9 minute read
NEIGHBORS
Scottsdale.org l @ScottsdaleProgress /ScottsdaleProgress
OdySea gives foster families whale of a good time
BY KRISTINE CANNON
Progress Staff Writer
OdySea Aquarium opened an hour early on May 1 to host 100 foster families, or roughly 500 people, who had the entire multilevel, 200,000-square-foot aquarium to themselves.
Kicking off National Foster Care Month, this event was the OdySea Aquarium Foundation’s and Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation’s way of thanking those who have opened their homes to vulnerable children.
The two foundations purchased tickets so the families could enjoy more than 70 exhibits featuring 370 species of animals and catch a show at OdySea Aquarium’s theatre where attendees moved past four 46-foot viewing windows featuring sharks, sea turtles, sea lions and more.
The foster families were among the first guests to see Voyager’s new audio “show.”
“We realize for many of these children, this might be their first trip to OdySea, and with all there is to see and learn from our engaging exhibits full of remarkable land and sea animals, we know this visit will be an impressionable one,” Pam Palermo, executive director of the OdySea Aquarium Foundation.
Mesa foster mom Jen Mayer said her kids loved petting the stingrays.
“It was wonderful to spend the morning with other foster families
Oliver Mayer, 11, Landon Mayer, 14, Caribe Mayer, 12, and Eve Mayer, 8, were among the nearly 100 foster families who had the entire OdySea Aquarium to
themselves on May 1. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)
seeFOSTER page 20
Students’ clothing designs on display
PROGRESS NEWS STAFF
The work of some young fashion designers from the East Valley Institute of Technology is being showcased all month at Scottsdale Fashion Square.
Laundry Lab, a student brand within EVIT’s Fashion Design & Merchandising program, is displaying Metamorphx on the second floor of the mall’s newly renovated luxury wing, across the walkway from Macy’s.
Laundry Lab is a student-led, multidisciplinary design collective in the fashion and design merchandising program at EVIT. The collective is advised by EVIT fashion instructor Landry Low, an alumna of the EVIT fashion program and the prestigious Pratt Institute design school in New York.
“Equal parts fashion collection and visual merchandising installation, Metamorphx is a reflection on students’ experiences, obstacles and achievements during the past year and a half of socialdistancing, quarantining and navigating interactions remotely,” Low said.
The exhibition at Scottsdale Fashion Square is designed to be viewed from windows but soon EVIT’s fashion program will be launching a new website where viewers can experience the exhibit in a more immersive way.
The website will also include an exhibition film produced in collaboration with EVIT’s Video Production program that serves as both a living “look book” and a detailed walk-through of the exhibition and collection.
The website will also have an accom-
This pair of shoes is one of the items by EVIT fashion design students.
around the aquarium,” Mayer said. “There are so many things for the kids to see and do. It really helps kids in care to have happy memories and fun adventures.
“It helps them to remember that things can be good, and that life can improve.”
There are more than 14,000 children in foster care in Arizona.
Last year, Governor Doug Ducey declared May Foster Care Awareness Month to raise awareness of and recognize that “all Arizona kids deserve to live in a safe, supportive and loving home.”
The state Department of Child Services is partnering with businesses and organizations across the state, including OdySea, to extend special offers, prizes, gift cards and experiences during National Foster Care Month.
Other participating businesses include Medieval Times, Papa John’s Pizza, Munchpaks, Sodalicious, Bryan’s Black Mountain BBQ and Dave & Busters.
And other special offers and events include $3 admission to foster families every day in May at Arizona Science Center; Butterfly Wonderland will also host 100 guests on May 23; and Arizona State Parks & Trails is offering complimentary annual park passes to foster families all year round.
“We value foster families’ service
SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | MAY 9, 2021 all year round, but Foster Care Month is an opportunity to shine a light on their commitment and go a step further to show our appreciation,” said DCS Director Mike Faust.
According to Gillian Vanasse, assistant director for foster care and post permanency supports for DCS, being near water has its benefits, too.
“It increases feel-good brain chemicals while reducing stress hormones, which is invaluable for children in the foster care system who have suffered trauma and neglect,” Vanasse said.
Mayer decided to foster because she wanted to make a difference.
“I am never going to cure cancer or write the great American novel, but I can make a positive impact in the life of a child who is going through a rough time,” she said. “To that child, the help we provide might just be lifechanging. We had space in our home and in our hearts.” Describing fostering as a “tough but amazing experience,” Mayer said the main goal of foster parents is – and should always be – reunification. “It is important to remember that when you start,” she said. “These children often have not had an easy time of it, and they need people in their lives to be good examples, provide routines, create a safe environment, and open their hearts to them. If you do feel uncomfortable with the goal of reunification, there are many children available for adoption right now on the Children’s Heart Gallery.”
Information: dcs.az.gov
EVIT ���� page 19
panying online-only pop-up shop of one-of-a-kind garments and accessories made by the students. For updates, follow @LaundryLab_ on Instagram.
