Anyone Can Sign Up to Participate in the All-Day Wiffle Ball Tournament Before Shane Doan and Other Arizona Personalities Compete in a Primetime Celebrity Home Run Derby

Scottsdale Stadium is trading Major League Baseball for wiffle ball this weekend when Big League Wiffle Ball brings its seventh annual Western Wiffle Ball Classic to the spring training home of the San Francisco Giants Saturday, Oct. 24. The tournament gives spectators a chance to see just how competitive the familiar backyard game can get when experienced players take the field, putting their pitching, hitting and defensive skills to the test in front of fans of all ages. For those who want to do more than watch, participants can register a team of three to five players at blwwiffleball.com, competing in a separate division from the pros.

“Most people have played wiffle ball at some point, but they have no idea how exciting it gets at this level,” said Big League Wiffle Ball founder Logan Rose. “We want everyone to come out to watch or participate and share our love for America’s greatest backyard sport.”

The action continues at 7 p.m. with Big League Wiffle Ball’s inaugural celebrity Home Run Derby, which will bring Arizona Coyotes legend Shane Doan and other familiar Arizona personalities to the plate to compete against local hitters for a $1,000 prize.

Doan spent 21 seasons in the NHL and became the Coyotes’ all-time leading scorer. Now, the former captain will see how his skills translate to hitting wiffle balls, going to bat against competitors that include baseball influencers DSARM and Damian Henderson, local influencer @mrazsports and radio personality Johnjay Van Es. Altogether, eight celebrities will participate in the derby.

Local hitters can also compete for a spot. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., anyone interested can pay $10 for a qualifying attempt, giving them 60 seconds to hit as many home runs as they can. The eight participants with the most home runs will then advance to the evening’s open bracket, with the celebrity and open-bracket winners facing off against each other in the final round.

Whether coming for the tournament, the Home Run Derby or both, spectators can spend the day watching a sport that uses familiar equipment, but demands considerably more skill than the typical backyard game.

For tickets or to learn more about Big League Wiffle Ball, check out BLWiffleBall.com or follow developments on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube.

For sponsorship or general questions, email lrose@blwwiffleball.com.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month Brings New Warning as AI Helps Fraudsters Create More Convincing Emails, Calls, Texts and Identities

“Think before you click.”

That advice has been around for years, but artificial intelligence is making it harder to tell whether an email, text or other message comes from a legitimate source or a scammer. Bad spelling, awkward grammar and suspicious-looking email addresses once made many scams relatively easy to spot. Not anymore.

As Cybersecurity Awareness Month gets underway in October, Scottsdale Community Bank is warning consumers that artificial intelligence can now help clone voices, generate deepfake images and videos, and even fabricate identification documents that can make a scam appear to be surprisingly legitimate.

“The days of bad spelling, bad grammar and fuzzy logos are over,” said Steve Cohen, Scottsdale Community Bank’s EVP, Enterprise Risk Manager, COO and CCO. “Current AI technology has replaced many of those traditional clues with polished and personalized messages using correct spelling and grammar, voice cloning and deepfake photos or video. Consumers who assume they can tell whether or not an email, text or phone call is legitimate can quickly get into trouble if they don’t take the time to independently verify them.”

Cohen said some of the biggest threats banks and consumers face today don’t depend on sophisticated hacking. Instead, criminals often manipulate people into handing over their own money, passwords, security codes or other information through “social engineering.”

While phishing and impersonation scams aren’t new, criminals now have far more ways to make them convincing. Some use AI to mimic people or businesses, while others lure victims with fake investments, job offers, online shopping deals or romantic relationships. Identity theft, ransomware and other types of malware also add to the growing list of threats.

Scammers may also impersonate banks, themselves. Cohen said it raises a red flag when an unexpected call, text or email creates a sense of urgency, especially if it seems to be coming from someone in a position of authority or from a family member or friend. The same holds true if the sender threatens consequences unless another party acts quickly. Requests for passwords, authentication codes or money also warrant taking a closer look, as do instructions to click on a link, open an attachment, install software or purchase gift cards or cryptocurrency.

“A legitimate call from your bank will never include a request for your personal access credentials, including usernames, passwords or security authentication codes,” Cohen said. “Banks already have verified ways to contact their clients, so there is no need to provide confidential identifying information in response to an unexpected call, text or email.”

Cohen added that Scottsdale Community Bank clients can always contact a live person directly to verify the legitimacy of a call, email or other correspondence before taking action.

Consumers may also invite criminals in without realizing it. Cohen said banks often see issues resulting from reused or easily guessed passwords, unexpected email attachments and links, missed software or security updates, and using unencrypted public Wi-Fi. Trusting caller ID can also prove risky, as can sharing too much personal information online or failing to regularly review bank and credit card activity.

“Scams have become much more sophisticated, and anyone can encounter one that looks or sounds convincing,” said Scottsdale Community Bank President and CEO Neill LeCorgne. “We want people to know what to look for before something happens and, just as importantly, what to do if they realize they’ve made a mistake. A few minutes spent independently verifying a request can make a huge difference.”

Cohen said consumers who believe they’ve been victimized by a scam should take immediate action. Anyone who believes a computer or device has become compromised should disconnect it from the internet and contact the bank from another device, using a phone number from a bank statement, debit card, official website or mobile app rather than using contact information given in the suspicious message.

Consumers should also tell their banks right away if they transferred money or distributed any verification or security codes. Cohen also recommends changing potentially compromised passwords, placing fraud alerts with the three major credit bureaus and closely monitoring bank accounts and credit reports for activity they don’t recognize. Consumers can also report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission and law enforcement.

For Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Cohen recommends that consumers take these three steps to make it harder for scammers to succeed:

• Never assume a scam will be easy to spot. Be skeptical of any unexpected or unusual calls, emails and texts and independently verify requests using known, trusted contact information.
• Never share passwords, security codes or other sensitive or identifying information in response to an unexpected request.
• Slow down when a message demands immediate action. Read it carefully and independently verify anything that raises doubts before clicking a link, opening an attachment, sending money or providing information.

“Think before you click” remains simple advice, Cohen said, but advances in technology are making reminders particularly important.

For more about Scottsdale Community Bank, visit ScottsdaleCommunityBank.com.

Experience Scottsdale partners with JSX on Scottsdale branded aircraft

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a Scottsdale branded plane!

On Oct. 7, an aircraft decorated with cacti-dotted mountains and a Sonoran Desert sunrise landed at Scottsdale Airport. The flight, carrying 30 passengers from Hollywood Burbank Airport, was the first of many for the Scottsdale-branded plane, part of a new, two-year partnership between Experience Scottsdale and JSX, the semi-private airline that has flown out of Scottsdale Airport since 2024.

Over the next two years, Experience Scottsdale will collaborate on initiatives reaching JSX’s 1 million regular travelers. The aircraft is one of the most visible elements of the marketing campaign, which aims to inspire travelers flying the airline’s network to experience the destination for themselves. JSX serves nine direct flight markets out of Scottsdale, including Burbank.

“One of the most effective ways we reach the luxury consumer is by partnering with premier travel brands like JSX,” said Experience Scottsdale President and CEO Rachel Sacco. “Their customer base aligns closely with the high-end travelers we’re hoping to reach, and we’re excited for this partnership that will position Scottsdale as the premier choice for a luxury escape.”

Boarding the flight were members of the media, content creators and luxury travel advisors. Scottsdale Senior Director of Tourism & Economic Development Kevin Burke and Scottsdale Vice Mayor Maryann McAllen, who serves as the council liaison for Experience Scottsdale’s board of directors, joined Sacco and Experience Scottsdale staff to educate the media and clients about the destination’s offerings, helping produce media coverage and social posts, as well as sell future Scottsdale vacations.

During a pre-flight activation at the JSX Burbank hangar, Experience Scottsdale shared information about Scottsdale while serving desert-inspired treats from Scottsdale Cookie Co. and hosting Western-themed activities, including a leather embossing station for luggage tags and passport covers.

“I felt such immense pride in our city as I saw Scottsdale so beautifully represented on the runway, and I know residents will feel the same whenever they see the plane flying to and from Scottsdale Airport,” said McAllen. “It was an honor to join Experience Scottsdale for this trip and witness firsthand how they share their enthusiasm for Scottsdale with potential visitors.”

Once boarded and upon landing, the passengers received additional Scottsdale-themed gifts and information, including candles from Scottsdale-based Light + Bark Candle Co., copies of the Scottsdale Visitor Guide and the City of Scottsdale’s Old Town Passports, and teal cowboy hats branded with Experience Scottsdale’s agave logo.

Inspired by a travel superstition, Experience Scottsdale designed a horseshoe on the doorframe of the plane. As future JSX passengers board, they will tap the horseshoe for good luck. The design includes a QR code, allowing one lucky traveler the chance to win a prize each month.

“Our partnership with Experience Scottsdale is rooted in a shared commitment to delivering an exceptional travel experience and bringing more people closer to everything the area has to offer,” said JSX President David Drabinsky. “Scottsdale has become a cornerstone of the JSX network, and together we’re making it easier than ever to visit with the speed and convenience of flying JSX directly into Scottsdale Airport. We’re thrilled to deepen our roots here and find new, creative ways to introduce even more customers to this incredible destination.”

Over the next two years, Experience Scottsdale will collaborate with JSX on additional activations, content creator trips, and flash sales. In June, JSX offered a 48-flash sale that provided customers 50% off their flight if they traveled to Scottsdale through Sept. 30. The sale resulted in over 5,100 booked flights for the summer, helping drive visitation during Scottsdale’s need period.

The ongoing partnership between Experience Scottsdale and JSX has the potential to increase visitation, support local businesses and reinforce Scottsdale’s appeal among travelers seeking premier travel service and upscale travel experiences in the years to come.

PHOENIX, AZ – Vestar, one of the leading privately held shopping center owners and operators in the western United States, has announced the promotion of Clint Marchuk to Senior Vice President of Capital Markets, effective immediately. Marchuk has been with Vestar for 12 years, joining the company in 2014 as Vice President of Acquisitions.

During his tenure, Marchuk has led the identification, evaluation and execution of shopping center acquisitions across the western United States, including the recapitalization of District at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, Nevada, and Orchard Town Center in Westminster, Colorado, as well as the acquisition of Scottsdale Quarter in Vestar’s home market of Arizona. He has played an integral role in the growth and evolution of Vestar’s 30-million-square-foot portfolio, overseeing more than 92 transactions totaling approximately $4.3 billion throughout his career.

“Clint has been instrumental in Vestar’s growth over the past 12 years, bringing investment expertise, strong industry relationships and proven leadership to every opportunity we pursue,” said David Larcher, president and CEO of Vestar. “This promotion reflects both the significant contributions he has made to Vestar and our confidence in his leadership as we continue to execute new investment opportunities and expand our portfolio across the western United States.”

As Senior Vice President of Capital Markets, Marchuk will continue to work in Vestar’s Phoenix headquarters, overseeing all acquisitions while assuming broader responsibility for the company’s capital markets strategy, including acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and capital partnerships. In his expanded role, he will work alongside Vestar’s executive leadership team to advance the company’s long-term investment strategy and support the continued growth of its portfolio.Read More

October Lineup Includes Debut of Homegrown at Alamar, Return of Avondale’s Annual Barks & Treats and Creepin’ Candy Crawl

From pets and pumpkins to local vendors and Halloween fun, Alamar is filling October with three free events that bring Avondale families, businesses and community partners together. The month-long celebration includes two returning City of Avondale favorites and the debut of Homegrown at Alamar, a new fall signature event inspired by harvest traditions and Alamar’s contemporary agrarian roots.

