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FREE ($1 OUTSIDE OF SCOTTSDALE) | scottsdale.org

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

INSIDE

NEWS.............................. 16 State's new budget a boon for the weathy.

BUSINESS....................22 Scottsdale man an insurance dynamo.

Sunday, July 4, 2021

Council backs new short-term rental curbs BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

ollowing inaction by the Legislature this year, Scottsdale City Council is considering a number of new regulations and enforcement measures to combat longstanding problems involving short-term rentals. The rental properties – often adver-

tised through popular websites like Airbnb and VRBO – have been a source of complaints that the properties are essentially small hotels operating in residential neighborhoods and cause issues with noise, trash, parking, partying, lewd behavior and drinking and drug use. A 2016 state law prohibits municipalities from banning or regulating shortterm rentals specifically.

In 2019, Council took some actions to curb partying and illicit activities at the properties with ordinances that levy heavy fines on property owners and renters if they host “nuisance” parties or unlawful gatherings. Violators can face fines and fees of up to $4,000 for repeated violations.

Tourism faces Helped from afar long recovery in Scottsdale

see STR page 10

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

FOOD...............................25 His lobster dishes and sushi roll around.

NEIGHBORS...........................................18 BUSINESS................................................22 SPORTS................................................... 24 FOOD.........................................................25 CLASSIFIEDS.........................................27

hile Scottsdale’s tourism industry is unlikely to reach pre-pandemic levels anytime soon, the city’s tourism arm is confident that it is on the road to recovery. On June 22, City Council approved the budget, marketing guide and performance standards for the next 12 months for Experience Scottsdale, the city’s contracted tourism and convention bureau.

see EXPERIENCE page 14

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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 1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway, Suite 219, Tempe, AZ 85282 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 Photographers Pablo Robles | Probles@scottsdale.org Design Veronica Thurman | vthurman@scottsdale.org Production Coordinator Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 | production@scottsdale.org Circulation Director Aaron Kolodny | 480-898-5641 | customercare@scottsdale.org Scottsdale Progress is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegratedmedia.com

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 4, 2021

Developer, PV end nasty �ight over big project BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

aradise Valley and Five Star Development have reached a settlement to end a nasty public battle over the 122-acre Palmeraie development that straddles its border with Scottsdale. When complete, the development at Lincoln Drive and Scottsdale Road will include a Ritz-Carlton resort, residential villas, multi-million-dollar homes, retail, dining and office space. The development is mostly located on 105 acres within Paradise Valley, though some parts also fall within City of Scottsdale’s boundaries. Under the terms of the settlement, the Scottsdale-based developer has agreed to pay the town over $5 million in addition to an ongoing hotel surcharge to settle disputes over local infrastructure obligations approved by the town council in 2016. Those improvements were at the center of a lawsuit filed by Five Star against the town in June 2020. Five Star alleged Paradise Valley was attempting to rewrite infrastructure obligations assigned to the both parties in the development agreement. The suit claimed the town demanding payment for around $2 million in underwater storm water drainage infrastructure that the company said was not included in its agreement. The town filed a counterclaim in October 2020 asking a judge to declare Five Star in breach of the agreement and order the company to pay its portion of local street improvements included in the agreement. In a press release, Five Star said the lawsuit followed months of “attempted coercion” by the town, accusing Paradise Valley of threatening to hold up necessary permits and certificates of occupation for the development’s buildings. “This is a shakedown, pure and simple,” Five Star President Jerry Ayoub said in the release. Town officials denied the allegations, arguing the infrastructure obligations were clearly defined in the development agreement.

The Town of Paradise Valley and Scottsdale-based Five Star Development have settled a lawsuit over the Ritz-Carlton-anchored Palmeraie development on the Paradise Valley-Scottsdale border. (Progress file photo)

They said Five Star was just using the suit as leverage to extract zoning concessions in the future and to request certificates of occupancy for its Villa condominiums before timelines were achieved. Both sides struck a different tune in a joint press release issued recently. “We are pleased to collaborate with the Town of Paradise Valley under Mayor Jerry Bien-Willner’s leadership in order to put this issue behind us and move forward with a renewed sense of alignment as we near the opening of the first phase of The Palmeraie, a cornerstone of our $2 billion development, in 2022,” Ayoub said in the release. Bien-Willner issued a similar statement. “Throughout this process, as with all approved private development projects in the Town, the Town’s goal has been to honor its commitments while rooting for the successful completion of the project,” he said. “We’re pleased that the Town and Five Star could collaboratively and amicably work through our outstanding issues.” Under the new agreement, the town will receive over $5 million in payments in exchange for agreeing that

Five Star has met several of its obligations outlined in the original development pact. Five Star also agreed to an ongoing payment to Paradise Valley that will be funded by a $10 surcharge on all occupied hotel rooms in Ritz-Carlton resort for at least six years. The surcharge agreement will remain in effect for no less than six years and will terminate automatically when the town has received surcharge payments from 300,000 total room nights. The resort is scheduled to open in late 2022. Five Star also agreed to pay the City of Scottsdale for all plan review and inspection costs associated with the development. The settlement states that Paradise Valley will provide no zoning concessions to the developer in exchange for the settlement, though Five Star is still free to request zoning changes if it desires through the town’s normal entitlement process. The agreement also clarifies that there are no disputes between the two sides over the timing for issuance of certificates of occupancy for the resort villas or luxury homes that are part of the development.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 4, 2021

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Back-to-school event needs help amid pandemic woes BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

cottsdale Community Partners is seeking the public’s help for its annual back-to-school drive that provides school supplies and necessities to around 1,000 kids annually. The event provides students in need with a new backpack and grade-appropriate school supplies, socks, underwear and a $25 gift card to Walmart for new clothes. The Police Officers of Scottsdale Association also provides a voucher for new shoes. At the same time, families can pick up meals for children 17 and under provided by Scottsdale Unified School District, a voucher for a free book from Scottsdale Libraries and goodie bags with books and crayons for children 5 and under from First Things First. Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health will also provide “smile bags” with dental hygiene products. Families can also sign up for SUSD’s free or reduced-price lunch program at the event, said Denny Brown, a sponsorship consultant with Scottsdale Community Partners and former SUSD board member. The event, which the nonprofit has hosted in partnership with City of Scottsdale for four decades, took a hit last year from the pandemic. Instead of the 1,000 kids they aid in a typical year, Scottsdale Community Partners and its partnering organizations provided clothes and supplies to about 500 kids. “Most of that was because the (school district) community specialists do a

This was the scene two years ago at Scottsdale Community Partners’ annual back-to-school event. Last year and this year, the pandemic has forced major changes on participants, who must stay in vehicles. (Progress file photo)

lot of the enrollment for us, and right as we began enrollment is when…they shut down the schools,” said Jenny Adams, Scottsdale Community Partners’ executive director. With school back in session, Adams said the organization is expecting student participation to jump back to pre-pandemic levels during this year’s event on July 21. Family managed since 1981