With a focus on collaboration, divergent thinking, communication and problem-solving, EVIT’s two-year fashion design and merchandising program allows high school juniors and seniors to explore college and career opportunities in a creative industry.
“This experimental studio environment empowers students to envision, create and pursue a path of passionate productivity,” Low said. “Students successfully complete their EVIT experience with industry credentials, college credit and hands-on technical training, allowing them to become competitive in the global workforce.”
To learn more about the EVIT Fashion Design & Merchandising program: evit.com/fashion.
EVIT is currently enrolling for the 2021-22 school year. Enroll at evit. com/enroll
Business
Scottsdale.org l @ScottsdaleProgress /ScottsdaleProgress
Toy Barn puts high-end spin on garages
BY LAURA LATZKO Progress Contributor
Toy Barn Luxury Garage Ownership doesn’t just offer storage for cars, boats, RVs, racecars, motorcycles and off-road vehicles.
It’s a community for vehicle enthusiasts.
Units come with amenities such as prewired internet and TV access, plumbing, insulated walls and ceilings, RV outlets, electric garage doors, community restrooms and access to clubhouses.
The father-and-son team behind Toy Barn, Paul and Jason Wesley, have expanded its business since opening its �irst location in 2010 at Cave Creek and Peak View roads. Originally from Ohio, the two were residential land subdividers before they became involved in the luxury garage business in 2008.
Jason said there were luxury garages in the East Valley when they started their business, but nothing in North Scottsdale.
“We were really trying to accommodate people who lived in the North Scottsdale communities who didn’t have any additional storage options. It’s real-estate ownership, so it’s an investment versus just paying rent on a storage facility,” he said.
“A lot of them have been around 10 years. They have double-lot equity. They get the tax bene�its that come with realestate ownership.”
Because businesses like this were few, they had to �igure it out on their own. “It’s extremely niche,” Jason said. “There was no roadmap for getting into the garage/ condominium business when we did.”
Their time in the luxury garage business has been a learning process. They have continued to adapt, especially with delays in new constructions during the pandemic.
“We have learned quite a bit about the construction process, the challenges associated with it, how to manage those challenges, managing schedules and people’s expectations, what works and doesn’t work,” Jason said. “We try to incorporate the lessons learned from every community into the new one.”
The two men have their own “toys” that they enjoy in their spare time. Paul owns vintage Indian motorcycles, and Jason is an aviation enthusiast with a Cirrus plane.
Jason said he’s also interested in Porsches, and his father enjoys ’60s-era Corvettes.
One of the biggest perks of owning a luxury garage business is occasionally clients allow the team to try out vehicles.
“It’s always nice when they say, ‘Just take the Porsche for the day,’” Jason said. Jason and Paul have �ive locations, including their new one near the Chandler Municipal Airport.
The two are planning a location in Scottsdale at 73rd Street and Helm Drive, which is projected to open in 2023. They are tak-
Jason Wesley said that while the East Valley had garages for expensive toys, northern Scottsdale didn’t and so he and his dad Paul Wesley seized on a real estate
investment opportunity. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)
ing reservations for it. This will be their second Scottsdale location, the �irst being the Greenway Road and 78th Street that opened in 2019. The �irst location has been sold out since the spring of 2020, and they wanted to offer additional options for those needing storage in Scottsdale. The �irst location in Scottsdale is 24,000 feet, with 18 units. The new location will be 52,000 square feet with 52 units.
Owners will be able to purchase one or multiple units of 1,200 to 6,000 square feet of space. “The other one was just too small,” Jason said. “We didn’t have anything to accommodate people who needed a larger space. This time around, we will be able to accommodate signi�icant-sized garages. The �irst one was designed for cars only. This new one will accommodate larger motorcoaches, larger boats, larger car collections.”
Jason expects that the new location will serve residents of Old Town, North Scottsdale, the Gainey and McCormick Ranch areas and Paradise Valley.
Jason said there has been little turnover in units, and some owners have spaces in different facilities.
He said building a garage can be expensive, and many communities have CC&R regulations prohibiting additions.
The Toy Barns offer a luxury garage experience for those who are downsizing or needing space for their vehicles, family heirlooms or automobilia such as neon signs or vintage gas pumps. They are gated with 24-hour access.
Adjacent clubhouses come with amenities such as high-end �inishes, plush seating, �lat-screen TVs, full kitchens and bathrooms.
Jason said he and his father wanted to create not just storage facilities but closeknit communities.
“I think what separates us from a regular storage facility or an industrial park is the fact that we are trying to cultivate a community of like-minded individuals. The facility functions more like a private club than it does a warehouse,” Jason said. Unit owners can customize the units with touches such as Epoxy �looring and half baths. They are expected to adhere to CC&R guidelines, such as not operating businesses out of their units. Many of the unit owners spend time at the facilities, working on their own vehicles or getting time to themselves.
“Some of the retired guys who don’t golf, that’s where they spend all their time. That’s what they do. They tinker in the garage,” Jason said.
