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Celebrating �ine art for 30 years / P. 30

Scottsdale man still explores space / P. 18

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An edition of the East Valley Tribune

INSIDE

This Week

NEWS.............................15 Rally underscores sex-trafﬁcking ﬁght here.

NEIGHBORS ......... 26 War relics collector ﬁnds treasure in Scottsdale.

FOOD ........................... 34 Schmooze rebrands, 'rebars' Scottsdale eatery.

NEIGHBORS ..........................................18 BUSINESS ...............................................27 OPINION ................................................ 28 ARTS ........................................................30 FOOD & DRINK .................................. 34 CLASSIFIEDS ....................................... 38

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Ethics charges �ly in referendum drive BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

ew campaign finance reports reveal that both sides in the Southbridge Two referendum fight shelled out large sums of money to spread their messages during the signature drive in December.

Now, both sides are questioning each other's ethical behavior in getting those sigantures. Campaign finance reports filed with the City of Scottsdale on Jan. 15 by the Committee for the Preservation of Old Town Scottsdale and Protecting Scottsdale’s Future show that the PACs cumulatively raised over $262,000 through Dec. 31, 2019.

Lawmaker moves Whew! on fake voter pamphlet authors

The bulk of that cash was paid to individuals hired by the developer to spread his message – and not work for the opposition. The opposing PAC also spent a significant amount of money to hire paid petition circulators, including the wife of a Scottsdale Councilman who opposed the development.

see FINANCE page 14

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

local lawmaker responded to concerns about fake signatures on arguments in the voter pamphlet issued in last year’s Scottsdale Unified budget override election. Last fall, some Scottsdale residents questioned the identity of five authors whose arguments were in the pamphlets the county sent to eligible voters. On Jan. 9, state Rep. John Kavanagh, RFountain Hills, introduced H.B. 2121, which would require arguments for or against overrides, bonds and other ballot measures

see KAVANAGH page 6

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CITY NEWS

An edition of the East Valley Tribune Scottsdale Progress is published every Sunday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Scottsdale. To find out where you can pick up a free copy of Scottsdale Progress, please visit www.Scottsdale.org. 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 Copy Editor April Morganroth | 480-656-9667 | amorganroth@ timespublications.com Staff Writers Kristine Cannon | 480-898-9657 | kcannon@scottsdale.org Jim Walsh | 480-898-5639 | jwalsh@scottsdale.org Photographers Kimberly Carrillo | KCarrillo@scottsdale.org 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 Marketing Director Lynette Carrington | 480-898-5621 Scottsdale Progress is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, and for subscription information, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegatedmedia.com.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JANUARY 19, 2020

Scottsdale jeweler pleads guilt to selling fakes BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

local retailer agreed to plead in federal court to selling fake Native American jewelry out of his shop in historic Old Town Scottsdale. Waleed Sarrar, who owns the Scottsdale Jewels shop on Brown Avenue north of Main Street in downtown Scottsdale, pleaded to one count of conspiracy to misrepresent Indian-produced goods and to commit wire fraud. Scottsdale Jewels is still in operation. Sarrar was one of several Valley jewelry retailers named in a February indictment which also listed charges against individuals in San Antonio and the Philippines. The indictment described an alleged forgery ring importing fake Native American Jewelry from the Philippines to be sold in the U.S. The federal Indian Arts and Crafts Act, or IACA, prohibits the sale or marketing of goods falsely labeled as the product of a Native American craftsman or tribe. Sarrar originally faced 29 counts in the indictment, including charges of mail fraud, conspiracy, wire fraud and misrepresenting Indian-produced goods for allegedly selling counterfeit Navajo jewelry to an undercover agent. Sarrar’s attorney Lee David Stein declined to comment for this story. The indictment alleged Richard Dennis Nisbet and his daughter Laura Marye Lott ran the counterfeit operation through various Phoenix-based businesses, including Last Chance Jewelers, Dick Denni Designs, LMN Jewelers LLC and Laura Marye Designs. The indictment further alleged the duo coordinated with manufacturing operations in the Philippines to create knockoffs of prominent Native American artisans and labeled other jewelry using the fictitious artist’s name. Scottsdale Jewels is one of several shops in Arizona and Texas allegedly selling jewelry purchased from Nisbet and Lott. The indictment references emails sent between Nisbet and others directing the jewelers to mimic popular Navajo styles, including those created by well-known Navajo artist Will Vandever. “Wv. stands for will vandever. Like the

Waleed Sarrar, co-owner of Scottsdale Jewels in Old Town Scottsdale, agreed to a plea deal with federal prosecutors in January, admitting to selling counterfeit Native American jewelry in violation of federal law. (Progress file photo)

picture,” Nisbet is alleged to have written to a jeweler in the Philippines, according to the indictment. According to Sarrar’s plea agreement, in 2018 Sarrar solicited from Nisbet counterfeit versions of a pendant and bolo tie designed by Native American artist Michael Perry. Lott and San Antonio retailer Christian Coxon also pled guilty in January to charges related to their involvement in the ring, according to the Department of Justice. According to the Department of Justice, Sarrar, Lott and Coxon confirmed many allegations made in the indictment as part of their plea agreements. “According to information the defendants admitted to as part of their pleas, from Jan. 2016 through Feb. 2019, they conspired with each other, and others, to design jewelry in the Native-American Indian-style and manufacture the jewelry in the Philippines with Filipino labor,” read a department release. According to Sarrar’s plea agreement, he admitted to purchasing counterfeit jewelry from Lott. Sarrar also allegedly sold five pieces of counterfeit jewelry for $917 to an undercover agent in 2018. The guilty plea was welcome news to Alston and Deborah Neal, owners of Ter-

ritorial Indian Arts & Antiques, the oldest gallery of American Indian art on Main Street in downtown Scottsdale. “We’re happy to see this and we’d like to see more,” Deborah Neal said of the case. Alston Neal said counterfeiting of Native American goods has been rampant for years with little attention from law enforcement. “Where for decades we never saw law enforcement, law enforcement is now starting to show up…everyone is happy to see this coming down, because it’s been a long time coming,” Alston Neal said. The Sarrar case appears to be part of a more concerted effort in recent years by federal law enforcement to enforce the IACA. In Aug. 2018, U.S. District Judge Judith C. Herrera sentenced Nael Ali to six months in prison after Ali pled guilty to two felony charges, citing he violated IACA. According to a federal indictment, Ali owned galleries in Albuquerque and Scottsdale and allegedly purchased $85,369 worth of Native American-style jewelry manufactured in the Philippines. Despite the recent crackdown, the Neals were skeptical the recent pleas

see JEWELRY page 6

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JANUARY 19, 2020

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JANUARY 19, 2020

KAVANAGH ��

to submit a notarized statement validating their identity. State law does not currently require agencies administering election pamphlets, such as the county school superintendents, to verify the authors’ identities. Kavanagh confirmed his proposed legislation came in response to problems disclosed last fall by the Progress. He said while heard from one or two constituents “in a case like this, it’s just good legislation, so whether it was one person or one thousand, I would run the bill.” The issue dates back to Oct. 2019, a month before SUSD’s successful override election. “I got my ballot pamphlet in the mail yesterday for the SUSD override. As far as I can tell (besides Loyd Eskildson) the other ‘against’ writers appear to be fictitious,” Rose Smith wrote to the Progress on Oct. 7. Smith, now a candidate for SUSD Governing Board, and others told the Progress they suspected five of the six arguments against the override were submitted by the same individual or group using false names. The Progress found some evidence to back up their claims, though the identity of the author or authors was never confirmed. The five arguments in question were signed by Samantha Cartier, Hector Carrillo, Cynthia Majinsky, Jen Lopez and Sandra Lacey. The arguments signed by Majinsky, Carrillo and Lopez were all recorded by the county superintendent’s office at 1:51 p.m. July 17, records showed. Additionally, official voter rolls maintained by the Maricopa County Recorder showed there were no registered voters in Scottsdale – or the entire county –named Samantha Cartier, Hector Carrillo, Cynthia Majinsky, Jen Lopez or Sandra Lacey.

JEWELRY �� page 4

will have a significant effect on bad actors in their industry, arguing the backers of such schemes have enough money to withstand the large fines and losses associated with these cases. Sarrar faces a maximum of five years

Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, introduced a bill that would require those submitting arguments for or against overrides, bonds and special elections to submit a notarized statement validating their identity. (Progress file photo)

There were 60 individuals named Jennifer Lopez registered to vote in Maricopa County, two within Scottsdale Unified boundaries. The Progress was unable to contact those two individuals to determine if they submitted the arguments. In October, Smith called for stricter rules to verify identities and told the Progress the use of false identities could mislead voters. “Citizens often rely on the voting pamphlet to educate them in determining their vote. They read the supporting and opposing comments and make decisions based on those arguments,” Smith said. “In this case, it appears six community members opposed the override. In fact, it should have been only one.” The Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools is required by law to include pro and con arguments in override voter pamphlets but is not required to validate the authors’ identity. Kavanagh told the Progress last fall while there is a loophole in state statute, it may be difficult to close. “I’m open to a discussion on this, but when you start to think about it, there’s

in prison and $250,000 fine, though he could receive lesser penalties as a result of his cooperation with law enforcement, according to the plea deal. Sarrar is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30. The cases against Sarrar and others allegedly involved in the counterfeiting

a lot of Constitutional and practical and technical issues this raises,” Kavanagh explained. Kavanagh now believes his bill addresses many of those issues. “The concern was somebody who wanted to express their opinion on this form would be denied the ability to do so, because maybe somebody suspected it was somebody else or a dual submission,” Kavanagh said. “So, the obvious solution to ensure the submissions are in the name of the submitter is they simply have to get their submission notarized and send it in,” Kavanagh said. The bill would require all individuals submitting arguments to submit a sworn, notarized statement to validate their identity. Arguments submitted by organizations would need notarized statements from two executive officers. Political committees would need to include the notarized statement of their chairperson or treasurer. Kavanagh’s proposed legislation would allow individuals – not organizations or PACs – to submit anonymous arguments but they would still be required to submit a notarized statement to verify their identity. The identifying information would not appear in the pamphlet, though the author’s city or town of residence, which would appear alongside an “Anonymous” signature. Smith, the resident who first expressed concern over the allegedly fake comments, said she is “pleased to see the issue being addressed in HB 2121” but she did not support the allowance for anonymous comments. “After giving it some thought, I would like to offer my opinion the ballot pamphlet is no place for anonymous arguments, either in favor or opposing. The pamphlet is a tool that could affect the outcome of an election,” Smith said, adding: “The public has a right to know who is stating the argument in order to make an informed decision.” ring were the result of a joint investigation by several different federal agencies, including the Office of Law Enforcement for the Southwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Phoenix Field Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

Kavanagh said there are legitimate reasons individuals may want to submit anonymous arguments. “I added the ability of a person who does this to have anonymous written where the name would appear because we live in a toxic political environment where if people disagree with you, they go after your personal life or your job and has a chilling effect on free speech.” However, Kavanagh also acknowledged there should be a degree of transparency so voters know if they can trust the information provided in an argument in the voter pamphlet. “We’re making sure we know the person is who they say they are or if they want to be anonymous, then we can take it into account,” Kavanagh said. Smith also expressed concern with other wording in the bill, which states: “Any argument submitted and does not comply with this subdivision may not be included in the pamphlet.” “Election staff should be clear in their instruction,” Smith said. “‘May not’ is open to interpretation.” “The words ‘shall not’ in this statement provide greater clarity. I would expect taxpayers would appreciate this revision to the bill being submitted without any more possible loopholes,” Smith said. Another source of contention could be how the notarization requirement affects voters’ ability to submit arguments via the Internet. The Office of the Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools currently allows individuals to submit arguments through its website, and it is unclear how the proposed notarization requirement would affect online submittals. This issue did not appear to worry Kavanagh, who said voters may be able to submit PDF files of their notarized statements. “Even if you couldn’t (submit online), you can buy a postage stamp… if it’s that important to have your opinion heard, you can mail a letter,” he said. The U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Arts and Crafts Board and Office of Law Enforcement and Security, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations, and the Texas Game Wardens also assisted in the case.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JANUARY 19, 2020

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JANUARY 19, 2020

Kavanagh bill would add short-term rental controls

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

hort-term rentals promise to once again dominate the conversation at the Arizona Legislature, which kicked off its latest session this month. Legislators plan to put a number of proposals forward to address concerns from residents throughout the state who have complained that the explosion in rentals, spurred by the popularity of apps like Airbnb and Vrbo, has led to increases in noise complaints, parties and illegal activity in residential neighborhoods. Scottsdale has one of the largest shortterm rental supplies in the state. As of March 2019, Scottsdale had 5,369 vacation rentals, according to analytics site AirDNA. However, the city has been largely barred from regulating those rental properties by a 2016 law supported by Governor Doug Ducey that prohibited cities from regulating short-term rentals. The City Council did pass ordinances in 2019 instituting heavy fines on individuals and property owners responsible for nuisance parties or unlawful gatherings. Though the ordinances apply to all residential properties, not just short-term rentals, they are widely seen as a response to community complaints about parties at short-term rental properties. At an August 2019 meeting about thenproposed ordinances, short-term rentals dominated the conversation. “As far as the types of homes, owner occupied versus rental, I would say that the majority of the complaints that we receive… are from rental properties,” said Raun Keagy, Scottsdale’s planning and development area director. One Scottsdale resident who attended the meeting said partiers at rentals in her neighborhood regularly overfill trashcans, play loud music at 2 a.m., urinate in public and park illegally. Not all residents were against shortterm rentals, though, including a shortterm rental operator who acknowledged that there are some bad actors but said he and his wife are respectful of neighbors’ concerns. Now, Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, plans to propose legislation that would increase regulations on short-term

