Old Town Tortilla Factory is located in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, where it captures timeless charm with a distinct atmosphere that exemplifies the essence of the Southwest.
Our property boasts a 1400 square foot flagstone patio that is surrounded by green vegetation and shaded by 100 year old trees. In the the winter months the patio is heated to spring-like temperatures. Our bar, a separate gazebo, offers over 120 premium tequilas and a complete selection of beers, wine and liquor.
Our food at Old Town Tortilla Factory is Southwestern with a Mexican twist. Our loyal and experienced staff are committed to serving you the ultimate Southwestern dining experience.
Old Town Tortilla Factory is the perfect venue for your special event:
• Indoor and outdoor seating
• Cool mist system or toasty heated patio
• Can accommodate groups ranging from 10-350
• Plated or buffet style dining
• Daytime weddings or events available
• Live entertainment options and much more
Visit oldtowntortillafactory.com on your computer, tablet, phone, or VR headset to view our high-resolution virtual tour, 3D venue walk through with measuring capabilities, menus, and more!
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Success is about progress and is founded on hard work. First International Bank & Trust can bear some of that load by taking the work out of managing your accounts. Our experts can custom tailor banking solutions to best suit your operations, so you can get back to business.
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AIRPARK BusinessNews
Thunderbirds donate $50K to Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts – Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC) has been awarded a $50,000 grant from Thunderbirds Charities.
The funds will be used to support the organization’s GS Impact program, which provides year-round leadership training, extracurricular activities and after school programming to girls across Maricopa County who may otherwise face a lack of access to Girl Scouting.
“Thanks to the generous support from the Thunderbirds and Thunderbirds Charities, we will be able to continue to eliminate financial barriers for families in Maricopa County and introduce 500 girls to our impactful life skills, leadership, outdoor activities and STEM programming,” says Mary Mitchell, the council’s co-CEO.
a
grant to support the
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“As girls and their families navigate difficult circumstances due to the effects of the pandemic and rising costs of rent, groceries and basic needs, Thunderbird Charities is helping us create an environment where every girl can find a sisterhood and themselves.”
– Donn C. Frye Chairman of the Board
The
allow girls to participate in ziplining and more. (The
With 85% of the council membership in Maricopa County, the inclusive contribution from Thunderbirds Charities supports its commitment to serving girls from every economic, racial, ethnic and religious background, and girls of all abilities through immersive and fun experiences like A Taste of Summer Camp, which is slated for spring 2024 at the Bob & Renee Parsons Leadership Center for Girls and Women at Camp South Mountain in Phoenix.
“A Taste of Summer Camp provides girls served through the GS Impact program with the chance to take part in a full day of camp programming that includes exciting activities like archery, ziplining, climbing and more,” Mitchell says.
“The event is a valuable opportunity for families to get a preview of our residential summer camp and sign up for free camperships.”
The GS Impact program also includes notable initiatives such as Girl Scouts Beyond
Bars, which strengthens the mother-daughter bond for girls whose mothers are incarcerated, and the recently created Girl Scout Centers, accessible meeting places for girls to attend activities and events according to their family’s schedule. Girl Scout Centers are in Buckeye, Chandler, Mesa, Peoria and South Phoenix.
Additionally, the program supplies girls with everything they need to get started in Girl Scouting from offering dues and program fee assistance to supplying uniforms, badge books and other essentials.
“Girl Scouting is a movement that helps shape our leaders of tomorrow,” says Christina Spicer, the council’s co-CEO. “We are grateful to be continually recognized by Thunderbirds Charities for our role in empowering the community and providing a space for girls to get on a path for future success.”
Info: girlscoutsaz.org/join
Scottsdale Bar Association hosts CLE program
Paul Avelar will give a Supreme Court 2023 overview during the Scottsdale Bar Association’s CLE program on Tuesday, September 12. Sponsored by ROI and Beth Jo Zeitzner, the program will be presented at Gainey Ranch
Golf Club, 7600 Gainey Club Drive, Scottsdale, from noon to 1:15 p.m. Go to scottsdalebar.org and find the events page for registration information.
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The GSACPC received
$50,000
GS Impact program. (The Colibri Collective/Submitted)
"A Taste of Camp" experience will
Colibri Collective/Submitted)
The Heritage of European Luxury Design
Visit our showroom to view the best in European furniture design.
Full interior design services available. Schedule a private showroom visit.
Nathalie Chianura
AIRPARK BusinessNews
...Continued from page 6
PXG supports disaster relief organization Team Rubicon
Airpark-based PXG donated $1 million to Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster relief organization. The funds will support Team Rubicon’s ability to provide immediate support in Maui, Hawaii.
By pairing the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders, medical professionals and technology solutions, the organization mobilizes highly trained teams to provide the greatest impact possible.
“Team Rubicon quickly coordinates and deploys trained military veterans, first responders and civilians as volunteers for disaster relief efforts,” says Bob Parsons, PXG founder and CEO.
“We have witnessed the dedicated volunteers who make up its ranks fall in to embrace and empower devastated communities. Today, we look to bolster their efforts in Maui and help their boots on the ground to do what they do best.”
In the last 10 years, Team Rubicon has built a dedicated team of over 1,000 Greyshirt volunteer leaders in Hawaii, according to Art delaCruz, Team Rubicon CEO.
“Currently, we have boots on the ground and are in close communication with local authorities and emergency managers to offer our immediate help in shelter set ups, food distribution, donation management and distribution, and staff for the local Emergency Operation Center.
“We are extremely grateful to our partners at PXG for their unwavering commitment to supporting those in need.”
Over the years, Team Rubicon has supported Hawaii with fire mitigation projects and operations on several of the islands. In May, volunteers conducted a wildfire mitigation operation in Honolulu at the request of Hawaii Firewise. Team Rubicon last supported the island of Maui with a storm response in December 2021.
This isn’t the first time PXG has supported Team Rubicon. Following Hurricane Harvey in 2017, PXG’s commitment of $1 million helped fuel Team Rubicon’s immediate response. The donation also helped kick-off a pilot “Rebuild” program committed to rebuilding 100 homes in the Houston area. Similarly, PXG’s $1 million donation for
Hurricane Irma relief funded much of the response.
PXG also supported Hurricane Florence relief efforts and, through an “essential face mask” campaign led by President and Executive Creative Director of PXG Apparel Renee Parsons, helped raise awareness of Team Rubicon’s Neighbors Helping Neighbors COVID-19 initiative.
PXG supported relief efforts in Louisiana in 2020. Within hours of Hurricane Laura making landfall, Team Rubicon was on the ground working to clear roadways to help first responders. In the hours and days following, Team Rubicon deployed more Greyshirts to Louisiana and Texas, ultimately resulting in over 800 volunteer deployments between the two states during their response work.
In the wake of the storm, Bob Parsons traveled to Louisiana to see Team Rubicon’s efforts in action and evaluate the devastation in person. As a result of the visit, PXG and The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation donated $2 million to support the needs of Louisiana.
Info: pxg.com
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•restore
•release
•enhance
•clear
•promote
•increase
AIRPARK BusinessNews
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OrthoArizona, Pinnacle Pain partner
OrthoArizona and Pinnacle Pain and Spine have partnered to combine services for patients throughout the Valley. In September, Pinnacle Pain & Spine will function as Pinnacle Pain, an OrthoArizona Partner, offering pain management and other services under the OrthoArizona umbrella.
“As founder of Pinnacle Pain & Spine, I could not be more proud of what we are creating with our partnership with OrthoArizona, the leading Orthopedic group in Arizona,” says Dr. Matthew Crooks, founder and president of Pinnacle Pain & Spine.
“This partnership will provide all OrthoArizona and Pinnacle Pain patients with the highest quality, innovative and personalized
musculoskeletal care.”
Pinnacle Pain & Spine is an advanced pain management, minimally invasive spine and sports medicine practice helping patients lead pain-free lives. The practice prides itself on creating a combination of minimally invasive spine procedures, joint procedures and an individualized treatment plan to help patients manage pain without opioids.
