Scottsdale Progress - 9.19.2021 by Times Media Group

Website fuels school vandalism / P. 6

An edition of the East Valley Tribune

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Parsons' gift to Preserve / P. 8

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

Update downtown safety plan, chief asks BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

BUSINESS................... 28 Home buyers and renters see no end in price hikes.

ARTS................................ 33

New exhibit explores pandemic's impact on artists.

FOOD..............................36

Old Town restaurantnightclub gets $1M re-do. NEIGHBORS.......................................... 24 BUSINESS............................................... 28 SPORTS.................................................... 31 ARTS......................................................... 33 FOOD........................................................ 36 CLASSIFIEDS........................................ 38

Sunday, September 19, 2021

un-related calls for service in downtown’s entertainment district have increased between 20 and 25 percent every year, with the exception of last year, according Scottsdale Police Chief Jeff Walther.

That amounts to 68 gun-related calls for service this year. Assaults on police officers are also on the rise. “It was a pretty wild scene,” said Scottsdale City Councilwoman Tammy Caputi, who went on a police ride-along in the entertainment district in July. That’s why Walther is asking City Council

to update the public safety plan. “I’m definitely supportive of anything that makes our downtown safer,” Caputi said. “It’s common-sense stuff.” Maybe the most important proposed change to the plan is a requirement for clubs to keep video recordings of incidents

see DOWNTOWN page 16

Pac-12 tourney Cheering the home team a home run for city economy BY IAN GARCIA Cronkite News

cottsdale Stadium is the epicenter of Scottsdale’s baseball past and present. Originally constructed in 1956, Scottsdale Stadium’s current iteration opened in 1991 and is the spring training home of the San Francisco Giants. Last month, the Pac-12 Conference announced that the stadium and Old Town will play host to the inaugural Pac-12 Baseball Tournament May 25-29 as part of a contract that runs through 2024.

see PAC page 14

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

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 1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway, Suite 219, 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@scottsdale.org TJ Higgins | 480-898-5902 | tjhiggins@scottsdale.org Advertising Office Manager Kathy Sgambelluri | 480-898-6500 | ksgambelluri@timespublications.com Director of National Advertising Zac Reynolds | 480-898-5603 | zac@scottsdale.org NEWS DEPARTMENT Executive Editor Paul Maryniak | 480-898-5647 | pmaryniak@scottsdale.org Staff Writers Alex Gallagher | 843-696-6442 | agallagher@timespublications.com John Graber | 480-898-5682 | jgraber@timespublications.com Photographers Pablo Robles | Probles@scottsdale.org Design Veronica Thurman | vthurman@scottsdale.org Production Coordinator Courtney Oldham | 480-898-5617 | production@scottsdale.org Circulation Director Aaron Kolodny | 480-898-5641 | customercare@scottsdale.org Scottsdale Progress is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegratedmedia.com

Scottsdale Unified Governing Board on Sept. 14 approved an updated policy for maintaining order at public meetings. (YouTube)

SUSD board wants meeting decorum BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

cottsdale Unified School Governing Board members want no more rowdy meetings like the uproar over facemasks that occurred at their Aug. 24 session. So the board on Sept. 14 voted 4-0 to adopt rules of decorum for public meetings. Board member Patty Beckman abstained, stating, “It’s not that I’m against this.” She told board vice president Julie Cieniawski, who introduced the proposal: “Thank you for the intent because I think it is needed absolutely; I just don’t like to take action on something I just see. I would like to get some feedback.” The proposed wording of the document was presented to the board just before the meeting and was not included in the packet of information provided to the public. On Aug. 17, the board voted 4-1 to require masks be worn in all district schools until Sept. 29, which a judge has ruled is the effective date for a ban on mandates passed by the Legislature in June. The district’s mandate allows a “request for accommodation” option for medical and other reasonable considerations and gives Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel the authority to alter it in any way he sees fit in consultation with the county health department. The mandate was intended to keep as

many students physically in school as long as possible as COVID-19 cases continue to surge. As of Sept. 15, less than 1 percent of the Scottsdale Unified students were out with COVID-19. By the Aug. 31 deadline to apply for an exemption, the district received a total of 535 requests for mask accommodations, representing 2.5% of its K-12 students. Of those, 427, or 79.1%, of them were approved. The SUSD board’s mandate led to public outcry. A woman was arrested for trying to sneak past police and gain access to the board meeting room on Aug. 17. That meeting was held virtually but the woman didn’t realize that. Then the Aug. 24 meeting’s call for public comment grew rowdy as people voiced their displeasure with the mandate. There have also been protests held at several district schools. Cieniawski introduced the rules of decorum to counter excesses among any unhappy community members. “To date we have been very thoughtful and focused on ensuring our students can continue to work in a safe environment for in-person experiences,” Cieniawski said. “This work has not been partisan or easy, yet the results of our decisions continue to (draw) partisan threats of recall, the harassment of board members, staff and children on our campuses. “Individuals with a different point of view are made to feel diminished and even threatened. This has endangered

our well being and our progress both as a school district and as a community.” Actions by some mask opponents have crossed a line, according to Cieniawski. “Are we encouraging self-reflection, character development, the skill of conversation, collaboration, the caring (for) others or are we setting a precedent that when things don’t go exactly as we want them, we get angry, we place blame and create division?” she asked. “Personally, I will not be abused in this role, in any role.” The rules of decorum statement, which is based on the Scottsdale City Council’s rules of decorum, reads: “Citizens attending and/or participating in a Scottsdale Unified School District meeting either in person, virtually or telephonically are required to observe the same rules of order and decorum applicable to the governing board and staff. Unauthorized remarks or demonstrations from members of the audience, yells, outbursts and/or disruptions are not permitted.” The penalty for breaking the rules is expulsion from the meeting. Governing board member Zach Lindsay, the lone vote against a mask mandate on grounds it put district employees in a tenuous position when it comes to enforcement, noted similar statements of decorum have been read at governing board meetings intermittently since 2017. “This is by no means novel,” board President Jann-Michael Greenburg conceded.

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

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E R E C T I L E Appeals court hears �ight between swim club, city DYSFUNCTION? The fight between two swim clubs over access to this Scottsdale swimming pool went before the Arizona Court of Appeals last week. (Facebook)

BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

local swim club’s 15-year attempt to gain access the Scottsdale city pool may be coming to an end soon. After losing its fight in the trial court, Swim Neptune, a private swim club that works with metro Phoenix swimmers ages 5 to high school, made its argument for access to the city pool before the Arizona Court of Appeals Division One last week. “It seemed like it went very well,” said John Riches, an attorney with the Goldwater Institute, which took up the case for Swim Neptune. The city’s procurement process is at the center of the fight. The city went out to bid on who would get to use the pool. The Scottsdale Aquatic Club under-bid Swim Neptune by $285,000 but was awarded the contract anyway. City officials say there were errors in how the two bids were tabulated as well as errors in tallying the bids in a mathematical equation to empirically show who won the process. So, the city threw out the results and awarded the contract to the Scottsdale Aquatic Club, a non-profit that serves kids in the Scottsdale area. “I have to disagree the city simply changed its mind,” said Eric Anderson, an attorney representing the city. “What the record reflects and what the undisputed facts reflect is the fact that when the acting procurement director looked at this he discovered there was an error in the process.” But Swim Neptune and the Goldwater Institute, a conservative public policy think tank based in Scottsdale, say Swim Neptune still held a slight edge in the calculations after the error was corrected and should have been awarded the contract.

By awarding the bid to the Scottsdale Aquatic Club, they say, the city broke its own procurement rules and it is essentially giving the Scottsdale Aquatic Club a subsidy. “(It’s) pretty remarkable where a city has put out public bids, received them, scored them and then said, ‘You know what? We changed our mind,” Riches said. “’We’re going to cancel this whole process.’ If the city can do that, then what’s the purpose of public procurement process?” The three-judge panel looked to be leaning toward Swim Neptune’s way of thinking on the matter. “This looks hinky, you know,” Judge Maria Elena Cruz said. “You had a relationship with one entity. You thought that entity was going to win the bid. “When it turned out, at least according to the back and forth we see in the record, the math was wrong and when the math was corrected somebody else was going to get the bid, and so we cut off the process.” The city’s most recent contract with Scottsdale Aquatic Club was signed in June 2016 and scheduled to run through June 2019. That contract, however, included two options for one-year renewals. City council records show in March 2020, a new scoreboard was donated to the city by Scottsdale Aquatic Club at Cactus Aquatic and Fitness Center. The Goldwater Institute won a unanimous ruling from the state Supreme Court in February over its contention that the City of Peoria violated the gift clause when it gave away nearly $2.6 million in subsidies to Huntington University. The Goldwater Institute has also brought similar cases in New Mexico and Texas. The court is under no deadline to make a decision, but the process typically takes four to six months, Riches said.

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

Scottsdale school vandalism fueled by social media BY PAUL MARYNIAK Progress Executive Editor

cottsdale Unified and other East Valley school districts are struggling with a rash of vandalism fueled by a challenge to teenagers on the social media platform TikTok. Lured by the desire to score “likes” from their peers around the world, middle and high school students are steal-

ing school property, then posting photos or videos of the items. The trend has been loosely called “The Bathroom Challenge” or the “Devious Licks Challenge.” “Lick” is slang for stealing. And though it started when teens began ripping paper and soap dispensers, toilet seats and even faucets from school bathrooms and showing off online, the trend has broadened to include

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other school property – even fire alarm devices, according to some parents’ reports on various social media platforms. The vandals’ incentive is to see how many likes they can garner. Some news organizations across the country and around the world are reporting some images have drawn thousands of likes and millions of views. The vandalism has provoked warnings of dire repercussions and pleas to parents and students from high school principals in Gilbert Public Schools, Chandler Unified and Tempe Union High School districts and Mesa Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Andi Fourlis. “We are aware of a challenge on the social media app TikTok that is prompting students to cause damage to our schools and schools across the nation,” Fourlis posted last week. “Please know that consequences for stealing or destroying school property are severe, and can include expulsion and police involvement. “Please discuss with your child the severe consequences of participating in this challenge.” In Chandler, Casteel High School Principal Jayson Phillips told parents and guardians the trend has damaged the campus. “If a Casteel student is caught destroying or stealing school property from our campus, there will be school suspension, full restitution, and a police report,” Phillips warned. Hamilton High Principal Michael De La Torre wrote a similar warning to parents last week, reminding them “damaging school property is a felony.” Stating “we are sorry and disappointed it has come to this,” Desert Vista officials said the vandalism “has necessitated our limiting of bathrooms that are open at certain times, particularly boys bathrooms. “We have reduced the number of open bathrooms,” Desert Vista’s announcement continued, adding it was “still providing an adequate number of bathrooms for students to use and assigned security to monitor bathrooms regularly that are open.” It too reminded families that “if a Des-

ert Vista student is caught destroying or stealing school property from our campus, we will take full documentary actions to include restitution and law enforcement involvement.” As a result of the restrictions, long lines of students waiting to use bathrooms have been reported. Moreover, at a time when districts are encouraging students to be more attentive to hygiene to combat COVID-19, numerous parents have posted that their children complain is no soap in school bathrooms because the dispensers had been taken. “Bathrooms are closed at Akimel as well,” wrote the parent of a child in Kyrene Akimel A-al Middle School. “My daughter said kids are going to start bringing their own soap. Who steals soap during a pandemic?” Kyrene spokeswoman Erin Helm did not mention Akimel, but said the K-8 Kyrene Traditional Academy has been hit, along with the grades 6-8 Altadeña and Pueblo middle schools, adding that officials were “temporarily limiting bathroom use at Altadeña.” Gilbert Public Schools spokeswoman Dawn Astestenis said, “There have been some issues related to this TikTok challenge at a few of our secondary schools. Earlier this week our schools reached out to our parents and families with communications regarding this.” But she declined to elaborate. Scottsdale Unified spokeswoman Susan Norman confirmed schools there also were confronted by vandalism but did not offer specifics. Virtually no East Valley district had any cost estimates on the damage or, like Gilbert and Mesa, did not respond to questions about it. Nor has the vandalism been brought to the attention of governing boards in public meetings over the past month. Beyond Arizona, some reports say vandals are stealing anything from microscopes to “principal only” parking signs and even buttons to open the disabled toilet. One TikTok user posted a video on the social media site showing an assistant

see TIKTOK page 16

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CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

