MAY 2020
CORONAVIRUS SCAMS THIEVES ARE READY TO PREY ON THE VULNERABLE FLUTIST SHERRY FINZER
Unforeseeable Future Senior reflects on an unpredictable end for the class of 2020
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May 2020 | Volume 7 | Issue 5
Publisher Steve T. Strickbine steve@timespublications.com
features
Vice President Michael Hiatt mhiatt@timespublications.com
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Executive Editor Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
Expect the Unexpected Flutist Sherry Finzer is comforting her neighbors through music
Graphic Designer Tonya Mildenberg Contributors Lorraine Bossé-Smith, Pastor David Bowen, Jan D’Atri, Griffin Fabits, Dr. Curtis Finch, Shannon Fisher, C.A. Haire, Dr. Brian Hester, Laura Latzko, Heather Maxwell, Dr. Dharmendra (Dave) R. Patel, Emma Suttell, Annika Tomlin, Judge Gerald A. Williams Staff Photographers Pablo Robles Advertising sales@85086magazine.com (623) 299-4959
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4 Grateful for an Unforeseeable Future
Senior reflects on an unpredictable end for the class of 2020 24 Helping Kids Deal with Crisis Children need to be reassured with both words and touch
6 Curt’s Corner
Relationships matter the most in K-12 education
8 Perspective
Court operations during a public health emergency
features
12 The Last Hurrah
Gavilan Peak Middle School cheer wins state title with Jill Milnor
14 Coronavirus Scams
home
Thieves are ready to prey on the vulnerable during this crisis
Three projects to do with simple items around the kitchen
Camp Creek Falls
28 Extraordinary Rides
Acura RDX Turbo takes the boredom out of SUVs
food
30 Eat Well During the Crisis
Restaurants are still offering takeout and delivery options
34 What’s Cooking? with Jan D’Atri
business
better
Union Park’s principal Tricia Graham puts families first
Local restaurant and winery inspire families to cook via social media
One-Pot Chicken Cacciatore
20 Meet Your Neighbor
36 Seeing Clearly Now
22 The Neighborhood ‘Cheers’
37 Hydration Tips
Chris Gonzalez is our neighborhood lender PostNet provides comfort in these turbulent times
23 Here to Help
Set your sights on healthy eyes Whether you chug or sip, water is important as the weather heats up
Desert Hills Realtors specialize in horse property
Cover: Emma Suttell Photo: Submitted
85086 Magazine sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable manner. Printed by American Web on recycled fibers containing 10% post consumer waste, with inks containing a blend of soy base. Our printer is a certified member of the Forestry Stewardship Council, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and additionally meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards. When you are finished with this issue, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it. We can have a better world if we choose it together.
32 Virtual Vittles
18 A Born Advocate
Circulation
26 Kuma’s Great Adventures
Boulder Creek wrestling dominates state tournament
Production Manager Courtney Oldham
25 Stay-at-Home Crafts
16 To the Mat
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85086 Magazine is published 12 times a year for full saturation distribution in Anthem, Tramonto, Desert Hills, and New River. You can also pick up 85086 Magazine at many businesses including specialty shops, salons, spas, auto dealerships, libraries, children’s and women’s specialty shops, boutiques, restaurants, health clubs, hotels, medical offices, and many rack locations. Statements, opinions, and points of view express written consent of the publisher by the writers and advertisers and are their own, and do not necessarily represent those of the publishers, editors, or 85086 Magazine staff. Although 85086 Magazine has made every effort to authenticate all claims and guarantee offers by advertisers in the magazine, we cannot assume liability for any products or services advertised herein. No part of 85086 Magazine cannot be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the express written consent of the publisher. Publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter at any time. Postmaster: Please return all undeliverable copies to AIM, 1236 W. Southern Avenue, Ste 105, Tempe, AZ 85282. Yearly subscriptions available; twelve issues mailed directly to your mailbox for $19.95 per year (within the U.S.). All rights reserved. ®2018 Affluent Publishing, LLC. Printed in the USA.
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SCHOOLS
Grateful for an Unforeseeable Future Senior reflects on an unpredictable end for the class of 2020 By Emma Suttell In August, I stood at the gate of Boulder Creek High School, counting down the days until I’d get to walk across the stage at State Farm Stadium. In August, I had everything planned to perfection—all the way down to senior prom and my final concert with my show choir. In August, we were asked to give our senior quotes. Little did I know that the quote I gave at that time would turn out to be particularly relevant to the months leading up to graduation. I chose a quote by a woman named Morgan Harper Nichols. It said, “Let this be the season you keep on creating, even in uncertainty, and even in waiting.” Looking back on it, I’m almost shocked
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that my quote turned out to be more relevant than I ever thought possible. In the moment, I viewed it as an endearing allusion to small obstacles in life that may seem difficult but are definitely surpassable. Now, I realize that my senior quote foreshadowed an unforeseeable future—one for which I am strangely grateful. We seniors would not have guessed that our senior season or recognition night would be skipped. We wouldn’t have guessed our last band, dance or choir concert would be canceled. We wouldn’t have guessed that we wouldn’t see their favorite teacher in person again. It is still heart-wrenching to me knowing that I spent my last day at Boulder
Creek with absolutely no idea that I would not return. As I write this, sitting in my bedroom that I have conveniently rearranged for Zoom classes, nothing feels quite the way I expected. It doesn’t feel quite as personal as promised. Seeing my show choir through a computer screen doesn’t feel the same as standing next to them on the risers; my statistics class no longer resounds with the clicking of keyboards and squeaking of pencils. I’d give anything to stand in front of my English class and perform a scene of “Hamlet” one last time. Strangely enough, although this is not what I had planned, I am thankful for every second of it.
Our generation, “Gen Z,” has always been known for our technology addiction. It has been something that I have scolded myself for indulging in at times—but today, I am grateful for it. I am grateful for the teachers who share their voices with me at 8 a.m. Monday to Thursday, grateful for the online choreography tutorials directed by members of my choir and grateful for the casual conversations shared with my Spanish class. Right now, I’m not sure what the future holds for my high school graduation or whether or not I’ll finally get to touch that stage. Two days before spring break, I found out I had the privilege to give the senior address or “senior speech” in front of more than 600 of my peers. Now, reading what I wrote and wondering if I’ll have the honor to present it to my peers, I’ve found a particular part of it I wish to share: “Seniors, you’ve triumphed over countless trials in order to take this stage. “We know that those trials won’t end here, but we’ve been trained to conquer them. The
world is coming fast at us, and it’s almost time for us to dive into a world of unknown. “In our four years in high school, we’ve experienced some of the biggest changes of our lives. You’ve lived through it and you’ve had a chance to experience all of it. Now, it’s time to take what we’ve learned and use it to make a difference.” Upon first glance, it may seem that we’re headed into a world of uncertainty. But that’s no reason for us to fear. Looking back on my four years of high school, my class has experienced and persevered through several unpredictably hard events. In our sophomore year, we were out of school for two weeks as a result of the statewide #Red4Ed movement. My choir rehearsed outside on a student’s driveway in the 95-degree heat to salvage our seniors’ last concert. On Valentine’s Day 2018, after watching the news of the Marjory Stone Douglas shooting with wide eyes and heavy hearts, our school came together to remember the lives lost with an admin-organized “walkout” during the third hour.
This time is different, but the Class of 2020 will become more resilient because of it. This pandemic is one more unexpected and lifechanging event that we will experience and overcome together. Looking back on my four years. I think it’s safe to say I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m thankful for the moments I got to share with my classmates before the year came to an end. I’m thankful for the notes from teachers who are checking in to make sure we’re taking care of each other during this time. I’m thankful to be part of a class led by a selfless student government and administration that prioritize our community’s safety over a school event such as prom. I’m thankful to end the year alongside the people who have been there for me since day one—even if we aren’t exactly side by side. It’s time to start a new chapter, but remember, as they say, once a jag, always a jag. - Emma Suttell is a senior at Boulder Creek and will attend Northwestern University in the fall.