Homegrown at Alamar will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at Hay Moon Park, where a community market, local vendors and live music will set the scene for Alamar’s newest fall tradition. The fall festivities will also include a petting zoo, barrel train ride, duck races and other family-friendly fanfare.

The new event falls between two returning City of Avondale annual favorites, with Barks & Treats kicking things off on Saturday, Oct. 3, and Creepin’ Candy Crawl following on Thursday, Oct. 29. Alamar is the founding sponsor of Barks & Treats and a major sponsor of Creepin’ Candy Crawl.

“Fall at Alamar is about making time for special moments that bring a community closer,” said Eric Tune, Senior Vice President of Brookfield Residential, Alamar’s Masterplan Developer. “Homegrown at Alamar gives local businesses, families and organizations a new way to connect, while Barks & Treats and Creepin’ Candy Crawl continue traditions people look forward to each year. We invite everyone to join us, enjoy time outdoors and experience the welcoming spirit of Alamar.”

Barks & Treats begins the monthly festivities from 8 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at Alamar Park. The event includes pet caricatures, crafts, a photo booth and a festive pet costume contest. Local partners will also offer vaccinations, microchips, nail trims and a little pampering for four-legged family members.

Homegrown at Alamar follows from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at Hay Moon Park, where local vendors, live music and family-friendly activities for all ages will help kick off a new Alamar fall tradition inspired by the harvest season. The event offers residents and visitors a chance to discover area businesses, meet local organizations and share a lively Saturday morning outside alongside friends and neighbors.

Alamar will close out the month with the Creepin’ Candy Crawl from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, at Alamar Park. Families can explore a trick-or-treat trail hosted by local partners and organizations, along with face painting, creepy crafts, food trucks and a costume contest for youth and adults.

All three events are complimentary and open to the public, giving kids, adults and even four-legged family members plenty of ways to come together and recreate throughout October. Together, they also offer visitors a taste of everyday life at Alamar, where parks and outdoor gathering places give neighbors plenty of reasons to gather and enjoy time outside. Visitors can also make a day of each event by exploring Alamar and touring more than 18 model homes by 6 builders.

Brookfield Residential, Lennar, Pulte Homes, Richmond American and Taylor Morrison are currently building within Alamar, with new homes starting from the high-$300s. DRB Homes will make its debut Oct. 24, completing the builder lineup for the community’s newest phase of development.

As Alamar’s masterplan developer, Brookfield Residential oversees the broader vision for the Avondale master-planned community while also serving as a home builder within the community. In addition to bringing almost 700 new single-family homes to Avondale, Alamar’s newest phase also features seven new thoughtfully designed parks with custom art installations. This new phase will also serve as the future home of Estrella Vista Academy, a state-of-the-art high school set to open near Alamar Boulevard and Dysart Road and serve up to 2,400 students.

For more information about Alamar, upcoming events and available homes, visit www.liveatAlamar.com. For more about Brookfield Residential, visit BrookfieldResidentialLand.com.

By Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board Member Amy Carney

Across Arizona, public school districts are facing declining enrollment and difficult financial decisions. But how districts respond to these challenges matters.

Consider two neighboring districts: Mesa Public Schools and Scottsdale Unified School District.

Mesa has adapted by redesigning smaller schools, sharing resources, creating specialized academic programs, welcoming Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) families, and leasing unused campus space. Administrative restructuring has also generated approximately $3.75 million in annual savings.

Meanwhile, Scottsdale Unified has approved the closure of four neighborhood schools within the past year. I voted against both rounds because I believe we should exhaust creative alternatives before closing schools.

Arizona’s educational landscape has changed. Families have more choices than ever, and school districts must adapt rather than fight that reality. Instead of blaming school choice for declining enrollment, we must choose to compete.

Only approximately 55% of school-aged children living within Scottsdale Unified boundaries attend our district schools. That should concern every district leader. We must understand what families want and provide the academic programs and learning environments that make our schools their first choice.

Last October, I requested a proactive Long Range Planning and Boundary Board Advisory Committee to examine enrollment, facilities, and sustainable solutions. Unfortunately, the board majority did not support that approach.

Mesa demonstrates that districts can rethink traditional models, develop partnerships, and better utilize taxpayer-funded facilities before considering closures.

This commitment to proactive planning and exploring alternatives before closing schools is one reason I am seeking re-election to the SUSD board alongside Jeanne Beasley. We share priorities of academic excellence, fiscal responsibility, and finding innovative ways to strengthen Scottsdale Unified.

Our responsibility is not simply to manage declining enrollment. It is to give families compelling reasons to choose our public schools again.

Most of us have a Symphony Hall memory. Maybe it was a school field trip, a holiday pops concert, or a date night that went better than expected. For nearly 80 years, the Phoenix Symphony has quietly scored the life of this Valley. Now, it is about to go silent.

On Tuesday, the orchestra announced it will suspend operations after its November 1 performance. Its 66 full-time musicians face unpaid layoffs the very next day. Board chairman Mo Stein called it the most difficult decision the board has ever faced. No return date has been set.

Photo Credit: Visit Phoenix

A Cruel Irony

Perhaps the thing that stings most is that this season was positioned as a new beginning. Music director designate Paolo Bortolameolli only opened his first season on October 9. Moreover, revenue has grown more than 50% since 2023, so audiences were coming back. Yet the orchestra still carries over $2.8 million in debt, and donations this year simply fell short.

How Does This Happen Here?

Phoenix is the fifth-largest city in America. Semiconductor fabs are rising in the north Valley. Corporate relocations keep rolling in. Meanwhile, Chase Field is lined up for a half-billion-dollar facelift. So how does a booming region let its flagship orchestra run out of cash?