Parsons’ generosity shines on McDowell Conservancy

invasive species control, ecological restoration, conservation of native species, and long-term monitoring and preservation projects.” The Conservancy said it “has transformed from a land conservation organization into a leading scientific research and educa-

tion institution” and that its work “has farreaching implications with findings and solutions that have the potential to positively impact arid lands on a global scale.” It said the Parsons’ grant will support several key initiatives including: • Wildfire mitigation focusing on fire-safe practices, partnerships with the local fire department and research on hazardous vegetation; • Soil crust restoration work to find new methods to lessen dust storms and the related respiratory issues they cause; • Protecting biodiversity through monitoring, research, conservation and education; • And ongoing and expanded education and outreach including the development of a K-12 STEAM curriculum. “We are grateful for the generous support of the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation,” said Conservancy CEO Justin Owen. “Their partnership will allow us to not only continue our education programs for children in underserved communities but expand and share our scientific research with those in similar environments around the world.” Several Conservancy programs engage students “in immersive experiences that highlight the importance of protecting the environment” and it hopes to expand these programs and create a full STEAM curriculum.

“Each and every one of us has a duty to be a good steward of our natural surroundings,” said Renee Parsons, president and executive creative director of PXG Apparel. “The McDowell Sonoran Conservancy is doing incredible work in teaching others to respect this beautiful space and leading research that will help ensure its long-term preservation.” Founded in 2012, the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation says it “offers critical funding at critical times to those in need.” Earlier this year it gave a $439,000 multi-year grant to Maggie’s Place, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting homeless pregnant women and their children by providing shelter, developmental and educational programming, parent and child enrichment courses, and ongoing services to help women achieve self-sufficiency. “Homelessness is heartbreaking in any capacity, but it is even more difficult when it comes to expectant women and their children,” said Renee Parsons. “Maggie’s Place is building stronger families by giving new mothers a place to feel safe during and after their pregnancy as they work toward building a new life for themselves and their children,” she added. A 2013 grant from the Parsons Foundation enabled in 2013 to open its fourth facility.

exposed to on the job. They also have higher rates of depression and are at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder. After examining mortality patterns and cancer incidence among a group of U.S. career firefighters, researchers for the U.S. Fire Administration found that firefighters had higher than normal rates of cancers of the respiratory, digestive and urinary systems and have a rate of mesothelioma two times greater than the rate in the U.S. population as a whole. Contaminants include combustion byproducts such as benzene and formaldehyde, and materials in debris such as asbestos from older structures, the Fire Administration said “The Your Call program aims to address these issues holistically with a focus on both body and mind,” the city

said in the release. “We are committed to the overall health and safety of our firefighters,” said Scottsdale Fire Chief Tom Shannon. “This program not only focuses on the physical health of our firefighters, but also their mental health. We are excited to offer the Your Call program to put our firefighters on a path to a healthier life and a more secure future.” “Firefighters put their lives on the line every day to protect us, our families and our communities, so it’s important that we protect their health in return,” said Rodgers Wilson, M.D., medical director for Cigna in Arizona. “The Your Call program is a proactive approach to health care that provides behavioral screening and clinical testing that can help prevent and detect potential lifethreatening illnesses before symptoms may even occur.”

The collaborative effort includes HonorHealth, which has four primary care doctors dedicated to the program. At the first appointment, they run a series of tests at no cost to the patient that evaluate the unique health risks that firefighters face. This establishes a baseline so that results can be tracked over time. Depending on the results, doctors guide the firefighter on a specific care path. Testing and screening results are confidential and do not affect a firefighter’s fit-for-duty status. Captain Brian Dutcher, a paramedic and pilot program participant, noted that the Your Call program is especially beneficial to younger firefighters. “They can start early, track their health year over year, and then hopefully retire

PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

he Bob and Renee Parson Foundation has awarded a $1.5 million multi-year grant to the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. The grant, which will continue the work of The Parsons Field Institute, brings to $2.35 million the total funding the Conservancy has received from the foundation since 2014. The Conservancy describes itself as “the steadfast steward” of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve’s 30,500 acres and 225 miles of trails that make it the largest urban preserve in North America and a magnet for 1.2 million visitors annually. “One of Arizona’s most spectacular landscapes, the Sonoran Desert is home to an incredible variety of plant and animal life,” said Bob Parsons, founder and CEO of PXG Apparel. “It is critically important we do our part to better understand and protect this natural resource.” The Conservancy also works to improve management practices in ecological restoration – which includes controlling invasive, non-native plant species and assessing the impact of stresses on desert land caused by urban life and climate change. The Parsons Field Institute describes its work as providing “solutions to regional

Bob and Renee Parson’s grant will enable the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy to address several key areas in its ongoing work. (Progress ﬁle photo)

New health program rolls out for Scottsdale �ire�ighters PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

cottsdale has launched a program to protect the health and well-being of its firefighters. In a collaboration with Cigna, its health benefits provider, the city has launched “Your Call,” a program that “provides preventive care and specialized screening tests to promote good health and to help identify potential health issues early,” according to a release. The city noted that firefighters around the world “face significant on-the-job emotional stressors and physical risks that can take a toll on their overall well-being.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said cancer is the leading cause of death among firefighters, and they are at a higher risk for certain types of cancer because of the variety of chemicals they are

see FIREMEN page 9

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

$2.2B poured into county for homeless help BY BALIN OVERSTOLZ-MCNAIR Cronkite News

ince the pandemic’s beginning in March 2020, Maricopa County has received more than $2.2 billion in federal relief funds to help the Maricopa Association of Governments and other organizations combat homelessness and stabilize the housing market for vulnerable populations. Some of those funds will go to creating specialized homeless shelters and more temporary housing, with the help of nonprofit organizations around metro Phoenix. Maricopa is the fastest growing county

FIREMEN from page 8

healthy,” Dutcher said. Dutcher also noted that the program provides specific guidance tailored to the needs of the individual firefighter. “You walk away with something tangible. For example, if you have back pain, you get advice on how to improve your physi-

in the country, and its homeless populations also are growing, according to the 2020 Point-in-Time Count. “The influx of federal money has allowed us to think outside the box, thinking of ways we can serve people in different areas,” said Nicky Stevens, regional homelessness program manager for the Maricopa Association of Governments, known as MAG. “We have been working alongside with municipalities on hotels, temporary shelters.” The MAG Continuum of Care Committee, which organizes regional initiatives to end homelessness, now is focused on a housing-first approach to the problem. Its goal cal strength and minimize the risk of back injury.” Engineer and paramedic Nick Pajic, Jr., appreciates the program’s holistic approach to health and well-being. “Wearing all of that heavy equipment really takes a toll on a firefighter’s body, and the job requires a lot of mental focus in addition to physical strength. Rest is also im-

is to get those experiencing homelessness off the streets as soon as possible. The committee also is working with landlords and nonprofits, including Homeward Bound and United Methodist Outreach Ministries, known as UMOM, to put people in homes and reduce the unsheltered homeless population. More than 3,700 people are unsheltered, representing slightly over half the total homeless population in the Phoenix area, according to the 2020 Point-in-Time Count. MAG considers anyone living on the streets or “other places not meant for human habitation” to be unsheltered. The annual headcount was not conductportant to staying healthy,” Pajic said. Pajic noted that Your Call is personalized and focused on safety and health improvement, which makes it appealing to firefighters. “The fit-for-duty exam is stressful because firefighters are worried about losing their ability to do the job they love. But Your Call is all about how to get better,

ed in 2021 because of the pandemic and concerns about working with vulnerable populations. A significant contributor to homelessness in the Valley is the lack of affordable housing, which Stevens called the committee’s biggest challenge. Low wages also are a problem. “One of the assumptions about homeless people is that they don’t work, and that’s just not true,” Stevens said. “They don’t make enough to afford any of the apartment communities currently in the region.”

see HOMELESS page 11

how to build core strength. My exam was focused on me as a person and helped me with practical advice, like tips on proper lifting,” Pajic said. Cigna is hop23ing to broaden the program “to other firefighters throughout the United States, and possibly adapt it to meet the needs of other first responders,” Wilson said.

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

‘Half-Cent Tax III’ to fund East Valley roads BY TOM SCANLON Tribune Managing Editor

sked what part of the Valley he lives in, John Bullen answered, “central.” Smart move. Bullen, transportation economic and finance program manager for the Maricopa Association of Governments, probably would hear cries of “favoritism!” from the East Valley if he lived on the west side, or vice versa. Splitting it down the middle is probably a wise choice for a key player in how billions of dollars or transportation improvements will be spent. MAG decides where the asphalt gets poured, but not without “vigorous input.” On Sept. 14, Bullen gave a presentation to the PHX East Valley Partnership on some key information. On Nov. 2, 2004, Maricopa County voters passed Proposition 400, authorizing a 20-year continuation of the half-cent sales tax for transportation projects in Maricopa County. Though some were added in later years, most of those projects were outlined in the MAG Regional Transportation Plan. And, though Prop 400 doesn’t expire for another three-plus years, MAG is eager to line up what can be called “Half-Cent Tax III.” Bullen told the Partnership Critical Infrastructure and Transportation Committee – led by Jack Sellers, Kevin Olson and Bill Garfield – that the latest version of the Regional Transportation Plan is “near and dear to MAG’s heart.” On June 22, MAG’s Transportation Policy Committee recommended approval of the draft investment plan, which the MAG Regional Council approved two days later. Sellers, chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, is vice chair of the MAG transportation committee, which also includes Mesa Mayor John Giles, Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke (chair of the committee) and Tempe Mayor Corey Woods. “We are the region’s planning organization; responsible for a long-range transportation plan,” Bullen noted. He said Proposition 300, the original half-cent sales tax passed by voters in 1985, funded the Loop 202. Its successor, Prop 400, put up money for the light rail, the beginning of State Route 24 and “arte-

