscoll – began creating the course in September. “[Driscoll] designed all the vignettes, tunnels and features right here in Scottsdale, taking 40 tons of steel and turning it into a magical experience,” said Kerry Dunne, R Entertainment partner.

“A lot of designs did not make it into the final experience, but as you go through the lights you will see how inventive Steve is,” Dunne added.

Holiday Lights will feature the “Yuletide experience,” of lighted tunnels, icicles, stars, Christmas trees, ornaments, snowflakes, gift boxes, candy canes and more.

Guests have the option to drive through on their own or take a carriage ride.

“When the kids go by Santa and his elves, they brighten up more than the lights,” Dunne said. “That is all the feedback we need.”

The Live Nativity Drive-Thru features 20 socially distanced actors alongside the church and under the sanctuary’s patio.

“Each scene in our Live Nativity will have banners with descriptions of the respec-

BREAKFAST ���� page 19

berg explained.

Mesa-based artist Christine Cassano also has a mixed media piece, “Conductive Terrain,” featured in the exhibition.

“My current work — and this piece — is a survey of pervasive patterns created by human advancements, urbanization, globalization and digital hyper-connectedness,” Cassano said. “I explore these systems and structures by traversing connections between humanness, technology and cosmology.”

The Artists’ Breakfast Club, a volunteer organization founded by Paradise Valley artist Beth Ames Swartz in 2000, started with seven of her artist friends, including Phoenix artist Jon Haddock, and has since grown to include more than 150 participants, with 30 to 50 attending each breakfast gathering.

Friedberg joined about 18 years ago.

“Moving to Arizona in 2002 after living most of my adult life in Chicago, I sought the inspiring and supportive community of artists such as I had experienced in my hometown,” Friedberg said.

Friedberg said the club provides a “seemingly endless variety of artists discussions, studio visits, exhibitions

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

tive scene,” Wright explained.

Visitors will be asked to tune into 89.3FM to hear holiday music and the story and they will also spot live animals from Higley-based Walking M Farms.

“We will also have congregation members that will line up along our parking lot perimeter with glow sticks smiling, waving and wishing the carloads of families a happy holiday,” Wright added.

Boy Scout Troop No. 109 will manage traffic in the church’s parking lot.

“NSUMC is a proud sponsor of these amazing young men. We are grateful to the eagerness and willingness to support NSUMC events,” Wright said. “These young men will also be handing out the gift bags as vehicles leave the parking lot.”

In the spirit of giving back, Holiday Lights spotlights five different local charities through Dec. 31.

Charities include St. Vincent de Paul, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley, Johnjay & Rich #LOVEUP Foundation, Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Phoenix Theatre.

Attendees have the option of donating money to the charities on the dates they’re featured and $1 of every on-site purchase

“Distant Future,” a mixed media piece

by Scottsdale artist Jill Friedberg, is on display as part of the “Artists’ Breakfast Club, 20 Years” exhibition at the Civic Center Public Gallery inside the Scottsdale Civic Center Library. (Jill Friedberg) and other stimulating events” that have helped to advance her art.

Cassano finds the group helpful in connecting with other artists, noting a friend

of 3-D glasses will also go directly to that night’s featured charity.

“We knew how tough this season was going to be for nonprofits and wanted to spread the money around to help these charities,” Dunne said.

“We have had long-standing relationships with most of them,” Dunne added of why they chose the aforementioned nonprofits. “We worked with our media partners 12News and iHeartMedia to align with the nonprofits they are working with to do our part in helping as many families as we could.”

NSUMC is raising money for AZ Helping Hands’ Diaper Drive.

“Anything that people can contribute is a gift,” Wright said. “Many families are having a challenging 2020, and this is just another way we can reach out to help make sure that the babies in the system are getting one of their basic needs met.”

Holiday Lights, which entertained about 10,000 attendees its first week, raised nearly $5,000 for St. Vincent de Paul.

“We’d love everyone to come out to Salt River Fields and take part in this magical experience,” Dunne said. had mentioned it.

“As an artist feeling a bit isolated in my studio, she thought it would be a good way for me to connect with other artists,” Cassano said.

Swartz’s main goal is “to create a loving, supportive, collaborative community of artists who care about and help each other.”