In 2019, Governor Doug Ducey told reporters at the Arizona League of Cities and Towns conference that a 2016 law barring cities from regulating short-term rentals had some unintended consequences. (Progress file photo)

rental properties. Last year, the legislature passed a Kavanagh-backed plan to return a modicum of power back to the cities. Cities can now require property owners operating short-term rentals to keep emergency contact information on file with the city. The law also requires those property owners to have a state transaction privilege tax license. The Scottsdale City Council on adopted those new rules in 2019. Kavanagh said his new proposal would further address resident grievances. “We’re trying to make the houses as invisible as possible to neighbors,” Kavanagh said. Kavanagh said his proposal would include limits on how many people can occupy a rental, bans on smoking outdoors near other buildings, and required usage of available off-street parking. The proposal would also require noise meters to be installed inside and outside rentals and owner contact information to be posted on the front of the house. Kavanagh said those measures are “minimally what’s needed to provide some relief…” to neighbors. However, he said other proposals at the legislature would have a tougher time getting past the governor’s desk. Ducey has remained supportive of the 2016 law that removed local control, which he has argued protects private property owners from interference by overly-burdensome local legislation. However, last year, Ducey opened the

door to amending the legislation. At an Arizona League of Cities and Towns conference, he told reporters the law had some unintended consequences and has resulted in disruption in some neighborhoods as real estate investors bought up properties for the sole purpose of using them as short-term rentals, according to Howard Fischer with Capitol Media Services. “It does appear in the situation of Airbnb and other organizations that we have some people out there that are doing some things that are disruptive to communities,’’ Ducey said. Rep. Isela Blanc, D-Tempe, filed H.B. 2176 in January, which would effectively bar real estate investors from purchasing properties solely to use as Airbnbs. The bill, if passed, would restrict investor-owned properties to areas with commercial zoning and only allow short-term rentals in residential areas if the owner uses the property as their primary or secondary residence as determined by the county assessor. Kavanagh said Blanc’s proposal is “more restrictive and is a higher risk” to get shot down by the governor. Still, Kavanagh said that if nothing is done to reign in short-term rentals, the Governor could face further pushback from the legislature in the form of a ballot referral to return to local rule. Returning control over short-term rentals to local governments is one of the few issues that has generated bipartisan support at the Arizona Legislature in recent years.

“I personally think it totally connects with the fact that our cities and towns, their hands have been tied with being able to enforce their planning and zoning, and their private property versus commercial property ruling,” Senate President Karen Fann, R-Prescott, told Ben Giles with public radio station KJZZ. Arizona House Minority Leader Charlene Fernandez, D-Yuma, told Giles that the legislature needs to take another look at local control. “As a state Legislature, we came in and preempted that,” Fernandez said. “I think we need to revisit local control to make sure that we’re talking to our city councilmembers, our community members, the leaders and see exactly what’s happening in their areas.” Kavanagh said he does not think Blanc’s proposal or a complete return to local control would pass muster with the Governor. “There’ll be a push for a return to local rule, but the governor would veto that,” Kavanagh said. “So, the only way that would come about would be if there was a ballot referral, and we limit the number of ballot referrals because they don’t want to flood the ballot.” Kavanagh said he would support the ballot referral option. And, if nothing is done, Kavanagh predicted support to kill the 2016 law will grow. “I think my bill is minimally what’s needed to provide some relief, so hopefully that will happen down the road,” Kavanagh said. “If not, I eventually see the situation getting so bad that there’ll be the votes for a ballot referral to kill it completely or even without a ballot referral to kill it completely.” Even without new legislation reverting back to local control, the City Council will have the opportunity on Feb. 4 to decide the fate of two properties used as shortterm rentals. The application, originally scheduled to be heard at the Council’s Jan. 14 meeting, is seeking to alter zoning on two sites just east of City Hall to remove a restriction limiting residential uses – and short-term rental uses by default – to 35 percent of the floor area on the first floor. The applications, which were both recommended for denial by the Planning Commission, were moved from the January meeting after the applicant, STR Ventures, requested a delay.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JANUARY 19, 2020

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JANUARY 19, 2020

Thunderbird Memorial group honors benefactor

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

he Scottsdale-based Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial nonprofit awarded its first Leadership Appreciation Award to Rudy R. Miller, who played a significant role in the organization’s efforts to support Arizona students in the aviation field. The nonprofit may be best known around the city for its veterans memorial at Scottsdale Airport featuring a real Stearman PT-17 airplane hanging from the rafters outside the city’s new business center along with information honoring Arizona veterans and the airport’s history as a World War II training airfield. Steve Ziomek, Thunderbird II’s chairman and president, said the memorial was the first phase of the organization’s mission. The nonprofit purchased the plane and Ziomek and another volunteer flew it cross country from Arkansas to Scottsdale. “I flew primarily rescue helicopters for the Coast Guard for 10 years, and I had more fun flying the Stearman than I ever did in the Coast Guard,” Ziomek said. The City of Scottsdale committed around

key contributor to this effort. “I’m honored to receive this Leadership Appreciation Award,” Miller said. “The main reasons I’m involved in this amazing organization are remembering the history of aviation in Arizona, honoring all servicemen and women of the nation’s Armed Forces, plus helping the Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial chairman and pres- youth of our state ident Steve Ziomek (right) presents the organization’s first and this country Leadership Appreciation Award to Rudy R. Miller (left). to become future (Special to the Progress) pilots, mechanics, $400,000 to build the memorial wing at its air traffic controlnew business aviation center, opened in lers, etc.” 2018. In addition to chairing the nonprofit’s The nonprofit’s second phase centered advisory board and scholarship commiton support for students pursuing careers tee, Miller has offered significant financial in aviation. support to the Thunderbird II Veterans Miller, a veteran himself and CEO of Memorial. Scottsdale-based The Miller Group, was a “He’s the chair of our advisory board and

is one of the biggest supporters and one of the very first donors in our project almost five years ago now,” Ziomek said. The Thunderbird II nonprofit receives nominees from Arizona’s six aviation programs at Arizona State University, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Cochise College, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Pima Community College and Yavapai Community College. The advisory board then looks through the candidates and makes a recommendation to the board of directors. The Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial awarded its second scholarship on Friday, providing $2,500 to Christopher Awes, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and graduate of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. The nonprofit awarded its first scholarship last year to Arizona State University student Megan Whittard, who was pursuing a master's in aviation management and human factors with plans to become a commercial pilot. Ziomek said the scholarship is useful for students even after they have graduated because it provides support as they work

see THUNDERBIRD page 12

Lyme pulls e-scooters from Scottsdale, region

PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

nother e-scooter operator has left Scottsdale. Lime, which had as many as 700 scooters in Scottsdale in 2019, announced it had completely pulled out of the Arizona market. “As part of our path to profitability, Lime made the difficult decision to exit Arizona and focus our resources on markets allowing us to meet our ambitious goals for 2020,” the company said. Lime did not rule out reentering the Arizona market in the future. “We’re grateful to our team members, riders, Juicers and communities who supported us throughout this journey. We appreciate our partnerships in Arizona and remain hopeful we can reintroduce Lime back into the community when the time is right.”

E-scooter company Lime announced in January that it was leaving the Arizona market. (Progress file photo)

Arizona was not the only market to lose Lime scooters this year. The company announced it was leaving a handful of markets around the world,

including Atlanta, San Diego and San Antonio in the U.S. Lime is the second operator to leave Scottsdale following Uber’s Jump

scooters. Five scooter companies – Bird, Lyft, Razor, Wheels and Spin – are still operating in the city. Lime’s exit from the market could be those remaining providers’ gain as Lime was responsible for over half of the total scooter miles ridden in the city between Dec. 13, 2018, and April 14, 2019, according to a report released by the City of Scottsdale in fall 2019 All active scooter companies in the city logged 292,000 miles during this time span, with Lime accounting for 170,000 miles. The report named Lime as the secondlargest e-scooter operator in Scottsdale with 700 scooters, trailing only Bird’s 2,197 scooters. Lime also had the most total rides at

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The Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial is best known for its veterans memorial at Scottsdale Airport that features a real Stearman PT-17 airplane hanging from the rafters outside the city’s new business center. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

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towards the 1,500 hours of flight time required to apply for an Airport Transport Pilot Certificate. Ziomek said it could take around seven years for a student to reach this 1,500hour mark. “The biggest detriment to anybody wanting to get their pilot’s license and go into commercial or even corporate aviation is the cost of flying because you have the cost of the airplane and you have the cost of the flight instructor,” Ziomek said. Rex Ginder, site manager for the University of North Dakota’s aviation program in Mesa, told the East Valley Tribune in 2018 the academic portion of its pilot training costs about $5,000 to $6,000 per semester, followed by about $57,000 for the flight training. Ziomek said the Thunderbird II organization’s goal is support students in aviation as the industry confronts a shortage of pilots. In July 2019, former Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg told CNBC the industry will

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134,700 – nearly half of the total scooter rides detailed in the report. Lime was also the most frequent violator of city rules regulating scooter use. From Dec. 2018 to July 2019, the city’s ScottsdaleEZ system received 419 reports of alleged violations of the ordinance – with 56 percent including complaints scooters were parked in prohibited areas.

need 800,000 new pilots over the next 20 years to meet traveler demands. The aviation industry is seeing shortages in other areas as well. “There’s a shortage everywhere,” Ziomek said. “You’re looking at a shortage in air traffic controllers, a shortage in…mechanics, avionics technician – you name it,” Ziomek said. Students pursuing non-pilot careers are also eligible for the scholarship. Ziomek said raising funds to support Thunderbird II’s mission is “always an uphill battle” but the organization received support from Scottsdale residents and throughout Arizona. “We like to say we use a three-foot rule, meaning - anybody who comes within three feet of you is a candidate or a donor,” Ziomek said. In addition to the scholarship program, donations to the Thunderbird II Veterans Memorial support educational talks the organization presents at area schools and civic groups. The organization is actively seeking volunteers to present those talks, Ziomek said. The next largest complaint, accounting for 15 percent of the reports, was companies were violating a rule banning more than five scooters, from a single company, from staging adjacent to one another. Lime was subject to 40 citations during the timeframe covered by the city’s report. Lyft had the second-most violations with 30. Bird had just 10 violations despite having the most scooters in circulation.

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FINANCE ��

tion about his project. “And yes, I compensated for them for their time. There was no way I would let them just do it for free,” Unger said. Unger also admitted that some of the money paid to AZ Petition Partners was used to buy off out-of-state petition circulators that otherwise would have been hired by the Old Town PAC to gather signatures for the referendum. “We had to fend off a lot of people that were coming in from California…so through our petition company, we approached them and said, ‘Here’s a chunk of money. Don’t come to Arizona. Just stay home,” Unger said. Campaign finance filings suggest Unger’s PAC made early overtures to undercut the competition. According to the recent filings, the Protecting Scottsdale’s Future PAC made its first $25,000 payment to AZ Petition Partners on Dec. 1, three days before the City Council voted on Southbridge Two on Dec. 4. Ultimately, the Old Town PAC paid the bulk of its signature gathering payments to Burns of Petition Pros. The January 15 campaign finance filings also show that the referendum battle, which has waged since the Old Town PAC first notified the city of its challenge on Dec. 5, has nearly exclusively been funded by just four downtown property owners. Entities owned by the Unger family contributed the entire $133,460 the Protecting Scottsdale’s Future PAC raised in December. On the other side, three downtown property owners accounted for 97 percent of the contributions to the Old Town PAC. Of the $128,670 the PAC raised, $42,000 came from Floyd Investments – an entity owned by PAC Chair Janet Wilson, according to Arizona Secretary of State’s records. Another $40,200 came directly from PAC Treasurer Dewey Schade or Park Fifth Avenue LLC, an entity he owns, according to Arizona Corporation Commission Records. Another downtown property owner, Sunbrella Properties, contributed $42,000 to the Old Town PAC. Sunbrella, Schade and Wilson cumulatively own 10 properties adjacent to the proposed Southbridge Two development.