The MAG Regional Transportation Plan map shows projects voters will be asked to approve via the next half-cent sales tax. (Special to the Tribune)

rial improvements” in the East Valley. The next transportation proposition (a number has yet to be assigned) will also ask voters for a half-cent sales tax, though Bullen said a 1 cent tax was considered. The biggest difference: MAG and company will be asking voters for a 25-year plan this time. In the “can’t please everyone” department: “32 member agencies (were) trying to figure out what priorities are important across the Valley,” Bullen said. He noted chunks of the East Valley, including Tempe, Chandler and most of Mesa, “are largely built out. They’re in a position of trying to optimize moving people....compared to Queen Creek and east Mesa, they’re still growing, it’s very different.” The next half-cent tax is expected to generate $36.7 billion over 25 years. A big chunk of money, but not nearly

enough to fund what leaders across the Valley seek. Bullen said wish list items total $90 billion —more than three times the available revenue.” He listed a few highlights of what did make the MAG transportation plan: SR 30, an I-10 alternative planned to run through Avondale, Buckeye and Goodyear. I-17 reconstruction. A “full build” of SR 24. A bus lane of Arizona Avenue, from Chandler to Mesa (where it becomes Country Club Drive). Expansion of a streetcar that now serves Tempe, “ultimately going out to the Fiesta Mall,” which is closed. Widening/HOV lanes on the Loop 202/ SanTan Freeway. Bullen said Arizona Legislature must first green-light the plan before it goes to

voters in November 2022. While acknowledging Prop 400 doesn’t expire until 2025, he stressed, “three years is needed to start work on some of those projects, get them queued up.” Sellers chimed in, noting “the plan that was presented to you is a consensus.” And he encouraged people to take a bigpicture view. “When I talked to the Chandler Chamber (of Commerce) last Friday, I pointed out... the SR 30 is important to the East Valley as well. Our commerce flows on the I-10.” Despite Sellers’ take, a quick look at the MAG transportation map seems to show it is heavily weighted on the West Valley side. In an interview, Bullen, who has been with MAG since 2012, said “that map is intended to demonstrate the big capital proj-

see TAX page 11

CITY NEWS

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

TAX from page 10

ects. I think the freeway system in the East Valley is pretty well finished and matured.” Though the splashy, big-price tag projects are on the west side, Bullen noted the East Valley has plenty of transportation improvements in the works. “Where you see investment in the East Valley is bus transit and arterial (roads),” he said. “The plan needed to be balanced throughout the region. Investment is balanced on the west side vs. Phoenix vs. the east side. With this plan we’ve achieved that balance,” Bullen insisted. And, he noted, the plan is hardly set in stone. “Things evolve, as economic development shifts, certainly there will be updates,” Bullen said. For instance, the light rail extension through downtown Mesa was not in the 2004 plan, Bullen said. The public comment period for the Regional Transportation Plan continues through Oct. 13. To comment, or for more information, visit ourmomentumplan.com or azmag.gov.

HOMELESS from page 9

According to rentcafe.com, which tracks rental properties, the average two-bedroom apartment in Phoenix rents for $1,408 a month, which is up 21 percent over the previous year. With uncertainty and legal battles surrounding the expiration of the national eviction moratorium, renters in metro Phoenix will be under even more pressure. In 2019, Samantha Bedford was struggling to find a rent price point that worked for her and her three children. She eventually moved into an apartment, but the experience proved difficult. Nine months after moving in, Bedford was injured in a car accident, which she said prevented her from working her normal number of hours. The property manager was unwilling to make arrangements, Bedford said, and even after she offered to move out by the end of the month, she received an eviction notice despite already being in bankruptcy. A judge would not sign the eviction order because Bedford was in bankruptcy but ordered her and her three young chil-

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homelessness or financial need. Case workers teach residents about budgeting and communication and strive to improve the lives of residents. It’s one of several nonprofit organizations that work with Maricopa County to collect data on and house those experiencing homelessness. Homeward Bound has 76 housing units, which are dwarfed by the more than 3,000 reported unsheltered homeless in the Valley – a number that experts say is likely underreported. Homeward Bound represents one way where the city is trying to combat homelessness: Work with local organizations to better create a regional system that can help house and support the growing homeless population. Bedford, who regularly attends classes with case managers, said she has a better understanding of how to budget money and communicate with her kids. She’s also focusing on going back to school. “I’ve never had to feel like I’m alone,” she said. “I’ve never had to feel like I don’t have support. I’ve never had to feel like there’s something I need that I can’t find a resource for. The staff here has been – I can’t thank them enough.”

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Scottsdale man indicted on $782M in unpaid federal taxes PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

he lawyer for a Scottsdale man indicted for evading more than $782,000 in federal income taxes owed by his multiple home-flipping and home repair businesses isn’t taking the government’s case lying down. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Arizona last week released a redacted grand jury indictment against Ryan C. Patterson, 33, that accused him of misrepresenting his earnings between 2014 and 2016 through a series of businesses that provide flooring, restoration, remodeling and plumbing. The indictment also said Patterson is involved in real estate investing, building homes and renovating old ones and flipping them for a profit. But a response filed last week by attorney Jason Silver wants a judge to order the Internal Revenue Service to provide the particulars of the case because “the indictment is fatally short on details” and wants to “avoid prejudicial surprise at trial.””

The indictment states that in each of the three calendar years, Patterson “did willfully attempt to evade and defeat the income tax…by asking for and receiving checks from clients in which his name, not a business name, was listed as the payee and then deposited these checks into his personal bank accounts instead of his business bank accounts.” But Silver’s petition states, “This allegation is neither an affirmative act of tax evasion nor a crime. “These payments could have been accounts for gross receipts or these payments could be reimbursements or expenses, both of which are non-taxable payments,” it continues, charging the indictment “lacks the material information necessary for Mr. Patterson to adequately defend against the government’s charges.” The indictment accuses Patterson of significantly underreporting his income in each of the three years. For example, it says, Patterson for 2014 claimed a total taxable income of $11,843 and would have owed $4,866

“An indictment must set forth the charges in a plain, concise and deﬁnite written statement describing the essential facts constituting a crime.” when his total taxable income was $672,396 on which he owed $205,987. For 2015, the indictment says, Patterson reported $15,211 in total income for a tax liability of $6,122 when his actual earnings totaled $800,797 and carried a tax bill of $304,341. The IRS also accused Patterson of doing the same thing for 2016, when he reported no income but earned $719,278 and owed a total $272,601. Charging that “the government fails to say what facts support willfulness, which is one of the three elements necessary to convict the defendant for tax evasion,” Silver contends his client can’t prepare to defend himself against a “bare-bones indictment that does not even provide any basis for a crime.” He wants the judge to order federal authorities to show what proof they have

his client willfully did anything wrong and disclose the method used to determine how much he earned and what he owes. “An indictment must set forth the charges in a plain, concise and definite written statement describing the essential facts constituting a crime,” he said. Silver also said that prior to the indictment the government “has produced several thousands of pages of documents” that included bank records, IRS calculations and records of interviews.” But without identifying the elements of any crime, he said, “Mr. Patterson’s constitutional rights should not be subject to finding the proverbial needle in a haystack in the thousands of pages of documents.” The government has not yet responded to Patterson’s filing.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

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PAC from front

The partnership with the Pac-12 is the work of three Arizona entities: Experience Scottsdale, the City of Scottsdale and the Arizona Sports & Entertainment Commission; the result is a major collegiate sporting event that will draw fans from across the west to Old Town. “We all have different roles and capacities in this, but it took a village to make it happen,” said Nikki Balich, executive director of the Arizona Sports & Entertainment Commission. “You can’t just say it was one person. So many people came together for the good of the state and for the good of Scottsdale.” The top eight teams in the Pac-12 standings at the conclusion of the regular season will earn a berth in the double-elimination tournament and the champion receives the Pac-12’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Championship tournament, which culminates in the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. Participating teams will play on grounds that have previously served as the spring training home of the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics before the Giants moved into the stadium in 1984. It also is home to the Arizona Fall League’s Scottsdale Scorpions, a baseball team that has seen the likes of Albert Pujols, Max Scherzer, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge and Michael Jordan – yes, that Michael Jordan. The NBA great was assigned to the Scorpions when he took a two-year hiatus from basketball to pursue his childhood dream of playing big league baseball. Jordan ultimately couldn’t handle a curveball, but it turned out that Scottsdale could. Substantial talks between the Pac-12 and the Scottsdale began in 2019 when the city responded to a request for information sent out by the conference. The hope was to hold the Pac-12 tournament as early as 2020. The Pac-12 is one of the last leagues in the country to hold a conference tournament. “It’s their inaugural tournament, so that was very exciting,” said Erika Pumphrey, senior national sales manager of Experience Scottsdale. “They conducted site visits in February of 2020 with the hope that we would maybe move forward, whether it be 2020 or 2021.” Then the pandemic hit. “The intention was to have this all come

Scottsdale Stadium will host the first Pac-12 Baseball Tournament next May and city tourism officials are giddy over the economic benefits it will bring.

to fruition a lot sooner, but we all had to react and kind of pivot and change the way that we approach things,” said Scottsdale Stadium Supervisor Stephanie Tippett. As the pandemic unfolded, the Arizona Sports & Entertainment Commission shifted its focus. It decided to utilize funds received from the government to help others throughout 2020 and provided 10,000 COVID-19 tests, which were conducted weekly. The commission also brought the men’s and women’s basketball programs from San Jose State and New Mexico State to the Valley to play in a temporary “bubble” because of restrictions in California and New Mexico. Meanwhile, the Pac-12 tournament discussions progressed. “During this whole time, we have talked to the Pac-12, but it sort of went by the wayside because COVID was happening,” Balich said. “While we were doing that stuff, Erika Pumphrey from Experience Scottsdale called me and said, ‘Hey, I just got off the phone with Pac-12. I understand you were talking to them too, and we’re going to pursue this in Scottsdale.’ “She worked on it, then it went by the wayside again because we’re still in COVID. And then all of a sudden it just happened.” Now, the Pac-12 Baseball Tournament will be added to the list of the city’s history of big sporting events. Scottsdale has been home to the Waste Management Phoenix Open since 1987. Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale recently served as site of the NCAA Division I Golf Championships and is scheduled to play

host to the event through 2023. And the Giants annually pack Cactus League fans into Scottsdale Stadium during spring training. “We’ve had a stadium here on this property since the 1960s when the Cactus League was really becoming something big in Arizona,” Tippett said. “We’ve been a part of Major League Baseball and other baseball tournaments ever since, so I think that we’re a natural fit when it comes to hosting baseball events.” On top of watching championship baseball at the stadium, fans will have ease of access to everything the city has to offer. Many of Old Town’s amenities are a short walk or trolley ride away. “We’re urban,” Tippett said. “We fit right into Old Town Scottsdale. You can go to restaurants or art galleries or go down to the entertainment district, and we have a lot of hotel properties nearby. It’s an easy fit for those who want to travel in for the baseball tournament to kind of be all in one place and not have to go very far to enjoy things.” Scottsdale isn’t the only Valley city that is playing host to a championship baseball event. The Western Athletic Conference plays its conference championship tournament at Mesa’s Hohokam Stadium, the spring training home of the Oakland Athletics. Those involved in bringing the Pac-12 tournament to Scottsdale hope to create “Championship May” for college baseball fans. “It is vitally important to have people like the Pac-12 in our state because it attracts other organizations to come in,” Balich said. “If the Pac-12 trusts us, other

people can trust us.” For now, the Pac-12 Baseball Tournament will bring that traffic to Scottsdale Stadium and help those working at the facility. “You will see a typical dip in eventrelated activity as you go into May,” Tippett said. “It’s really important to drive additional traffic into the facility so that those folks can stay working, and that’s everywhere from our cleaning staff to our food and beverage providers to the vendors that will be on site. It just keeps them working throughout the year with more consistent work.” As a result, the city’s economy as a whole will see a boost after what has been a difficult couple of years due to COVID-19. “It’s very attractive for the hotels, especially now through the pandemic, to be able to recharge and recreate some areas of opportunity within tourism,” Pumphrey said. “Not just through jobs but also overall economic impact – from the restaurants, from some of the art galleries, some of the golf and the spas that may have been impacted by COVID. We’re elated in the fact that we’re able to not only bring jobs but just some economic impact to the destination.” It was a collaborative effort between the three Arizona entities, and it could be the start of a long-term relationship with the Pac-12. “We hope that once they come here, we’re able to execute the event to their standards and above what they’re hoping to expect not only for their players and the Pac-12 but their fans and create an annual event that stays in Scottsdale,” Pumphrey said. “That’s our overall goal: to welcome people to what Scottsdale is able to do and showcase for these types of events and create long-lasting partnerships.” According to Pumphrey, if all goes according to plan, the Pac-12 Baseball Tournament will put a nationwide spotlight on Scottsdale the same way that the Fiesta Bowl football game does for Arizona. In the end, while fans can look forward to championship baseball and high-level hospitality, the city and the commission look forward to bringing an overall positive impact to Old Town Scottsdale. “I love helping people,” Balich said. “It just makes me happy. That’s how important this is. We’ve had such a hard two years, but this is going to be awesome.”