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She said they already have 800 kids signed up and anticipate reaching 1,000 by the time the event arrives at the end of July. Still, not everything is back to normal. The city and non-profit will not be hosting the normal in-person backto-school drive in which hundreds of youngsters visit to try on new clothes, receive free dental exams and other services. Instead, Scottsdale Community Partners is hosting a drive-thru at Scottsdale’s Granite Reef Senior Center. Families will stay in their vehicles and move station to station to collect their school supplies, gift cards and other items. Scottsdale Community Partners is also still feeling the pandemic’s impact on fundraising. For instance, one major donor that has given for years just does not have the funds to help out this year. “So

that’s about a $12,000 chunk that we’re missing right now,” Adams said. Typically, the organization can provide three outfits per child for around $10, using a cache of clothing it has stored away. But due to the city’s COVID-19 regulations, the organization cannot give out those clothes this year, Adams said. Instead, the organization is giving out $25 gift cards to each child to purchase clothing. “So it’s a big leap for us financially this year to give them that $25 gift card,” Adams said. In order to cover those increased costs, Scottsdale Community Partners is seeking to raise $30,000 before the event. As of June 29, it had fundraised $6,745, according to a running tally on the organization’s website. Donations can be made at scottsdalecommunitypartners.org/program/back-to-school.

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 4, 2021

2 of�icers injured in separate incidents here PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

wo Valley police officers were injured in unrelated incidents in Scottsdale last week. At around 1:23 a.m. on June 27, Gilbert Police Sgt. Tom Edgerton was driving his personal motorcycle on Loop 101 near the Talking Stick resort when he was involved in an accident. According to Gilbert Police, a preliminary investigation found evidence that Edgerton was rear-ended by another vehicle and that the driver fled the scene. Edgerton was transported to Honor Health Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center, where he is in critical but stable condition with multiple broken bones, including a broken neck. Scottsdale Police later located the suspected vehicle and driver near Granite Reef Drive and McDonald Road, according to Scottsdale Police Officer Aaron Bolin. The Arizona Department of Public

Gilbert Police Sgt. Tom Edgerton is in critical but stable condition following an accident on Loop 101 in Scottsdale. (Courtesy of Gilbert Police Department)

Safety, which is leading the investigation, arrested the suspect, who was only identified as a 23-year-old male from Oceanside, California. The suspect was not booked into jail as the investigation continues, according to Paul Alaniz, a spokesman for Gilbert Police. On June 28, a Scottsdale Police officer was injured during a traffic stop near Indian School and Scottsdale roads when the driver allegedly reversed intentionally into the officer’s motorcycle and fled. Body camera footage shows the officer pulling the vehicle over in an office building parking lot. After coming to a brief stop, the driver accelerated, aggressively in reverse, knocking over the officer’s motorcycle. The officer then pointed his gun at the passenger-side window and ordered the suspects to “freeze” as the truck sped away onto Scottsdale Road. The officer, whose name was not released, suffered minor injuries.

While fleeing, the suspect allegedly struck another vehicle near 75th Street and Indian School Road before entering an apartment complex near 78th Street and Camelback Road. At that point, a man and woman exited the vehicle and fled on foot. They then allegedly stole an ambulance responding to an unrelated medical incident in the area, according to Scottsdale PD. They later abandoned the ambulance near 79th Street and Heatherbrae Avenue before running into the neighborhood. The female suspect was apprehended a short while later. Scottsdale Police on Friday announced that they had apprehended the male suspect in the case on Thursday night after he had been on the run for several days. He was identified as Matthew Thomas Crook, 34. Among the charges filed against him were aggravated assault on an officer and stealing an emergency vehicle.

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STR from front

The new ordinances complied with the 2016 law by applying to all residential properties, not just rentals. Even with those ordinances in place, however, complaints have persisted. Records obtained by the Progress showed police issued 143 notices of violation of either the nuisance party or unlawful gathering ordinance between Oct. 24, 2019 and Feb. 1, 2021, resulting in fees of $62,750. The city recorded 17 violations in November and December 2019 in the months after the ordinances went into effect and 16 violations during the same time frame in 2020. The city can also fine property owners who fail to register a short-term rental, fail to have a transaction privilege license tax number or operate the rental for non-residential use like an event center. Of 316 cases involving violations, “all of them have come into compliance without the need to issue a civil citation,” former Neighborhood Planning Services Director Raun Keagy

On July 1, the Scottsdale City Council voted unanimously to accept a list of recommendations from the city’s short-term rental working group aimed at addressing concerns about the negative impact of the rental properties on the community. (Progress file photo)

told the Progress earlier this year. Still, there is evidence only a fraction of active short-term rentals in Scottsdale are registered with the city.

Councilwoman Linda Milhaven, who served on the city’s short-term rental working group, said there are as many as 5,000 short term rentals in Scotts-

dale today. In February, Mayor David Ortega said there was only an estimated 600 rentals registered with the city. Lawmakers this year introduced three different bills addressing shortterm rental issues, including one sponsored by Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, that would have returned some regulatory powers to cities that were stripped away in 2016. None of the bills passed. So in March, Council formed a shortterm rental working group tasked with creating recommendations for what could be done to prevent or minimize the adverse impact of shortterm rentals. The group included Milhaven and Councilwoman Betty Janik. residents, hotel industry representatives and two Realtors, including one who operates a short-term rental property. The group, which met six times this year, came back with an extensive list of recommendations on July 1 that Council unanimously accepted. A central goal of the recommendations – a mix of ordinance tweaks, increased enforcement and additional education for residents, property owners and renters – is to mitigate the negative impacts of short-term rentals without violating state law. “I want to emphasize everybody thinks we can answer all the problems,” Janik said. “In reality, there are laws and ordinances that govern how we have to respond legally to all these situations.” To do that, the group recommended several changes to improve enforcement of the existing party and unlawful gathering ordinances. That includes improving communication between Scottsdale police and code enforcement, the two city departments charged with enforcing the ordinances, in order to identify repeat offenders. “What we learned is if there is a problem property an officer may respond to a call for service and not understand that there’s a pattern here… and so having these folks work more directly will help us identify problems more promptly and quickly and address them more effectively,” Mil-

see STR page 12

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STR from page 10

haven said. Milhaven said the city has already implemented some changes, including giving police access to code enforcement’s complaint tracking system. Council also created a short-term rental response team of six police officers, one sergeant and code inspector. The new unit is still in development and staff will likely have to come back to council for funding. The working group also recommended ways to increase compliance with the requirement that all shortterm rental operators register properties with the city and provide contact info for use in the event an emergency or complaint. Milhaven said major booking sites Airbnb and VRBO – which represent up to 70 percent of STR bookings in Scottsdale, according to city staff – have agreed to cooperate with the city and have already notified operators about the registration requirements. Both websites also agreed to remove repeat offenders if the city shares complaints with them, she said.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 4, 2021

Milhaven said major booking sites Airbnb and VRBO – which represent up to 70 percent of STR bookings in Scottsdale, according to city staff – have agreed to cooperate with the city and have already notiﬁed operators about the registration requirements. She said the city is also considering contracting with a software vendor to better track properties operating across all booking platforms in Scottsdale. Milhaven said city staff is also going through registered properties to ensure they have a registered tax license so the city and state can collect taxes owed by those owners.

