From Humble Beginnings Desert Foothills Theater promotes innovation, integrity, and diversity By Laura Stoddard At the intersection of Cave Creek and Scottsdale roads 43 years ago, there was one thing: dirt. Cave Creek was just a small, close-knit community, slowly unfurling its petals at the far-north reaches of Scottsdale. Who knew that decades later it would be home to Desert Foothills Theater (DFT), one ...

Driving Out Domestic Violence  Annual celebrity charity event raises funds for victims of abuse. By Paige Bailey Their last names are synonymous with major league baseball: Teahen, Greinke, and Putz. Combined, Lauren Teahen, Emily Greinke, and Kelsey Putz have decades of major league baseball in their families. This November, these wives of current and former major leaguers are pooling their efforts for a d ...

Fighting Words Newspaper folk in territorial Arizona were an irrepressible bunch. By Marshall Trimble Wherever folks wandered in the rugged wilds of the West during the second half of the 19th century there remained a desire to keep up with the happenings "back in the states." Local events such as the latest political shenanigans were always a curiosity too. Many took their politics serious to the degree th ...

Cultural Institution The Arizona Jewish Historical Society preserves the rich heritage of our state’s diverse history. By Julie Carlson The Arizona Jewish Historical Society has been preserving and educating guests about Arizona's Jewish heritage and communities since 1981. The society’s archives currently maintain over 50,000 primary source documents, photographs, artifacts, and memorabilia related to the ...

Hot List Get ready for the holidays––and beyond––with these rejuvenation trends. By Dr. Jennifer Geoghegan It’s so challenging to find good artwork for these plastic surgery pieces. Most of the stock art looks seriously lame. So, if you think another image would be better, please use it. : ) The holiday season is almost upon us, which means everyone’s asking, “What’s new in beauty treatments?” and “How can ...

Taste of Cave Creek Foodie event adds new wine, beer experiences. By Alison Bailin Batz In its 24th year, the Taste of Cave Creek has grown into one of the area’s top foodie “must-dos” of the fall with 8,000 expected guests. This year is no different, with the North Valley event boasting new restaurants and interactive elements. “The Taste of Cave Creek will once again be held at Stagecoach Village, so we c ...

John Randall Nelson Local artist offers a bold and unique narrative. Phoenix-based painter, sculptor, and performance artist John Randall Nelson offers his viewers familiar subject matter. Utilizing a bold and vibrant color palette blended with his painterly style, he works in a faux-naïve way that seamlessly blends painting, drawing, and text with a unique and bold narrative. “Ambiguity and metaphor are ce ...

Après-Ski Life is heating up off the slopes for former downhill dare devil turned banker. By Alison Bailin Batz North Valley business leader Mike Brown grew up in Liberal, Kansas. “And it was anything but––liberal, that is,” says Brown. “But, our town was so crazed for skiing, a local ski club was formed with many of the residents, and they would actually charter planes to take the families to Colorado for ...

Preacher Tombstone’s legendary “two-fisted minister” left a lasting impression. By Marshall Trimble During the early days of life in Tombstone the main diversion was playing cards but that soon changed as the business district developed. Folks drank, gambled, frequented bordellos, lied, bragged, and fought. And they went to church. Nobody was shunned from attending church. Even the so-called Shady Ladies re ...

A Tasty Original Introducing Mama G’s famous Highway Cafe banana bread. Let me share with you Highway Cafe banana bread. The original recipe was my great grandmother’s. She once owned the famous Highway Cafe during the 1940s. Located in South Dakota, service men and women would visit daily to get a delicious piece of warm, buttery, banana bread. The best part about this bread is the gooey texture, which soa ...

Innovation TrackMan Performance Putting unlocks a wealth of data about your entire putt. By Scott Sackett The last 15 years in golf has brought incredible innovation in everything from equipment to ball flight radar. A lot of the focus has been on the long game. How high can you launch it and how low can it spin are common questions. Smash factor, club path, attack angle, and ground pressure are now measura ...

Hub City The unexpected charm of Lubbock, Texas, delights writer Kristin Caliendo. In the back of a charming wine and gift shop in Lubbock, Texas, Jimmy and Christi Henderson are opening a bottle of 2015 Trilogy Cellars Reserve Merlot at The Wine Nest, a premier boutique wine and gift shop in the heart of what’s frequently referred to as Hub City. Perhaps West Texas is not considered by most as wine country ...

Cardio Core Workout Build a strong base for a tight, firm tummy. By Kim Miller and Shannon Dougherty Photos by Stephanie Heymann, stephanieheymannphotography.com Core muscles are much more than six-pack abs. They create a solid base on which your entire body relies to function. Building a strong core helps with stability and balance, which is essential as we age. Additionally, it assists with the prevention ...

Charmagne Coe  Mixed-media artist captivates with her enchanting surrealist artwork.   By Nicole Royse Phoenix-based artist Charmagne Coe creates alluring surrealist mixed media paintings that feature a dazzling combination of watercolor, ink, and pastel that dance across the canvas. Her work conjures both the inner and outer-worldly, and possesses a free and delicate style. Coe’s creations transport v ...

Free and Easy Hometown favorite Dierks Bentley doesn’t want his musical party to end. By Alan Sculley For Dierks Bentley, it hasn’t mattered whether he was playing bars early in his music career, opening an arena show for a country superstar, or playing on some level in between––the place where he’s most comfortable is on stage. “I have some friends in NASCAR, and they’re so busy before the race,” Bentley e ...