Scottsdale Progress - 02.21.2021 by Times Media Group

Coffee shop committed / P. 24

Lawmaker gets revenge/ P. 17

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

INSIDE

NEWS ................................ 6 Housing crunch pushes Valley boundaries.

NEIGHBORS ............. 18 Author completes massive wine guide.

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

Sunday, February 21, 2021

SUSD return New year prep plan concerns kids, teachers BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

cottsdale middle and high school students could return to full-day in-class learning after spring break next month but the plan has drawn criticism from some students and teachers. Scottsdale Unified recently announced plans to begin full-day in-person learning at Mountainside Middle School tomorrow, Feb. 22, with the intent of expanding that schedule to all middle and high schools when stu-

see SUSD page 4

Like everything else since the pandemic began, the Persian New Year Festival n Scottsdale will be different, but organizers, including, from left, Poupak Tabakkoli, Mahsa Page and Nicky Hedayatzadeh have some surprises. See Page 23. (Pablo Robles)

City supports imperiled rental bill

BUSINESS ..................20 Scottsdale Realtor a billion-dollar man.

NEIGHBORS ..........................................18 BUSINESS ..............................................20 ARTS ........................................................ 23 FOOD ....................................................... 24 CLASSIFIEDS ........................................25

BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

ep. John Kavanagh’s attempt to reign in short-term rentals has won the support of Scottsdale officials but could struggle with his Republican colleagues due to a competing bill supported by the rental industry.

Andrew Bloom REALTOR®, Senior Partner Andrew@BVOLuxury.com VOTED #1 SCOTTSDALE REAL ESTATE TEAM FOR 2018

Kavanagh’s bill would return some power to cities and towns that was lost in 2016 when a new state law banned them from regulating short-term rentals. If passed, HB 2481 would allow cities to create zoning restrictions to limit or even eliminate most short-term rentals, though he said the bill would not affect owneroccupied properties that rent out a room

or backyard guest house. Scottsdale is home to at least 4,000 active short-term rental properties, according to Air DNA, a market research firm. The properties have long drawn the ire of some residents, who complain that they attract partiers and lead to noise and trash

see RENTAL page 8

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CITY NEWS

An edition of the East Valley Tribune Scottsdale Progress is published every Sunday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout Scottsdale. To find out where you can pick up a free copy of Scottsdale Progress, please visit www.Scottsdale.org. CONTACT INFORMATION Main number 480-898-6500 | Advertising 480-898-5624 Circulation service 480-898-5641 Scottsdale Progress 4301 N 75th St., Suite 201, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 Publisher Steve T. Strickbine Vice President Michael Hiatt ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Display Advertising 480-898-6309 Classifieds/Inside Sales Elaine Cota | 480-898-7926 | ecota@scottsdale.org TJ Higgins | 480-898-5902 | tjhiggins@scottsdale.org Advertising Office Manager Lori Dionisio | 480-898-6309 | ldionisio@scottsdale.org Director of National Advertising Zac Reynolds | 480-898-5603 | zac@scottsdale.org NEWS DEPARTMENT Executive Editor Paul Maryniak | 480-898-5647 | pmaryniak@scottsdale.org Managing Editor Wayne Schutsky | 480-898-6533 | wschutsky@scottsdale.org Staff Writers Kristine Cannon | 480-898-9657 | kcannon@scottsdale.org Jim Walsh | 480-898-5639 | jwalsh@scottsdale.org Photographers Pablo Robles | Probles@scottsdale.org Design Veronica Thurman | vthurman@scottsdale.org Production Coordinator Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 | production@scottsdale.org Circulation Director Aaron Kolodny | 480-898-5641 | customercare@scottsdale.org Scottsdale Progress is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegratedmedia.com

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | FEBRUARY 21, 2021

Couple sought in Scottsdale burglary he Scottsdale Police Department is asking the public for help identifying a man and woman accused of burglarizing a Scottsdale home earlier this year. According to the department, an elderly resident returned home from church on the morning of Jan. 3 and found an unknown woman in her home. After the woman fled the home through the back door, the resident found several personal items had been stolen, including credit cards. An unknown man and woman were later seen on surveillance video using the stolen credit cards at several stores. The suspects were driving a newer black Dodge Challenger, according to police. The first suspect was described as a white female with brown hair between the ages of 20 and 30 years old. She is believed to be between 5’5” and 5’8”. She was last seen wearing a multicolored hoodie, gray shirt, blue jeans, gray and white shoes, sunglasses, polka dot facemask, holding a black and white Coach purse.

He was last seen wearing a white Tshirt, black hat, blue jeans, white shoes, wearing a dark facemask. Anyone with information related to the alleged burglary can call the Scottsdale Police Department at 480-312-5000. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Silent Witness at 480948-6377 or www.silentwitness.org. Thus far in 2021, residential burglaries are on the decline in Scottsdale Police Department is asking the public for help Scottsdale compared identifying two individuals suspected of burglarizing a to the previous year. According to the Scottsdale home. (Scottsdale Police Department) Lexis Nexis Community Crime Map dataThe second suspect was described as a white male between the ages of 20 and base, there were 48 residential burglar30 years old. He is believed to be 5’9” to ies reported in Scottsdale as of Feb. 16, 6’1”, with a heavy build, brown hair, and down from 65 reported incidents over the same time period in 2020. numerous tattoos.

dents return March 15. Currently, all district middle and high schools offer in-person and distance learning options with a 2/3-day modified schedule designed to eliminate lunch and other crowded periods. Mountainside’s early adoption of the full-day schedule will function as a test pilot to help the district identify issues ahead of the wider roll-out, Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel told the Governing Board on Feb. 2. In the weeks since that announcement, the plan has received some pushback. Chaparral High School teacher Steve Geislinger told the board last week the district’s existing mitigation strategies, including the 2/3-day schedule, have prevented significant virus spread and kept classrooms open. Full day "would undercut these mitigations tragically and vastly increase the potential factor of spread and, therefore, the likelihood of returning school to full virtual, among other consequences,” he said.

see SUSD page 10

PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

SUSD from fro��

Geislinger said reinstating the lunch hour would make it difficult to contact trace exposure if a student is diagnosed with COVID-19. Those concerns were echoed by members of the district’s student advisory board who addressed the Governing Board Feb. 16. Board President Caroline Carter, a Chaparral High student, said a petition has already gathered over 1,000 signatures in favor of retaining the 2/3-day schedule. According to Carter, a Desert Mountain High student cited CDC guidelines that support opening schools if masks are worn and students can stay 6 feet apart. “With the school our size, this is not possible and therefore is not being safe,” she said. Carter said students are also concerned that changing the existing schedule could negatively impact their preparation for final exams. Menzel acknowledged that disruption of the schedule could be an issue and said the district would either adopt full-day to start the fourth quarter or not at all.