Bringing OrthoArizona and Pinnacle Pain & Spine together immediately adds a pain management service line to OrthoArizona’s repertoire, including two new office locations. This furthers OrthoArizona’s goal to be a one-stop shop for all of its patients’ needs.
White Castle surpasses 29 billion sliders sold
The sales of White Castle’s original, cheese and jalapeño cheese sliders surpassed the 29 billion mark. That includes sliders sold in restaurants and through food retailers.
In 1921, White Castle became the country’s first fast-food hamburger chain. Forty years later, in 1961, White Castle became the first fast-food chain to reach 1 billion burgers sold.
“The thought of 29 billion can be difficult
to grasp, but when you break it down, it all begins with one idea from a pioneer 102 years ago and one tasty little burger,” says Jamie Richardson, vice president at White Castle.
“Our recipe for success is treating every burger sold like it is someone’s first time experiencing White Castle. Whether you’re a first-time customer or a lifelong Craver, hot and tasty 100% beef steam grilled on a bed of
“By joining OrthoArizona’s top orthopedic, sports medicine and physical therapy specialists, we bring comprehensive, minimally invasive pain management to deliver the highest integrated care model to optimize patient outcomes and restore active lifestyles,” Crooks says.
Pinnacle Pain & Spine has two locations with plans to add another later this year. Their Scottsdale location sits just off the Loop 101 and Shea Boulevard, while their Chandler location is off North Dobson Road and Chandler Boulevard.
The acquisition also brings Dr. Stuart Rammell, an interventional pain specialist.
onions served on a bun from our own bakeries is what you’re craving, and satisfying that craving is what White Castle has delivered, 29 billion times over.”
With a location in the Airpark, White Castle now serves an array of sliders, from beef and chicken to fish and plant-based protein.
Info: whitecastle.com
O R I N G ?
S N
SUCH AS SLEEP APNEA
Are you experiencing?
• Loud Snoring
• Poor Sleep
• Foggy Memory
• Mood Disturbance
• Sexual Dysfunction
• Grinding of Teeth
• Inability to Loose Weight
• Daytime Sleepiness/Fatigue
• Frequent Nighttime Urination
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
• Stroke
• Hypertension
• Coronary Artery Disease
• Congestive Heart Failure
‘The Power of Three + CBD’
TreCeuticals aims to change the skin care world
By Summer Aguirre
The TreCeuticals luxury skincare line consists of medical-grade products created with ingredients scientifically proven to fit one's skin. (TreCeuticals/Submitted)
tinted mineral sunscreens.
“Our products are all meant to work together. Synergistically, they enhance each other when using,” says Dodd, who handles the business side of the company. “Our whole foundation is to be simple, almost to be simple stupid, like skin care 101.”
The TreCeuticals founding partners, CEO Sharon
(TreCeuticals/Submitted)
With the tagline “The power of three + CBD,” TreCeuticals’ main ingredients are CBD and three “healthy aging” active ingredients: retinol, hydroxy acids and antioxidants.
rin Dodd and Sharon Skaar were enjoying a glass of wine around a backyard fire pit one night in 2019 when they brainstormed their Scottsdale-based luxury skin care line, TreCeuticals.
They started a conversation about how neither were married to one skin care brand due to the market’s complexity and superabundance of products.
“We literally took a cocktail napkin and
started writing down what we were going to do,” Dodd says. “We had the brainchild idea of taking medical-grade ingredients that are scientifically proven to fit your skin. We had to do something different and something that could even be a game changer.”
What was born was a collection consisting of over 15 uncompromising, skin-loving products — all named to reflect how to use them — that range from priming cleansers, to neck-tightening creams, to tinted and non-
Skaar, who works with the chemists, says because they are formulated at a medicalgrade level — meaning there is a higher concentration of ingredients — TreCeuticals products are more effective than those found at drugstores. A high concentration level of active ingredients can cause irritation or redness, but CBD’s calming and soothing effects act as a buffer.
Altogether, these four ingredients achieve brighter, younger looking skin by encouraging cell turnover, fighting free radical damage and providing anti-inflammatory properties.
One of Skaar’s favorite products from the
on page 14
Skaar, left, and President Erin Dodd.
TWO-STORY SINGLE-TENANT OFFICE/WAREHOUSE BUILDING
MEET YourAirparkNeighbor
line is “Eye Love,” which contains Bakuchiol, a non-irritating retinol. It fights fine lines and wrinkles by building collagen, improving pigmentation and dark circles, as well as reducing under eye puffiness.
“My personal favorite is the ‘Sunday Peel’ … it’s a pretty punchy peel,” Dodd says. “You do it on Sundays, and after you do (it) your skin just glows. It doesn’t peel heavily, it just kind of flakes off easily. Another one of my favorite products is called ‘Off with the Old’ … (it’s) an unbelievable exfoliator to take the dead skin off your face and your chest and your neck.”
Skaar says they always ask people to stop using other products for 30 days if they decide to try TreCeuticals, something that is important when changing skin care routines.
“I think people don’t realize this, but your skin kind of goes through a little purging,” she says. “It’s like, oh, this is something different … and if you’re mixing products, which a lot of people do, how do you ever know which product might be the one?”
TreCeuticals values unity, so its products cater to both men and women, all skin types and most ages.
While considered a luxury skin care
line, Dodd says that they don’t have luxury prices — most of their products range from $40 to $110, for sizes that last about two to three months.
They give a percentage of their proceeds to several organizations that help empower women from all backgrounds, a reflection of their dedication to supporting other women. Currently, they are also donating 10% of all sales to benefit an organization in Maui, Hawaii due to the wildfires last month.
“Anything that’s happening within our country that we can donate, or help, or give, or mentor, or train, or teach or whatever, Sharon and I do all of that,” Dodd adds.
Both Dodd and Skaar share they never would’ve thought that they would be doing what they’re doing today.
The two, who are both in their 60s, came out of retirement to bring their skin care dreams to life. Dodd worked in luxury fashion retail for about 37 years, while Skaar is a former Wall Street banker with over 25 years in executive management.
Despite the challenges of establishing a company during the pandemic in 2020, they were equipped with expertise from their careers, resilience and determination to achieve their goal.
“We boxed products in the garage — I’d
like to say only once, but that’s not true,” Skaar says. “Many times we boxed products in our garage. We shipped our first orders out from my kitchen. I didn’t have a postage scale and our fulfillment center was closed, so we weighed for postage on a WeightWatchers scale.
“It kind of just says, look, we weren’t going to give up. We weren’t going to just lick our wounds and walk away. We were going to figure out how we can make every single thing work. Some of it was just good ol’ ingenuity and ‘We’ll try it this way and see if this works.’ So I think it was just both of our desires to just succeed and to really create something with TreCeuticals.”
Dodd and Skaar’s hard work paid off — today, their skin care company is flourishing with a growing number of loyal customers.
“We just got very creative and got very resourceful and got very, very lucky,” Dodd says. “There are incredible people on our team that have our backs and we love what we do — we absolutely are in love with what we do.”
Paris-Milan Home founder strives for European elegance
By Summer Aguirre
Nathalie Chianura says she is always dreaming of design.
The French native’s visions come to life at ParisMilan Home, her luxury showroom and design studio at 15551 N. Greenway Hayden Loop, Suite A110, Scottsdale. Founded in January 2019, ParisMilan offers an array of high-end pieces of contemporary European furniture and décor for all corners of the home, as well
as interior design and home consultation services.
“It’s a nice job. It’s a passion,” Chianura says. “In this world, we know that a lot of people have a job that they don’t like, they have a job to put food on the table and money in the bank. So for the people to have the opportunity to have a job that they love — just enjoy it.”
Chianura, who has resided in the Valley for half of her three-decade career in the furniture design industry, aims to preserve the European “savoir faire.” She translates this as the “knowledge to do the best.”