The city is also looking at increasing upping fines for violations of the nuisance and unlawful gathering ordinances to the maximums allowed under state law. Those maximums range from $750 to $2,500 for property owners and $250 to $2,000 for occupants based on the number of previous violations. Additionally, Council signaled a desire to recategorize violations of the ordinances to civil penalties that will be adjudicated through City Court in order to beef up the city’s ability to collect the fines. Currently, violators are assessed a police service fee. “So right now if someone gets a notice of violation it’s sort of like getting a bill from the city and we really don’t have a way to collect that efficiently,” Milhaven said. All the changes to the city code will have to come back to Council at a later date for approval. The city will also likely adopt changes requiring a one-hour response time by property owners to complaints with additional fines for delays. Beyond those code changes, the

working group recommended the city improve education for residents, property owners and renters to increase compliance. That includes improving the city webpage for reporting complaints and creating guides and workshops for concerned residents. And the city won’t stop fighting to reverse the 2016 law that many critics blame for the short-term rental law. The final recommendation from the working group centered on continuing the lobbying effort at the legislature in an attempt to reverse the 2016 law and return regulatory power over short-term rentals back to cities. “We really feel that these recommendations represent what Scottsdale can do now, and how to best help the citizens be more comfortable and more informed given this sort of horrible policy we’re living due to the state stripping cities of their powers to regulate short-term rentals in 2016,” said resident Melissa Kovacs, who served on the rental working group.

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EXPERIENCE from front

According to the organization’s business plan, occupancy at area hotels was 40.1 percent in 2020 – down over 40 percent from 2019. That was a steeper drop-off than hotels in Phoenix Metro and U.S. as whole, which saw occupancy drop between 30 and 35 percent during the pandemic. It was also a bigger drop than similar warm-weather destinations like Tucson and Palm Springs. Still, Scottsdale hotel occupancy has begun to bounce back in 2021 – especially during the spring tourist season, which was abruptly cut short by COVID-19. According to hotel research company STR, from April 4-10, the Scottsdale area’s tourism industry experienced 70.8 percent occupancy – well above the sub10-percent occupancy in early April 2020. STR put Scottsdale’s overall hotel occupancy rate at 45.9 percent for 2021. That relatively modest increase over 2020’s rate of 40.1 percent might come as a shock to locals who have seen downtown Scottsdale, the entertainment district and resort pools seemingly bounce back to life. But industry experts do not expect the U.S. tourism industry to fully recover until 2024. Rachel Pearson, Experience Scottsdale’s vice president of community and government affairs, said tourists are returning to Scottsdale but are only part of the equation. She said that corporate business travel still has not returned and that segment of the market comprises a significant portion of Scottsdale’s hotel occupancy, especially on weekdays. “If you’re out and about on the weekends, you probably feel like ‘gosh, there’s so many visitors’…but that meetings business is not yet back at full capacity and it’s going to take a while to get that back at full levels,” Pearson said. Experience Scottsdale is seeing indications that those weekday visitors could be back soon, based on inquiries from business groups that typically bring that kind

Rachel Pearson, Experience Scottsdale’s vice president of community and government affairs, said tourists are coming back to Scottsdale but business and meeting travel has been slower to return. (Progress file photo)

of traffic. Pearson said that since March, the organization is seeing inquiries for future business travel opportunities back to prepandemic levels. “They could be meeting months out or even a year out, but the leads and interest have returned to pre-pandemic levels, but it will still take a little bit of time to come back in terms of the actual occupancy,” she said. Hotels in Scottsdale should be in a good position to recoup losses when that business returns. That’s because the average rate charged per room did not change much during the pandemic even as occupancy plummeted. According to Experience Scottsdale, the average daily rate in Scottsdale in 2020 was $204, about $88 higher than the Phoenix Metro and $100 higher than the U.S. market as a whole. Pearson said hoteliers recognized that the drop in traffic was caused by COVID-19, not prices, so dropping room rates during the pandemic was unlikely to make a significant difference. “I think our hotels – and maybe some of this is from their experience during the last downturn – they’ve really held strong

on their rates,” she said. “I think many felt that you couldn’t sell your way out of the problem with just low rates and it’s much harder for hotels to get their rates back up than their occupancy.” Experience Scottsdale is going into the last year under its current contract. But while it has held the contract in various incarnations since 1977 when it was the tourism arm of the local Chamber of Commerce, Experience Scottsdale could face competition for the contract when it comes due next year. Council recently directed city staff to put out a competitive bid and hired New Yorkbased Clarity of Place to analyze its current contract with Experience Scottsdale. The company also is charged with determining whether the city should continue its sole source contract with Experience Scottsdale or put it out for bid next year. Karen Churchard, Scottsdale’s director of tourism and events, said Clarity of Place will evaluate the existing contract against similar organizations to determine if the city is getting its best return on investment. While most contracts are required to go to that bid, the city procurement code allows for sole source contracts of up to five years if city staff determines there is only one available provider or if the award is in the city’s best interest. According to the City Code, 50 percent of Scottsdale’s bed tax dollars are to be used for destination marketing. Scottsdale’s base contract with Experience Scottsdale is worth approximately $10.8 million of the $21.6 million in bed tax the city is expected to bring in this year. That will go into the organization’s coffers along with $189,100 to cover 50 percent of the costs associated with Fiesta Bowl and nearly $1.2 million in additional unanticipated bed tax collected last year. For the next year, Scottsdale’s total contribution of $12.2 million will account for 74 percent of Experience Scottsdale’s total revenue. That marks a substantial increase over

2019 (66 percent) and 2020 (64 percent). Part of the city’s increased contribution could be due to decreases in Experience Scottsdale’s other revenue sources. According to budget documents, Paradise Valley – which also has a DMO contract with Experience Scottsdale – saw its payments decrease from $1.8 million in 2019 to $900,000 annually in 2020 and 2021. Overall, payments from non-Scottsdale sources dropped from $4.9 million in 2019 to $4.4 million this year. The latest report to City Council shows that 67 percent of Experience Scottsdale’s $16.5 million budget will go to the programming, an eight percent increase over last year’s budget. At the same time, the percentage of the budget going to personnel costs decreased by seven percent this year. Pearson said the organization uses industry data to keep its annual expenses in line with industry norms and some of that decrease in personnel costs this year is connected to pandemic-driven layoffs. The city’s contract with Experience Scottsdale requires the organization to keep non-program costs in line with industry norms. An analysis of its 2019 budget ordered by Paradise Valley indicated Experience Scottsdale’s costs are par for the course. According to the report from DMO Proz, Experience Scottsdale’s budget mix in 2019 was in line with averages for destination marketing organizations representing areas with similar hotel inventories. When compared to luxury destinations like St. Petersburg, Ft. Lauderdale and Newport Beach, Experience Scottsdale spent about 2.6 percent less on personnel than the average. The report found that Experience Scottsdale spent 2.2 percent less on personnel and one percent more on programming and administrative costs than the average spent by Nashville, San Antonio, Palm Springs and Phoenix – cities identified as Scottsdale’s biggest competitors for meetings and other events.

