Scottsdale Progress - 04-12-2020 by Times Media Group

Business eviction help complicated / P. 4

Virus quashes big reunion / P. 19

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An edition of the East Valley Tribune

INSIDE

This Week

NEWS............................... 8 Candidates crowd city primary ballot.

NEIGHBORS .........20 Local Chinese Americans help virus fight.

BUSINESS ............... 23 Scottsdale company aids healthcare workers.

NEIGHBORS ..........................................19 BUSINESS .............................................. 23 OPINION .................................................25 FOOD ....................................................... 26 CLASSIFIEDS ........................................27

Sunday, April 12, 2020

City fears huge budget hit from downturn BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

ig cuts are on the way for Scottsdale’s next city budget, though their extent is still unknown as city leaders wait for more information on how the coronavirus outbreak has affected the economy.

Scottsdale police, fire seek more virus protection

An early draft of the budget presented to the City Council on April 7 included a maximum of $296.1 million in spending from the general fund – a nearly $11 million increase over spending in the current fiscal year. However, both Lane and city staff were quick to stress that much of that budget was formulated in the weeks and months

before the coronavirus pandemic decimated the city’s economy. Arizona is projecting a $1 billion deficit in its coming fiscal year – a stark difference from the $1 billion surplus it enjoyed only a few months ago. “Like many cities, we were just finish-

see BUDGET page 16

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

cottsdale’s fire and police departments have not run out of critical protective equipment for its officers and first responders – though that could change as hospitals and municipalities nationwide scramble to purchase masks, gloves and other gear amid a nationwide supply shortage due to Covid-19. “Currently the city does have enough masks for first responders. Depending on supply deliveries, there may be shortages,” Scottsdale Fire spokeswoman Lori Schmidt said.

see PUBLIC SAFETY page 10

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Scottsdale Police officers and fire fighters stopped by HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center on April 7 to show appreciation to healthcare workers leaving their shifts. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

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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 Staff Writers Kristine Cannon | 480-898-9657 | kcannon@scottsdale.org Jim Walsh | 480-898-5639 | jwalsh@scottsdale.org Photographers Pablo Robles | Probles@scottsdale.org Design Veronica Thurman | vthurman@scottsdale.org Production Coordinator Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 | production@scottsdale.org Circulation Director Aaron Kolodny | 480-898-5641 | customercare@scottsdale.org 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 | APRIL 12, 2020

Business rent relief mired in uncertainty BY PAUL MARYNIAK Progress Executive Editor And HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

aying some landlords are weighing evictions, Gov. Doug Ducey last week ordered judges around the state to immediately suspend such legal actions against commercial tenants affected by the pandemic. But a major Valley strip mall owner and others fear that may not offer much of a lifeline to many struggling small businesses. Chandler Chamber CEO/President Terri Kimbel says that while Ducey’s order “is another tool in the toolbox” for businesses to use as they struggle to survive, it’s not a panacea. Noting that at least some landlords themselves also are up against the wall financially, she is urging Chandler businesses to open a dialogue now rather than later with their landlords. “There are two sides of this,” Kimbel said, explaining that with landlords, “sometimes their hands are tied with their bank or venture capital.” Gilbert Chamber President CEO/President Kathy Tilque noted that Ducey’s order “does not dictate any relief or removal of contractual obligations.” “The amount owed to the landlord will still be due at some time in the future depending on the agreed upon plan. Discussing the abatement of penalty fees with the landlord is a great place to start in negotiations,” Tilque said. Michael Pollack – who owns strip malls in Gilbert, across the county and in three other states – agrees. He said the federal government must overcome the sluggish delivery of relief funds and get money into the hands of strapped business owners fast. “What most people don’t realize is that landlords have loans,” Pollack said. “They don’t understand what the terms of those loans really mean.” Noting many of those loans forbid lease changes without the lender’s permission,” Pollack explained, “If you do it without the consent of the lender, then you can be in default of your loan and the remedies available for the lenders

Strip mall owner/developer Michael Pollack said eviction relief isn't necessarily a panacea for businesses. (Special to the Progress)

could be used.” Those remedies include a nullification of the loan. “Even if a landlord could afford a adaptations to their leases, unfortunately with those loan documents out there, it’s not easy at all,” he said. Worse, he said, many loans end up sold to investment companies where “you learn real fast, there’s nobody to talk to.” Ducey’s order says commercial landlords must consider deferring rent payments for those who cannot pay the bill due to financial hardship created by COVID-19. The order also encourages landlords to work with tenants to waive late fees, penalties and interest due to late payments as well as develop repayment plans. But the hammer is the governor’s directive to the courts that “a commercial eviction action including lock out, notice to vacate or any other attempt to inhibit the operations of a business shall be temporarily suspended for tenants unable to pay rent due to financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.’’ The only exception in Ducey’s order is in cases where a judge determines that staying any eviction action is “contrary to the interest of justice.’’ His order does not spell out what that includes. Ducey’s order, which covers businesses up to 500 employees, is effective through the end of May.

His directive comes nearly two weeks after a similar executive order dealing with residential rentals. But in the residential order, Ducey barred police officers and constables from carrying out eviction orders under certain triggers related directly or indirectly to COVID-19. The order for business-landlord situations only directs judges on what they may and may not do. Aaron Nash, spokesman for the Arizona Supreme Court, said there is no concern on the part of the justices that Ducey has tread into their jurisdiction since judges can still determine what is in the “interest of justice.’’ Even so, Pollack and others warn that businesses can’t assume Ducey’s order gives them much breathing room with their landlords – at least automatically. “It’s not about forgiving rent,” Kimbel said. Kimbel said that while some of the federal relief programs can help businesses with rent, a recent Chandler Chamber survey showed nearly a quarter of the respondents are frustrated by the process of getting aid. “We’re hearing all kinds of things and people are really getting frustrated,” she said. The East Valley Chambers of Commerce said a survey last week of 5,000 businesses in their communities – including Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Queen Creek and Gilbert – showed 31 percent of respondents are seeking rent or mortgage relief, 46 percent are applying for Small Business Administration disaster loans and 47 percent for the Paycheck Protection Program loans. “I do think eviction is a concern for many of our smaller businesses, but not sure that it’s a reality yet,” said Mesa Chamber CEO Sally Harrison. “In reading through the executive order, it looks like more of a preventative measure than a responsive measure.” The East Valley chamber group’s survey did not indicate how successful businesses have been getting money. But Bloomberg News Service last week reported that 790 disaster-relief loans, for a total of $357 million, were is-

see RENT page 10

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | APRIL 12, 2020

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | APRIL 12, 2020

Council pounds last nail in Southbridge coffin BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

cottsdale City Council rescinded its approval of the Southbridge Two development, putting an end to the hotlydebated project and nullifying a November referendum. The repeal, which narrowly passed on a 4-3 vote on April 7, broke along the same lines as the vote to approve the project back last December and is unlikely to do much to quell the controversy around it. Mayor Jim Lane and Council members Suzanne Klapp, Virginia Korte and Linda Milhaven voted to repeal. Vice Mayor Kathy Littlefield and Councilmembers Guy Phillips and Solange Whitehead opposed it. Southbridge opponents were actually clamoring for the Council to turn down the repeal, arguing residents deserved a right to vote on the project. “Their right to vote was earned legally and legitimately and with great effort by gathering the required signatures to put the issue on the ballot,” Littlefield said. “They wanted this vote and they earned the right to have it.” A referendum campaign led by the Committee for the Preservation of Old Town Scottsdale PAC collected over 17,000 signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot. “We’re very disappointed that the citizens didn’t get to vote on this,” Old Town PAC Chair Janet Wilson said. “They absolutely don’t get it.” The PAC, formed by two neighboring property owners, Wilson and Dewey Schade, sought to roll back zoning approvals for the 10-acre development that allowed for heights up to 150 feet in some areas surrounding the 5th Avenue shopping district. Southbridge Two developer Carter Unger requested the repeal after a lawsuit he filed to negate referendum signatures failed in court. The repeal approved by the Council actually goes further than the wording of the PAC’s referendum, which challenged “Ordinance 442, rezoning approximately 9.94 acres on four total development sites near E. 5th Avenue and N. Marshall Way.” Council also repealed abandonments, a development plan and agreement and the sale of its Rose Garden parking lot to Unger