The designer describes her style as contemporary, but true to traditional European craftsmanship. She strives to capture a classic appeal with elegant, clean lines and a calm color palette.
“The timelessness of the furniture is very important. We can make the designs different by the material you choose and the colors you choose, but the base structure of the design will be timeless,” Chianura says, adding that furniture designs repeat themselves every couple of decades like fashion trends.
She strongly believes in “quality over quantity,” and her selection — which is curated from Italy and France — is a reflection of this value. She thoughtfully chooses noble materials like marble, brass, Murano glass, leather and high-quality fabrics for everything from her office furniture to rugs and lighting.
With access to such a large variety of products and materials, Chianura makes an effort to feature unique pieces no one has seen before while providing comfort and functionality.
Chianura’s aesthetic is heavily influenced by her European roots. Born in Croix,
Paris-Milan Home founder and president Nathalie Chianura. (Dennis Murphy/Contributor)
northern France, she was raised by a French mother and an Italian father in nearby Lille.
Design was always surrounding her. She went to school in Roubaix, the birthplace of Bernard Arnault, the owner of multinational luxury goods holding and conglomerate LVMH. Coincidentally, Chianura says his parents built their home not too far away from her own parents’ house in Croix, where she was born.
“This is my inspiration: where I come from, this feeling, this obligation to show you how my world is,” she says.
“I want to communicate that to my clients. And I’m pretty sure that’s why I have a nice, beautiful connection with my clients. I’m curious, but they are curious, too. So we exchange our worlds, and it’s amazing.”
Chianura highly values building meaningful relationships with everyone who walks into Paris-Milan Home.
She says her job as a designer requires talent as well as experience in human relations to bring each individual’s vision for their home to fruition.
To better achieve this, Paris-Milan offers private showroom appointments to provide each client one-on-one attention.
“You need to understand who you have in front of you to connect with your client. It’s very important,” Chianura says. “And
like that, you will discover a human being, what they like, what they want, what makes them happy. … If you start to know them, they will talk about their travels, and they’ll say, ‘Oh, we went there. We love this architecture.’ This gives you all the elements for you to understand the package.”
For Chianura, it is vital to help people create a home environment that allows them to recharge and unwind.
“Your home is your cocoon. Society is a part of every day,” she says. “If I can make the other side of the door, when they close the door of their home, the perfect place where they can relax, enjoy life and not stress — it is the accomplishment of a good designer.
“The only way you can know is when your client invites you to their home and you see the smile on their face … and how they express their gratitude, (and they say) ‘Nathalie, we love it.’ That’s it. I did my job. And so this is the joy of this work.”
Before Paris-Milan Home, as previously reported by Scottsdale Airpark News, Chianura worked with a French furniture chain with 250 locations across the globe for several years.
She then accepted an interior designer position at the most renowned avenue in Paris, Avenue Montaigne, where she worked with international clients and
was surrounded by haute couture brand boutiques such as Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior.
Chianura said this “helped her take her flight to the United States” and establish her first furniture store company in Scottsdale, which she sold in 2018.
Then, she launched her Paris-Milan Home venture alone — a reflection of her achievements as a designer.
“I’m proud to be an example for young generations, particularly women, because I am a woman and I accomplished everything alone — I am not married, I don’t have children, my life is my work. It shows. I don’t regret anything because my life, it’s full of experiences, full of nice things,” she says.
“But for this new generation, I can be proud to show them it is possible. You don’t need to be rich. I don’t come from a rich family. … You can do everything you want. You can have everything you want. You just need to work on it.
“Just don’t be scared. Jump. If you don’t try, you will never know.”
Paris-Milan Home is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. It is also available by private appointment.
More information can be found at paris-milan.com.
‘Healing from the Inside Out’
CarolAnn Tutera is the co-founder and CEO of Tutera Medical, SottoPelle® and Bolster Beauty. (Schultz
Digital/Submitted)
CarolAnn Tutera, CEO and cofounder of the SottoPelle® Method, says that her late husband, Dr. Gino Tutera, is the reason bioidentical hormone pellet therapy is practiced today.
Dr. Tutera began using bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) in 1979. While pellet therapy has existed since 1939, Dr. Tutera reinvented it with his proprietary dosing method in 1992. His significant research and developments in BHRT pellets since then have earned him acknowledgment as a trailblazer and global leader in the industry.
Now, CarolAnn carries on her husband’s legacy with the SottoPelle® Method, Tutera Medical® and Bolster Beauty by SottoPelle®. She has received numerous awards and recognition as a medical entrepreneur succeeding in the male-dominated pellet therapy field.
“We truly are the pioneer. We’re the gold standard in the industry. We’re the company name that people look for knowing that they’re going to be treated the right way,” she says. “We are celebrating our 30th year for SottoPelle® and 20 years for Tutera Medical® — nobody else can say that.”
The company offers its proprietary bioidentical hormone replacement pellet therapy for men and women, as part of the SottoPelle® Method network, an international company dedicated to training medical providers on
Hormone replacement therapy trailblazers take a balanced approach to wellness, aging
By Summer Aguirre
how to use pellet therapy.
Tutera Medical® — which has offices in Scottsdale, Chandler, Glendale and Show Low — provides effective treatment for hormone deficiencies, particularly in menopause and andropause, to help improve clients’ quality of life and well-being during aging.
While medical providers commonly use hormone therapy to treat these conditions, Dr. Tutera conducted decades of extensive research on the role of hormones in depression, anxiety and mental health as well as neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, traumatic brain injury and Parkinson’s disease. His groundbreaking innovations have helped 250,000 patients worldwide.
“Bioidentical pellets are the only therapy we use at Tutera Medical® to not just alleviate symptoms, but to help our patients physiologically where they were in their 30s,” CarolAnn says.
During an approximately five-minute procedure, a pellet about the size of a grain of rice is slipped painlessly under the hip. Each recipient’s dose is individualized to their specific needs, and it lasts three to six months.
CarolAnn says that pellet therapy is “really the only delivery method that is best for the human body,” because it bypasses the liver. Unlike synthetic hormones, BHRT pellets use plant-based hormones whose molecular structure is identical to those that the body naturally produces. The pellet delivery system releases the hormone gradually and consistently with no roller coaster effect, so the body receives the correct amount exactly when it is needed.
“You just don’t mess with a good thing,” CarolAnn says about the method, which is scientifically backed by dozens of studies for 85 years.
To further support the SottoPelle® Method, Dr. Tutera developed Bolster Beauty®, their most recent addition. The brand consists of nutraceuticals, products derived from food sources with health benefits, in the form of hair products and health and wellness
supplements.
The initial product that Dr. Tutera created was the “grow & behold™” nutraceutical, a hair repair and restore supplement inspired by his own experience with thinning hair.
“He developed it for himself but didn’t realize really what he had until he learned patients were really excited about this product,” CarolAnn says.
According to CarolAnn, the product has been third-party tested and has yielded positive user results.
Participants who used grow & behold™ daily reported that the supplement helped prevent hair loss (87.10%), improved hair growth (96.77%), restored hair strength (87.10%), improved hair density (96.77%) and resulted in thicker hair appearance (83.87%), the Bolster Beauty® website reports.
Bolster Beauty by SottoPelle® has since expanded with other supporting nutraceuticals, including “wellness wake-up,” which was created to address lack of energy, and “DIM’me some” to promote breast health.
This year, CarolAnn further developed the line — and continued her late husband’s legacy — with the creation of a shampoo and conditioner as additional support for hair thickness and growth.
“We have some of the ingredients that are so good in the hair repair and restore product that are in the shampoo and conditioner to really help solidify hair growth, strengthening and thickening,” she says.
CarolAnn adds that it’s “gratifying” to know that people are using the right method and protocol for “aging gracefully.” She hopes that pellet therapy ultimately has the same impact on others as it did for her.
“I’ve been doing pellets for over 25 years, and people are amazed at how good I look for my age,” she says. “I am extremely healthy. I feel good every day. I want them to live their best life like I do, feeling healthy.”
