The Scottsdale Independent is an invaluable source of local news.  And so it was again with a recent posting of an opinion piece by the former First Gentleman of Scottsdale, Larry Manross.  His wife, Mary, served as Scottsdale Mayor from 2000-2008. Click here to read the full opinion piece. It wasn’t much of a surprise that Larry declared his support … Read More

By Scottsdale Pinetop Local businesses create the unique fabric of our communities. They are owned by local entrepreneurs, employ their neighbors, develop relationships with regulars and find ways to give back. But the effects of the coronavirus and statewide shutdowns have caused many of our favorite businesses to close permanently or adapt to new ways of serving the community, leaving … Read More

By Scottsdale Pinetop In a time of immense political divisiveness and strife there is never a shortage of disparaging comments on social media. That is why it is so refreshing to see politicians put animosity and political agendas aside to work together for the public good. In a social media post last week, former Phoenix councilmember Daniel Valenzuela announced that … Read More

The Arizona scientist that swapped nuclear fusion for COVID medical grade materials By Scottsdale Pinetop and Robin Roadrunner Three decades after its release, the multi-generational slacker Marty McFly and overzealous nuclear scientist “Doc” Brown from Back to the Future have continued to captivate a wide-spread audience like few other films could. In fact, this was the exact inspiration for aspiring … Read More

The City’s Most Interesting By Scottsdale Pinetop Teacher. Preacher. Author. Activist. It’s quite an impressive title for one of Scottsdale’s most interesting residents. And a title that fits Paula Sturgeon perfectly. A long-term resident of Scottsdale, Paula has become one of the city’s leading advocates impacting some of Scottsdale’s key decisions. Born in Kansas City, her family moved to Arizona … Read More

As Scottsdale debates who her next Mayor should be, it’s timely to reflect on and ask what is next for current Mayor Jim Lane and a 2020 mayoral aspirant who just missed the run-off election, Virginia Korte.   Lane is concluding his third and final term with the city’s top title.  But it’s hard to believe his public service will … Read More

Staff Report – A recap of the top three stories on Arizona Progress & Gazette from the past week.  Guest Editorial: Don’t Let Scottsdale Become Palm Springs Says Community Leader Jim Derouin In life we have to be careful what we ask for because, sometimes, to our disadvantage, we get what we ask for. We have it good. Let’s not … Read More

The results were fascinating on August 4th, as former Councilmembers Dave Ortega and Lisa Borowsky now head to the run-off in November. But a deeper dive into the results are even more fascinating. As he did when he ran for Mayor for the first time in 2004 against Mary Manross, Ortega did very well in the southern precincts that tend … Read More

By Scottsdale Pinetop The future of school funding and education reform has been a point of concern among voters and state leaders. And with the Invest in Education proposal certified to be on the upcoming ballot, conversations surrounding the public-school system are more important now than ever. Helping to expand the dialogue is Café con Chico, a weekly virtual podcast … Read More