Southbridge Two, the sprawling redevelopment along 5th Avenue in downtown Scottsdale, is officially off the books after the City Council repealed the project on April 7. (Special to the Progress)

for $8 million. Unger previously told the Progress he still planned to build on the Rose Garden site. However, the Council ultimately repealed the sale agreement and other documents after the PAC threatened to sue the city. Tim LaSota, an attorney for the Old Town PAC, sent a letter to City Attorney Sherry Scott arguing that the sale of the Rose Garden property was tied to the development plan approved by Council. “If the referendum measure received a negative vote at the election, there is no sale of the Rose Garden to Carter Unger or his affiliated and/or partner entities,” LaSota wrote. Unger said he will not challenge the Council’s decision to scuttle the land sale, though he disagreed with LaSota, arguing it was separate from the zoning approval. But he said he had no desire to drag the city into another lawsuit. “And that at the end of the day, would just hurt our taxpayers,” Unger said. “Our mayor, our city manager, our council are fighting an epidemic right now.” “The last thing they need is to be dealing with an angry mob suing them because they’re living up to their legal obligation for the deal we made,” Unger said. Wilson hesitated to call an unequivocal victory because Scottsdale voters can’t send a message at the polls. “I consider it a win, but I think if there’s a vote on another developer, they will go in there and do the same thing on different projects throughout the city,” Wilson said. Littlefield and Phillips, both referendum

supporters suggested Council’s repeal is illegal. She noted the State Constitution requires that if a referendum gathers the required signatures, the city “shall” be put on the ballot. “‘Shall’ means mandatory,” Littlefield said. However, Scott said she believes the Council was within its statutory authority, citing an Arizona Attorney General opinion from 1982. That opinion concerned an effort by Arizona voters to repeal an action by the state Legislature that it subsequently had repealed. Then-Attorney General Bob Corbin cited a 1927 Arizona Supreme Court case that upheld the Legislature’s repeal. “When the subject matter of the referendum has been repealed, any vote on the measure is without legal effect,” Corbin wrote. Over the past few months, both sides lobbed allegations of disinformation, bullying and political grandstanding at one another in the Southbridge debate. Littlefield and Milhaven traded barbs during the April 7 meeting, with Littlefield arguing referendum supporters were unfairly dragged through the mud and Milhaven saying Unger was unfairly maligned. Wilson admitted that the push for a public vote was tied to a desire to send a message to Council that went beyond Southbridge Two. “It wasn’t just totally about this 5th Avenue,” Wilson said. “It was about the

entire city. It was up north; it was down south; it was everywhere.” Unger has accused some candidates for local office of spreading misinformation about his project to curry favor in the upcoming election. “Now, I am in no way saying there weren’t some people who signed the petition because they don’t like height, plain and simple,” Unger said. “I believe very strongly that the people at the top of that organization used those voices and up views for their own political gain.” Unger accused Bob Littlefield and David Ortega – both former councilmen running for mayor – of hijacking community concerns about height to launch political campaigns. He said the push to keep the issue on the ballot was out of desire to create a wedge issue to drive turnout in November. “I always knew this was about the election and not just about my project,” Unger said. Ortega denied the allegations, stating he was motivated to run after a Council majority that included two mayoral candidates approved the project. “I am glad Southbridge Two is dead one way or the other,” Ortega told the Progress. Littlefield did not deny that he believes the Southbridge Two fight would benefit him at the polls. “The flaw in Unger’s analysis is the SB2 referendum does not have to be on the ballot to have an impact on the race because people will remember (mayoral candidates) Klapp and Korte supported the project,” Littlefield said. “Did they seriously think their opponents, including me, would suddenly decide to stop talking about the project?” What is next for Unger’s properties in the 5th Avenue area is unclear. Though he previously said he still planned to build a smaller-scale project with apartments, a hotel and some retail on the site, that plan appears to have been repealed along with the Rose Garden sale. Unger said he is now weighing his options, which include moving forward with a project under existing zoning, selling the land to a new developer or attempting to patch together a new project from the pieces of Southbridge Two to bring back before Council.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | APRIL 12, 2020

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | APRIL 12, 2020

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

car dealership. Littlefield said he is the best candidate to lead the city in the current economic downturn due to his commitment to fiscal responsibility. “Belts will need to be tightened for the foreseeable future, and that means setting priorities,” Littlefield said. “When the tax dollars are flowing freely it is easy to make sure everybody gets a slice of the pie. Real leadership that is willing to say ‘no’ when necessary will be needed in Scottsdale’s future.” Littlefield, who has been critical of many developments in the city in recent years, said he would look to maintain the city’s unique character by only supporting high-quality development “that pays for itself.” Ortega pointed to his career as an architect. “I am a Scottsdale architect, accustomed to participating early, evaluating key factors and organizing complex systems to create a successful venture,” Ortega said. “I am an independent thinker in the political sphere, able to listen to all viewpoints, navigate budget constraints, and work in a team to attain a win-win,” Ortega said.

Crowded field files for city primary election

crowded field will contend for favor with Scottsdale voters in the August primary after 14 candidates turned in enough signatures by the April 6 deadline. Five current or former Scottsdale City Council members will vie to succeed Mayor Jim Lane, who is termed out. Meanwhile, nine candidates are competing to fill three vacancies on the City Council with only one incumbent, Councilman Guy Phillips, is running for re-election. The other two incumbents with open seats, Council members Suzanne Klapp and Virginia Korte, are both running for mayor. Further up the ballot, most Scottsdale residents will contend with crowded fields in legislative races as a number of hopefuls qualified to challenge the incumbent senators and representatives.

City Council candidate Bill Crawford turns in candidate petitions to the City Clerk via a utility payment drop box near City Hall. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

Mayor

Former Councilmembers Lisa Borowsky, Bob Littlefield and David Ortega all qualified for the ballot alongside Klapp and Korte. Due to the crowded field, the candidates will need to work to separate themselves from the pack if they hope to make it past the primary or be elected outright in August. The chances of an outright election in August are slim with five candidates on the ballot as a candidate needs to secure a majority of all votes to avoid a run-off in November. Borowsky said she is set apart by her focus on building the city’s brand as “a place where many want to visit, call home, and do business. I will work to restore and maintain these values.” Pointing to her tenure on Council during the last recession, Borowsky said she has a track record of pushing for financial transparency and accountability and positioning herself as a swing vote “especially with development matters.” Klapp said she stands out from the crowd due to her history of overcom-

City Council Candidate Tammy Caputi turns in candidate petitions to the City Clerk via a utility payment drop box near City Hall. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

ing obstacles, including childhood poverty, to run a successful business and become a three-term Councilwoman. “I know firsthand how to be fiscally conservative while remaining optimistic and visionary by creating strategic

plans for success and working with others to achieve prosperity,” Klapp said. Klapp also referred to herself as the candidate most equipped to build consensus needed to pass realistic solutions to city problems, citing her background as a council member during the Great Recession and involvement in passing recent ballot measures to support infrastructure investment. “No other mayoral candidate can demonstrate my leadership on all three ballot measures approved in the last two years by the voters,” Klapp said. Korte said she is set apart by her longtime engagement with community groups and the local business community. “Throughout my 33-plus years as a Scottsdale resident, I served on numerous city boards, commissions and nonprofit boards, as well as county wide boards like the Heritage Fund and the CAP board,” Korte said. “Additionally, I was honored to be named one of 12 Preserve Pioneers for my leadership in establishing the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.” Korte said her background in both the public and private sectors will benefit the city, citing her time as CEO of the STARS non-profit during the Great Recession and 20 years at her family’s

City Council

With nine candidates vying for three positions, the City Council candidates are also looking to set themselves apart from the competition. Michael Auerbach: “I have a unique ability to understand and grow tourism in a way that meets the needs of Scottsdale residents. In the hospitality industry we call this the ‘we’ feeling. As a Chef, I have an existing relationship with the Scottsdale resorts, the restaurant owners, and the tourism event sponsors. I know your kitchen table issues.” Tammy Caputi: “My number one issue is our future: our livability and quality of place, where our families can prosper and raise their own families. I will promote economic vitality and foster high- tech jobs that diversify our economy, generate revenue, and

see ELECTIONS page 18

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | APRIL 12, 2020

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CITY NEWS

RENT from page 4

sued as of April 4 and that most of them went to California. “A handful of smaller states, including Connecticut and Maine, divvied up most of the rest,” the news service reported. Texas, the second-most populous state, got just six loans worth less than $1 million dollars in all; at least a dozen states got nothing at all. While Bloomberg did not indicate if Arizona was among that last group, Pollack would not be surprised. He said that 70 percent of his approximate 1,000 tenants have sought federal relief and that “not one single tenant” has even heard a response. Pollack even has hired a consultant with 24 years of experience dealing with the SBA to help his tenants navigate the bureaucratic channels involved in getting aid. “The federal government needs to figure out a way to get this $2 trillion or whatever it is this that’s earmarked for small businesses into the hands of

PUBLIC SAFETY from front

During a public safety webinar hosted by the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce, Fire Chief Tom Shannon said the city is “finding ourselves in just in time supplies” and new shipments of equipment are being used up quickly. In response to the increased need for masks and other protective equipment, the city currently has several orders with various suppliers for large quantities of personal protective equipment, including 32,000 masks, Schmidt said. Schmidt said Scottsdale Fire Department had already used approximately 600 N95 and 100 exam masks so far this year as of April 1. It is unclear how that number compares to previous years as the department does not track the number of masks used each year, Schmidt said. Scottsdale Police also do not track the usage of N95 masks. “Until recent events this was not an item that we used in great numbers and we do not have any numbers on past use,” spokesman Officer Kevin Watts said. Watts said the police are sourcing needed N95 masks in coordination with the Fire Department and “as of today, our sup-