There are a few likely culprits. First, most gifts to the symphony’s $60 million endowment campaign are restricted, so they cannot cover payroll. Second, Phoenix is a city of transplants. Many newcomers still write their biggest checks to institutions back in Chicago or Minneapolis. Finally, costs keep climbing while ticket prices can only stretch so far.

Not Just a Phoenix Problem

In fact, this is happening elsewhere too. Just last month, the Nashville Symphony suspended its season over a $10 million deficit. Within a week, Oracle pledged $10 million and the season was reinstated.

The lead shouldn’t be buried in that case: Nashville found its rescuer fast. Phoenix has not, at least not yet.

Photo Credit: KTAR

Someone Needs to Step Up

A great city is not measured only by its ribbon cuttings. It is measured by what it chooses to keep. Right now, a 79-year-old institution is asking that question of all of us.

The companies betting billions on Arizona’s future should be the first to answer. So should the civic leaders who love to call this a world-class region. November 1 is eleven days away. After that, the hall goes quiet, and we will all have to live with the silence.

Marvin Harrison Jr. began his NFL career with about as much hype as a wide receiver can have coming out of college: the #4 overall pick in 2024 and widely considered a generational talent. Fast forward a couple years and he is now considered on the cusp of being a generational draft bust, and the Arizona Cardinals are no better off for having landed him, and he was recently traded to the Houston Texans. But as we now understand more fully, perhaps it was less about Harrison Jr. not stepping up as much as the franchise failing him. 

According to The Arizona Republic, Harrison Jr. wanted one thing from the Cardinals: a $50,000 catching machine. The team said no. Harrison then bought it himself, as Yahoo Sports recounted. The machine is a Seeker, made by Monarc Sport, and it replicates any NFL quarterback’s throwing speed and trajectory. A source told the Republic, “Kid didn’t ask for much, but he really wanted that.” 

If the story sounds familiar, it should. The NFLPA’s first report card found the Cardinals were the only team charging players for dinner at the facility.

The Math Is Embarrassing

The Seeker costs roughly $50,000. Meanwhile, the Cardinals gave receiver Michael Wilson a three-year, $75 million extension in September. The machine is less than one-tenth of one percent of that deal. Moreover, Arizona spent the No. 4 overall pick on Harrison. Helping him develop would have been nearly free by comparison.

Nobody has said who made the call, and the team has not confirmed or denied the reports. Still, $50,000 is not cheap. It is simply what good ownership does.

A Chronic Illness

Nickel and diming has infected this franchise for decades. The 2023 NFLPA report also found the worst-ranked weight room in the league. Players said they were charged for take-home dinners and offseason meals. A former coach’s lawsuit alleges coaches paid for those meals, too.

Michael Bidwill called much of that feedback inaccurate at the time. A new training facility did break ground in February, which is fair to note. Yet the grades have not improved. ESPN reported the team ranked 31st on the 2026 report card and last in 2025.

The Fans Have Noticed

The results match the reputation. The Cardinals went 3-14 last year and are 16-39 under general manager Monti Ossenfort. In fact, fans raised more than $5,500 in a day for “sell the team” billboards.

The One Thing You Can’t Trade

To be clear, a machine did not cause Harrison’s struggles. Coaching, quarterback play, and his own effort all come up in the postmortems. However, good ownership removes excuses, and this one handed over a ready-made one.

Coaches get fired. General managers get replaced. Players get traded, as Harrison just was. The owner is the one thing Arizona cannot fire or trade away. Arguably, it has the most notoriously cheap owner in the league, and he is unwilling to invest in his team. We all deserve so much better than this.

Dear Friends,

I am writing to share extraordinarily difficult news. The Phoenix Symphony will suspend 2026-27 performances and programs following its performance on Sunday, November 1, 2026, because the organization does not have the funds needed to continue the season as planned.

Although ticket sales have increased, contributed revenue has grown, and administrative and operating expense reductions have been made, these efforts have not been enough to overcome the Symphony’s longstanding financial challenges. Contributions anticipated for the current season have not been secured at the levels necessary to sustain operations. Simply put, we cannot continue spending funds we do not have. We project that the Symphony will be unable to meet essential obligations beginning in November.

This decision will affect the lives of our musicians and staff, as well as people throughout our community. This suspension comes at a time of extraordinary artistic momentum for The Phoenix Symphony, as the orchestra performs at the highest level in its history and prepares to enter an exciting new chapter in its artistic leadership. That makes this moment all the more painful.

Nothing about this decision reflects the quality of the orchestra, the commitment of our musicians and staff, or the importance of this institution to our community. This is the life’s work of our musicians, many of whom have devoted decades to this orchestra and to our community. We recognize the profound impact this decision will have on our musicians, staff, and their families.

The suspension will also affect thousands of people across our community who experience the Symphony through concerts, education programs, and community partnerships. For many people, our orchestra has been part of their lives for years or even decades. This is your Symphony. It belongs to this community and serves Phoenix and Arizona both on and off the stage.

During the suspension, the Board and leadership will continue the work already underway, address immediate obligations, and determine what changes will be required for performances and programs to resume responsibly. The suspension is intended to help prevent the Symphony’s financial position from worsening while that work is underway.

Given the uncertainty about whether performances may resume, all 2026-27 subscriptions are also being suspended. We recognize what the loss of these performances will mean to our subscribers and ticket buyers. They will be contacted directly with information about their options as soon as the necessary arrangements are finalized.

The Symphony has served this community for nearly 80 years. Our responsibility now is to confront these circumstances honestly and to do all we can to preserve a future for this great orchestra. Additional philanthropic support will be essential if there is to be a path forward. And a financially sustainable operating model is vital. As this work progresses, we will explain what is needed to bring the music back and how our community can help make that possible.

For more information, please visit phoenixsymphony.org/updates.

Thank you for your support of The Phoenix Symphony and the people who make its work possible.