Menzel indicated he will bring to the board an official proposal on the return to full-day for middle and high schools at a future meeting. He also explained the factors that led to the full-day recommendation, including the fact that all teachers and staff who wanted to receive a vaccine got their second dose earlier this month. He also said infection rates in the community are decreasing each week. Still, Menzel acknowledged that, even with teachers vaccinated, the district will need to remain vigilant with mitigation efforts like masking and social distancing, citing recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control on school reopenings. But board member Dr. Libby Hart-Wells pointed out that the CDC guidance puts an emphasis on maintaining 6 feet of distance – something the district has admitted is not possible in classrooms. It’s also not clear how the district will accomplish that goal during crowded lunch periods when students are unmasked.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | FEBRUARY 21, 2021

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | FEBRUARY 21, 2021

Unprecedented low supply strains housing market

BY PAUL MARYNIAK Progress Executive Editor

he inventory of homes for sale in the Valley has reached the lowest levels in modern history, real estate experts say. And that means that while the few homes that are on the market are drawing multiple offers – sometimes scores of them for one house – anxious buyers may soon be forced to look far from the center of the Phoenix Metro. During Land Advisors Organization’s annual presentation last month that assessed the state of the Phoenix real estate scene, two experts saw no end to the home buying frenzy or the accelerating upward trend in prices. Jeff Palacios Jr., director of research for John Burns Real Estate Consulting, and Land Advisors CEO Greg Vogel, indicated homebuyers may have to look as far away as Casa Grande, the Lake Pleasant area and Florence. Only the northeast part of the county likely will not be part of this land rush, Vogel said, explaining, “We’ll continue to see meager permitting in the northeast because of low supply and, of course, higher price point.” None of this comes as a surprise to the Cromford Report, which also closely watches housing trends in the Valley and recently observed, “The supply situation is the worst we have ever recorded.” “It is difficult to describe the state of the housing market in Greater Phoenix these days,” it said. “Just quoting the raw facts makes many people feel you are exaggerating wildly. There are those who seem to believe it cannot really be true when so many people are struggling with their daily lives, battling the worst pandemic we have seen for many decades.” “Variations in demand are almost insignificant,” it continued. “This is because the supply of re-sale homes is so poor it crashes below all-time record lows almost every week.” Cromford said the ratio between homes under contract and homes for sale without a contract is so out of whack that “we have never before had to invent a description” for it. It noted that as of Feb. 1, listings were 56.7 percent below total listings a year

The various colors in this map represent the history of hoime-building patterns in the Valley for more than 50 years. The deep purple spots indicate future areas for development.. (Land Advisors Organization)

The areas in red are considered the next hot spots for home construction and master planned community development. (Land Advisors Organization)

earlier, the median sales price jumped nearly 17 percent and the average price per square foot climbed over 19 percent. That will be good news for homeowners. Cromford said, “The annual appreciation rate has already surpassed 19 percent and could easily reach 30 percent by the time

we are well into the second quarter.” It noted last week, “The speed of appreciation is about to step higher, not lower. It will not take much for appreciation rates to exceed 30 percent and possibly 40 percent over the next few months.” “New home builders are trying as hard

as they can to create more supply, but there are many physical, financial and legal limits to how quickly they can do this,” Cromford also said. “These additional homes are sure to be priced well above the

see MARKET page 8

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | FEBRUARY 21, 2021

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CITY NEWS

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problems by dropping what are essentially commercial operations into the middle of neighborhoods. “HB 2481 is moving forward and contains multiple reform measures that would begin to provide relief for local neighborhoods suffering the negative impacts of short-term rentals,” city spokesman Kelly Corsette said, noting it “establishes local licensing options and provides for more local zoning oversight.” Scottsdale City Council passed ordinances in 2019 to reign in unlawful or nuisance parties at problematic short-term rentals, though the new regulations – and associated fines – applied to all properties in the city because of the 2016 state law. “Scottsdale sees HB 2481 as the best option this year and the minimum acceptable bill that would allow the city to begin to address the many negative impacts of shortterm rentals,” Corsette said. Kavanagh, who represents much of Scottsdale, also has the support of Mayor David Ortega, who said cities are in a bet-

MARKET from page 6

current level.” Palacios said “the ridiculously strong” housing market in the Valley is evidenced by the fact that home sales in 2020 were 80 percent higher than the norm for the years 2014-2019. Indeed, he advised homebuilders sales were so strong that “it is going to be tough to get your growth this year” and said that any overall sales growth, primarily for new homes, will not occur before the second half of 2021. And new-home communities will be getting bigger from the start – and extending the boundaries of the major Phoenix market well beyond what they look like today. “You’ve got to think about community count growth, but then you also have to think about how communities are going to be bigger than they were a year ago,” he said. Palacios said that prices and demand not only will be driven by a seemingly no early end to “crazy cheap money” in the form of low mortgage rates but also by the unrelenting influx of out-of-state residents and the growing trend toward working at home. “I’ve talked a lot about work from home,” he said. “It is going to be trigger. It is triggering a massive catalyst for housing de-

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | FEBRUARY 21, 2021

ter position to know the impact of these rental properties. “We know our neighborhoods; we know our traffic patterns; and, of course, we know the cost and impact on our policing and trash pick up and all these other ramifications,” Ortega said. Kavanagh’s bill passed the House Government and Elections Committee on Feb. 10 on a 8-5 vote with bipartisan support, but Kavanagh told the Progress it still faces an uphill battle. “We’re currently pushing (former Sen. Kate Brophy-McGee)’s bill from last year that died when we adjourned, but we’re having trouble getting the votes,” Kavanagh said. Last year, the bill also had industry support and passed the Senate on a 25-5 vote, Kavanagh said. However, industry heavyweights like Expedia and Airbnb, have now lined up behind a competing bill supported by Sen. J.D. Mesnard, a Chandler Republican. SB 1379 would include occupancy limits and insurance requirements for rentals and allow for revocation of a property owner’s tax license if they repeatedly vio-

late local regulations – but stops well short of empowering cities to actually limit the number of rentals in a given area. That bill was also passed out of committee on with support of both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, including Scottsdale Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita. It does not have the support of the City of Scottsdale, though. “Senate Bill 1379 is wrong on so many levels and just picks around the edges of the situation that we are encountering as cities and having to police and commit resources to,” Ortega said. Ortega said the senate bill is too reliant on state-level regulation of tax licensing and argued the state does not have the staffing to ensure that short-term rentals are registering. He also criticized the penalties under Mesnard’s bill – which caps them at the amount of daily rent at the property where a violation occurred. Critics of the Kavanagh bill, including Queen Queek Republican Rep. Jake Hoffman, have argued the new legislation infringes on a property owners’ right to use

Sky Crossing 397 Permits 353 Sales Avg Sale $684,000

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Some of the major master planned communities in the outheast Valley face buildout this year while permitting in the northeast has been limited by land availability and price point, Land Advisor CEO Greg Vogel said. (Land Advisors Organization)

mand. …So, affordability will get stretched beyond what you think is the norm.” Vogel said it’s not just home sales market that has entered into new territory but land sales as well, saying he sees the market going “from a chronic shortage that we were experiencing for several years into a panic that’s leading to rapid

appreciation.” “Even when we look at the 500,000-$2-million price range, we’ve gone from 283 days down by 90 to 26 days,” he said of the time houses are staying on the market before coming under contract. “We have outsized appreciation,” Vo-

their property as they please. Kavanagh said the bill would just give cities the ability to reign in corporate rental companies that are essentially setting up commercial operations in neighborhoods. He said it’s a compromise that returns some power to local governments without repealing the 2016 completely. Kavanagh suggested the industry has been empowered by the emergence of support at the Legislature for the laxer regulations, but did not rule out convincing them to switch loyalties. “We’re going to try and get them flipped over, but it’s going to be difficult,” he said. “I’ve got to get 60 Republicans in the House to agree with it.” Scottsdale officials argue that Mesnard’s bill simply does go far enough. “We do not believe the bill provides the necessary local governance structures needed to effectively manage short-term rentals and mitigate their negative impacts,” Corsette said. Kavanagh was blunter, stating, “The Senate bill doesn’t really do anything; it’s no reform at all.”

gel said. “I think this is too much. We are going to have a real hard time adding enough supply to curtail this but this can get quickly unaffordable.” Vogel noted that the number of building permits soared last year primarily in the West Valley and Pinal County, as available land in the East Valley has all but vanished except for huge tracts of State Trust Land in far east Mesa. He noted that the current inventory of finished lots in the Phoenix Metro market totals about 13,000 after 28,700 building permits were issued in 2020. “It’s a little bit frightening related to the supply that is being burned off,” he said. “The builders bought 21,000 lots this past year. Some of those are larger supplies that will last several years, but there’s clearly a deep shortage and the shortage is not only looming but growing.” He said builders and developers “have to buy land differently than they did in the years prior, where they were able to buy morsels or be able to digest 60 lots and have an option on another 60. “They need to buy big platforms and we’re seeing that occur very often at this point. It is not unusual for a builder to come in and buy 300 to 600 units. That was not occurring even just pre-COVID,” Vogel said.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | FEBRUARY 21, 2021

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CITY NEWS

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City Auditor to look at school project cost BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

fter a years-long push by board President Jann-Michael Greenburg, the Scottsdale Unified School District has made strides towards increasing its internal auditing capabilities. But the district will not be hiring its own auditor in the foreseeable future. Instead, on Feb. 16, the SUSD Governing Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with Scottsdale to have the City Auditor provide auditing services. The district will pay the city $90,000 to audit the ongoing Hohokam Elementary renovation project. The city, which has had its own internal auditor since voters approved a City Charter change in 1988, is charging the district $90 per hour after estimating the audit would require 1,000 hours of work. The Hohokam audit will function as a test case of sorts and could pave the way for further collaboration between the city and district. The agreement, which must still be approved by City Council, is valid for five years and can be modified for increased costs and additional audits.