Know anything interesting going on in Scottsdale? Send your information to wschutsky@scottsdale.org

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New budget: tax break for rich, mask mandate ban BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

ov. Doug Ducey last week signed legislation putting in place an immediate $1.3 billion tax cut, set to rise to $1.9 billion, that is designed largely to benefit the wealthiest. Ducey inked his approval of the $12.8 billion spending plan just a day before the new fiscal year began Thursday. It also came as state lawmakers approved the last elements of the budget package for the new fiscal year after jettisoning provisions to vastly expand the number of children who could get vouchers of public dollars to attend private and parochial schools. But it still will make it easier for some students to leave public schools and get these vouchers. And it specifically prohibits any local law or school board regulation requiring the use of face coverings by students or staff during school hours and on school property. Also forbidden is any mandate that students or teachers be vaccinated against COVID-19 or wear a face covering to participate in in-person instruction. There also is a ban on what some have dubbed “critical race theory’’ in schools. It specifically prohibits teaching students that one race, ethnic group or sex is inherently morally or intellectually superior to another; that any individual by virtue or race, ethnicity or sex is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive; that any individual bears responsibility for actions committed by others of the same race, ethnicity or sex; and that any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or psychological distress because of their race, ethnicity or sex. However, gone is a proposal added in the House by Rep. Judy Burges, R-Skull Valley, that would have required schools to have a comparative discussion of communism and totalitarianism that conflict with the founding principles of the United States. It also would have mandated new civics instruction “to prepare students to be civically responsible and knowledgeable adults.’’ In a prepared statement about his decision to sign the budget, the governor cited

Gov. Doug Ducey signed a budget for the new ﬁscal year that includes a ban on school district mask mandates. (Tribune file photo)

what he said are various investments, ranging from $100 million for wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts and $55 million for border security to $13 million for body cameras for state troopers. The governor made no mention of legislation that allows the Department of Public Safety to deny public access to the footage. He specifically cited the 2.5 percent flat tax to be phased in over three years, scrapping the tiered system that now has tax rates up to 4.5 percent for earnings by married couples in excess of $318,000. And the plan also helps those with earnings of more than $500,000 avoid paying all or part of the 3.5 percent surcharge voters approved in November to help supplement education funding. An analysis of the plan shows that about 53 percent of the tax relief will go to the 9,645 Arizonans with a taxable income of more than $1 million. By contrast, only about 1 percent is available for those who have taxable earnings of $50,000 or less. For those in the $20,000 to $25,000 range, for example, legislative budget staffers figure the average tax cut would be $3, rising to $5 for those in the $25,000 to $30,000 income bracket and $8 for those between $30,000 and $40,000 range.

Those in the $75,000 to $100,000 income bracket would see a cut of $115. It is not until reaching the $200,000 to $500,000 range where the average cut hits four digits. Press aide C.J. Karamargin said he rejects the premise behind any questions about Ducey approving a tax-cut plan that mainly benefits those at the top of the income scale. “The premise assumes that the only way Arizonans can benefit from the budget and the tax package is through this tax reform proposal,’’ he said. “I think it is myopic to think that this budget only benefits a certain group of people. The last piece of the budget to fall in place Wednesday deals with K-12 education. Key to that are vouchers, generally worth between $6,000 and $7,000, to allow students to attend private or parochial schools. Right now, these are available to those with special needs, foster children, children living on reservations and those attending public schools rated D or F. Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Peoria, sought to expand that to any student who is eligible for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program, a figure he pegged at about $40,470 a year for a family of four. He also wanted to make vouchers available to any

child of a veteran. That would have opened the door for vouchers for about 700,000 of the approximately 1.1 million students now in public schools. But that proved unacceptable to several House Republicans. And with all Democrats opposed, he had to compromise. The final version does not change who is eligible. But what it does is reduce the time that students have to attend a failing school before being able to switch and get a voucher from 100 day, as it is now, to just 45 days. And for students in these schools who come from needy families – meaning they qualify for free or reduced-lunch programs – there would be no requirement to even go to the local school first. Those provisions could ease the exit from public schools for eligible students. The move still drew opposition from Democrat lawmakers who said the state should be investing more in the public schools. Sen. Kirsten Engel, D-Tucson, said any money going to these private schools though what are formally known as “empowerment scholarship accounts’’ is money that should be used to improve those failing schools. But Boyer disputed that public schools don’t have enough money. He said Arizona got $5 billion in federal COVID aid for schools this year. And that, Boyer said, is on top of $6.7 billion in state aid. What’s also in the budget, he said, are other earmarked dollars, ranging from $5 million for career and technical education for 9th graders and $17 million for “targeted K-12 investments’’ to $193 million for school repairs and construction and another $69 million specifically for seven new schools. “So, my question to you is, when will it ever be enough to allow poor and minority students to leave the schools that are failing them?’’ he asked. All that brought an angry response from Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Glendale. “I am sick of the majority coming in and telling us what people of color need and ignoring what people of color are actually telling you,’’ he said. Quezada said the record shows that these kinds of programs only further segregation.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 4, 2021

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Karen May, owner of Scottsdale Private Event Venues and Scottsdale Hangar Parties, pivoted during the panic to plan fundraisers for nonprofits. (Pablo Robles/Progress Scottsdale resident Hugh Illsley trained in the desert near his home in DC Ranch before hiking the Grand Canyon for charity on June 1. (Courtesy of Maasai Girls Rescue Center)

