Scottsdale Progress 07-31-22 by Times Media Group

Experts differ on rent / P. 6

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Heated Council race heads to �inish line BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

NEIGHBORS............... 17

New SCC president makes students a priority.

BUSINESS .................20 Restaurateur unleashing Mr. Pickles' foray.

ARTS ................................22 Desert Stages schools young thespians.

NEIGHBORS .......................................... 17 BUSINESS ..............................................20 ARTS ........................................... 22 CLASSIFIEDS............................... 27

Sunday, July 31, 2022

ith just two days left before the Aug. 2 Primary Election, the seven candidates running for three Scottsdale City Council seats are wrapping up their

campaigns with a possibility that at least some will be resuming their pitch to voters in the Nov. 8 General Election campaign. Incumbents Kathy Littlefield and Solange Whitehead and challengers Daniel Ishac, Rauol Zubia, Barry Graham, Pamela Carter and Tim Stratton are all aiming to win 50% of

City’s water plan Boy’s best friend may be down the drain, mayor fears

the vote plus 1 to avoid a runoff later this year. Littlefield is running for her third term and Whitehead is running for her second term. If only one candidate gets the required majority of the vote, the four hopefuls with the

see CAMPAIGN page 9

BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

ew action threatened by the federal government to maintain a critical minimum level in Lake Powell and Lake Mead has blown up Scottsdale’s water conservation plans, Mayor David Ortega believes. The steady and measured progression in conservation measures spelled out in the city’s Drought Management Plan has been superseded by an “ultimatum” a U.S. Interior Department official gave Arizona and the six other Colorado River Lower Basin States, the mayor fears. That ultimatum asks the states to submit

see WATER page 4

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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 1900 W. Broadway Road Tempe, AZ 85282 Publisher Steve T. Strickbine Vice President Michael Hiatt ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Display Advertising 480-898-6309 Classifieds/Inside Sales Elaine Cota | 480-898-7926 | ecota@TimesLocalMedia.com TJ Higgins | 480-898-5902 | tjhiggins@TimesLocalMedia.com Advertising Office Manager Trish Simpson | 480-898-6500 | tsimpson@TimesLocalMedia.com Director of National Advertising Zac Reynolds | 480-898-5603 | zac@TimesLocalMedia.com NEWS DEPARTMENT Executive Editor Paul Maryniak | 480-898-5647 | pmaryniak@TimesLocalMedia.com Staff Writers Alex Gallagher | 843-696-6442 | agallagher@TimesLocalMedia.com John Graber | 480-898-5682 | jgraber@TimesLocalMedia.com Photographers Dave Minton | dminton@TimesLocalMedia.com Design Veronica Thurman | vthurman@TimesLocalMedia.com Production Coordinator Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 | production@TimesLocalMedia.com CIRCULATION Circulation Director Aaron Kolodny | aaron@TimesLocalMedia.com Distribution Manager Brian Juhl | brian@TimesLocalMedia.com Scottsdale Progress is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation company owned and operated by Times Media Group. The public is limited to one copy per reader. For circulation services, please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@TimesLocalMedia.com.

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 31, 2022

WATER from front

develop a plan to reduce water usage by 2 million to 4 million acre feet per year. And if they don’t have a plan by midAugust, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton told a U.S. Senate committee in June, the federal government will impose new regulations to hit that target. Arizona currently consumes about 8 million acre feet of water per year from all sources. California, Arizona and Nevada used a total of about 7 million acrefeet of Colorado River water last year. An acre foot of water is about 326,000 gallons, or enough water to flood a regulation-size football field 1 foot deep. Regional water officials have been meeting behind closed doors since June to discuss how the states will divvy up their usage reduction strategies. Their proposal is due to the feds by Aug. 15. Any cuts would be shared by all of Arizona’s cities, including Scottsdale, which gets about 76 percent of its water from the Colorado River, Ortega said. Ortega anticipates Scottsdale could be called upon to reduce its Colorado River water consumption by as much as 30%, which would be a cut of about 20% in the city’s overall water usage. “This would force Scottsdale to draft into our water reserves,” Ortega said. The cuts probably mean Scottsdale, which has been in Stage 1 of its drought management plan since last August, could jump to Stage 2 or even Stage 3 sometime next month – or even ditch the current plan all together, Ortega said. City Water Department spokeswoman Valerie Schneider said it’s just too early to determine what will happen with the city’s Drought Management Plan. “It’s so unprecedented we don’t know what this means until they tell us … We know something is going to happen,” Schneider said. “Something big is going to happen. Right now, we don’t really know what that means. We’re just going to have to be patient.” City Manager Jim Thompson activated the first stage of the city’s plan Aug. 16 in the wake of the federal Bureau of Land Management’s plans to cut Arizona’s share of Colorado River water at the beginning of this year. Arizona’s projected 18% reduction was expected to be absorbed by farms. Stage 1 of the city’s Drought Manage-

The water level in Lake Powell has been falling dramatically and the overall Colorado River system is no longer generating 15 million acre-feet but closer to 11 million acrefeet or less, federal officials say. (Cronkite News)

ment Plan calls on water customers to voluntarily reduce consumption by 5% but so far the city as a whole has reduced it by 2.5% while city facilities cut their water consumption by 8%, according to Scottsdale Water spokeswoman Valerie Schneider. Stage 1 also prompted the city will stop water hauling to the Rio Verde Foothills community this coming Jan. 1. Stage 2 or 3 could result in enforced water usage reductions through rate increases and Stage 4 could bring a surcharge for water uses. However, those are only possibilities. There is no hard-and-fast language in the Drought Management Plan setting out if or when those steps could be taken. “Any restrictions or surcharges would have to be determined by the (City) Council going forward,” Schneider said. The council did approve hikes in water and sewer rates in this year’s budget back on June 7. Sewer rates increased 4.7% on July 1. Likewise, water rates are going up 3.4%, effective Nov. 1. Officials delayed the start of the higher rates to give customers time to change their water-usage habits. The reasons for both increases include rising costs of raw water and treatment chemicals, rising costs of repairing aging infrastructure, the need for more drought preparedness and higher groundwater treatment costs to improve the reliability, safety and water quality of Scottsdale wells.

Under the current plan, Stage 2 of the drought management plan is scheduled to kick in when the city’s water allocation amount is reduced by 7,300 acre feet of water per year. Stage 3 is set to trigger when the city’s water allocation amount is reduced by 15,200 acre feet per year reduction and Stage 4 starts when the city’s allocation is cut by 26,900 acre feet per year. At least one of the Colorado basin states already has imposed water-use restrictions as some Southern California cities are limiting lawn watering to as little as one day a week. Whatever Arizona’s share of cuts ends up being, they will be added to existing reductions laid out in the drought contingency plan signed by the Lower Basin States years ago. This year, Arizona entered Tier 1 reductions of the DCP, which calls for the state to forgo 512,000 acre feet per year. When the Bureau of Reclamation releases its 24-month projections of future lake levels in August, it is expected to declare a deeper drought tier, which would increase Arizona’s cuts to between 592,000 and 720,000 acre feet. The bureau’s warning in June came after scientists discovered that Lake Mead’s water level was dropping fasted that they had estimated just two months earlier. The Scottsdale Water Department has several ways residents can cut back on

see WATER page 8

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 31, 2022

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 31, 2022

High rents again debated in City Council BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

he managing editor of one of the nation’s biggest residential rent search engines is taking issue with what a local economist told Scottsdale City Council about the impact of adding more luxury apartments to the city’s inventory. Elliot Pollack, chief economist for the Home Arizona told City Council on July 6 that as new luxury apartments become available, rents for existing apartments either won’t rise as fast as they otherwise would or they actually go down. But rent.com Managing Editor Brian Carberry told the Progress that older apartments won’t go down in price, and the newer ones will just go up, Carberry said. “That’s just going to move the curve,” Carberry said. Pollack told Council, “It’s all about supply and demand.” According to the report Pollack gave, essential workers, such as nurses, police officers and firefighters, are not able to afford the $795,000 median price that existed in March for a Scottsdale house, based on housing costs not exceeding 30 percent of their salary. While that leaves them either buying a below-median price house or renting, even the latter option looks pretty grim. With an average salary of $78,965, the average cop cannot afford a two-bedroom apartment, the report said. And a firefighter with an average salary of $58,753 cannot afford even a one-bedroom apartment in Scottsdale, according to the report. That means that firefighter needs to be in a double-income relationship, get a roommate, rent a below median price apartment or live somewhere else, Pollack said. “There’s not a lot of good alternatives,” he said. The report shows nurses, with an average salary of $86,600, comprise the only classification of essential worker able to rent a two-bedroom apartment in Scottsdale. It also said even they can’t afford to buy a home. Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield said

Rising rents, among other factors, are driving up the size of apartment complex sales in Scottsdale and throughout the Valley. The Luxe Apartments in the 8400 block of E. Indian School Road sold two weeks ago for $103.3 million – far higher than the 66 million the seller paid just two and a half years ago, Valley real estate tracker reported. With 218 units across two four-story buildings, the sale broke down to a per-unit price of $473,623.

older apartments are not going down in price. In many cases, developers are instead renovating them and charging more. Often that is done to the detriment of current long-time residents who can no longer afford the higher rents – frequently leaving them with no place to go. “It’s not a humanitarian effort,” Littlefield said. “That’s just staring at your pocket book.”