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Deer Valley Unified School District will finish the 2019-20 school year online. In this adventure, we have discovered a key ingredient to successful K-12 schooling—relationships. Some learning environments make more sense for an online world—universities and colleges, for example. Quality discussion is lost with a computer screen, but this scenario works well for busy adults, especially those who may be working while advancing their education. A portion of my Ph.D. was online and was very valuable for my working schedule. Because it was a hybrid program, in person and virtual, it was probably more expensive overall, but the benefits out-weighed the struggles, as I was working full time and raising a family. K-12 education, on the other hand, must be done in person; the face-to-face education focuses on more than just teaching content and information. So, why do brick-and-mortar public K-12 schools even exist? One must look to the past for answers. K-12 education in the United States started in the private world in the late 1700s and continued into the mid-1800s in small groups where only 30% of the population had any formal instruction. It increased to 70% by the late 1800s. Pennsylvania, Ohio and Massachusetts were the first to have compulsory K-12 education, until all states joined in the 1930s. Mann, Montessori, Dewey and Comenius were among the first designers to promote universal education for developing: 1) universal knowledge; 2) human compassion; 3) citizenship; and 4) the ideals of a budding democracy. The American system has some other unique attributes, such as calendars built around harvest, welcomed parental engagement, locally elected school board members, individual student rights and responsibilities, and specialized programs for specific groups of students. The American K-12 public education has
expanded on the foundational concepts formed more than 100 years ago. We welcome all students, teach foundation principles of individual and group values, promote the core concepts found in our democracy, and guide all students to reach their full potential. Many of the European, Asian and Middle Eastern “sorting systems” remove students based on test performance. The beauty of the American system is the ability to be a “late bloomer” and still have access to public education. Although online learning is becoming popular for post-secondary education degrees, one should not see an immediate significant change for K-12. The greatest single need for children and young-adult formation is the bond between school personnel and students. A computer screen cannot relay connection and purpose as an in-person relationship can. While DVUSD forges ahead finishing the school year online, everyone is looking forward to returning to our 39 schools. The teachers, support staff, lunch servers, bus drivers, crossing guards, secretaries, custodians, counselors, coaches and administrators are missing the students just as much as the kids are missing their friends and school personnel. Relationships matter the most in K-12 education.
Dr. Curtis Finch is the superintendent at Deer Valley Unified School District and can be reached at superintendent@dvusd.org.
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PERSPECTIVE
Court operations during a public health emergency By Judge Gerald A. Williams, North Valley Justice Court COVID-19 obviously changed how we lived our daily lives. Gatherings and travel have been restricted. So why have the courts tried to stay open? It is a fair question. When people think of an essential public service, the judicial branch may not immediately come to mind. However, a fair amount of order in society is often determined inside a courtroom. People who perform services and who sell goods deserve to be paid. In fact, the entire American economic system is dependent upon contracts being honored. If one party breaches that contract, then there must be a remedy. Convicted criminals should be held accountable for their misconduct. But how do you maintain due process, allow someone to confront their accuser and still maintain social distancing? Is it constitutional to conduct a criminal trial with a key witness testifying over the phone? In Arizona, one of the first things the chief justice did was to issue an order stating that many of the time standards associated with procedural rules no longer applied. However, his order did not relax any timeliness
The North Valley Justice Court The North Valley Justice Court was accidently ahead of some courts because we had been allowing attorneys and self-represented litigants to appear by telephone for certain types of cases for years. This was especially true for civil pretrial conferences, default hearings, garnishment hearings and some criminal pre-trial conferences. Why? Our court’s jurisdiction includes Anthem and Desert Hills, but our courtstandards for people who had been arrested for domestic violence cases or for temporary child custody proceedings. As life became more complicated, additional orders from additional levels of the court system were issued. Access to courthouses was severely restricted. Litigants and people who had received traffic tickets were encouraged to appear by phone or to contact the court through e-mail. Even with reduced staffs, courts stayed open.
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house is located in Surprise. It just always seemed inappropriate to make people drive an hour for a court appearance that is going to last less than 15 minutes. A person’s time is valuable. It also might help our air be a little cleaner. Even with a reduced staff, we tried to do everything possible over the phone or through e-mail. The goal was always to keep cases moving, but our focus was on safety. At the justice court level, while every case is important, resources were directed to hear cases involving orders of protection, injunctions against harassment, in-custody defendants appearing by video, and people who have an active warrant for their arrest. Tenants facing possible eviction were allowed to appear for their court date by phone. After 5 p.m., we also continued performing increasingly smaller weddings. While weddings are a discretionary judicial function, they are an important public service, especially during a time when churches and other houses of worship have been asked to close. In addition, the Northwest Regional Court Center is located near Luke Air Force Base and frequently receives requests for weddings from military members, which we have always performed free of charge.
Judge Gerald A. Williams is the justice of the peace for the North Valley Justice Court. The court’s jurisdiction includes Anthem and Desert Hills.
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EXPECT
the Unexpected
Flutist Sherry Finzer is comforting her neighbors through music By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Flutist Sherry Finzer says music—any music—can heal. But her brand of new age music can calm and soothe those suffering through the COVID-19 pandemic, so the Anthem resident is giving away copies of 12 of her 20 albums. “I record new age, relaxing flute music,” Finzer says. “I started doing driveway concerts for my neighbors, until the stay-at-home order. “Then, I sat at a table in my driveway, asking my neighbors if they would like relaxing music for healing or comfort. The cars stop and people will take CDs. I have so many people walking, biking and running through our neighborhood. It’s cool to see them stop and take the music.” Fans are welcome to stop by her house or ask her to deliver the music by contacting
her at info@heartdancerecords.com. Finzer’s musical journey has taken her from classical to jazz, pop, world and flamenco. Her music is fueled by stories shared by listeners and fans, as well as her experiences. “I have been in the Phoenix area since 2005,” she says. “Before moving here, I was doing more classical music in community orchestras and New age flutist Sherry Finzer of Anthem and finger-style guitarist Darin Mahoney of Chino Valley frequently perform together as the Finzer Mahoney Duo. (Photo courtesy Sherry Finzer) teaching. When I moved to Phoenix from Rochester, New York, I started playing with different radio stations.” musicians in different genres Finzer’s music can be heard on SiriusXM of music. Spa Channel (68), Pandora, Spotify, Music “I ended up moving into Choice Soundscapes, Galaxie Spa Channel, the new age genre around Calm Radio, River of Calm, Journeyscapes, 2009. I’m releasing music international radio programming, multiple with the intent of creating airlines and overhead music channels. relaxation and helping people Before the pandemic, Finzer frequently fall asleep.” performed at the Musical Instrument MuSpecializing in low flutes— seum, the Desert Botanical Garden and other alto, bass and contrabass— spots around the United States. Listeners ofFinzer releases her albums ten find her music “unexpected,” she says. through her Heart Dance “Sometimes they don’t know what they Records, a label that features expect,” she adds. artists with a focus on healHer musical partner is finger-style guitarist ing music. Darin Mahoney of Chino Valley. She and the “I started with just my mu- former Tempe resident met in 2011. sic, and then I started bring“People are just really moved by the emoing other artists to the label,” tion they hear in the music,” says Finzer, who she says. “There are more performs with the Finzer Mahoney Duo, Mathan 45 artists who I work jestica and Trialogue. “We love doing house with. I promote the music to concerts, where we share the stories behind the music. Darin is a stage-four liver cancer survivor and his music is inspired from that New age flutist Sherry Finzer of Anthem is giving away physical copies of her experience. CDs to help ease anxiety during the “We speak each other’s language in a way. COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Nate Decker/The Bloc Project) He’s the long-lost brother I never had.”
Free music Sherry Finzer is giving away physical copies of the following CDs: • “Whispers from Silence” • “Somewhere New” • “Sanctuary II: Earth” • “Sanctuary III: Beyond the Dream” • “Transformation” • “Trialogue” • “Traveler” • “Sound Currents” • “A Journey for Mankind” • “Christmas Picante” • “Christmas from the Heart” • “Remembrances” Finzer is especially interested in teaming with assisted-living homes/centers or hospitals. For more information, visit heartdancerecords.com or sherryfinzer.com.
Photo by Nate Decker/The Bloc Project
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Jill Milnor and the Gavilan Peak Middle School Cheer team rolled to a state championship, after only spending four months together. Roster: Hanna Moss, Haily Moss, Lindsey Brown, Maia Milnor, Emma Daly, Cameron Wilcox, Kinsey Wunsch, Brieana Bulat, Addison Han, Jordyn Means, Jayla Stepp, Gianna (Gigi) Martucci and Skyelar VanIwarden. (Photo by Gina Brown with Capture the Moments)
THE LAST HURRAH
Gavilan Peak Middle School cheer wins state title with Jill Milnor By Griffin Fabits Jill Milnor has an extensive background in cheerleading, an impressive resume featuring stops across the country: a former cheerleader at Oregon State University, the first head cheer coach at Oregon State, years of experience coaching at the high school level. She brought all that knowledge and more to Gavilan Peak Middle School, leading it to an improbable Arizona State Championship Junior High Cheer title earlier this year. “I knew we could be competitive,” she says. “I knew we could place, but I thought we could be able to be top five. I was over the moon excited for the girls that we won the whole thing.” Gavilan Peak competed in the “lower division,” comprised of teams having 16 members or less. But Milnor only had 13 on her roster. While other schools had a full 16 members, affording them the opportunity to employ another stunt group, she had to get creative given what she had. “Our team had one less stunt group that could go up compared to the other teams. It’s
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pretty cool to still win the whole thing when we had less kids.” It took care of business against the other participating schools, winning by a comfortable margin of four points—a sizable difference in cheer. Despite being understaffed, Gavilan Peak’s athleticism paved the way to a championship. Five on the roster were competitive cheerleaders, Milnor says. Another was a competitive volleyball player; another an avid swimmer and diver. She had a softball player, too. Of the 27 years she’s coached, she says this was the most versatile and talented roster. For many junior high teams, the dream of winning a state championship is born in the summer, when schools hold tryouts in May. By July, teams are fully constructed, and in some cases, they would have already spent a week at camp. It’s a chance to build a culture and set the building blocks for a championship run in the spring. But not for Gavilan Peak.