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | APRIL 12, 2020

those people,” he said. “They need to get it done and after they get it done, then hopefully the quicker we’ll be able to stop the pain of what’s going on in our country.” Ducey’s order on business-tenants declares that a tenant that cannot pay must first notify the landlord or property owner in writing and furnish “any available supporting documentation of their inability to pay rent’’ due to a temporary financial situation. Tenants also have to acknowledge that the lease contract remains in effect. Kimbel said there are countless situations where a landlord likely will demand additional financial records from a tenant. She said a leasing company told her of a business-tenant who got the first five months of occupancy free in return for signing a five-year lease and that the tenant already sought a delay in making the first month’s payment. “So, from the landlord’s standpoint, he’s taking a look at it and saying, ‘Okay. I just gave you five months free rent. Did

you put some in savings?’” Kimbel said. “When you got months of not paying a bill, the landlord is going to wonder what you did with that money,” she said. “There are really two sides to this because landlords are businesses too.” Ducey’s order on business evictions spells out that tenants getting any form of public assistance must apply “a portion’’ to any current or past-due rents. That includes a portion of the $2 trillion federal relief package which allows businesses with fewer than 500 employees to get SBA loans. But the order spells out that landlords cannot require any specific percentage of that outside aid. Farrell Quinlan, executive director of the Arizona Building Owners and Managers Association, said the governor has been working with the commercial real estate industry. “There’s a lot of forbearance going on out there,’’ Quinlan said. “And there’s a lot of working with our tenants.’’ Echoing Pollack’s explanation, Quinlan said the order does not mention the

landlords’ financial obligations. “Are the banks and the lenders that we have to answer to for our bills, are they going to show a similar forbearance with our obligations?’’ Quinlan asked. The governor says lenders “shall consider’’ deferred payments, but Kimbel and Tilque both stressed that business owners simply can’t hide from their landlord. “It’s about that relationship that they build,” she said. “You’ve got to be able to pick up that phone and just have that frank conversation and work something out.” Pollack said he doesn’t fault Ducey, who “is doing an incredible job.” He likened the state of the federal apparatus for distributing relief to jello. “It’s not hard yet,” he said. “There’s a lot of unanswered questions about the program and there’s a lot of the blanks that haven't been filled in yet. I sincerely believe once the program gets implemented and can get out to all the small businesses that truly need it, then I believe that we’ll see some progress.”

ply of personal protection equipment is meeting the need.” Departments in other parts of the Valley are seeing a spike in usage. By March, Mesa firefighters had already used 2,500 N95 masks this year compared to 4,500 masks in all of 2019. Mesa and Phoenix partnered to order four million masks for first responders. Scottsdale is likely to see its own spike after federal health officials recommended that first responders wear protective gear at all times. “In accordance with the new recommendations for 1st responders from the (Centers for Disease Control), you will see our patrol officers wearing surgical masks, protective glasses, and rubber gloves while interacting with the public,” Scottsdale Police posted on Twitter on April 4. Cities are scrambling for supplies after the federal government failed to replenish stockpiles following the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009. The federal government’s subsequent response has been criticized by some states for sending mixed signals and breeding confusion, according to the New York Times. On March 31, Gov. Doug Ducey announced the state had received about 75

percent of its share of equipment from the national stockpile, including 181,260 N95 masks. Shannon said keeping city employees on the front lines with proper equipment is a top priority. “That is really what we’re focused on,” Shannon said, noting that essential services like police, fire and water and “anybody who’s out there providing critical government services, has the ability to protect themselves.” Despite the increased need for masks and other PPE, calls for service to Scottsdale’s first responders are actually down. “Our calls for service in this area are down week over week,” Shannon said during a conference call with concerned citizens in late March. Shannon said the drop was likely due to social distancing. Likewise, Scottsdale Police Chief Alan Rodbell said his calls for service have been down 200 to 300 calls per day. “You would think calls for service would be going up, but, in fact, they’re not,” Rodbell said during the Chamber webinar April 3. “Credit to this community for doing exactly what’s being asked to them,” Rodbell said. “They’re sheltering at home. They’re

maintaining distances.” Both departments are still in the streets performing their regular duties, as well as additional tasks in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Shannon said that is his department’s core focus now is the same as it would be during any other health emergency, including responding to medical calls and providing mass care to the community. However, the pandemic is different from other major emergencies in that it’s a widespread illness, so response cannot be directed at a specific area. Rodbell said the police’s main responsibility is to maintain order and help address any problems arising from supply shortages. Rodbell said the departments did change protocols early on to have the Fire Department respond first to medical calls. “Instead of having our officers without the proper protective equipment going into home, or going into buildings where there was a medical call, which we’re not really skilled in dealing with, the fire department would go in versed and clear and make sure it [was safe] for us to come in,” Rodbell said.

see PUBLIC SAFETY page 12

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CITY NEWS

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Police, district get on same closure page BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

cottsdale Unified School District has locked down playgrounds and athletic fields due the coronavirus outbreak but that has not stopped some locals from hopping fences to exercise. The district sent notices to families in late March about the facility closures as it locked gates at playgrounds and fields and posted closure signs at entry points, including at high-traffic areas like high school tracks and football fields. “Please help us slow the spread of the coronavirus. Do not attempt to gain access to any Scottsdale Unified school campus, facility, playground, sport court, tracks, parking lots or athletic fields,” read the district’s letter. “These District facilities are locked and closed to the public, athletes and neighbors for safety and health reasons. Please do not attempt to jump fences, pry open gates or use these facilities in any way.” But that did not stop some locals from jumping the turnstile at the Saguaro High School football field on April 4 to run the steps and use the track. An apparent lack of cooperation between the department and district complicated SUSD’s ability to enforce the closure as Scottsdale Police resisted enforcing the closure at first. The department reversed course earlier this week. Zach Lindsay, a resident and candidate for SUSD Governing Board, called Scotts-

PUBLIC SAFETY from page 10

Scottsdale police’s responsibilities also include making sure residents are abiding by social distancing rules put in place by the state and city, including closures of most facilities at public parks. Both Rodbell and Mayor Jim Lane said the city’s approach to enforcing these rules is not punitive. “We’re trying to stay away from arresting anybody or even citing them,” Lane said. Rodbell said his officers are instead issuing warnings to residents. In some cases, the department is issuing what Rodbell called a “long form,” which

Scottsdale first responders last week gave a special tribute to healthcare workers at HonorHealth Shea.

dale Police on April after witnessing multiple people jump the turnstile at the football field at Saguaro High School. Lindsay said he does not oppose residents using the track and other outdoor facilities under normal circumstances but he is concerned about violating district measures meant to combat the current health crisis. He is also concerned about the district’s potential liability if someone attempts to jump the fence and falls or is otherwise injured. “My thing is that if the district closed the facilities, people need to respect that and not jump the fences,” Lindsay said.

refers the issue to the city courts for a decision at a later date. Outside of traditional duties, Scottsdale police officers and fire fighters also took time to provide encouragement and support for others on the front lines of pandemic on April 7, when they gathered at three HonorHealth hospitals in the city to create a drive-by flashing light parade as healthcare workers were leaving their shifts. Hospitals and healthcare workers have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic as they cope with dwindling supplies while treating an ever-increasing number of patients.

On March 24, a district spokesperson told the Progress that concerned residents who witnessed individuals hopping the fence should call police. Lindsay also received an email from Scottsdale Police Chief Alan Rodbell stating that residents should call police if there are concerns about trespassing or burglary on school sites. Rodbell wrote that he understood the desire by some to use the tracks for exercise “and we’ll approach those folks with a warning,” according to the email. A Scottsdale Police officer arrived at Saguaro soon after Lindsay’s call but did not ask the individuals to leave, Lindsay said.