SUSD from page 4

Building administrators and district operations staff are still reviewing how to ensure 6 feet of distance during lunch. “We are also consulting with other districts that are operating full-day schedules to see what we can learn from them about implementing lunchtime mitigation strategies,” a district statement said. Hart-Wells and board member Julie Cieniawski also echoed student and staff concerns that reintroducing lunch would hurt already suspect data collection and contact tracing. The plan for a full-day return did find some support on the board. Board member Patty Beckman acknowledged the concerns about lunch but asked the district to consult with neighboring districts – like Mesa and Chandler – that have remained open with lunch despite having high schools with even larger student populations than Scottsdale’s.

The Scottsdale Unified Governing Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Scottsdale to have the City Auditor perform an audit of the ongoing Hohokam Elementary rebuild project. (Photo by Wayne Schutsky)

The Governing Board and City Council would both have to approve any additions, said Jennifer MacLennan, the district’s outside counsel. City Council is scheduled to consider the Hohokam agreement on March 16. The intergovernmental agreement was approved on a 4-1 vote after member Patty Beckman cast the lone no vote.

SUSD Student Advisory Board President Caroline Carter, a Chaparral High School student, said a petition has already gathered over 1,000 signatures in favor of retaining the 2/3-day schedule instead of switching back to full day for middle and high school students. (Scottsdale Unified School District)

Beckman said she supported an agreement between the district and city but took issue with the fact that the board did not have earlier discussions on the audit cost or selection of Hohokam Elementary. “The reason I supported an auditor…in the first place was specifically to make sure that what was being audited was what is something that the board wanted audited,”

She said there is a very real need to get students back into the classroom fulltime, not just to combat learning loss but to address mental health issues. “I was pretty overcome recently when I was informed along with the rest of the Governing Board that the suicide attempt rate in our district has risen,” she said. “I think we need to say that, as distasteful as it is, many of our students are feeling lost, disconnected, and are concerned about their future,” she said. The district said Beckman’s statement was based on anecdotal information from school counselors and it does not have student suicide data. “That is almost impossible to track and difficult to confirm,” the statement said. “We know the pandemic has been very stressful on our students and that is the reason why we place such importance on our social-emotional learning outreach efforts and monitoring of student engagement in their studies,” according to the statement.

Beckman said. Beckman said she did not want the superintendent or any board president to be able to dictate audit subjects. “You can see where that can go a little bit awry,” Beckman said. Greenburg said he would like to see the formation of a committee that would make audit recommendations to the board. Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel said he was “agnostic” on whether the first audit should focus on the Hohokam project or another recent rebuild like Cherokee Elementary. District spokeswoman Nancy Norman told the Progress that SUSD leadership has no specific concerns about the Hohokam project. Rather, the district is hoping that by auditing at a recent construction project, it can learn ways to improve processes for future projects funded by the 2016 bond. Menzel recommended auditing a construction project instead of a smaller item like a district department, because it could directly impact those future bond projects. “It’s that learning from the audit that can be applied to both the Kiva and Pueblo

see AUDITOR page 17

Board member Zach Lindsay appeared to support a return to in-person learning as well, citing concerns about enrollment loss. In SUSD, K-12 100th day enrollment dropped by 815 students this school year, much higher than the 60 students the district lost between 2019 and 2020. That large drop this year could partially be attributed to families switching to other districts, charters or private schools or opting to home-school students during the pandemic. But there is a real concern that some of the students simply dropped off the radar. “We were running into that, hearing from the principals that they’ve gone out with the resource officers and tried to find these kids and the addresses aren’t valid addresses and the phone numbers don’t work anymore, so it’s really hard to find some of these kids,” Lindsay said. There are academic concerns as well.

see SUSD page 12

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CITY NEWS

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Council OKs horse ranch despite complaints BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor

cottsdale City Council approved a new private ranch and equestrian training center, angering some residents of the nearby Stonegate community who voiced concern about the impact of the influx of horses. Proponents of the project argued the east Scottsdale neighborhood – with its large rural land lots and deep equestrian roots – is perfect for a new ranch that will complement existing facilities in the area. Council approved the conditional use permit for the Celebrity Equine Center 7-0. “We have a priority to protect our equestrian lifestyle and the zoning on this land predates Stonegate, but we also have a general plan requirement that we protect quality of life,” Councilwoman Solange Whitehead said. She added, “I do think we’ve done a pretty good job addressing many of the (concerns); I think it’s going to be much better than people are worried about.” The Celebrity Equine Center is being built by residents Kevin Flynn and A.J. Schlatter Flynn on five acres they own next to their home near 120th Street and Mountain View Road. It will be used to board, rehabilitate and train horses. Most of the land in the area is zoned for rural residential lots that range in size from 7,000 square feet to one acre or more. Schlatter Flynn is a professional equestrienne who has competed in the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show and previously produced a cable television show called Horses Today. Kevin Flynn is on the Scottsdale Community College Equine Advisory Committee. The Flynns plan to build an open-air are-

SUSD from page 10

Overall, the course failure rate for high school students has risen from 5 percent in the 2019-20 school year to 9 percent this year. The district has also seen a concerning trend among sixth graders, who are navigating their first year adjusting to middle school amidst the pandemic. “In speaking with the counselors last week, they pointed out a very disturb-

City Council approved a new private equestrian facility next door to the city’s existing Stonegate Equestrian Park in east Scottsdale. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

na, residence for an on-site manager and a barn that can house up to 36 horses. The proposal generated support from many of the Flynn’s neighbors but also drew significant opposition from residents of Stonegate, located just south and west of the proposed ranch. Generally, the residents complained that the ranch would be a commercial operation in a residential neighborhood and cause an influx of flies and odor caused by manure. Residents also complained about potential issues with arena lights disrupting the neighborhood. “I didn’t want to live in Maricopa where my brother bought a cheap house many years ago, where they have commercial feed, farm and other facilities where you smell the odors as a wind drifts,” said Stonegate resident Mike Szymanski. “In my opinion, this is ill-advised…the noise, the flies, the odors are beyond anyone’s ability to deal with.” The development team argued the area

ing trend related to our sixth-grade students...we see two to three times as many students failing their classes,” Menzel said. Hart-Wells, who has two daughters in the district, said she does not want to see a specific date set for the return and would the rather the district remain adaptable to changing conditions. “I don’t want an arbitrary March X and then we’re dealing with this, because we can’t be,” she said.

