Dumb & Dumber was a slapstick comedy back in 1994. It’s an apt description of landlord lobbyist David Ortega’s campaign for Scottsdale Mayor in 2020. Stung by documented, fair critiques of his Scottsdale record, the lowlight being his vociferous opposition to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve during his first, failed run for Mayor in 2004, Ortega has resorted to attacking the … Read More
Tammy Caputi: Restarting Schools and Our Economy
By Tammy Caputi — School is scheduled to “start” in a few weeks online. As a parent with 3 children in our local public schools. I’m worried about what this is going to look like for our family- how we will stay safe, make sure our kids manage to keep up with their educations, and figure out a way to … Read More
Community Hero: Making A Difference and Helping Save Wildlife
By Recker McDowell — Diane Vaszily has been volunteering at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale for the past 9 years. Southwest Wildlife is home to orphaned, injured and rescued wild animals including wolves, bears, coyotes, foxes, deer, bobcats, skunks, and mountain lions. SWCC celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. Vaszily is a retired environmental educator so the wild animal … Read More
New Children’s Book By Grandmother, Granddaughter Tells The Story of Camelback Mountain
By Scottsdale Pinetop — In 1965, U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater led a citizen initiative to save Camelback Mountain. Over 55 years later, the fight continues in Paradise Valley. And one Paradise Valley family has found a new, creative way to help preserve the beloved mountains. The Story of Camelback Mountain is a new children’s book that tells the untold story … Read More
Scottsdale’s Twilight Zone
Listening to many of the candidates for Scottsdale Mayor and City Council prior to the August 4th primary election it’s as if no pandemic or economic pandemonium has occurred. Oblivious to the economic trauma that has severely wounded our galleries, special events, restaurants, and small business candidates continue to rail against height and density. It’s like complaining about a cold … Read More
Guest Editorial: Supporting Adoptions, Creating Loving Families
By Recker McDowell — Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel has announced her office was easing its opposition to adoptions by same-sex couples. Adel’s predecessor, Bill Montgomery, was not keen on adoptions by same-sex couples. That led to the County Attorney’s Office outsourcing legal work for adoptions mandated by state law. Arizona statute requires County Attorneys to provide some free legal … Read More
Community Spirit: Showing The Best of Us
By Recker McDowell — There is still a lot of uncertainty regarding when and how schools and colleges will reopen for the new school year. There is also a lot of uncertainty for many students on when and how they will continue their educations including going to college. The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on jobs, livelihoods, and of course … Read More
Iconic Arizona Resort Teams With Gen Justice To Help Foster Youth
By Recker McDowell — The Castle Hot Springs resort north of Phoenix is steeped in Arizona history. The resort first opened in 1896 and reopened last year after being closed for 45 years. The historic resort is also now working with one of Arizona’s most worthy charitable causes — Gen Justice. The Castle Springs resort and Phoenix-based Gen Justice are … Read More
Guest Editorial: Covering COVID-19 Without Bluster and Bias
By Recker McDowell — Arizona now has more than 150,000 COVID-19 cases and is closing in on 3,000 deaths from the virus. Those are important for the media and social media influencers to report as we traverse the pandemic and its impacts on health and the economy. The challenge is getting the national and local media to report on COVID-19 … Read More
Good Samaritans: A Summer For Mary
By Recker McDowell — It can be easy to point out when the government (at all levels) overreaches its bounds or is not working for the ‘little guy’. We all know the ‘You Can’t Fight City Hall’ refrain. This is not the case at all with the city of Phoenix and the Good Samaritan work being down by the Planning … Read More