Readers, it’s no secret that we enjoy being relative insiders to the world of Arizona (and specifically Scottsdale) politics, and this year has been an interesting one. We’ve been fortunate in our ability to carve a successful niche of sharing a wide variety of viewpoints and stances of one of the best areas and states in the world, and we’re … Read More
Big Surf Is Becoming a Warehouse. Is That Really Progress?
The Arizona Republic confirmed this week what’s rising on the old Big Surf Waterpark site in Tempe: a 694,000-square-foot industrial park, three buildings ranging from 190,000 to 259,000 square feet, with no tenants named yet. Layton Construction broke ground back in February 2025. The 36-acre site sat vacant for years after Big Surf was demolished in 2021. America’s First Wave … Read More
Speaker’s Corner: Katie Hobbs Only Believes in Democracy When It’s Convenient
By Ronald Sampson Katie Hobbs stood in front of reporters on August 20 and told them she’s worried about the citizen initiative process getting eroded, while in the same breath standing by her override of the Axon vote. Voters gathering signatures to put a question on the ballot, she said, that’s sacred stuff. She opposed messing with it back when … Read More
A Scottsdale Guy Just Got Handed the Keys to Chase Field
Big congratulations are in order for Mark Winkleman, founder and president of MGS Realty Partners, who was just named to lead the $500 million renovation of Chase Field for the Maricopa County Stadium District. It’s exactly the kind of high-stakes, high-visibility assignment that calls for someone who has already proven he can manage complicated public responsibility, and Winkleman has done … Read More
Scottsdale Deserves Better, Even From Its Best
By Ronald Sampson We ran a guest editorial from Scottsdale Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield this week, “Steady Water Management, Not Campaign Rhetoric.” It’s exactly what it sounds like: a policy argument about how the city should handle its water future, written by someone with a vote on the council. Worth reading, worth debating. Instead, the comment section produced this, aimed at … Read More
Mayor Lisa Borowsky responds to new Colorado River operating guidelines, reassures Scottsdale’s strong water future
Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky is responding to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s release of new Colorado River operating guidelines for 2027 and 2028. “While Scottsdale has legitimate concerns about the long-term health of the Colorado River system, our city remains well-positioned to meet the needs of our residents and businesses,” Mayor Borowsky said. “Scottsdale has invested for decades in … Read More
The Quiet Part, Said Out Loud
By Alexander Lomax Everyone caught the ticket story. Almost nobody caught the line buried inside it. The line itself Explaining why the whole speeding-camera saga felt so foreign to her, Mayor Borowsky told Mike Broomhead that she “rarely travels through that part of town”. The intersection in question is Scottsdale Road and Thomas, the heart of south Scottsdale. … Read More
Guest Editorial: Now We Know
By Betty Janik Now We know The wait is over. The Interior Department announced Arizona will receive a CAP water cut of about 31% over the next 2 years. This was expected. We have reserves to tap into as needed. Now we must look to the future. Steps are available to secure our water future. Conservation is the easiest. It’s … Read More
Lake Powell and Lake Mead Warning of the Day of Reckoning for Scottsdale
Lake Powell and Lake Mead both hit record lows this month, and the numbers are hard to shrug off. These dynamics are the biggest threat to Scottsdale in its history. Powell has dropped more than 20 feet since the start of the year and is now just 30 feet from the point where its hydroelectric turbines stop working altogether. … Read More
Ethan Knowlden Shows Scottsdale How to Lose With Class
Ethan Knowlden ran for Scottsdale City Council this year and came up just short. A few weeks later he posted a sweaty selfie from a morning run in DC Ranch, captioned “Running in the 6’s (hours) right now means running in the 80’s (degrees). Which is healthier than any other form of running I’ve done lately.” That’s it. No bitterness, … Read More