was the perfect site for the ranch, citing its location between two existing equestrian facilities: the city-owned Stonegate Equestrian Park and the private Grandon’s Equestrian Center. “What we hope to do here is to be able to complement the Stonegate Equestrian Park with the Celebrity Equine Center,” said Wendy Riddell, the attorney representing the project. City staff also noted that the Flynns agreed to several concessions in order to address some neighborhood concerns, including extra steps to control and remove manure and urine to reduce odor issues. Those couple will also employ fly predators and an automatic misting system in the barn to control flies on site. The lights used on site will be a maximum of 16 feet tall and will turn off at 10 p.m. Additionally, Riddell said the type of ranch in question is already allowed by the city under the existing rural residential zoning that covers neighborhoods like the Board President Jann-Michael Greenburg held off on supporting one plan or the other at the Feb. 16 meeting until the county issues new recommendations, echoing his long-held insistence that district needs to follow the recommendations of public health officials. Menzel said that guidance is forthcoming. But he said a draft of that plan he received leaves more wiggle room for the 6-foot rule and would not preclude the district from moving forward with its

one the Flynns live in. The city only requires that a property owner meet certain permit requirements before they are allowed to open up a ranch, including that the use is compatible with the surrounding area, will not increase traffic or cause problems due to noise, smoke, odor, dust, vibration or illumination. According to the city, the Flynn’s proposed project met those requirements. Current zoning “allows for the opportunity to request a ranch through the conditional use permit process, but it is identified as a compatible allowable land use subject to the conditions… those have been satisfied,” said Jeff Barnes, a senior city planner. The debate over the Celebrity Equine Center exemplified a broader issue in Scottsdale as the city – which now has over 250,000 residents – attempts to hold onto its western roots. Some individuals argued the city should continue to preserve space for equestrian uses as it grows. Whitehead said she believed the city struck that balance with this project. “We will protect the opportunity for people to own horses, and we’ll also protect Stonegate residents,” she said. Others, including some Stonegate residents, asked the city to consider changing the zoning ordinance to tighten or remove the ranch allowance in rural neighborhoods. “I am hopeful that the city’s decision makers will have the foresight to modify the conditional use permit process to prohibit this ranch conditional use so that more Scottsdale residents won’t have to experience a similar losing battle in the future,” said Stonegate resident Maren Grow. return to full-day, in-person learning at middle and high schools. “It indicates that schools who have successfully implemented mitigation strategies with hybrid learning scenarios, without evidence of COVID-19 spread, can continue to operate using their current strategies as long as this includes wearing masks at all times and maintaining physical distancing of six feet or more to the greatest extent possible,” he said.

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CITY NEWS

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Retaliation threatens voucher extension bill BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

epublican senators gave the goahead Feb. 15 for what could be a huge expansion in the use of tax dollars to send children to private and parochial schools. But it may not be the last word. On a 16-14 party-line vote, lawmakers advanced SB 1452 that Sen. Paul Boyer, RGlendale, said will give new educational opportunities to students living in poverty. He said it is designed to ensure these children are not effectively trapped in neighborhood public schools that do not meet their needs. It even allows parents to use their voucher dollars to finance transportation to get their youngsters to schools that are not nearby, including options like taxis and rideshare services. And Sen. Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, said there is a particular need in the wake of COVID-19, which has resulted in the closure of many public schools. He said that has sent many parents looking for private schools that do have inperson instruction. What SB 1452 does, Petersen said, is make that a more realistic option for families who cannot otherwise afford it. But the legislation took a detour last Tuesday. In what appears to be a bit of political payback, Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, who a day earlier had voted for the measure, persuaded 19 of her colleagues to support her motion to reconsider SB 1452. That included not only all 14 Democrats who have opposed the bill all along but six Republicans, including herself, who voted for the plan. Her action came immediately after the

AUDITOR from page 10

projects that I think is the value or potential value of choosing a construction project versus something that is a smaller scale,” he said. Beckman said she believed the price tag was too high if the district did not have specific concerns about the current Hohokam rebuild and questioned why it did not put the audit contract out to a public bid. “We just had a deep conversation about paying our employees and making cuts,

MICHELLE UGENTI-RITA Senate, on a tie vote, killed her proposal to make it easier to remove people from the “permanent early voting list.’’ Boyer voted with the Democrats to kill her SB 1069. Ugenti-Rita did not respond to a request by Capitol Media Services for an explanation of her action. But Sen. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, said it was abundantly clear in her mind what was occurring: retaliation. “Sometimes I feel like I have returned back to high school,’’ she said. “I came here to vote on the merit of the bills,’’ Townsend continued. “And I’m horrified by what I saw this afternoon.’’ The vote does not necessarily mean that Boyer’s plan to make a majority of Arizona public school students eligible for vouchers of state tax dollars to attend private or parochial schools is dead. But it means it won’t move forward to the House until the dispute is settled. Giving the bill another look is in line with what Democrats like Sen. Rebecca Rios of Phoenix want. “We’re going to do this under the guise of helping poor children and children of

etc., and this trial balloon we’re testing out is $90,000,” she said. MacLennan said because “the city and the district are recognizing that there’s a joint benefit to having the audit completed,” an IGA “takes it out of a procurement practice.” She said the city benefits by having a better understanding of the tax concerns of its residents impacted by the school district and the district will benefit from the city’s audit capabilities. Menzel and Greenburg said Scottsdale’s

color,’’ she said. Sen. Kirsten Engel, D-Tucson, said there are ways to “game’’ the system of vouchers, formally known as “empowerment scholarship accounts.’’ She pointed out that eligibility extends to PAUL BOYER any student attending schools, which have enough poor students to classify them as eligible for federal Title I funds. The income of any given child is irrelevant. That potentially makes more than 700,000 students eligible for the vouchers out of the 1.1 million youngsters in public schools. Engel pointed out that Boyer’s bill says that a student need be in a Title I school for just 30 days to qualify. And given Arizona’s open-enrollment policies, she said, a parent of means who wants a voucher could put a child into a Title I school for a month, meet the requirement, and then be eligible for those state dollars to send the youngster to a private or parochial school. The debate on the bill, which now goes to the House, took on racial overtones. “This 100 percent furthers de facto, if not de jure, segregation,” said Sen. Martin Quezada. That drew an angry reaction from Sen. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, who pointed out that civil rights leader H.K. Matthews supports the bill and the whole concept rate is competitive and noted City Auditor’s staff includes two individuals with public school district experience and others who have worked on audits of government construction projects. SUSD has faced significant legal issues connected to school rebuilds in recent years. Under former Superintendent Dr. Denise Birdwell, the district was the subject of an investigation by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office over allegations it violated state procurement laws when an architect

of vouchers. “If the system is failing a low-income child, you are not allowed to fund your system off the back of that child and cry ‘racism’ if the child has an opportunity to leave,’’ he quoted Matthews. “School choice is an extension of the civil rights movement because it gives parents, especially low-income and minority parents, the rights and resources to choose any school their child needs.’’ Boyer put a finer point on it. “A family choosing for themselves to be in any school that works best for their child?’’ he said. “That’s not segregation. That’s freedom.’’ Rios, however, said the vouchers of about $6,400 are not enough to help those truly in need as it does not cover the full cost of tuition at a private or parochial school. The result, she said is that only the families who can afford the difference will be able to take advantage of this. Sen. Tony Navarrette, D-Phoenix, said state lawmakers, in declining to add needed dollars, had created “a manufactured crisis’’ in public schools to then use as an excuse to say that students need vouchers to go elsewhere. If the party-line stance in favor of expansion holds, the measure should clear the House where Republicans have a 3129 edge. And Gov. Doug Ducey has signed other voucher bills that have reached his desk. But the last time GOP lawmakers sought to expand eligibility foes gathered enough signatures on petitions to send the issue directly to votes. And they overrode the legislative decision by a 2-1 margin. There also has been some discussion about a legal challenge should the measure become law.

hired by the district allegedly sought to steer bids for rebuilds at Cheyenne Traditional School and Hohokam Elementary to specific contractors. The state and district agreed to suspend the Hohokam project and convened a new contractor selection committee to rescore bids for the Cheyenne project. The district settled a complaint with the Attorney General in 2018, agreeing to a $5,000 fine and to perform procurement audits and annual training for all financial and procurement staff for three years.