With gratitude,

Peter Kjome
President and CEO

Former Arizona State baseball coach Pat Murphy has done the unthinkable: as the manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, they slayed Goliath and swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, thus taking them to their first World Series appearance since 1982. That is a 44-year wait. As columnist Dan Bickley argued at Arizona Sports, the stakes reach far beyond Milwaukee.

His point is simple. A Brewers pennant would undercut the push for a hard salary cap, and the cap fight is what threatens a lockout. That matters in Arizona, where the Cactus League produced $495.8 million in GDP last spring, according to an ASU study.

The Cap Argument Gets Harder

Owners have pushed for a first-ever salary cap. Sportico reported a proposed ceiling of $245 million and a floor of $171 million. The core claim is that small markets cannot compete.

Yet Milwaukee won 103 games this season, and they beat the two-time defending champions in October. Moreover, between Cleveland and Tampa Bay a small-market team is going to make it to the World Series from the American League. It is hard to argue the system is beyond repair when a small market keeps winning.

Of course, one pennant does not settle a labor fight. Owners will call Milwaukee the exception. Still, the optics would be tough. Nobody wants to hear baseball must shut down so teams like the Brewers can reach the World Series.

Why Arizona Has So Much to Lose

The current collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, and many expect a lockout. The last one ran 99 days and ended in March 2022. A repeat could push into spring training.

In fact, Arizona is uniquely exposed. The Cactus League spreads across 15 teams and 10 Valley stadiums. Its record $806.9 million in total economic activity does not rest on a single corporation. Hotels, restaurants, vendors, and workers all feel a canceled March.

Meanwhile, Arizona is effectively a business partner of both MLB and the players union. As Bickley noted, the state deserves respect in these talks. Spring training should not become a bargaining chip.

The Murph Factor

Pat Murphy built a powerhouse at Arizona State. He was combative, controversial, and beloved by most of his players, and the NCAA hit him with sanctions. He became a full-time big-league manager at 65 and promptly won back-to-back NL Manager of the Year awards.

Now he is headed to the World Series. Arizona has its share of sports legends. Murphy may be about to add something bigger than another trophy. He may help protect a spring tradition, and the Valley economy that comes with it.

By Councilman Barry Graham

By Vanessa Rogers

The Arizona Republic hosted a Scottsdale City Council forum that gave voters their clearest side-by-side look yet. On stage were Barry Graham, Michelle Ugenti-Rita and Raoul Zubia. The policy differences were real. However, the differences in tone may be what voters remember most.

Opening Statements Set the Tone

Graham opened on water. He said Scottsdale’s supply is secure and accused critics of fearmongering. Ugenti-Rita went another way. She argued that a diverse city cannot afford to be led by a “one trick pony.” She also criticized a one-shot voting strategy and called it “election interference”. That is a somewhat bizarre way of labeling a tactic that both parties use in various legislative districts every election season, but I digress.

Photo Credit: Arizona Republic

Zubia, for his part, promised to stop the chaos. He leaned on 30 years in banking to argue that he understands city finances. Moreover, he framed that experience as the antidote to a council he sees as unmoored.

Water: Secure, Scarce or Just Expensive?

The candidates agreed that conservation matters, though to different degrees. Zubia said Scottsdale is not running out of water. However, he said it is running out of cheap water. That framing sits between Graham’s confidence and the alarm he criticized. Toilet-to-tap split the stage. Zubia said it is not actually a thing in reality, and Ugenti-Rita disagreed. She also deflected a bit on conservation, saying state and national governments are necessary stakeholders.

Graham then renewed his charge that Zubia leans toward multifamily housing, which uses more water. The moderator pushed back; per unit, multifamily uses significantly less water. Zubia also rejected the idea that he favors large apartment complexes. He said he backed one such project four to six years ago.

Growth and Housing

Ugenti-Rita kept returning to a single line: growth pays for itself. That sat oddly in a water conversation, especially beside her growth-hesitant approach. Zubia pointed to the experts. Ugenti-Rita rejected them and said she had done her own research. She also took a swipe at South Scottsdale. People do not live here to live like Tempe, she said, “where Mr. Zubia almost lives.” And with that attempt at a slam, Ugenti-Rita decided that it was a smart move to turn one-third of the city into a hornet’s nest that she would then kick by way of a rather elitist sounding soundbite. Someone should have told her not to.

Photo Credit: Arizona Republic

The moderator then asked what criteria each candidate would use on housing. Graham wants resident support. Ugenti-Rita pointed to the general plan. The moderator noted that the plan will eventually change and asked for her own views. In response, she went after the moderator instead. That exchange was among the tenser moments of the night. Zubia cited the general plan and the neighborhood character plan. He said he prefers two- or three-story apartments.

Technology and Data Centers

License plate readers drew a clear line. Graham was much more negative. Zubia’s answer was more mixed. He said the city is doing some good things but opposed the data collection. On data centers, Graham and Ugenti-Rita said their answers depend on the proposal. Zubia, however, was against them.

Costs and the Axon Question

Graham also raised cost overruns. Zubia blamed Covid-era inflation, and Graham disagreed. Neither side gave ground on stage. Then came the toughest question of the night, on Axon. The moderator asked why the public should believe a candidate would not do the company’s bidding, given its donation. Zubia said he was not a fan of the first plan or the current one. Ugenti-Rita asked what he had actually done about it. Zubia answered that council voted against putting the plan to a public vote. Graham said he wanted it on a special election ballot.

Style Points

The tone differed as much as the substance. Ugenti-Rita was combative with Zubia and with the moderator throughout and clearly took the attack-dog role. Graham, by contrast, was pointed but less combative, even when he pushed back hard. Zubia mostly played defense, though he kept steering back to his message.