Per school and district guidelines, listing cheerleading as a winter sport, Milnor can’t hold tryouts until late October. She had less than four months to produce a state title caliber team—which added another twist to their magical season. “It’s amazing how we pulled together and won state,” she says. Milnor, a mother of four and a teacher at Boulder Creek High School, spent the last several years at the middle school level because of her kids, wanting to coach them for as long as she could. Her youngest is an eighth grader, and as her middle school career winds down, so does Milnor’s tenure at Gavilan Peak. She’s set to become the head cheerleading coach at Arizona Christian University, which has expressed interest in getting a competitive program off the ground. It wants Milnor to be the one spearheading that campaign. “I’m moving on,” she says. “But it was a really nice, special way—this last hurrah of winning state.”
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Coronavirus Scams Thieves are ready to prey on the vulnerable during this crisis By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski The coronavirus pandemic has given rise to online scam artists offering phony cures and ways to steal scared people’s money. Socialcatfish.com released a report in March on four online coronavirus scams to avoid using guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization and identifying common scams used during H1N1, ebola and zika outbreaks. Family scams: Grandparent and family scams often occur at night and target older adults. The potential victim answers the phone and hears someone saying “grandma” or “grandpa.” They’ll say they’ve contracted the virus and are homebound and in quarantine. The caller asks to send a gift card online immediately so they can buy delivery food or supplies. The caller is a scammer and keeps the money. How to avoid: Always check the caller ID to make sure it’s actually a loved one. If there’s any question about who’s calling, hang up and call the “loved one” back and verify it’s them. Don’t send money over the phone, even if it is someone “trustful.” Quack alert: There are no viable antibiotics for the coronavirus, and natural products are not, in any way, going to fight this illness. The FTC is compiling these fraudulent scams and products and has released a list. These scam products may be shared on social media with testimonials or warnings about the disease. Don’t fall for them, and save money for needed items like tissues or face masks. How to avoid: Do not believe anyone who says they have found a natural remedy to cure the coronavirus. Chances are they just want to sell fake products so they can steal money. The only way to get better from the coronavirus is to get rest, go to the doctor and keep hydrated.
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Fake vaccine: Do not contribute to a fund to develop a vaccine to fight against coronavirus. There may be “secret” calls, emails or texts about a supposed government vaccine that only a select few are privy to. If it sounds too good to be true, it is—especially in regard to the coronavirus. Don’t give the solicitor credit card information. It will be compromised. How to avoid: Don’t listen to anyone who asks for money over the phone, no matter what the excuse. Chances are they’re a scammer trying to steal money. Hospitals and universities will be the ones to help fund vaccines and research to try and find a cure, and they won’t bother people over the phone. Fake CDC and WHO emails: Potential victims will receive a fake email that looks legitimate. It reads as if it was sent from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s actually a scam and not really sent by the organization. How to avoid: Don’t click on any email that claims it has a product to help cure the coronavirus. The cure will be on legitimate news pages before an email is sent. Those who are unsure should look at—but not click on—the
“reply to” email address and all hyperlinks in the email. They will link to outside websites that are not secure and can collect all financial data or download malware. Those who encounter a coronavirus scam should contact local law enforcement or file a complaint with the FTC. Those with compromised financial and personal data should request a credit freeze.
Attorney general warns scammers In response to COVID-19, Attorney General Mark Brnovich reminds businesses and individuals that his office will hold them accountable if they exploit the virus and try to scam Arizonans. “Our consumer protection team is working hard to protect consumers during this difficult time, and we will continue to do so long after it ends,” Brnovich says. “There is no statute of limitations for state to take action under the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act. So if you engage in fraudulent behavior today, you may think you can hide, but we will come after you if you violate the law.” The attorney general’s office is closely monitoring all consumer complaints and advises consumers to be on the lookout for these scams. Government check scams: The federal government is considering a plan to send money to help people through this crisis, but a plan has not yet been approved. Government imposter scams are already frequent but are
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likely to become even more common under the current circumstances. Remember, the government will never ask you to pay anything up front to get money; the government will never call and ask for Social Security numbers, bank account information or credit card numbers; the government will never threaten arrest for not providing personal information or ask for gift cards. Work-from-home scams: With an increasing number of people at home and away from work, work-from-home scams are likely to rise. Consumers should keep the following six tips in line: Don’t pay money to make money: Legitimate businesses offer to pay for your services. Scammers want you to pay them and promise that you’ll make it all back and more. Why do they need you? If someone is selling websites that will make a lot of money, guaranteed, why wouldn’t that person just run the websites on their own? If a business doesn’t have a good reason why it needs your help, it’s probably a scam. Clean reputation: Triple check the reputation of a business before becoming involved. Interview other investors and customers, search the business and promoter’s name online with “scam” or “complaint,” and check with the Better Business Bureau for information on the company’s credibility. Online business scammers frequently change their names, so beware of companies without an established track record of success. Risky refund policy: Online businesses promising a “no-risk refund policy” are red flags. This is a common term fraudsters use to reassure potential investors or customers and pressure people to make a quick decision. Guarantees like this are rarely reliable. Expert opinion: Take the time to bring in a business lawyer, CPA and other third-party, impartial business experts to vet potential opportunities before committing resources. They’ll be able to assess the legitimacy of the business as well as if there’s a potential to make a profit. Time to think: Most importantly, demand the time to think through any business opportunity thoroughly, rather than giving in to pressure to quickly make a decision before a “golden” opportunity passes. If you believe you have been the victim of consumer fraud, you can file a consumer complaint by visiting the attorney general’s website, azag.gov. For more information, call 602-542-5763. Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone suggests calling his office, too, at 602-876-8477.
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To the
MAT Boulder Creek wrestling dominates state tournament By Griffin Fabits
Junior Noah Kasprowicz was a runner-up
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in the 113-pound class. (Submitted photos)
As the Boulder Creek High School wrestling program’s future remains unclear—given the coronavirus pandemic uncertainty—all involved are itching for a return to the mat. Head coach Tracy Dent has quickly set new standards in just his third season at the helm. His team put on a clinic at the Division I state tournament in February, as five Jaguars produced top-three finishes. It marks the first time in program history that five kids finished in the top three of their weight classes. Junior Jacob Moore won a state championship in his 285-pound weight class. Junior Noah Kasprowicz was a runner up in the 113-pound class. Sophomore Caidan Cole, junior Jacob Cisneros and senior Jaxon Rhode all finished in third place. The Jaguars also had a female wrestler place in the girls’ tournament, as senior Sierra Chapman won a section title and placed fourth at state. As a team, Boulder Creek finished fifth out of 30 teams. “(The state tournament) ensured me that we’re on the right track and I’m doing the right things for my kids,” Dent says. “The ship is still sailing in the right direction, and we still have the kids willing to work hard and put in the effort to try and get to the top of the podium.” Moore, a three-time All-American, bounced back to win his first state title after a finish to his sophomore year that peeved him all off-season. It was a sixth-place showing last year, which spurred a drastic change in work ethic and eating habits. “I knew (winning state this year) was a possibility at the end of last season. I wasn’t really happy with the way I finished, and I made it a priority of mine to do that.” Despite falling one win short of a state title, Kasprowicz
is encouraged by the leaps and bounds he made this season. He was injected with a newfound sense of confidence, a feeling born from continuously losing to guys he knew he could beat. “I used to see a decent wrestler, and I’d get scared,” he says. “But this year, it was way different. I knew I could beat them before I even stepped out on the mat.” By growing tired of losing, Kasprowicz untapped the potential that ultimately propelled him to the top of his weight class. Dent’s in his 16th season at Boulder Creek, having been there since the school opened. This year saw the most Jaguar wrestlers make the podium in school history. He’s already scheming how to top this year, as are Moore and Kasprowicz. Both said they have plans to wrestle in college. But, for now, they’ll continue to sharpen their crafts at Boulder Creek, a program that’s a blast to be a part of for all involved. “We had a really close group of guys this year,” Moore says. “We’re all brothers, and we have fun no matter what.” “I’m a big kid myself,” Dent says. “My coaching staff, we’re really loose. We like to have fun with the kids. Everything is a little more relaxed. I think the kids feed off of that.”