Campaign finance reports for the Committee for the Preservation of Old Town Scottsdale, which opposes Southbridge Two, show that the PAC raised $128,670 and spent $92,808 through Dec. 31. The PAC paid $58,496 to Diane Burns of Apache Junction, who runs a professional petition gathering company. Burns identified herself to the Progress as the owner of Petition Pros during an unrelated interview in January 2019. It is currently listed as an inactive corporation by the state. Lamar Whitmer, a consultant working with the Old Town PAC, confirmed that Burns represented multiple gatherers, though he did not say how many. The Old Town PAC paid four other individuals to gather signatures, including Cora Phillips, wife of Councilman Guy Phillips. Cora Phillips was paid $3,192 – the most of any circulator except Burns, who represented multiple individuals. According to petition records on file with the City Clerk, Phillips gathered approximately 600 signatures. Howard Deming ($68.28), Shirley Cordiasco ($370) and Susie Wheeler ($75) also received payments for collecting signatures. Critics of the Old Town PAC called Cora Phillips involvement as a paid circulator unethical. Councilman Guy Phillips was one of three Scottsdale Councilmembers who voted against Southbridge Two in December 2019. He also actively participated in the referendum’s signature gathering effort, albeit on a volunteer basis, and collected signatures for his own re-election campaign during the effort. “You know, it may not be illegal, but ethically I think it’s completely wrong and I think it’s a complete conflict of interest for a council member to be making money – and it is, it’s going to his household; it’s the exact same thing.” Southbridge Two developer Carter Unger said. “And so, he made money gathering opposition to his body’s decision.” Councilman Phillips insisted the potential monetary motivation had nothing to do with either his vote against Southbridge Two or his support for the referendum. Phillips said that he and his wife maintain separate finances and that the money she earned benefited her, her church and her family in the Philippines.

Committee for the Protection of Old Town Scottsdale supporters drop off petition signatures at Scottsdale City Hall on Jan. 3. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

“Shame on those who would think otherwise,” Phillips said. “There would be no way I would know how much she could collect and so it’s absurd to think that would influence my decision. You should be looking at how much developer money the council members got for their yes vote before insinuating I’m the sellout.” Councilman Phillips insisted that the payment to his wife posed no ethical concerns. “Since I didn’t receive any value for her signature gathering there is no ethical concern,” he said. “Again, look at the value the others get for their ‘yes’ vote from developers and tell me how ethical that is.” A post on the Scottsdale Together Facebook page, run by resident activists Jason Alexander and Andrea Alley, who both support Southbridge Two, questioned why Cora Phillips was paid more than other individual gatherers. Whitmer called the social media backlash “nonsense.” The Facebook post states that after Phillips, “The next payment to a private citizen volunteer was $370. The next payment after that was $75. The hourly rate for a petition collector is between $15$20. Did she work 150 hrs in December?” It is unknown at what rate the Old Town PAC paid its petition gatherers. Phoenix-based AZ Petition Partners LLC, which worked with the Unger PAC, pays gatherers between $15 and $20 per hour, according to public job postings. Another job posting from an unnamed

company on Craigslist in Phoenix advertised a pay range of $12 to $15 per hour for petition circulators. If Phillips were paid at the high range of those advertised rates, or $20 per hour, she would have had to work approximately 160 hours between Dec. 5 and Dec. 29 to earn $3,192, which would equate to less than four signatures per hour. When asked how the PAC determined the pay rate for signature gatherers, Whitmer did not provide a specific methodology, stating, “it depended on which company they were working for.” Beyond the issue of pay, Unger argued it was inappropriate for Phillips and Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield to actively solicit signatures for the referendum, whether they were being paid or not. “I do think it’s ethically and morally wrong and a huge conflict of interest,” Unger said. “And when we undoubtedly go back to Council, I’m going to be in front of them again and how do I have any faith or confidence that they’re not out to get me instead of being an impartial listener.” Though his PAC was not collecting signatures, Unger also hired a signature gathering firm to, in part, actively undermine the Old Town PAC’s efforts. Unger’s Protecting Scottsdale’s Future PAC paid $133,460 in December to Phoenix-based AZ Petition Partners LLC. Unger said those payments were used to hire Valley college students who spoke with residents throughout Scottsdale to combat what Unger called misinforma-

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JANUARY 19, 2020

War on sex traf�icking in Scottsdale is never-ending BY CECILIA CHAN Progress Staff Writer

livia Holcomb was 9 when her parents divorced and her life turned topsy-turvy. The Texas girl lived with her mom, who began bringing men home. Holcomb said growing up associating having a man around equated to happiness as she watched her mom swing from being happy to being upset, depending on if she had a man or not. “In the summer of 2018, my mom and I lived with her boyfriend at the time,” she said. “He was abusive and very mean to her.” Both adults drank and Holcomb said she was miserable when the boyfriend would start hurting her mom. “I refused to stay there,” she said. “I ran away.” At 16 and with no money, Holcomb started meeting significantly older men through a dating app. She learned giving sexual favors would earn her food, drugs and a place to sleep. She said she met about two dozen men who paid her for sex until police arrested her after her mom reported her as a runaway. Police went through Holcomb’s cellphone and discovered she was a victim of sex trafficking. Holcomb, who now lives in Chandler, shared her story in a video Jan. 12, at the second annual Night of Hope event, hosted by 19 East Valley churches to bring awareness to sex trafficking and encourage the public to get involved. The event, attended by over 300 people at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, also highlighted National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. “This is a problem, it does not know borders,” said Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg, who was at the event representing law enforcement. “It’s inter-

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SEX TRAFFIC �� page 15

national; it’s throughout the country; it’s throughout the state and it’s throughout our local community.” Soelberg said Mesa Police Department led the charge against sex trafficking in the last five to seven years and he got involved with the issue while working there. Soleberg became Gilbert’s chief in 2017. Law enforcement agencies in Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert and Tempe – in conjunction with the Maricopa County and Arizona attorney general’s offices – conduct at least one operation a month in the East Valley to combat human trafficking, according to Soelberg. “It’s amazing, once we start our operation within a matter of hours we basically have a backlog of people trying to get access to not only girls but boys, adults, minors, babies – you name it,” he said. “There are no boundaries. So, it’s a problem not going away.” Soelbert said as a patrol officer, he would scout for these types of crimes by watching the streets and hotels and for people walking the street. “This still happens to a slight degree,” he said. “But everything is (now) online.” He said when the agencies stage one of their operations, officers would make 10 to 15 arrests a day. “Through our activities, we’ve done everything we can and we will continue to fight but we need your help,” the chief said. He asked the crowd to support financially or through volunteering with the nonprofits at the event such as CeCe’s Hope Center and Streetlight USA, which helps sex trafficking victims heal. And, he said, if people see something suspicious, report it. “This is not about making arrests and putting people away but rescuing those forced into this,” he said. “We’ve got to combine our forces and make sure we do everything we can to combat it.” According to the state Attorney General’s Office, the average age of entry into the sex trade in Arizona is 14, though law enforcement officers have seen girls as young as 9 sold for sex. Many of the factors making Arizona a popular tourist destination also fuel sex trafficking – including the warm weather, close proximity to the border and interstate highway networks, an array of conferences and professional sporting

Pastors Cheree' and Dave Wright of Life Link Church in Chandler ﬂanked former sex-trafﬁcking victim Olivia Holcomb during an information rally in Downtown Chandler last Sunday. (Chris Mortenson/ STSN Staff Photographer)

events and close proximity to other tourist destinations such as Las Vegas and San Diego, the Attorney General’s Office said. “We have to pay attention to this,” Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel said. “We can’t turn a blind eye. This is an issue happening in our community. When we ignore it, we are complicit.” She said her office will hold perpetrators of this crime accountable. She added Maricopa County was the fourth-largest county in the nation and the third-largest, behind Los Angeles and Chicago, in trafficking prosecutions. “We are committed to protecting victims and survivors,” she said. State Sen. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, also asked the crowd for help. “Try as we might to pass the greatest laws in the state, there’s always people out there trying to exploit others,” said Mesnard, who represents District 17, which includes most of Chandler, part of Gilbert and Sun Lakes. He said when the slave trade consumed the country before it was abolished, some 13 million people were sold into slavery. “Thirteen million, that’s a lot,” he said. “There are twice this many people in the sex-trafficking exploitation, which is a form of slavery. It’s not as obvious because it’s in the shadows.” He stressed the importance of people being the eyes and ears of the community to help fight sex trafficking and used Uber driver Keith Avila as an example. One December day in 2016, Avila picked

up a teen girl and two women for a trip to a motel in California. He eavesdropped on their conversation and after taking them to their destination, called police with his suspicion of child prostitution. “Police showed up and rescued the girl and arrested the two women who took her to be exploited,” Mesnard said. “None of us know who Avila is because he is an everyday guy. He was sensitive to what was around him and as a result, he saved a 16-year-old girl.” Holcomb also was eventually saved. A month after police picked her up, she had already been in and out twice to a psychiatric hospital for depression and suicidal thoughts. Police then contacted an advocacy agency in Texas and placed her at Refuge Ranch, a long-term residential program for domestic minors rescued from sex trafficking. It was there, Holcomb said she found love she never felt before, not through sex or men. “It was a pure love I can’t even describe,” she said. “I graduated high school early and fell in love with myself again. It was an amazing experience.” She re-established her relationship with her dad in Arizona and eventually moved out here. Holcomb’s sex trafficking story is not unique, according to Kathleen Winn, executive director of Project 25/ VAST, which fights sexual exploitation. Holcomb thought she only had two

choices: stay with her mom and the abusive boyfriend or run away, Winn said. She didn’t know there were people out there who cared and wanted to help her and could give her other choices, Winn added. Instead, Holcomb came across people who said they would help her but at a cost – a loss of innocence and “something that could never be undone once it was done,” according to Winn. “Sex trafficking and sexual exploitation is a problem that is pervasive in all our communities,” she said. “It’s a problemdriven by men unfortunately, 99 percent of our buyers are men. “We as a people need to change our culture, we need to stop this surge,” she continued. “I believe God is calling forth an army and we are part of it. You are not here tonight by accident. It’s not a coincident. We all need to find the Olivias in our communities and we need to let them know we are here to help. We are here to change the future.” Winn said when she embarked on this crusade a decade ago, she was told sex trafficking didn’t exist in this country and to sit down and be quiet. She said she made a promise to God - by 2025, she would do whatever she could to end sexual exploitation and pointed to progress being made against predators. “Mr. Weinstein is on trial, Mr. Epstein is no longer with us,” she said. “Dr. Larry Nassar is in prison and on one is selling children on Backpage.com..” The public can also get involved by becoming a mentor or a parent to a child in foster care, said Katie O’dell, state director of Arizona 1.27, an organization engaging local churches in the child welfare system. “What we don’t realize about trafficking, especially in the United States, is there is a common factor at play,” she said. “And it is kids who find themselves in the foster care system in the United States are 60 percent more likely to end up to be victims of trafficking.” Knowing this, she added, preventative steps such as engaging with a child in foster care can help ensure they never end up a victim. In this country, traffickers prey upon children in the foster care system and recent reports consistently indicated a large number of victims of child sex trafficking were at one time in the foster care system, according to a U.S. State Department report in 2019.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JANUARY 19, 2020

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Almost an astronaut, he still explores space BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

orthern Scottsdale resident and senior scientist Jim Rice knew from age 6, he wanted to explore space. More than that, Rice wanted to be an astronaut; and he was a finalist to be one — twice. “I was one person away in one of the rounds,” said Rice, who was a finalist in 1999 and again 10 years later when he was 50. “I was very shocked.” Rice, now 60, didn’t achieve his goal of being an astronaut, but he went to work for NASA. “It was disappointing,” he said. “My whole life I was aiming for this target, [but] it really sent me on a course to do some things I never would imagine I did or thought would happen.” Rice’s referring to spending six months in Antarctica at a Russian base from No-

Jim Rice is a northern Scottsdale resident and senior scientist who was a coinvestigator and geology team leader on the Mars Exploration Rover Project for Spirit and Opportunity. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

vember 1991 to May 1992, as an Arizona State University graduate student. “That’s the most exciting thing I’ve

done in my life,” Rice said. “Working on the Mars Rovers was great; don’t get me wrong. But I wasn’t on Mars; I was on my

computer monitor.” Rice was a co-investigator and geology team leader on the Mars Exploration Rover Project for both Spirit and Opportunity. He also has mission experience working on the Mars Odyssey Orbiter and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Projects. But it’s the time he spent working in Antarctica he calls “a fascinating expedition and fraught with danger.” “Growing up in the Cold War, I never thought I’d be hanging out with Russians and the Russian base,” Rice said. “It was like science fiction.” Rice was a member of the first joint U.S.Russian Antarctic expedition since the breakup of the former Soviet Union. He was joined by fellow graduate student Peter Doran from the Desert Research Institute at the University of Nevada; Dr. Robert Wharton of the Desert

see NASA page 20

Parada del Sol needs your help to run smoothly

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

he 67th Annual Scottsdale Parada del Sol Parade is just around the corner and as the festival committee plans this year’s parade and Trail’s End Festival, organizers need the community’s help. “What we need now is more volunteers to get involved in the Feb. 8 event,” said Parada President Wendy Springborn. For nearly 70 years, Parada del Sol volunteers have played a major role ensuring the parade and festival go off without a hitch. Volunteers have coordinated nearly every aspect of the entertainment and parade, from the bands to the horse-