Mayo Clinic has asked for donations of N95 masks and other needed PPE, including hand-sewn masks, gloves, gowns, shoe covers, paper jumpsuits and hand sanitizer. HonorHealth is also seeking donations of a variety of masks, disinfecting wipes, face shields, surgical gowns and other medical equipment needed to combat the virus. “(Masks) are very hard to come by and the reason they are hard to come by is the whole world wants them,” Banner Health CEO Peter Fine said during a webinar with the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. Fine said Banner set up its own manufacturing plant to make masks and has

Police spokesman Officer Kevin Watts said Lindsay’s call was dismissed because it did not come from the district. “Though the Scottsdale Unified School District is a public school district, the campuses and facilities are private property,” Watts said. “Normal policy is that an owner or designated representative needs to initiate the call for service reference as a trespass,” he said. “Due to no information indicating that it was anything other than a trespass the call was canceled for the previously mentioned practice.” District spokesperson Amy Bolton said the district had previously coordinated with police regarding the closure, but that it appeared the department coordinated with the district’s security office until last week. Following an inquiry from the Progress last week, the department reversed course and said it would now respond to calls from the public regarding the unauthorized use of district fields and attempt to “gain compliance” with the closure. “After follow up conversation this morning with the Scottsdale Unified School District Security Office we will be dispatching future calls of this type based on call for service prioritization,” Watts said. “As with other contacts referencing closures, it will be our goal to provide education and gain compliance.” Bolton said the district is also taking additional steps to ensure no one trespasses at closed school facilities, including posting security personnel patrols.

contracted with several companies in Arizona to make face shields. Meanwhile, Banner is seeking 100,000 homemade masks for its employees and patients. Shannon, the Scottsdale fire chief and a member of the city’s incident management team, said the impact on hospitals is expected to reach a peak at the end of April but that there could be additional surges in the future. “It is entirely likely that…there will be a lull number of cases and an appearance of return to normalcy and then, if predictions are right, there could be another surge,” Shannon said.

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CITY NEWS

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BUDGET from front

partially based on the state’s 2020 income tax revenues. Though it took no action on April 7, several Council members are already calling for significant cuts of 25 percent or more to the city’s budget in light of those anticipated losses. Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield called for a reduction in spending and referenced Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego’s call for a 25 percent spending reduction. Littlefield said Scottsdale may have to go even further. “Right now, we are a tourism city with no tourists,” Littlefield said. Councilmember Virginia Korte called for Council to immediately cut the budget’s maximum spending cap by 10 percent. Korte suggested that though it likely would be steeper, “that is in good faith to our citizens to illustrate that we are sensitive and willing to make the hard decisions in moving this city forward.” Councilman Guy Phillips suggested using city’s unreserved fund balance – money without a designated use – as a “rainy day fund” to cover some of the city’s liabilities in the interim as it figures out just how bad the crisis will be. “Of course, it’s raining now,” Phillips said. The city projects to have an ending balance of over $106 million at the end of this fiscal year. That represents excess revenues collected by the city over the past several years that have not been needed to cover expenses. However, the city’s budget forecast only designated $500,000 from the balance as “undesignated.” It also budgeted $2.7 million for operating contingencies and $28.8 million for an operating reserve. The forecasted budget also allocated $60.2 million towards public safety pension liabilities and $14.3 million for infrastructure reimbursements for Nationwide’s Cavasson development. City budget policies do account for the use of some of those funds in emergencies. Former Councilman David Smith, also a former city CFO, called on the city to tap into next year’s projected ending fund balance of $122.1 million to deal with the crisis, including the

ing up the proposed budget when the Covid-19 pandemic began to spread, so this budget was primarily put together prior to the health crisis,” said Judy Doyle, Scottsdale’s budget director. “And as a result, we know modifications will be necessary.” Lane told the Progress that the budget presented on April 7 will likely undergo significant changes before the Council votes to adopt it at some point before the new fiscal year begins July 1. Council is already trying to come to grips with how deeply it will have to cut the budget but lacks some critical information due to lags in the time it takes the state to provide sales tax revenue information. “We just don’t know,” City Manager Jim Thompson told Council, referring to the pandemic’s effect on revenue. Sales taxes make up the largest portion of the city’s income, accounting for 42 percent of the projected general fund sources for the next fiscal year, according to city numbers. The lack of data is tied to a statewide policy change that had the state Department of Revenue take over sales tax collection and reporting duties for all cities in 2017. Lane said an unintended result of that change were delays of a month or more in the transmission of sales taxes and trend information to cities. “We have a significant lag in when we receive (sales tax revenues), but we even have a more significant lag in the information that helps us to project on a timely basis,” Lane said. “It was one of the consequential effects of that reform, which I certainly thought was fine to do, but nevertheless, for a city’s planning and access to its tax receipts, it’s been a little bit detrimental,” the mayor added. Thompson said the city will not see any revenue numbers from March until May. Still, the city could have at least a partial picture at some point in May, when the Council will likely adopt its tentative budget, which would set the city’s maximum spending cap for the next fiscal year. Thompson said the city has already started implementing some cuts.

Scottsdale’s tourism industry has dried up amidst the coronavirus pandemic, leading to calls for city leaders to significantly cut the budget heading into the next fiscal year. (Wayne Schutsky/Progress Managing Editor)

That included immediately cutting a batch of nearly $14 million in requests to $4.9 million to cover contracted janitorial services, expenses for the Fire Department, one-time election expenses and a fall-mitigation program. The city is also reducing contracted services and leaving 194 vacant employed positions unfilled while freezing bonuses and market-rate salary adjustments that would have gone into effect on July 1. Thompson said the city, which will redeploy existing staff on emergency assignments, will save $6.8 million annually based on the unfilled positions alone. Councilwoman Suzanne Klapp said staff needs to remove those positions from the budget entirely, not just leave them unfilled, while still counting against the city’s expenses. It is not known whether the city will have to lay off any employees. Klapp said she supported the pay increase freezes, stating “I don’t want to eliminate people at the same time that we would be giving salary increases.” Thompson said the city will also save $1.4 million through the end of June after shutting down trolley service due to low ridership and the risks of spreading Covid-19. Klapp said the city may have to cut more services or programs as well. Even without data from the state, Council is already predicting a signifi-

cant fiscal hit based on available figures and anecdotal evidence showing the area’s tourism industry and related services like restaurants, bars and entertainment, which have been decimated by social distancing. Tourism accounts for about 34 percent of Scottsdale’s economic engine, Lane said. Over the first three weeks of March, occupancy at Scottsdale-area hotels and resorts declined 42 percent year over year, according to Experience Scottsdale. The occupancy rate slumped to 10.5 percent on March 21, down 89 percent from last year. Lane said revenues for tourism-related businesses were down nearly 66 percent for the week of March 17. Lane said the city could see a drop of around 70 percent in bed tax revenues from hotels and motels. The downturn could also have longer-term impacts on the city in the form of state shared revenues, a collection income tax, sales tax and other revenues doled out by the state to cities. Around 47 percent of the nearly $71 million Scottsdale expected to receive in state shared revenues for this fiscal year came from its income tax allotment, which is based the state’s personal income tax haul from two years prior. That means Scottsdale in two years when it is receiving shared revenues

see BUDGET page 18

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | APRIL 12, 2020

SUSD changes sites, days for free kids meals PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

n order to limit the risk of transmission of Covid-19, the Scottsdale Unified School district is limiting the drop-off locations and days for its meal program. The district had been offering daily pickup of two meals for any child under 18 at 11 locations and served over 33,000

ELECTIONS from page 8

complement our robust tourism industry…. Most important is protecting our neighborhoods.” Bill Crawford: “I believe what sets me apart from the other candidates are three things: My proven experience owning and operating a small business for more than 22 years in Downtown Scottsdale; my proven experience as a community leader taking on tough city issues... my proven experience bringing residents together and uniting them to solve problems to improve Scottsdale’s quality of life.” Tom Durham: “I am one of only two Council candidates (along with Betty Janik) who has a clear record of listening to and responding to voters’ concerns (on Protect Our Preserve and the Southbridge Two referendum)…Other candidates in the race are offering bland slogans about making Scottsdale ‘greater.’ I will tell you how I plan to do that: by listening to citizens who want thoughtful growth that is growth that preserves and enhances Scottsdale’s unique character.”

BUDGET from page 16

$74.7 million reserved for pension liabilities. “It is deceptive to label and reserve any portion of the General Fund ending balance as PSPRS pension related. The $74.7 million actually represents taxes collected since the last recession, over-and-above what was needed for city services,” Smith wrote Council. This is not their first time dealing with a financial crisis for some Scotts-

meals as of April 8. Beginning April 15, the district will limit food pickups to Wednesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. at 6 school parking lots. SUSD Nutrition Services Director Patti Bilbrey said the move “was done simply out of an abundance of caution and to help do our part to flatten the curve.” “We feel it the responsible and ethical

thing to do to reduce the exposure risk for both our staff and community, all while still finding a way to provide a hand up to our families in need.” Bilbrey said SUSD Nutrition Services has no reports of staff members reporting symptoms of the virus. Each Wednesday, adults will be able to pick up five breakfasts and five lunches for

every child between the ages of 1 to 18 in their home. The Scottsdale distribution sites effective April 15 are: Mohave Middle School, 8490 E. Jackrabbit Road; Navajo Elementary Oak Campus, 7501 E. Oak St.; Redfield Elementary School, 9181 E. Redfield Road; Tonalea K-8, 6720 E. Continental Drive; and Yavapai Elementary, 701 N. Miller Road.