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Scottsdale photographer completes wine guide BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

fter three years – and countless glasses of local wines – Scottsdale resident and award-winning food and lifestyle photographer Jenelle Bonifield has published her first book, “AZ Uncorked, The Arizona Wine Guide.” The 544-page book brims with stunning photographs of Arizona’s vineyards and tasting rooms and the stories behind them. Readers will also learn more about the state’s renowned winemakers, including Eric Glomski, Sam Pillsbury, Maynard Keenan, and Kent Callaghan. “AZ Uncorked” is broken down into sections based on Arizona’s wine regions, with an introduction by Arizona wine industry professionals and enthusiasts, including co-owner of Scottsdale’s FnB Restaurant Pavle Milic. “It feels great to finally be finished with it. I joke that it was like my longest

Scottsdale resident and award-winning food and lifestyle photographer Jenelle Bonifield spent three years photographing and creating her first book, “Arizona Uncorked, The Arizona Wine Guide.” It was published in January. (Jenelle Bonifield)

pregnancy for years and a hard delivery, but then I got a six-and-a-half-pound baby out of it,” Bonifield said. Bonifield was attracted to the idea of documenting the local wine industry thanks to her friends at LDV Winery, Peggy Fiandaca and Curt Dunham, who own a tasting room in Old Town. “I just fell in love with being in the vineyard and photographing the different stages of the vines. And as I went down there, they introduced me to other winemakers in Southern Arizona and I just got hooked on it,” Bonifield said. Bonifield’s moments in the various vineyards, especially during sunrise and sunset, were her most memorable. “When the fruit is almost ready to harvest and you can catch the sunlight hitting the grapes, that always gives me a thrill,” Bonifield said. The most memorable shoot took place at Callaghan Vineyards in Elgin.

see BONIFIELD page 19

Scottsdale teen in running for big arts honor BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

cottsdale teen Isabella Santoni, 18, was recently named one of 60 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts nominees. Santoni is the only Arizona student on the prestigious list – and only one of three students in the nation to be nominated as a both a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and Presidential Scholar. Isabela, a senior at Paradise Valley High School, admitted, “It is a bit nervewracking to be the only student representing Arizona on such a national stage, but I hope to put my best possible self forward and do justice to all of the in-

ISABELLA SANTONI

credible mentors and teachers who have helped me along the way.” The National YoungArts Foundation announces the nominees for the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students who exemplify artistic and academic excellence. “It was beyond my wildest dreams to be nominated as a candidate, let alone a candidate in two areas,” Isabella said. The 60 candidates represent 19 states and 10 artistic disciplines. Isabella, who was nominated in the writing category, said the nomination means “an opportunity for community.” She said that before she applied to YoungArts, her work was very private to her.

“I used writing to process my sexuality throughout all the years that coming out wasn’t an option,” she said. “It wasn’t until I applied to the National YoungArts competition and was named a Finalist in Writing that I realized just how much I had been craving community in my art.” Isabella was one of 144 finalists across the nation who participated National YoungArts Week +, a virtual adaptation of National YoungArts Week. She performed twice, once reciting her poem “Becoming Illiterate” and once as part of a group. “Spending National YoungArts Week +

see YOUNGARTS page 19

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | FEBRUARY 21, 2021

BONIFIELD �� page 18

“It was just the sunlight coming over the mountain and streaming through the windows in his winery. It took me three separate occasions to get it just right…but it was just breathtaking,” Bonifield recalled. Her goal was to provide a resource for Arizonans to learn about the many vineyards and wines local winemakers create. “I just want to support local and to support our winemakers,” Bonifield said. “You don’t have to go out of state to have fabulous wines; it’s available here, and we’re getting recognition from all over the country about our wines.” The last part of the process, which included designing and laying out the pages of the book, has taken place during the pandemic. “I had just wrapped up all my shooting,” Bonifield said, adding that staying put at home helped her stay glued to her computer. “The timing was perfect.” “It took about nine months of physically putting the book together and design, and of course I had to have wine every night while I was doing that,” Bonifield said with a laugh. Creating the content was a team effort. Bonifield worked with several writ-

YOUNGARTS �� page 18

with some of the most skilled youth and adult writers across the nation opened my eyes to how a community of artists is there to comfort in times of doubt and to challenge in times of complacency,” she said. YoungArts award winners are eligible for exclusive creative and profes-

Scottsdale nonprofit Keep Scottsdale Beautiful published their first-ever Resource Guide to raise awareness around the numerous resources that are available to the community. (KSB)

ers, including Elaine Chukan Brown, T. Scott Stephens, Darla Hoffmann, Elizabeth Krecker, Cody Burkett, Milic, Nikki Check, Michelle Jacob, Annabel Sclippa, Richard Betts, and award-winning historian and writer Erik Berg. They wrote 45 stories for the book. “I had so many great experiences talking with the winemakers, it is hard to

pick just one,” Berg said, adding: “What strikes me most about the various Arizona winemakers is the wide range of backgrounds, personalities, and winemaking styles. You see it in the atmosphere of their tasting rooms, the types of grapes they grow, and their individual approaches and philosophies. Arizona’s wine industry is still very dy-

sional development support including a wide range of fellowships, residencies and awards, as well as virtual and in-person presentation opportunities in collaboration with major venues nationwide. They are also eligible for additional financial support and access to YoungArts Post, a free, private digital network for YoungArts artists to connect, collaborate

and learn about additional opportunities. Past YoungArts winners include accomplished, renowned artists such as Terence Blanchard, Camille A. Brown, Viola Davis, Josh Groban, and many others. Isabella plans to study theatre and drama, alongside creative writing. “As a spoken word artist, I work at the intersection between writing and performance,” she said, adding that after

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college, she plans to continue working in storytelling, “reimagining what these media look like in a digital age and using art as a tool for queer activism.” “Telling stories with social impact is a major focus of mine, so even after the curtains close or the poem ends, I don’t see my work as finished,” she said. To view her work: isabellasantoni. com.

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namic, growing, and evolving. You really get a sense of that in the book and in Jenelle’s images.” “Jenelle wanted a short history section for her book as well as some additional help on the winemaker biographies,” he said. “My journal article was mostly read by folks in the history community, so I appreciated the book as an opportunity to get Arizona’s wine history to a broader audience as well as to build upon some of my earlier interviews and discussions with the winemakers.” “AZ Uncorked, The Arizona Wine Guide” is $111 and available at Changing Hand bookstores in Phoenix and Tempe, at more than 20 different wineries, vineyards, and tasting rooms and on Bonifield’s website, arizonawineguide.com. In Scottsdale, the book is available at Merkin Vineyards in Old Town and Salvatore Vineyards. Bonifield hopes to complete the second edition of “AZ Uncorked” by this fall. “There is a lot happening with Arizona wine, and it has come a long way in just the last 20 years,” Berg said. “I am amazed by how many Arizona wine drinkers still have not tried a local wine or visited a local winery. When they do, they are usually pleasantly surprised.”

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Scottsdale gym champions diversity, Parkinson’s sufferers BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

o glove rentals. Smaller classes. Temperature checks. Hand sanitizing stations. Face masks. This is the new normal at the Pound Gym in northern Scottsdale. But unlike many other gyms in the Valley, the 4-year-old boutique boxing and group training fitness facility sets itself apart not only via its cutting-edge classes, world class trainers, and unconventional personal training. Since it opened in 2017, the boutique fitness studio has always welcomed more women than men; in fact, 70 to 75 percent of their members are women. “We pride ourselves on diversity,” owner Duane Bell said. The gym has expanded its already robust offerings, which include everything from high-intensity interval training and group boxing to yoga and Pilates classes. It also will host Bars & Bells – a women’s introduction to weightlifting. “That class actually has grown quite a bit,” said Bell.