The 67th Annual Scottsdale Parada del Sol Parade and Trail’s End Festival takes place Feb. 8, this year in Old Town Scottsdale. The festival committee is currently in need of volunteers. (Parada del Sol/Special to the Progress)

drawn carriages, wagons and stagecoaches representing many cultures from Mexican and Native American to Arabian and Western. “But due to the interest and growth, we need many more people or teams from companies to volunteer to help us get ready for 2020,” Springborn said. “Volunteers can donate some time in committees in the planning or assist the morning of the parade. Teams are needed to put up fencing and décor for the Trail’s End street festival around Old Town Scottsdale,” she added. This year’s Parada del Sol theme is “Western Legends.” Past themes include “The Old West

see PARADA page 20

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JANUARY 19, 2020

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NASA �� page 18

Research Institute at the University of Nevada, principal investigator; and coinvestigator Dr. Christopher McKay. Their purpose was to investigate the physical, chemical and biological properties of ice-covered lakes in the Bunger Hills Oasis of East Antarctica. “The reason I went to Antarctica was to learn about Mars. I had met some scientists about seven years previously who worked for NASA, and they had been to Antarctica,” Rice said. “Antarctica is the most Mars-like place on Earth.” According to the 1992 NASA report summarizing the expedition, robots and tethered human divers conducted underwater studies during the expedition. Rice, a member of the scuba diving team, said he almost got killed several times. “If you can make it in Antarctica, you can make it anywhere. It was a harsh place,” he said. “We had to make out our last will and testament before we left and it was kind of a weird thing to do.” Rice is still friends with some of the Russian men he worked with during the expedition. Rice received his Ph.D. in Geological Sciences in 1997, from ASU and, in 2002, worked on the Mars Exploration Rover Project. “It wasn’t until this past August when it officially ended,” Rice said. “It was originally only going to be a 90-day mission, but it lasted 15 years.” Rice’s job was to analyze the images

PARADA �� page 18

Lives Again” in 1958, the parade’s second year, and “Four Flags of Arizona” in 1965. The need for volunteers follows last year’s successful parade, which was at capacity with nearly 150 entries. This year, the Parada committee accepted entry applications for bands, marching groups, cities and towns, mounted western groups, tribes, dancing groups, commercial floats and horse riders on a first-come, first-served basis. Marching bands walk the parade for free, while nonprofits pay a $75 entry fee, pre-1950 tractors and cars $100 and commercial floats pay $500. “There are various opportunities for volunteers outlined on our website and

Jim Rice narrowly missed being an astronaut, but has had his share of adventures in Antarctica as a younger man. (Courtesy of Jim Rice)

from Mars and determine the geologic history of the area. “At the time of the ‘90s, talking about ancient lakes on Mars was very controversial. It was like scientific heresy. It was going totally against the grain of the scientific thought at the time about Mars,” Rice said. But Rice believed in it. He gave presentations at science conferences about the topic. “It was really amazing to work on the Opportunity Rover because, lo and behold, we found lake beds on Mars. That was a neat personal story for me,” Rice

said. “I was ridiculed at times and then to be on the team with the Rover that actually found dried-up Lake beds on Mars.” The project wrapped in August and Rice has missed working on it every day since. “It was weird — I still can’t explain it — the attachment you have with these robots,” Rice said. “It’s been almost 17, 18 years of my life working on these things.” “But he was my friend on Mars, and it was doing what I would do if I was there,” he continued. “It was an extension of our hands and our eyes and our legs and everything in our brains. And it was tough

the time commitment can be for the day or more,” Springborn said. The annual Parada del Sol and its surrounding events, including the Trail’s End Festival, attracts more than 30,000 people to Old Town, where various groups march from Drinkwater Blvd. down Scottsdale Road down to 2nd Street and back up Brown Avenue to Indian School Road from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. During a special ceremony, Mayor Jim Lane will recognize the Scottsdale All Star Awards. The Scottsdale All Star Awards highlight Scottsdale community members and organizations that in 2019, received an award, honor or participated in an exceptional documented achievement. Nominations recently closed.

The Trail’s End Festival, a familyfriendly, all-ages, Western-style block party, immediately follows parade. The festival includes food and merchandise vendors as well as a kid’s area with games, pony rides, free train rides and more. Entertainment includes live music by the Raun Alosi Band, the Herndon Brothers, Mogollon, and Rock Lobster on the Tombstone and Silverado main stages. Mariachi Pasion, Mariachi Juvenil de mi Tierra, the Ollin Yoliztli Dance Academy, and Fiesta Mexicana will perform on the Hispanic Stage. The Scottsdale Parada del Sol was created in 1957, by members of the Scottsdale Jr. Chamber of Commerce — the Jaycees — to celebrate the history of the “West’s Most Western Town,” spokes-

to see it go.” Rice continues to research the geology and history of water on Mars, particularly through Planetary Science Institute (PSI), a Tucson nonprofit dedicated to solar system exploration, he joined in 2013. “I’ve done some work with the moon,” Rice added. “The moon is starting to come back into focus because, hopefully, we’re going to get people back up there by 2024.” In December, Rice traveled to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., to tour the Spacecraft Assembly Facility clean room and to see Mars 2020, NASA’s next spacecraft headed to the Red Planet. NASA’s Mars 2020 Rover is expected to launch sometime between July 17 and Aug. 5, landing on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021. “It was just cool to be there and be at close to the Rover,” Rice said. “It’s either going to land or it’s going to crash. There are no two ways around it.” On Jan. 17, Rice presented about the U.S.-Soviet race to the moon at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West in Old Town. Rice experienced his fair share of setbacks but considers himself lucky for figuring out what he wanted to do early in life. “As a kid and I was made fun of. I had teachers tell me I was too stupid, and I’d never worked for NASA,” he said. “But I remember an astronaut gave a talk, and ... he said, ‘Never give up.’” woman Ellen Bilbrey told the Progress last year. “The first parades had cows running down the middle of the street as a cattle drive,” she added. “The town was a dusty place along the road with a few businesses.” The Jaycees disbanded in 2009, and since, the event has been organized by a small committee of volunteers. “We are a small but mighty group of volunteers,” Springborn said. “We currently do not have any paid positions. The core committee consists of 10 to 15 individuals; however, we expand to approximately 50 volunteers the day of the events.” For more information, including how to volunteer, visit scottsdaleparade. com.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JANUARY 19, 2020

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Days JANUARY

Sunday

bled eggs on a frisbee and owners get to keep the frisbee. Information: www.brunchcafe.com.

19 Tuesday 21

Farmhouse friends and family night

The Screamery ice cream parlor is offering a special $5 discount deal for Farmhouse orders every Sunday night in January from 5 to 10 p.m. The Farmhouse Sundae is meant to be shared and includes a whopping eight scoops of ice cream loaded with cookies, brownies, butter cake and a choice of toppings. The Screamery is located at 10625 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix. Information: www.thescreamery.com.

Tail waggin’ tales

Children 6 to 10 can practice their reading skills with a certified therapy dog from 2 to 2:15 p.m. at Mustang Library, 10101 N. 90th Street. Information: 480312-7323.

Monday

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

$5 Fido Frisbee Meals

Treat your dog to a delicious outdoor breakfast, brunch or lunch. The Brunch Cafe at 15507 N. Scottsdale Road is serving $5 Fido Frisbee meals to all well-behaved dogs on their patio 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dogs are served two scram-

Art appreciation Phoenix Art Museum docents will share a free special visual art presentation featuring art and architecture inspired by the Grand Canyon 11 a.m.-noon at Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road Information: 480-483-7121.

Twos and threes together

Young children 2 and 3 can learn social and literacy skills 10-10:30 a.m. with short stories, fingerplays and action rhymes at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-312-7323.

Civil War Roundtable

Civil War expert David Ward will share a presentation about Abraham Lincoln 5-7:30 p.m. at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-312-7323.

Homework help

Students 8 to 10 can stop by the Arabian Library at 10215 E. McDowell Mountain Ranch Road for help on any subject 3:30-5 p.m. Information: 480-312-7323.

SCORE one-on-one business mentoring

SCORE’s large network of volunteer business mentors offer questions to business 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Free. Registration required. Call: 602-745-7250.

Wednesday

22 Speedy bridge Join others in a fast round of bridge at 10:30 a.m. at Via Linda Senior Center, 10440 E. Via Linda. Registration is required. Information: 480-312-5810.

Walkin’ Wednesdays

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

The Butler Read It!

Join a lively book discussion group for this month’s heart-pounding mystery, Robert Galbraith’s “The Cuckoo’s Calling” 1-2 p.m. at Appaloosa Library, 7377 E. Silverstone Drive Information: 480-312-7323.

ESL classes

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

Thursday

23 Tai Chi Everyone is welcome to join a class that focuses on gentle and controlled movements that center the mind, body and spirit for

Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-312-7323.

health benefits 3-3:45 p.m. at Ironwood Cancer and Research Centers, 8880 E. Desert Cove Avenue. Information: 480-314-6660.

12 & 12 Study AA Meeting

of bridge from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Appaloosa Library, 7377 E. Silverstone Drive Information: 480-312-7323.

Find recovery from alcohol addiction alongside this support group at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays at St. Anthony on the Desert Church, 12990 E. Shea Blvd. This is a discussion meeting based on the Big Book, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.

Achieve liberation through physical postures, breath practice, meditation and philosophical study. Join a class to better physical health 1-2 p.m. at Ironwood Cancer and Research Centers, 8880 E. Desert Cove Avenue. Information: 480-314-6660.

Cam DeCaussin explores what might be behind the windows, doors and houses of a fictional Phoenix neighborhood with his realistic paintings. View the artwork 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Appaloosa Library, 7377 E. Silverstone Drive Information: 480312-7323.

Newcomers of Scottsdale

At today’s Newcomers of Scottsdale luncheon, Phoenix Film Festival Leigh managing director Ann Dolan shares her insights about top contenders and makes predictions about who will take home an Oscar. 11:30 a.m. at McCormick Ranch Golf Club, 7505 McCormick Pkwy. Cost is $32. Registration is required. Information: newcomersclubofscottsdale.com.

Little libros

Kids up to 5 can learn fun songs, stories and rhymes in English and Spanish 10-10:30 a.m. at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-312-7323.

The great desert escape

The largest escape of prisoners of war in North America during World War II happened right here in Scottsdale. Join historian and author Keith Warren Lloyd as he explores the factors leading up to the escape, the escape itself and the aftermath 1-3 p.m. at Mustang Library, 10101 N. 90th Street. Registration: https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/citizen-service/college. Information: 480-312-7323.

Friday

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

Advanced beginner bridge

Join others in playing a fun game

Chair yoga

Saturday

Littlest Scientists club Children ages 2 to 5 can enjoy a scientific world of discovery through exploration and play 10:30 a.m. - noon at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Space is limited, please see a staff person prior to start of the program to pick up a ticket which will be your registration. Information: 480-312-7323.

Lunar New Year storytime

Ring in the Lunar New Year with a story and simple craft 10:30-11 a.m. at Appaloosa Library, 7377 E. Silverstone Drive Space is limited, so please see a staff member prior to the start of the program to pick up a ticket, which will act as your registration. Information: 480312-7323.

Hooray for Hollywood

Jan Sandwich and Nicole Pesce salute the “movie capital of the world” in a musical show featuring songs from famous movies such as “Moon River,” “As Time Goes By” and others 1-3 p.m. at Mustang Library, 10101 N. 90th Street. Seating is limited to the first 140 customers. Information: 480-312-7323.

Sunday

26 Story stop Build children’s literacy with a free picture book program 2-2:15 p.m. at the Scottsdale Civic Center

Paintings of Cam DeCaussin

Monday

Business Energizer Learn about setting weekly goals and generate business ideas with fellow business owners 9-10 a.m. This group meets virtually. To join, meet the group online through the “Monday Business Energizer” group LinkedIn page. Free. Information: edgar@compasscbs.com.

Forever Fit

Forever Fit is a new exercise class designed for active adults ages 55 and older 10:30-11:30 a.m. at Valley of the Sun JCC, 12701 N. Scottsdale Road JCC members only. Participants will increase heart rate and engage the mind in this fitness class. Information: 480-483-7121.

Tiny tot time

Develop babies’ literacy with songs, rhymes, movement and board books 11-11:20 a.m. at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-312-7323.

Books 2 boogie

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

Film series

Enjoy the historical drama, “Downton Abbey,” 5-7:15 p.m. at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Information: 480-3127323.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JANUARY 19, 2020

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3 Scottsdale trainers on best list for golfers BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

North

hree Scottsdale trainers S cottsda were recently recogle nized by Golf Digest as top golf-fitness professionals in the country. “The 50 Best Golf-Fitness Trainers in America” identify Greg McLean and Andrew Hannon of Premier Fitness Systems (PFS) and Spencer Tatum of Ignite THP among the elite. “It’s a great honor to be recognized in a profession with such elite people,” said Tatum, founder and performance director of Ignite THP. “The work I do with golfers is ANDREW HANNON about more than improving their physical ability; it’s about igniting their passion for players need during their grueling season the sport.” The Scottsdale resident founded Ignite to keep themselves healthy and continue THP, an individualized training company to improve their athletic performance. for clients and coaches, in August to de- Being a part of it all and really getting to liver fitness or sports training solutions impact the world of golf … really allows us to help players all over the world,” McLean specific to each client’s goals. “Being recognized by the top golf maga- said. About 85 percent of Ignite THP’s clients zine probably in the world is humbling are golfers from more than 150 college and quite the honor,” Hannon said. “The golf fitness industry is growing at a athletes, including Arizona State Univerrapid pace, and we notice many tour pro- sity golf teams, and more than 50 profesfessionals are starting to bring their fitness sional athletes, including PGA tour players trainers on the road with them,” he added. Jon Rahm and Wyndham Clark and LPGA “I believe the general golfer sees that, and player Anna Nordqvist. According to Tatum, two things set Igif they can improve their golf game in the form of physical fitness, it gives us the op- nite THP apart. “One is we truly have a systematic apportunity to help more people.” PFS, located in northern Scottsdale, cele- proach to how we look at golf fitness and brates its 10-year anniversary this month. performance and fitness in general,” he It was founded in Jan. 2010, by McLean said. “It’s allowed us to have success beand Brandon Harris, who have over 20 cause it’s a checklist to make sure: Are years of combined experience helping they working out? Are they healthy? Do people achieve their health and fitness they have function? Are they fit enough? goals via personal and small-group train- Are they performing well enough on the course?” ing, boot-camps and fitness classes. The second factor involves Tatum’s and “We’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the best players in the world and his team’s experience working with differreally start to understand what it is these ent types of athletes of varying skill levels.