Grand Canyon hiker spiritually rewarded BY BEVERLY MEDLYN Progress Contributor

ugh Illsley goes the extra mile for others. At 71, he hiked the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim for 24 miles in a day to raise upwards of $25,000 for Maasai Girls Rescue Center, a nonprofit that cares for vulnerable girls in Tanzania, Africa. Illsley completed the charitable journey in 10 ½ hours, culminating a bucket-list dream hatched when he turned 70 and combining his first major hike with his wish to support the work of his friend Rick Morro, who founded and runs the rescue

center. “I wanted to help Rick because I think what Rick does is really heroic,” Illsley said. “To me, hiking the canyon to raise funds is nice, but it’s not heroic. He’s the hero.” Illsley and Morro – both retired Scottsdale businessmen – became friends years ago through a Bible study group. Illsley leads Christian outreach programs, such as Tales from the Tour, and sponsors three girls at Scottsdale Bible Church’s schools in Tanzania. Morro signed up for a tour of the church’s schools and was so inspired by what he

see HIKER page 20

Staff Photographer)

Scottsdale event planner weathers pandemic BY LAURA LATZKO Progress Contributor

special entertainer, helicopter ride, classic car or out-of-the-box theme can make events stand out. And Scottsdale Airpark event planner Karen May resorts to those and other tactics to create memorable, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. She owns Scottsdale Private Event Venues and Scottsdale Hangar Parties, bringing character to parties and often hosting them on ranches, in amphitheaters and in the desert. Her clients read like a who’s who of corporate and private clients – many of whom

she cannot name. She has also lent a hand to the Super Bowl, Final Four, the Fiesta Bowl and Major League Baseball. She collaborated with or met celebrities like golfer Tiger Woods, former football player Kurt Warner, actor Leslie Nielsen and country stars Garth Brooks and George Strait. May was recognized for her work in 2019 with a Smart Women in Meetings Award during the Smart Woman Summit in Las Vegas. Being an event planner has been challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic. May said that she has seen an 80% de-

see EVENT page 20

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 4, 2021

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HIKER �� page 18

saw that he packed up his life in Scottsdale and moved halfway across the world. Over the last decade, Morro has developed his own Maasai Girls Rescue Center. More than 50 girls currently live at a temporary site in Karatu, Tanzania, while a permanent ecoVillage is under construction a mile away. Funds are being raised to build the ecoVillage, which will provide not only shelter for the girls but a farm and small lodge for safari and adventure travelers visiting nearby World Heritage sites. Revenue from the tourists will sustain the center’s operations. Like Morro, Illsley approached his Grand Canyon challenge a step at a time, begin-

ning two years ago with a demanding training program hiking in the desert four to five hours three days a week. “This has been the toughest goal I’ve ever set,” Illsley said. He also tapped his network of friends and family to contribute to the cause, which is still generating donations through the center’s website: maasairescue.org. On June 1 at 5 a.m., Illsley started the hike at the North rim trailhead. A friend dropped him off and drove to the other end. It was 40 degrees. “The first five miles were straight downhill,” he said. “I followed a stream for nine miles until it arrived at the Colorado River. It was a gorgeous hike. I went two hours without seeing anyone.” When he reached Phantom Ranch at

the bottom of the canyon, he loaded up on water and drank the best lemonade ever. It was 100 degrees. Then he started the uphill climb to the top. “That whole section is in direct sunlight with very little shade,” he said. He slogged through sand dunes that irritated his feet, washed in the river and put on fresh socks. Then he met a 52-year-old man from Wisconsin who was hiking with his daughter. “Next to me, he was the oldest guy on the trail,” Illsley said. Their presence was reassuring as the hike wore on, getting harder and harder. “The last two miles were tough,” he said. “It took me an hour. One foot after another. Every time you look around the corner, you wonder, is this the last switchback? When I saw my buddy sitting on a bench

on the South rim, that was great! I reached the top and saw the father and daughter were also waiting for me to make sure I was okay.” Illsley and his friend drove to Williams to check into a hotel to recover. In the shower, sheets of mud rolled off his body. He rested, took some Advil, and went out for a steak dinner. Now he’s back with his wife, Joanne, at their home in Scottsdale’s DC Ranch. “It was a very satisfying thing to do,” he said. “Spiritually, it was rewarding. But while I’m sitting here in my comfortable house looking out over the city, Rick is getting up every morning with more than 60 people to take care of. He gave himself up completely to serve others. That is the epitome of self-sacrifice.”

EVENT �� page 18

crease in business since March 2020. She has tried to stick to smaller events such as holiday and private parties, weddings, digital drive-in events, incentive events, pharmaceutical releases, a helicopter-themed rehearsal dinner, brand launch-

es, retirement parties and an outdoor gala in a mall parking lot. During the gala for architects, attendees watched prerecorded footage of nominees and a video featuring the nominated projects. “Everybody was in their cars like they were at a drive-in, watching their awards

gala,” she said. “They saw themselves and their projects on the big screen. At the end of the night, the first-, second- and thirdplace winners came up live on the screen to get their awards. It was a lot of fun. We were just trying to do something different, out of the box.” During the last year, she avoided planning events for larger groups, as she didn’t want to contribute to the spread of COVID or play gatekeeper. “You can’t always control your clients, if they are going to follow the rules, if they are going to wear their masks,” she said. “It’s up to you to make sure that they do, and that’s really personal. I don’t want to be putting a mask on someone’s child or telling the CFO to put your mask back on. It’s just hard. You are in a different position when you are planning someone’s personal event, and they are spending all that money. So, sometimes it’s easier to not do it than put yourself in that situation.” Instead, she focused on helping organizations like the Special Olympics and St. Mary’s Food Bank. She assisted with food drives, PPE packages for hospitals and donations for the Beat the Heat program for Scottsdale seniors in need. “I can’t give them money that I don’t have, but I go can help them raise it,” May said. “I can go help them throw an event, and I can through my connections get them stuff. That’s what I was doing. It’s amazing what you can do as an event planner.” Charities and nonprofits are nothing new to May, who has worked with Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Center and the Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial and the

Be Kind Project. May said giving back has helped her to stay focused and busy during the pandemic. “Rather than just sit at home and be in a pity party, I needed to go do what I know and love and go help people,” May said. She’s especially passionate about animals, as she has six rescue dogs. Before COVID-19, May organized events for thousands of people. Her hangar events are something special. She brings in helicopters, jets and other aircraft. She has teamed with the Janet Cussler Car Collection, as well. “With the hangars, it’s a blank slate. You can make them into anything you want, and you can do it with props and lighting,” May said. She stresses that she tries to stay away from the “typical.” “I love when it’s different, and it’s not in a ballroom,” May said. “I hate being in a square box. I don’t like to do that. I like to do things in fun places. If you are at a convention for five nights, there’s always a night where you want to go out and let your hair loose. Those are the parties that we do.” May said it’s all worth it when attendees walk into the venue. “My thing is seeing it all happen, and the best part is when the doors open. It’s that Oprah ‘aha’ moment,” May said.