“We’re not only overbuilding according to what the desires of our citizens are, but we’re building the wrong things, apartments instead of (single) family homes.” She has decried the number of apartments coming on line in Scottsdale in the past. “We’re not only over-building according to what the desires of our citizens are, but we’re building the wrong things, apartments instead of (single) family homes,” Littlefield said.

She says council needs to be careful when developers come with re-zoning requests to build apartments, but has no hard and fast rule on the number that she feels should be built here. “Developers want us to go too far one way and I don’t think that’s good for the city,” she said. Councilwoman Tammy Caputi, on the other hand, took an opposing view, siding with Pollack. “The real problem is that vacancy rates are approaching zero percent and housing prices are soaring out of control,” Caputi said. “Our city is struggling from a lack of housing supply at all income levels along with huge demand, which has pushed prices past the reach of many, and is forcing families, young people, workforce, and long-time residents out of our city. “We aren’t going to build poor quality housing in Scottsdale. We have the highest development standards, strict zoning regulations, and soaring land and construction prices, but even building luxury housing increases the overall supply and moderates pricing on existing units.” There are approximately 11,242 apart-

ment units in the development pipeline, according to city estimates. That breaks down: • Prospective: Zoning entitlements are still being sought or the cases are so old that it’s unknown as to whether the entitled project will be built (9 projects, 3,057 units). • Planned: Zoning entitlements have been approved and Development Review cases are being sought. Development Review cases within this category that are approved have not been issued a building permit (12 projects, 5,100 units). Notably, 1,556 of these units are planned for future phases that still need city review. • Under construction: Active building permits (10 projects, 3,085 units). Some have argued that the real number of apartment units in the city’s pipeline is closer to 14,000. But Caputi said those people are purposefully trying to distort the numbers. “Arguing over the exact number of apartments in our ‘pipeline’ is a distraction, and a campaign boogeyman,” Caputi said, adding: “Unfortunately, the issue has been weaponized by extremist candidates and used to sow fear, doubt and uncertainty. The facts, however, speak for themselves – over the last two decades, Scottsdale has been delivering about 1% new housing stock per year - a very reasonable and healthy number.” Despite new apartments coming online, rents are not dropping in Scottsdale. In the last year, single-bedroom apartment rents have gone up 8% over this time last year while two-bedroom apartments have increased almost 2%, Carberry said. The average monthly rent for a onebedroom apartment in Scottsdale is $2,226 and a two-bedroom’s average rent is at $2,782, Carberry said. “Scottsdale is always going to be pricey,” he said. The only governor on how high apartment rents can go is what the market will bear. One thing that could help bring rents down is an uptick in homebuyers, which would reduce the demand for apartments, he said.

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 31, 2022

Robocalls skyrocket despite federal laws BY DAISY GONZALEZ-PEREZ Cronkite News

ASHINGTON – Federal regulations aimed at blocking robocalls appear to have had some effect over the past year, but robotexts have skyrocketed in their place, according to a recent report from the Arizona Public Interest Research Group. The PIRG report said the number of phone companies that have installed spam-blocking technology since it was required last year by the Federal Communications Commission has quadrupled, and the number of spam robocalls appears to have fallen by 47% in that period. But robocalling overall is little changed in that time – and is actually up slightly in the U.S. and Arizona – while automated text messages nationwide jumped from 1 billion last July to 12 billion in June. In Arizona, robotexts almost tripled since January, to 565 million in June, ac-

cording to RoboKiller, a spam-blocking tech company. To experts, this is no surprise at all. “The bad guys are going to find another way to try and get us,” said Teresa Murray, director of the consumer watchdog office for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. The report released this week by the ArizonaPIRG Education Fund said the number of spam robocalls in the U.S. fell 47% over the last year, from about 2.1 billion a month to 1.1 billion, citing data from YouMail, a robocall blocking firm that tracks robocall traffic. Murray attributes the drop to a sharp uptick in the number of voice providers that have installed STIR/SHAKEN, an FCC-required technology that lets consumers see whether a call is legitimate or not. While the program got off to a relatively slow start, with 536 companies using it as of last June, the number has since increased to 1,932 phone service providers.

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While that has helped, Murray said, more still needs to be done. The report said 1,002 smaller providers have claimed an exemption from the STIR/ SHAKEN requirement and another 3,062 have not installed it or are using their own technology that might not be as effective. “We don’t want to pretend like the robocall problem is going away because it’s definitely not,” she said. “Like I said even one robocall a day is way too many.” And people are still getting way too many. YouMail data shows that while overall robocalls have fluctuated over the past year, they have been largely unchanged. It said that robocalls nationally went from 4.2 billion in July 2021 to 4.3 billion in June 2022. “Robocalls are a real challenge for me right now,” said Stephan Viehweg, an Indiana resident who was visiting Washington this week. “We have two elders in our family that require extra medical care and so we have to take phone BEFORE

calls and when you have new providers, I don’t always know what the phone number is.” Viehweg said his phone is “getting better at telling me whether it’s spam,” but it is still “very frustrating for us.” YouMail said the number of robocalls to Arizona phones went from 82.6 million last July to 84.4 million in June, with all five area codes in the state seeing slight changes. While robocalls have more or less flattened out under the new regulations, robotexts have exploded over the past year, because the FCC rules do not specifically regulate text messages, the PIRG report said. It’s more than just a nuisance: Those text messages can pose the same threat as the calls of harming consumers through scams. Those can include claims of fake auto warranties, medical or insurance records, package deliveries and more that AFTER

see ROBOCALLS page 8

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attempt to steal consumers’ personal information or get them to hand over cash. “Every day you hear of cases where people have been scammed of hundreds and thousands of dollars,” Murray said. The FCC has partnered with more than 40 state and territorial attorneys general – including Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich – to combat robocalls and robotexts. Brnovich’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Murray welcomed the partnerships. “By banding together, pooling their resources, they are not like each of them doing separate investigations about the same robocall operation they suspect is doing bad things,” said Murray. While the FCC has investigative power, states have more law enforcement authority. In the meantime, she said, consumers need to keep their guard up. “Scammers are after two things: money or your information,” Murray said. “A lot of smart people are educated and savvy. If they let their guard down they can fall victim to these scams.”

WATER from page 4

their outdoor water usage. Any Scottsdale Water customer can request a free outdoor efficiency check where a certified irrigation specialist will come to a customer’s residence, walk their property, and give detailed water savings tips tailored to their property, including teaching residents how to program their irrigation system and water properly. Taking advantage of this program can easily save residents 4,000 gallons of water each month – an easy way to accomplish the voluntary 5% cutbacks, Schneider said. Another water saving measure is replacing grass with desert landscaping. Turf removal rebates will also double, allowing customers to receive $2 per square foot of turf removed that is replaced with desert landscaping, Schneider said. The city has also invested in a new infrastructure program called Advance Metering Infrastructure which allows customers to log on to a new WaterSmart portal giving residents visual learning tools to see how and when their water is

being used. It also can alert customers to leaks on their property. Go to scottsdaleaz.gov/water/watersmart to log onto the WaterSmart portal. Scottsdale Sustainability Director Lisa McNeilly, said the new conservation demands will affect the city’s sustainability plan she is currently putting together. “The sustainability plan is more of a wide-policy statement that will complement the specific changes the water department is going to make,” McNeilly said. McNeilly hopes to have a draft of the report ready to present to the city council on its Sept. 13 meeting. That would give her the opportunity to get feed back from residents in the fall and present a final draft for the city council to vote on sometime in December. One thing that is clear is, Scottsdale is not going to run out of water, Schneider said. “We’ve been planning for this for many years,” she said. “We recycle water into our aquifer. We have a robust water portfolio. “We’ll get through this,” she continued. “We may have to think differently, but that’s just part of it.”

