On October 28th the message below was sent out to businesses in downtown Scottsdale.  There’s probably more than a few alarm bells going off. After all, what problem would shrinking Scottsdale Road from two lanes to one lane through a vibrant downtown solve?  Are city planners just looking for something to do?  Is there one-lane envy of Mill Avenue in … Read More

Dierks Bentley’s popular restaurant and bar, Whiskey Row, hopes to join Gilbert’s Heritage District very soon. There are already two other popular locations in the Valley, Scottsdale and Tempe. So why are the residents of Gilbert worried about this establishment? Noise. That’s right, the residents of Gilbert are worried that Whiskey Row will be too noisy and will not be … Read More

It’s been 33 years since John Rambo took on the world.  It’s been only a week or two since former Phoenix City Councilman Tom Simplot fired the first shots in the 2019 Phoenix Mayor’s race. Two capable people have made it known they want to replace the term-limited Greg Stanton. Simplot and current Phoenix City Councilman Michael Nowakowski.  Both would … Read More

There are always great stories in any school district.  A wonderful teacher.  An enterprising student.  A feel good sports team. The Scottsdale Unified School District is no different. But the problems infecting the one time model of public schooling are a shocking indifference to malaise.  And that’s to put it kindly. Last year the district again lost some 1,000 students.  … Read More

Fiesta Mall in Mesa is about dead.  Los Arcos Mall in Scottsdale died years ago.  Metrocenter is trying to reinvent itself as so many other malls are doing across the country.  The changing retail landscape driven by increased online sales demands it.  Look at Biltmore Fashion Park which now seems more a tony food court than mall.  That brings us … Read More

It would seem that the Tempe police are more concerned about people’s opinion of them than actually protecting the residents. The ‘Safe and Sober’ campaign that launched in 2013 after incidents where Arizona State University students were found dead after attending parties where heavy drinking was involved was replaced with a babied version that focuses on education and prevention. After … Read More

Some time ago Bob and Karen Hobbs bought the former home of favorite Arizona son Barry Goldwater.  Located on a hilltop in the heart of Paradise Valley their preservation and updating of the home was and is spectacular. From time to time they do events there, mainly political ones favoring the Grand Old Party.  But not a once have they … Read More

We all remember Christine O’Donnell, as we try to forget her?  She was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Delaware who rode that year’s Tea Party wave to upset the presumed nominee, he of the “establishment.”  In one of the worst political television advertisements ever produced she infamously declared she was “not a witch” as she attempted to retintroduce … Read More

Normally one doesn’t start with boring phrases, words and projects to entice a reader to continue on. But the language below while not sexy is compelling for reasons that will be explained. So, please read on. “Forty-year old infrastructure” in southern Scottsdale. “Replace existing chemical treatment systems” with new ones to “provide a safe and consistent disinfectant solution for public … Read More

By David Brooks When Dustin Yellin was 17 he dropped out of high school. The school was filled with jocks and cheerleaders and he clearly didn’t fit in. Plus he wasn’t intellectually engaged. He hitchhiked around New Zealand and returned to Colorado. He became an apprentice to an eccentric physicist who believed he could get free energy from space and … Read More