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

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DOWNTOWN from front

and make them accessible to the police. While not required, most clubs downtown have surveillance cameras these days, though many staff members may not know it or realize it is recorded. Those records can be key evidence if an incident occurs. Another proposed change would require all security staff to wear clearly marked clothing. “Unmarked or poorly marked security personnel have regularly led to problems for us,” Walther told council on Aug. 24. “Somebody puts their hands on (a patron). They can’t see security or anything on that person. “They think they are being attacked and now a fight ensues and it really winds up being with staff and when that person doesn’t know it’s staff they just think they are being attacked by some random person.” The revisions would also require clubs to maintain the lines of patrons waiting to enter. Those lines can reach so long they block traffic and pedestrians. Lines to get into clubs can run well over 50 people and overall club crowds can reach as high as 15,000 people in the downtown area on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. “As you see, the clubs get more and more popular. I didn’t think that was possible yet they continue to be very, very popular here, this is the place to come, it’s very vibrant, it’s very exciting so now what we’re seeing is lines and some very long lines,” Walther told the council. The updates would also require clubs to make it clear who is in charge at clubs. “What we’ve found over the last eight years (is) it to be difficult on occasion when we have an incident to find who is really a controlling person in the busi-

TIKTOK from page 6

principal parking sign he stole. “First month of school and I already hit this absolutely despicable lick” he posted alongside the video of the sign. The video has over 20,000 views, has a range of comments congratulating the teenager – and a whopping 9.7 million views, according to The Sun newspaper’s American edition. Atlanta CBS 46 reported that a student

Many Scottsdale night clubs have security staff trained by Scottsdale Police. (YouTube)

Scottsdale Police Chief Jeff Walther told City Council that the downtown safety plan is "near and dear to my heart." (YouTube)

ness, who is running things, and so this tightens that up a little bit for us to be able to identify those folks.”

in one Fulton County, Georgia, school tried to rip a urinal from the wall. ByteDance, the China-based company that owns that owns TikTok, did not respond to the Progress’ request for an interview. But CBS 46 said the TikTok spokesperson said, “We expect our community to stay safe and create responsibly, and we do not allow content that promotes or enables criminal activities. We are removing this content and redirecting

The proposed ordinance changes would also introduce a number of definitions to key wording of the public safety plan to make enforcement easier. They also would require club staffers to attend any court hearing involving an incident that happened in their facility. The original ordinance was created in 2013 when a security guard at the Martini Ranch was stabbed to death. It primarily requires one security staff for every 50 people in the club for the first 500 patrons and one additional security officer per 75 after that during peak hours, which are generally 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday. It also requires off-duty police officers be hired by venues once a certain number of public safety incidents. While security was “hit or miss” prior to the ordinance, the net result was security staff at most clubs that were primarily trained by the police.

hashtags and search results to our community guidelines to discourage such behavior.” Those guidelines detail a range of forbidden criminal and abusive behaviors but do not specifically identify stealing and vandalism among them. TikTok in the past has removed and forbidden posts that involve so-called teen challenges that have resulted in serious injury. Most recently, it banned the so-called

“We’ve had a great deal of success with this simply because as what we found prior to this was the violence was happening in the clubs,” Walther said. “When a violent incident is inside the club, that usually brings in a whole bunch of other people (who) jump into the mix and we wound up seeing more injuries, more arrests more problems inside the club,” he continued, adding that “sending my folks into a club where there is a massive brawl is very dangerous for the officers responding to that.” He said now that his department is training security staffers, “what we see is that something will occur inside, their staff has gotten very good at getting the offending person outside. And then it gets ugly out front but we’re out front or we get called to the front where we have a little bit more room to maneuver and a little bit more flexibility.” There would be at least three public hearings and police would meet with club owners as well before changes to the ordinance could go into effect. While Walther calls the downtown “controlled chaos” on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, he insists it is safe. “Absolutely,” he said. Capputi pointed out the downtown is a growth area that brings in millions of dollars in revenue for the city. She wants to see a downtown that services club goers as well as families and older patrons as well. “I want it to be a year-round destination center,” she said. Councilwoman Solange Whitehead said it’s important to keep the entertainment district’s reputation intact. “Our vibrant downtown, I think the biggest threat to that is to have it have an image of a dangerous downtown,” she said. “crate challenge” where kids were encouraged to stack milk crates into a pyramid formation and then try to climb them from one side to the other without falling. But challengers often fell, some incurring broken limbs. One parent who posted to a Facebook thread about the vandalism, however, offered perhaps a more effective antidote to the crime wave. She said she won’t let her daughter add TikTok to her phone.

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Needle exchange program starting in county BY GIANLUCA D’ELIA Cronkite News

or about a year, Jaclyn Brown has been training volunteers for a needle exchange program that works with drug users in Maricopa County. One of the first things she has told her helpers is the work they signed up for could be considered a felony in Arizona. Soon, Brown and other volunteers won’t face any risk of arrest – and neither will those seeking the materials they distribute. Arizona lawmakers in May passed legislation with bipartisan support legalizing syringe access programs. The law takes effect Sept. 28. Exchanges provide sterile syringes, dispose of used needles and connect individuals with other resources or medical care, such as testing for HIV and hepatitis C. About 30 states allow such programs, and research shows that they’re safe, effective and helpful in reducing the transmission of viral infections through contaminated needles. For groups like Shot in the Dark in Maricopa County, the law doesn’t bring drastic changes, but it does lay out some specific guidelines. For example, the number of needles disposed of through an exchange program must be equivalent to the number of needles distributed. Exchanges also will be required to distribute needles for free and provide access to overdose reversal medication as well as educational materials on blood-borne diseases and substance abuse treatment. Brown joined Shot in the Dark last summer as its volunteer coordinator, motivated by the loss of her brother, Marc Kane, who died from a heroin overdose in November 2018 at age 29. The resources Shot in the Dark offers – such as clean needles, safe injection kits and the overdose reversal medication naloxone – could have been a lifeline for her brother, whose addiction began with opioids prescribed for pain after a car accident, Brown said. “After my brother died, I didn’t care what people thought of us or our family, and I didn’t care about the stigma of it

The nonprofit group Shot in the Dark offers safe injection kits at its needle exchange sites. The kits typically include clean needles, alcohol wipes, swabs and tourniquets. (Gianluca D’Elia/Cronkite News)

substance use disorder hard,” Robert Redfield, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a statement imploring Americans “to take care of people suffering from unintended consequences.” Dozens of programs statewide have long been facilitating clean needle exchanges, despite the potential consequences. In Phoenix, Brown said, Shot in the Dark has faced no legal issues aside from occasional trespassing complaints Jaclyn Brown, volunteer coordinator at Shot in the Dark, or being asked to leave said that one of the greatest challenges clean-needle exproperties where volunchanges face is the misconception that they enable drug teers set up exchanges. use. (Gianluca D’Elia/Cronkite News) LifePoint, a needle exanymore,” she said. “I’m just going to help change program foundpeople how I can, so no one has to ever go ed by the Pima County Health Departthrough what we went through.” ment, was among the first in Arizona to The law comes as drug overdose deaths offer this form of harm reduction. The increased 30 percent across the U.S. last program was founded in 1996 as the nayear, and 32 percent in Arizona, in large tion battled HIV and AIDS. part because of the pandemic. Miguel Soto, HIV program coordinator “The disruption to daily life due to the in Pima County, has been involved in the COVID-19 pandemic has hit those with needle exchange since 1999 and has ad-

vised other Arizona organizations that followed in its footsteps. Participation by behavioral health organizations, nonprofits and public health departments can boost support for such programs among the public, law enforcement and politicians, he said. The new law decriminalizing the programs protects employees, volunteers and participants from possession charges. Soto said he hopes the legal recognition will lead to state and federal government funding for needle exchanges. Local, state and tribal health departments have been permitted to use federal funding to support syringe programs but not to specifically buy needles or syringes. Rita Leal, from Shot in the Dark, said legalization will provide more legitimacy for exchanges and potentially help programs expand services and locations. “We’ve been trying to ask people to use their parking lots – and this is when a business was closed – but they were so scared of the liability of what we were doing,” she said. “So now if it’s like, ‘Hey, it’s legal. Your governor signed this.’ … I think people will be more receptive.” The future work of needle exchanges will likely be about more than just needles. Overdose deaths from synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, have spiked across the country. The governor signed legislation this year to remove fentanyl testing products from the state’s list of illegal drug paraphernalia. Exchange volunteers said they’ll adapt their services as substance use evolves. Leal said people are more likely to turn to pills, sometimes placing them on pieces of foil, lighting them from the bottom and inhaling the smoke with a straw. Shot in the Dark provides items like straws and foil to avoid reuse. Regardless of the drug, Brown said, one of the greatest challenges exchanges face is the misconception that they enable drug use. “Before Shot in the Dark existed, people were doing drugs. People have done drugs. They’re going to do it regardless,” she said. “But if we can be there and help them, and they don’t have to reuse, (they) have naloxone, whatever it may be – why not be there?”

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Scottsdale revising trash, recyclable pickups BY J. GRABER Progress Staff Writer

rowth in Scottsdale has been a hot button issue for years and now it’s impacting garbage and recycling collections. The city is updating trash and recycling truck routes Nov. 1 for most of Scottsdale’s residential customers. “More people produce more trash,” Scottsdale city spokeswoman Erin Walsh said. “It’s one of those services that people don’t want to think about. They just want their trash to go away.” Residents who do not have a change in collection days may see a difference in collection times due to route changes. Trash and recycling containers should be placed on the street with wheels against the curb by 5 a.m. on collection days or the night before is even better. To find your new day and time, go to scottsdaleaz.gov and put “collection day” in the This graphic illustrates changes coming for Scottsdale’s search bar or call 480- trash and recyclables collections. (City of Scottsdale) 312-5353. will be picked up five days s week The city has 32 collection trucks used for residential across the city. It will also minimize the number service. Each truck can service between 400 of times trucks have to circle back to and 500 homes on a recycling route certain neighborhoods. The city has not updated its trash with an average weight of about 9,000 and recycling truck routes in 20 years. pounds per load. “We’re changing everywhere,” Walsh On a trash route, a truck can service about 400 homes with an average said. “We’re growing in the north, but we are also becoming a lot denser in load weight of about 17,000 pounds. The new routes will mean recycling the older parts of the city.”