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 31, 2022

CAMPAIGN from front

next highest total votes would head to the Nov. 8 ballot. If two candidates get the majority of the vote, then the next two will face off in the general election. If none get a majority of the vote, then the top 6 will run in the General Election. Voters can go to any polling place in Maricopa County to get a ballot and vote. “Say you live in Scottsdale but you work in Phoenix, you can go to any location in Phoenix,” Scottsdale City Clerk Ben Lane said. “It doesn’t have to be in Scottsdale.” To find polling places in Maricopa County, go to scottsdale.vote or locations.maricopa.vote. It’s too late to mail early ballots but they can still be returned to any polling location in the country or drop off location. The only ballot drop-off location in Scottsdale that is not also a polling site is at Scottsdale City Hall, 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd. Here’s a look at the candidates.

Pamela Carter Carter, 72, is a mother of two and grandmother of two. She has lived in Scottsdale for 40 years and has a master’s in biblical theology and communications. She is a retired owner of a sports medicine and weight training business. She is endorsed by business owner and candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction Shiry Sapir and state Sen. Nancy Barto, as well as several candidates for state offices. Her top three priorities are stopping high-rise, high-density apartment com-

plexes, protecting Old Town’s western heritage, and transferring funds from other areas in the city budget to law enforcement. Carter started the period with $1,395, raised $950 and spent $936 for an ending balance of $1,409. Her biggest contribution was $250 from Christopher Ganther, director of L2 Properties Inc. in Scottsdale. Carter also gave her campaign $500. Her biggest expenses were $500 to Times Media Group for ads and $216 to Industry Print. Barry Graham Graham, 37, and his wife Farrah have twin boys. He has lived in Scottsdale for 26 years. and has a master’s in accounting from the University of Massachusetts and bachelor’s in economics and international relations from the same school. He is a certified public accountant with WP+D. Graham is endorsed by former councilman Paul Messinger, the Coalition of Greater Scottsdale, Treasurer Jim Davis, council members Betty Janik and Kathy Littlefield, city Planning Commissioner Barney Gonzales, Protect Our Preserve President Howard Myers, city Development Review Board member Michal Joyner and Republican state Rep. Joseph Chaplik. His top three priorities are taming outof-control development, more resident outreach and financial efficiency. Graham started the period with $20,400, raised $2,395 and spent $15,051, leaving him with closing balance of $7,743.

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Aspen Medical in Mesa, AZ uses a state-of-the-art electric cell signaling systems worth $100,000.00. This ground-breaking treatment is engineered to achieve the following, accompanied by advanced diagnostics and a basic skin biopsy to accurately analyze results: 1. Increases blood flow 2. Stimulates and strengthens small fiber nerves 3. Improves brain-based pain The treatment works by delivering energy to the affected area(s) at varying wavelengths, from low- to middle-frequency signals, while also using Amplitude Modulated (AM) and Frequency Modulated (FM) signaling. It’s completely painless! THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT THIS TREATMENT IS COVERED BY MEDICARE, MEDICAID, AND MOST INSURANCES!! Depending on your coverage, your peripheral neuropathy treatment could cost almost nothing – or be absolutely free.

Aspen Medical begins by analyzing the extent of the nerve damage – a complimentary service for your friends and family. Each exam comprises a detailed sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and comprehensive analysis of neuropathy findings. Aspen Medical will be offering this free chronic pain and neuropathy severity evaluation will be available until October 31st, 2022. Call (480) 274-3157 to make an appointment. Due to our very busy office schedule, we are limiting this offer to the first 10 c allers. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER ANOTHER MINUTE, CALL (480) 274-3157… NOW!! We are extremely busy, so we are unavailable, please leave a voice message and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Aspen Medical 4540 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 119 Mesa, AZ, 85206

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 31, 2022

CAMPAIGN from page 9

sdale Fire Fighters Association, the Coalition of Greater Scottsdale and Arizona List. Her top concerns are the city’s dwindling water supply, short-term rentals and protecting seniors. Whitehead started the period with $11,309, raised $1,745 and spent $1,519, leaving a balance of $11,535. Her biggest contribution was $250 from Scottsdale resident Jacqueline Weitzner. Her biggest expenses were $6,580 for stamps and $435 to Canva for postcards.

His largest contributions were $750 from Phoenix businessman William Brachman and $500 from Scottsdale art gallery owner Trey Brennen. Graham’s largest expenses were $14,000 to Primary Consultants and $1,000 to Tim La Sota for legal services.

Daniel Ishac Ishac, 57, and his spouse, Javier, have lived in Scottsdale for 10 years. He has a certificate in executive leadership from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s in applied mathematics/operations research and industrial management from Carnegie Mellon. He is a retired actuary and human resources consultant. Ishac has been endorsed by former Mayor Jim Lane. When asked to name three top concerns, he listed available housing, shortterm rentals and homelessness on streets. Ishac started the final campaign finance reporting cycle, which ran from July 1 to July 16, with $44,465. He raised an additional $3,850, bringing his war chest up to $48,315. He spent $931, leaving an ending balance of $47,383. Ishac’s largest contributions during the period were $2,500 from California broker Sean Cunningham; $500 from Michigan resident Clay Cprek, who is listed as retired; and $200 from Linda Pham, a financial consultant in Houston. His biggest expense was $930 to Facebook.

Daniel Ishac

Kathy Littlefield

Tim Stratton

Kathy Little�ield Littlefield, 73, and her husband Bob, a former councilman, have two children. She has lived in Scottsdale for 66 years. She has a bachelor’s in education from ASU and is the treasurer of NetXpert Systems. She has been endorsed by the Police Officers of Scottsdale Association, the Scottsdale Fire Fighters Association and the Coalition of Greater Scottsdale. Her three top concerns in Scottsdale are the city’s dwindling water supply, safety and homelessness. Littlefield started the finance reporting period with $1,159, raised $2,577 and spent $54, leaving her with an ending balance of $3,681. Her biggest donations were $500 from Scottsdale resident William Brachman, who is listed as self-employed and $500 from James Bushlow, a Scottsdale resident. Her only expenses were about $54 to PayPal for user fees.

out raising taxes or making cuts in service, prioritizing public safety and keeping Scottsdale relevant in the retail and tourism sectors. Stratton started the period with $32,382. He raised and spent nothing during the period, leaving $32,382.

Timothy Stratton Stratton, 48, and his wife Deborah have three daughters and have lived in Scottsdale for 12 years. He has a doctorate in law from Western Michigan University Law School and a bachelor’s in history and political science from Ball State University. He is also finishing up a master’s degree in public policy/administration from Cornell University. He is a municipal finance/tax attorney at Gust Rosenfeld. Stratton has been endorsed by former Mayor Jim Lane. His top three concerns are maintaining the city’s current level of amenities with-

Solange Whitehead Whitehead, 60, and her husband Mike have three children. She has lived in Scottsdale for 26 years, has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and considers herself a full-time council member. She is endorsed by council members Tom Durham and Betty Janik, former Mayor Mary Manross, former city councilmen Tom Silverman and Ned O’Hearn, former county attorney Rick Romley the Police Officers of Scottsdale Association, the Scott-

Solange Whitehead

Raoul Zubia Zubia, 61, is in a relationship with his partner, Karen. He has lived in Scottsdale his entire life. He has a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of Phoenix. He is a retired banker and currently works as a business consultant.

Raoul Zubia His top concerns are protecting neighborhoods from disruptive short-term rentals and intrusive development; providing workforce housing for young families and many who work in Scottsdale, and ensuring the city’s financial strength of while keeping taxes low and quality of services high. Zubia started the period with $13,273, raised $3,525 and spent $82, leaving him with an ending balance of $16,715. His biggest contribution was $2,500 from California broker Sean Cunningham. His next biggest contributions were $479 from Scottsdale resident Michael Rosenberger, a director of security at Valley Ho, and $239 from Scottsdale Realtor Tom Mayer. Zubia’s largest expense was $66.05 to Circle K for gas for yard sign pick up.