Always consult your physician before beginning any treatment program.
Buddy
Life-altering accident inspires resident to launch teddy bear line
By Alex Gallagher
North Scottsdale resident Cat Kozuch has always believed in the power of positive affirmations and is a living testament to the power of resiliency.
After a life-altering accident during her sophomore year of college caused her to break her back, Kozuch was told she would never walk again — however, she persevered and has proved nearly every doctor wrong.
Now, she is aiming to prove the power of affirmations with a line of affirmational teddy bears she calls “Believe a Buddy.”
The cuddly children’s plush toys, which are named Winston, each include a set of 52 heart-shaped cards with encouraging, affirmative phrases on them that are stored in a fuzzy pouch on the bear’s belly.
The toy is designed to “bring joy and selfempowerment to children’s lives,” much like she brought herself 15 years ago.
The accident
In 2008, Kozuch was on vacation in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, with her boyfriend at the time and some friends when they decided to go for a ride in a dune buggy.
Though Kozuch admits she was apprehensive about climbing into the upscale all-terrain vehicle, she hopped into the passenger side of the buggy and fastened her seat belt as tightly as possible.
“I don’t like extreme sports, and I’m not into the fast car lifestyle,” Kozuch says. “I didn’t want to go, but I was too embarrassed to say, ‘I don’t want to go.’”
Not too long after the buggy’s wheels hit the sands of the dunes, the vehicle’s driver pushed the gas pedal to the floor and began to attempt scaling a hill. The driver wound
North Scottsdale resident Cat Kozuch is looking to inspire hope and positivity with her business Believe a Buddy, which sells teddy bears that have a clear pouch that children can fill with heart-shaped cards containing positive affirmations. (Submitted)
up making a turn and overcorrecting, causing the vehicle to roll over five times.
During this commotion, Kozuch says her seat belt loosened by nearly 2 inches, giving her enough of a gap between her lower back and her seat to cause major damage.
Following the crash, Kozuch recalls taking two steps out of the vehicle before falling onto the ground and being unable to return to her feet. Those were the last two normal footsteps she would ever take.
She was transported to a local care facility in Puerto Peñasco and held there overnight, and the next day ended up being airlifted from the border to St. Joseph’s Emergency Hospital in Phoenix. There, she learned she had shattered the T-7 and T-8 vertebrae in her back and severely damaged her spinal cord.
Her initial prognosis was she would never walk again and would have to live the rest of her life bound by a wheelchair. However, one doctor gave her all the hope
she needed.
“Dr. Theodore told me that life is a selffulfilling prophecy and that he wouldn’t tell me what I could or couldn’t do but that my injury was serious and, according to most medical books, I would never walk again,” Kozuch recalls.
Though she was initially defeated by this prognosis, Kozuch says her father kept her spirits high during her recovery by showering her with her favorite childhood gift: teddy bears.
Proving science wrong
After receiving spinal surgery, Kozuch was relocated to Barrow Neurological Institute. She says the first thing she wrote on the whiteboard that faced the front of her bed was “I will walk out of here.”
She says her first step was telling herself to move her toes, which she was eventually able to do.
Having already sold hundreds, Believe a Buddy’s line of teddy bears, named Winston, is designed to make children and those around them feel enlightened and confident. (Submitted)
Though some doctors initially brushed this off, it was the beginning of Kozuch’s journey toward defying the odds.
Before she knew it, she was regaining feeling in her left leg and eventually found herself able to walk out of the hospital.
Throughout a nearly three-month recovery, Kozuch was comforted by an array of teddy bears — some of which she slept with at night, others she used to decorate around her whiteboard. She credits this mosaic of plush toys that surrounded her affirmation to her finding a way back onto her feet.
An ‘aha’ moment
Following her triumphant trot out of the hospital, the Mountain Ridge High School alumni would finish her education, earn a degree in communications from Arizona State University and lead a normal life, although her stride was still impacted by
the accident.
But it wasn’t until nearly a decade and a half after the accident that changed her life that Kozuch found a way to merge what motivated her the most during her recovery.
Kozuch says she had a random vision early last year where she envisaged a teddy bear with words of affirmation written on its stomach. Inspired, she grabbed a pen and made a rough sketch of her idea.
Kozuch says she attempted to manufacture the bear herself and created several prototypes.
“I created a prototype by buying a bear online, making a small cut in it and clipping a piece of paper inside it,” she says.
She eventually felt more comfortable searching for a manufacturer that could perfectly turn her idea into an elegant product that would be cherished by children ages 3 and up.
Believe a Buddy is born
Kozuch’s vision for a teddy bear continued to evolve until she decided on the design of a soft, fuzzy brown bear flashing a cheeky smile with paws printed with a heart and stars — the hearts display the love affirmations come from and the stars symbolize the magic of affirmations.
The bear’s stomach contains a plastic pouch sealed with Velcro that can be filled with a card that displays affirmations like “I am talented,” “I am fearless,” “My words have power, I use them wisely,” or “I am powerful.”
“When the child picks a card, they get really excited, and I’ve seen their body language just perk up and they start believing it,” Kozuch says. “With affirmations, it’s the power of repetition so that they get into their subconscious mind and they truly begin to believe it and remember it. ”
With help from toy industry consultants, Kozuch found her way through the field and launched her business in May 2022. But she still needed a catchy name.
Ultimately, she decided on Believe a Buddy.
Since launching the brand, Kozuch has sold hundreds of bears, which cost $65, and has partnered with organizations like the national 501(c)(3) nonprofit the Giving Goodness Foundation. Kozuch says the nonprofit is in the talks with her to purchase bears to donate to children who have suffered abuse. She is also currently engaged in discussions with Phoenix Children’s Hospital to donate bears to its patients as well as other nonprofits during bullying awareness month in October.
A budding business
Kozuch’s next plan is to publish a children’s book that will “follow the story of how Winston comes from the star galaxy, and he leaves all his buddies because he feels like a child on earth needs his magical powers.” She also plans to add more animals to her collection.
For now, she hopes her teddy bears give children the same amount of comfort the cuddly plush toys provided her during the hardest time of her life.
“Teddy bears helped me so much when I was in the hospital recovering,” Kozuch says. “I really want every kid to have this teddy bear and to be able to give them some sense of hope and self-belief so that they can get through it.”
At cocktail parties, on the tee box and amongst the ladies who lunch, there’s a subtle whisper about an unusual design mecca—Consignment. The valley’s most savvy shoppers and discerning designers are regulars at Avery Lane Fine Consignments and they are rewarded with great deals on one-of-a-kind home décor. Avery Lane’s design style is “Paris Apartment” which is a curated aesthetic of items collected from a lifetime of international travels, inherited from generations or salvaged when the flat upstairs was vacated. And, the 30,000 sq. ft. of inventory is like a Parisian merry-go-round—constantly changing and revolving. Come check it out … sit for a spell … we’ll pour the champagne. Discover more at AveryLaneHome.com
Darlene Richert Proprietor
Doing the Right Thing
Earning her patients’ trust leads dentist to success
By Jason Keil
e expect dentists to do the right thing. But Sara Vizcarra, DDS, DABDSM, DABCP, DABCDSM, demonstrates daily what it means to earn the respect of her patients and staff.
In the two decades she has practiced dentistry, the founder of Pinnacle Peak Family Dentistry, located at 10465 E. Pinnacle Peak Parkway, Scottsdale, has seen the technology in her field change expeditiously. She uses the latest equipment in her office because accuracy is essential when building smiles for her patients.
Patient comfort is top of mind for Dr. Vizcarra and her staff, which includes Christine Tran, DDS, and Christopher D. Bebeau, DDS, MPH. They always clarify why each procedure is necessary when meeting with a patient. In most cases, the clinic offers options that fit a patient’s needs and budget. Dr. Vizcarra’s efforts have led to recognition by several Phoenix-area publications, including being honored as a top dentist this year by Phoenix Magazine.
