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

The following is a guest opinion piece by reader and commenter Gordon, who is graciously offering us a glimpse into the mind of a Donald Trump supporter. It was originally written on July 13. As with any opinion piece here on Race, the following does not necessarily represent the views of the editor or the other authors on the site; … Read More

by David Brooks Christianity is in decline in the United States. The share of Americans who describe themselves as Christians and attend church is dropping. Evangelical voters make up a smaller share of the electorate. Members of the millennial generation are detaching themselves from religious institutions in droves. Christianity’s gravest setbacks are in the realm of values. American culture is … Read More

Hockey fans rhetorically cross-checked the Glendale City Council during and after a hearing that ultimately resulted in the municipality’s termination of its $15 million per year subsidy for the Arizona Coyotes. But were they directing their ire at the right people? Let’s reset. Having an NHL franchise in the Valley is a very good thing.  While the team has never … Read More