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 31, 2022

Sextortion targets teenagers through the Valley BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

growing crime problem across the country is hitting home throughout the Valley. The FBI Phoenix Field Office warned of an “increase in sextortion schemes targeting young boys.” Even relatively small communities in the Phoenix Metro region have not been spared. Queen Creek Police Chief Randy Brice said his department has seen 15 cases of “sextortion,” including eight cases of sexual exploitation of a minor. Victims range in age from 13 to 18, but most are under 15. “Parents need to talk their kids about how scary this is,” Brice said. “The mental and monetary issues that arise could be extensive and ongoing.” Sextortion falls under five different state statutes, including theft by extortion, sexual extortion, sexual exploitation of a minor, commercial sexual exploitation of a minor, and unlawful disclosure

of images depicting states of nudity or specific sexual activities. The FBI said most cases begin when an adult contacts a minor online, such as via a game, app or social media account. The suspect poses as a young girl and exchanges direct messages with a young boy until they convince them to engage in sexually explicit activity via photo or video. The suspect will then use the photos or videos against the victim and extort money to prevent releasing the material online. In 2021, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received more than 18,000 sextortion-related complaints, with losses topping $13.6 million. This number reflects all types of sextortion reported, not just this scheme. The results also can be tragic. In May, a 17-year-old San Jose, California, boy took his life after an encounter with a sextortionist. The victim’s mother said her son told the cybercriminal he could not pay the

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full amount, and the demand was ultimately lowered to a fraction of the original figure – $150. But after the boy paid the scammers from his college savings, “They kept demanding more and more and putting lots of continued pressure on him.” At the time, the mother knew none of what her son was experiencing. She learned the details after law enforcement investigators who reconstructed the events leading up to his death. “The embarrassment children feel from the activity they were forced to engage in is what typically prevents them from coming forward,” FBI said in a release. Officials said the main tactic to stop this crime is prevention and that starts with parents talking with their kids about the issue before it begins. Sean Kaul, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Phoenix field office, said disrupting these criminals is difficult but awareness, education and discussion with your children about their online safety. The FBI said the best advice to prevent

this activity includes to be selective about what you share online, especially your personal information and passwords. If a social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about a family and/or children. Children should be wary of anyone they encounter for the first time online and block or ignore messages from strangers and that videos and photos are not proof that a person is who they claim to be. The FBI said if you believe you or someone you know is the victim of sextortion, contact your local police department, do not delete anything before law enforcement is able to review it, tell law enforcement everything about the encounters you had online. It may be embarrassing, but it is necessary to find the offender. You can also contact your local FBI field office in Phoenix at 623-466-1999, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (1-800-the-lost or Cybertipline.org).

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 31, 2022

Scottsdale boy �inds a four-legged friend, protector 10 feet from Mill Ave. and that was terrifying to me.” inden McDaniel, 5, was born two After that, Amminutes after his brother Declan. ber took Linden At first, things were the same nowhere, not for the twins. They rolled over on their even the store. bellies around the same time. They But she also walked together. They even began started thinking saying their first words, “mama” and of anything she “dada,” around the same time. could do to help But something changed when the Linden. brothers were about 10 months old. She thought Linden stopped tracking people with maybe a dog his eyes or reacting to sounds. could help. “He didn’t look when you came in “I always had the room anymore,” his mother, Amdogs,” Amber ber McDaniel, said. said. “My dog “He didn’t get excited when we made Bentley was with silly faces and he didn’t respond to me through thick his name. I mean I could snap, clap, and thin. It was scream and he wouldn’t turn, but if I a great comfort turned on ‘Puppy Dog Pals,’he’d come to me. I was just running from another room. trying to find “I kept trying to convince myself in Arthur is a goldendoodle just over a year old and has become the anything that can the beginning, maybe he’s just deaf. best friend to Linden McDaniel, a 5-year-old Scottsdale boy on the bring him comautism spectrum. (Enrique Garcia/Progress Contributor) Maybe he just can’t hear me.” fort. I know that Amber took Linden to a pediatrician he loves me, but to be checked out. “I lost Linden a year ago at an autism he can’t say it back to me. I just want The doctor told Amber she was over event at Tempe town lake,” Amber him to feel that as much as he can.” -thinking the situation because she said. “He was sitting in a stroller with She thought a goldendoodle might works as a nurse practitioner. his iPad and there were three adults help because they are well-behaved But when she took the brothers in around him. A woman came up and dogs often used as therapy dogs with for their 18-month checkup, it turned asked me if I wanted a pumpkin and children. out Linden fell on the autism spec- I said sure. A friend guided Amber to 4E Healtrum. “I was looking for a face painter for ing Hearts out of Parhumph, Nevada, Life got more difficult as Linden him and I set the pumpkin on top of which breeds service dogs. grew older. the stroller and it just fell backwards. Amber didn’t take action at first. He stopped speaking, could not do He was gone … It took 25 minutes to “I was like, I feel too guilty doing simple tasks like brush his own teeth, find him. The police had to look for it because what if other kids need it and he was prone to bolting away from him. He loves water so I was terrified more or there are kids that are more his parents when out in public. he had gone to the lake and he was severely impacted,” Amber recalled. So, one of Amber’s friend submitted a video to 4E Healing Hearts without Agitation Associated with her knowledge. Alzheimer’s Dementia It took three interviews and two Affects the Whole Family: videos over a year and a half, but the family finally got a service dog named Do you know the signs to look for? Arthur in April. It took Linden a day or two to warm The TRIAD Research Study is Now Enrolling up to Arthur, who turned 1 the day the TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS STUDY, VOLUNTEERS MUST: McDaniels brought him home. • Be 50 to 90 years old Now, Linden and Arthur are bosom • Have moderate to severe agitation associated with Alzheimer’s dementia buddies. • Have a caregiver who can attend all study visits Arthur’s main job is to keep Linden For more information: safe when they are out in public. Prcresearchaz.com/studies

BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

480-471-6132

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“Recently, when we went to Sesame Place (in San Diego), I was buying tickets and James (Linden’s father) was getting a stroller and Linden got away,” Amber said. “He just bolted through the entrance of Sesame Place. She said her husband James turned to find him and ran a couple steps then just unleashed Arthur and said, “Find him.” Amber said, “Arthur bolted through the entrance, went and found Linden. Linden ran up to him as soon as he saw Arthur, he stopped running, grabbed the lead and Arthur led him back to James.” The two love to play chase and hide and seek, and if Arthur sees Linden upset, he lies down by him. If the McDaniels give him the command, “Cuddle,” Arthur will actually lay on Linden, satisfying the boy’s need for sensory input. “Arthur just takes it like a champ,” Amber said. “It’s been an adjustment for me too because I’m used to trying to be the one to comfort him, so letting go and letting Arthur do it is very freeing. I can breathe a little bit.” Arthur has freed up the McDaniels’ time to give Declan a little more attention too. “There’s been a lot of things he’s wanted to do that we haven’t been able to do because of Linden, “Amber said. “Even something simple like holding hands while we’re walking. Before I had to continuously be watching Linden. James and I work opposite schedules a lot because of our jobs. Amber is a nurse practitioner and James is a Scottsdale firefighter with the Scottsdale Fire Department. “Just the ability to have another set of eyes on Linden is helpful for (Declan) as well because we get to do more things,” Amber added. Arthur even scores points with the other member of the family, Beaux, the family’s silver lab. “Beaux was super-excited when Arthur came here because he has someone to play with,” Amber said. “They love to play ball. They would play ball until their legs wouldn’t move anymore.”

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 31, 2022

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 31, 2022

Scottsdale, FAA still at war over �light paths BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

cottsdale’s battle with the Federal Aviation Administration over flight paths for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport took a bad turn recently, but the fight is far from over, according to Scottsdale City Attorney Sherry Scott. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia dismissed the city’s claim against the FAA on June 24 because it failed to support a claim that flights have created a noisy nuisance especially for northern Scottsdale residents. The FAA in September 2014 designed new routes for Sky Harbor inbound and outbound traffic under its NextGen program to increase efficiency. It re-routed planes over downtown Phoenix and North Scottsdale, resulting in a successful legal challenge by Phoenix and its historic neighborhoods that resulted in a 2017 settlement reversing some of the changes over that city. But the problem remains for Scottsdale. “Scottsdale claims that the FAA’s approval of the east-bound flight paths injured it because planes flying along those paths produce noise and pollution on property that it owns,” Judge Justin Walker wrote in his opinion. “That is the type of harm that could give Scottsdale standing," the judge continued. “But Scottsdale has not identified evidence showing that it has suffered that harm. It has directed us to no study measuring noise increases from new flight paths over city-owned property. It has not even brought forth a declarant who stood on city-owned property at a specific time and heard a disruptive noise from a plane flying along one of the challenged flight paths. “Instead, when Scottsdale says that new flight paths make disruptive noise and increase pollution on city-owned prop-

Scottsdale has been fighting with the Federal Aviation Administration over its 2014 realignment of ﬂights in and out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport because of the noise the planes create for resident’s in the northern part of the city. (City of Scottsdale)

erty, it does so in the most conclusory way,” he went on, adding that the City Attorney’s “declaration” identifying several city-owned places as being noisier “is not enough to establish standing. “The declaration lays no foundation for its assertions. Nor does it refer to any specific flight that causes specific harm to specific property,” the judge wrote. The D.C. court handles most cases involving the FAA because it is headquartered in the nation’s capitol. Scott said the city will not accept the dismissal of the case as the final word in the long controversy. “The City’s work is not over,” Scott said. “I am convinced that there is a better regional solution, which can both meet the needs of the FAA while also considering the impacts to those on the ground. “The city is now focusing on the