GREG MCLEAN

SPENCER TATUM

“What we’re really focused on is putting the best product out there we can and going to the ends of the earth and researching everything we can, to bring back to our clients and clientele - we can help you at any level,” he added. Tatum explained Ignite THP takes a holistic approach to training. “We’re looking at all the parts that make up the success of a training fitness program or sports department’s program, looking at nutrition, sleep, hydration, stress, schedule, lifestyle management. The training is just a small piece of it. It’s what we focused on what we deliver, but how do we get all of these other elements to work together? Because if we just focus on just the training, then it’s not going to be as successful as it as it could be,” he said. Golf Digest’s annual list is compiled by the publication’s panel of 10 experts in golf fitness, including trainers, chiropractors, physical therapists and doctors. They nominated trainers based on their knowledge of the game, exercise physiology and biomechanics and how they apply both in working with clients.

“We wanted this list to be about the trainers in the trenches, the ones who can and sometimes do work with tour pros and can make a 65-year-old with spinal stenosis play and feel better,” Golf Digest Fitness Advisor Ben Shear said. Tatum earned his degree in exercise physiology from Ohio University, and since, he has been featured on ESPN for his work with Advantage Training Athletes, where he worked for more than 10 years prior to Ignite THP. This year, Tatum plans to open a new Ignite THP facility in northern Scottsdale to replace its original location at the Scottsdale Airpark. He said he hopes to open it within the next three to four months. “We’ve been working with a few elite companies and people to bring technology and innovation in our strategies of how we’re approaching clients in everything from nutrition, hydration [and] sleep to tracking [and] monitoring,” Tatum said. “We’re constantly trying to innovate and be dynamic in our coaching and delivery model,” he added. Information: ignitethp.com.

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War relics collector visits Scottsdale

relics from the Civil War to both world wars. This year, they set up shop n a conference room tucked inside S at various Valley cities in cottsda Hampton Inn & Suites on Shea le hopes residents like WinBoulevard on a weekday mornburn would show up with ing, around 20 people were seated and wartime treasures in hand. waiting patiently for their respective num“We always want the back story, bers to be called by Bill Crescent. the love letters, discharge papers. People “I brought a samurai sword from World can connect better to a display if they can War II,” said Fountain Hills resident Joel see who actually owned them,” said David Winburn, whose father was a marine who Hilpp, museum curator who has been a fought in World War II and owned the collector since he was 7. sword since 1945. “We want to know who they were, get “I just want to give it to somebody, make pictures of them when they were kids or it useful for somebody down the road who older men or during the war,” he added. likes to collect,” Winburn explained as to This is Crescent’s second visit to why he showed up for Crescent’s special Arizona. military war relics buying event. Last year, they returned home with ChiCrescent is the owner of Crescent Jewel- nese leather patches, a medal, two samuers in Illinois. rai swords, including one roughly 300 But the store, which opened in Lansing years old, and more, according to Hilpp. in 1992, houses and sells more than fine “We do this five to seven times a year, it’s jewelry such as diamonds, watches and a lot of work and effort,” he said. precious gems. Crescent and Hilpp began buying miliIts lower level is home to a sizable tary relics in the mid-90s. collection of wartime memorabilia datThey started in the Chicago area and ing from the American Revolution to then traveled to states east of the Missisthe Gulf War. sippi such as New York, Kentucky, Atlanta Crescent has been collecting wartime and Georgia and have collected items once memorabilia since he was 12 years old, belonging to Adolf Hitler, Japan’s Prime and this year marks his 45th year doing so. Minister Hideki Tojo and Iraq dictator SadHe and his team recently traveled to Ari- dam Hussein. zona for six days in search of military war The museum displays parts of Hitler’s personal silverware set, including a serving tray, fruit bowl and gravy boat. “I have his letterhead and an extremely rare order autographed by him,” Hilpp said, adding Hitler’s personal items came from relatives of U.S. Army lawyers who participated in the Nuremberg trials. “Looked like these lawyers were given Nazi silverware as a gift and they brought it home,” Hilpp said. Richard Cotter, a Crescent Jewelers has accumulated a large number of resident WWII helmets for its Illinois museum of war memorabilia. Scottsdale (David Hilpp/Special to the Progress) for 20 years, said he BY KRISTINE CANNON & CECILIA CHAN Progress Staff Writers

South

Museum curator David Hilpp holds a photo and Purple Heart award document for a sailor killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor, part of the wartime memorabilia housed at Crescent Jewelers in Lansing, Illinois. (David Hilpp/Special to the Progress)

attended the buying event “for my wife,” explaining he and his wife, Margaret Cotter, inherited bags upon bags of old Hollywood memorabilia from her parents. “She’s from Springfield, Illinois,” Richard said of Margaret. “Her parents were big fans of the movie stars, and they went to everything.” Richard picked up the bag he brought from home off the floor and thumbed through about 25 original movie programs, including “Gone with the Wind.” He also had booklets, including one telling the life story of Carole Lombard, an American film actress from the ‘20s to early ‘40s. “I’ve got a lot of stuff like this,” Richard said. The collection in Illinois is comprised of

thousands of relics, Hilpp said, and occupied three attached rooms in the jewelry store. “We bought the building next door and broke through the wall to expand what is on display,” Hilpp added. “We are looking for permanent space in the Chicago area.” Hilpp said they’ve had offers to bring their museum in Beijing, China, and Hong Kong for a temporary exhibit. They’ve also been approached to be the subjects of a reality show, similar to “Pawn Stars,” but they rejected the offer twice. “We do this for a noble reason,” he said. “This is to honor veterans and to honor the people who never came back.” Information: crescentjewelers.com.

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Recovery studio Balunsd expands in Scottsdale BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

usiness owners Trisha Haws and Brynn Martin have big plans for Balunsd over the next �ive years. And it starts with the recent opening of the advanced performance and recovery studio’s second location in northern Scottsdale. Balunsd’s second location opened on Jan. 14, two years after the opening of its �irst location on Fifth Ave in Old Town. The new facility is twice the size of the Old Town studio at about 2,400 square feet. It has the same services as the southern Scottsdale studio, including Normatec compression therapy, an infrared sauna, a hot tub and a cold tub. New to the Balunsd studio in northern Scottsdale are four private rooms allowing for private therapy treatments, including massages. “Everything at Balunsd South is pretty awesome in the sense it’s like a coffee shop but for taking care of your body,” Martin said. “But we have had people express interest in wanting some private type sessions and in regard to the saunas, speci�ically, and also the massage therapy.” The addition of private therapy treatments made sense for Haws and Martin, who also own Movement Restoration, a massage therapy concept focusing on restoring natural movement through individualized massages. With Movement Restoration so close to Balunsd in Old Town, Balunsd clients can make the �ive-minute drive south their massage therapy needs. “But now we’ve moved to a new location, we’ve always wanted the combination,” Martin said. The new Balunsd studio also has an additional sauna located in a room, allowing for private sauna sessions.

Balunsd, owned by Trisha Haws, Brynn Martin, and Carolina Panthers Defensive Tackle Dontari Poe, opened a second studio in northern Scottsdale this month. The grand opening celebration will take place Feb. 19. (Balunsd/Special to the Progress)

Balunsd will celebrate its grand opening celebration on Feb. 19 from open to close. In addition to food and drink vendors, a live DJ and a raf�le, professional athletes will be in attendance. Balunsd is also teaming up with Scottsdale Beer Company to create their own Balunsd beer. A portion of proceeds from sales of the Balunsd beer at the event – as well as 100 percent of raf�le ticket sales and cold bath bookings as well as 10 percent of $79.99 prime memberships sold — will go directly to Valleywise Health Foundation. “I grew up in a family of healthcare providers, so I’m passionate about it,” Martin said. “My parents both had cancer and our business partner, Eric, both of his parents died from cancer. So, we always tried to do something to promote health in some capacity, whether it’s youth sports or something like Valleywise to give back to that kind of resonates with us and something

we’re passionate about ourselves,” Martin added. Valleywise Health Foundation is a Phoenix nonpro�it supporting Valleywise Health programs, education, research and capital improvement projects advancing patient welfare and improving health care. Balunsd’s most popular service among new clients is Normatec compression therapy, which applies pressure on the legs and other areas of the body, similar to a massage, releasing tension, increasing blood �low and reducing pain and soreness. “NormaTec is the easiest thing for people to do if they’ve never done any form of recovery,” Martin said. “It feels so relaxing,” Haws added. “It’s parasympathetic, so you’re getting a downshift in your nervous system — and it feels great.” The infrared sauna is also a client-favorite. “We are super excited about the bene�its of sauna,” Martin said. “There are a lot of studies being made now with infrared

speci�ic to mental health, to cardiovascular health, Lyme disease, a lot of autoimmunetype things. “A lot of people are following a lot of this research, so we’ve de�initely felt an uptick in it since opening.” Martin and Haws plan to open three more Balunsd studios throughout the Valley. They chose Scottsdale for their second location because it fell into their laps. “We have a lot of partners up here. We work with a lot of local gyms. There are a lot of people in this area we know personally, and it just made sense,” Martin said. As for the forthcoming locations, Martin said they have several locations mapped out throughout the Valley, but cannot disclose exactly where. Martin and Haws, who have more than 15 years of experience in the health, wellness and �itness industry, founded Balunsd as a way to make advanced recovery more approachable and affordable. The concept has since been used by professional athletes, including Sarah Whipple, a certi�ied personal trainer; Steve Cook, a health and �itness spokesmodel; and Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Dontari Poe, who now co-owns the business. “People are telling us their stories and how Balunsd is changing their lives, whether it’s an 80-year-old person or the person with Lyme disease. For them, it’s changing their life. It’s been cool in that sense because people are using recovery in ways that we didn’t anticipate,” Martin said.

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Balunsd North 14202 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 165-A 480-590-1029 balunsd.com

OPINION

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Homeowners have some options for rowdy rentals BY PATRICK MACQUEEN Progress Guest Writer

ith the exponential growth of short-term rental companies like Airbnb and VRBO in recent years, vacation rentals are of increasing concern to homeowners and can put strain on the relationships of neighbors. On one hand, owning property comes with a “bundle of rights,” including the opportunity to rent property to another individual and to make money doing so. Advancing technology has expanded choices for consumer travel and changed the traditional rental market time frames to much shorter periods.

One source of strain is the dif�iculty in balancing rights of one party to earn money with the negative effects if a neighbor is renting their home as a “party house.” If you’re against short-term rentals, the bad news is that there’s evidence that platforms such as VRBO and Airbnb have now become an accepted way to book a vacation. The good news is that in areas where short-term rentals are accepted or encouraged, your neighbor’s use of a home as a vacation rental may result in raising the value of your home. While you may believe that your neighbor’s use of their home as a short-term rental is a new phenomenon, it is not. The history of using a residence as a vacation, or short-term rental, shows that

these uses are not going away. These uses date back as far as the mid1600s and researchers believe the �irst vacation rental property was Louis XIV’s Palace of Versailles. In 1995, the Internet led to Vacation Rentals by Owner (or VRBO). VRBO initially consisted of one listing for a property in Breckenridge, CO. Ten years later, HomeAway launched as a merger of �ive different vacation rental sites. HomeAway subsequently purchased VRBO and its inventory of listed vacation rentals soared to several hundred thousand. By 2015, the vacation rental industry was worth more than $85 billion and HomeAway alone had more than 2.8 million rooms available – more than the four larg-

est hotel chains in the world combined. And the average homeowner utilizing their home for vacation rental purposes is earning nearly $30,000 annually. With the exploding number of vacation rentals, there are bound to be con�licts. If you are a homeowner negatively affected by short-term rentals in your neighborhood, your �irst response should probably be to try an informal conversation with your neighbor addressing your concerns. If that does not work, you may want to see if your neighbor’s use of their home as a short-term or vacation rental violates local code; if so, your next step would be to contact local of�icials and report the violation.