Pre-pandemic, Pound Gym in northern Scottsdale hosted a 45-minute Parkinson’s boxing class twice a week in collaboration with local nonprofit 17 Branches. (17 Branches)

“We’ve been very happy about that because it’s been an opportunity for women to come in and really get an opportunity to learn about strength, training and the benefits of it and the conditioning, which aids them and every aspect of their life,” Bell added. Pre-pandemic, the class had a steady four to six members “and now we have a steady crew of anywhere from 12 to 14,” Bell said. The class Pound Gym has yet to bring back since the pandemic started, however, is their boxing class for those with Parkinson’s disease, a disorder of the central nervous system that affects movement, including tremors. Pre-pandemic, a group of people with Parkinson’s disease would come into the gym twice a week and were more than eager to don a pair of red boxing gloves and step into the ring. “They’re really eager to come back,” Bell said. “Hopefully, we’ll get them back soon; but until then, we’re just trying to support as much as we can.” Supporting those with Parkinson’s is im-

see POUND page 21

Realtor achieves $1B in closed home deals A PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

ndrew Bloom, CEO, senior partner and co-founder of BVO Luxury Group at Keller Williams Arizona Realty, has surpassed $1 billion in closed residential real estate deals. Bloom became the fourth Realtor in Arizona history to surpass this with $1,011,771,291 in sales volume as of Dec. 31. Bloom, an industry veteran of 26 years, has been at Keller Williams since 2017, following a 20-year career at REMAX. His sales volume comprises

ANDREW BLOOM

1,815 homes sold – 1,635 in Scottsdale – and included 760 luxury and 194 over $1 million. This is the latest of many distinctions for Bloom, who in 2019 was No. 6 Keller Williams team in the world and the tops in volume at Keller Williams in Arizona in 2018 and 2019. He is a member of Gary Keller’s Top 100. “I met Andrew when he was brand new in the business,” recalled Diane Day, senior vice president and operations manager for Fidelity National Title Agency. “He has been fearless in his pursuit of growth throughout his career. We

are so honored to share this amazing accomplishment and cannot wait to see what he does next,” Day said. Bloom personally mentored and coached thousands of agents and currently coaches more than 1,500 agents around the world. He has conducted more than 2,000 open houses and personally seen more than 25,000 homes. “Fidelity has been my partner since I got my real estate license and they have continued to give every client and the

see BLOOM page 21

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POUND �� page 20

portant to Bell. While living in Los Angeles before moving to Scottsdale in 2018, one of Bell’s boxing coaches had Parkinson’s. “It had a place in my heart,” Bell said. “I just wanted to give them an outlet.” Bell started the classes after their first Box4Bucks fundraiser in 2018 benefiting the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research. The gym also welcomed a steady increase in members with Parkinson’s. Pound Gym’s Parkinson’s boxing class is open to all patients and offers “a great 45-minute session of exercise and boxing fundamentals.” “Boxing has always been a therapeutic form of treating Parkinson’s,” Bell said. “Muhammad Ali was a Parkinson’s sufferer.” 17 Branches, a nonprofit supporting research and community outreach for Par-

BLOOM �� page 20

agents I work with a true white-glove experience,” Bloom said. Bloom has risen through the ranks of the industry from a tumultuous upbringing in Los Angeles. At age 11, he was removed from his home by California Social Services when his parents, who struggled with mental illness, could no longer legally care for him. He spent the next three years in foster care. After dropping out of high school, Bloom put himself through college and earned his BS in social work at Arizona State University. He worked in low-income housing projects as a housing advocate and his social work background led to his career in real estate. “Having come from poverty and homelessness I realized early in my real estate career that the hard-earned money I was making didn’t belong to me, but was rather revenue in the business I was in,” Bloom said. “I had to put money back into the business for my life to run more efficiently. I hired staff, paid for marketing, and reinvested time and money into building up the business we have today.” “You can’t help others if your own house is falling apart. I am here to inspire and be inspired,” he said.

kinson’s patients, partners with Pound Gym to provide beginner and intermediate Parkinson’s-specific classes. Usually, they’ll have a group at Pound Gym complete workouts together as part of the fundraiser; for the virtual fundraiser, participants took part virtually. “It is a fun and challenging event that brings the Parkinson’s community together for a day of activities, excitement, friendship and a good cause,” 17 Branches wrote on its website. “It is a festival atmosphere meant to welcome people of all skill levels and those who want to support the participants.” And it ended up being their most successful fundraiser yet, raising nearly $20,000 more than the previous year. Over three years, the fundraisers have generated over $120,000 in donations. “We did really well trying to just bring people together,” Bell said. The next fundraiser will be held Oct. 23. Information: poundgyms.com

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Persian New Year fest a bit different this year BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

or the past couple years, more than 5,000 people have swarmed the Scottsdale Waterfront over the course of seven hours in early March for one purpose: to celebrate the Persian New Year, or Nowruz. But this year, the founders of the Persian New Year Festival nonpro�it made the dif�icult decision to replace the multifaceted festival with an interactive art exhibition that allows for social distancing and prevents crowding amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “We are thrilled to be able to still celebrate the Persian New Year in a way that allows the public to remain safe and socially distanced during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Persian New Year Festival Co-Founder Lawdan Shojaee. “The art installations are a beautiful way for our community to learn more about Persian culture and tradition while enjoying a safe and responsible experience.” This year’s free Persian New Year Festival takes place at the Marshall Way Bridge at the Scottsdale Waterfront on March 7 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Here, attendees will have the opportunity to view the largest “haftseen” art installation in Arizona’s history. An arrangement traditionally displayed during the celebration of Nowruz, a haftseen typically boasts seven symbolic items representing the beginning of spring. “The haftseen is a symbol of the Persian New Year, just like the Christmas tree is to Christmas,” explained Shideh Doerr, festival co-founder. Local artist Mahsa Page’s art installation will feature three different takes on the haftseen, with one installation featuring backdrops from a trio of other local artists. “I’m passionate about promoting social

The third annual Arizona Persian New Year Festival will unveil the largest haftseen art installation in Arizona history created by local artist Mahsa Page. The Persian New Year Festival is a nonproﬁt, whose board consists of Nicky Hedayatzadeh and Poupak Tavakkoli. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

and cultural awareness, which is why the haftseen art installations spoke to me,” said Page. “Growing up in Iran, I’m thrilled to be able to share more about the culture with our Arizona community.” According to Page, the haftseen art installation is a staggering 26-feet long and comprises three large tables. She spent a few days brainstorming how to showcase the “diverse, lively, and effervescent” Persian culture to the community. “When the organizer approached me for collaboration on the concept idea for this year’s festival, my mind glided towards silent movies, pantomime, childhood memories and stories,” Page said. The Persian New Year Festival nonprofit, in partnership with the City of Scottsdale, chose Page due to her extensive, 20-year experience in the design, art and architectural history. Plus, she took part in last year’s festival, creating a high-end fashion show that fea-

tured other local Persian and Middle Eastern designers. “Her [art] represents the Persian culture so well, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a liberal, if you’re a fundamentalist, if you’re conservative, her artwork speaks to you and it’s beautiful. It’s moving, it’s �luid; it’s one of a kind, it really is,” Doerr said. The installation will move to the Scottsdale Quarter on March 8 and available for viewing the rest of the month. “The celebration of the Persian New Year [is] giving people hope to put the bad stuff behind us and focus on the good going forward and the beginning of the new year and new beginnings,” Doerr said. The nonpro�it’s �irst expansion into the Quarter allows for increased exposure to shoppers who may have otherwise never attended or celebrated the Persian New Year Festival. “It allows us to reach out, touch more people ... and learn about our culture and what the Persian New Year is all about,”

Doerr said. “These annual spring Persian Festivals help our society interact with the local community to share the colorful customs of our friendly people and the love that we have for other cultures of all ages, all helping to make our collective communities a better place,” Page added. Dating back thousands of years, the Nowruz is celebrated by millions of people worldwide, but it wasn’t until 2010 that the United Nations formally recognized it as an international holiday. Historically, the festival is a very interactive, lively one, �illed with food, music, dance, theater, and art from vendors throughout the state. But this year, the nonpro�it pivoted in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Art installation traf�ic will be directed to �low in a one-way direction, hand sanitizing stations will be present and masks will be required. “We didn’t want it to be something where people could walk through and sit and touch; we wanted it to be something that we can keep people moving along,” Doerr said. While the nonpro�it is unable to donate proceeds to the Ivy Brain Tumor Center at the Barrow Neurological Institute due to lack of sponsors and vendors, it will still have a presence at the event. “We will showcase them through the festival and help promote them and raise awareness and have them be a part of the festival,” Doerr said.