FAA’s working group that is in place to review (and try to improve) the current eastbound flight paths. This process spilled out of the litigation during the FAA’s effort to mediate this dispute with the City. “We will work hard to find relief through this administrative process and we will continue to fight for Scottsdale until we find a more acceptable solution.” Bud Kern, the chair of the citizen-driven Scottsdale Coalition for Airplane Noise Abatement, or SCANA, said he noise from overhead flights is unrelenting. And it’s not just noise that’s the problem, Kern said. “Particulate pollution that falls upon residents is becoming a health issue,” he said. “NextGen flight paths are precisely guided over the exact same routes flight after flight after flight. Therefore, the pub-

lic below these concise paths are receiving a concentrated dose of all the particulates from the engine exhaust. “It will only be a matter to time before illnesses from these concentrated doses will be acknowledged and that environmental health lawsuits will be on the horizon for the FAA and airlines.” The FAA has refused to comment. The litigation has been costly for taxpayers. Scottsdale paid $80,000 to international law firm Covington & Burling over the course of two contracts in 2018 and entered a new $40,000 contract with it in 2020. The city also paid JDA Aviation Technology Solutions $115,000 in 2018 to suggest paths be rerouted over unpopulated areas like the Salt River. Those suggestions were presented to the FAA in a series of community meetings in April 2019. At those meetings, the FAA also presented potential flight path changes that would partially address resident complaints in Scottsdale and other parts of the Valley. However, an FAA spokesperson cautioned at the time that the proposals were little more than “drawings on the back of a napkin.” For a time, it appeared the city and disgruntled residents were making progress. But on Jan. 10, 2020, the FAA announced it would not be making any flight path changes and that it had completed its required actions under the settlement with Phoenix. In a report on the meetings, the FAA specifically rejected the city’s recommendations crafted by JDA, citing potential safety concerns for air traffic controllers and aircraft flying in the Valley and that the recommendations would have created conflicts with existing heavily used routes.

Know anything interesting going on in Scottsdale? Send your news to agallagher@TimesLocalMedia.com

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 31, 2022

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 31, 2022

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Scottsdale residents Anna Scales and Luke Chester have landed big roles in a Phoenix Theatre Company production. (David Minton/Progress Staff Writer)

New Scottsdale Community College President Dr. Eric Leshinskie in a 2021video spoke about his mother’s struggles in high school as a non-English speaking immigrant from the former Yugoslavia and how she regretted not having the kind of student support he wants to provide every community college student. (YouTube)

Students are �irst with Scottsdale kids aim to new college president get crowd ‘on their feet’ BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

lthough stepping into the role as the president of Scottsdale Community College may have seemed like a daunting task, it is a role Dr. Eric Leshinskie had been prepared for since starting with Maricopa Community Colleges almost 20 years ago. Leshinskie began working with Maricopa Community Colleges in 2003 as an instructional designer for the Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction after relocating here from Richmond, Virginia. It was not long after taking the job that Leshinskie realized he eventually wanted to pursue a larger role. “I realized I was interested in becoming an administrator and eventually becoming a college president,” he said. After spending about nine years in his

role with the district and forming relationships with each of its 10 community colleges as he worked his way to becoming the director of Maricopa Community Colleges Center for Learning and Instruction, Leshinskie was offered the opportunity to become dean of instruction at Glendale Community College. “It was very clear to me when I came to a college campus, there was an energy, there was a pulse and there was a vibrancy and I was very excited to connect to a college and to connect with that excitement and connect with that energy,” he recalled. Leshinskie continued to climb the ladder from there as he was later asked to serve as the interim vice president of academic affairs. In 2018, he was asked to take the same

�� SCC �� 18

BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

ctors Anna Scales, 11, and Luke Chester, 14, both spent nearly �ive years acting in productions in Scottsdale and Phoenix before getting the chance to audition for big roles in Phoenix Theatre Company’s production of “On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan.” Anna began acting when she was 6 at a dance studio in Scottsdale before graduating to Greasepaint Theatre where she would cross paths with her future co-star during its “Frozen” camp and several other theatres across the Valley. While “On Your Feet!” is Anna’s �irst show with Phoenix Theatre Company, Luke, is making his return to Phoenix Theatre Company. He got his start in

acting when he was 10 in a production of Peter Pan as the crocodile at the Valley of the Sun JCC. Both young thespians utilized skills that they learned in their early works to prepare for their latest roles. “My last show was ‘High School Musical’ at Valley Youth Theatre and this is obviously a very dance-heavy show,” Luke said. “And Valley Youth Theatre helped me like getting into dancing since some of the choreographers from there were just insanely good.” Although the two have relied heavily on their experiences from other performances to prepare for auditioning for and landing the roles of Little Gloria and Young Emilio and Nayib, the two also found commonalities between the characters and themselves.

�� ACTORS �� 19

NEIGHBORS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 31, 2022

SCC �� 17

position permanently at Paradise Valley Community College and held that role until he was asked to serve as the interim provost for the district – a position he held for 18 months before being named the president of Scottsdale Community College. “I think it helped me to better understand what it will mean to serve as the president of Scottsdale Community College,” he said of the provost job. In February, Leshinskie got the news he had been waiting for. He would join the likes of Dr. Art DeCabooter, Dr. Jan Gehler and Chris Haines as the president of Scottsdale Community College. Leshinskie is excited to continue to build on the relationships that the school has established over the past half-century. “I’ve heard great things about the innovation that this college brings to the deeprooted connection that this college has had for 50 years with the community,” he said. “I think the unique relationship with the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian community is such an attractive aspect of who we are, and what we are.” Because of this, one of his major focuses

during the �irst few months of his presidency will be to foster those relationships even further. “So, the part of my �irst six months here is having those initial meetings to meet with the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian community to meet with leading businesses and industry around to engage with the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce,” Leshinskie said. “So, the �irst step is to just introduce myself, meet with them, and learn. The second step is not only to see how Scottsdale can bene�it from our relationship … and how can we also support them.” However, his biggest focus is on enriching the lives of the students who walk onto his campus or log on to a class virtually. “I just was so excited to connect with the students of Scottsdale and help them and in the role that I play to achieve their goals and wherever they may be. Whether that’s workforce development, whether that’s transfer to a university partner or earning a degree with us,” Leshinskie said. “Some of the advice that I’ve heard very clearly is to listen to your students since students have the pulse of the institution.”

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portunities to create �lexible engagement opportunities and how they’re offered: whether that’d be both in person or in a hybrid format or in the virtual format. “I hope we are going to move even more towards this �lexible delivery of instruction, and �lexible delivery of services.” Leshinskie is also excited to launch new career-focused and workforce programs this fall and hopes they will also attract students back to campus. “We are launching some new programs and workforce programs, including a pharmacy tech program, that’s getting off the ground,” he said. “I want to see us solidify those programs that are more career focused and try to do our best to market them in a way that will attract students who will then see the growth or see the value of those programs and allow those programs to grow.” However, he knows that a key component of attracting and retaining students on campus is establishing an ethic of care. “I want us to embrace an ethic of care. I want students and staff to feel that we care about them as an institution that when you choose to be an Artichoke with that comes this level of care and support that we’re here for your success,” Leshinskie said. “You’re not just a number, you’re not just another student who’s walking into our classroom or onto our campus. We truly care about who you are, and what you want to accomplish, and we’re here to support you.” Info: scottsdalecc.edu

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Leshinskie also is aiming to see more return to the classrooms as there has been a decrease in the number of students who have enrolled in college over the past few years. “We’ve been experiencing somewhat of a downturn similar to the national downturn that occurred during the pandemic and what’s causing that is there are a lot of competing priorities right now and the job market is one where when students can earn a part-time job or get a full-time job quickly and ef�iciently that’s paying at an hourly rate that might meet some immediate needs, they may make that choice to meet those needs,” Leshinskie said. Leshinskie is optimistic about an enrollment rebound. “I’m optimistic, though, since we’re starting to see our numbers trend in the right direction across our system and also locally here at Scottsdale with the enhancement of our in-person experiences,” he said. “Coming this fall we’re going to be returning to our in-person experiences, more students will be on campus and consequently, more employees will be on campus.” Leshinskie also plans to create classes that work with students’ schedules. “The second component is we’re examining how we’re offering our courses in what modality, what length of time and what time of day,” he said. “Three-quarters of our students are part-time, meaning they’re probably working at least one job if not more than one job so we need to do all we can do to create learning op-