“We have an amazing team,” she says. “We walk the patient through each step. If you don’t have communication, you don’t have trust. It is important to have trust in your health care provider.”
Dr. Vizcarra’s propensity to help others was instilled in her when the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry graduate was very young. She came from difficult circumstances, growing up during the civil war in El Salvador and living in substandard conditions in Los Angeles as a teenager.
Her high school English teacher saw Dr. Vizcarra’s potential and became a mentor and guardian angel. Because of her teacher’s tremendous impact on her life, Dr. Vizcarra spends much of her free time volunteering, whether performing dental work with nonprofits such as Saving Amy or helping her son’s Boy Scout troop.
Not resting on her laurels, Dr. Sara Vizcarra opened AZ Sleep and TMJ Solutions in 2018. (Dr. Sara Vizcarra/Submitted)
“I’ve seen a lot of poverty in El Salvador and Los Angeles,” she recalls. “When I was involved
Patient comfort is top of mind for, from left to right, Dr. Christine Tran, Dr. Christopher D. Bebeau and Dr. Sara Vizcarra. (Dr. Sara Vizcarra/Submitted)
with public health in Springfield, Missouri, I realized many people in America are underserved, and we don’t have to look far to find those in need.”
Not resting on her laurels, Dr. Vizcarra opened AZ Sleep and TMJ Solutions in 2018. The specialty practice treats orofacial pain and TMJ disorders, including symptoms such as teeth grinding and clenching, gum recession, jaw and ear pain, or headaches.
In addition, she addresses sleep apnea, which affects your upper airway during bedtime hours, resulting in snoring and interruptions in sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, these issues affect 18 million Americans and their overall health. Dr. Vizcarra’s triple-board credentials make her uniquely qualified to diagnose and treat these conditions.
In the next fi ve years, Dr. Vizcarra envisions continued growth for her clinics, but she isn’t stopping there. She has seen the role micronutrients play in improving the health of her patients with craniofacial and musculoskeletal pain. Dr. Vizcarra is in the early stages of developing a line of organic supplements to help patients feel and sleep better. Naturally treating pain symptoms is another way she demonstrates her commitment to doing the right thing.
“When I get an idea in my head, I follow through,” she says.
She hopes to improve her patients’ health and quality of life with compassion and determination.
ANOTHER LAP DOWN the CATWALK
Sheree Hartwell leads modeling agency through changing scene
ver since she was a little girl, Sheree Hartwell’s dream was to own a modeling agency, without knowing the work it involved.
The South Dakota native — who moved to Scottsdale when she was 5 — attended Navajo Elementary, Mohave Middle and Saguaro High schools before making the trek up the hill to attend NAU to
Elementary, Mohave Middle and Saguaro High attend study fashion.
Throughout her childhood, she danced five days a week at the former Studio 46 studio in Phoenix before moving on to Plum Performing Arts Center in the Scottsdale Airpark — where her daughters dance to this day.
(Sheree Hartwell/Submitted)
But at age 12, she got an opportunity that would change
Throughout her childhood, she danced five days a week on dance her life.
entered
She entered a tap dance competition in which the grand prize was a meeting with Robert
For nearly two decades, Ford/Robert Black Agency owner Sheree Hartwell has guided models down more than just a runway. She has guided models into digital advertising and marketing and helped them
...Continues on page 26
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Black, who founded the Robert Black Agency in 1987.
Hartwell won the competition and traveled with her mother to greet the modeling management mastermind at his Scottsdale Airpark office, located at 9300 E. Raintree Drive, Suite 115, Scottsdale, where it remains.
Hartwell admits she felt star-struck during the initial meeting, however, was surprised by his kind nature.
“He’s extremely kind and loving and a genuine guy. He was not as intimidating as I thought he was going to be,” Hartwell says with a laugh.
Hartwell aspired to be a model herself and had decorated her room with images of some of the biggest names in modeling at the time — like Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss and Christy Turlington — and she told Black about her interest in the industry.
“I kind of felt like it was in my blood to be in this business after growing up in it,” Hartwell says.
Around this time, Black inked a partnership with Ford Models, which has agencies in Paris, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago. This gave his brand a plethora of talent to work with, and the agency was rebranded the Ford/Robert Black Agency.
As time went on, Hartwell felt more enlightened by the business side of the modeling industry.
“As I got older, I realized I kind of like the business side of it and I found that I liked it way more than being on the modeling side,” she says.
As she started her first semester of her senior year at NAU, Hartwell learned she needed an internship to graduate and turned to Black. She gleaned advice from executives in the industry and realized what it entailed.
into somebody’s shoes such as his,” Hartwell says. “He’s a very iconic guy in our industry — still is — but also extremely involved in the community, very philanthropic.”
She quickly learned the ropes and got to work scouring the state for talent.
“There are the typical standard things that we look for, like photogenic, having a symmetrical face and body shape and those types of things,” she says. “But one of the nice compliments that we get a lot is that our talent, they’re actually nice people.
“We’ve gotten to this place now where we want to work with people that we like
Not only have the methods of finding models changed, but the types of models have changed as well.
“Up until five years ago the industry hadn’t changed, and now … we see bodies looking like what we see, and we see real-life people who have differences in appearances,” Hartwell says.
“For us, as an agency, it’s been really fun, as we represent people today that we wouldn’t have represented five to 10 years ago, solely because the industry standards were as such.”
“It was always reiterated to me that this is a people business and you may not like everybody, but ultimately you’re dealing with people. We are selling people, and we are promoting people,” Hartwell says.
This is advice Hartwell carried with her after college when she worked at another modeling agency in San Francisco before returning to Scottsdale in 2004.
Upon coming back to her hometown, Hartwell recalls asking Black for a job, which he obliged.
Six months after taking on her role, Hartwell learned Black was selling his business and knew it was her time to shine. She bought his agency.
“It was a really big undertaking stepping
and that are kind people that show up, are on time and are respectful.”
For over a decade, Hartwell hosted a weekly, hourlong open call. Then, the pandemic halted those meetings.
Since then, she has taken a more modern approach to discovering models.
“Social media has been an incredible way to scout people,” Hartwell says. “We’ve been finding people through Instagram and TikTok, and people can also directly submit photos on our website, and we review those.”
She notices her clients are getting more work for digital advertising than printed advertising. Because of this, her team manages a team of 10 influencers.
“Social media platforms have taken over the world of advertising, so in the past year we have paid significant attention to TikTok and Instagram primarily for scouting, but also as a secondary source of revenue for our talent,” Hartwell says.
“Right now, we have about 10 active influencers who already have a pretty strong social media platform — some of whom have over a million followers.
“So being able to do deals with them where they are basically posting on their social media and getting paid for that has been pretty amazing.”
Because of this, Hartwell admits she is always working tirelessly to stay ahead of the curve by conversing with colleagues in the industry.
“We’re very connected with the agencies in the major markets,” Hartwell says. “I am talking to agents in New York, Los Angeles, London, Milan and Paris on a daily and/or weekly basis since a lot of those trends start in those major markets, and in Arizona we tend to be the trickle down.”
Hartwell remains confident her business can sustain another three and a half decades of bringing models out of the desert and onto international runways, television screens and pages of magazines around the world.
“We continue to bring in the younger generation, and they are helping us to stay current, helping us to evolve and stay on the cusp of things,” Hartwell says. “I need that youth and I need that kind of edge and direction to continue to take the company forward.”
Ford/Robert Black 9300 E. Raintree Drive, Suite 115, Scottsdale 480-966-2537, fordrba.com
Although she loved getting dolled up for photoshoots and fashion shows, Ford/ Robert Black owner Sheree Hartwell always dreamed of owning her own modeling agency. (Sheree Hartwell/Submitted)
That’s Her Jam
Dana Dumas’ hits are dessert and brunch
By Alex Gallagher
Sugar Jam the Southern Kitchen CEO and Founder Dana Dumas has always had a passion for cooking.