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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

Scottsdale senator reports threat over election audit BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services

Republican state senator from Scottsdale who has backed away from the election audit she once supported is now the victim of at least one threat. “You have one chance to give the American people the Audit report or were coming for you’’ said an email sent Sept. 9 to Sen. Michelle UgentiRita, R-Scottsdale, from someone identified as “Matt Boster.’’ “We know where you live, we know where you get your groceries and we know where your family lives,’’ the message said. “You better do the right thing or your going to feel the consequences.’’ Ugenti-Rita, who reposted the message Sept. 10 on Twitter, said it has been turned over to law enforcement. “My family’s safety is my #1 priority and I will NOT tolerate anyone going after me or my family,’’ she said. But the senator said she expects “threats like this’’ to continue because of what she calls “misinformation and the unmet expectations of the public surrounding the audit.’’ She did not return calls seeking further comment. Ugenti-Rita incurred the wrath of many of those who believe the election was stolen after she changed her mind about the audit. The senator said she backed the idea when it was first proposed after Joe Biden outpolled Donald Trump in Arizona by 10,457 votes statewide, winning the state’s 11 electoral votes. That included the Democrat getting 45,109 more votes than the Republican incumbent in Maricopa County. All that changed, she said, amid questions about how the audit was being conducted, including the hiring by Senate President Karen Fann of Cyber Ninjas, a firm that had never done similar work. “Sadly, it’s now become clear that the audit has been botched,’’ Ugenti-Rita

said in a Twitter post in July. “The total lack of competence by Fann over the last five moths has deprived the voters of Arizona a comprehensive accounting of the 2020 election,’’ she continued. “That’s inexcusable, but it shows what can happen when Republicans do not take election integrity seriously.’’ She also came under fire for refusing to support a proposal by Sen. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, that essentially was a wish list of fixes the Mesa lawmaker said needed to be made in how elections are administered. For example, the amendment brought up during Senate debate sought to set up a procedure for county or state prosecutors to get involved when there is an inconsistency between someone’s signature on an early ballot and what is on file with the county recorder. It also dealt with a requirement that people who register to vote in Arizona must cancel their registration in the state from which they moved. And it provided that anyone who votes at a polling place get a paper receipt showing their ballot has been accepted. But Ugenti-Rita said many of these issues never got a public airing in the Government Committee which she chairs and she said it makes little sense to make massive changes in election laws now, before the Senate-ordered audit is completed and recommendations are made for necessary fixes to the law. Her refusal left Townsend’s amendment without sufficient votes for approval. Ugenti-Rita, who is running for secretary of state, said she has supported measure to protect election integrity. In a prepared statement, Fann said threats on lawmakers are “completely unacceptable,’’ regardless of their position on the audit. “I understand passions run high on the issue of voter integrity,’’ the Senate president said. “But personal attacks and threats of violence cross the line.’’

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Horses at risk of slaughter offer healing BY ALLISON BROWN Progress Staff Writer

ocal author Alexis Ferri experienced a rough awakening at 17 when volunteering at the Tierra Madre Horse Sanctuary in Cave Creek for community service hours: the abused and abandoned horses that ended up at the sanctuary were the lucky ones. Many horses in that situation end up being sold for slaughter. Horse slaughter has been illegal in the United States for several years, but that doesn’t stop the inhumane act. It was dispersed to Canada and Mexico, where it is still very prevalent. “I learned, 12 years ago (when volunteering), that horses with nowhere else to go were rounded up by people called ‘kill buyers’ who buy them from unsuspecting people or people who just want to get rid of their horses and don’t care, and ship them over the borders,” Ferri said. “So, that was my awakening to the fact that it is very real, and it’s a very rampant problem here in the U.S.” Ferri said she was always a horse girl,

John Gath founded the Tierra Madre Horse Sanctuary in 2005. (YouTube)

and was so impacted by her time volunteering, that she stayed with the sanctuary and eventually became executive director of the nonprofit. Her memoir, “Toward Sunrise,” tells a touching story of her work advocating to stop horse slaughter, the day-to-day cha-

os of a working ranch, caring for abused horses and how the horses ended up saving her as much as she saved them. “I walked in there severely depressed, 17 years old, not wanting to be alive anymore. I looked around and saw these horses who had been through hell, too,

and saw they still live with hope and wanted to be alive and wanted to live in the moment. So, I thought, if they can do that, I guess I can, too.” The organization was founded by Jim Gath in 2005. It was initially a boarding facility, but when people could no longer take care of their horses (especially during the 2008 recession), they would call Gath and ask him to take ownership. Thus, the Tierra Madre Horse Sanctuary was born. The idea was to offer a safe place for senior, ill, injured, abused or neglected horses. Unlike a rescue or rehabilitation center, the horses that come to the sanctuary are there to stay for life. However, the organization recently changed their name to “Tierra Madre Horse and Human Sanctuary” after seeing the positive impact the horses had on volunteers and visitors. “Over the years, volunteers came up to us saying, ‘This place saved my life.’ We’ve started welcoming groups to the organization and we’ve worked really closely with

see HORSE page 25

Scottsdale girl stars in ‘Junie B’ sequel

PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

en-year-old Anna Scales doesn’t get in trouble very often. The Scottsdale fifth grader is pretty good at following the rules, like keeping her room clean and completing her homework on time. But as one of two performers playing the title role of Junie B. in the Arizona premier of “Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School,” Anna is trying on a different personality for size. The new musical, produced by Limelight Performing Arts in Gilbert, is based on the bestselling books by Barbara Park and

ANNA SCALES

shares the saga of the wisecracking Junie B. – a self-appointed expert on all things first grade – who is determined to write the ultimate guide to school. The production features a cast of 16 young performers. Anna said, “I like playing Junie B. because she is so fun and has a great sense of humor.” “Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School” is the hilarious and heartwarming follow-up to "Junie B. Jones, The Musical.” The show uses high-energy music and comedic dialogue to take audiences through a series of stresses and mishaps as precocious Junie confronts the challenges of first grade – and gets in a lot of trouble along the way.

“One of my favorite lessons of the show is that Junie B. learns how to control her anger when things aren’t going her way,” said director Rio Chavez. “She faces her anger head on by learning to control El Toro Fabuloso, the bull who lives in her stomach, and learns to turn her frustrations into successful solutions.” Young audiences will see a version of themselves in the over-the-top, slapstick characters of Junie B. and her friends. And people of all ages will appreciate the show’s lessons: that everyone makes mistakes,

see LIMELIGHT page 25

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LIMELIGHT �� page 24

why it’s important to own up and how nobody is ever done learning. “Our goal with this production is to teach the children of our community that it’s okay to make mistakes,” added Chavez. “Even ‘when things go wrong,’ with a little effort, ‘you can make things right.’” “It’s a great opportunity for kids to see that we are always learning and growing – even when it’s an uncomfortable and challenging process,” said Emma England, the show’s choreographer and Limelight’s artistic director. For England, it’s also a chance to show off the sizable talent in “Junie B.’s” small cast. “It’s always such a surprise for audiences when young performers put on a very strong show,” she said. “The kids in this cast really hold their own and bring so much talent to the stage. I think people will be blown away by what the ‘Junie B.’ cast has created.” Added Chavez, “We have a wonderful group of actors who are as dedicated as they are talented. These kids bring vibrance and life to their characters while showing a level of professionalism that is well beyond their years.”

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Anna is grateful for the opportunity. “The best part of the show is the friendships I have made,” she said. “Being on stage performing is the best feeling.” Among the skills they’re learning are iconic dance moves from the 1990s. “We wanted to stay true to the time period of the books,” said England. “That means learning the Roger Rabbit and Hammer Time. The kids are absolutely crushing it! Everything in this show features styling from the 90s, including lots of bright colors in the set and costumes.” And there are bonuses for England, too. “I love the way Savannah and Anna work together,” she said. “I’ve never seen two kids who are so supportive of one another.” The other performer in the lead role is Savannah Springer of Mesa. Six weeks since the cast list was posted, Limelight is ready to open the show. “Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School” runs from Sept. 24 to Oct. 2 at the Studio 3 Artspace Theatre, 511 W. Guadalupe Road in Gilbert. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at limelight.ticketleap.com. Limelight is also producing a “Page to Stage” storytime version for young children ages 2-7 and their parents.

HORSE �� page 24

the Southwest Autism Resource center,” Ferri said. “One of our volunteers was a teacher for a special ed class, so she started bringing her students and we realized the horses were healing people and making a difference in so many people’s lives. We realized it was a circle of healing, where we’re healing the horses and they’re healing the humans too.” Ferri credits the horses for saving her just as much, or even more, than she has helped save them. “We had a horse who was severely abused, and he was so horrifically abused by humans that he attacked everybody who came through. He was just so terrified of people,” Ferri said. “In interacting with him, I saw so much of my own experience. I’m an emotional abuse survivor and a sexual assault survivor. “I saw the walls he put up around him and I just saw my own. That sense of understanding and seeing my own struggles of a horse really helped me heal. I don’t know if I helped to heal his heart, but he definitely healed mine.” Seeing the level of connection and emotional understanding horses have

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with humans makes the threat of horse slaughter even more appalling. Buyers bring them to Canada or Mexico, where slaughter is legal. Horse meat is considered a delicacy in Asia, Eastern Europe and Mexico. Ferri said horses aren’t raised for human consumption. Bute, a common medicine given to horses, can stay in the muscle tissue for years and is toxic to humans. According to Ferri, most people have no idea horse slaughter is still a problem, and she hopes “Toward Sunrise” will help draw awareness to the issue and show that people have options if they can no longer take care of their horse. However, as much as Tierra Madre wants to help, the number of horses they can take in is limited by finances. During the economic uncertainty of COVID-19, Ferri said the sanctuary saw an increase in folks wanting to turn over their horses. In the last year, during the pandemic, the sanctuary could only take in three. Visit their website at bit.ly/tierramadredonations to donate funds or sponsor a horse. Additionally, when the book is purchased from her website alexisroecknerferri.com, 10 percent of profits will go toward the sanctuary.

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(Continued from previous page)

hold on to them,’” Lynne said. “Now that the State of Arizona Restricted Bank Rolls are being offered up we won’t be surprised if thousands of Arizona residents claim the maximum limit allowed of 4 Bank Rolls per resident before they’re all gone,” said Lynne. “That’s because after the Bank Rolls were loaded with 15 rarely seen Silver Walking Liberties, each verified to meet a minimum collector grade of very good or above, the dates and mint marks of the U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Walking Liberty Half Dollars sealed away inside the State of Arizona Restricted Bank Rolls have never been searched. But, we do know that some of these coins date clear back to the early 1900’s and are worth up to 100 times their face value, so there is no telling what Arizona residents will find until they sort through all the coins,” Lynne went on to say. And here’s the best part. If you are a resident of the state of Arizona you cover only the $39 per coin state minimum set by the National Mint and Treasury, that’s fifteen rarely seen U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Walking Liberties worth up to 100 times their face value for just $585 which is a real steal because non state residents must pay $118 per coin which totals $1,770 if any coins remain after the 2-day deadline. The only thing Arizona residents need to do is call the State Toll-Free Hotlines printed in today’s newspaper publication before the 2-day order deadline ends. “Rarely seen U.S. Gov’t issued silver coins like these are highly sought after, but we’ve never seen anything like this before. According to The Official Red Book, a Guide Book of United States Coins many Silver Walking Liberty Half Dollars are now worth $40 $825 each in collector value,” Lynne said. “We’re guessing thousands of Arizona residents will be taking the maximum limit of 4 Bank Rolls because they make such amazing gifts for any occasion for children, parents, grandparents, friends and loved ones,” Lynne continued. “We know the phones will be ringing off the hook. That’s why hundreds of Hotline Operators are standing by to answer the phones beginning at 8:30 am this morning. We’re going to do our best, but with just 2 days to answer all the calls it won’t be easy. So make sure to tell everyone to keep calling if all lines are busy. We’ll do our best to answer them all.” Lynne said. The only thing readers of today’s newspaper publication need to do is make sure they are a resident of the state of Arizona and call the National Toll-Free Hotlines before the 2-day deadline ends midnight tomorrow. ■

HOW TO CLAIM THE LAST STATE RESTRICTED BANK ROLLS FACTS:

If you are a Arizona State Resident read the important information below about claiming the State Silver Bank Rolls, then call the State Toll-Free Hotline at 8:30 am: 1-800-979-3771 EXT: RWB2069

Are these Silver Walking Liberties worth more than other half dollars:

Yes. These U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Walking Liberties were minted in the early 1900’s and will never be minted again. That makes them extremely collectible. The vast majority of half dollars minted after 1970 have no silver content at all and these Walking Liberties were one of the last silver coins minted for circulation. That’s why many of them now command hundreds in collector value so there’s no telling how much they could be worth in collector value someday.