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ACTORS �� 17

“I related to the character a lot because I like being a pop star and pretending to be one is just super fun,” Anna said. Luke, on the other hand, felt that his character was an escape from himself and found it easy to get into character. “I feel like at least for me when I go on the stage, I am no longer Luke. I turn into that character and I project that character’s emotions,” he said. “I love when I can just be whoever I want to be on stage, It’s just amazing to feel like I get out of my own skin and I can be whoever I want to be for a good second.” Although getting into character was a natural progression for the young actors, they both admit that they did do their homework on the characters. “As soon as I got cast, I started researching a lot about Gloria and the �irst thing I did was searched the musical “On Your Feet” on YouTube, watched it a

couple of times and then I realized how the character would act,” Anna said. “I was watching the Broadway version of my character and I took notes off of her but then I turned that performance into something that’s more me. I made the character relate to myself a little bit more.” Luke says he listened to the musical several times and jammed to other tracks performed by Gloria Estefan to prepare for his role while doing further research on Emilio. Even though Anna and Luke knew their characters inside and out, the two ended up learning about a new culture and a new language. “I knew a few words in Spanish but I didn’t know how to do the Cuban accent. So, through this, I learned how to say a bunch of words like Abuela and Abuelo but with the proper accent,” Luke said. Anna also relished the opportunity to delve deeper into learning about Latin

cultures through preparing for her role. “I feel like just all Latin cultures are amazing, which made me interested in this part,” she said. Although learning more about another culture was exciting for the young showstoppers, the two also found joy in performing particular numbers and scenes in the play. “My favorite song to sing is probably my little solo in ‘Tradicion’ since it’s really fun because of all the upbeat music and it’s just super fun to sing my heart out to,” Anna said. Conversely, Luke enjoys performing an energetic dance to the numbers “Conga” and “I love ‘Conga’ because it is such a fun song to do, especially because of the energy that goes behind it,” Luke said. Because of this, the two hope that their performances inspire the audience to delve deeper into Gloria Estefan’s discography and leave feeling a

If You Go

What: “On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan” When: Various times through Aug. 28. Where: Phoenix Theatre Company, 1825 N. Central Ave., Phoenix Cost: Tickets start at $44 Info: phoenixtheatre.com

Know anything interesting going on in Scottsdale? Send your news to agallagher@TimesLocalMedia.com

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sense of inspiration. “I hope people learn to never give up. You might go through the hardest of hard or just have the lowest time of your life, but you can’t give up,” Luke said. “I think that (the audience) should leave obviously listening to the music because Gloria’s an amazing singer,” Anna adds with a laugh. “But mostly I want people to learn to not give up and that life may give you a lot of hard things but you should never give up no matter what.”

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Mr. Pickles on verge of major Arizona foray BY JUSTIN LIGGIN Progress Contributor

rowing up in Downey, California – the birthplace of the Apollo space program – Michael Nelson learned to shoot for the stars. He’s sticking with that mantra in August when he introduces Northern California’s Mr. Pickles sandwich shops to the Valley at two Scottsdale locations – Scottsdale Road and Shea Boulevard and Thompson Peak Parkway and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard. Locations in Queen Creek, Laveen, Chandler and Surprise are also in development, as are locations in central and southern California. Nelson — the chain’s owner and chief operating officer — recently relocated the headquarters to the Airpark. “The brand is unique in that it doesn’t turn to big-box vendors for its ingredients, instead partnering with artisan bakers, regional farms and ranches to source its products, making every item unique to us,” Nelson said. “You will not see 6-inch and foot-long options from us. We’ll have more specialty breads than uniform options.” The Scottsdale locations will feature hot and cold sandwiches, notably the Mr. Pickle, which comprises chicken breast, bacon, Monterey jack, avocado and veggies. The menu will also include the Santa Maria tri-tip, which is sourced from the Santa Maria region and topped with specialty barbecue sauce; and Big Jake, a turkey sandwich with cream cheese, avocado. The brand now also has two new sandwiches of note—Listen Linda, named Nelson’s wife of 36 years; and the Della’s Deli, which honors partner Dean Johnson’s wife. “And yes, we do have an actual Mr. Pickle — in our logo, as a character and even on merch available for sale,” Nelson said. Nelson’s father was raised on an Okla-

CEO Mike Nelson poses with the actual Mr. Pickle’s spokesperson on the left and a fake one he procured in recent months from the East Coast on the right. (Dennis Murphy Progress Contributor)

homa farm, where family got together on Sundays after church no matter what was happening. “To say he took that sentiment with him when he relocated to California and built a life for us would be an understatement, and I am grateful for it every day,” said Nelson. “Hard work and giving back are the pillars in which I’ve built my life.” Nelson began working as a student at Downey High School, earning a job in a market’s meat department. “I know what you are thinking,” Nelson said. “You are thinking this is where I explain this is where the seeds for my love of sandwiches came from. And while you wouldn’t be wrong, that market is even more important than that. It happens to be where I fell in love.” While slicing in the meat department, Nelson noticed fellow Downey High School student Linda Landry, who was a cashier.

“I still do not know how, but with some persistence I got her to go out with me,” Nelson said. “Yes, we were high school sweethearts. We even went to prom together.” Upon graduating, the pair stayed together even though Landry was headed to the University of Southern California to pursue a film career and Nelson continued his work as a meat cutter at a Ralph’s grocery store. After leaving Ralph’s, Nelson got his first taste of restaurant management in 1986 with Giuliano’s, a chain of restaurants and delicatessens in the Los Angeles area. Four years after tying the knot with Linda in 1986, Nelson began another successful partnership, this time with older brother, John. “Carl’s Jr. was just starting to franchise locations at that time, and John had the opportunity to buy stores,” Nelson said. “Together, we pulled together our savings and every penny we could dig up from the

couch and opened four Carl’s Jr. locations in San Francisco in 1992.” The leap of faith required the Nelsons to move to Northern California, where the Nelsons had their son, Brett, in 1992 and the husband-and-wife team of Frank and Michele Fagundes opened their first Mr. Pickles location in 1995. During the next eight years, Nelson balanced fatherhood with success with Carl’s Jr. That led an opportunity to expand across California and Arizona by 2000. “Just as it was the first moment I saw Linda and then when I saw Brett, when I saw Arizona; it was love at first sight,” Nelson said. “I distinctly remember flying into Phoenix from San Jose and driving toward South Mountain. I looked at them in awe, pulled over on the freeway and called my wife to persuade her we needed to uproot our entire lives and move to Arizona immediately.” They moved first to Ahwatukee and then Scottsdale in 2000. Even though they were in Arizona, Nelson sold the Arizona locations of Carl’s Jr., but kept stores in California, Idaho, Utah and Washington, at one point owning as many as 84 locations nationwide. “In 2005, I joined Subway Restaurants of Arizona. And no, I never thought I would be involved so deeply in the meat market again, but there I was knee-high in sandwiches and loving it.” He served as president of Arizona Subway Development, earning Franchisee of the Year in 2012. During this time, Nelson started giving back, thanks to his participation in the Subway Kids & Sports of Arizona nonprofit arm of the organization, which helped to raise more than $1 million for local nonprofits that help children access sports programs. “I left the Subway brand in 2014 but continued on with Carl’s Jr., where I still have

see PICKLES page 21

BUSINESS

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PICKLES �� page 20

42 locations across the country with my brother,” Nelson said. “It was during my travels for the franchise, in fact, when the seeds were sown for my biggest project yet.” “Eventually, I started going to the same location every single day, finding out the brand had such a following that even the local Costco stores up there carried their gift cards, despite not being some massive brand,” Nelson said. “I about flipped when I found out that the owners were looking to retire and pass on the brand. “We are out to show the world that the brand can be a very big ‘dill.’” Info: mrpickles.com

Scottsdale Chamber launches new website

embers and others who visit the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce website are in for a new digital experience. As part of its 75th anniversary celebration, the Chamber, in conjunction with Digital Saints, announce the launch of a new look to its website at scottsdalechamber.com. “The goal of the new site is to improve access to member services and information while also modernizing the platform and raising the site’s online profile,” the

Chamber said in a release. It said the revised site is member-focused, “mobile-friendly, secured for enhanced privacy protection, and features enhanced accessibility.” It also allows improved access and flexibility to manage digital services for members and the community. “Our primary goal during the redesign process was to create a more usable resource for our members across all platforms and devices,” said Chamber President/CEO, Mark Stanton. “We wanted to make it easier for our members to access valuable membership information and

opportunities at their desks or mobile devices.” The Chamber said the new site also “strengthens and expands our existing offerings, and features new frequently asked questions, social media interaction, news, events, contact directory, and online forms and payments. “ Digital Saints will continuously upgrade the website to enhance SEO and increase traffic, it added, “furthering the mission of the Chamber and increasing opportunities for Chamber members. Information: digitalsaints.co, scottsdalechamber.com

charity vehicles, as well as more than 275 pieces of authentic automobilia crossed the auction block during the three-day automotive lifestyle event in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s west hall. “The collector car community is revved up for our Las Vegas Auction, which is demonstrated by the sold-out docket weeks before a single vehicle crosses the block,”

says Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “Featuring blue chip American cars, including quite possibly the greatest selection of Mopars we’ve offered in one auction, as well as a diverse sampling of professionally built customs, hot rods, and Resto-Mods, this Las Vegas Auction is a can’t-miss event.”