She remembers stirring batter for her grandmother’s desserts and baking fresh cookies.
“I always fancied pastries, because growing up in New York City, there were so many different ethnicities of bakeries,” Dumas recalls.
“The first things that I baked were my sugar cookies with a little jam in the middle. I would make those for people’s special occasions and people
Visitors from around the world have visited Sugar Jam the Southern Kitchen to try dishes like the creole shrimp and grits that features handmade seasoned
Dana Dumas has been serving the sweet and savory tastes of the south for nearly a decade in the Scottsdale Airpark. She’s made a name for herself by providing a lively DJ-helmed brunch Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings.
(James Patrick/Contributor)
FOOD & WINE
would always love them and say, ‘Oh, you should have your own cookie business.’”
Mixing things up
In 2011 Dumas obliged the request. She quit her corporate job as the director of business operations for International Cruise and Excursions and started Sugar Jam Cookies, an Arizona cottage law licensed baker of cookies that came in flavors like chocolate-covered strawberry, lemon-raspberry and peach cobbler.
In addition to selling these cookies out of her home, Dumas began vending the sweet, soft treats
at Phoenix Public Market in Downtown Phoenix. She quickly became a hit.
After three years of touring farmers markets around the state and adding delectable pies to her menu, Dumas knew she was in a place to open her first brick-and-mortar.
A bigger kitchen
Dumas opened her first store, Sugar Jam Bake Shop and Bistro, in the Scottsdale Airpark off Hayden and Redfield roads in 2014 and remained there for six years.
The space was intended to be a production facility for Dumas to bake her goods at, but that didn’t stop customers from cramming themselves in the intimate space.
The menu primarily consisted of barbecue items like pulled pork sandwiches,
crab balls. (James Patrick/Contributor)
FOOD & WINE
brisket, fried chicken, fried shrimp, fried catfish and chopped chicken in addition to baked goods like cookies, scones and cupcakes — all were dishes she feasted upon during dinners at her grandmother’s home.
But when the pandemic was declared in March 2020, Dumas honed in on her bestselling items.
“When the pandemic hit, I was able to recognize there was a need for a void missing,” she recalls. “I had a great customer base I built up over six years because I would do specials at lunchtime, and one of my customers had said to me one day ‘So, those specials you do at lunch, could that become a dinner to-go option?’”
Dumas pondered this idea alongside her kitchen staff.
“We were able to sit down and go through what we enjoyed about grandma’s cooking,” Dumas says. “We came together, and we composed a menu of a lot of specials and each Friday night we would have from three to seven weekly dinner specials in addition to the standards that we would offer for food to-go.”
This idea was a hit.
“The next thing we knew, it took off to where we would have a line of cars
wrapped around the building and down the street,” Dumas recalls. “In those four hours of us providing dinners to-go, I did more revenue than I did when I was open all-day Tuesday through Saturday.”
A taste of success
After months of selling out of its dinner service, Dumas capitalized on her newfound success by moving a half of a mile up Hayden Road to a larger space located near Raintree Road.
“In this new location, we honed in on what was my sweet spot, which was lunch and dinner with weekend brunches,” Dumas says.
Eventually, Dumas found it was draining to convert the kitchen from brunch to dinner.
“It was really taxing to go from lunch to dinner and then on the weekends we were doing brunch and flipping the line to dinner,” she says.
Dumas then shifted gears once again and reexamined what was selling the best in her new space. She realized it was her extravagant DJ brunches, which feature a live DJ and cocktails like The Southern Kitchen (TSK) cocktail, ($16); the drunken
One of Sugar Jam the Southern Kitchen’s sweetest breakfast treats is its French toast, which features two sizable slices of challah bread dipped in a marinade that features cinnamon, sugar and Grand Marnier liqueur, cooked until it is warm and fluffy and served with rum pecan syrup and vanilla butter. (James Patrick/Contributor)
apples cocktail, ($15); Mimosas like the strawberry-margarita mimosa and lemonmango mosa ($9.50); and menu items like the buttermilk fried chicken and French toast ($16.50), Papa’s Brisket and Biscuits ($17.95) and the famous salmon croquettes and southern grits ($17.95).
“We came through in a time when the only thing in the North Scottsdale Quarter like me that offered brunch with a DJ was Chef Joey (Maggiore) and Hash Kitchen,” Dumas recalls.
“It set the new benchmark for us as a business because we did more revenue between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. serving brunch than we did when we were open from lunch to dinner with no breakfast or all day.
“That set a new blueprint for us and how we set up the brunch to where we’re open Wednesday through Sunday and we do brunch every day and we have a DJ every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”
Cementing a legacy
With a booming business that sees a full restaurant, Dumas says she’s proud she brought new flavors to the Scottsdale Airpark.
“I am the only woman-owned, Blackowned entity in North Scottsdale,” she says proudly. “People really love the authenticity of me being a woman and that I own a Black-owned business.”
But it’s not just the residents that shower her with compliments and adoration.
“We have people that are flying in from all over the country on the weekends with their luggage who haven’t even checked into their hotel or Airbnb yet that come see us — that’s why we have a storage area for their luggage,” she says with a laugh.
Most patrons find out about Sugar Jam the Southern Kitchen through social media or word-of-mouth.
“People often tell me that they saw me on TikTok or that they saw us on Instagram, and they knew that when they came to Arizona, this was the No. 1 spot they wanted to support,” Dumas says. “They typically say, ‘Wow, social media doesn’t do this justice.’
“When you’re here, you feel the authenticity of our employees because they’re not employees; we consider ourselves one large family.”
Because of this, Dumas invites people to make a reservation and pay her family of staff a visit for brunch.
Sugar Jam The Southern Kitchen 15111 N.
TOURISM Talk
A Luxury Travel
Study: Experience Scottsdale’s ads inspire
visitation
By Rachel Sacco
With marketing, you have mere seconds to make an emotional connection with a potential visitor. Yet those seconds can have a profound, long-lasting impact on our community.
A recent study from Longwoods International, a leader in tourism market research, found that Experience Scottsdale’s advertising campaigns successfully capture potential travelers’ interest and convert them into visitors. In fact, Experience Scottsdale’s return on investment is the best Longwoods has reported since the pandemic. For every $1 spent on advertising, Experience Scottsdale generates $116 in visitor spending and $4 in state and local taxes.
Experience Scottsdale has partnered with the city of Scottsdale and town of Paradise Valley since 1987. For 36 years, we have been the sole organization responsible for establishing Scottsdale as a luxury travel destination, today representing nearly 400 tourism-related businesses in the region.
Our mission is to enhance the local community through the power of tourism, and as a nonprofit organization largely funded by visitor-paid tax dollars, it’s crucial our programs truly move the needle for the benefit of Scottsdale businesses and residents.
Earlier this summer, Experience Scottsdale earned accreditation with distinction from Destinations International, which represents over 600 destination marketing organizations around the globe. According to Destinations International, that means Experience Scottsdale meets over 100 rigorous accreditation standards, as well as aspirational standards, and is among the destinations setting the bar for excellence for our industry. Only 8% of the 225 currently accredited destinations have received this honor of distinction.
To further evaluate the effectiveness of our marketing programs, the city of Scottsdale and Experience Scottsdale commissioned Longwoods International to analyze the return on investment from Experience Scottsdale’s
Experience Scottsdale’s monthlong See What Blooms campaign spanned six New York City subway stations in February. (Experience Scottsdale/Submitted)
advertising in generating tourism business to the area and in encouraging economic development activity. Longwoods studied our campaigns in three key markets: New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Longwoods found that nearly six in 10 travelers in those key markets recalled seeing at least one Experience Scottsdale advertisement. Our spend per recall is exceptionally low, roughly a quarter of the amount destinations similar in size and budget spend, which Longwoods said is a “strong indicator of an incredibly efficient campaign.” The visitor spending our campaigns generate, meanwhile, is more than double that of similar destination marketing organizations.