DAR tree planting

Grand Canyon Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution members honored Arizona State DAR State Regent Morgan Elliott by planting two ironwood trees in Mescal Park in Scottsdale. From left: Margot Carlson Delogne, Carmen Wendt, Kandy Wagenbach, Stephanie Troth, Kristin Vaill, Chapter Regent Karen Andrews, Morgan Elliott, Gera King, Yvonne Henricks, and Betty Heenan. (Courtesy of the DAR)

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The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO/AA institution and an equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or national origin. A lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in the career and technical education programs of the District. The Maricopa County Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities. For Title IX/504 concerns, call the following number to reach the appointed coordinator: (480) 731-8499. For additional information, as well as a listing of all coordinators within the Maricopa College system, visit www.maricopa.edu/non-discrimination.

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Airpark resident takes the reins at Civana BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ Progress Contributor

n her second go-around in Arizona, Camila Frederico is taking it all in. “As the new general manager of Civana Wellness Resort & Spa, doing so has been easy,” Frederico said. “It has certainly lived up to the hype from Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler and USA Today — and then some — so far.” Frederico’s oversees the resort’s 22 acres, 144 rooms and suites and its 20,000-square-foot spa and wellness center. An Airpark resident, Frederico has trained for this position since before she could read, but she didn’t know it yet. Born and raised in São Paulo, Frederico competed in gymnastics at 4, going so far as to be named to the country’s national team at ages 13 and 15. During this time, Frederico earned local celebrity status when she became the first Brazilian female to do a triple rotation on

Camila Frederico is the new general manager of Civana. (Courtesy of Civana)

the floor exercise. “I competed until age 17, when I finished high school and after about a dozen broken bones,” Frederico said. “I was ready for a new challenge, but I took the

lessons learned about wellness and exercise with me the rest of my life.” Unlike the United States, after high school one must declare a major before entering college. “My brother suggested I go into economics, and for some reason I did, but with a twist,” Frederico said. “In Brazil, one may work toward a master’s degree at the same time as a bachelor’s, so I did.” She was working toward a B.A. in economics from the University Mackenzie in São Paulo and an M.A. in journalism from the University Casper-Libero, also in São Paulo, with the goal of being a movie critic. “After graduating with both by 21, however, there were neither journalism nor economics jobs in my home country,” Frederico said. “As such, I accompanied my travel agent mother to a convention, where I learned about J-1 visas to work in the hospitality industry in the United States.” Frederico booked a one-way ticket for

She fell in love fast with the pace and people of the industry. Frederico worked her way up in the industry over the next few years before driving cross country to Phoenix to accept a role as a meeting and event coordinator at the thenPhoenix Ritz-Carlton in 2002. Orlando, packing just one bag. “I laugh at that now,” Frederico said. “The Camila of today would need 20 suitcases for shoes alone.” She earned a job as the front desk clerk at the then-largest Marriott in the country. She fell in love fast with the pace and

see CIVANA page 23

Scottsdale firm an insurance industry dynamo BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Progress Staff Writer

ayne Goshkarian does a lot with a little. The founder of Airparkbased Dylan Consulting, an insurance consulting company, and his staff secured more than 95,000 policies for individual policyholders with eight employees. “I work closely with the carriers in producing proprietary products, whether it’s dental or medical, and we distribute them to call centers and large agencies that have anywhere from 1,000 to 80,000 agents nationally,” Goshkarian said. The firm employs a hybrid system

Wayne Goshkarian has 43 years of experience in the insurance industry and his Scottsdale company, Dylan Consulting, is named after a son who died at age 2 months from a heart ailment. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

that combines what consultants and brokers can provide clients. The Consulting Broker Approach is a benefits philosophy, rather than a process. Goshkarian follows the Strategic Planning Method – a five-stage process that allows the staff to discover clients’ “vision, values and goals,” design creative plans and solutions, coordinate planning resources, secure financial instruments and services, and manage performance results for clients. “When we say, ‘We sell insurance,’ the first thing you think about is, ‘He sells group health insurance to businesses around the country,’ but that’s

see DYLAN page 23

BUSINESS

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CIVANA �� page 22

people of the industry. Frederico worked her way up in the industry over the next few years before driving cross country to Phoenix to accept a role as a meeting and event coordinator at the then-Phoenix Ritz-Carlton in 2002. “That iconic hotel became my home for the next decade,” said Frederico, who left the property as assistant director of meetings and events in 2012 to take on an even bigger role, director of food and beverage, at The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay in California. At Half Moon Bay, she successfully led a $40 million culinary operation. “The first six months there were the toughest in my career but doing something so far out of my comfort zone pushed me to learn, grow and accept new lessons in an industry I thought I knew pretty darned well,” Frederico said. Her discipline was rewarded with a promotion to director of rooms at the resort and then the opportunity to join the W Hotel in a leadership role after it was bought by Marriott in 2017. Life was moving along swimmingly for Frederico until 2020. “It certainly was not the time to think about a job change, yet here I am,” Frederico said. At first, she ignored a headhunter’s information about Civana and the idea of returning to Arizona. However, on a whim, she Googled the

DYLAN �� page 22

the furthest from the truth. “We are an intermediary, or wholesaler, of insurance products. We don’t know what our customers look like; it’s all facilitated with online enrollment through thousands of agents and distributors.” Goshkarian has more than 43 years of experience in the industry and was one of the first to create the laptop employee benefits communication system in 1993 for the MGM Hotel and Casino and a web-based enrollment system in 1999 for a tech company. In honor of his deceased son, Dylan, who died at age 2 months due to a heart condition, he launched Dylan Consulting in 2013. This could be considered a second career for Goshkarian.

Camila Frederico’s second stint in Arizona is made all the sweeter by great ofﬁce views. (Courtesy of Civana)

resort, just to check it out. “It was as if someone looked at my life, starting from my first floor routine at age 4, and built a resort with me in mind,” Frederico said. “It was love at first sight with everything Civana stands, for when it comes to wellness, health, relaxation, self-care and fun. I had to come out and see if for myself in person.” The visit solidified it: in spring 2021 “In ’06, I was tired of this business on the retail side, and decided to do something different,” said Goshkarian, 62. “I was doing it my entire life, basically. I want to do something different with my life. I stumbled into this marketplace in 2010 and the rest is history. Really, we are an intermediatory to distribution channels.” Behind the scenes, Dylan Consulting writes “hundreds of millions of dollars” in insurance. Goshkarian, who moved from New York to Scottsdale in 1967, said the rest is history. A longtime Airpark businessman, he has seen the area evolve. “The Airpark is a very unique place,” he said. “You think about all the small businesses, franchises…The location we have is just neat.