Junior Jacob Moore won a state champions s) 285-pound weight class. (Submitted photo
hip in his
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A Born Advocate Union Park’s principal Tricia Graham puts families first By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski The first principal of Union Park School, Tricia Graham prides herself on being a student and family advocate first. “Every decision that I make and that our teachers make is based on what’s best for students,” says Graham, who previously led Canyon Springs STEM Academy in Anthem for nine years. “That’s our mantra. That’s what we do.” Graham’s mission began when her brother was born with Down syndrome when she was 8 years old. “When he was born, it was my goal to advocate for people who need advocating,” she says. “I want to be the biggest champion for people who need it. If I see something that needs to be done or a change that needs to be made, I’ll do it.” Tentatively opening in August, Union Park School is just north of Happy Valley Road at 21st Avenue in the new Union Park development. This housing development will have 1,100 single-family homes and 1,100 multifamily units. The school will feature a Spanish immersion curriculum for students. “I look forward to building an amazing Spanish immersion school from the ground
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up—literally and figuratively—together with the Union Park and surrounding community.” The joy in leading Union Park School is her role in choosing its staff. “I get to choose who’s opening the school,” Graham says. “Every single staff member I get to hand-pick. Right now, there are two people left to hand-pick. I’m really excited about the staff members who are coming on board. They’re already meeting in teams.” A native of Traverse City, Michigan, Graham formerly taught in New Zealand. She was an exchange student there previously and met her future husband. “I came back to the states, taught in Michigan, and then New Zealand for two years,” says Graham, a graduate of Iowa State University. “After two years, we had a decision to make—do we stay in New Zealand or do we get married and come to the states? “We came back to the states and got married. He spent one winter in Michigan and the poor little kiwi couldn’t handle it. My parents had already bought a condo here in Arizona. We moved here ultimately to be close to my family.” She and her husband, Jeremy, have four
Tricia Graham is the first principal of Union Park School, which is scheduled to open in August. (Photo courtesy Tricia Graham)
children—Dan and Harry, 27, Oscar, a seventh grader at Canyon Springs, and Isabelle (Izzy), a sophomore at Boulder Creek High School. They reside in the New River. Jeremy owns Four Peaks Racing, which organizes marathons and triathlons. Graham taught special education in the Cave Creek Unified School District for a year and held positions at Mirage Elementary School, Desert Mountain High School, Gavilan Peak School and New River Elementary School. “I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity with Union Park School,” she says. “Due to my leadership style, I want to build a home. I want our school to be a place where we love coming to work and everyone with whom we work is family. “We learn on each other. We laugh together. We cry together. We celebrate with each other. Our students can feel that, and the families can feel that.” Leaving Canyon Springs STEM Academy has been bittersweet for Graham. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Graham was unable to properly say goodbye to her students and staff. “I am excited about what we’re doing and where we’re going,” she adds. “I’ve been at Canyon Springs for nine years. This is the family we built. This is not the way I wanted to end my tenure there. I didn’t get to say goodbye to the kids or the families. That’s the hard part.”
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CHAMBER CORNER
Meet Your Neighbor Chris Gonzalez is our neighborhood lender By Heather Maxwell, Anthem Area Chamber of Commerce Meet Anthem Area Leadership Academy’s program director, Chris Gonzalez of All Western Mortgage. He’s much more than our neighborhood lender.
Why did you decide to move to Anthem?
Chris Gonzalez with his wife, Jill. They have three children: Josephine, 6, James, 4, and Miles, 2. (Photos courtesy Chris Gonzalez)
My wife and I lived in the North Phoenix area off Carefree Highway over 12 years ago. We enjoyed the sense of community and feeling of living “in the hills,” as I called it. Fast forward to now. We decided to move to Anthem in 2015 for our family. The water park, numerous playgrounds, St. Rose Church and sense of community drew us here. It reminded me of Maryland, where I grew up, having a small-town feel.
What do you do for work and why do you do it? I am a residential mortgage loan officer and have been since 2012, helping people understand how they can purchase a home with their current finances. Since that time, I’ve heard a lot of stories about why people buy a home and how happy they are to have that opportunity. What I’ve concluded is homeownership is so much more than owning the actual structure or building a financial future. Owning a home is about family and having a place to call home. I believe firmly that homeownership is a key for families to build and grow, and want to ensure everyone has a path/plan for owning a home.
Why did you join the Anthem Area Chamber of Commerce? My intentions for joining the chamber were grounded in getting to know people in the community and finding things to do where I could give something back. I grew up in a small town and was always taught to give back to the community—that it is
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a civic responsibility. After speaking with chamber members, I learned the chamber was an organization I could rally around and give back to the community. There’s so much that the business community does to create what we have in Anthem.
What kind of things have you done in the community with the chamber? In 2017, I helped run the Anthem Young Professionals annual charity cornhole tournament, which coincided with the Daisy Mountain Veterans Day Parade. I met a lot of people in that process and made a lot of friends. In 2018, I was a member of the DMV parade planning committee and coordinated the community picnic and annual charity cornhole tournament. Last year, I coordinated the cornhole tournament again in conjunction with the com-
munity picnic following the parade. This year, I am serving a one-year term on the Anthem Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors and as the Anthem Area Leadership Academy program director.
Tell us about your “home” and what you do for fun. Jill and I have three kids—Miles, 2, James, 4, and Josephine, 6—and two Dobermans. During off time, we are heading up to the Grand Canyon, playing at the water park or playgrounds, camping, walking the dogs, or driving to San Diego and back within 24 hours just to go to the beach. We are busy most of the time and love taking road trips with the kids. It’s something we both remember growing up. Living in Anthem, there are no shortage of things to do with the 17 there calling you out to take a drive.
MAY 2020
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I N YO U R N E I G H B O R H O O D
The Neighborhood ‘Cheers’ PostNet provides comfort in these turbulent times By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski To Anthem residents, PostNet is more than the neighborhood business service center. Sure, it’s a full-service print shop that offers photocopying, shipping, notary and mailbox services. However, the seven-year owners, Lanny and Linda Nelson, have become an information source. They compare their facility to a one-time popular TV show—“Cheers.” “We have people call us asking us questions all the time,” Lanny says. “They ask where can they get water, or can they have a friend drop off water there and pick it up later. It’s a central place for a lot of people to do things and get things done.” In this COVID-19-riddled world, the Nelsons just want to be fair and kind to the neighborhood. “We do have a barrier up front,” he says. “We’re trying to limit the people who can come into the heart of the store. That being said, we are still seeing customers every single day and helping them. We fax unemployment paperwork, send out mail, send out packages, receive packages. We’re trying to keep our normal lives going.” Due to ongoing precautionary measures, PostNet Anthem has temporarily modified
Lanny Nelson is eager to help those affected by layoffs or furloughs. (Photos by Pablo Robles)
its store hours to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. The Nelsons’ prices are reasonable. For faxes, the cost is $1.25 for the first page and $1 for each additional page. There’s a discount program for 10 pages or more.
“If people come in and tell us it’s for unemployment, we’ve started to do that for free,” he says. After all, Lanny was one of them once. “I was one of those middle-aged men who lost his job and I couldn’t find a job,” he says. “I took a job here for $10 an hour and the owner wanted to sell—and here we are.” Most of PostNet’s services are available, but the Nelsons cannot do fingerprinting or pack people’s personal items like clothing. “I will ship them if they’re ready to go, but they can’t bring me clothes out of the closet and dishes and say, ‘Pack them up,’” he says. “It’s just too risky.”