There are many factors that play a role in your health, but one that you can control is making a commitment to start living a healthier lifestyle. Sure, there will be some bumps during your well-being journey, but your goal can be achievable and you deserve to reap the bene�its. Consider some helpful tips for achieving a healthier you in 2020. Stay active. Regular exercise may help you live longer and may reduce your risks for a host of diseases. Try to aim for at least 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic activity a week, but if that’s too challenging then start off with 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there. Every little bit counts. To be successful, your �itness program should become a part of your daily life. Also, check with your health plan and employer to see if they offer wellness incentives. For example, UnitedHealthcare’s Gym

Check-In program enables participating employers to provide employees and their spouses the opportunity to each earn hundreds of dollars a year for visiting a �itness facility 12 days or more per month. Eat healthier. It’s easier said than done, but good nutrition is a vital part of a healthier lifestyle. Experts say the healthiest diets are rich in fruits and vegetables, because these foods are full of healthful nutrients and �iber. Here are three simple tips to eating healthier: Go for more fruits and veggies; choose less meat and fat; and keep an eye on the size of your food portions. Just saying “no,” to the buffet can do wonders. Reduce your stress. It’s important to unwind and relax by doing something you enjoy. Maybe it’s watching a movie, reading a book, or volunteering. Also, make time to connect with others. Maybe that’s friends, family, a faith group or a hobby

club. It’s important that you don’t isolate yourself after a stressful event. If you cannot get a handle on your stress, talk to your doctor. She or he may recommend a counselor who could help you �ind other ways to help reduce or manage the unhealthy stress in your life. Team up with your doctor. Take time today to make an appointment with your doctor for your annual wellness visit and be sure to ask about preventive services such as health screenings and vaccines. Check with your health plan as many preventive services have no additional cost, as long they are delivered by care providers in your plan’s network. Your doctor will help you create a treatment plan to help manage any chronic conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure. -Sandra Crews is the west region health strategies consultant for UnitedHealthcare.

�� MACQUEEN �� 29

Make healthy living a priority in 2020 BY SANDRA CREWS Progress Guest Writer

ow is the time of year when we typically take inventory of our lives and set new goals. Relationships, �inances, careers and health are all important aspects that impact our overall well-being. For this year, consider making your health a top priority. According to the recent America’s Health Rankings Annual Report, the nation’s obesity rate continues to rise, with one in three adults now experiencing obesity. The alarming national statistic may have serious health consequences such as diabetes which now impacts approximately 30 million adults and is the No. 1 cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations, and adult blindness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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MACQUEEN �� 28

For example, in Scottsdale, homes available for rent are permitted to have a maximum family size of six adults (and their related dependent children). This is violated every night in many parts of Scottsdale. Even if there are no code violations, you may have a claim that your neighbor has created a nuisance, thereby entitling you to money damages. Another option is to scour any deed restrictions, CC&Rs, or HOA rules of your community to determine if any are being violated. Many CC&Rs prohibit rentals of less than 30 days and many deed restrictions prohibit the use of homes as businesses. Yet another option is to seek an injunction, a court order that the renting must stop for a certain amount of time. If you are a homeowner that opens your home to short term guests, be a good neighbor. Communicate with other homeowners about the use of your home and provide neighbors with your contact information or property manager's.

Assure your neighbors that statistics show that short-term rentals may actually increase the value of homes in the neighborhood. Speci�ically, the homes available for short term use are usually cleaner than most homes in the neighborhood due to the mandatory cleaning after guests depart; the curb appeal is usually higher; and the homes being utilized as short-term rentals are often more up to date, as owners need to stay competitive with other homeowners in the area using their homes as rentals. And, of course, follow up with your neighbors as to whether any issues occur. The only rules of much signi�icance require an owner to obtain a transaction privilege tax license and display the license number in any home listings and to provide contact information to local authorities. That’s it. But, as an owner of a short-term rental, continue to monitor the laws, as they are very much in �lux. -Attorney Patrick MacQueen is a cofounder of the Phoenix law �irm MacQueen & Gottlieb, ranked as the state’s top real estate law �irm. Information: MandGLawGroup.com, 602-533-2840.

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Celebration of Fine Art celebrates life BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

usan Morrow Potje was in her mid-20s when her dad and stepmom, Tom and Ann Morrow, came up with the idea to create their own version of California’s Laguna Beach Festival of Art in Scottsdale. They called it, "Celebration of Fine Art" – part gallery, part working studio and part art show – and they launched it in 1991. “People thought they were crazy to think about putting up a tent and filling it with artists and letting collectors and artists actually interact together,” Potje said. Decades later, the annual event has not only grown into a much-visited, well-respected community of artists and collectors, but it’s also grown into an event that means so much to the entire Morrow family. “In the beginning, it was such a grassroots, bootstrap effort. We’ve evolved into a much more lovely atmosphere ... that people look forward to every year. And every

Celebration of Fine Art is a family-run art show. Jake and Susan Potje (left) are the current owners of Celebration of Fine Art. Ann and Tom Morrow, right, started the art show 30 years ago. (Courtesy of Susan Morrow Potje)

year, we just drive to do a little bit better,” Potje said. This year, Celebration of Fine Art’s 30th anniversary kicked off Jan. 18 and contin-

ues through March 29. This 10-week juried, invitational show and art sale features 40,000 square feet of working studios and works of art in all

mediums and styles by 100 renowned and emerging artists from across the country. In addition to viewing and purchasing artwork, show attendees can attend the hour-long Art Discovery Series each Friday at 4 p.m. “This experience has really enriched people’s lives in a way that far surpasses art sales. It’s relationships and the stories that people share and works of art that people collect, and sometimes commission artists to do, to commemorate an important moment in time or person in their life,” Potje said. Year one was quite different than the well-oiled machine it is today. “I would run around and do marketing and go to hotels; and the first year we set up, we didn’t have any floors. The tents were set up on native dirt with maybe a little bit of sawdust because we were half emulating the Sawdust Festival,” Potje recalled.

see FINE ART page 32

Jewish film festival marking 24 years BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

he Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival is bigger and better than ever this year. Returning for its 24th year and running Feb. 9-23, it celebrates Jewish culture and honors Jewish traditions and heritage through film. This year, the festival has not only increased the number of films but will feature a five-part series by Israeli filmmakers and show a film for the first time on a Saturday evening. “It’s improved. It’s better,” said Jerry Mittelman, co-executive director alongside Barry Singer. “We’re amazed at the fact that people

begin to inquire as early as August what we’re going to show in February and what our plans are.” This year’s fest boasts almost 2,900 minutes of Jewish cinema from 14 different countries. The program comprises 32 features, 14 shorts and 48 screenings at Harkins Shea 14 in ScottConnor Griffin, 22, is a Fountain Hills resident whose short film, sdale, Harkins Park “Secular Oasis,” will show at the 24th Annual Greater Phoenix West 14 in Peoria, Jewish Film Festival this year. (Connor Griffin/Special to the Progress) and Harkins Tempe

Marketplace 16 in Tempe. The longest-running film festival in the Valley, they showed 20 films last year. “By offering more films, we have a wider selection to attract a wider audience,” Singer said. According to Mittelman, their audience has not only become more diverse over the years but has also grown 10 to 15 percent every year. “In the years 2009, 2010, we showed in one theater and we took in 1,600 people in one week — six or seven films — that’s all. And we’re almost 10-times that now,” Mittelman added. The screening process is important to

see JFF page 33

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Fiber artists shine in Scottsdale exhibit BY DAVID M. BROWN Progress Contributor

wo Chandler women are exploring the power of love through their fiber artworks at a new exhibition in Scott-

sdale. Shachi Kale and Laurie Fagen are joining three East Valley artists at “Huggernaut, Fiber Arts of Love,” Jan. 13 through March 31, at the Civic Center Public Gallery in the Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. A free opening reception is 6:30–8 p.m., Jan. 17, at the library. And, two workshops will take place 4-7 p.m., Feb. 6 and 3-6 p.m., March 25 in its Copper Gallery. A “huggernaut” is a force, an object or a person that embraces all things because of love, such as the Buddha, explained Kale, who is also a graphic designer. Earlier this year, she had a one-woman show at the Appaloosa Library in Scottsdale, exploring her emigration from native Mumbai, India, to the United States after marriage, and its attendant loneliness, despair, loss of self and, ultimately, reaffirmation and hope –– emotions also depicted in the new exhibition.

FINE ART from page 30

And then the rain came. “We had more rain than we’d had in the last 20 years,” Potje said. “But, all of the artists made the best of it and really recognized it as something really exciting that was happening. They powered through.” Potje estimates Celebration of Fine Art’s inaugural event attracted 25,000 visitors and made $250,000 to $300,000 in ticket sales. Thirty years later, as Arizona’s longestrunning art show, Celebration of Fine Art has attracted 1.5 million visitors over the three decades. And, on average, the event takes in $5.5 million. “In the 2019, we hit $6.5 million art sales revenue,” she added. In its 30 years, Celebration of Fine Art has made an impact on the local economy, from hotels to restaurants and more. Celebration of Fine Art has also given back to its community over the past few years, thanks to its artists and patrons. In addition to cash donations, collectors and artists have donated art supplies to

Chandler artist Laurie Fagen will be displaying some of her jewelry and quilts. (Special to the Progress)

“It’s an exhibition of the many styles of fiber arts. The artists present personal artworks that communicate the power of love and celebrate faith in humanity in the face of so much heartache, pain and fear in the world,” said Wendy Raisanen, curator of collections and exhibitions for the sponsor, Scottsdale Public Art. The artworks incorporate wool, cotton,

"Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona." “The other thing that is not measurable financially is the impact that we’ve had on the brand of Scottsdale as an art destination, the reputation of what we do within this community for the art world,” Potje said. Potje attributes Celebration of Fine Art’s success to its artists. “The growth has been consistent year over year, largely due to continuing to jury better and better quality of work ,” she said. “Artists who’ve been with us year over year, their work just seems to elevate every year.” Roughly one-third of Celebration of Fine Art’s attendees are out-of-state visitors, onethird comprises residents who have second homes in the Scottsdale area and the last third are full-time local residents. “[The] local residents that come, come multiple times a week. They live here. I have a guy that, last year, I was teasing him that I was going to put him to work, but he [said], ‘I’d rather come here and drink coffee and walk around and talk to people than go sit at Starbucks,’” Potje recalled. “There’s a lot of camaraderie and relationship building.”

nylon, sheepskin, corn husks and leather through quilting, weaving, felting and other sculptural techniques, she explained. “I feel, more and more, how important it is to remember that we all must love one another more to launch ourselves away from the divisiveness that is occurring in the world, like an astronaut escaping earth’s gravity,” she said, adding: “It’s interesting to me how varied the artists’ responses to the subject are. Each artist bears witness to the role love plays in their lives, from bittersweet to joyful.” The artists’ creations derive from life experiences, some intensely painful. Fagen’s “Life After Death,” is inspired by the death from cancer of her husband, Geoff Hancock, after 27 years of marriage. The 48-by-23-inch quilt comprises handdyed cotton fabrics, thread, beads, yarn, with commercial and artist-made polymer charms. “‘Life After Death’ shows the initial stage of grief, anger, pain, and tears after my husband died, with irregular sides, slashes in the fabric and red yarn symbolizing the fury I felt with the unfairness of this horrid disease,” said Fagen, a native of Earlham, Iowa, and an ASU alumna who moved to Chandler Among the out-of-state attendees was Don Valentine, an American venture capitalist referred to as the “grandfather of Silicon Valley venture capital.” Valentine died on Oct. 25, and his memorial service was held at Bing Concert Hall at Stanford University. Potje described Valentine as a “longtime, fantastic collector.” “[He] made such an impact on all of us here. We all want the same thing, which is to feel appreciated and to enjoy beauty. And he certainly did that and this Celebration of Fine Art became a very important part of his life and his family,” Potje added. Potje and her husband, Jake Potje, have helmed the show since 2004, taking over duties from Ann and Tom, who passed away in 2016. “[Tom] was grateful and proud of the legacy of the Celebration of Fine Art. He knew it was in good hands and that it would have a great future and it would continue to bring a positive impact to the community of Scottsdale,” Susan said. As second-generation owners of the show, Susan and Jake aren’t the only two in

in 1999 from Ahwatukee. “It progresses to more calming colors to represent the days when I could finally embrace the memories with smiles instead of so many tears.” Cancer disrupted the family life, eventually leaving her a widow and her son, Devon Hancock, fatherless. Yet, during the travail, their love intensified, an emotional process incorporated in the quilt. “Our commitment to each other became deeper, and in the face of so much heartache, pain and fear, love gave me the strength to carry on after my dear Geoffrey’s passing.” Now she pursues Fagen Designs, writes crime fiction mystery novels, sings and has had her second original musical stage production performed at the Herberger Theater Center. “My dear friends and family, including my 95-year-old mom, Lani, who is also a quilter in Chandler, gave me hope and brought laughter back into my life. Through giving back with my art and music, I have finally found the wisdom needed to move forward and [it has] created peace in my life.”

see FIBER page 33

the show’s multi-generational family. Working in the cafe is Kathy Thorpe and her daughter, Amy Connelly. Thorpe has been volunteering her time for 19 years, and Amy started working with the Celebration of Fine Art family seven years ago. There’s also Greg Sievers, an artist who has been participating in the show for more than 25 years, and his son, Matt Sievers, who grew up painting with his dad and will take part in the show this year. “We have several generational stories like that,” Susan said. As their way to continue to evolve as an organization and capture the stories of the artists and the people behind Celebration of Fine Art, Susan started a podcast called “Celebrating Art Podcast.” Hosted by Susan, the podcast highlights a diverse array of including collectors, acclaimed and emerging artists, experts and editors to discuss the people and stories behind the art, the business of art, and upcoming trends shaping the industry.