Voters who want substance got a clear split on water, growth and technology. Meanwhile, voters who want temperament got a preview of the council each candidate would bring. In fact, the forum offered less a single knockout moment than a clear map of where each candidate stands.

But whoever wins will inherit the same water questions, the same housing pressure and the same Axon fight.

“Does it get any cooler than a flying car?

Humanity owes tech titan Elon Musk its thanks for producing that marvel, demo’d Thursday, and for many other future-delivering achievements — and above all for making visionaries . . . great again.”

Read the full story here.

By Ronald Sampson

Michelle Ugenti-Rita has had two very different moments on camera lately. One was a masterclass in how to answer a powerful opponent. The other, caught on camera at a debate, handed her rival a gift.

First, the ace. Standing in front of a sign that shows her in cornrows, Ugenti-Rita said Axon could have simply opposed her over its apartment plan. Instead, she said, hundreds of thousands of dollars went toward attacking her and others, including signs mocking her appearance. Axon-linked Better Together is now under Attorney General review over its disclosures, and Axon says it was not directly involved.

The Ace

The video worked because of its tone. She explained those braids as popular in her mother’s home country or Norway; an ode to her heritage. She positioned it as bullying from a multibillion-dollar company that once proposed a 1,900-unit apartment project and now looks petty when it spends money mocking a candidate.

Her closing line was just as good. She said she would not be intimidated out of her principles. That is tactical, effective, and worthy of the fight she is in.

The Unforced Error

Then came the debate. Ugenti-Rita reportedly suggested that Raoul Zubia “almost lives in Tempe.” As we noted in our op-ed, Zubia is a lifelong resident who still lives in his South Scottsdale family home.

Whether she meant it as a joke or a jab, it landed as a shot at the south end of town. South Scottsdale voters heard a candidate sneer at where they live, a sort of coded elitism. She said the quiet part out loud: Scottsdale’s ruling class doesn’t care about the city south of Old Town. Unfortunately for her, that part of the city is a large share of the electorate she wants to represent. What she likely thought was a zinger was a failure.

Punching Up, Punching Down

The contrast is the lesson. In the first moment, she punched up at a powerful company and earned sympathy. In the second, she punched down at a neighborhood and lost it. Voters forgive plenty, but they rarely forgive being talked down to.

The Takeaway

Early ballots are already out, and the Nov. 3 runoff is close. Ugenti-Rita has a real message about standing up to special interests. She should do more of the first moment and none of the second.

For months, Scottsdale residents watched a deep-pocketed group push around three council candidates. Now someone with a badge is paying attention. According to The Arizona Republic, the Attorney General’s Office is reviewing a complaint that Better Together, a PAC with close ties to Axon, failed to properly disclose its donors on signs and ads. As we asked back in July, voters deserve to know whose money is behind the mailers.

What the State Is Reviewing

The Secretary of State’s Office found this month that the PAC likely broke campaign finance rules. It then referred the case to the Attorney General. The complaint came from Tempe resident Alex Logvin, who runs a website tracking political spending.

He alleges that the roadside signs said only “Paid for by Better Together.” The disclaimer was reportedly half an inch tall when it should have been nearly five. State rules also require naming the biggest donors and disclosing the share of out-of-state money. Better Together’s entire $335,000 came from National Horizon Inc., a Virginia super PAC.

The Defense

Better Together’s attorney calls the size discrepancy negligible and says the Clean Elections Commission, not the Secretary of State, has jurisdiction. Moreover, the Attorney General’s spokesperson says no determination has been made about wrongdoing.

Its Treasurer has maintained that Axon was not directly involved. Campaign finance reports have not directly linked the PAC’s funding to the company. However, they do show executives’ money moving through a pattern of payments between PACs.

Why It Still Matters

The PAC spent that money to defeat Barry Graham, Michelle Ugenti-Rita, and Bob Littlefield. All three ran against overdevelopment, including Axon’s planned 1,200-unit apartments. The candidates accused Axon executives of trying to buy the election.

Axon Rendering

Yes, this is a narrow dispute about sign size. Yet even a schoolyard referee starts with the small infraction. In the meantime, Better Together has gone quiet since the primary, and Leibowitz declined to say why.

What Comes Next

The Nov. 3 runoff will decide the final two council seats. Graham, Ugenti-Rita, and Raoul Zubia are competing, after Littlefield stepped aside. Voters, not PACs, will have the last word.

The bully has not been punished. It has simply been slowed down. In any schoolyard, that is often where accountability begins.

By Jeanne Beasley

Elections have consequences. This week, Scottsdale families saw just how significant those consequences can be when the Governing Board voted 3-2 to close two more neighborhood schools.

Copper Ridge and Laguna will join Pima and Echo Canyon as schools our community is losing. Four schools in less than a year. Behind every closure are students, teachers, families, and neighborhoods forever changed.

Schools are more than buildings. They are places where friendships form and communities connect. Closing a school disrupts families, changes boundaries, can increase commutes, and weakens the connections that make Scottsdale special.

Yes, declining enrollment is a real challenge, and responsible financial decisions must be made. But school closures should be a last resort, not the first solution.

Before closing another school, we should be asking: What more can we do to attract families? Have we explored partnerships and better uses of existing facilities? Have we fully considered the consequences alongside projected savings? Have we listened to parents choosing other educational options?

We cannot close our way to a stronger school district. We must give families compelling reasons to choose SUSD and explore every reasonable alternative before making irreversible decisions.

As a longtime Scottsdale resident, former SUSD parent, and candidate for the Governing Board, I believe our community deserves leaders who ask difficult questions, welcome public input, support school staff, and put students at the center of every decision.

School closures are decisions that can shape neighborhoods for generations. So are the decisions we make about who leads our district.