The multiple collections offered during this year’s Las Vegas Auction included the Lindley Collection featuring a rare 1970 Plymouth HEMI Superbird (Lot 734) and a matching-numbers 1970 Plymouth HEMI ’Cuda (Lot 734.1). Other Mopar collectibles on the docket include an ultrarare 1971 Plymouth HEMI ’Cuda (Lot 752), one of just 59 built.

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Choreographer Rylie Clore and Show Director Sean Gallegos oversee the Desert Stages Theater summer camp. (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)

Music Man Kids camp engages young thespians BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

hen Ellen Versen took the job of executive director at Desert Stages Theater, she had a goal to create shows that captivated the cast and enthralled audiences – especially with shows put on by younger actors. Although the pandemic initially forced her to alter her plans to keep her actors safe, Versen has utilized this summer to ensure kids who attended various summer camps – including a camp that culminated in kids performing a kid-friendly edition of “The Music Man” – felt welcomed and honed their skills to put on a show that dazzled their parents after each camp. Versen said he wanted the young thespians to have a sense of accomplishment and both they and their par-

ents to appreciate the work of Desert Stages. “I thought that since we want the show to be as good as it can be so that the kids leave with a good impression because they've had a blast and the parents can know about the type of theater that we do here," Versen said. Kids aged 5-12 arrived on a Monday for the first day of the two-week camp and spent the day reading lines and deciding on a character to audition for. Instructing the kids were former campers over age 13 who worked the kids through theater games, crafts, small group rotations and hours of rehearsals for the end-of-camp shows. The kids brought in a measurable amount of excitement that was echoed by camp counselors, who were excited to step into bigger roles off-stage like

see MUSIC MAN page 24

Mesa-native Alyssa Chiarello is set to leap into the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on Aug. 6 and 14 to break out her solo show “Yours Truly.” (Erin Evangeline Photography)

Arts center featuring cabaret autobiography BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

esa native Alyssa Chiarello, will never forget the first time she witnessed musical theater. Chiarello had been a part of the choir at Red Mountain High School and the group had begun preparing to put on a concert that featured the music of Broadway. She admits that Broadway had seemed foreign to her at the time, but Chiarello became infatuated with the history and tunes that roared from the stages of Broadway. Her love of musical theater then blossomed into her choice to study the matter further in college, move to New York and

take up a career in dance. However, the music of Broadway continued to compel her through some of the toughest times of her life. Because of this, Chiarello decided to take a leap outside of her comfort zone and tell her life story through cabaret-style dance set to the score of some of her favorite melodies from Broadway. “I wanted to talk about my life’s journey and how musical theater was such a big part of it,” Chiarello said. “Once it became a part of my life it was almost ironic how the projects that I was doing and the songs that I was given to sing correlated with

see CABARET page 23

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CABARET �� page 22

some of the events that were happening in my life.” Chiarello also wanted to show people how an introvert like her found confidence through harmonizing to these tunes. “When I was a kid, I was so shy, but once I started singing, it helped me be able to have a sort of confidence and felt like I could speak up for myself and know who I was,” she said. With a clear-cut idea for a performance, Chiarello reached out to Seth Tucker, United Colours of Arizona Theatre chief development officer , to pitch her idea. Tucker liked the idea but he asked Chiarello if she could put a spin on her idea so that he could feature her performance as part of United Colours of Arizona Theatre’s Summer Series that features four

works – all centered around the idea of love. From there, Chiarello reworked her idea into what she describes as a “love letter to musical theatre” which she aptly titled “Yours Truly.” Audiences can expect to hear tunes from some of the musicals: “Wicked,” “Evita,” “The Wild Party” and “Funny Girl.” However, Chiarello has two songs she plans to pull out that have deep meanings to her. “I chose the song ‘Raise the Roof’ from ‘The Wild Party’ as the opening number partly because I just want everybody to just feel like we’re hanging out and I feel like that sort of sets the tone,” she said. “That was the song that opened my senior recital in college.” Chiarello is also anxious to break out “Home” from “The Wiz” since that was the

first musical theatre song she ever sang and the tune reminds her of when her mother introduced her to musical theatre. Although Chiarello is still deciphering what her final performance will sound and look like, Meribeth Reeves, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts managing director, feels that this show will further aid in diversifying the shows spotlighted at the center. “I think because of the perspectives that she’s sharing; it allows us to really see things from another view and just learn a little bit more about the world and about how other people see things,” Reeves said. Despite the anticipation leading up to her performances on Aug. 6 and 14, Chiarello’s biggest challenges have been timing her performances and keeping her nerves calmed. “So, timing everything out has been the

most challenging part, especially because speaking is what makes me the most nervous, but just being introverted,” she said. However, once Chiarello belts out her first note, she feels that the show will be off without a hitch.

says. “Back in the ’90s, it wasn’t all that common to hear bands get so vulnerable and talk about anxiety, depression and things that made them feel like they were out of place. “I think that is why some of these songs resonated with that generation that was looking for that safe place to express their own emotions, which they could find in these songs.” The album’s signature track “Perfect” – which lyrically addresses feelings of inadequacy kids feel toward parents – was a risk. “When we first started, we questioned whether the song ‘Perfect’ was too personal and too straightforward,” Bouvier says. “We even debated whether or not this song should see the light of day. But that was the right call and because of that we realized that’s what sets Simple Plan apart from the rest.” Since releasing its debut album in March 2002, Simple Plan sustained success with 2004’s “Still Not Getting Any.” The group recently brought back its sig-

nature sound for its latest work “Harder Than It Looks,” which was released just in time for the band’s tour. “It was definitely intentional to make a record that sounded like Simple Plan,” he says. “In picking the songs that came out before the record, we wanted to make sure that those were songs that lyrically and musically would be appealing to our fans who had been waiting for this stuff.” Because of this, Bouvier admits his job of curating a setlist that encapsulates Simple Plan’s two decades of music to fill its 75-minute set is harder than it looks. However, Bouvier says the secret to the perfect setlist is two doses of new material to complement the 12 classics. “Every night we play two new songs in addition to some of the other older hits in addition to the ‘No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls’ songs,” he says. “We want to play some new songs for the real true fans that are out there.” Although he is proud of his band’s first release and most current work, there is a little ditty off of “Still Not Getting Any…”

that gets each venue bouncing appropriately titled “Jump.” “(‘Jump’) was never a single but it’s been a staple at a Simple Plan show because it was written to get the crowd jumping,” the front man says. “When we were writing the song, we were jumping up and down to find the tempo to get the whole crowd jumping.” “Jump” is often the climaxing track to Simple Plan’s shows. However, the ideal way is wrapping them up with “Perfect.” “We’ve always finished the set with ‘Perfect’ and it would feel weird to not finish with that song,” he says.