How much are State Restricted Walking Liberty Silver Bank Rolls worth:

It’s impossible to say, but some of these U.S Gov’t issued Walking Liberties dating back to the early 1900’s are worth up to 100 times the face value and there are 15 in each Bank Roll so you better hurry if you want to get your hands on them. Collector values always fluctuate and there are never any guarantees. But we do know they are the only Arizona State Silver Bank Rolls known to exist and Walking Liberties are highly collectible so anyone lucky enough to get their hands on these Silver Bank Rolls should hold onto them because there’s no telling how much they could be worth in collector value someday.

Why are so many Arizona residents claiming them:

Because they are the only State Restricted Walking Liberty Silver Bank Rolls known to exist and everyone wants their share. Each Bank Roll contains a whopping 15 Silver Walking Liberties dating back to the early 1900’s some worth up to 100 times their face value. Best of all Arizona residents are guaranteed to get them for the state minimum set by the National Mint and Treasury of just $39 per Silver Walking Liberty for the next two days.

How do I get the State Restricted Walking Liberty Silver Bank Rolls:

Arizona residents are authorized to claim up to the limit of 4 State Restricted Walking Liberty Silver Bank Rolls by calling the State Toll Free Hotline at 1-800-979-3771 Ext. RWB2069 starting at precisely 8:30 am this morning. Everyone who does is getting the only State Restricted Walking Liberty Silver Bank Rolls known to exist. That’s a full Bank Roll containing 15 Silver Walking Liberties from the early 1900’s some worth up to 100 times their face value for just the state minimum set by the National Mint and Treasury of just $39 per Silver Walking Liberty, which is just $585 for the full Bank Rolls and that’s a real steal because non state residents are not permitted to call before 5 pm tomorrow and must pay $1,770 for each Arizona State Restricted Walking Liberty Silver Bank Roll if any remain. R1043R-2

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Market ‘precarious’ for buyers and sellers, expert says BY PAUL MARYNIAK Progress Executive Editor

“Ordinary home buyers are losing some of their motivation, thanks to prices that are vastly higher than last year. Despite low interest rates, affordability has slipped below the normal range for Greater Phoenix.”

riven by iBuyers and investors that are gobbling up substantial numbers of houses, Valley home buyers and sellers may be entering a disquieting and even “precarious” period while renters are facing a continuing rise in rents, judging by the latest observations by a leading analyst of the Phoenix Metro market. The Cromford Report outlined a series of trends from August sales and listings that likely won’t bring many smiles to anyone but landlords. “Many surprising changes have occurred in the market over the past month,” Cromford said as it reported that the average sale price per square foot soared by 27.9 percent between

This 13,111-square-foot house on E. Rimrock Drive in Scottsdale recently sold for $18.75 million. The six—ensuite-bedroom, eight-bath house, built in 2012, sits on 9 acres and includes a 1,789-square-foot detached guest house. (Special to the Progress)

August 2019 and last month, up from $194.97 to $249.31.

That pushed up the monthly median sales price in the same time period by

23.4 percent, from $325 to $401,000. Several developments in August caught the Cromford Report’s eye, particularly a decline in new listings that appears to have been driven by a spending spree by large investors and iBuyers.

see MARKET page 29

Press Coffee giving day to support autism research BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

s it does every year, Press Coffee will host its Day of Giving Sept. 24 and all profits to a local charity. Press Coffee chose the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center as the beneficiary and its donation will be matched by 12 other businesses. “On that day, open to close, we take all the profits from every location and every order – whether it would be online, via the app or in store – and cut a check for that number to whatever our designated charity is,” said Andrew Robertson, director of retail for Press Coffee, adding that includes “sales from muffins, coffee, bags of brew and anything on presscoffee.com that is part of what customers can buy to contribute.” Even though Press Coffee is known for

Andrew Robertson says Press Coffee’s reputation for giving back to the community not only has helped it grow its brand but also has helped it attract and retain employees. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

its blends of the brew, its philanthropic work has helped its brand grow, Robertson said. “Ever since I came here five years ago, we’ve always had some kind of initiative to give back to the community,” Robertson said. “That’s looked like something as small as dropping off coffee at a teachers union meeting, but the more impact that we’ve found we can make tends to be when we can use our resources and partner with other businesses to get everybody chipping in.” It is also a reason why the company retains its employees. “When I interview new employees, the first thing I ask is what brings them to Press. Almost every employee says that they want to do something that’s community-focused,” Robertson said.

see COFFEE page 30

BUSINESS

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“Ordinary home buyers are losing some of their motivation, thanks to prices that are vastly higher than last year,” Cromford said. “Despite low interest rates, affordability has slipped below the normal range for Greater Phoenix.” The report stated, “If it were not for the activity of investors and iBuyers – and particularly the latter – the market would have cooled during August. This would have been following the trend established since April. “However, iBuyers have purchased so many homes over the last month that they are significantly distorting the market dynamics. These homes are mostly going to be re-marketed shortly, so they will almost certainly increase supply over the coming weeks.” Cromford noted, “iBuyers have made offers well in excess of the pricing that we saw from them” in the first half of 2021. He said it is unclear how iBuyers will price their homes once they return them to the market because “normal buyers no longer have the appetite” they showed through June 2021. “Achieving sale prices well over cost could prove quite tricky” for the iBuyers, it suggested. Cromford noted that iBuyers purchased about 2,869 homes over the last three months, which “represents almost 9 percent of resale purchases.” They also have not sold as many as they have bought, though they are selling more to institutional investors, the Cromford Report stated. Moreover, it noted, the prices paid by iBuyers for homes are 53-75 percent higher than they were paying a year ago, even though the median price of homes sold in the Phoenix Metro region has increased 26 percent. The iBuyer and investor buying spree has sharply impacted the availability of resale homes, it said. “We can see that the iBuyers (particularly Opendoor and Zillow) have increased their inventory massively,” the Cromford Report said. “If iBuyers had not done this, we estimate that supply would already be higher by some 1,800 listings…We conclude that pricing would also be weaker without their intervention. This begs the question:

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what happens if they stop buying on this massive scale?” “Investors, too, can decide to stop their buying spree at a moment’s notice. The market is therefore more precarious than if demand were primarily growing through owner-occupiers,” it added. The news is a lot happier for investors that rent – and not so hot for their tenants, judging by the Cromford Report’s findings. “Investors intending to rent out their properties are a different matter and the rapid rise in rents over the past year has justified them splashing out,” it said. “Indeed, far more homes are going from iBuyers straight to the rental operators than we saw prior to July 2021. This takes homes off the resale market for a long time and reduces supply.” It also noted “large scale investors with deep pockets are crowding out smaller investors.” “We have seen larger buying sprees from investors before, notably between 2011 and 2013,” it continued. “However we have never seen iBuyers so determined to increase their top line.” The average rental price per square foot has increased from $1 per square foot to $1.36 in the past two years, Cromford said. “That is a 36 percent increase in just two years and must be a budget problem for tens of thousands of tenants,” it said, noting rents increased by 28 percent in the previous 18-year period. “The cost of renting has escalated over a very short period,” Cromford said. “The housing bubble of 20042008 saw little to no rise in rents and in fact the low point was 64 cents in February 2005, just as the for-sale market was reaching its highest frenzy. This time is very different, showing that the rapid appreciation in home values is due to a real shortage of housing rather than speculative activity based on easy money.” However, Cromford also noted that all housing costs are soaring in the Valley. “Although the cost of renting has jumped 36 percent over two years, the average home price per square foot has increased by far more – from $169.26 to $262.21, a jump of 55 percent,” it said.

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Because of this, the teams at the nine Press Coffee locations are excited to give back to an organization that has ties to one of its former vendors. Press Coffee used to carry Smile Biscotti’s biscuits in its shop. The owner of Smile Biscotti has autism and his mother works with the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center, which has five locations around the valley. Robertson said the center originated between two moms who would meet over coffee with a doctor to discuss how to care for their toddlers, who had been diagnosed with autism. “Their problem was there were no resources, there was no good information and they felt like they were pioneering what it was like to be a mom who had a small child with autism,” Robertson said. As a result, the center was built to help parents who have children who have autism. Moved by its success in assisting parents and children with autism and its many programs, Robertson cannot wait to present a check to the organization after the Day of Giving. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we raised

Huh?

$50,000 this year,” he said. Robertson has a personal goal for his stores to raise $25,000 and hopes that his contributing partners will be able to match the other half of that total. “The first year we did this, we were lucky to get three partners and now we’ve dialed in what makes people more likely to join us,” he said. With partners on board, Robertson is anxious to see how many patrons Press Coffee can serve that day. “Customers now know that this is something we do every year and it’s gotten bigger and bigger each year,” he said. “I know a lot of our customers expect their coffee to be perfect but it’s nice when there’s something else on top of that.” “We can have the best coffee in the world – and I think we do – and have these beautiful spaces, but it doesn’t mean anything if the customer portion and the charitable side is missing,” Robertson said. Even though his company makes a product that he is proud to represent, Robertson’s favorite part of the job is being able to give back. “Being able to give back is genuinely the one of the most fun things we do,” he said. Info: Presscoffee.com

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EV player joins suicide prevention effort

BY ZACH ALVIRA Progress Sports Editor

asha junior defensive back Cole Martin is one of 15 Arizona high school football players who have pledged to raise awareness of teen suicide in Arizona. Martin, one of the top players in the country in the 2023 class, is starring in videos that carry messages of hope to teens struggling with depression, anxiety or suicidal thoughts. Often these teens feel like they have nobody to talk to. Martin and the 14 other players, in partnership with Teen Lifeline and the Grand Canyon State Gridiron Club, hope to show them that is not the case. “They help teens that are in need with suicide support,” Martin said. “It’s a great thing that I’m excited to help with. It’s something that, when they asked, I was more than willing to step up for. To be able to have my voice and have Basha High School be there to help support teens in need, it’s something I was excited to be a part of.” Martin joined Sandra Day O’Connor linebacker Brandon Craddock in a video posted earlier this month about teen suicide. They told them about Teen Lifeline and the availability of people they can turn to. Along with Martin and Craddock, Desert Edge’s Adryan Lara, Salpointe Catholic’s Davian Miranda Carrasco and Treyson Bourguet, Central’s Dominik Bagchi and Ironwood’s Jayden Sullivan are part of the initiative. Additionally, Lucas Rice and Spencer Hoos from Arcadia, Nick Martinez from St. Mary’s, Taj Hughes from Brophy, Ironwood Ridge’s Tyler Haynie and Zach Oakes and Pinnacle’s Zach Wrenn are also involved. More public service announcements will continue through the end of September. They are primarily posted on social media, where Teen Lifeline Clinical Director Nikki