see FINE ART page 33

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JFF from page 30

the selection committee, which begins screening for the following year as soon as the current festival concludes. Three communities – in Peoria, Tempe and Scottsdale – watch and vote on the films. “Sometimes there’s even differences between, say, the Scottsdale group and the Peoria group, and we would sometimes show a film only in one location just because it felt it more appropriate for audiences,” Singer said. Mittelman explained, “The screening committee has to be fair and honest. If one individual doesn’t like a film, they can’t vote it out if they feel that it’s good for the festival. It’s a tough judging contest.” The committee takes current events into consideration when selecting films, too. For example, this year, the fest will show “Gentleman’s Agreement,” about a highly respected writer who is recruited by a national magazine to write a series of articles on anti-Semitism in America. Also featured is “King Bibi: The Life and Performances of Benjamin Netanyahu,” “who’s got his problems with Israel,” Mittelman said. “I feel that’s very relevant.” All five episodes of the Israeli television program “Autonomies,” will be shown. It’s “a globally-relevant dystopian tale center-

FIBER from page 32

Kale will be showing three pieces: “Memories,” “Excavating Gold” and “Letting Go.” “They attempt to understand how love from our past shapes us and holds us together, how one must dig deep through our own layers and find buried gold and how letting go can be transformative, like a butterfly escaping its cocoon,” she said. In “Memories,” she combines watercolor, fiber, embroidery and collage, using photographs printed on cloth. “Memories of my past, people, places, sounds, smells and textures, remind me of

FINE ART from page 32

The idea for the podcast came from their Art Discovery Series, which started five years ago. “On these Fridays, we have a one-hour dialogue where we have a panel of four artists, and we pick a topic. That was part of the genesis of the podcast,” Susan explained. “The content is so rich because ev-

ing on the issues of identity, religion, politics and personal freedom in Israel,” the synopsis states. “In today’s world of bingeing, we’re actually showing a five-part Israeli miniseries. That’s something new for us completely,” Singer said. A new short film program will feature the top three winners of the GPJFF-sponsored Israeli Film Contest as well as one short film by Fountain Hills resident Connor Griffin, 22. “One of our sponsors challenged us a couple of years ago to do a contest for a student Israeli filmmaker for short films, and we took him up on it,” Mittelman said. The committee received about 30 entries from film schools all over Israel, and the three winning films are “Maman,” “Sushi, Meatballs & Everything,” and “Noa.” Griffin’s film is titled, “Secular Oasis.” “This film follows Nir and Elisheva and their journeys of finding their place at the Secular Yeshiva,” Griffin said. “The film is a slice of life stepping into some relevant topics in the Israeli life today,” he added. “The focus is much more on the religious state versus the secular movement in Israel and, more importantly, how the people there are working to make their home a free place, where they can learn and express ideas without traditional restraints.”

Griffin created the film last summer as one of 24 participants in the Jerusalem Film Workshop, a six-week program in Jerusalem, Israel. Griffin said he was selected among 500 filmmakers from around the world. “These young filmmakers are some of the most passionate, goodhearted, strong willed, extraordinary people I have met in my life,” he said. The festival helped support Griffin in Israel because he is “someone who took the initiative to reach out to us, to research and come and give a mini presentation about what he was planning on doing and how he felt his attendance would further his own development,” Singer explained. Griffin, a soon-to-be graduate of Biola University, calls his placement in the festival “pretty cool.” “It will be an awesome thing to tell my kids and future employers,” he said. Guest speakers will moderate discussions following many of the screenings. Speakers include Washington, D.C.based filmmaker Aviva Kempner, author of “Silver Screen, Hasidic Jews: The Story of an Image” and Shaina Hammerman. The festival will also show a free screening of Steven Spielberg’s “An American Tail” on Feb. 23 for a mixed audience of Jewish teens from Valley congregations and more than 100 members of Gesher

Disability Resources (formerly Council for Jews with Special Needs) and their caretakers. With the showing, “The Art of Waiting” on a Saturday evening for the first time, the festival increased the number of short films preceding feature-length films this year. “It used to be the exception rather than the rule, and now I would say well over half the films have a short before them,” Singer said. For both Singer and Mittelman, the fest is a labor of love. “Everybody at this festival, there’s no salary, no wages, just a lot of work,” Mittelman said. “It’s wonderful to see, the effort that everyone is willing to put out for this. It’s just very, very special.”

ery artist has tons of stories. The podcast launched on Nov. 6 and is available to stream on Celebration of Fine Art’s website. Guests include Malibu-based abstract artist Robin Branham, wildlife artist Trevor Swanson, and Scottsdale’s Museum of the West’s Assistant Director for Curation, Research and Exhibits Tricia Loscher. “One thing I inherited from my dad is a

sense of curiosity. If we go way back to the beginning, I think that was one of his reasons for success: He was always curious and always willing to try something new,” Susan said. New episodes are released every Sunday. Tickets for Celebration of Fine Art range from $8 to $10, and each ticket is a season pass good for the duration of the 10-week show and sale.

If you go

who I was, how the love of family shaped me and how the warm embrace of ‘home’ continues to cast a soft glow on the rest of my life,” said Kale, who has been drawing since childhood in India. She credits her many teachers at Mesa Community College for mentoring her and husband, Vikram Thatte, for his support. Chandler residents since August 2001, they have two boys, Shantanu and Ishaan, and their dog is Buzz, after “Buzz Lightyear,” the cartoon character. “Excavating Gold” also includes watercolor and embroidered collage with printed textiles from India. “Here I am exploring the

root of the love that can embrace everything in its path,” she said. “We are all made up of layers of experience and life events, stories we tell ourselves or have been told, both about the world and ourselves,” she added. “The first step to embracing the world with love is to dig deep through those rough and rocky layers and try to reach the glimmer of gold that resides within each of us.” Embroidery on cloth is the method and material of “Letting Go.” “How can we embrace the world if we are unable to see the beauty and power of transformation that lies within us?” Kale asked, adding:

If you go

The 24th Annual Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival When: Feb. 9-23 Where: Harkins Theatres Shea 14, 7354 E. Shea Blvd. Tickets: $7 for students (ID required, 25 and under), $7 active military (ID required), $11 for adults ($13 at the door), $150 festival pass Call: 602-753-9366 Website: gpjff.org

“It’s only in allowing ourselves to acknowledge the beauty both outside and inside can we free our spirit to go out and embrace this world that is filled with variety and differences. “Seeing love and its all-powerful embrace expressed by so many artists and their various interpretations will hopefully nudge viewers to think back to all the times they have felt that force of love in their own lives,” she said. “Huggernaut starts from within.” The workshops are free, but an RSVP is required. This can be done at ScottsdalePublicArt.org/Events, where additional information can be found.

Celebration of Fine Art When: Open daily 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. through March 29 Where: 18400 N. Hayden Rd. Tickets: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and military, free for children under 12; free parking Website: celebrateart.com

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Schmooze in Scottsdale rebrands, ‘re-bars’ But it’s their twist on Truly that is sure to attract customers. “We’ve actually created a way to flavor it, so we have more flavors than Truly actually does — and it actually tastes better,” Simonelli claimed. Schmooze’s flavors include peach, cherry, plum, cranberry, and mint chocolate chip. Simonelli said they infused unflavored Truly-branded hard seltzer with their own sugar-free flavors, giving customers a “guiltfree alcoholic beverage.” “It’s not rocket science what we did, but

we did find a way to keep it still sugar-free. We’re still playing around with it to have the different flavors,” he added. The flashy bar is complete with artwork and UV bar tops created by Leila Joon, a Scottsdale-based artist and manager of her family’s business, Parnian Furniture, a high-end luxury contemporary furniture store in the Scottsdale Airpark. As of Jan. 16, Schmooze extended its Thursday through Saturday bar hours from 5-9 p.m. They’re calling the program "Schmooze After Dark." “The bar program has launched with what we see as the newest and most innovative trends yet to hit the market,” Simonelli said. “Nobody’s doing it to the level that we are.” Simonelli said the idea for cocktails on tap was inspired by a bar on the east coast. “A place in Brooklyn has 30 on tap. That’s

not fast food either. Guests can find pasta sharing boards ($7/person), creamy spaghetti rapini ($15), and Tomaso’s classic seafood stew cioppino ($29). In addition to classic recipes, all the new kitchen’s pasta is made from scratch daily. “We say, ‘It’s made over here, but it tastes like over there,’” said the effervescent Joey. “We’re going to make this pasta as identical as possible to how they do it in Italy.” Along with hand-crafted pasta, Tomaso’s Italian Kitchen features a full-service bar with a focus on Italian wines

and cocktails and an all-day happy hour. "When in Rome" opened in 2017 as a spin-off of the original Tomaso’s on Camelback and 32nd Street in Phoenix. It offered a Roman-inspired, high-end experience, but was more suited for special occasions than everyday dining, Joey said. Now, the formal, Roman-styled decor has been replaced with yellow and blue pastels, a nod to the colorful towns of Italy’s Amalfi Coast. “We just wanted to bring a fresh and younger, fun vibe to the Tomaso’s brand,” Joey said. Tomaso opened his original restaurant in 1977 and has since created dozens of

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

ut with the sound-proof offices resembling London Phone booths and in with a rainbow-splashed bar serving cocktails — on tap. Welcome to Schmooze 2.0. Over about five months, the Schmooze Bar & Breakfast team – including owner John Vatistas, managing partner Steve Simonelli, beverage director Jimmy Makura, chef Tony Hamati and Sophia Zori, who also works on the food program at Schmooze – has created a new bar program from scratch. It’s a 28-tap system featuring 16 handcrafted kegged cocktails, including classic cocktails, like old fashioneds and manhattans; trending cocktails, like aperol spritzes and hard seltzers; and custom creations, like their pomegranate mezcal made with Agave de Cortes Joven Mezcal. They also have wine and beer available.

Jimmy Makura, beverage director, and Steve Simonelli, managing partner, are two of four partners who built Schmooze Bar & Breakfast from the ground up. This month, they extended their hours into the evening for their new bar program, Schmooze After Dark. (Chris Mortenson/Progress Staff Photographer)

see SCHMOOZE page 37

Maggiores open doors to families at Tomaso’s BY RACHEL HOWARD Progress Contributor

hen life hits, you hit back harder. When life floods your restaurant, if you’re celebrity chefs Tomaso and Joey Maggiore, you take the opportunity to create a whole new dining experience. "Tomaso’s Italian Kitchen," formerly "Tomaso’s When in Rome," reopened last fall at 23655 N. Scottsdale Road with a colorful, casual take on the famed chefs’ quality-centered brand. The new kitchen boasts Tomaso’s classic dishes paired with fresh seafood and pasta made from scratch daily. There’s no $39 veal chop caprese like at the original Tomaso’s, but it’s

Tomaso’s boasts of “a whole lot of pasta” like this Mafalde and Burrata sharing board. (Facebook)

see TOMASO'S page 36

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Agave del Scottsdale bartender tells all

always enjoy what you do. Otherwise, what is the point?

BY ANNIKA TOMLIN Progress Contributor

gave del Scottsdale is an authentic Mexican restaurant and bar that unites the country’s fresh spices. At the bar’s helm is Mexican native Fernando Bernal, who mixes his heritage with the drinks. We recently had the chance to sit down with Bernal and get his backstory on how his career started and why Agave del Scottsdale is the right place for everyone to be.

What’s your favorite drink? I’m a very simple guy. I’m like a Jack and a beer kind of guy. My favorite tequila is going to be Siete Leguas reposado. So basically tequilas go into three stages: blancos, reposados and añejos. The reposado is one of my favorite tequilas. You’ll most likely find me drinking my shot of tequila with a beer.