The future of Scottsdale’s public schools deserves thoughtful, long-term leadership. Vote for Jeanne Beasley and Amy Carney for the Scottsdale Unified Governing Board on or before Nov. 3. Learn more at: www.SUSDstrong.com 

Jeanne Beasley is a candidate for the Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board

By Raoul Zubia

I have lived in this neighborhood since the 1960s. For the past few years, I have been living in my childhood home to help my aging mother. In all those years, I had never heard gunfire on our street until early Sunday morning.

Shots were fired in the front yard, the backyard and the street of a short-term rental near Roosevelt and 74th. Nearby homes were hit. One neighbor showed reporters a bullet hole in the wall above his front window, yards from where his 6-month-old was sleeping. No one was hurt, and that was luck.

I want to be fair: our police and city staff are working on this. The city has a dedicated short-term rental team, a new Neighborhood Response Unit, and hundreds of charges filed this year. I appreciate that effort. With something close to 3,000 licensed rentals and violent occurrences at some of them — we clearly need more resources.

Residents here had complained about this particular property before. Complaints should trigger consequences before something violent happens, not after.

Cities need more control over short-term rentals. We need to be able to find the bad players and either eliminate them from being able to have an STR or fine them so heavily that they no longer want to do business in Scottsdale. Small penalties are a cost of doing business. Repeat offenders should lose their licenses.

That requires three things:

1. A prompt, public review of this property’s license, with results shared with the neighbors.
2. Penalties that escalate quickly for repeat violations.
3. Pressure on the Legislature to respect local control and give cities the authority they need.

Most rental owners follow the rules. They should not be lumped in with operators who treat our streets as a party venue. But neighbors who raise alarms deserve to be heard before the next incident, not after.

I’m running for City Council to make that happen. 

Some Scottsdale legacies are carved into buildings and desert preserves. Jason Mohns built his under the Friday night lights. Over 11 seasons as head coach at Saguaro High School, he turned the Sabercats into one of the most respected programs in America. In fact, his teams won seven state championships and went 123-19. That run included a state-record six straight titles from 2013 through 2018.

An Unlikely Path to the Sideline

Football was in his blood, but it wasn’t his first love. His late father, Greg Mohns, spent nearly 40 years coaching in college and the pros, including a stint alongside Frank Kush at Arizona State. Still, young Jason gravitated toward hockey and never planned on coaching. Instead, he volunteered in youth football and founded the Scottsdale Argonauts youth club while a student at ASU.

In 2007, Saguaro asked him to lead its freshman team. He told them he didn’t think he was qualified. Fortunately, they hired him anyway. He rose to running backs coach, then offensive coordinator, and his 2011 offense finished second in the nation in scoring. A year later, he became head coach, with his father still alive to see it.

Building a Dynasty the Right Way

What followed was remarkable. Saguaro reached nine of ten state title games during one stretch. The lone exception came in 2020, when a COVID outbreak ended its playoff run. Moreover, the program’s dominance was so complete that it helped spur the creation of Arizona’s Open Division. Then, fittingly, Mohns won that Open title in 2021.

Talent alone doesn’t explain it, though. Mohns developed NFL players like Christian Kirk, Byron Murphy and D.J. Foster, plus a long line of All-Americans. Meanwhile, he guided countless families through recruiting, and Saguaro became a first stop for college coaches scouting the state. His honors piled up too, including Arizona Cardinals High School Coach of the Year and two finalist nods for the NFL’s Don Shula National Coach of the Year Award.

Why His Leadership Shines Brighter Now

Mohns left after the 2022 season to coach tight ends for Kenny Dillingham at ASU. There, he has built one of the Sun Devils’ strongest position rooms while deepening his ties to Valley recruiting.

Back in Scottsdale, the program he built has learned how hard that kind of stability is to replace. Coaches have come and gone since he left. Consequently, his decade of steady, demanding, player-first leadership looks even more extraordinary in hindsight. Great programs don’t run on talent alone. They run on someone who shows up every day, sets the standard, and stays.

Jason Mohns was that someone. For that, he is a living legend that belongs in Scottsdale’s Hall of Fame.

By Ana Landeros

I’m proud to be a Scottsdale resident. I attended our schools here, graduated from Coronado High School, and now attend Scottsdale Community College. My family and I moved to Scottsdale because of its promise of community and opportunity. Now, at 18 years old, I know that the decisions made about Scottsdale today will impact my generation and generations to come. 

That’s especially true when it comes to water. 

Scottsdale needs leaders who are thinking decades ahead about our water supply, infrastructure and growth. That is one reason I appreciate Raoul Zubia’s focus on water and his approach to Scottsdale’s future. Raoul knows we can’t overdevelop and that any growth must be responsible, but unlike his opponent Barry Graham, Raoul doesn’t have the unrealistic expectation that if we stop funding water projects, development will stop and everything will be fine. That’s just wild to me 

Much like what attracted my family to Scottsdale, growth can bring jobs, opportunity, and economic investment, but overdevelopment has consequences. Our leaders must ensure new growth can be supported by our water resources and infrastructure. Protecting our quality of life, safeguarding our natural resources, and maintaining a strong economy aren’t mutually exclusive, but rather go hand in hand. 

Raoul brings that balance to the conversation. His professional background in banking gives him an understanding of economics and responsible investment, while his years of involvement in Scottsdale have given him an appreciation for what families want to protect and what my generation will inherit. 

For younger residents, these aren’t abstract debates. The decisions made about water, development and infrastructure today will shape the Scottsdale where we build careers, start families, and hopefully remain for decades. 

As a Scottsdale student, I understand why people care so deeply about this community. We should preserve what makes it special while preparing responsibly for the future. 

That starts with protecting the resource upon which everything else depends: our water. 

Ana Landeros is an 18-year-old Scottsdale resident and a 2026 high school graduate who plans to graduate from college in 2030.

By Councilwoman Jan Dubauskas

Jan Dubauskas. Photo Credit: Coalition for Greater Scottsdale

Scottsdale’s treasured Old Town Farmers Market has a vibrant new home at City Hall – and the results are better than anyone expected! The expanded site now offers seating, shade from trees and solar canopies, and more space for vendors and families.

