By Gilbert Guru Our community has grown more divided than ever due to COVID. Weary looks in the grocery store every time sometime gets too close. A flock of heads turning if someone makes the mistake of coughing. We have become nervous around members of our community. Safety is the upmost importance. However, it is a disservice to ourselves to … Read More

By Scottsdale Pinetop Known for her dedication and passion for the arts and environment, Sam Campana has been a leader in many quality of life issues in Arizona and a trailblazer for Scottsdale women in politics. She served on the Scottsdale City Council for 12 years and Mayor from 1996-2000, becoming the first female Mayor in Scottsdale history. She previously … Read More

Working in government these days can be difficult, whether it’s in Washington, D.C. or closer to home in Arizona. It seems there is a scandal a day seeking to besmirch decent, public servants – all because of political games or, in this world we now live in, where one mistake is treated as a kiss of death. Fortunately, there is … Read More

The mantra of Scottsdale’s slow growth and no growth advocates (and there is a difference) goes something like this.  Scottsdale should curtail the energetic recruitment of new business and corporate headquarters like Axon, Nationwide and others because they can foster height and growth that intrudes on the character of the city.  Likewise, new development or redevelopment should be smallish, no … Read More

By ScottsdaleBlogger With cancel culture as cutthroat as it is, many people need to be even more concerned about the things they may have said in the past. Arizona Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kelly is continually under the spotlight as a political figure and nevertheless made this mistake. Two years ago, Mark Kelly was speaking at the Boy Scouts … Read More

Staff Report – A recap of the top three stories on Arizona Progress & Gazette from the past week.  #LocalBuzz: Q & A With Scottsdale City Council Candidate Betty Janik Betty Janik gathered 30,753 votes in the August 4th primary election, which made her the top vote-getter among all city council candidates and will move on to the November 3rd … Read More

There’s no doubt Scottsdale is a warm, inviting community. But this should no longer be a continuing excuse not to adopt a more compelling city non-discrimination ordinance.  Indeed, it’s the very reason it should.  Be a beacon, a leader.  It would be like America failing to proselytize about the benefits of democracy.   For many years this goal has been … Read More

We have not been advocates for Dave Ortega as Scottsdale’s next Mayor.  But it doesn’t mean we can’t recognize the smart, effective campaign he’s run to date. Ortega, whether it was during a successful run for City Council previously or in a losing bid for Mayor in 2004, has always had a base of support in southern Scottsdale.  But leading … Read More

By Gilbert Guru Holland Smith, an up and coming Instagram Influencer based in Chandler, has recently used her growing following to spread a positive message in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent college graduate was contacted by Arizona Department of Health Sciences (ADHS) to utilize her following to promote its #MaskUpAZ initiative. Holland Smith, who typically uses her … Read More