By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Old Town Scottsdale’s Puzzle Rides is putting a holiday spin on its mobile escape room-style scavenger hunt in “Scottsdazzle.” Teamwork, combined with elements of the route, is used to solve a series of puzzles via golf cart before time runs out. From ages 5 to 85, there is something for everyone. “Whether you’re new to Puzzle Rides or have tried us before, our holiday excursio ...

By North Valley Symphony Orchestra North Valley Symphony Orchestra will present its 10th anniversary season, bringing an affordable concert experience to the North Valley after a season of virtual, smaller performances. The 2021-22 season includes four musical performances throughout the year, beginning with “Re-Opening Overtures,” 7 p.m. Saturday, October 16, at North Canyon High School Auditorium, 1700 E. ...

By Jordan Houston Aromas of baked goods, visions of pitched tents and quiet sounds of community chatter will paint the scene at High Street on Sundays through the spring with the return of its annual farmers market. The Farmers Market on High Street, located off of Loop 101 at 56th Street, officially kicked off Sunday, October 3. It runs from 10 a.m. through 1:30 p.m. Roughly 100 vendors will decorate the N ...

By Keith Jones Construction is nearly complete, and a mid-year opening is planned for Abrazo Cave Creek Hospital near the intersection of Carefree Highway and Cave Creek Road. Abrazo Cave Creek Hospital is a new type of neighborhood hospital, designed with an emphasis on convenience, patient safety, surgical and emergency services. “We are excited to expand Abrazo’s services in the North Valley by creating ...

By Marshall Trimble Irregularities at the polls on the frontier were common. Here are a few of my favorites: In 1870 in Yuma County, the local Native Americans were bribed to participate in the election by casting their votes. Clad in breechclouts and stovepipe hats, the latter, gifts from one of the candidates for services rendered, they would await their turn at the polls. When the clerk asked their names ...

Mike Bauer didn’t have any expectations when he signed up for the website 23AndMe, which provides personalized DNA insights. The D-backs in-game host, who is adopted, was wondering if any health problems ran in his biological family. “As much as I love my family, there are some things you want to know, like, ‘Genetically, am I predisposed to certain health issues?’” says Bauer, whose adoptive parents, Fred ...

By Abbie S. Fink It can be hard to imagine what it must be like to be a survivor of the Holocaust. A dark time in U.S. history, 6 million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust, which took place between 1933 and 1945. Historians estimate that there were 1.5 million children among the 6 million who perished.  But for the Phoenix Holocaust Association (PHA), which is located in Scottsdale, the Holocaust is m ...

by Sarah Donahue Karin Johnson always longed to create a place for women to connect, interact and grow with each other. “Who knew that it was going to be the firing range,” she says with a laugh. Karin is the gun range safety officer, operations manager and wife of Oz Johnson, founder of Desert Hills-based Johnson Group Tactical gun range, which has offered firearms training classes for around five months a ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Amie Miksta relaxes in the shade. The task comes easier to her these days, after a whirlwind, arduous bout with brain cancer. Her Instagram is @aminspirational, a play on her first name and her friends’ description of her. “I’ve been through a lot,” says Miksta, a former teacher who lives near Desert Ridge Marketplace. “A lot of people get very saddened, but I try to inspire. “ ...

By Kamala Kirk Since 2011, the Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships has been the United States’ premier polo event, attracting thousands of people from around the world, including top polo players, sponsors and celebrities. This year’s event will return on November 7 under a new name, The Stella Artois Polo Classic: Presented by Ketel One, accompanied by socially distanced safety measures and a focus on he ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Sunny Parker isn’t one to cancel appointments. But when brush fires are approaching Cave Creek and the town’s mayor, Ernie Bunch, comes calling, there’s no time to waste. Parker founded Arizona Foothills 911, a 9,000-member Facebook page dedicated to neighbors helping neighbors in emergency situations. The target audience is Cave Creek, Carefree, Desert Hills, Rio Verde and Nor ...

By Connor Dziawura The effects of the coronavirus have been felt by many, from the closing of movie theaters and the pause on live music to the halting or limiting of operations by businesses like gyms, restaurants and bars. Those at the Musical Instrument Museum know all too well, as the venue closed this past spring to mitigate the spread of the virus. To remain connected with and involved in the communit ...

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 ...

Outlets at Anthem erects Arizona’s tallest Christmas tree   By Garrison Murphy   The Outlets at Anthem has set up Arizona’s largest Christmas tree for the 17th year in a row. The tree is a white fir and stands 80 feet tall, 22 feet wide and weighs close to four tons completely decorated.   “For many Arizona residents, the Outlets at Anthem tree arrival is truly the start of the holiday season ...

Expert Legal Guidance The criminal defense attorneys at Suzuki Law Offices use insider knowledge to guide clients through the criminal justice system. Richard J. Suzuki, the founding attorney at Suzuki Law Offices, L.L.C., is approachable, talkative, and down to earth. “Because of my background, I’m living proof that if you always work hard, you can succeed,” Suzuki says. “I faced many hurdles to accomplish ...