Travel is often the first step in shaping perceptions, and our efforts help advance the city’s economic development goals. Longwoods’ research found that consumers who recalled Experience Scottsdale’s advertising are not only more likely to visit, but also more likely to view Scottsdale as a good place to live, work, start a business, attend college, purchase a vacation home and retire.
This study offers a conservative estimate of all Experience Scottsdale accomplishes for the community, as it focuses solely on three advertising campaigns. While marketing is a crucial part of our organization, it is just one facet of our work to promote travel and tourism. Last fiscal year, our public relations efforts generated over 1,500 positive media
hits about the Scottsdale market area in national and international publications. Our convention sales team booked more than 600 future meetings groups into Scottsdalearea hotels and resorts, generating a future economic impact of $107 million. And our tourism managers trained nearly 1,600 travel professionals from around the world to sell Scottsdale vacations.
Each year, Experience Scottsdale’s programs are vetted and approved by the Scottsdale City Council, the Scottsdale Tourism Development Commission and our own board of directors, a 28-member, volunteer body that includes representatives from the tourism industry, business community, the city of Scottsdale and town of Paradise Valley.
Experience Scottsdale’s efforts provide media, meeting planners and travel professionals with the tools they need to help amplify Scottsdale’s story around the world. Our hope is that when a potential visitor spots Experience Scottsdale’s ad in a magazine, they’ve already heard about Scottsdale from a trusted friend, influencer, travel writer or travel agent, or they have already attended a conference, meeting or special event in the city.
Our research, planning and strategy ensure that in those few seconds, that potential visitor begins planning their Scottsdale vacation.
Rachel Sacco is the president and CEO of Experience Scottsdale.
REMEMBER When
Scottsdale Sweet Spot
The long, rich history behind Lincoln Drive, Scottsdale Road
By Joan Fudala
In anticipation of the long-awaited debut of the The Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley, the area around Lincoln Drive and Scottsdale Road will be in the spotlight. It has certainly been one of busier intersections on the border of Scottsdale and Paradise Valley for decades, offering shopping, dining, working, living, banking, health care, pet care and resorts.
Let’s reminisce about the Lincoln/Scottsdale sweet spot:
• Four miles north of the historic settlement of Scottsdale, the Lincoln/Scottsdale Road area was sparsely populated and developed until the 1970s. One of the early area residents was the Lutes family, who settled in the 1920s near where the Hilton Resort is today. Carlton was the rural mail carrier and as a World War I veteran was a founder of American Legion Post 44. His wife, Lucy, was certified as an aircraft mechanic at Thunderbird II Airfield during World War II. Their daughter Virgie also worked at Thunderbird II Airfield during the war, and became Scottsdale’s first town clerk after incorporation in 1951. Son Jerry Lutes served in World War II.
• After establishing the Cattle Track area north of McDonald Drive and east of Miller Road in the 1930s, the George Ellis family farmed the area where the Hilton Resort is today during the 1940s to 1960s. They grew flowers and other crops at the site, and housed a variety of artisans and studios at Cattle Track, which continues to thrive today. Cattle Track is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Louise Lincoln Kerr, daughter of industrialist John C. Lincoln and a musician with the Cleveland Symphony, bought a 20-acre parcel and built a home and adjacent buildings just south of Lincoln Drive (named for her father) in the 1950s. The collection of buildings on the site was often referred to as “The Shacks.” In 1959 she, with the help
of Mexican artisans, built an adobe music studio. Kerr, along with Lewis Ruskin, founded the Phoenix Chamber Music Society in 1961, and held the group’s first performances at the Kerr studio. In addition to music, Kerr’s studio hosted Temple Solel High Holy Day services. She offered housing to artists, musicians and writers, including renowned historians Ariel and Will Durant. At her death in 1977, Kerr bequeathed the Kerr Cultural Center to Arizona State University, which continues to offer a variety of performances and events at the site. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• A 1950s tourism brochure listed three guest ranches in the area: the Diamond Lazy K Ranch, the Geronimo Ranch on McDonald Drive at Mockingbird and the eight-unit
Rainbow Guest Ranch at 6240 N. Scottsdale Road. Dorothy Patterson’s Ride ‘n’ Rock Ranch was a bit farther north on Indian Bend Road. The Smoke Tree Resort opened in 1954, a rebirth of the Lazy K Guest Ranch. Longtime Smoke Tree owners were the Colin Williams family. There are plans to redevelop the property into a boutique resort.
• As Scottsdale grew north along Scottsdale Road, the town of Paradise Valley incorporated and the McCormick Ranch master-planned community opened just north of this intersection, commercial developers looked at this area as a prime shopping, hotel and business location.
• Scottsdale restaurateur Dale Anderson opened the Other Place in 1969 on Lincoln Drive in a building of the Smoke Tree
Musician, composer and philanthropist Louise Lincoln Kerr greeted patrons at her Kerr Cultural Center studio on Scottsdale Road. (Scottsdale Historical Society/Submitted)
Bob Karatz opened the Scottsdale Hilton Resort on the east side of Scottsdale Road at Lincoln Drive in 1973. (Scottsdale Historical Society/Submitted)
Resort. A popular Southwestern-themed eatery for decades, it closed in 2007. The gazpacho was superb, and so were the Barbaritas. Anderson opened the Quilted Bear in 1974 (now the Fat Ox, and was also the Davanti Enoteca). It became a popular lunchtime meeting place, with a beautiful stained glass window by Glassart of Scottsdale, informal modeling among the lunch tables and a bountiful salad bar.
• Lincoln Plaza, on the southwest corner of Scottsdale and Lincoln, opened in 1972, anchored by an A.J. Bayless market (now an AJ’s Fine Foods). The Bridwell family opened a Texaco gas station on the corner in 1973, and still operates the full-service station, now a Sinclair. Mehagian’s Fine Furniture and Sherre’s Clothing Co. were longtime tenants. Others were Lincoln Plaza Liquor Store, Super-X Drug Co., the Captain’s Quarters, veterinarian Richard Soltero, the Arizona Bank, Paradise Valley Florist, Nadler’s Indian Arts, Paradise Camera and Mr. Frank’s barber salon. The plaza featured a distinctive fountain, and often held art shows and other special events, including youth benefit car washes at Bridwell’s.
• The Lincoln Village Shops opened in the 1970s just south of Lincoln Plaza. Among
REMEMBER When
El
the Walgreens site), Stuart Anderson’s
Angus (now Fogo de Chao), Jane Zivney Accessories, Fashion Discovery, Gilbert Ortega, Pride and Joy, Town ‘n’ Country, Rancho Pinot Grill, Cypress Court, the X’tra Touch, ActiveSports, Mexico Antiguo.
• Lincoln Plaza Medical Center opened in 1977, complete with an indoor aviary. The dentists practicing there were sure the birds would calm their patients.
• Bob Karatz opened the Hilton Resort at
the tenants: Lunt Avenue Marble Club (now Trader Joe’s),
Torito (now
Black
Today, the shops include My Sister’s Closet and Well Suited consignment stores and more.
Opened as the Alamos Resort in 1980, the property on Scottsdale Road was later named the Cottonwoods Resort. (Scottsdale Historical Society/Submitted)
Lincoln and Scottsdale in 1973, with its distinctive bell tower. The Coronado Dons high school band played at the grand opening. Karatz, an avid tennis player, ensured the resort had great tennis courts and resident pros. Restaurateur Paul Shank (of the Safari’s French Quarter) opened Paul Shank’s Wining and Dining at the Hilton. The Miss Arizona-World pageant was held at the
new resort in August 1973. In the 1990s, TV personality Merv Griffin bought the Hilton Resort and operated it for several years. The main restaurant on the property became Paul Fleming’s Steakhouse.