By Raoul Zubia

Christian Serena’s op-ed is a list of things I didn’t do. I didn’t write SB 1543, lobby for it, or vote on it.

Every contribution to my campaign is publicly disclosed, and no one gets my vote for a check. I can’t control who funds Better Together or how it spends. 

Voters deserve consistency. My opponents have accepted plenty of money from developers in this election and cycles since. Serena says follow the money. I agree, so follow all of it. Moreover, my opponents’ false claims have been fact-checked repeatedly in the Arizona Republic. 

The only person in this race who has voted for more apartments is Barry Graham.

I share residents’ concerns about overdevelopment and have stated publicly that any growth needs to be responsible and follow the city plan. Anyone who has followed my campaign knows exactly where I stand. 

Ignore the disinformation. Vote for me, Raoul Zubia, so we can restore common sense and stop spreading lies. 

by Ronald Sampson

Scottsdale Unified’s governing board voted 3-2 Tuesday to close Copper Ridge K-8 and Laguna Prep. Roughly 900 students will change schools. It is the district’s second round of closures in as many years, after Pima Elementary and Echo Canyon shut down earlier this year.

As we wrote just days before the vote, the district keeps losing families and answering with a smaller map rather than a plan to win them back. Tuesday did not change that pattern. However, it made one driver of the decline impossible to ignore: Arizona’s universal ESA vouchers.

The Numbers Behind the Closures

Board member Matthew Pittinsky said enrollment has fallen 26% since 2010. By district figures, that is more than 6,000 students. Superintendent Scott Menzel has blamed two forces, falling birth rates and Empowerment Scholarship Accounts.

The second force is the one accelerating. Since universal expansion, ESA enrollment among students living inside SUSD boundaries has grown by more than 1,000%, according to an ABC15 analysis. Statewide, the program now serves more than 100,000 students at a cost approaching $1 billion a year. Moreover, Scottsdale ranks among the Valley districts with the highest ESA participation per capita.

A Market That Won’t Reverse

Critics are pushing to rein in the program, and that debate is legitimate. Still, SUSD cannot budget around a ballot measure or a future Legislature. Families have learned they can take thousands of public dollars a year elsewhere. That habit will not vanish quickly, whatever voters decide.

In other words, the district now competes for every family in a marketplace the state built on purpose. Closing buildings trims costs. It does not win back a single student.

What Adapting Looks Like

Pittinsky argued that closing schools beats cutting teachers and programs, and he has a point. Savings of more than $2.5 million can protect classrooms. Yet savings only buy time.

Matt Pittinsky

Survival requires the district to act like a competitor. That means signature programs families cannot find elsewhere and aggressive outreach to ESA households. It also means honest data on why families leave. Finally, closed campuses should become revenue through leases or partnerships rather than sitting empty.

Notably, board members Amy Carney and Carine Werner wanted to pause and explore other financial options. Their instinct deserves follow-through, even after losing the vote.

The Clock Is Running

Voters will weigh SUSD’s $375 million bond on Nov. 3. Before then, the district should show what comes after closures. ESA growth is no longer a forecast. Instead, it is the operating environment. Scottsdale Unified can adapt to it, or keep closing schools until little is left to close.

Christian Serena’s recent opinion piece urged voters to back Barry Graham and Michelle Ugenti-Rita. It was presented as the view of a former planning commissioner and concerned resident. While he is entitled to his opinion, Mr. Serena did not mention that he is chair of Barry Graham’s campaign. That is not a minor omission. A campaign chair supporting his own candidate is making a campaign case, and the label should say so lest readers believe it is an objective opinion. This paper should adopt a standing policy requiring disclosure of opinion piece authors when writing about their own candidates.

As for his actual commentary, Mr. Serena scrutinizes who funds his candidate’s opponent, urging readers to “follow the money” and weigh who stands to benefit. By that standard, readers deserve to know that the author, himself, has a direct stake in the outcome. He also fails to disclose the developers and business owners supporting his own candidate. This is important given Mr. Graham’s promises not to accept money from developers and because it creates a potential conflict of interest in future Council matters, conflicts that apparently Mr. Serena believes are only a concern for the opposition. Further, Mr. Graham’s being found guilty of ethics violations, the ongoing investigation by the State Attorney General into potential violations of Open Meeting Laws (as recently reported in the media), open complaints about his campaign finance reporting, his misuse of police and County Attorney resources against residents and Mayor Borowsky, and his incessant falsehoods are far more important for voters to consider.

I certainly will not be voting for Barry Graham (or Michelle Ugenti Rita) because character matters.

Dan Ishac
Resident and Former Council Candidate

By Joe Romack

By Ashley Earle

By Former Scottsdale Mayor Sam Campana

I agree the farmers Market new location is pretty terrific.  For the vendors and the buyers.

But I was there for the initiation of the Farmers Market in Old Town years ago.  The WHOLE point of which was to support Old Town!!  Park once, wander the Market, then enjoy the cafes, boutiques, Western offerings, and vibe of our historic downtown.  All lost at the new location ….

I give walking tours downtown almost daily during Farmers Market season. The businesses NEED this added activity. Both for our wonderful out-of-town visitors AND our residents experiencing our historic downtown.

Other Council candidates are touting the new location as a Win-Win.  Raoul Zubia was at the first Farmers Market. He understands the intrinsic value of that Mission Church/Brown Avenue/Main Street added activities.  The Market will always be a Win.  The new location is a terrible Loss. And every parking study said we didn’t need more parking there.

It’s sad that any Scottsdale elected official would fail to appreciate the economic and visitor impact of the Mission site. I’m voting for Raoul Zubia only.

Sam Kathryn Campana,    Former Mayor, City Council