Swartz, who participated in a similar group while living in New York City in the early 1990s, is a celebrated local artist who was the focus of a documentary titled “Beth Ames Swartz: Reminders of Invisible Light” that screened at the Phoenix Art Museum in 2016.

“To know Beth is to understand she’s an artist committed to her studio practice as well as her community,” Cassano said. “She enjoys the meaningful connections she makes with other artists and that energy shows through her commitment to not only within her own art, but to the years of creating, developing and facilitating the Artists’ Breakfast Club.”

A recent addition to the Club is Scottsdale resident Joe Ray. “I was really taken by the camaraderie and community feel of this artist gathering,” Ray said. “Being a part of the Breakfast Club has been an educational and

While NSUMC welcomed nearly 200 carloads to their social-distanced Trunk or Treat Drive-Thru this year, they’re planning for 100 vehicles to their Live Nativity event.

And each one of the first 100 vehicles will receive a gift bag with a Nativity book, ornament and candy canes.

“We want to bring a smile to the children and grown-ups that join us,” Wright said.

“We were not going to let the 2020 Holiday season go by without creating something for families that was safe, and they could do all together,” Dunne added.

If You Go

Holiday Lights at Salt River Fields When: Through Dec. 31 Where: 7555 N. Pima Road Cost: $35.99-$360 Website: holidaylightssrf.com NSUMC Live Nativity Drive-Thru When: Dec. 19 from 7-8 p.m.

Where: 11735 N. Scottsdale Road Cost: Free, online donations accepted Website: nsumc.com

insightful experience for me as a professional artist.

“Additionally, I’ve not only met some committed and fantastic artists, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to them about their art and themselves.”

Ray is showing a monoprint titled “Con Energia I,” a piece about Mexican boxers.

“These guys are Ancient Mexican boxers,” Ray continued. “These guys are full of energy and strength and skilled fighters. They’re also time travelers checking in on their descendants.”

Ray encourages others to view the exhibition not only to get a taste of a variety of artists’ work from around the state, but also to support local art at a challenging time.

“With COVID, it’s a lot of improvising.

We all want our work to be seen, so it’s a matter of how to go about it,” Ray said.

“One thing I’ve noticed during this pandemic and social distancing time is that people appreciate speaking with artists about their work at shows, events, etc.”

“Artists’ Breakfast Club, 20 Years” continues at Civic Center Public Gallery, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd., through Dec. 31. The free exhibit can be viewed in-person and online at scottsdalepublicart.org/exhibitions.

FOOD & DRINK

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

Food & Drink

Scottsdale.org l

@ScottsdaleProgress

21

/ScottsdaleProgress

To-go and eat-in specials abound for Christmas

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

W

hether you decide to dine out or eat in, Scottsdale’s restaurants are offering a delicious variety of meals – both in-restaurant and to-go – this Christmas.

Newcomers to the Christmas dinner scene this year include Scott Conant’s The Americano, offering a decadent threecourse meal that features items such as foie gras torchon, cocktail di mare and tajerin al tarfuto e funghi.

Recently opened resort in northern Scottsdale, ADERO Scottsdale, will also serve a three-course dinner at its restaurant CIELO, including porketta with sage and fennel served with pan roasted squash, broccolini and blistered tomatoes, among other savory dishes.

ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho in Old Town is venturing into new territory this year, offering family-style meals for takeout for the �irst time.

“Traditionally for Christmas, we don’t offer a to-go option, so that will de�initely be

ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho is offering both a chef-attended starter buffet and family-style meals to-go on Christmas Day. (Hotel Valley Ho) a new frontier for us,” said ZuZu General Manager Seth Widdes.

In addition to offering a chef-attended starter buffet, ZuZu is also selling familystyle meals to-go that include fully prepared sides, oven-ready seasoned prime

rib or ham and dessert.

“For us, our big focus is building our guests’ con�idence back in the restaurant industry,” Widdes said in explaining the togo option this year. “That’s really our goal and our focus: keeping people feeling safe

and still enjoying a resemblance of a dining experience.”

Elsewhere in Old Town, the Marcellino Ristorante team may be taking Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off but leading up to the holiday, they’re hosting a special two-hour cooking class called “Lunch and Learn: Christmas Eve in Italy” cooking class on Dec. 19.

During the class, which costs $50 per person, Chef Marcellino will teach participants how to cook Scialatielli alle Vongole – a handcrafted, robust pasta sautéed with Manila clams, olive oil, garlic, white wine and red pepper �lakes.