• The Scottsdale Hilton Casitas and The Shops at Hilton Village also opened in the 1970s on the east side of Scottsdale Road. Among the eateries and shops then and now: Country Glazed Ham, Haagen Dazs, Le Parisien, the Doll House, European Cleaners, Gossip, Magadini Galleries, the Linen Tree, New Man, Just Goodies, Hilton Village Yacht Club, Oxford Scholar, Rodier Paris, the Good Egg, Calistro Bistro, Starbucks, Humble Pie, Tap Kitchen, Houston’s, CVS, Chico’s, Chase and Wells Fargo banks.
• The Alamos Resort — named in honor of Scottsdale’s first sister city, Alamos, Mexico — opened in 1980 on Scottsdale Road just south of what would become the Borgata.
Its inaugural general manager was future Scottsdale Councilman George Zraket. It was later renamed the Cottonwoods Resort. The Moriah restaurant was a popular meeting spot.
• The Borgata opened with great fanfare in October 1981. Reminiscent of the ancient Italian marketplace in San Gimignano, architect Wilson Jones traveled to Italy to ensure his design was authentic. Ella Caine, owner of Ella Caine Travel Ltd., was the first tenant of the Borgata and had visited the ancient Tuscan village of San Gimignano. She booked travel for numerous clients to visit the Italian market town. A specialty center with unique shops, restaurants, personal services and special events, the Borgata had run its course by 2013, closed, was razed and is now the site of the Enclave condominiums.
• Remember these spots at the Borgata: Mancuso’s, La Reserve, CIAO, Marche Gourmet,
Popular Scottsdale restaurateur Dale Anderson opened The Other Place on Lincoln Drive just west of Scottsdale Road in 1969. (Joan Fudala/Contributor)
Dale Anderson opened the Quilted Bear restaurant just east of the Other Place in 1974. It is now the Fat Ox. (Joan Fudala/Contributor)
The Borgata specialty shopping center opened in 1981 and closed in 2013.
(Joan Fudala/Contributor)
Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana, Frankie’s Pizza & Patio Café, News Café, Mika, Slo Foods Organic Café, Café Terra Cotta, Taneko, J. Alexander’s, Two Plates Full, Chico’s, Carole Dolighan, Femme de Paris, Tuscan Ranch, Capriccio, Rive Gauche, the Wolfe’s Den, Kron Chocolatier, Tivoli hair salon, Pierre Deux, Crabtree & Evelyn, Sue Malinski Gallery, Renaissance Ltd., Von Grabill Gallery, James Wesley Jewelers, CP Shades, Chico’s, Fitigues, Fresh Produce, White House/Black Market, The May Gallery, Saddlebags, Jhane Barnes and Sherre’s, as well as Friday concerts, holiday events, farmers markets and other special events.
• The Arizona Bank, opened in Lincoln Plaza in the 1970s, moved across the intersection in 1982 to a new building featuring a Kachina stained glass window. It is now a Bank of America branch.
• Business growth in Scottsdale led to development of two office complexes near Lincoln and Scottsdale Road: the Forum, a three-story building on the east side of Scottsdale Road between the Hilton resort and Hilton Village shops opened in 1989; and Scottsdale Spectrum, a complex of office buildings on the west side of Scottsdale Road just north of Lincoln Drive opened circa 1997.
REMEMBER When
• Andaz, a boutique Hyatt resort, opened in 2016, featuring arts and crafts by nearby Cattle Track artisans. The Weft & Warp Art Bar offers contemporary Sonoran dishes and craft cocktails with a sweeping view of the resort’s pool and Camelback Mountain.
• People aren’t the only creatures finding luxurious accommodations in this area — the Applewood Pet Resort on Lincoln Drive is just for our pets.
• Restaurants opened between Scottsdale
Spectrum and Lincoln drive in the 2000s, including Sumo Maya, Scramble: A Breakfast & Lunch Joint.
So many more businesses to remember; too many to list.
As The Ritz-Carlton nears completion and Palmeraie is in the works, bringing more attention to this popular intersection, it’s fun to remember what’s been there … and where we can go to shop, dine, do business and enjoy life in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley.
The Arizona Bank opened in 1971 in Lincoln Plaza, then moved across the intersection in 1982 to a new building featuring the bank’s signature Kachina in a stained-glass window. It is now a Bank of America branch. (Joan Fudala/Contributor)
ADVICE fromWeiss
SEPTEMBER 2023 Business Horoscopes
By Weiss Kelly, PMAFA
ARIES
3/21-4/20
Last month’s chaotic happenings — Hawaii’s inferno, the rebellious weather and political insanity — continue and may intensify. On the 15th, plan to rid yourself of unneeded clutter related to your work-life balance. Address your own needs first. Combine business with pleasure, but just continue to practice patience.
Personal power days: September 2, September 3, September 29 and September 30
TAURUS 4/21-5/20
The “unexpected” continues to affect your financial situation. The food chain is affected as well, but there are some positives. Hold off making any long-term changes. Do the math September 1 to September 18. You may accomplish a lot more by your own efforts between September 5 and September 30. October brings more cooperation and balance.
Personal power days: September 4 and September 5
GEMINI
5/21-6/20
Geminis are communicators. Your work week may move to a four-day schedule. Keep the radio low this month and don’t believe what you hear the beginning of September. When the full moon arrives on September 29, it’s time to complete a project. Less is more in the weeks ahead.
Personal power days: September 6 and September 7
CANCER 6/21-7/22
The “unpredictable” happened last month (Hawaii). This month seems to continue a pattern of broken pieces — the need to get organized, rising costs. Make lists and follow them step by step, day by day. Around midmonth — September 18 or September 19 — you should have time for some time away. Health and healing is in the forefront through September 22.
Personal power days: September 8, September 9 and September 10
LEO 7/23-8/21
Finances are highlighted this month and that includes your self-worth. Watch your finances from September 15 onward. Christmas ads come early so save up for those presents. Creativity is featured when the sun enters your fire sign of Leo. Life can be less stressful by the 15th, but the sun will bring balance and compromise.
Personal power days: September 11 and September 12
VIRGO 8/22-9/23
You’ll be successful finding a job in the health and healing areas. Look inward. Use the last half of September for personal time to counter the tense times. For football fans, let the games begin! You’re robbing from Peter to pay Paul.
Personal power days: September 13, September 14 and September 15
LIBRA 9/24-10/23
Communication requires a give and take. Be prepared to address work-related issues this month. Sun entering Libra on September 23 puts a positive spin on your life. Your work relationships and social affiliations will improve rapidly. Make sure all agreements are signed.
Personal power days: September 16 and September 17
SCORPIO 10/24-11/22
Out-of-control issues will dominate the first half of the month. From September 4 to September 30, try not to overreact. October will be more productive for you, in terms of making compromises. Watch your spending so there are no surprises at the end of the month.
Personal power days: September 18, September 19 and September 20
SAGITTARIUS 11/23-12/21
Controversies related to legal, education and travel professions continue to dominate the media. You have not escaped Uranus’ unexpected signature of surprise and uncontrollable change. Your place of work will be affected. Wherever you travel, there is unexpected excitement. Your activities will be halted September 15.
Personal power days: September 21 and September 22
CAPRICORN 12/22-1/19
The uphill battle to success and happiness is right around the corner. Detailed work needs to be completed. Don’t let any delays interfere with your ambitions September 1 to September 16. Saturn brings a touch of reality to your life. AI is threatening jobs, so learn a new profession.
Personal power days: September 23 and September 24
AQUARIUS 1/20-2/18
You’ll leave the past behind — personally and professionally. You’ll find clarity midmonth. September is a favorable month to start a savings account or budget. Reevaluate what is necessary in your life. Send resumes, but don’t be surprised by a late response or two. Shut off the computer and have fun in the weeks ahead. Get out of your rut.
Personal power days: September 25 and September 26
PISCES 2/19-3/20
It’s not a “me” month in early September. It’s more of a “we” month. Finances could stress you out in the beginning of September as well. Make a few adjustments. If you’re in the health profession, your abilities could be tested. Be careful what you commit to. Who knows what or who you’ll encounter.
Personal power days: September 27 and September 28