Basha junior Cole Martin is one of 15 Arizona high school football players involved in an initiative with Teen Lifeline creating public service announcements for teens struggling with their mental health. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff)

Kontz says they are the most effective. “People have reached out on the hotline after seeing the videos on social media,” Kontz said. “Sometimes all it takes is the right person at the right time to be listening to that video on Insta(gram).” Kontz has been involved with Teen Lifeline for 27 years. She began volunteering with the group when she was 16 years old as a sophomore at Xavier Prep after losing a close friend to suicide. She continued working with the group through college while she obtained her degree. Since then, she has made a career out of helping teens. “I immediately fell in love,” Kontz said. “As a teenager, it’s hard to know or feel like you’re making an impact and that your voice is also recognized as important. Teen Lifeline was that for me. I felt like with every phone call I could make a difference in someone’s life.” Teen Lifeline provides an anonymous phone and text line for teens struggling

Teen Lifeline Clinical Director Nikki Kontz became involved with the organization 27 years ago as a sophomore at Xavier Prep after one of her close friends died by suicide. Since then, she’s made a career out of making sure teens know they aren’t alone in their ﬁght with mental illness. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff)

with their mental health. Just in 2020 alone, the organizations received 23,341 calls and 11,497 text messages from teens struggling with mental health. Kontz said the pandemic, which forced teens to be isolated and take online classes, played a major role. Of those calls, Teen Lifeline says 23 percent were from teens 13 or younger. Thirty-seven percent were from those ages 1315, and 31 percent from teens ages 16-18. “I’ve known a couple of people, my friends, who have struggled,” Martin said. “It’s people that I’ve been close to, people I’ve known. It means more to me than just helping anybody else out. It’s a change I want to help start. I’m just happy to hopefully be able to help.” Just in the last year, the Arizona high school athletics community has felt the unfortunate effects of mental health struggles from some athletes.

Last spring, Perry sophomore Zyon Anderson died by suicide. He had struggled with his mental health leading up to his death, and repeatedly received help from his mother, Nailah Hendrickson. “This has been emotionally, �inancially, and mentally devastating,” Hendrickson said last April. “This caught us by surprise and it’s not something we had planned for.” The Desert Vista High School community was shaken by the Aug. 31 death of senior Owen Weldy. Weldy died by suicide, according to the Maricopa County Coroner’s Of�ice. His online obituary said he was an accomplished violinist and ran cross country and track for the Thunder. In their �irst race after his death, the cross country team wore special ribbons in his honor. Kontz hopes with the help of football players like Martin, teens will realize they are not alone. “Sometimes it’s that one kid who sees a player and thinks, ‘Wow, this kid who has no problems and is living the dream through high school and they’re sending me this message. Maybe I can do one more day,’” Kontz said. “I think that’s so empowering and so powerful. That’s why we started this partnership. These players realize they have a role. Wearing that uniform, people see them in that uniform and look at them differently. “These players want to use that and make people realize they aren’t alone.” Teens who are struggling are encouraged to contact Teen Lifeline (602) 248-TEEN (8336) or (800) 248-TEEN. They can also text with a teen peer counselor at (602) 248-8336 between noon and 9 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. on weekends. The Teen Lifeline hotline is staffed by teen peer counselors from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. daily with trained, professional counselors available at all other times.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021 33

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Getting ‘Bach to Rock’ is Scottsdale man’s goal BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

fter being battered by COVID-19 restrictions, things appear to be getting closer to normal for students at Bach to Rock-America’s music school. While the school successfully moved all lessons to virtual during the pandemic, the school is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel with 60 percent of its students returning for in-person lessons. Bach to Rock North Scottsdale owner Wes Gross feels proud of the way his school was able to keep the music flowing. “The pandemic changed our curriculum, the way we look at music and the way we get music across to students,” he said. Technology played a major role in the school’s formation.

Wes Gross feels proud of the way he was able to keep the music flowing at his Bach to Rock music school. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

Around the time he began contemplating his retirement from his 19-

year career as an airline pilot, Gross knew he wasn’t quite ready to give up

working just yet. “During that period of time, I always had it in the back of my mind that I wouldn’t retire completely,” he said. “I thought about different things and towards the end of my career, I discovered FranNet and went through a series of interviews the year before I retired.” Gross then visited the website for FranNet – a company that matches aspiring entrepreneurs with franchises they would work well in – and quickly discovered a business he was interested in. “I found that there were a lot of things about the way that FranNet did business and the way franchisors do business that appealed to me,” he said. “I would have never known about Bach to Rock had it not been for FranNet and I never would have considered music as a business to get into when I retired

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New exhibit explores social distancing’s impact BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer

new exhibition at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts examines social distancing’s impact on the art community. Running from Sept. 24 to Jan. 9, the exhibition is a collaborative effort between Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation and Arizona State University’s Cooperation in the Apocalypse research team and aims to explore how being socially distanced has made us want to congregate more than ever before. “I think there’s something interesting about disease in general because we’re united by it in this bizarre way,” said Pamela Winfrey, the scientific research

Laura Hales, left, curator of learning and innovation for Scottsdale Arts and Pamela Winfrey, scientific research curator with ASU’s Biodesign Institute, are co-curators of the exhibit on social distancing’s impact. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

curator with Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute and the exhibition’s co-curator. “There’s something about there being nobody who is out of the realm of getting sick that is really interesting and I think it gives us a more global perspective on cooperation.” Even before homing in on the pandemic’s impact on arts and our social structure, Winfrey was curious about the role that the virus played in society generally. “We were actually thinking of doing the show on cancer but then COVID-19 hit, so we went with the other C word,” she said with a laugh. About a month after the declaration of a worldwide pandemic by the WHO, Laura

see DISTANCE page 35

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

BACH �� page 33

from flying.” Hearing about Bach to Rock rekindled a love Gross had during his childhood. “When I first heard about Bach to Rock, I had this epiphany that this was what I did when I was a kid,” he said. Gross first began playing the saxophone when he was in junior high and later graduated from playing in his high school’s marching band and orchestras to joining bands. When Gross was a senior in high school, he played in a rock band, a R&B band and a Dixieland band, all of which he credits to his love of music education. “I didn’t really start getting interested in the full complement of music and what could be done on stage until I was in those bands,” he said.

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

Because of this, his main goal is not to teach students how to play an instrument but to teach them how to become performers. “The goal is not just to learn how to play the guitar, the goal is to have kids on stage performing live,” Gross said. “What got me really excited about music was being in a band, and that’s what happens here.” For Gross, he doesn’t consider it a job well done until he sees the transformation he once had in his students. “I look at the parents’ faces and children’s faces while the performance takes place and I’ll see the same transformation that happened to me when I went from being a saxophonist in the band to being up on stage playing the music I had always listened to,” he said. Despite live performances being on hold for the better part of the past two

years, Gross has attributed the help of his staff to being the reason why his students continue playing music. “There are a lot of places to learn music outside of school,” he said. “A few things that differentiate us from the competition are the quality of our teachers, the atmosphere here and how inviting it is and our usage of technology.” For technology, Gross has tablets on hand that have access to a portal for teachers to view each student’s profile. Within the profiles, teachers can examine the homework that students were assigned, their level of proficiency, their favorite music to play and what concepts they have already learned. The portal is also accessible to students to allude to at home when they need to print out their music or want to keep track of their homework.

Even though technology has been a great tool for Bach to Rock, Gross feels it is the inviting atmosphere of his business along with the proficiency of the teachers at his facility. “You can’t just be a good guitarist to teach here, you have to know music,” he said. “All of our students need to progress through playing notes, reading music, writing music, improvising and performing on a stage.” Even though he is regularly reminded of how beloved his staff is by parents and students and feels proud of how well the technology has been utilized within his business, for Gross the most flattering comment is when parents tell him they can’t get their kids to put down or get away from their instruments. Information: NorthScottsdale. BachtoRock.com

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DISTANCE �� page 33

Hales, curator of learning and innovation for Scottsdale Arts became interested in isolation’s effect on other artists. “This idea started at the same time as the pandemic,” she said. “I am an artist working during the pandemic and I was curious what other artists were doing because this is such a global event.” From there, she began reaching out to other artists and asked if they were making any art related to being socially distanced. What she discovered was that some artists were doing so in an abstract way. Hales described one piece that featured a couple trapped in a house who were agitated with each other and she thought, “This really speaks to me of living in the same place with the same people for months.” “Artists have the ability to take emotions and experiences and put them into visual experiences,” she said. “I was really curious to see what was happening with the artist community.” Hales also noticed several other elements within the artwork that added to the relevancy of the exhibition’s focus. “It’s interesting that the art showed com-

dimensional art from 17 artists from Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico — all of which are either educational or interactive. “The gallery itself is an educational gallery so we plan the exhibitions there around an educational component,” Hales said. “We organize the gallery so that people can contribute their ideas as well as be clear on what our ideas for the exhibition were.” One of the pieces that is the most interactive in the exhibition is a Likert scale where people can answer questions by placing poker chips in tubes that correspond to their answers. There is also a sculpture and a The art work at the exhibit explores how artists felt 3D piece in the exhibition, which about the pandemic’s impact on their work and adds to the variety of artwork lives. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer) within the exhibition. passion for others but also showed a frus“One of the things that’s intration of not being able to be close to oth- teresting about looking at this group of ers during this time,” she said. “There’s also artists is how varied their response is, elements of self-preservation and humor, which I think is the beauty of the exhibiwhich shows humanity through this really tion,” Winfrey said. Even though there are a plethora of difficult time.” The exhibition mainly features two- ways that the artwork can be inter-

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

preted, Hales hopes that those who pass through the exhibition find a way to relate to the work. “More than anything, I think everybody can relate to the work that is in this exhibition because everybody has been through this experience,” Hales said. “Even if you don’t relate to the work, then it will probably remind you of someone.” “I think people are hungry for a way to understand and analyze their own feelings, much less all the people around them, and I think this show goes far to do that,” Winfrey added. Hales also hopes that the exhibition allows people to think in ways they might not have before. “We try to have people walk out thinking ‘oh wow! I hadn’t thought of that before' rather than feeling mystified by the things they saw,” she said. A special grand opening for the free exhibit will be held Sept. 24 during which 25 people at a time will be able to view the exhibit and enjoy wine, sparkling water and light snacks. Info: scottsdaleartslearning.org. Masks are required at the Scottsdale Civic Center.