Betty Janik: “I have a track record that goes back several years of working for the benefit of the citizens, and it goes back to 2016 (with Protect Our Preserve) when the (McDowell Sonoran Preserve) issue came up… I want to work together, and I want the city to be one happy family, but I also know that you need to have a direction and where you think the city wants to go to be that happy family, and I’m not afraid to put myself out there.” Becca Linnig: “What sets me apart from other candidates is that I have been an active volunteer for the City of Scottsdale since 1997. I have a successful business and a child in the public school system. I actively engage in conversation with the residents of Scottsdale on a daily basis and I genuinely care about the future of our city. I do not just live in Scottsdale... I live, work and play in Scottsdale.” John Little: “I think what distinguishes me is that I’ve had more experience in municipal leadership than all the other city council candidates combined… and that experience relates to my leadership as city manager leading

the city council during the other worst crisis that we had in the city, most recently, the recession in 2007.” Kevin Maxwell: “I have three actual plans… One is the airport noise issue. …I have another safety plan called Vision Zero, which is a traffic safety plan that’s actionable. And then I have a third plan …to come up with the comprehensive plan for special needs.” Guy Phillips: “What we need now more than ever is an experienced Councilman who understands and knows how to wade through the bureaucratic red tape and gain consensus with the rest of council in order to keep Scottsdale on the right track during this pandemic crisis now and into the future.”

The winners will face off against Democrat Eric Kurland, a former Scottsdale teacher.

Incumbent Republican Reps. Jay Lawrence, Scottsdale, and John Kavanagh, Fountain Hills, are running for re-election in LD23, which covers much of Scottsdale. Two challengers are Joseph Chaplik, president of Joseph Bernard Investment Real Estate, and Scottsdale resident Jaqueline Fox, an occupational therapist.

Sen. Lela Alston, a Phoenix Democrat, will face some competition for the state Senate in LD24, which covers parts of Phoenix and southern Scottsdale. Alston, a former teacher who has served numerous terms in both the House and Senate since 1977, will face U.S. Army veteran Ryan Starzyk in the Democratic primary. No Republicans filed.

dale officials, including Lane. Lane said the immediate impact of the current crisis on city revenues could dwarf the effects of the 2008 Great Recession, particularly in relation to Scottsdale’s tourism industry. “We’re talking about numbers that are two and sometimes three times higher than in the past in 2001 with 9/11 and then, of course, in 2009 in the peak of the depression,” Lane said. Lane said the worst single week for the city’s tourism industry during the last recession came in September

2009, when revenues were down about 25 percent over the previous year. That number is dwarfed by the nearly 66 percent decline the industry experienced the week of March 17 this year, he said. But Klapp said she anticipates the current downturn will not last as long as the last recession, saying, “That was an economic downturn, and this a crisis that may peak and dip quickly.” “I don’t see it as quite the same as the (2009-2011) recession, which was a long trough before it started coming

up,” she added. Klapp said the downturn could extend into 2021 before the local economy sees signs of recovery. Council did ask Thompson to bring back a modified budget for review in early May before the meeting on the tentative budget. The Council had originally planned to consider the tentative budget in early May but Thompson said that date could be moved to later in the month to allow the city more time to gather data.

LD23 House

LD23 Senate

In the senate, incumbent Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita will face Scottsdale residents Alexander Kolodin and Adam Kwasman, both of whom are lawyers. Kolodin owns a Phoenix-based law firm and has collaborated in the past with the conservative Goldwater Institute. Kwasman is a former Republican legislator, who served in the House from 2013-15. The winner will face Scottsdale small business owner Seth Blattman.

LD24 Senate

NEIGHBORS

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Virus quashes Old Times Reunion plans BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

o celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in 1961, Lester and Labeula Steiner Mowry hosted a party at their house – but this wasn’t your average anniversary party. The party only marked the beginning of a nearly 60-year annual event they then called the Scottsdale Old Times Reunion. “They started it because of they wanted a way to get together for some other reasons besides funerals,” said Eleanor Brierly, Labeula’s daughter and treasurer of the Scottsdale Historical Society. But on what would have been the reunion’s 59th year, the event was canceled due to restrictions on gatherings of more than 10 people. “And for us to have to wait a whole ‘nother year, we could lose two or three more [attendees],” Brierly said. Labeula and her sister, Thelma Steiner Holveck, held the annual event �irst at Labuela’s home. They invited residents, former residents, people who attended Scottsdale schools, teachers, and friends. The event eventually outgrew the Mowry house after the �irst �ive years, averaging anywhere from 80 to 100 attendees, and was relocated to the Eldorado Park Community Center. Labuela and Holveck called the event “Old Timers” because attendees had to have lived in Scottsdale since before 1930. “But over the years, of course, that has been relaxed and relaxed and relaxed because people die,” she added. And that’s why they needed to host this year’s event: They’re afraid of losing even more attendees. “We’re losing them every year,” Brierly said. “It went from the original founders and attendees to the next generation now. That third generation has not stepped forward, so every year it’s

This photo was taken by Lois McFarland at the Scottsdale High School Old Timers Reunion on March 28, 1987. From left, Bill Cavalliere (Class of 1931), Dorothy Cavalliere Roberts (Class of 1933), and Fred “Yam” Cavalliere (Class of 1940). (Scottsdale Public Library)

Eleanor Mowry Brierly gets help from her sisters to continue hosting the Scottsdale Old Timers Reunion. This year’s reunion, however, was canceled. (Scottsdale Public Library)

smaller and smaller and smaller due to the fact that we are losing them.” Brierly has taken part in the reunions for 30 years.

Over the past 20 years, she’s helped organize the event alongside her sisters JoAnn Mowry Handley, Diana Mowry Green, and Rebecca Mowry. The event was supposed to take place last Sunday, but on March 10, they were noti�ied that the community center would close. The attendees’ response “was all pretty much the same, which was ‘darn,’” Brierly said. “People started sending donations because they know we have to pay for the room, so we had to send the donations back.” Brierly said they look forward to touching base with people they don’t see on a regular basis. “These are people whose parents were in the original group; and a number of families have moved up into the Verde Valley area, and so we don’t see them at all,” she said, adding, “It’s touching base, �inding out how many people have great grand-

kids and whose health is gone — that kind of thing.” Brierly credits the longevity of the annual event to the closeness of the families and the bonds many of the attendees made growing up in Scottsdale together. “This was a tiny county,” she said. “These people all had the Little Red Schoolhouse. They went to Scottsdale High School (SHS) when it opened. They all had this closeness. We all came from that era. Thirties, ‘20s, ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s — that strong bond is there.” Brierly was among the 46 who graduated from SHS in 1953. Her father, Lester, was in the �irst SHS graduating class of 1923. Brierly’s children, on the other hand, attended Coronado High School. “They don’t have high school friends,” she said. “I still have a group of high school friends. We’re very close, closer than sisters in some cases.” Brierly isn’t sure how much longer they’ll be able to keep up the annual event. “It’s now a matter of, how much energy do we have? How much longer can we do this? As much as our hearts want to do it forever and ever, that’s not reality,” she said. While the future of the event might be unclear, that doesn’t mean they won’t host the reunion next year. “I really felt bad that we had to cancel as we all are getting older and might not be able to go next year. I am 88. Next year, I will be 89,” Handley said. “I will be helping to put the reunion on next year come heck or high water.” “It’s not that any of us are saying we want to go back to that age. It’s just that we don’t want to forget it. It’s part of who makes us, what makes us strong, what makes us the people that we are. It’s part of what we want to impart to our kids, which is how precious life is in the moment you’re living it because that’s your history in 20 years,” Brierly said.

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Chinese Americans here help in crisis BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

or weeks, a group of more than 30 Chinese American moms in northern Scottsdale, with the help of Miss Arizona’s Outstanding Teen and BASIS Scottsdale sophomore Teen Katelyn Cai, worked to secure thousands of face masks from relatives overseas. They reached out to all of their relatives and connections in China, asking them to order the much-needed masks. “We tapped deep into the social network to procure the supply from overseas. After spending countless hours to find the right face masks, eventually we received on expedited shipping over 4,000 face masks, 2,000 of which were medical-grade Level I Surgical Masks made by the Canadian company Medicom,” said Jenny Zheng, coordinator of the donation drive and Katelyn’s mom.