Frederico moved back to Arizona to be the resort’s general manager. “Being on property feels like home, but a home with aerial yoga, sunset sound healing and 25 spa treatment rooms,” she said. She takes at least one wellness class per week on-site in addition to running the property to fully immerse herself in the culture. “I am even working on my certification in

“I don’t think people understand what this airport brings to this area. The plane lands and the doors open up. The wife gets out, said, ‘Look how beautiful it is. Let’s buy a house here.’ They buy a house, furniture and cars. They move their office here. It’s amazing how much money that runway and aviation bring to this community.” Dylan Consulting is based at Signature Flight Support so Goshkarian can hangar his company jet there. He’s been flying for 20 years and for the last 12 years has had a Cirrus SR22. The company jet is a Phenom 100. “I enjoy traveling to a second home in Newport Beach,” he said. “I spend as much time as I can with my son, Jack, 17, and my daughter, Ashley, who’s 22. I just bought a home here in DC Ranch. It’s on the flight path to runway 21.

aerial yoga, which I think will make me the first local hospitality leader who also happens to be able to teach yoga in the air, and to do so a full 25 years after retiring from high-flying stunts in the first place.” Civana Wellness Resort & Spa 37220 Mule Train Road, Carefree 480-653-9000, civanacarefree.com

When I come in and land from a business trip, it goes right over my house. I love living here. I love DC Ranch. The airport’s close by. The office is close by. Scottsdale is so beautiful.” This year, Dylan Consulting’s sales will most likely exceed what it did last year, Goshkarian said. “I’m having a lot of fun,” he said. “I’m building more of a modern-day approach to the business. People in my business are very old school, doing the same thing forever. I think, in the next couple years, Dylan Consulting will be well over a $100 million company. We may have 10 employees then. I’m also working on a book about how to take a slow-moving industry like insurance and make it cutting-edge.” “We have no partners, no investors and no loans. I’m the sole owner.” Information: dylanconsulting.com

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Legacy Sports partners with Cactus Football

BY ZACH ALVIRA Progress Sports Editor

egacy Sports Park, a massive 320acre sports and entertainment complex currently under construction in East Mesa, has announced its partnership with the Cactus Football League for its 2022 season. The partnership between Legacy Sports USA and the CFL is the �irst of its kind for an adult semi-pro league in Arizona. In the more than 20 years leagues similar to the CFL have been around in the state, they frequently used high school �ields or local parks for games played by self-proclaimed “weekend warriors.” But Matt Archer, an East Valley resident and owner of the CFL, has built his league into one that stands out from the rest in four short years. “Matt’s vision with his league aligned really well with ours,” said Brett Miller, president of Legacy Sports USA. “I’m very familiar with his league. There are so many leagues that allow kids and adults to play at the highest level that coincides with where they are in their life and I think that’s what the Cactus Football League does. “It gives people an opportunity to continue to play the sport they love to play.” As part of the agreement, three CFL games will be played every Saturday afternoon inside Legacy’s main stadium. Primarily meant to house soccer games, the multipurpose �ield can be repainted to accurately re�lect lines found on a football �ield. The venue can seat as many as 5,000 fans and will allow the opportunity for individual teams to set up makeshift stores to sell merchandise outside the stadium. Players, who stem from amateurs to former college and arena football athletes, will utilize locker rooms at the stadium. Restaurants and a beer garden will also occupy the stadium, offering a unique and pro-like game day experience for fans.

Legacy Sports Park has announced its partnership with adult semi-pro Cactus Football League, the ﬁrst partnership of its kind for competitive adult tackle football in the state. (Courtesy Legacy Sports USA)

The CFL is the �irst adult-focused league Legacy has partnered with for the opening of its park, which is currently scheduled for January. In just the last few months, Legacy announced partnerships with Arsenal Soccer Club to become the premier youth soccer organization at the park, Elite Youth Football, Arizona Dynamics gymnastics, the Sand Club beach volleyball and just recently announced the Professional Tour of Pickleball will add a stop at Legacy. Miller said the park expects to cater to as many as 65,000 people every weekend, which will allow leagues occupying the park to further grow and appeal to more individuals. “Every day, every weekend will be a unique experience,” Miller said. “All at the same time we will have Cactus Football League games, soccer games, gymnastics, everything. More and more people will become aware of everything going on because it’s all at the same place, and that’s pretty cool.” The CFL was founded by Archer in 2018. What started as an idea on how to better the semi-pro football landscape in Arizona quickly turned into the biggest and overall, best run league in the state. The league utilized Westwood High School in Mesa and

Raymond S. Kellis High School in Glendale its �irst season in the spring of 2019. Last year, before the pandemic forced a halt to all operations, Youngker, Cortez and Sunnyslope high schools were used. The league stuck with those three schools for the 2021 season, but Archer has always had bigger and better plans. Ultimately, he aims to own his own facility. That may come to fruition with a new multipurpose dome currently under construction in Surprise he has a stake in. However, he didn’t want to go another year utilizing only high school facilities for games. That’s where Legacy came into play. “They made it really easy,” Archer said of Legacy. “We got on the phone with them and told us what we wanted to do, where we wanted to take the league and the problems we were having with restrictions at high schools. They rolled out their entire plan and it was perfect.” Since its inception, the CFL has been the premier destination for top-tier adult football clubs in the state. The league has routinely �ielded well over 10 teams per season and has catered to nearly 1,000 players every season. This past season, which of�icially wrapped

up with the South Phoenix Runnin’ Rebels winning the league championship on June 5, the CFL had 17 teams split into two separate conferences. As many as eight games were played every week. Along with the growth in participation, Archer has also seen a growth in his league’s brand altogether. He has created divisions of the Cactus Football League, including Cactus Media X which handles all of the league’s podcasts, photos and livestreamed games, as well as Cactus Security and a new sports drink, Cactus Fuel. But even then, he strives for more. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be satis�ied because I don’t think I’ll ever be done,” Archer said. “Even when COVID hit last year we said we would have six months off, but we have worked every day on the league, on our media company, on Cactus Fuel. I’m excited for the direction we are going but I don’t think it will really hit me until everything is in place.” Despite all he has accomplished in a short amount of time, Archer remains unsatis�ied. He ultimately aims to turn the CFL into a professional developmental league with arena or NFL partnerships. He knows, however, that will take time and a more professional environment than playing at local high school stadiums. Archer believes both the CFL, and Legacy will bene�it from the partnership. Teams from all over the Valley, Tucson and Prescott will bring revenue to the East Mesa facility while more eyes will be on the league and all it has to offer for those still feeling the itch to play competitive tackle football. Overall, it’s another step in the right direction for both Archer and Miller to achieve their goals with their respective brands. “It’s so exciting,” Miller said. “For years this thing has been a dream and now it’s come to fruition. I wake up every day and we have more partnerships. As soon as we start seeing smiles and competition at the park, it will be the best day.”