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3655 W. Anthem Way, Suite A109, Anthem, 623-551-1305, az115@postnet.com, locations.postnet.com/az/anthem/ 3655-w-anthem-way PostNet is adhering to all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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S P OT L I G H T
Here to Help
ANTHEM MARKETPLACE F E AT U R E D B U S I N E S S E S
Desert Hills Realtors specialize in horse property By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Realty Executives Realtors Jeff and Lisa Armbruster want to be the preferred North Valley neighborhood experts. The Desert Hills couple specializes in single-family homes and horse properties, as they’re equine owners themselves. “There are so many horse properties here,” she says. Horse people want to deal with horse people, and we know what buyers are looking for.” Formerly of Tucson, the Armbrusters focus on Cave Creek, Carefree, Desert Hills, New River and North Scottsdale. They have plenty of experience behind them. The couple has worked together for 19 years. Lisa has been a Realtor since 2013, while Jeff earned his license in 2010. Previously, Jeff and Lisa Armbruster of Realty Executives work with their clients from start they owned a mortgage to finish, ensuring a smooth transaction every time. (Photo courtesy Jeff and Lisa Armbruster) company in Michigan and Tucson. current environment, Lisa and Jeff can “We have a well-rounded background help people who are needing to sell and for what we need in our business,” she says. wanting to buy. “It really helps us with educating people. “We take all the necessary precautions There is so much information on the inter- to make sure safety is top priority for each net, and it’s not always accurate on helping and every client,” she says, “We work with people take that first step.” all our clients from start to finish ensuring The couple is ready to be embedded in a smooth transaction every time.” the community and is here to help buyers and sellers. Jeff and Lisa Armbruster Jeff and Lisa live with their two musRealty Executives tangs and two donkeys that were all adopt602-550-3844 jeffarmbruster.realtor ed from the Bureau of Land Management. lisaarmbruster5@gmail.com They have three rescue boxers as well. jeffarmbruster52@yahoo.com With the challenges we are facing in our
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F A M I LY
Helping Kids Deal with Crisis Children need to be reassured with both words and touch By Pastor David Bowen, Standing Stones Community Church Standing Stones Christian Academy When will we be able to play with our friends? When will mommy or daddy be able to go back to work? Why can’t we go to a restaurant? Why do I have to do school at home? Lots of questions with no answers—yet. I know many adults having a hard time dealing with the conditions surrounding daily life. I know many adults who are frustrated after working so hard to save some money, after sacrificing to plan for a special event, after landing that job only to be told you are being laid off. To see one’s savings disappear, to wonder if that wedding venue will still be available in six months, wondering when you will be allowed to visit a hospitalized relative. For adults, each of those scenarios on their own can produce a great deal of stress, but adding multiple situations to our daily life is even harder. Today is a day like no other. Families around the globe are trying their best to deal with the circumstances we find ourselves in, and at the same time trying to help their children understand why we can no longer go play at the park or why so many grocery store shelves are empty. Hearing that the
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school year was over probably produced a round of cheers, until the reality of why they will not be attending class sets in. What do families do? If adults feel helpless in addressing certain situations, how do children feel? How do the kids communicate? Especially younger children who cannot verbalize their feelings. Fear is a real emotion, but it can be dealt with, so it should not be ignored. Every child is unique in how he or she responds to frightening events. Some children may become quieter or withdrawn; others may want to express compassion and want to do something to help others. When kids are personally affected or exposed to traumatic circumstances, it’s important to protect their emotional wellbeing as much as caring for their physical safety. Limiting exposure to news is important. We do not rely on the media to give our kids information on world events. The news media purposefully displays sounds and images that are the worst of the worst. These clips are often too vivid, especially for children who cannot distinguish between the abstract and concrete.
I have found in explaining the situation, whether it be an earthquake that took place on the other side of the world or a local event where someone was seriously hurt, when we talk about it’s best to control the way the situation(s) is described. It’s important to clarify any confusion and give honest answers, so I ask for and welcome their questions. Once they have as clear an understanding as they can, we spend time praying for the people hurt by the earthquake or the family that just suffered a terrible loss. It brings peace and comfort to a situation that is anything but. I am hoping families do their best to create and communicate an atmosphere of hope and safety. Because children may feel vulnerable and overwhelmed, it’s important to restore their sense of security. One blessing in the shelter-at-home edict is the ability to spend extra time together as a family, which is often a refuge to kids in times of uncertainty. During these times, adults and especially children need to be reassured with both words and touch. Hang in there, better days are ahead.
CRAFTS
Stay-at-Home Crafts
Three projects to do with simple items around the kitchen By Shannon Fisher Arizona was placed on a stay-at-home order on March 30 due to COVID-19. It has been a little over a month of home quarantine, and I was thinking of things we can do with items already in our home. I have not even been going to my favorite dollar store! Here are crafty bits you can make with items you already own. Because we are staying safe at home, we have not been doing some of our favorite things. We decided to write down things we felt like doing but could not. After the stayat-home order is lifted, we will have a list of activities to do. Some examples are seeing our favorite people, ice skating, eating in our favorite restaurants, going to the beach and watching movies at the cinema. You can put your ideas on strips of paper, craft sticks or just on a notepad to keep a running list of what you look forward to doing soon. Another quarantine craft is sending a secret message to someone in your house or elsewhere. Start with a white paper. Using lemon juice and a Q-tip, you can write a message. Dip the Q-tip in lemon juice to use it as a pen to write. Allow it to dry, and you can roll the message up to put it in the bottle and deliver it as a secret message. If you do not have a bottle, just slip it under someone’s door in your house. Leave instructions to view the
message over a heat source like a light bulb, lighter, iron with no steam, or blow dryer. Make sure they know to have a parent around, because paper can catch fire easily. Enjoy your secret message! The last easy home activity is making a sugar scrub for dry hands. I know my hands are dry from washing them so many times a day. We used coconut oil and sugar, but you can use any oil you have at home. Mix together half oil and half sugar and you have an easy way to moisturize your skin. You can store it in a mason jar or anything with a lid. If you do not have something like that, you can even store in a Ziploc bag. I hope this helps your dry skin! I hope you are all staying home, staying safe and enjoying home crafting.
Shannon Fisher is a local wife, mom of two girls and owner of Shannon Fisher Photography. She taught high school and elementary art before opening her photography business.
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PETS
Camp Creek Falls Told by Kuma & Written by Lorraine Bossé-Smith
Kuma strolls along the Blue Wash trail. (Photos by Lorraine Bossé-Smith)
During the COVID-19 quarantine, many folks have had unusual schedules. My mom wasn’t able to teach fitness classes or provide in-person trainings, so we were out adventuring more. That has meant no rest days for me, but I’m not complaining one bit. My mom’s friend recommended a new place, so off we went to explore. We stayed on North Cave Creek Road and past the Bartlett Lake turnoff. About 3 miles beyond that marker, on our right was the Blue Wash trailhead parking lot that has access With less pollution, you can see for miles.
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to Camp Creek Falls. The address is: 43168, 42800 N. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek. Parking is free, but it fills up fast. I think only 12 or so vehicles can fit, so many people were parking along the road. We got there just as someone was leaving, so we got lucky. There are designated dirt areas to the side of the road that are safe for parking. Dogs are, of course, welcome, but on leash. Before I get started, I want to share my disappointed in humans. We have never, ever seen so much dog poop on a trail in our entire lives. We have been adventuring in many states, and this was disgusting. Mom says a bunch of city folks weren’t working due to the virus and have zero respect for nature and others. Come on, people! Right is right, and picking up your dog’s poop is the right thing to do. Period. The trailhead does not have a garbage can, so you will have to pack it out. So what? How hard is that? Enough said. Camp Creek Falls is part of an old mining community, and back in the day, off-road vehicles drove into the falls. Once again, humans disrespected nature, destroying terrain for others to enjoy, so they closed it. Now, the only way in is either a 12-mile in and out from the Tonto Forest or an easier route from the Blue Wash trailhead. This route is heavily trafficked because it is shorter, and we did see a ton of people—and poop. I already mentioned that, didn’t I? From the parking lot, we crossed over the metal bar and followed the trail. We hiked down on the front part of this 1.3-mile trail
to the falls. The views were spectacular! Dad said the pollution is gone due to less people driving. We could see for miles and miles! The wildflowers were still out and the grasses tall. Temperatures were perfect with a little cloud cover. The trail becomes somewhat of a wash, and we followed it down until we came to a “Y.” To the left is the easier of two options. The right is slightly steeper, with more rocks, while the left is more of a road. Good thing, because it was like rush-hour traffic! Crazy. I did get to say hello to many of my kind—at least in passing. Most people were good about allowing space, but again, some city slickers were clueless. Those who feel like they want to get off the trail shouldn’t worry. All routes eventually lead to the creek. I started to smell the water underneath us. The Blue Wash was dry on the surface and to the human eye, but my keen sense of smell knows the water is running underground. It is that wash that leads hikers to Camp Creek. The water was flowing, and I had a quick dip. Hikers know they’ve arrived to the creek when when they see the American flag. It is the site of an old mine, for what we don’t know. Right before the creek is a left turn (look for the pile of rocks marking the trail) and we took that to the falls. We followed the creek
Crowds of people get together at the Camp Creek Falls.
and stayed on the left side of it for about a quarter of a mile. The trail is narrow and rocky at this point. We came across boulders and heard the falls. We had to be careful on the rocks as they were slick and wet. Some might want a hiking pole to assist here. Very small dogs might need a lift to get up some of the rocks. Water runs almost all year long, and humans and dogs alike were enjoying the refreshing water. We took some pictures, but in all honesty, it was too noisy for us. We headed back to the creek and found a quiet spot to have a snack. You see, being out in nature for us means soaking it up—the sounds, the sights and the smells. Some humans don’t know how to be alone and quiet. If we let it, nature will fill us up and renew our spirits. Hiking back out means going uphill. It is steep but short. Again, if hikers stay on the Kumaito (Kuma for short) is a multi-tan Shiba wide road path, it will Inu, the oldest and purest from Japan. I personally was born in the Rocky Mountains of be easier. The trail that Colorado, moved to Friendswood, Texas, and now call Phoenix home. I enjoy running or spins off to the left is hiking almost every day with my mom, chasnarrow and steep, but ing rabbits out of my neighborhood, playing with toys, pestering my brother Edmond, it was quieter. This was eating and napping. a nice find, but I would recommend going on a Lorraine Bossé-Smith is the founder of the FIT Leader Formula. She shares weekday if possible due Kuma’s adventures. She is a motito weekend crowds. vational speaker, corporate trainer, Because it is short and business consultant, executive coach, behavioral-wellness expert and author has the reward of water, of eight published books. I think this trail is good all year long. Enjoy!
