Realtor Kimberly Tocco shares her story to help eradicate suicide By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Kimberly Tocco and her family were eating breakfast, when a minor argument ensued. Her 13-year-old son, Jason Legere, went upstairs and shot himself. “He died in my arms,” Tocco says about the March 22, 2011, nightmare. “It was quite traumatizing. We had to just figure out a way to wake up every day after that.” ...

The Cave Creek pet store gets to know its customers By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Mike Murray says his Cave Creek pet store, Bonnie’s Barkery, goes beyond food and treats. He and his staff offer personalized service, nutritional guidance and a full array of natural, organic and holistic food and treats. Freezers hold raw foods for dogs and cats. Grooming services are available. “Each product we carry has go ...

Consistency is the key to Brisam’s success By Eric Newman Brisam’s Grill, Bar and Patio has become a staple in Cave Creek for creative dishes and drinks, and a great atmosphere. Having recently celebrated its 13th anniversary under owner Steve Buchanan, Brisam’s regularly feeds the Cactus Shadows football team before games and has a steady flow of guests. It’s hard not to believe there’s another 13 years or ...

By Greg Rubenstein Stuffing a high-output V8 engine into an otherwise vanilla sedan has been a recipe for success since the Rocket 88, created in 1949 when Oldsmobile shoehorned the model 98’s 5.0-liter V8 into the smaller, lighter model 78. Seven decades later, just about every manufacturer offers at least one super-sedan, and anyone who’s piloted a mid-size four-door with high-output engine knows why it’s ...

Dr. Brandon Gough stresses a healthy lifestyle to his orthopedic patients By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Brandon Gough wants what’s best for his patients. To do so, Gough feels he has to show them he’s in a good frame of mind himself. Gough sets an example by spending time in the gym, biking down mountain trails and advocating for his patients. “I’m a big advocate of promoting a health ...

With 27 years as a trial attorney, Christopher Zachar, owner of Zachar Law Firm, prides himself on his work ethic and commitment to his clients. He grew up in Iowa, played high school and college football, worked in cornfields from dawn to dusk and understood the meaning of hard work at a young age. In fact, Zachar says, he is really still just a “good ole’ hard-working, Midwestern boy” with a passion for d ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski ohn McDonnell and Travis Ranville were watching football and drinking scotch when Ranville asked, “Why isn’t there a brand named Scotchdale? I want to live in Scotchdale.” Immediately, McDonnell trademarked the name online. The former Michigander’s subtle joke led to their latest Scottsdale Airpark-based business venture, which launched in March. “It grew from that idea,” Ranvi ...

By Alison Bailin Batz It’s amazing what one can see when really looking. Rewind to 1960. Dr. James Tupper, a 26-year-old Naval officer who had recently graduated from Wisconsin Medical School, sat on an icebreaker, a specialty Navy vessel that cuts through ice so it can sail. Along the way to its destination, Antarctica, the ship docked in several ports along South America’s west coast. When Tupper disembar ...

By Marshall Trimble It was 1887 and Ike and Fin Clanton, a couple of cow thieves who survived the Cochise County War against Wyatt Earp and his brothers five years earlier, moved their operations to the Springerville area. Their ranch, the Cienega Amarilla, was located east of Springerville, near Escudilla Mountain. The Clantons and their friends were accused of terrorizing local citizens, cattle rustling, ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski When Sonoran Trails Middle School Spanish teacher Eric DeVore heard he was the Cave Creek Unified School District’s Teacher of the Year, he says his heart stopped for a second. “I was totally shocked,” DeVore says. “We have a ceremony at the end of the year, and they show videos and messages from the kids. At the very end, they showed third place and then second place and I tho ...

By Sherry Jackson Since he was 10 years old, Richard Suzuki knew he wanted to be a lawyer—in particular a prosecutor. He was raised by his grandmother, who enjoyed watching jury trials. When she returned, she would share stories of the cases she observed. He was hooked. Suzuki is the founding attorney at Suzuki Law Offices. A native Arizonan, he thought about becoming a baseball player for a little while in ...

By Greg Rubenstein As much a mobile family room as high-capacity daily driver, the three-row, seating-for-eight Lexus LX 570 sport utility vehicle offers something—or perhaps more accurately, everything—for everyone. From a body-on-frame platform ideally suited to towing and off-road adventure, to the wood and leather-trimmed, high-tech/highly connected interior, to the gamut of safety features helping ensu ...

By McCall Radavich Glenda Coen still gets emotional when she thinks about the fire that destroyed St. Joseph Catholic Church in North Phoenix. “Still every now and again I can’t help but to cry about it,” says Coen, who has been a church member since 2013. “I try to keep in mind that God has a better plan for us, even if we don’t know what it is yet.” The St. Joseph Catholic Church congregation and the Dioc ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Jim Louvau was driving along a Valley freeway when Linkin Park came on the radio. As the song ended, he flipped channels, only to hear the Grammy-winning band once again. Louvau can’t seem to escape the rock band and that is precisely the problem. He can’t get away from the music or memories of his friend, Chester Bennington, who committed suicide on July 20, 2017. “It’s terrib ...

By Daniel Spalding Misty Hyman is a name competitive swimming fans are familiar with. The American record-breaking swimmer captured the gold in Sydney in the 2000 Olympics with her innovative kicking technique. She’s considered a pioneer in her field. Hyman’s career has taken her around the globe, but this third-generation Arizonan still calls it home. She says she loves the “small-town feel” of Arizona bec ...