“The pandemic has brought about sorrow to so many, but we’ve also seen incredible acts of kindness and courage,” said Marcellino co-owner Sima Verzino said.

“Chef and I feel blessed to have so many loyal guests and a dedicated staff, whom we consider to be family. As we near the end of the year, we look forward to welcoming families and friends for dinner as they celebrate their own reasons for being grateful,” Verzino continued.

Here are some other Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dining specials in Scottsdale:

The Americano What: Three-course meal by Scott Conant and team, feat. foie gras torchon, cocktail di mare, tajerin al tarfuto e funghi, and more.

When: 5-10 p.m.

Price: $105/adult, $50/child under 12 Where: 17797 N. Scottsdale Road Call: 480-573-0001 Website: theamericanorestaurant.com CIELO at ADERO Scottsdale What: Three-course meal, featuring winter celeriac and leek soup; porketta with sage and fennel, served with pan roasted squash, broccolini and blistered tomatoes, and more.

When: 4-9 p.m.

Price: $79/person Where: 13225 N. Eagle Ridge Drive Call: 480-333-1880 Website: cieloscottsdale.com El Chorro What: Three-course meal, feat. slow-roasted turkey, grilled filet mignon and Chilean sea bass; heat-and-serve to-go meal,

including winter holiday salad, seared ora king salmon, and more.

When: 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Price: $82/adult, $26/child 5-12; free for kids under 5; $120 for heat-and-serve Where: 5550 E. Lincoln Drive Call: 480-948-5170 Website: elchorro.com elements at the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa What: Four-course, prix-fixe dinner, feat.

Duck l’Orange, porcini dusted veal chop, peanut and coriander crusted red snapper, and more.

When: 12-1:45 p.m., 2-8 p.m.

Price: first seating $105/person, second seating $125/person; $45/child under 12 Where: 5700 E. McDonald Drive Call: 480-948-2100 Website: sanctuaryaz.com Fairmont Scottsdale Princess What: Takeaway Brunch Kit serves four; reservations must be placed by Dec. 21

When: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Price: $225 Where: 7575 E. Princess Drive Call: 480-585-4848 Website: scottsdaleprincess.com

When: Dec. 24 and 25, 2-8 p.m.

Price: $99/adult, kids under 5 free Where: 4949 E. Lincoln Drive Call: 480-627-3200 Website: omnihotels.com

Hearth ’61 at Mountain Shadows What: Brunch, feat. Quiche Lorraine, New York Striploin, and more; dinner, feat. Lobster Bisque, Niman Ranch Prime Rib, and more; takeout turkey and short rib dinners, including sides.

When: Brunch 7 a.m.-2 p.m., dinner 5-9:30 p.m.

Price: Varies for brunch/dinner; turkey dinner $60/adult, $25/child under 12; short rib dinner $65/adult, $29/child under 12 Where: 5445 E. Lincoln Drive Call: 480-624-5458 Website: mountainshadows.com

Talking Stick Resort What: Three-course meal, including lobster and seafood hot pot, at Ocean Trail; threecourse meal, including fork tender short ribs, at Blue Coyote Cafe.

When: Starting at 11 a.m.

Price: Ocean Trail $68/person, Blue Coyote Cafe $29.99/person Where: 9800 E. Talking Stick Way Call: 480-850-7777 Website: talkingstickresort.com

Prado at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia What: Four-course, prix-fixe menu, feat. steak, seafood and house-made desserts.

Taphouse Kitchen What: Quarter pound Alaskan Red King Crab leg dinner for $45.99, TAPS Miso Chilean Seabass for $40, and smoked prime rib with all of the accoutrements for $36.

When: Dec. 24, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., 5 p.m.-9 p.m.

Where: 6137 N. Scottsdale Road

Call: 480-656-0012 Website: taphousekitchen.com Weft & Warp at Andaz Scottsdale What: Three-course dinner, including shrimp cocktail, roasted half chicken, peppermint cheesecake fondue, and more.

When: 3-9 p.m.

Price: $65/person Where: 6114 N. Scottsdale Road Call: 480-214-4622 Website: andazscottsdale.com ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho What: Chef-attended starter buffet followed by choice of entrée ranging from trufflestuffed Petaluma chicken to slow braised pork osso buco; family-style meals also offered to-go.