Tell us about your career I’ve been bartending for Cucumber and about 20 years. Most of Cilantro Margarita my life I lived in California, 2 ounces tequila and I moved here about a 3/4 ounce of lime juice year ago. Honestly, when I 3/4 ounce of agave nectar moved, I thought I was not 2 slices of cucumber About 10 sliced leaves of going to stay in the indus- cilantro try. I wanted to do some- Tajin to rim the glass thing different. But I came Muddle the cucumber and Fernando Bernal, the mixologist at Agave del Scottsdale, dishere and what I went to cilantro together in a shaker. plays his recommended cocktail, whose recipe is at left. school for wasn’t flat out Then combine the rest of the (Special to the Progress) elements in the shaker. Before what I wanted to do. ally been where around with that idea. I heard about this place straining into a glass, rim the glass with lime juice and then you make exotic and how they were going to Tajin. Pour the drink in the drinks. The funny What’s your No. 1 pet peeve when open something different glass and garnish with a lime thing about this working? for the neighborhood and slice on the side. industry is a lot One thing you’ll find about me is Arizona. I’m from Mexico of the times cus- that I’m passionate about what I do. If City and I could relate to some of the dishes that they’re bringing tomers don’t know exactly what they're I didn’t enjoy what I do, most likely I wouldn’t be here. I know a lot of people here. So, I came here, talked to a gen- looking for. There was a time when a lady came are in it for the money. It bothers me eral manager and we put our thoughts together and came up with some of the in and asked me for a drink that had when people do not share the same eggs in it. I knew there were quite a passion. drinks we offer here. few drinks nowadays that use eggs, Regardless of what it is, whether you like the yolk, but we’re not that type are working in a fancy place or just a What’s your oddest drink request? The places I've worked have not re- of place. I haven’t really even played little mom-and-pop shop, you should

TOMASO'S �� page 34

concepts in the Valley, San Diego and New York with his children. “We’ve been raised in that location, that business, and we’ve kind of branched out,” Joey said. “It’s really doing what he does and trying to build on it.” Joey, who co-founded the Maggiore Group with his father and his wife, Cristina, had just sold concepts of his own in the San Diego area when his father suggested he rejoin him in Phoenix. That re-

union led to new restaurants like Hash Kitchen and the Sicilian Butcher, offering creative takes on Italian tradition. “It brought the family back together. We love what we do, and being together doing it is more memorable,” Joey said. When they aren’t busy running Hash Kitchen and Sicilian Butcher, Joey and Cristina help Tomaso keep his concepts up to his high standards. “He still works out of Tomaso’s every day, but as a family, we have a friendly competition and we try to outdo each

other,” Joey said. “At the end of the day, it’s all about family.” As much as he loves the high-end dining of the Tomaso’s brand, as a father himself, Joey hopes for Tomaso’s Italian Kitchen to reach a more casual crowd. “For me, I have three kids, so when we go out to dinner, it’s more of a casual, you know, on-the-whim-style dining,” Joey said. “But that doesn’t mean the food quality changes. It’s just your attire changes. So, on Friday nights we’d go to Tomaso’s on 32nd Street, but then the

What is Agave del Scottsdale’s beverage program? All of our margaritas are made with fresh lime juice and agave nectar – all fresh ingredients. We don’t buy syrups. We don’t buy Schnapps that a lot of people use for the drinks. Everything here is fresh. We use fresh fruit, fresh lime juice and agave nectar, which most people pretend they have but they really don’t. Your recommended cocktail? Cucumber & Cilantro Margarita ($11)

What do you like about it? It’s one of the most refreshing things and it’s a year-round drink that you can have. Whether it is summer or winter it is always a good drink to have. I love watching the expression of our guests when they are taking a sip because the flavors of the cilantro and the cucumber go really hand-in-hand with each other. As soon as you say cilantro in a drink, most people are not so thrilled by the idea. But then all of a sudden you try it and you’re like, “Wow!”

rest of the week, we’d hang out at Tomaso’s Italian Kitchen.” The Maggiores like the response to the brand’s newest addition and plan to expand it in the Valley, Joey said. “We wanted to make a place where you can go every day of the week and have spectacular food, but at a nice price point,” Joey said. “We’re still giving the pace, the love that Tomaso’s gives, but we put it in a more casual setting.” Information: 480-404-6085, tomasos. com/tomasos-italian-kitchen.

FOOD & DRINK

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JANUARY 19, 2020

SCHMOOZE �� 34

really the largest one that I’ve seen in the country,” he said. They then worked with distributors to create the �lavor pro�iles they wanted. “It’s a total science, and that’s why a lot of places aren’t doing it,” Simonelli said. “Because they all are in kegs, we have to agitate the kegs and make sure everything is properly mixed, that the ratios and the balance is there. This program is not only just bad-ass, we have more cocktails on tap than anyone in Arizona,” he explained. Cocktails range in price from $10 to $14, and Simonelli said they plan to rotate the cocktails seasonally. One of the bene�its of cocktails on tap, according to Simonelli, is that they’re quick pours. “Being from New York, I like things fast. You’re not waiting 10, 15 minutes for a drink, especially a perfectly well-balanced drink. You’re getting [it in] 50 seconds, 40 seconds,” he said. So far, they’ve received positive feedback. “The feedback is unreal,” Simonelli said. “We have some luxury, high-end real estate agents who are very particu-

4th Now in our 3

lar and speci�ic as am I about my cocktails.” The bar isn’t the only new addition to the Schmooze space, though. The kitchen boasts new equipment too. And, Simonelli adds, "We are a full-blown restaurant and the space has added booths, a wrap-around bar near the kitchen, and one more long community table will be placed near the bar. We just constantly knock down walls, expand, build a bar, build a back patio, and build new conference rooms,” The name changed, too. Formerly called, "Schmooze Workspace & Cafe," the space is now, "Schmooze Bar & Breakfast." “[John wanted] ‘bar’ �irst because that encompasses having longer operating hours. [And], so many want amazing breakfast,” Simonelli said. Schmooze was born out of Schmooze unveiled Expresso Refreshers last Vatistas’ desire for an upscale summer. (Special to the Progress) café-meets-workspace.

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At the time, he saw a signi�icant need for a quality workspace for entrepreneurs and remote workers who are on the go. “He wanted to create a space that he was comfortable in that had outlets everywhere, the Wi-Fi was fast enough, great food, great service,” Simonelli said. “He’s big on aesthetics. He designed this whole space.” Vatistas’ instinct was right. According to a FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics report, there was a 159 percent increase in remote work between 2005 to 2017. Schmooze opened in April 2018. Nearly two years later, Schmooze continues to expand on its services. This year, they’d also like to introduce brunch to the menu as well as host special events, like wine dinners, and offer catering.

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Julia Child made it fancy with her iconic boeuf bourguignon. But you don’t have to get fancy to make a delicious, satisfying good oldfashioned beef stew. With a half a dozen vegetables, some good stew meat, a packet of dry soup mix and a few seasonings, you can’t help but have one heck of a hearty meal. With our chilly winter evenings, beef stew is the perfect tummy warming comfort food and it’s about the easiest dish you can cook up. There are a few tips to making this recipe fantastic. First, grab a good stew meat. I prefer chuck

roast because it has a bit of fat which adds a lot of flavor. I have tried sirloin or other higher end cuts, but the chuck roast seems to offer the most flavor. Once you cut it in cubes, dredge the meat in flour and brown in a skillet before adding to the crockpot, instant pot or Dutch oven. After the stew is done, taste it, and if it needs a bit more flavor, just add a little beef bouillon. If you haven’t had beef stew in a while, make this recipe and you’ll be reminded of why it will always be one of America’s favorite family dishes.

Ingredients: 2 pounds stew meat (2-inch cubes), like Chuck roast 1 1/2 cups ﬂour (for dredging) 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil 1 large sweet yellow onion, cut in 2-inch pieces 2 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes 2 cups baby carrots or regular carrots, cut in 2-inch lengths 1 ½ cups corn, fresh, frozen or canned 1 ½ cup green beans, fresh, frozen or canned 1 ½ cups peas, frozen or canned 1 packet French’s Onion Soup Dry Mix 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 4 cups water Optional, beef bouillon for added ﬂavor (I prefer Superior Touch Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)

Directions: Heat the oil in a skillet. When hot, dredge the stew pieces in flour and then place in hot skillet. Brown stew meat on all sides, leaving a little space in between pieces to insure proper browning. Place stew meat in a crockpot, instant pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, potatoes, corn, green beans, peas, soup mix, thyme, salt pepper and water. For the crockpot, cook for about 6 hours on high. For Dutch oven, cook over medium heat for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn’t burn. For instant pot, refer to instructions. Meat should be very tender. When beef stew is done, taste for flavor. If the stew needs more beef flavor, add 2 teaspoons or a tablespoon of Superior Touch Better Than Bouillon Beef Base, found at most grocery stores. You can also use beef bouillon cubes. Watch my how-to video: jandatri.com/recipe/ beef-stew.

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CLASSIFIEDS

Public Notices

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NOTICE OF CITY COUNCIL HEARING

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, will hold a public hearing on February 04, 2020, at 5:00 P.M in the City Hall Kiva, 3939 N. Drinkwater Boulevard, Scottsdale, Arizona, for the purpose of hearing all persons who wish to comment on the following: 11-UP-2019 (Chauncey Social) Request by owner for a Conditional Use Permit for a bar use within an approximately +/- 6,500 sq. ft. restaurant in Building C Suite 100 (Chauncey Social) at Chauncey Lane Marketplace with Planned Regional Center, Planned Community District, Planned Shared Development Overlay (PRC PCD PSD) zoning located at 17767 N. Scottsdale Road. Staff contact person is Katie Posler, 480-312-2703. Applicant contact person is George Pasquel III, 602-230-0600. 2-AB-2019 (Paseo at Pinnacle Peak Abandonment) Request by owner to abandon +/-2,000 sq. ft. of public right-of-way located along the southeastern corner of parcel 212-04-641, with Single-family Residential, Planned Residential Development, Environmentally Sensitive Lands (R1-10 PRD ESL) zoning located at 7676 E. Pinnacle Peak Road. Staff contact person is Jesus Murillo, 480312-7849. Applicant contact person is Chris Clonts, 480-273-3232. 21-ZN-2016#2 (Scottsdale Residences) Request by owner for a Zoning District Map Amendment from Downtown/Downtown Multiple Use – Type 2 Downtown Overlay (D/DMU-2 DO) zoning to Downtown/ Downtown Multiple Use - Type 2 Planned Block Development Downtown Overlay (D/DMU-2-PBD DO), and amending the development plan in case (21-ZN-2016) to increase the dwelling units on the site from 53 to approximately 130 and Amending Development Standards, on a +/-2.60-acre site located at the southeast corner of North 69th Street and East Main Street, and approximately 95 feet east of the northeast corner North 69th Street and East 1st Street (6903, 6909, 6915, and 6939 E. Main Street and 6914, 6920, and 6930 E. 1st Street). Staff contact person is Bryan Cluff, 480-312-2258. Applicant contact person is John Berry, 480-385-2727. 3-TA-2019 (Landscaping Text Amendment) Request by City of Scottsdale to amend the City of Scottsdale Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 455), for the purpose of amending Section Article X (Landscaping Requirements), and Section 5.1604.D.1.d of the General Commercial (C-4) District, to revise restrictions on synthetic landscape materials (artificial turf), address redundancies, eliminate obsolete regulations and text, and adjust formatting for ease of use. Staff contact person is Greg Bloemberg, 480-312-4306. Applicant contact person is Greg Bloemberg, 480-312-4306. 5-UP-2019 (McClain Hangar) Request by owner for a Conditional Use Permit for a new off-airport heliport on a +/- 1.2-acre site with Industrial Park (I-1) zoning located at 7974 E. McClain Drive. Staff contact person is Katie Posler, 480-312-2703. Applicant contact person is Troy Peterson, (480) 689-1219. A case file on the subject properties is on file at 7447 E. Indian School Road, Suite 105, where it may be viewed by any interested person. A COPY OF A FULL AGENDA, INCLUDING ITEMS CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS IS AVAILABLE AT LEAST 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING AT THE FOLLOWING City Hall, 3939 N. Drinkwater Boulevard ALL INTERESTED PARTIES ARE INVITED TO ATTEND.

Public Notices NOTICE OF BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT HEARING

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN the Board of Adjustment of the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, will hold a public hearing on February 05, 2020, at 6:00 P.M in the City Hall Kiva, 3939 N. Drinkwater Boulevard, Scottsdale, Arizona, for the purpose of hearing all persons who wish to comment on the following: 1-BA-2020 (Safir Family Residence) Request by owner for a variance to the City of Scottsdale Zoning Ordinance, Section 5.204.G. pertaining to wall height within the required front yard setback for a property with Single-Family Residential (R1-35) zoning located at 10421 North 65th Place. Staff contact person is Desirae Mayo, 480-312-4218. Applicant contact person is Aaron Safir, 480-577-7595. 11-BA-2019#2 (Escobar Variance) Request by owner for a variance to the City of Scottsdale Zoning Ordinance, Sections 5.204.E.1.a pertaining to the required front yard setback for a property with Single-Family Residential (R1-35) zoning located at 6418 E. Turquoise Avenue. Staff contact person is Nate Tonnemacher, 480-312-4205. Applicant contact person is Lauren Proper Potter, 480-921-2800. A case file on the subject properties is on file at 7447 E. Indian School Road, Suite 105, where it may be viewed by any interested person. A COPY OF A FULL AGENDA, INCLUDING ITEMS CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS IS AVAILABLE AT LEAST 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: City Hall, 3939 N. Drinkwater Boulevard Online at: http://www.ScottsdaleAZ.gov/boards/board-of-adjustment ALL INTERESTED PARTIES ARE INVITED TO ATTEND.

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CHAIRMAN Attest Chris Zimmer For additional information visit our web site at www.scottsdaleaz.gov PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY MAY REQUEST A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION BY CONTACTING THE CLERK'S OFFICE AT (480-312-7620). REQUESTS SHOULD BE MADE 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE, OR AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE TO ALLOW TIME TO ARRANGE ACCOMMODATION. FOR TTY USERS, THE ARIZONA RELAY SERVICE (1-800-367-8939) MAY CONTACT THE CLERK'S OFFICE AT (480-312-7620). Published: Scottsdale Progress, Jan. 19, 2020 / 27458

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