“I voted for the densest project in the history of our community.” That’s not a refrain you often see municipal elected officials put on re-election brochures.   Yet, that would be the truth were anyone on the Paradise Valley Town Council to actually vote for the density dog that has become the proposed redevelopment of the SmokeTree Resort near Scottsdale … Read More

By Mayor Jerry Bien-Willner Dear Friends and Neighbors: We’re now three months into my term as Mayor, and the experience of serving Paradise Valley residents as Mayor has been both an honor and a pleasure. I wanted to provide you with an update on some of the issues we’ve been working on, and will do so on a periodic basis going forward … Read More

By Scottsdale Watchman Like Michael Jordan at a post-season NBA awards ceremony, Scottsdale keeps raking in the hardware. In just the last two years, Scottsdale has been listed as the number one city in the United States for job seekers. It has been recognized for excellence in economic development. Our city has been acknowledged as North America’s top golf destination. … Read More

By The Happy Wanderer When the Chicago Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series for the franchise’s first championship victory in 108 years, the sentiment expressed by Cubbies fans across the world could be summed up in two words: “F*cking finally!” That’s the reaction we had late last Friday. Almost five years after the … Read More

By Scottsdale Pinetop On average, it takes five second to send or read a text message. To put that in perspective, it also takes about five seconds to travel the length of a football field while driving 55 mph. In 2017, Arizona reported 741 distracted driving related accidents according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Yet, Arizona is one … Read More

By Scottsdale Watchman Just one year ago, Dr. Hiral Tipirneni made quite the impression on the West Valley’s political scene. In last April’s special election in the 8th Congressional District, which consists of Phoenix’s north and western suburbs, she lost to Arizona state senator Debbie Lesko by a mere five points. Hiral was the talk of the town. Since that … Read More

By The Happy Wanderer A few weeks before the official start of the 1991 NFL calendar year, New York Football Giants head coach Bill Parcells abruptly resigned. His decision to step away from the game sent shockwaves across the league. During his eight-year run at the team’s helm, he led a once-moribund franchise to 85 wins, five playoff appearances and … Read More

By Scottsdale Watchman “The Scottsdale Airpark is on fire.” Not literally (thankfully), but figuratively speaking. At least that’s what the reporters at national commercial real estate news outlet Globest.com have recently written. In the last two decades, Scottsdale Airpark has transformed from a non-descript area of the city with a small general aviation facility and generic office parks to a … Read More

Resorts are what make Paradise Valley, Arizona particularly special.  They can also be a source of controversy.   While the redevelopment of the old La Posada Hotel into Montelucia was unanimously approved by Town Council, its construction created public relations challenges.  The Mountain Shadows Resort was closed then resurrected through a unique set of business, legal and political dynamics.  But, … Read More

By Scottsdale Pinetop There’s nothing like being in downtown Scottsdale during spring training season. Each March, thousands of fans descend upon Scottsdale in a sea of orange, decorated from head to toe in their team’s colors. Selling out spring training seats at most Cactus League games, Scottsdale Stadium has helped make Scottsdale a leading economic and tourist destination. But, in … Read More