When: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Price: buffet $56-$79/adult, $22/child under 12; family meals $69-$249 Where: 6850 E. Main Street Call: 480-421-7997 Website: hotelvalleyho.com

22

FOOD & DRINK

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 13, 2020

Hush Public House is no longer a Valley secret

BY ANNIKA TOMLIN Progress Staff Writer

A

fter leaving the Marine Corps, Dom Ruggiero went to the now-defunct Scottsdale Le Cordon Bleu and has been cooking since then.

“I was working at Zinc Bistro in Kierland Commons and that is where I met my partner Charles (Barber),” Ruggiero said.

“He was running the bar there for a long time. Over the years learning the industry, working different restaurants and trying to perfect my craft, I �inally felt it was time for me to step out and do my own thing and Charles felt the same.”

The friends came together to start their own restaurant – Hush Public House, which opened in February 2019. The name came from a family member telling the owners to keep their plans of opening a restaurant on the downlow.

“Charles and I both had jobs that we were working at so we had to keep it under wraps for a little bit,” Ruggiero said.

“Charles’ mom was like, ‘You guys need to keep it on the hush, so you don’t get �ired’ and it just kind of stuck.

“We threw ‘public house’ on there because we wanted it to be a cool neighborhood bar and restaurant where you can come to a couple nights a week and didn’t have to be fancy or anything.”

The duo had to close the restaurant twice due to COVID-19—the week of March 13 and when the riots happened after George Floyd’s death in early July. They reopened October 1 and business has been good, according to Ruggiero.

“Nights when there was a debate or an election was on it was a ghost town be-

Dom Ruggiero, left, and Charles Barber started Hush Public House in February 2019. (Courtesy Hush Public House) cause people were glued to their TVs, but we have high hopes that things are turning around and we’re on the other end of it hopefully—�ingers crossed,” Ruggiero said.

Prior to the July shutdown, the duo acquired the space next to their restaurant and expanded their once 40-seat space to include a new dining area, larger kitchen and of�ice space.

“There’s a lot more kitchen space and we have an of�ice now, which is just crazy,” Ruggiero said.

“We have a staff bathroom, like we made it. It’s been helpful to have that extra space with the minimum capacity mandates that we have to be able to spread the guests out.

It’s been very helpful, but I’m looking forward to when all of that is over and we can really see what the space can do with this many seats.”

Some of the original menu items that have stood the test of time during the pandemic are the crab hush puppies with sweet corn remoulade and scallions ($16) and the date cake with bourbon toffee sauce and vanilla gelato ($10). Temporarily removed from the menu were the grilled oysters with cutino sauce butter and grana Padano ($18), until Hush regulars demanded they return.

Ruggiero ordered a case the next day. “(One of the original items) since day one that people would freak out if I took off de�initely the oxtail,” Ruggiero said. “It’s my take on an Italian beef sandwich from Chicago. One of my �irst cooking jobs I had was at Taste of Chicago. We elevated it and did it with braised oxtail and brioche from Noble (Bread).”

Ruggiero’s favorite part about being a restaurant owner is the “freedom to do as

he sees �it.”

“I get to be as creative or not as creative as I want and change the menu any day or choose to,” Ruggiero said. “As a chef, it’s probably watching the growth of my cooks and seeing them progress in their careers and move on to bigger and better things and or get promoted here.”

The hardest part of being owner and chef is “everything else,” he adds.

“Once you get to be a chef, people always ask, ‘Do you still like cooking?’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, because I don’t cook anymore,’” Ruggiero said. “I’m a glori�ied accountant, plumber, electrician and janitor—you are constantly putting out �ires.

“But it’s ever-changing and that’s why I like this industry. It never gets stale so it’s fun.”

Hush is “very seasonal,” according to Ruggiero, and they use local products, including beer, to promote others.

“We have a lot of friends in the industry who have been doing it for a long time,” Ruggiero said. “So, anytime we can help promote or do things with them or collaborate we do.”

“We’re just trying to be a cool neighborhood spot that people can come to and hang out and have a good time. It’s not pretentious, but I think the food speaks for itself along with the wine list, the cocktails, everything. It’s just what we’ve been working for our whole career and then �inally being able to do it.”

Hush Public House 14202 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 167, Scottsdale 480-758-5172, hushpublichouse.com

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