If You Go:

Persian New Year Festival When: March 7, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Where: 4420 N. Scottsdale Road Cost: Free Website: persiannewyearfestival. org

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Old Town coffee shop committed to community BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

hen the doors to one coffee shop close, another set opens – even amid a pandemic. Yellow Spruce Roasters on Brown Avenue is Old Town’s latest coffee shop, occupying what used to be Barista Brothers. The wholesale retailer and coffee company opened in September and, according to founder and owner Brian Fernandez, sees month-over-month growth. Selling and serving “the highest quality Arabica beans from around the world,” Yellow Spruce Roasters boasts several different blends – from its Breakfast Blend that features a mixture of light and dark roasted coffees from Central and South America to their Mocha Java

Retired police officer and military veteran Brian Fernandez opened Yellow Spruce Roasters in Old Town in September. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

blend, which features beans from Indonesia and Yemen. Yellow Spruce Roasters also sells a Desert Garda Blend, donating $2 of each bag sold to local nonprofit Arizona Law Enforcement Emerald Society, which provides financial and other support to inneed, injured and fallen law enforcement personnel and their families. “Me and my wife and my family, we’re so community driven,” Fernandez said. “Aside from the service that I’ve done over the years, I feel very humbled to do a job like that. And I’m grateful for everything that the police department has provided and the military and the guidance.” Fernandez is a retired police officer and military veteran who served 23 years in the United States Air Force.

see ROASTERS page 25

Devour at Home with the family this year

BY ANNIKA TOMLIN Staff

t’s no secret that restaurants around the Valley and throughout the world are hurting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Devour Phoenix creator Kimber Lanning wanted to do her part to support those struggling businesses. Previously held at the Desert Botanical Garden, Devour pivoted to Devour at Home, which is set for Feb. 27-28. All of the proceeds are going directly to participating restaurants. “We look at it as an opportunity to shine a light and drive some money into the restaurants right now when they need it the most,” said Lanning, also of Local First Arizona. “We’re doing this because we love our restaurants, and they need us right now.”

will offer a limited quantity, one-night-only, $200 prix fixe menu for four people. Each order includes Devour Culinary Classic signature wine glasses, warming instructions, chef bios, a 2021 Devour at Home placemat and a commemorative thermal tote. Preorders for the event start at 9 a.m. Feb. 15, and close at 5 p.m. Feb. 19. Customers can pick up meals from the resLori Hashimoto, co-owner and chef of Hana Japanese taurants on their parEatery, says customers are “compassionate and mindful of ticipating day between 4 what’s been going on” and believes they’ll support Devour and 6 p.m. Menu substiat Home. (Special to the Progress) tutions or modifications Each day, the Valley’s most renowned are not permitted. chefs and award-winning restaurants “I think, more than anything, the res-

taurant industry has been significantly harmed by this year overall,” Lanning said. “Some restaurants are doing well, and some aren’t, but this is really our chance to step up and help them.” Twenty restaurants make up what Lanning calls the “absolute star lineup.” Chefs slated to appear are Christopher Gross of the Wrigley Mansion, Danielle Leoni of The Breadfruit and Rum Bar, Justin Beckett of Southern Rail and Beckett’s Table, Lori Hashimoto of Hana Japanese Eatery, Silvana Salcido Esparza of Barrio Café and Stephen Jones of The Larder and The Delta. “We have so many excellent chefs who are really just linking arms and helping out,” Lanning said. “Some of the chefs have even said, ‘You know if there is money that we can raise and give it to

see DEVOUR page 25

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ROASTERS �� page 24

“Law enforcement is close to my heart,” he said. “There’s a lot of families out there that are in need, and if I have anything extra to give, I always think that it’s important to give a portion back.” Fernandez’s commitment to the community sets Yellow Spruce Roasters apart from many coffee shops. He prides himself on providing approachable, personable customer service. “My belief is that every time somebody walks through that door, they should feel special,” he explained, “like there’s nobody else on the planet.” “It’s that level of service of just making people feel special when they walk in that I think that’s what sets us apart from really anybody else,” Fernandez continued. And, so far, the response has been “very positive.” “We’re trending up,” Fernandez said. “Every month is better than the last. It’s a lot better than what I had expected.” But Fernandez has experienced his fair share of challenges, the biggest of which is the lack of local customers. “That’s been a big challenge, not only for me but for some of the other shop owners,” he said. “We’re trying to ... reach out to the local people in the area to say, ‘Hey, come check us out on your way to work. We’d be happy to pour you up a cup of coffee and have good conversations.’” So far, he said, 80 percent of his customers are from out of state. “It’s been a struggle just to get the word out,” Fernandez said. “It’s not really pandemic related. It’s just, we’re a new shop, and we’re still desperately

DEVOUR �� page 24

someone who is not doing as well as us’ they are even stepping up to help each other.” Added Flagstaff restaurateur Dara Wong, who has participated in the last three Devour events: “I like how the restaurants from other parts of the state can come down and be on the same playing field as everyone else. I like that it showcases Arizona food.” Devour fans can show off their plating skills to win prizes and partake in virtual experiences with the participating chefs. “We want everything to be great, but

trying to get the word out.” Fernandez lives in Desert Hills but chose Old Town Scottsdale due to how active the area typically is. “And then once we started really getting to know some of the other owners in the area, we realized that there’s a lot of history down there. And the longer that we own it, the more we really truly appreciate the diamond in the rough that we acquired,” Fernandez said. In addition to serving signature blends, Yellow Spruce Roasters – named after two states close to Fernandez’s heart, Colorado and Arizona – sells single origin coffees, most of which was grown globally in high regions along the Bean Belt. Yellow Spruce Roasters’ single origin coffees include their organic Sumatra, hailing from the Northwestern province of Aceh; their Tanzanian Peaberry, grown in the northern and southern estates in Tanzania; and their Colombian Decaf, from the high elevations of Colombia. Fernandez hopes to expand to several locations throughout the Valley – and open a central roastery where customers can see how their coffee is roasted as they enjoy a cup of coffee. “I tell my employees that we’re not a coffee shop; we are much bigger than that,” Fernandez said. “We’re a coffee company.”

If You Go:

Yellow Spruce Roasters Where: 3902 N. Brown Avenue, #101 Call: 480-590-1935 Website: yellowspruceroasters.net

we are also big on presentation,” Wong said. “Usually, for the previous Devour events, we focus on how it all looks on a little plate or how we’re going to eat it. This is just a little bit different with the take-home item.”