The group donated supplies to two organizations the week of March 27: to the City of Scottsdale, more than 2,900 face masks, more than 50 boxes of facial tissues, 12 rolls of toilet paper, 150 medical exam gloves, and a $1,180 check to help families who lost jobs; and to Banner Health Gateway Medical Center in Gilbert, 1,500 medical-grade surgical face masks. “It is our consensus that we need to stand up and do something for our neighbors and our city. We live here, and we raise our family here. Here is our home, our own community. When we help our neighbors, we help ourselves. Saving our doctors is the same as saving ourselves,” Zheng said. At Zheng’s household, the coronavirus pandemic hit close to home in January, months before the virus became a reality for Americans. They heard many stories from overseas, including from Katelyn’s uncle, a

�� KATELYN �� 21

Miss Arizona’s Outstanding Teen and BASIS Scottsdale sophomore Teen Katelyn Cai met with Michael Herring, COO at Banner Gateway Medical Center, on March 30 to donate 1,500 medical-grade surgical face masks. (Katelyn Cai)

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doctor in Shanghai who went to Wuhan to treat patients. “As Chinese Americans, we are in a unique position in this �ight. What happens now, we have seen it before: The lockdowns, face mask shortages, and dire situations in the over-stretched health centers seem all too familiar from two-months-ago China,” Zheng said. “Thus, we probably understand the severity and devastation of coronavirus much earlier than the general American public do.” “This has kind of been on our minds for a really long time,” Katelyn added. “We hoped it would never come to the United States or get this bad, but we always had it in the back of our minds that we’d be doing whatever we could to help either our relatives or people in our community.” The group was alerted of the rapidly dwindling supply of face masks at Banner Gateway Medical Center by a medical oncologist who works there. “The outpouring of community engagement and support from individuals like Katelyn and others inspires us and lets our teams know they have entire communities that care about them and want to help,” said Michael Herring, COO at Banner Gateway Medical Center. Among those making masks is Patti Council, owner of Glam Squad, a prom and pageant store located in southern Scottsdale. Glam Squad is the of�icial wardrobe partner of the Miss Arizona Organization. “There are several people in the Miss Arizona organization who are actually making homemade face masks right now and donating them to vulnerable people around the community. It’s something that we encourage for everybody, if they have extra supplies, extra hand sanitizer or masks to donate

“Everyone that we’d made masks for has offered to pay us for them. We cannot monetize a project that is literally life or death for so many.”

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Local family owned serving the community. Katelyn Cai met with Kristine Hahn-McDonald, City of Scottsdale Human Services Coordinator, on March 27 to donate 2,910 face masks, 53 boxes of tissues, 12 rolls of toilet paper, 150 medical exam gloves, and a donation of $1,180. (Katelyn Cai)

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them if possible,” Katelyn said. The Glam Squad team made 250 masks and donated them to a senior care facility, two medical of�ices and several healthcare workers. “Everyone that we’d made masks for has offered to pay us for them. We cannot monetize a project that is literally life or death for so many,” Council said. Zheng said the group of Chinese American women and moms plans to start a fund and food drive. “Before our donations to the City of Scottsdale and Banner Gateway, one lady from our group had already distributed about 500 face masks to neighbors in her Scottsdale community via Nextdoor,” she said. Zheng said their group aims to help at-risk people such as seniors, frontline city workers, and healthcare workers. “Many Chinese American commu-

nities in Arizona and across the U.S. have mobilized and united in the �ight against Coronavirus since the pandemic started. Several of these groups have been focusing on sourcing and donating PPEs (personal protective equipment) to healthcare personnel in Arizona. Our small group of Chinese American women/moms in Scottsdale mainly focuses on the communities we live in,” she said. Katelyn said that it’s also important at this time to combat xenophobia at this time and “show that Chinese Americans are trying to do their part.” “I want to highlight how big of a role the Asian American and the Chinese American community played in this because, even though I did my part, it was a huge group of moms and families who have committed so much of their time and their own money to this project,” she said.

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Hotel owners help front-line health workers BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

aliber CEO Chris Loeffler’s wife, Abbie Loeffler is a Mayo Clinic registered nurse who works the COVID-19 floor. After she shared the concerns her fellow nursing and medical personnel had of possibly bringing the virus into their respective homes, Loeffler and Caliber COO Jennifer Schrader brainstormed how they could support those on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis. Within 24 to 48 hours, the Scottsdale-based real estate investment firm launched Operation Sleep Safe.

see CALIBER page 24

Scottsdale-based real estate investment firm Caliber launched Operation Sleep Safe on April 1. Operation Sleep Safe offers a complimentary nights-long stay at five of their hotels in the Valley, including Hampton Inn and Suites Scottsdale Riverwalk. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

Scottsdale man invents new stretch machine BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Progress Staff Writer

onathan Hyams was working out at a gym when he found it difficult to use a “one-size-fits-all” stretch machine. “As I stretched, I realized the machine lacked an adjustable seat, making it hard for users to position themselves according to their height and stature,” Hyams said. “In addition, I noticed there were no designated pieces of equipment at my gym for anyone to stretch their calves.” Hyams had an epiphany. Already producing exercise and medical rehabilitation equipment, the Scottsdale man launched his own—the Nitrofit Limber Pro Stretch Machine. “I always use a stretch machine to stretch out before my workouts,” Hyams said. “I was sitting on this machine and

Jonathan Hyams founded Medvibe in 2007 when he was 24. (Courtesy Jonathan Hyams)

suddenly I got this thought in my head: Every other piece of equipment in this gym adjusts to fit whoever is using it. Shouldn’t this piece of equipment not be one-size-fits-all? That’s when it hit me. “I own a fitness company. I watched a taller person struggle, and a smaller female get in. I figured out people couldn’t stretch their calves.” The average stretching machine uses a fixed-seat design that does not allow its users to adjust the distance between the seat and the handlebars. The Nitrofit Limber Pro Stretch Machine is the only one in the marketplace with an adjustable seat and calf-stretching station. The machine is compact and can be used without a personal trainer or gym buddy. “The patented sliding seat design ensures that the Nitrofit Limber Pro is the

see FITNESS page 24

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CALIBER �� page 23

hotel and stay for 14 days?’ Definitely, the word has gotten out, and we’re getting a lot of inquiries on it,” she said. Any professionals on the front-line, from doctors and nurses to paramedics and more, are welcome to participate in Operation Sleep Safe. “It’s been really, really positive,” Schrader said of the response, “not only from the medical professionals and the frontline responders that are calling but also from our community in general.” For example, they received interest from the owner of a transportation company – a former veteran – who asked how he can help provide transportation to the medical professionals in the program. “He said, ‘I love this program. I want to help however I can. If you find people need transportation from place to place, I’d be happy to help participate and support,’” Schrader said. If the crisis continues past May 31, Caliber plans to re-evaluate Operation Sleep Safe and possibly continue the program. “It’s really opened our eyes to the needs of our community, the needs of our state,” Schrader said. “Caliber is happy to expand the program if the need persists and we have available guest capacity. All of us need to come together and help as best we can.”

Caliber also donated 12 roll-away beds for doctors and nurses putting in long shifts after receiving a call from a local hospital. “We were able to reach out to affiliates within the hospitality industry and have additional donations made,” Schrader said. She added that Caliber plans to continue to brainstorm ways to give back to the community. “We’ve internally started to have discussions of how we can keep a program like this going. Potentially, it could be through our Caliber Foundation, which we launched this year, but something that we can continue to support our community even after the COVID crisis is over. We don’t know what that’s going to look like yet, but it’s really opened our eyes to the needs that various medical professionals and frontline responders have in any sort of crisis,” Schrader said. Caliber hotels aren’t the only hotels opening their doors to the medical community. More than 300 Arizona hotels are participating in American Hotel and Lodging Association’s (AHLA) Hospitality For Hope Initiative, which identifies hotel properties that have offered to provide temporary housing for emergency and healthcare work-

ers. More than 15,000 hotels across the country have signed up for AHLA’s new initiative that has already identified a total combined 2.3 million rooms located in close proximity to established healthcare facilities. “’Hospitality for Hope’ is just one of the many ways that our hotels are helping those in need in our communities during this time of crisis,” said Kim Sabow, president and CEO of the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association. Those taking part in Operation Sleep Safe must present at check-in valid employee identification, along with a current photo identification, like a driver’s license, and a valid form of payment to cover any incidental expenses. Food and beverage offerings may be limited through May 31 based on food safety recommendations. Employees can stay a maximum of 14 days and rooms are based upon availability. “We just really want to convey to the medical professionals and anyone else who’s first responders and also the essential workers how thankful we are that they are keeping things going, that they’re keeping us safe,” Schrader said. Information: caliberco.com, ahla. com