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Food truck laden with lobster, sushi delights BY CONNOR DZIAWURA Progress Staff Writer

t could be said that things have come full circle for former Marquee Theatre general manager Donny Johnson. Previously a professional bass fisherman and full-time angler, the longtime Mesa resident pivoted to the entertainment industry over the past several decades. He views working at the Electric Ballroom as a sort of entry point, and then in 1995 he launched his own music bar, the Bigfish Pub. After running the joint for about a decade, he took a job at the Marquee Theatre. But last year, the pandemic hit — and he began to rethink things. Now, he’s back in business for himself, having recently hit the road in his Rockin Rollz Lobster & Sushi mobile culinary venue. The venture incorporates his two backgrounds: In the trailer is a seafood operation with a menu ranging from lobster rolls and tacos to poke bowls and sushi, while the rear is equipped with a stage for performances. “The whole idea was to do something unique, something that had never been done before, and still — I searched all over the internet — I cannot find any sushi trucks,” Johnson said. “I can’t find any food trucks or food trailers that offer live music anywhere, so it was really my own idea, and it was my concept, and there we are. And so far, it’s just been amazing, like the response has been unbelievable.” Relationships are fundamental to Rockin Rollz. Johnson’s girlfriend Katie McAtee is his business partner, and his longtime friend Ricky Gonzales is the sushi chef. Johnson said he has known the lat-

then. It was a big party spot.” The two spoke about opening their own place with live music, Johnson recalls, but life got in the way. Isolating at home last year with McAtee, Johnson recalled, she asked, “Do you really want to do this at 60, or would you rather have a little fun and do something you really want to do for your next five or six years before you decide to retire?” His response, inspired in part by McAtee’s home state of Maine and her “amazing” recipes, was they Donny Johnson was inspired to start a food truck that tours the Valley offering lobster and sushi should sell lobster dishes. (Kevin Hurley/GetOut Contributor) rolls and sushi. Add to that a live music stage ter for 25 years, some and he found a way to combine his two of that time spent as on interests. and off roommates. “Thus came Rockin Rollz Lobster & “Really talented guy,” Sushi,” he said. Johnson describes GonRockin Rollz’s menu is split into a zales. “I mean when it handful of categories, loaded with a comes to sushi really variety of sushi rolls (classic or new smart, knows a lot of style), the poke bowl, lobster tacos stuff about it, and he and, of course, the lobster rolls. Comwas the culinary train- plete an order by adding chips and a er at Kona (Grill). … drink. But he also cooked for Johnson doesn’t have to think twice the Diamondbacks and about bestsellers so far. The AZ Rockin he’s cooked for some Roll — lobster, avocado, cucumber and other places. I met him Japanese aioli topped with shrimp, when he was at Ichiban, drawn butter, ponzu and sea salt — is which was on Univer- “by far” the most popular of the sushi sity and McClintock. … rolls. Lobster rolls are a big hit for fans of Rockin Rollz Lobster It’s where everybody & Sushi. (Facebook) see LOBSTER page 26 went for sushi back

FOOD & DRINK

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True Food Kitchen puts its own spin on a mushroom and spinach pizza. (Courtesy of True Food Kitchen)

Scottsdale eatery offers seasonal menus BY SARA CASTRO Progress Contributor

The sushi and lobster dishes served up are varied and patrons can watch how they’re put together. (Facebook)

LOBSTER �� page 25

But lobster rolls are also selling well, he added; he recommends eating them cold to get a good sense of the taste. “We keep it simple,” he said. “Either you get a Connecticut style, which is lobster with (warm) clarified butter, or you get a Katie’s Way, which is cold lobster with this sauce that Katie makes which has (scallions), chopped celery and (Japanese) mayo, and salt and pepper, and lemon juice.” But it’s the lobster tacos — lobster, cabbage, pico de gallo and spicy Japanese aioli on locally made tortillas — of which Johnson is most proud. The seafood is fresh and the brioche rolls are imported from Paris. Johnson is first to admit the idea of eating sushi from a truck may on its surface seem a little suspect. That’s why he said he wanted Rockin Rollz to be transparent — literally. He said he doesn’t like being unable to see inside food trucks. “When I designed the truck, I looked at it like this: Would you go into a Circle K and buy sushi? No.”

“So, when I designed this, I put a window right in front of where Rick was going to be, and I wanted people to sit there and watch him make our sushi so he could talk to them. If they had questions, they could ask him, and he could answer them.” Johnson said going mobile allows him to take the food and music directly to the customers and the performers help Rockin Rollz stand out from the crowd. “I’m not a restaurant person. I’ve never been a restaurant person,” he admits. “I still don’t know anything about the restaurant business, but I do know this: what people like and what they don’t like. I know that that perception is really, really important, especially when it comes to sushi or fresh fish.” Where to ﬁnd Rockin Rollz Lobster & Sushi

602-313-0800, rockinrollzaz.com Find scheduled locations on Facebook and Instagram @rockinrollzlobsterandsushi

reative lighting, natural �inishes and a patio overlooking lit pam trees create the perfect ambiance for healthy meals at True Food Kitchen. Set in the Scottsdale Quarter, True Food Kitchen serves a globally inspired seasonal menu appealing to anyone seeking a more balanced diet. The restaurant, which takes pride in its consciously sourced ingredients, offers brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert and kid’s menus. The restaurant was founded in 2008 by Dr. Andrew Weil, a doctor of integrative medicine, and Phoenix restaurateur Sam Fox. CEO Christine Barone joined Weil and Fox in 2016 and helped up the locations from 12 to 37 restaurants. “I think that our mission is to help people feel better through food,” Barone says. “It’s really special that our team, and myself, get to wake up every day and serve really awesome, delicious food, that also happens to be healthy and makes you feel better after you eat it.” True Food’s menu changes quarterly to use produce in height of its season, as well as keeping customers on their toes. “As people are coming back to restaurants, sometimes for a �irst time in a year, we wanted it to be super special for our guests,,” said Barone, which has introduced its summer menu. Before the season starts, the True Food

Kitchen team discusses the guests’ favorite dishes, as well as new ingredients while curating a new menu. “I think one of the barriers sometimes to eating healthy is actually having things that feel familiar to you,” says Barone. True Food Kitchen strives to turn familiar dishes into something a little bit healthier, such as dishes like chicken parmesan and pizza. True Food Kitchen has specialized drinks to go with new items. All cocktails are priced at $13. In addition to these cocktails, True Food Kitchen serves a variety of nonalcoholic beverages like sparkling mango tea ($5), organic dragon fruit limeade ($5) and kaleade ($9). True Food Kitchen sources its ingredients with the help of Dirty Dozen list, which is created annually by the Environmental Working Group. It tells readers which ingredients contain pesticides people should avoid. The kitchen is also serving grass-fed beef and sustainably farmed �ish. “We have some awesome sourcing that we are hoping others will follow in our path and will adopt to help make the world a little bit of a better place,” Barone says. True Food Kitchen

15191 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale 480-265-4500, truefoodkitchen.com

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