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E X T R AO R D I N A RY R I D E S
Extraordinary Rides Acura RDX Turbo takes the boredom out of SUVs
The 2020 Acura RDX Turbo is reasonably priced at $46,795 for the bells and whistles. (Photos by C.A. Haire)
By C.A. Haire Most consumers purchase an SUV for hauling passengers or cargo. Because of this, many are boring to drive. But Acura has solved this issue with its RDX. The Acura RDX is a great daily commuter, but it has been engineered with entertaining driving characteristics. It is fast, has responsive steering and handles like a champ in tight corners. In short, this is a fun-to-drive experience. Under the hood is a small, 2.0-liter engine cranking 272 turbocharged horsepower, that is hooked to a modern, 10-speed automatic transmission. Paddle shifters are on the steering wheel, so gears can be chosen manually if desired. We tried the upgraded SH-AWD version, which has a sophisticated all-wheel drive unit that distributes torque to any wheel that needs it for maximum traction, on or off the pavement. Fuel economy is claimed to be 21/26 mpg. During tests, it was 25 mpg for us on highway trips. To enchant performance, the computer drive offers four drive modes: comfort,
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sports, sport+ and snow. All of this is done at the push of a button. The transmission shif ter is a pu sh-but ton design, which is easier to use and takes up less room. In daily commuting, the RDX does its job, with seating for five. In the back, it has 30 cubic feet of cargo room—or 59 if the secondrow seats are folded. The ride is comfortable, and the sound system pipes great sound out of those 16 speakers. Many will find the finger touch pad that controls the infotainment system annoying to use, but it becomes easier to live with after some practice. Where the RDX shines is when it is driven hard. Just put the computer in sport mode, crank up the engine so turbo kicks in, and
this vehicle moves out in a hurry. On back, twisty, country roads, the AWD system grips the pavement like glue, so taking corners at full throttle is great fun. The brakes stop this SUV in a hurry as well. The more aggressive this SUV is driven, the happier it is. The starting price of an RDX is about $38,000 for the base two-wheel drive model. But for maximum driving pleasure, this upgraded SH-AWD A-SPEC version is what you need. It comes loaded with everything, so there are no options. Thus, the total tab of $46,795 is more than reasonable.
BRAINTEASERS ACROSS 1 Easter treat 4 Wager 7 Retain 11 Metric measure 13 Rowboat need 14 Sleeping 15 Flow like molasses 16 Chum, nowadays 17 Actor Brad 18 Grassland 20 Opening course, often 22 Erstwhile garment 24 Hitchcock classic 28 Spotted insect 32 Radiant 33 Champing at the bit 34 Bathroom fixture 36 Yorkshire river 37 Narc's measures 39 Croquet equipment 41 Catch 43 Second person 44 Related to 5-Down 46 Use a Brillo pad 50 Ballerina's frill 53 Cauldron 55 Japanese zither 56 Press 57 Flightless bird
58 Calendar quota 59 Trudge 60 Kenny G's instrument 61 That girl DOWN 1 Ids' counterparts 2 Get bigger 3 Middle East strip 4 Go up and down 5 Listeners 6 Army unit 7 Carefree 8 Sapporo sash 9 Allow 10 Banned insecticide 12 Carousel 19 Light touch 21 Portion of N.A. 23 Eviscerate 25 Hint 26 Emcee 27 Hasn't paid yet 28 Michigan, for one 29 Not "fer" 30 Nincompoop 31 Wrigley product 35 Reddish-brown horse 38 Perched 40 -- Angeles 42 They're calling Danny Boy
45 Prolonged sleep 47 Fawns' mothers 48 Hexagonal state 49 Induce ennui 50 Gratuity 51 Web address 52 Excessively 54 Monkey suit
Answers on page 37
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DINING
Eat Well During the Crisis Restaurants are still offering takeout and delivery options By Annika Tomlin The chicken shawarma ($10.50) comes with marinated dark and white chicken, served with rice, pita bread, tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce at Agapi Mediterranean Grill. Steak can be added for $3.50.
Dining options are dwindling with increasing governmental restrictions on restaurant and fast-food establishments. Here is a partial list of places following the CDC guidelines in the Scottsdale Airpark area that are still open for drive-thru, takeout, curbside pickup or delivery.
(Photo by Pablo Robles)
Mastro’s Ocean Club 15045 N. Kierland Boulevard, Scottsdale, 480-443-8555, mastrosrestaurants.com, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday to Saturday Mastro’s Ocean Club is offering a 10% discount on all takeout purchases of its high-quality steaks, seafood and side dishes. In addition, guests can get 50% off wine with a food purchase.
North Italia 15024 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-948-2055, northitalia.com, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday Using only the best ingredients to create and serve consistently crave-worthy food, North Italia is continuing to dish up fresh
pizza, pasta and more. North Italia is offering free delivery through DoorDash.
Agapi Pita Mediterranean Grill 13802 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-626-9224, agapipita.com, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday Agapi Pita is offering takeout and delivery of its food that’s made with love.
Postino 7030 E. Greenway Parkway, Scottsdale, 602-899-1111, poostinowinecafe.com, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Sunday The wine café is offering special curbside carryout packages. Date Night-In includes a board of bruschetta, a snack and one salad
Fine wines, spirits and ciders—including favorites Headbanger American Gold Whiskey, Paul Joseph Sparkling Rose and Hoffman’s Cherry Boom—are available for pickup or delivery at Desert Rock Winery. (File photo)
for $25. Kickback Pack includes a board of bruschetta, three snacks and a cheese board for $45. Wine packs of two or four come with a seasonal mix-andmatch pack to go for $30 or $55. If you want to order in, get free delivery through Uber Eats.
The White Chocolate Grill 7000 E. Mayo Boulevard, Building 6, Phoenix, 480-563-3377, whitechocolategrill.com, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Tuesday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday The White Chocolate Grill has a diverse menu of classic American fare, made from scratch using only the highest-quality ingredients. It is offering pickup and delivery orders through Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub and Postmates.
The Greene House 15024 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale, 480-889-9494, thegreenehouseaz.com, noon to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday The West Coast is in everything it makes, like the classic braised short rib with smoked cheddar grits and roasted vegetables. The Greene House is offering 35% off all curbside pickup orders that are called in.
Maggiano’s Little Italy 16405 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale,
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Despite the pandemic, guests can order their favorite pies from Grimaldi’s. (Photo courtesy Grimaldi’s)
tage pie for guests to enjoy. Delivery of $15 or more is free through DoorDash.
Desert Rock Winery
480-333-4120, maggianos.com, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday All of the delectable dishes, like the Prince Edward Island steamed mussels and Taylor Street baked ziti, are still offered for carryout at Maggiano’s. Orders over $15 will have waived delivery fees on DoorDash.
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood 15323 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-730-4800, eddiev.com, noon to 8 p.m. daily Eddie V’s is offering takeout and complimentary delivery options from its most popular offerings to family-style dinners ready to serve at home. It is making available a selection of uncooked steaks, hand carved and packaged with Eddie V’s signature steak seasoning for guests to prepare as they like.
Panera Bread 14826 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, 480-290-7770, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday Panera Bread will continue to serve the surrounding public through delivery and rapid pickup. No-contact delivery is available. All orders will be sealed shut to further protect meals.
Sugar Jam Bake Shop & Bistro 7950 E. Redfield Road, Scottsdale, 480-948-6210, sugarjamcookies.com, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday Sugar Jam’s handmade baked goods are available for takeout or delivery through
Grubhub and DoorDash. Guests can pick up their choice of pies, brownies, loaves, cookies, scones, muffins, cinnamon rolls or lunch sandwiches.