FITNESS �� page 23

chair to pivot away from the handles. As the user leans back, more force is placed on their bodies allowing them to attain a deeper stretch using only their own body weight. The NLP is most commonly used to reduce muscle stiffness and back pain, but it can also be useful for athletes, chiropractic patients or the everyday person looking to get a deep and effective stretch. Everyone needs to stretch for optimal health. Regular stretching improves flexibility, reduces the risk of injury during exercise, increases range of motion, increases blood flow, relieves stress and helps to reduce back pain. “I would say the majority of our customers are 40-plus,” he said. “At chiropractic offices, they’re put you on a Precor machine. If you think about it, a lot of people who are older go to chiropractors to mitigate pain. Additionally, when I go

to LA Fitness, I see a lot of older people using a Precor machine. Mine is easier and more comfortable to use.” Hyams said it’s especially important with the advent of COVID-19, coronavirus, and folks working at home. “In this current economic time, a lot of people are going to be working from home and not in the office walking around as much,” Hyams said. “We need to get up and stretch regularly. All these people who went to the gym are no longer able to go. We need something like this now—and we need an affordable option.” The Nitrofit Limber Pro Stretch Machine is part of Hyams’ company Medvibe, which distributes its products across North America and has been sold through costco.ca, walmart.com, sears. com and amazon.com. Hyams has been passionate about fitness since he was a seventh-grade stu-

dent in Tucson. “I got heavy into weight training then,” he said. “This has been my passion ever since. It’s something I maintain. I go to the gym five days a week. It’s good for mental health, too. Physically, it’s good to be agile and physically strong. “I’ve done all sorts of intramural or club sports. I love the endorphin rush. I love the feeling of the workout.” Hyams founded Medvibe in 2007 when he was 24 years old. He waited tables full time and took “any gig I could to fund it, to get it going.” In 2013, Medvibe was accepted into costco.ca (Costco Canada). Medvibe also offers a Nitrofit Deluxe Plus whole-body vibration machine and Nitrofit FitRoll Vibrating foam roller through costco.com as well as on amazon and direct from its website. Its target market is those older than 40. Information: 1-888-861-0480, nitro�it�itness.com or amazon.com

As a result, front-line employees of local hospital networks and healthcare providers – including Banner Health, Mayo Clinic, Dignity Health, HonorHealth and Valleywise Health – can stay at any of the five participating Caliber-owned hotels free for up to 14 days The total value of the donated rooms is around $225,000. Days after announcing the program on April 1, all five hotels — including Hampton Inn and Suites Scottsdale Riverwalk — were completely booked for the first couple of weeks. “The demand has been incredibly high,” Schrader said. “So, we’ve actually doubled our commitment to this: We’re doing 10-room nights per hotel now.” The other four hotels include Crowne Plaza Phoenix Airport, Holiday Inn Chandler, Hilton Phoenix Airport, and Holiday Inn Phoenix Airport North. Schrader added that they now also have “hundreds” of reservations and “the phones are ringing with a lot of inquiries coming in.” “We have a team of first responders out in L.A. ... and they’re scheduled to fly home this week. They had heard about the program and said, ‘Could we come straight from the airport to your

only stretch machine available that can be adjusted on the fly to fit your height and reach,” Hyams said. “The adjustable height calf stretch board adds a very beneficial stretch to the machine making it the most valuable and effective home stretching machine available today.” The NLP is a home/semi-commercial device that assists its users through a variety of stretching exercises. Each device comes with an illustrated exercise guide on the handlebar’s mounted placard. Users then hold a set of handles in front of them and use the illustrations to guide them in how to position their body in order to stretch a specific muscle group. Users activate gravity by leaning back in a chair outfitted with a knee pad, a backrest and foot pedals. The chair is mounted to a bearing which allows the

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Letters We must be united to fight virus spread, teen argues

Why would a teenager care so much about a virus? At 14, I do not have to worry about paying bills. The short answer is this pandemic affects everybody, directly and indirectly. Even though my family and I have not been directly affected by COVID-19, I still want to do my part to help make this virus go away. As a united country, we should all be doing the most we can to try and lower the spread of this possibly deadly virus. Lots of young adults are going out and partying because they think that “you only live once, so make the most of your life.” I agree that we only live once, but shouldn’t we be doing our best to preserve our health so that we can live longer instead of having no concerns whatsoever and possibly be risking our lives? By reason of this pandemic, society is more disconnected than ever. We should stay physically disconnected but socially connected. The only way we can battle this virus is together, because together we are stronger. As citizens of not just the United States, but of planet Earth, it is our duty and personal responsibility to look over the world. We must realize all the damage we have done to the earth. Pollution, filth, poverty, unnecessary wars are all the consequences left behind by mankind. We have to be conscious of our choices and how they will affect others around us. We need to stop thinking selfishly and start thinking considerately. Everything we do, every choice we make affects someone other than you, whether you can see it or not. It’s time to think about ourselves as one

whole, united people and not as an individual. In spite of this dark shadow that has been cast upon the entire world, technology and social media have actually been a great means to stay in touch with friends and family, as far away from us as they may be. This pandemic has taken us far as a country, testing our strengths. Now more than ever we must stay united and connected to get rid of this awful virus that has so terrorized the world, because “we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided” (J.K. Rowling). Remember: “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” (Friedrich Nietzche). - Kori Zacher, 9th grade, Cicero Prep

and provide leadership. This is happening all over the country except in Scottsdale. There has been a noticeable void in leadership coming from our city fathers, except for Virginia Korte. Where are they? Why don’t they say something to localize the problem? Make pronouncements? Make us feel warm and fuzzy. I’ve figured that they took off for Ajo or someplace with fewer residents to hide until the all clear is given and deaths drop to zero. I can’t think of a worse set of problems to face, for a city built on a high percentage of jobs, revenue and tax

sources associated with tourism than no vocal and visible leadership and guidance. Maybe the council is diligently working from undisclosed locations, studying, analyzing and holding meetings hourly, but really, why not let us know that they are on the job? I can’t tell if the lights are on in City Hall and nobody is home or maybe they just don’t care; it’s only a part time job anyway. Once this crisis is passed, each and every resident of Scottsdale needs to ask for an accounting of what council members were doing. -Richard Post

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Council’s Southbridge vote ‘a poke in the eye’

The recent action of the 4 Scottsdale City Council members repealing their prior approval of the Southbridge II development is a direct poke in the eye of our citizens. Recall that two of these are running to be our next mayor, Virginia Korte and Suzanne Klapp. They hope that we will forget about this in November. They under no circumstance deserve to be our next mayor. Make a firm decision now to just say NO to either of them. They have thumbed their nose too many times. -John J Nichols

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FOOD & DRINK

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Scooter helps Scottsdale eatery deliver BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

or nearly 40 years, Randy’s Restaurant in southern Scottsdale has served longtime diners from its strip-mall spot just off Chaparral Road and 79th Street. Even with a now-closed dining room, Randy’s continues to deliver hot, fresh, affordable meals – via a recently gifted all-electric scooter. Tempe-based electric scooter company Phat Scooters donated a dozen of their newly launched PHLEET Delivery scooters – approximately $30,000 in value – to various local restaurants, many of which cannot afford to use third-party delivery services like UberEats and Postmates. Restaurants include Upward Concepts restaurants such as Postino’s, Majerle’s Sports Grill, CRUJiente Tacos, the Vig Arcadia, O.H.S.O. Eatery & nano-Brewery, Chestnut Fine Foods & Provisions and Randy’s. “I was shocked and blown away,” Angela Cole, owner of Randy’s Restaurant. “The generosity of everybody in our community has been very overwhelming.” Cole heard about Phat Scooters’ offer from the owner of Chestnut Fine Foods & Provisions, Kirsten Steele. “We had existing relationships with both companies, and they reached out to us for help when suddenly they had to move their business to take-out and delivery only,” said Peter Johnson, CEO and co-founder of Phat Scooters. When Cole received the scooter, she immediately put it to good use, delivering hot meals to senior residents living in the neighborhood behind the restaurant. Those residents frequented Randy’s for virtually every meal but are now too wary to pick up to-go orders in person.

Randy’s Restaurant was one of several local restaurants that received an all-electric scooter from Tempe-based Phat Scooters. (Courtesy of Randy’s Restaurant)

“When we got the scooter, we also had a customer – she owns Victoria Canada Weddings & Events – [bring] us money and [say], ‘I want to give you this, and if there’s somebody in the neighborhood who can’t get out, doesn’t have family, will you be sure to purchase their meals for them and make sure they get them?’” Cole said. Cole used the $200 donation to deliver 15 to 20 meals. “Some of them are terri�ied to go out even to the grocery store, and some of our customers eat in the restaurant, breakfast, lunch, and dinner and don’t even have pots and pans. So, with her money, all of our deliveries to that neighborhood for the �irst week,” Cole said. Randy’s also used the scooter to help boost morale in the neighborhood. They scooted through Chaparral Park, passing out goodie bags stapled with the menu and �illed with rice crispy treats. “People were excited. We also had hand

sanitizer on the scooters,” Cole said. Cole said Randy’s has not and will not tack on an additional delivery fee to their orders. “We have found that there are a lot of seniors that this has made a big difference for them, regardless if this was going on or not. We are going to continue it [deliveries] afterwards to those who really do need it,” she said. Phat Scooters was originally going to launch their new PHLEET Delivery bikes later this year, Johnson said they moved up the launch date to help businesses in need during the pandemic. “Giving back has always been a core value of our company, but at times like this, it’s even more important to come together and support one another any way we can,” he said. According to Johnson, keeping delivery in-house helps businesses “increase pro�itability on every order and keep more people employed.”

