Solange’s Scottsdale Salience

By SongBird No matter how the elections turn out Tuesday for Scottsdale City Council, or in November, Solange Whitehead is a Hall of Famer. Amongst the contemporary rancor over Axon, out of state funding, apartments, development, transparency, elections and parking garages, one can forget her many, many contributions to the city over the past decade.  That shouldn’t be. She serves with … Read More

Weekly Travel Review: Park City, Utah

By Bedouin Bourdain The Mountains Remembering Silver Park City wears its past on its sleeve and its present in its powder. A mining town that struck it rich twice, first in silver, then in snow. Summer here surprised me. No crowds fighting for chairlifts. Just trails, light, and a town that knows exactly what it is. Old West, New Pour … Read More

Jim Thompson Comes Home, and Scottsdale Should Be Glad

A Career Built on Getting Things Done Jim Thompson spent nearly four decades in public administration, and a good chunk of the most consequential years happened right here in Scottsdale. He steered the city as manager from 2017 through 2024, guiding it through growth, infrastructure fights and the kind of complicated municipal decisions that rarely make headlines but shape a … Read More

Sam Fox Just Proved He Can Do More Than Cook

From Kitchen Table to Reader’s Choice Sam Fox spent decades building a reputation as one of the country’s most respected restaurateurs. Now he can add hotelier to the resume. His Global Ambassador in Phoenix just landed the No. 1 spot on Travel and Leisure’s 2026 list of Arizona’s best resort hotels. The ranking came straight from reader votes, not critics … Read More

A Birthday Post That Reminded Us What Grace Looks Like

By Alexander Lomax George W. Bush turned 80 this week. Bill Clinton, the man who denied his father a second term in 1992, wrote him a birthday message that said more about American politics than most speeches. Clinton called their friendship one of the great gifts of his life. He said it reminded him that long before politicians take sides, … Read More

Guest Editorial: How an Arizona Teacher Sparked My Entrepreneurial Journey

By Michelle Watson After attending a graduation ceremony recently, I found myself thinking not just about the graduates and their futures, but about the teachers who helped get them there. At a time when there is an ever-changing landscape in education that dominates the headlines, it’s worth remembering something simpler and far more personal: teachers change lives every single day … Read More

Scottsdale Loses an Architectural Giant: Vern Swaback Dead at 87

Scottsdale said goodbye this week to one of its defining architectural voices. Vernon “Vern” Swaback, founder of SWABACK Architects + Planners, died July 5 at age 87. He was one of the last living apprentices of Frank Lloyd Wright. His firm helped shape decades of Scottsdale’s built landscape, and his civic fingerprints run through some of the city’s most consequential … Read More

Guest Editorial: The Truth About Axon

By Christian Serena Axon Enterprise, the Scottsdale maker of Tasers and body cameras, wanted one of the largest apartment developments in Arizona history — roughly 1,900 units beside its own campus near Loop 101 and Hayden Road. As a member of the city’s Planning Commission, I studied the proposal, listened to residents, and voted no. When I refused to knuckle … Read More