If you go

What: United Colours of Arizona Theatre Presents UCAT’s Summer Series | Yours Truly: A Cabaret Featuring Alyssa Chiarello. When: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6 and 2 p.m. Aug. 14. Where: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts ,7380 E 2nd St. Cost: $31 Info: scottsdaleperformingarts.com/ events

Simple Plan's tour to mix old and new tunes BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

ven though Simple Plan’s debut album, “No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls” is 20 years old, vocalist Pierre Bouvier is amazed to see how it holds up. “It’s cool to see how much of an impact that record had back in the day,” said Bouvier. “It’s nice to see fans coming out to this show in their late 20s to mid-30s and telling us stories about how this was the first record they bought or how it meant the world to them. It’s cool to see the lasting effect of that album and the impact of songs like ‘Perfect,’ ‘I’d Do Anything’ and ‘Addicted.’” This is especially surprising to Bouvier as the Montreal-born band felt it was taking a risk by unveiling an album that took the rhythmic sounds of rising punk bands and coupled it with vulnerable lyrics about mental health. “Lyrically, our songs were at the beginning of this era of bands that would dive into their emotions a lot more,” Bouvier

If you go

“The Blame Canada Tour” with Simple Plan, Sum 41 and Magnolia Park When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3 Where: The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix Cost: Tickets start at $37.25 Info: thevanburenphx.com, ofﬁcialsimpleplan.com

Know anything interesting going on in Scottsdale? Send your news to agallagher@TimesLocalMedia.com

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Desert Stages Theater summer camp students do a read-through for their performance of “The Music Man.” (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)

MUSIC MAN �� page 22

show director or choreographer for a specific show. Those counselors included Sean Gallegos and Rylie Clore. “When we do those shows, we have a director and we have a stage manager and a choreographer and we’ve had some of our older teens in those positions just knocking it out of the park,” Versen said. “The kids know their lines and their dances and the day is a little more structured.” After casting roles, the challenge intensified for the young campers and counselors. Days began promptly at 9:30 a.m. and were filled with activities and rehearsals; the kids received as much direct attention as possible. “Another thing we instituted this year is the counselors were responsible for touching base with four or five of the kids every single day so that every child felt noticed and recognized,” Versen said. Having those close interactions with the kids also aids show directors like Gallegos in determining how to manage the participants’ broad range of talent and experience. “I think the biggest challenge is that there’s a wide range in age,” Gallegos said. “I’m sure there are kids that had no experience at all and then there were kids that had a ton of experience on stage. So, balancing that to put together a show makes everybody feel they’re part of a great result.”

The talent began to level out as campers got into a routine of doing morning rotations, learning dances, taking a break for lunch and then going into rehearsals. Although only having two weeks to prepare for a show put counselors up against the clock, the camp allowed the kids to learn several valuable lessons, according to Versen. “They’re learning teamwork, they’re learning discipline, their memorization skills get better and then their self-con-

“They’re learning teamwork, they’re learning discipline, their memorization skills get better and then their selfconﬁdence grows while on stage.”

fidence grows while on stage,” Versen said. Rylie noticed this on a first-hand basis as she saw kids who were crying on the first day of camp nail their lines and dances during the final performance in front of parents last week. I like to get to see the ones who are crying on the first Monday because they don’t want to be here. But then by show day, they love theater and they always want to come back,” Rylie said. “Those are my favorite because I had those experiences as a kid.” Information: Desertstages.org

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• Furniture • Appliances • Mattresses • Televisions • Garage Clean-Out • Construction Debris

• Old Paint & Chems. • Yard Waste • Concrete Slab • Remodeling Debris • Old Tires

MORE CLASSIFIED ADS ONLINE! www.Scottsdale.org Air Conditioning/Heating

Landscape/Maintenance

QUALITY, VALUE and a GREAT PRICE!

Insured/Bonded Free Estimates

PlumbSmart Over 1,000 Five-Star Plumbing Heating & Air Google Reviews ★★★★★

Bonded/Insured • ROC #289252

602-834-7586

1000 OFF

when you show this ad

Licensed • Bonded • Insured ROC # 269218

PLUMBERS CHARGE TOO MUCH! FREE Service Calls + FREE Estimates Water Heaters Installed - $999 Unclog Drains - $49

10% OFF

Lifetime Warranty on Workmanship New 3-Ton 14 SEER AC Systems Only $5,995 INSTALLED! New Trane Air Conditioners NO INTEREST FINANCING - 60 MONTHS!

602-938-7575

ALL Pro

T R E E

S E R V I C E

All Water Purification Systems Voted #1 Plumber 3 Years In A Row OVER 1,000 5-STAR REVIEWS

COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL

Roofing

623-873-1626

602-834-7588 Not a licensed contractor

LANDSCAPING, TREES & MAINTENANCE

480-354-5802

ROOFING LLC

Bonded/Insured • ROC #223709

Prepare for Monsoon Season!

PMB 435 • 2733 N. Power Rd. • Suite 102 • Mesa dennis@allprotrees.com

PHILLIPS Family Owned and Operated 43 Years Experience in Arizona

L L C

Tree Trimming • Tree Removal Stump Grinding Storm Damage • Bushes/Shrubs Yard Clean-up Commercial and Residential

Your Ad can go ONLINE ANY Day! Call to place your ad online!! Classifieds 480-898-6465

Free Estimates Monday through Saturday Licensed 2006 ROC 223367 Bonded Insured

Serving All Types Clean, Prompt, Friendly and Professional Service of Roofing: FREE ESTIMATES • Tiles & Shingles • Installation • Repair • Re-Roofing

sunlandroofingllc@gmail.com

602-471-2346

PhillipsRoofing.org PhillipsRoofing@cox.net

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | JULY 31, 2022

Spencers has been saving you money for over 50 Years. We provide the Best Products, at the Lowest Prices and Our Customer Service is Terriﬁc! We are locally owned and operated. When you shop Spencers your hard earned Cash stays in OUR COMMUNITY! OVER-THE-RANGE MICROWAVE WASHER

• 3.4 Cu. Ft. Capacity • 8 Wash Cycles • 3 Temperature Settings • Dual Action Agitator NTW450IXQ CLOSEOUT

• • • •

DRYER • Super Capacity • Multiple Drying Cycles • Automatic Dryness Control NED4500VQ CLOSEOUT

429

EACH

319

HDA2000TWW CLOSEOUT

NEXT DAY DELIVERY AVAILABLE

RANGE • 4.8 Cubic Foot Capacity • Self Cleaning Oven • Smooth Top • Proudly Made in USA

699 WF45T6200AW

DVE45T6200W

58” 4K UHD SMART TV • 2 HDMI Inputs • Airplay2 Built-In

UN58TU7000

BFTF2716SS

STAINLESS STEEL 23 CU. FT. SIDE BY SIDE • Deli Drawer • Crisper Shelves

EACH

DISHWASHER

REFRIGERATOR

• Integrated Control Styling • Premium Nylon Racks • In Door Silverware Basket • Energy Star Qualified

• 25 Cubic Foot Capacity • Spill Proof Glass Shelves • Humidity Controlled Drawers

2410

WFE505W0HS CLOSEOUT

DRYER

NO INTEREST**

479

219

• 7.5 Cu. Ft.Capacity • 4.5 Cu. Ft. Capacity • 10 Cycles • 10 Wash Cycles • 9 Options • Smart Care • Steam Sanitize

• Normal Wash Cycle • Heated Dry On/Off • Standard Upper Rack

58”

FFMV1846VW CLOSEOUT

FRONT LOAD WASHER

DISHWASHER

1.8 Cu. Ft. Capacity 2 Speed 300 CFM Exhaust Digital Display Timer

12 MONTHS

• LED Lighting FFSS2314QS CLOSEOUT

949

WRS325SDHZ

WDF520PADM

BUYS ALL 3 PIECES

NO MATTER WHERE YOU SEE IT, READ IT, OR HEAR ABOUT IT, SPENCERS IS GUARANTEED TO BE A LOWER PRICE!

Minimum finance amount of at least $599 or more with their BrandSource Credit Card by Citi. No interest as long as balance is paid in full by January 1, 2024, minimum monthly NO INTEREST **payments. If the amount of the purchase is not paid in full by the end of the promotional period, interest charges will be imposed from the purchase date at the variable purchase rate UNTIL 1/1/24** on your account, which is 29.24% APR. This APR is as of May 16 2022 and will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. MESA SHOWROOM & CLEARANCE CENTER 115 W. First Ave. | 480-833-3072 AHWATUKEE 4601 E. Ray Rd. | Phoenix | 480-777-7103 ARROWHEAD RANCH 7346 W. Bell Road | 623-487-7700 GILBERT Santan Village | 2711 S. Santan Village Pkwy | 480-366-3900 GLENDALE 10220 N. 43rd Ave | (602) 504-2122 GOODYEAR 1707 N. Litchfield Rd | 623-930-0770 RECONDITION CENTER 160 EAST BROADWAY | 480-615-1763 SCOTTSDALE 14202 N. Scottsdale Rd. | 480-991-7200 SCOTTSDALE/PHOENIX 13820 N. Tatum Blvd. | (602) 494-0100 NOW OPEN - MESA 5141 S. Power Rd. | 480-988-1917

Arizona’s largest independent dealer! “It’s Like Having A Friend In The Business” Check Out Our Website

WWW.SPENCERSTV.COM OPEN DAILY 9AM-9PM | SATURDAY 9AM-6PM | SUNDAY 11AM-5PM

IT NO CRED IONS OPT NEEDED, BLE AVAILA Due to current circumstances, some items may be out of stock.

Scottsdale Progress 07-31-22

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