“Now is an ideal time for restaurants to start developing their in-house delivery programs since it’s one of their only options to stay open and serve their neighborhoods at this time,” he said. Randy’s, like the rest of Scottsdale restaurants, was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Cole said they are serving about 10 percent of what they normally would during this time of the year. “Like so many other businesses in Scottsdale and Arizona, March and April are what carry us through the summers. So, it has been a big hit,” she said. “We’re family-owned. My parents are involved, [and] my daughter and I. It’s scary. We’re just every day waking up, doing our best, and praying that it’s going to be over soon,” she added. For the �irst time in Randy’s decadeslong history, the restaurant will be open for Easter Sunday. This year, they’ve added a family-style ham dinner special, including scalloped potatoes and a soup or salad, for $35. “We’ve decided to stay open due to the need that there’s a lot of people in the neighborhood that are now relying on us for their hot meals,” Cole said. “So, we pulled together our staff and said, ‘If you don’t want to be here, you don’t have to be here.’ But everybody voted to be there. They want to be there and be able to provide for the neighborhood.” Cole said that, in addition to ordering takeout and delivery, Randy’s has gift certi�icates and merchandise, like Tshirts, available for purchase. They also plan to host a grand reopening celebration when “things get back together” as a way to “do something fun for the community.” Information: phatscooters.com and randysrestaurantaz.com.

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Insured/Bonded Free Estimates

T R E E

S E R V I C E

LANDSCAPING, TREES & MAINTENANCE

Tree Trimming • Tree Removal Stump Grinding Storm Damage • Bushes/Shrubs Yard Clean-up Commercial and Residential PMB 435 • 2733 N. Power Rd. • Suite 102 • Mesa dennis@allprotrees.com

480-354-5802

HIRING? People are looking at the Classiﬁeds every day! Email Your Job Post to class@timespublications.com or call

480-898-6465

Roofing

One Stop Shop for all your flat and foam roofing supply needs • Elastomeric Coating • Roof Patch • Application Tools • Sealants • Emulsion • Caulk • Aluminum • Roof Membrane Family owned and operated since 1975 (480) 967-9407 w w w.pdiroo fcoatings.co m 3003 N. 73rd St., Suite 1 • Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Monday - Friday 7:00 am - 3:30 pm

FIND THE BEST TALENT. EASILY POST JOBS.

Licensed • Bonded • Insured ROC # 269218

phillipsroofingaz.com phillipsroofing@cox.net

MORE CLASSIFIED ADS ONLINE! www.Scottsdale.org

L L C

Prepare for Spring Season!

Deadlines

Classified: Thursday at 10am Obituaries & Legals: Wednesday at 5pm

OUR JOB BOARD HAS THE TALENT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR.

Landscape/Maintenance

ALL Pro

1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway #219 Tempe, AZ 85282 480.898.6465 class@scottsdale.org

ROOF COATINGS

Member of ABM

Licensed • Bonded • Insured Valleywide

Scottsdale Progress

P D I

PHILLIPS ROOFING LLC ROC 223367

The Most Detailed Roofer in the State

Tim KLINE Roofing, LLC 15-Year Workmanship Warranty on All Complete Roof Systems

www.timklineroofing.com

More info: 480-898-6465 or email jobposting@evtrib.com

Most jobs also appear on Indeed.com

J BS.EASTVALLEYTRIBUNE.COM

Roofing

Roofs Done Right...The FIRST Time!

COMPETITIVE PRICING AND EXPOSURE

FREE Estim a and written te proposal

480-357-2463 R.O.C. #156979 K-42 • Licensed, Bonded and Insured

Oooh, MORE ads online! Check Our Online Classifieds Too!

www.Scottsdale.org

CONDOMINIUMS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | APRIL 12, 2020

Ridge FROM THE LOWMonterey $300’S ENJOY CONDOMINIUMS CONDOMINIUMS Open 10:00-5:30 [HOME] LIFE SundayDaily FROM THE LOW $300’S 11:30-5:30 FROM THE LOW $300’S CONDOMINIUMS Just west of Scottsdale Road off Amenities include: Elevator or stairway access to single level living Move-in ready condos available

Elevator or stairway accesslevel living Open Daily 10:00-5:30 Single to single level living Sunday 11:30-5:30 Move-in ready condos Two-car available Garages Just west of Scottsdale Road off Amenities include: 68th Street. (south of 101) Gated Rd. and the 101 Near Scottsdale 480 356-0179 Pool and spa area Just west of green Scottsdale BBQ’s and belt areas Road off

Elevator or stairway access Open Daily 68th Street. (south10:00-5:30 of 101) FROM THE LOW $300’S to single level living Gated Sunday 11:30-5:30 Move-in ready condos available Pool and spa area Elevator or stairway access

480 356-0179

Open Daily 10:00-5:30 Walk to shops and theater to single leveland living BBQ’s green beltinclude: areas Amenities 68th Street. (south of 101) Sunday 11:30-5:30 Move-in ready condos available OPEN DAILY 10:00 - 5:30

Gated

Just west of Scottsdale480 Road off356-0179 (Sunday 11:30) spa area Amenities include: Pool and 68th Street. (south of 101)

BBQ’s and green belt areas Gated

Pool and spa area BBQ’s and green belt areas

480 356-0179

AT UNION PARK

480 356-0179 Single Family, Townhomes Single Family Homes & Condominiums 602 777-5175 623 385-0129 I17 and Happy Valley Near Litchfield Rd. and Camelback From the low $500’s From the high $200’s AT UNION PARK

Single Family, Townhomes Single Family Homes AT UNION PARK more information about our &For Condominiums 602 777-5175 communities visit cachethomes.net Single Family, Townhomes Single Family Homes 623 385-0129 FROM THE LOW $300’S I17 and Happy ValleySingle SingleFamily, Family Townhomes , Townhomes& Condominiums SingleFamily Family Homes Custom Homes and lot sales Single Homes 602 777-5175 Near Litchfield Rd. and Camelback Elevator or stairway access &&Condominiums Open Daily 10:00-5:30 Condominiums Amazing Amenity Area 480 556-7051 From the low $500’s 602 777-5175 623 385-0129 to single level living I17 and Happy Valley Sunday 11:30-5:30 623 623385-0129 385-0129 From the high $200’s 602 777-5175 Puma and Dixileta Move-in ready condos available I17 and Happy Valley Near Litchfield Rd. and Camelback

CONDOMINIUMS

AR-GCI0187577-01

AT UNION PARK

Square footage and dimensions are estimated and may vary in actual construction. Floor plans and elevations are artist’s conception and are not intended to show specific detailing. Floor plans are the property of Cachet Homes and its affiliates. For further information, pease see Sales Associate. All sales are subject to buyers receipt and review of a Arizona Subdivision Public Report. *See Sales Associate for incentive information. Prices, features, floor plans, elevations and incentives subject to change without notice.

From the low $500’s Near Litchfield Rd. Near Litchfield Rd.and andCamelback Camelback I17 and Hapy Valley Lots from $365 Amenities include: From the low $500’s 68th Street. (south of 101) Gated Fromthe thehigh high$200’s $200’sFrom the high $200’s From From the Pool lowand$500’s Homes from 1.8 mil 480 356-0179 spa area Just west of Scottsdale Road off

For more information about our For more information our For more about information about our communities visit cachethomes.net

BBQ’s and green belt areas

communitiescommunities visit cachethomes.net visit cachethomes.net AR-GCI0187577-01

AR-GCI0187577-01

Square footage and dimensions are estimated and may vary in actual construction. Floor plans AT UNION PARK

Square footage and are estimated andconception may vary in actual construction. Floor plans anddimensions elevations are artist’s and are not intended to show specific detailing. Floor plans Square footage and dimensions are estimated and may and elevations are artist’s conception and are not intended to show specific detailing. Floor plans vary in actual construction. Floor plans Single Family, Townhomes Single Family Homes the property Cachet Homes and itsandaffiliates. For further information, peaseFloor seeplans Sales and elevations are artist’s conception are notsee intended to show specific detailing. are the property are of Cachet Homes and of its affiliates. For information, pease Sales &further Condominiums 602All777-5175 Associate. All sales are subject to buyers receipt and review of a Arizona Subdivision Public Associate. salesPrices are subject to buyers receipt and review of a Arizona Subdivision Public the property of Cachet Homes and itsAllaffiliates. For subject further information, seeand Sales areare subject to change without notice. sales are to buyers pease receipt review of 385-0129 Report. *SeeHappy SalesReport. Associate for incentive Prices, features, plans,receipt elevations *See Salesinformation. Associate for623 incentive information. Prices, features, plans, elevations and Associate. All sales are subject to floor buyers andandreview of afloor Arizona Subdivision Public I17 and Valley incentives subject toincentives change awithout notice. Arizona Public Report. See sales Prices, associate for floor incentive information. Report. *See Sales Associate for incentive information. features, plans, elevations and Near Litchfield Rd. and Camelback subject toSubdivision change without notice.

From the low $500’s

incentives subject to change notice. From without the high $200’s