If You Go:

Devour at Home When: Feb. 27-28 Where: Participating restaurant locations Cost: $200 Info: devourphoenix.com

Public Notices NOTICE OF PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, will hold a public hearing on March 10, 2021, at 5:00 P.M in Scottsdale, Arizona. Until further notice, Planning Commission meetings will be held electronically. While physical facilities are not open to the public, Planning Commission meetings are televised on Cox Cable Channel 11 and streamed online at ScottsdaleAZ.gov (search “live stream”) to allow the public to listen/view the meeting in progress. Instructions on how to provide Public Comments will be provided on the posted agenda. 13-AB-2020 (Richards Abandonment) Request by owner to abandon the eastern 10 feet of roadway easement along N. Hayden Road (located along the western boundary of the subject property) of a +/1-acre residential lot with Single-family residential (R1-35) zoning located at 8008 E. Desert Cove Avenue. Staff contact person is Casey Steinke, 480-312-2611. Applicant contact person is Katie Richards, (630) 338-3508. 6-AB-2020 (Digianfilippo Abandonment) Request by owner to abandon the western 13 feet of the 33foot General Land Office Patent Easement (GLOPE) (located along the eastern boundary), and the northern 8 feet of the 33-foot GLOPE (located along the southern boundary) of parcel 21667-166, with Single-family Residential District, Environmentally Sensitive Lands, Foothills Overlay (R1-70/ESL/FO) zoning located 6832 E. Montgomery Road. Staff contact person is Jesus Murillo, 480-312-7849. Applicant contact person is Mark Digianfilippo, 480-291-2938. For additional information visit our web site at www.scottsdaleaz.gov search “Scottsdale Planning Case Files” or in your URL search bar you can type in https://eservices.scottsdaleaz.gov/bldgresources/Cases/ A COPY OF A FULL AGENDA, INCLUDING ITEMS CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS IS AVAILABLE AT LEAST 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING AT THE FOLLOWING Online at: http://www.ScottsdaleAZ. gov/Boards/planning-commission CHAIRMAN Attest BRONTE IBSEN Planning Specialist For additional information visit our web site at www.scottsdaleaz.gov PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY MAY REQUEST A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION BY CONTACTING THE CLERK'S OFFICE AT (480-312-7767). REQUESTS SHOULD BE MADE 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE, OR AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE TO ALLOW TIME TO ARRANGE ACCOMMODATION. FOR TTY USERS, THE ARIZONA RELAY SERVICE (1-800-367-8939) MAY CONTACT THE CLERK'S OFFICE AT (480-312-7767).

Published: Scottsdale Progress, Feb 21, 2021/ 36405

Obituaries Ann Gilbert Putnam

A long time resident of Scottsdale, passed away in Phoenix on January 17, 2021 due to COVID complications. She was born in Providence, RI to Dr. John Gilbert and Angela (Collins) Gilbert. Her family was deeply rooted in the Providence community, as well as spending summers at their home in Narragansett, R.I. All of the Gilbert grandchildren and great-grandchildren hold fond memories of time spent at the family beach house. Ann graduated from Lincoln School in Providence, and Wheelock College of Education in Boston. During her teaching career, she taught primary grades at prominent schools in Providence, Boston, Manhattan and Connecticut, and was a popular, respected educator. After moving to Scottsdale, Ann was employed at several resorts, including The Arizona Biltmore and John Gardiner’s Tennis Ranch. A true New Englander, she enthusiastically embraced the desert lifestyle; playing tennis, gardening and enjoying Scottsdale’s arts community. Always thrilled to travel, Ann participated in attending her children and grandchildren’s celebrations. She diligently followed local and national politics; a newspaper was always waiting to be read! Ann’s gift was cultivating innumerable enduring friendships that included a range of ages. She welcomed everyone into her home, and was the consummate hostess. Her home reflected her zest for life, and she lived independently until recently. Her family was her greatest passion, and she was much loved in return. Ann is survived by Meredith (John) Handley; Peter (Mary) Crolius and Jenifer (Ted) Levin. She was beloved Oma to Kristen (Jake), Ross, Jordan, Justin, Katy and Kelly, and several nieces and nephews. Her parents and three siblings predeceased her. Ann’s kindness, beauty, infectious optimism and humor will be missed; she truly lived life to the fullest. To honor Ann, donations can be made to Lincoln School, in memory of Ann Gilbert Putnam ‘43, online at lincolnschool.org/give today or by mail to 301 Butler Avenue, Providence, RI, 02906. Services will be held in Rhode Island at a late r date. "Gone from sight, but never from our hearts"

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ARIZONA MARKET IS HOT… URGENT: WE HAVE CASH BUYERS FOR YOUR HOME NOW TOTALING: $12,744,034 CALL US TODAY AT 480.400.1985 CT

OFFERED AT $1,500,000 3256 E Palo Verde Drive Paradise Valley AZ 85253 5 Bedroom | 3.5 Bath | 4,616 Sqft | Paradise Valley

SOLD FOR $465,000 1711 E Mohawk Lane Phoenix AZ 85024 4 Bedroom | 2 Bath | 1,949 Sqft | Scarlett Canyon

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BABS BLOOM

Director of Marketing Director of Client Care Barbara@BVOLuxury.com

VIRTUAL TOURS AVAILABLE

AUSTIN BLOOM ALEXANDRA BLOOM

Director of Expansion REALTOR® Austin@BVOLuxury.com

OFFERED AT $425,000 4260 E Amber Lane Gilbert AZ 85296 3 Bedroom | 2 Bath | 1,576 Sqft | Elliot Groves at Morrison Ranch

OFFERED AT $465,000 2662 N Robin Lane Mesa AZ 85213 4 Bedroom | 2.5 Bath | 2,776 Sqft | Rancho De Arboleda

Senior Partner REALTOR® Andrew@BVOLuxury.com

ANDREW BLOOM

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SOLD FOR $535,000 8100 E Camelback Road #4 Scottsdale AZ 85251 2 Bedroom | 2.5 Bath | 2,165 Sqft | Cameldale

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OFFERED AT $549,500 5906 E Sienna Bouquet Place Cave Creek AZ 85331 3 Bedroom | 2 Bath | 1,938 Sqft | Lone Mountain

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OFFERED AT $549,500 6231 E Mark Way Unit 12 Cave Creek AZ 85331 2 Bedroom | 2.5 Bath | 2,260 Sqft | Rancho Madera

SOLD FOR $855,000 7487 E Nestling Way Scottsdale AZ 85255 4 Bedroom | 3 Bath | 3,331 Sqft | Grayhawk

SOLD FOR $1,030,034 10040 E Happy Valley Road 2034 Scottsdale, AZ 85255 2 Bedroom | 2 Bath | 2,635 Sqft | Desert Highlands

OFFERED AT $990,000 15011 N 15th Drive Phoenix AZ 85023 6 Bedroom | 4 Bath | 4,934 Sqft | Coral Gables Estate

OFFERED AT $1.295,000 10186 E Kalil Drive Scottsdale AZ 85260 5 Bedroom | 4 Bath | 4,624 Sqft | Rosalee Ranch

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OFFERED AT $1,500,000 12731 N 128th Place Scottsdale AZ 85259 4 Bedroom | 3.5 Bath | 4,358 Sqft | Scottsdale Mountain

SOLD FOR $1,525,000 9549 N 129th Place Scottsdale AZ 85259 5 Bedroom | 4 Bath | 4,486 Sqft | Los Diamantes

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OFFERED AT $2,220,000 10637 N Arista Lane Fountain Hills AZ 85268 5 Bedroom | 5.5 Bath | 6,063 Sqft | Crestview at Fountain Hills

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Operations Manager AlexandraBloom@ BVOLuxury.com

SOLD FOR $420,000 19550 N Grayhawk Drive 1038 Scottsdale AZ 85255 2 Bedroom | 2 Bath | 1,666 Sqft | Grayhawk

We are positively disrupting the way • HEAVY IN PRINT & luxury real estate is DIGITAL MARKETING bought and sold. Our omnichannel strategy • AGGRESSIVE WITH leaves no stone OPEN HOUSES unturned to bring a • VIRTUAL TOURS buyer to your home!

AVAILABLE

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Every Home Sale Directly Phoenix Children’s Hospit

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