Sauce Pizza & Wine 14418 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-321-8800, saucepizzaandwine.com, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday Get freshly made cookies, pasta, pizza and salad at the family-friendly Sauce. Have it delivered through Grubhub, DoorDash, Postmates or Uber Eats, or pick it up curbside.
7302 E. Helm Drive, Suite 1002, Scottsdale, 480-400-9955, desertrockin.com, 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, 2 to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday Fine wines, spirits and ciders—including favorites Headbanger American Gold Whiskey, Paul Joseph Sparkling Rose and Hoffman’s Cherry Boom—are available for pickup or delivery.
Shake Shack 15030 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 602-362-2020, shakeshack.com, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily Burgers and fries are available for delivery or to go. Don’t forget to pair it with a cherry blossom shake and a bag o’ bones dog treats for your furry friends.
Zoës Kitchen 14601 N. Scottsdale, Suite 701, Scottsdale, 480-758-5360, zoeskitchen.com, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily Freshly made Mediterranean food—kabobs, bowls, pitas, sandwiches and family meals—is available for pickup or delivery.
Grimaldi’s 15147 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite H-135, Scottsdale, 480-596-4070, grimaldispizzeria.com, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday Guests can get their favorite Grimaldi’s pies delivered or to go through Uber Eats.
The Cheesecake Factory 15230 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-607-0083, thecheesecakefactory.com, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday The Cheesecake Factory is still serving cheesecake, Asian chicken salads and cot-
Creamistry is offering takeout or delivery of its treats. (Photo courtesy Creamistry)
Creamistry 15345 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-912-5100, creamistry.com, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday Treat yourself to a signature Quantum Coffee Creation featuring milk coffee ice cream, Heath Bar, almonds and caramel. Or kick it up a notch with the spicy, sweet and super smooth Mangonada Creation with nondairy mango sorbet, Tajin, chamoy, fresh line and crunchy Takis Fuego. All orders are available for takeout or delivery. Takeout continues on pg. 35 MAY 2020 |
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COOKING
Virtual Vittles
Local restaurant and winery inspire families to cook via social media By Laura Latzko During the state’s stay-at-home order, many families have been struggling with what to make for dinner. Local business owners have sought to inspire others through virtual cooking lessons via Facebook. Among those are David Borrego of Glendale’s Urban Margarita and Peggy Fiandaca and Curt Durham of LDV Winery in Scottsdale. Urban Margarita has had cooking lessons for the public since last fall, but going virtual has been a new experience for Borrego. “For me, it was a way to give back to all of our regular guests who always attend our classes. While we are having this COVID-19 pandemic, it allows people to see a class and get to know some of our food,” Borrego says. LDV Winery temporarily closed its tasting room in March due to coronavirus concerns. Doing the cooking sessions allows the owners to continue to interact with their customers. “We don’t have an opportunity, except for something like this, to connect with our customers and connect with people who have come into our tasting rooms on a regular basis. … We’re all about that connection to our lands, connection to the people who drink our wine,” Fiandaca says. Borrego’s wife, Kimberly Newhart, says the online cooking lessons can give families fresh ideas for what to cook at home together. The cooking lessons have been going live at 2 p.m. Fridays. “They can cook as a family and make creative meals with some food that they have in their kitchen,” Newhart says. Although it has hosted a supper club series, this is the first time LDV Winery has offered step-by-step instructions on how to cook recipes. In March, it hosted a wine release party via Zoom. The winery’s cooking lessons have been going live at 4 p.m. Thursdays. The two establishments’ cooking classes have attracted out-of-state viewers from
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During virtual cooking lessons, David Borrego of Urban Margarita has been demonstrating simple recipes that viewers can prepare at home. (Photo by Susie Timm)
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, New Mexico, North and South Carolina, Texas, Colorado, Illinois and Oregon. During their cooking lessons, Fiandaca and Durham have discussed which wines pair well with certain foods. “All of our wines are food-friendly wines. When we are producing wines, we want to make sure that someone can sit down for a multicourse meal and have one of our wines with every course,” Fiandaca says. Customers can purchase individual wines or packages from the winery to try during the cooking lessons. Borrego has discussed wine and margarita pairings during his videos. Both establishments have tried to cater their cooking lessons to different skill levels. Borrego says even amateur cooks can follow the recipes he shares. “The recipes I am utilizing are pretty simple. I don’t want to make them any harder than they need to be. There have a lot of simple ingredients. That’s the fun of it. People can either follow along or make it fairly easy,”
Borrego says. During the videos, Borrego will suggest different ways that families can change up the recipes with other ingredients or substitutes, especially if they aren’t able to find exact items such as hatch green chile. “When I do the classes, I let them know that they can make them their own,” Borrego says. Borrego has prepared dishes that are on Urban Margarita’s menu, like hatch green chile pork tamales, slow-cooked braised pork carnitas and braised prime short ribs. Fiandaca and Durham have included some of their favorites, such as spicy shrimp pasta, flatbreads three ways, grilled ribeye steak with roasted potatoes, and pork tenderloin in a roasted pepper sauce with Mexican corn. Prior to the sessions, the restaurants post ingredient lists online so viewers can ensure they have what they need. Sometimes, Fiandaca and Durham have had to improvise during their cooking sessions. During one session, Fiandaca shared with viewers what to do if they don’t have enough chicken broth or don’t have chickpeas
in their pantries. While at home at the winery, LDV Winery owners Fiandaca has ad libbed and Peggy Fiandaca and Curt Durham have shared of their favorite recipes via virtual cooking taught viewers something new some classes. (Photo courtesy LDV Winery) to go with a recipe, such as a sauce that complements it. “The folks that were cooking along with us loved that and said it really added a lot to it,” Fiandaca says. Through the Facebook cooking lessons, participants can share their end products, engage with each other and post questions into Borrego’s process in the kitchen. for the chefs. Borrego says thus far, viewers “It shows his personality and his passion have mainly been asking about timing, tem- for food,” Newhart says. peratures and techniques such as braising. Newhart says she and Borrego wanted to The biggest challenge for the two businesses bring the homey, welcoming feeling offer in has been with using technology to record the their restaurant. cooking sessions. Borrego says the key is to “We wanted to bring Urban Margarita to provide a clear view of each step. you even when you can’t spend that time in Borrego is used to conversing with cus- our restaurant,” Newhart says. tomers in his restaurant, but at first, he was This has also been the first time that Fiannervous to be recorded. daca and Durham have hosted live cooking “As you do it a couple of times, you are more segments. Fiandaca says representing the relaxed,” Borrego says. winery on local news programs has helped Newhart says the videos offer a glimpse her to get more comfortable with being in
front of the camera. She has tried to approach it like a casual night of cooking at home. “You’re cooking, you’re laughing, you’re telling stories and you’re telling jokes. You’re just sharing the hour together and having fun,” Fiandaca says. Although she does it more at home and for friends and family, cooking is something Fiandaca grew up with and for which she has a deep appreciation. “Coming from a big Italian family, you learn a lot about cooking growing up like that. That connection with family and friends over the dinner table, I have such fond memories of that,” Fiandaca says. Fiandaca hopes through the cooking lessons to inspire others to want to experiment in the kitchen. “I want cooking in the kitchen with your family and friends to be approachable. Don’t be afraid of it. Try something new,” Fiandaca says
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W H AT ' S C O O K I N G ?
One-Pot Chicken Cacciatore By Jan D’Atri
It’s a one-pot Italian wonder! That’s what my momma’s comfort food chicken cacciatore recipe should be named. As a little Italian girl growing up, I just thought it was one of those dishes everyone ate at least once a week—just like we did— with polenta or pasta. I also assumed that all chicken cacciataore pretty much tasted the same. But many years later, having tasted chicken cacciatore in numerous restaurants, I’m going to finally go on the record and say momma’s is the best. You’re going to get to try it for yourself and see if you agree. Momma’s cacciatore is simple and inexpensive, uses only one pan, and the flavors are absolutely divine. It’s about as close to a fool-proof dish as you can get with the recipe I’m sharing with you today. Momma’s chicken cacciatore was one of the first recipes we included in our first cookbook, “Momma & Me & You,” and through the years we’ve tweaked it just a bit to make it even better. Here’s what momma wrote in our cookbook: “Almost every Italian restaurant has chicken cacciatore on the menu, and there are as many versions of the dish as there are
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places that serve it. Although it’s a southern Italian specialty, it has been adopted as a treasure throughout Italy. When I introduced cacciatore on my restaurant menu back in 1957, our customers fell in love with the very first delicate bite. It became one of our most popular signature dishes for the
celebrity crowd and locals alike.” I find that good quality, fresh chicken enhances the taste—and that chicken thighs seem to be the most flavorful. Pick up a nice bottle of wine, some good sourdough bread and make this for your momma this Mother’s Day!
