By Thyra Ryden-Diaz, Scottsdale Water Interim Senior Director If you follow water news in the Southwest, you’ve likely noticed a shift in tone in recent months. While the headlines remain serious, the conversation is becoming more balanced. Alongside concerns about drought and Colorado River reductions, there is growing recognition of the planning, investments, and regional cooperation helping stabilize the system. … Read More
Public Schools Are Closing. The Blueprint for Survival Is Right Next Door.
The Phoenix Business Journal recently published its annual ranking of Arizona’s largest nonprofits by revenue. At number 18 was the nonprofit entity behind BASIS schools. It pulled in $176 million last year against $168 million in expenses. That is not a cautionary tale. It is a case study. A charter school network built on rigorous curriculum and purposeful design is … Read More
Get to Know Your Candidates: Our Q&A with Scottsdale City Council Candidate Raoul Zubia
As a reminder, we sent out a similar questionnaire to every candidate for Scottsdale city council. Their submissions are being posted in the order of being received. All of the questions were the same except for the last two, which were customized to each candidate. Do you support the Axon development as originally proposed, including up to 1,900 residential units, … Read More
Graham Doubles Down on Water Gamesmanship
By Linda Milhaven As Councilman Barry Graham is pursuing his re-election campaign, it seems that he may be creating a bogie man out of recycled water so he can make promises to save us from it. At the same time, he is boasting that he cut expenses but is not acknowledging the impacts of the cuts and delays in spending. … Read More
A Shanked Field Goal: Jay Feely’s Attack on Joseph Chaplik Is a New Low in the CD-1 Primary
There is an old football saying: you can tell a lot about a team’s character when the game gets hard. Jay Feely, the former Arizona Cardinals kicker turned congressional candidate, just showed voters who he is when things got hard. It is not a flattering picture. Feely’s campaign recently attacked primary opponent Joseph Chaplik over missed votes during his final … Read More
Tammy Caputi Endorsed by EMILY’s List in Legislative District 4 Race
Tammy Caputi announced today that her campaign for State Representative in Legislative District 4 has officially earned the endorsement of EMILY’s List, one of the nation’s most influential organizations dedicated to electing Women. The endorsement comes as Caputi continues building momentum in one of Arizona’s most competitive legislative districts, centered on a message of pragmatic leadership, accountability, and delivering real … Read More
Unintended Consequences Coming to Scottsdale: Why the Dubauskas Recall Now Means that Anyone is Fair Game
By Ronald Sampson Scottsdale has real issues to navigate: water supply pressures, development tensions, a competitive city budget cycle, and an ongoing power struggle on the City Council that has consumed far too much oxygen for far too long. What the city does not need is a recall effort driven by a failed candidate settling ideological scores, and setting one … Read More
Guest Editorial: Why does Solange Whitehead have overwhelming support from Scottsdale residents?
I’ll tell you why. Because she runs her campaign the same way she governs; effectively, with fiscal discipline and a vision for Scottsdale’s future. Unlike other office holders and candidates, she doesn’t take advice from just a small group of advisors but listens and learns from everyone she encounters. Solange wants to do what is best for our community. … Read More
Rasta Kari
No, this is not a joke. Kari Lake, who was appointed to head the Voice of America only to then be told to gut it, is being given another much more unusual consolation prize: the Ambassadorship to Jamaica. Strangely enough, in Trump’s first term he also appointed an Arizonan to the Jamaica ambassadorship: Don Tapia. This announcement may not be … Read More
Why Juneteenth Matters in Scottsdale
Scottsdale carries a certain reputation: wealthy, white, politically conservative. But the city is more diverse than that shorthand suggests, and this June, a significant new cultural event will make that case on the public square. The Arizona NAACP State Conference is launching Scottsdale Juneteenth 2026, a two-event series designed to establish a lasting annual tradition of community celebration and civic … Read More