FOOD & DRINK

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

Food & Drink

Scottsdale.org l

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/ScottsdaleProgress

Old Town staple reopens after $1M remodel BY MALLORY GLEICH Progress Staff Writer

f there’s one word to describe Old Town Scottsdale’s nightlife, that word would probably be “vibrant.” There’s no shortage of bright lights, loud music and good old-fashioned fun: and these are three things that El Hefe has in spades. El Hefe opened in 2010 at the corner of Indian Plaza and Saddlebag Trail as a restaurant and nightclub with Mexican cuisine, but the owners knew it needed more. So, over the summer, the management group that runs El Hefe decided to give it a complete renovation that totaled $1 million. Since May, the business has been closed for renovations and recently held a grand re-opening. “We had the entire venue, exterior and interior, redone,” Lissa Druss, a spokes-

Riot Hospitality Group poured #1 million into remodeling El Hefe in Old Town, producing some stunning interior design work. (Special to the Progress)

woman for Riot Hospitality Group, a Scottsdale-based hospitality company overseeing 11 different concepts in Ari-

zona, Tennessee and Illinois. In Arizona, Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row, El Hefe, Farm & Craft, Hand Cut, The

District, Maya, Clubhouse at Maya and Riot House fall under Riot Hospitality’s management. New touches to El Hefe include 45-foot LED screens, new finishes and an updated food and beverage menu that “pays an ode to the concept’s love of ‘street style taqueria’ fair,” Druss said. There are all-new booths, new flooring and bar tops, lighting, sound system, and – most important, according to RHG – new décor. The exterior received new tile on the walls, lighting, plus a sign with the updated logo and an updated entry-way. Some of the dishes include Super Macho Bowl, with choice of chicken tinga, picadillo beef or green chile pork with Spanish rice, charro beans, romaine lettuce, shredded cheese, pico de gallo and lime crema; Enchiladas Blancos, with green chile, corn, pepper jack sauce, chicken, romaine and Spanish rice; and

see EL HEFE page 37

Andaz Resort slates desert-style Oktoberfest PROGRESS NEWS STAFF

The brewery schedule is: Oct. 1, Four Peaks Brewing Company; Oct. 8, PHX Beer Co.; Oct. 15, SanTan Brewing Company; Oct. 22, State 48 Brewery; and Oct. 29, Four Peaks Brewing Company.

ndaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows is launching an Oktoberfest for desert dwellers. Beginning Oct. 1 and continuing every Friday in October between 4-6 p.m., the resort is having a pop-up beer garden in the Olive Grove next to Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen, 6114 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Tastings of specifically chosen beers from local breweries along with live music from a German band and Weft & Warp’s take on “biergarten bites” will be featured during the series, appropriately called Desert Brews. Andaz Scottsdale has partnered with

Special “biergarten bites” will be available along with local beers at the Desert Brews series at Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows every Friday in October. (Special to the Progress)

local breweries – SanTan Brewing Company, PHX Beer Co., State 48 Brewery, and Four Peaks Brewing Company – to offer tastings of German beers paired with the bites. Guests can also purchase additional beers from the breweries. The brewery schedule is: Oct. 1, Four

see BEER page 37

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

EL HEFE �� page 36

Double Macho Tacos, with picadillo beef in a double-stacked crispy tortilla with smashed black beans, romaine, white cheddar and lime crema. Also new is the “Boss Brunch” menu that offers refills on mimosas for a penny if you order one of the breakfast items, such as Breakfast Hamurguesa, with brisket patty, white American cheese, chipolte mayo, jalapeno jam, hash brown patty, fried egg and breakfast potatoes. Dustin Cooke, Riot Hospitality’s culinary director, redeveloped El Hefe’s entire menu and is also behind key improvements at some of its other concepts: Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row, Hand Cut Chophouse, and Farm & Craft. “We were inspired by modern Mexican cuisine and the ability to have bold flavors, shareable options and a wide variety of favorites,” Druss said. Since opening 10 years ago, El Hefe has garnered many food and nightlife awards for things like best day-drinking spot, best dance music scene, best party bar, best place to spend a 21st birthday, and strongest drink. Riot Hospitality also has won numerous

Tuesday-Friday. Brunch is weekends-only from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Both feature food and drink specials like $3 select tacos, ½ off OG Margaritas and $20 penny-refill mimosas. It also is hosting college and pro football watch parties every weekend this fall and word on the street is they El Hefe is a well-known destination on the club scene, but its are planning somekitchen produces some eye-popping, mouth-watering dishes thing exciting for like these tacos. (Special to the Progress) Halloween. “We are grateful for everyone who awards and Druss said the support and helped us celebrate our re-opening,” said involvement of the Old Town community Justin Cohen, Riot Hospitality’s chief ophave contributed to its many successes. erating offoicder. “The most important thing for us is “It was an exciting event. Old Town is to ensure our guests have an incredible a very special place and we are proud El experience. El Hefe’s environment, unHefe is an anchor of the area and brings rivaled energy, and nightlife innovations exceptional experiences to residents and are things that you cannot experience guests of Scottsdale.” anywhere else,” she said. Information: elhefe.com. El Hefe offers a happy hour on 4-7 p.m.

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FOOD & DRINK

BEER �� page 36

Peaks Brewing Company; Oct. 8, PHX Beer Co.; Oct. 15, SanTan Brewing Company; Oct. 22, State 48 Brewery; and Oct. 29, Four Peaks Brewing Company. The menu includes a house-made pretzel with spiced honey mustard; a sausage-cheese board with smoked kielbasa, German sausage, smoked gouda, Danablu; peppadew peppers, mustard, and Noble Bread from the artisan bakery in Phoenix; grilled bratwurst with sauerkraut and apple; and grilled Beer Bratwurst with sauerkraut and apple. Guests can also bring their dogs. Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows is tucked away on 23 acres of gardens and shaded groves with 185 bungalows and suites with private entrances and patios; designer furniture and works by resident artists; three salt-water pools; an open-air fitness center; a full suite of customizable treatments at the 12,000-square-foot Palo Verde Spa & Apothecary; and a glass-box exposition kitchen at Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen. Information: andazscottsdale.com or call 480-368-1234.

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With JAN D’ATRI GetOut Contributor

Apple pie cookies a tasty version of iconic dish

y generation is the last one to use pencil and paper as the primary method of gathering, compiling and sharing information. So, for me, rescuing recipes from the past where our ancestors scribbled beloved dishes on scratch pads, napkins, receipts or back of envelopes has taken an even greater sense of urgency. I also love writing about how an old favorite becomes trendy again, reintroducing itself to a whole new generation. The apple pie is the perfect example. Do you ever remember life without it? But have you seen the newest version of our nation’s sweetheart dessert? Let me introduce you to the latest viral food sensation, the apple pie cookie. It’s fun, it’s delicious, it’s cute and it makes you feel like you can eat one and not gain a pound. The apple pie cookie uses all the same ingredients as a good old-fashioned apple pie;

Ingredients: 2 packages Pillsbury ready-made pie dough (2 crusts per package) 4-5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown or granulated sugar Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out both pie crusts from the first package. With a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out as many mini dough rounds as you can. (Roll out leftover pieces of dough and make more rounds until dough is used up.) Place them on a lightly greased or foil-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with a thin coating of beaten egg and sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over all of the dough rounds. Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Meanwhile, make filling. Peel, core and cut apples into very thin slices. Place in bowl and toss gently with one teaspoon of lemon juice. Place slices in a medium pot. Add sugar,

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2 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour 2 eggs, beaten Decorative sugar butter, cinnamon and salt. Over medium high heat, stir very gently and cook just to soften apple slices, about 2-3 minutes. (Do not let the apple slices get mushy.) Add cornstarch or flour and incorporate to thicken mixture. Remove from heat and set aside. Remove mini dough rounds from oven. Place 4-5 apple slices on each cooked round. Roll out both pie crusts from the second package. Cut each crust into thin strips, 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Make lattice design over the apple slices. Gently pinch around the edges. Brush lattice tops lightly with remainder of beaten egg. Sprinkle with decorative sugar and return to oven. Cook until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Makes approximately 14 apple pie cookies.

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See MORE Ads Online! it’s just reconstructed into little lattice-topped discs of yumminess. Nothing will ever replace our love for the iconic American apple pie, but I think even Granny Smith would love these.

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, will hold a public hearing on October 5, 2021, at 5:00 P.M at 3939 N. Drinkwater Boulevard, Scottsdale, Arizona. The City Hall Kiva Forum (Kiva) is open to the public during City Council meetings at a reduced capacity. Seating in the Kiva will be available on a first come, first served basis. City Council meetings are televised on Cox Cable Channel 11 and streamed onli ne at ScottsdaleAZ.gov (search "live stream") to allow the public to listen/view the meeting in progress.

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Instructions on how to provide Public Comments will be provided on the posted agenda 15-ZN-2020 (Greenbelt 88) Request by owner for a Zoning District Map Amendment from Planned Neighborhood Center Planned Community District (PNC PCD) to Planned Unit Development (PUD), including a development plan with amended development standards for building setbacks for a mixed-use center including 278 multi-family dwelling units and approximately 25,000 square feet of commercial floor area on a +/7-acre site located at 3308 - 3370, 3388 N. Hayden Road. Staff contact person is Bryan Cluff, 480-3122258. Applicant contact person is George Pasquel III, 602-230-0600. 3-GP-2021 (92nd Street Rezoning) Request by owner for a non-major General Plan Amendment to the City of Scottsdale General Plan 2001 from Commercial to Mixed-Use Neighborhoods on +/- 3.92 acres of the +/8.52-acre site located at 10301 N. 92nd Street, 10299 N. 92nd Street and 9301 E. Shea Boulevard. Staff contact person is Doris McClay, 480-312-4214. Applicant contact person is Kurt Jones, (480) 225-8937. 6-ZN-2021 (92nd Street Rezoning) Request by owner for a Zoning District Map Amendment from Highway Commercial Planned Community District (C-3 PCD) and Commercial Office Planned Community district (C-O PCD) to Planned Unit Development Planned Community Development District (PUD PCD) Zoning with a Development Plan including amending building height to 60 feet on a +/- 8.52-acre site located at 10301 N. 92nd Street, 10299 N. 92nd Street and 9301 E. Shea Boulevard for a mixed-use development including 310 multi-family units. Staff contact person is Doris McClay, 480-312-4214. Applicant contact person is Kurt Jones, (480) 225-8937. 8-UP-2021 (Curaleaf Scottsdale) Request by owner for a Conditional Use Permit for a Marijuana Use (dispensary) in a +/- 7,706 square foot space at 16277 N Greenway-Hayden Loop, on a +/- 1.92-acre site with Industrial Park (I-1) district zoning. Staff contact person is Bryan Cluff, 480-312-2258. Applicant contact person is Michelle Green, (602) 340-0900. For additional information visit our web site at www.scottsdaleaz.gov search "Scottsdale Planning Case Files" or in your URL search bar you can type in https://eservices.scottsdaleaz.gov/bldgresources/Cases/ A COPY OF A FULL AGENDA, INCLUDING ITEMS CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS AND ANY MEETING LOCATION UPDATES, IS AVAILABLE AT LEAST 24 HOURS PRIOR TO THE MEETING AT THE FOLLOWING: Online at: https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/council/meetinginformation/agendas-minutes CHAIRMAN Attest Karen Hemby For additional information visit our web site at www.scottsdaleaz.gov PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY MAY REQUEST A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION BY CONTACTING THE CLERK'S OFFICE AT (480-312-7620). REQUESTS SHOULD BE MADE 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE, OR AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE TO ALLOW TIME TO ARRANGE ACCOMMODATION. FOR TTY USERS, THE ARIZONA RELAY SERVICE (1-800-367-8939) MAY CONTACT THE CLERK'S OFFICE AT (480-312-7620). Published: Scottsdale Progress, Sept 19, 2021 / 41343

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Scottsdale Progress - 9.19.2021

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