Jan’s Momma’s Chicken Cacciatore (serves four)
Ingredients:
- 3 to 4 pounds chicken thighs - 1 cup flour for dredging - 1/2 cup olive oil - 1 cup Marsala wine - 1/2 cube butter, cut into pieces - 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (organic preferred) - 2 cups white mushrooms, sliced - 1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped fine - 3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine - 3 green onions (white and green parts), sliced thin - 2 teaspoons fresh parsley - 1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano - 1 tablespoon fresh basil - Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions:
Wash chicken and pat dry. Dredge chicken in flour to coat. In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil and fry chicken on both sides until golden
brown. Discard most of oil, leaving brown bits in bottom of pan if possible. Add Marsala and butter, and simmer on low heat until wine begins to evaporate, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato sauce, mushrooms, onion, garlic, green onions, parsley, oregano and basil. Gently stir ingredients then cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta or polenta.
Check out my how-to video here: jandatri.com/recipe/mommas-chicken-cacciatore-2
Takeout continued from pg. 31
Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar 15257 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite F150, Scottsdale, 480-285-0690, zinburgeraz.com, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday There’s something special about eating a deliciously juicy burgers and crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside fries with the people who matter most. Get comfortable and keep it simple with classic favorites like Zinburger’s creamy double chocolate milkshake paired with its classic diner burger. Call in a to-go order and get 35% off.
Dominick’s Steakhouse
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15169 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-272-7271, dominickssteakhouse.com, noon to 9 p.m. daily Dominick’s will remain open for white glove curbside service of its menu and complete wine list and delivery through Uber Eats. Choose from a filet mignon to Chilean sea bass with a side of Alaskan king crab and rock shrimp mac and cheese.
Sol Mexican Cocina 15323 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-245-6708, solcocina.com, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday High-end Baja-Mexican food and 60-plus tequilas are offered at this rustic-chic spot that is now offering takeout orders. Order carne asada street tacos along with a house margarita and banana-chocolate bread pudding.
Snooze an A.M. Eatery 15054 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-664-3133, snoozeeatrt.com, 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily This vibrant and retro eatery is serving a seasonal menu of creative breakfast and lunch fare, plus cocktails. Choose from bravocado toast to lox-n-latke benny with a side of hash browns. Order the night before for pickup of free delivery on orders over $10.
Five Guys 15435 Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-991-4400, fiveguys.com, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily Delivery fees are waived for delivery orders of $15 or more on the Five Guys website or app. Fountain drinks are not available for delivery, but bottled drinks are OK.
Burger King 13838 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480-951-4089, bk.com, 6 a.m. to midnight daily Try something new with the plant-based Impossible Whopper or chicken fries. Drive-thru, takeout and delivery options are all available for this location. Free delivery through DoorDash with a $15 or more purchase. Meal deals and free delivery are also available through the Burger King app.
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H E A LT H
Seeing Clearly Now Set your sights on healthy eyes
By Dr. Dharmendra (Dave) R. Patel Of the five senses, most people consider sight to be the most precious. But some vision changes are unavoidable as we grow older—even for perfectly healthy people without other medical issues. Many of us first notice vision changes in our 40s. The eye’s lenses harden over time, and as we approach middle age it often becomes difficult to focus on close objects or read fine print. This condition, called presbyopia, is easily corrected with reading eyeglasses or a stronger prescription lens. Today, many surgery options are available as well, including LASIK. Cataracts are also common as we grow
older. Affecting many people in their 60s and 70s, cataracts occur as the lenses become cloudy and stiff, blurring both near and distant vision. Left untreated, cataracts can make it difficult to see and navigate our surroundings, causing people to slip and fall and significantly increasing the chances of car accidents. Fortunately, cataract surgery has advanced remarkably. Today, it’s one of the most commonly performed medical procedures worldwide, posing minimal risk. Surgeons can even replace cloudy lenses with advanced technology multifocal implants to restore patients’ youthful vision. In their 70s and 80s, people face a greater risk of macular degeneration. This serious condition is a breakdown of the macula or retina and the light-sensing nerves that line the back of the eyes. Unfortunately, there is no viable treatment. As the disease progresses, patients gradually lose their vision. In the United States, macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of blindness. There is a genetic link associated with macular degeneration and a higher risk among people with light skin. Unlike macular degeneration, glaucoma disproportionately affects people of color. Glaucoma results when the optic nerve is damaged from high pressure inside the eye. As the optic nerve deteriorates, it cre-
ates blind spots, which can lead to irreversible vision loss. But with early diagnosis and treatment—such as eye drops, medication or surgery—vision loss can be prevented. A little eye care and good overall habits can help preserve your vision and eye health. To help keep your eyes healthy: • Eat foods rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids. • Don’t smoke—or quit . • Wear wraparound sunglasses with UV-A and UV-B protection. • Maintain a healthy weight. • Wear safety glasses when working in the wind or hazardous conditions. • Use eye drops for dry eyes caused by hot, dry weather or computer use. • Have your vision screened at age 40—and every few years after that. Some eye conditions are true medical emergencies. Don’t hesitate to see your physician if you feel sudden or severe eye pain, scratch your eye or experience lingering, unexplained redness. Seeing flashes of light or floaters in your vision are also causes for concern. These visual disturbances can be signs of a retinal tear or detached retina and call for immediate medical attention. Take good care of your eyes today so you can see well into the future. Dr. Dharmendra (Dave) R. Patel is an ophthalmologist at Mayo Clinic, Phoenix. In practice for over 15 years, he specializes in the surgical and medical management of glaucoma, cataract surgery, corneal transplants and dry eye treatment.
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H E A LT H
Hydration Tips
Whether you chug or sip, water is important as the weather heats up By Dr. Brian Hester t’s important to keep your body hydrated no matter what the weather looks like; but as it gets warmer outside, it’s vital to stay on top of hydration, because your body is going to use that water even faster than normal as you sweat it out. One of the easiest ways to gauge your hydration level is the color of your urine. Before you flush, you should see clear to pale yellow. Anything darker than cheap lemonade is a sign you need to grab a bottle (of water!) and drink up. It’s a widely accepted recommendation that you drink half your body weight, in ounces, in water every day. This doesn’t mean you have to reach back into your brain to do some fifth-grade math to find the right conversion table. All it means is that you take your body weight, divide by 2, and instead of pounds, swap it for ounces of water. For example, someone who weighs 120 pounds would need to drink 60 ounces of water every day (120/2 = 60. BOOM.) So how can you make it easier on yourself to get your H2O in and not turn it into drudgery? Here are a few pretty simple ideas:
I
1. Figure out if you’re a guzzler or a sipper There are some people who genuinely dislike drinking water, so the idea of drinking it throughout the day really seems like a terrible idea. To these people, I say, “Chug, chug, chug!” When your reminder hits (more on that in a minute), don’t be dainty. Drink that water like a college frat boy and get-rdone. There’s not a huge difference in benefits to drinking your ounces of water slowly throughout the day or in bigger amounts at
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a few different times. So, if you’d rather get it done and over with, go for it.
2. Make it hard to forget. Just like you would set your kid’s favorite blankie in front of the door to the garage so you don’t forget it on a long trip, make your water habit one you can’t forget about. You can set a remind- er on your phone to go off every hour or make postits throughout your house or workspace that remind you to drink up. There are even apps that you can use to keep track of your water intake that will remind you if you’re behind. That’s where the guzzler vs. sipper comes into play. Guzzlers would see or hear the reminder and quickly drink their next 20 ounces of water. Sippers would take that reminder and know that before their next one goes off in a few hours, they need to have completed their bottle.
3. Find the perfect fit Head to Target and you will find literal aisles of different kinds of water bottles. Finding one that fits in your cupholders, has the perfect straw (or no straw!) or is even your favorite color will actually make it much easier to keep yourself hydrated. Kind of like your favorite coffee mug in the morning, it is possible to have your water bottle put a smile on your face.
4. Variety is the spice of (the hydrated) life Let’s face it. Water can get boring. Especially if you really are drinking the appropriate amount every day. To avoid water monotony, don’t be afraid to change it up. See if you like ice water over room temperature. Does an occasional sparkling water make you
feel indulgent? Can you add some flavor to it? With both sparkling water and flavors, definitely avoid those with artificial flavors and sweeteners. Find your favorite combo of clean ingredients, make a pitcher and stick it in the fridge at night so it’s ready for you tomorrow. My favorite combo is cucumber and lemon slices and mint leaves. Staying hydrated doesn’t have to be hard. You’ve just got to add in a few simple tweaks and you’re set to go.
Back to Health 41930 N. Venture Drive, Suite 110, Anthem 623-551-6677, myanthemhealth.com
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