Valley NewsPay Check
Ashley M. BiggersJuly 1, 2015
City council updates Phoenix’s Anti-Discrimination Ordinance to match the federal Equal Pay Act – but some say that’s not enough.
HistoryPlanet 9 from Outer Space
Keridwen CorneliusJuly 1, 2015
This July, a NASA probe will take the first up-close photos of Pluto – 85 years after the discovery that should never have happened.
HistorySpace Age Lodge
Alexandra ScovilleJune 1, 2015
Gila Bend’s retro-futuristic hotel is still out of this world.
Valley NewsIn Development: Mixed-Use Mania
Mike MeyerJune 1, 2015
Business in the front, party in the back... multi-family units upstairs? These cool Valley developments promise a mullet-like multitude of uses.
Valley NewsDesert Disneys
Mike MeyerJune 1, 2015
Greater Phoenix remains the only major U.S. metropolis without a theme park, despite many bold attempts by inspired impresarios. Could Scottsdale’s OdySea in the Desert hold the formula that finally works?
On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, Scottsdale businessman Mike Aloisi stands under the shade of an oak tree at Cactus Park in Scottsdale, clutching a bouquet of helium balloons. He’s wearing the head of a pelican costume – specifically, “PALican” – mascot for the Valley theme park he conceptualized to promote water safety to children. When Aloisi dons the mask, he becomes the character, waving and cheerfully announcing, “Hi, kids! I’m PALican, the friendly pelican!” One can almost picture a group of small children clinging to the costume and clamoring for photos.
Valley NewsBoarding School
Mike MeyerJune 1, 2015
Valley youth get an “extreme” alternative education at Kids That Rip.
The kid rumbles down one steep ramp on his skateboard, then swooshes up another. He flips the board up onto a metal railing, shoots across it and out into the air, then takes a painful-looking spill onto his butt. He winces, gets up, and repeats this process several times, each ending with a tumble. After a few falls, he slams his board against the floor in frustration.
HistoryKat-ness, Evergreen
Tom MarcinkoJune 1, 2015
Thirty years before Woodstock made his maiden landing on Snoopy’s belly, a cat named Krazy was dodging bricks in a pioneering newspaper comic strip.
Valley NewsAd Hawk
Mike MeyerJune 1, 2015
Valley resale shop My Sister’s Closet is generally known for two things: used Blahniks and cheeky billboard copy. You’ve seen the ad slogans in question: “Wanted: One Night Stand” (with a picture of a nightstand) and “Make a Booty Call” (with a boot). Fun stuff, right? Harmless. Good for a chuckle.
HistoryOver the Hump
Amy SaundersMay 1, 2015
Fifty years ago this month, conservationists including Barry Goldwater came together to save Camelback Mountain from development.
Valley NewsCounty Fair
Mike MeyerMay 1, 2015
Sure, Maricopa is the most populous, most powerful county in Arizona, but every municipal entity in the state from Pima to Apache does something the best. Consult our info-map to see where your county excels.
Valley NewsMural Image
Mike MeyerMay 1, 2015
The recent destruction of Downtown murals, including two early Ted DeGrazia pieces, has local art advocates feeling pinched by “progress.”
At Art Detour the first weekend in March, thousands of people wandered the streets of Downtown Phoenix, craning their necks to see into local art galleries and bobbing their heads to bands jamming on outdoor stages. The 27th annual event has grown into one of the city’s largest cultural carousals. The main attraction this year was inside the building at 222 E. Roosevelt Street: two murals painted by renowned Tucson artist Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia more than 65 years ago.
HistoryLos Dos Molinos
Alexandra ScovilleMay 1, 2015
Los Dos Molinos is a Valley dynasty – a colorful, kitschy, spicy dynasty.
Valley NewsHeart Beat
Mike MeyerMay 1, 2015
With an assist from a motivated widower, Mayo Clinic uncovers a genetic link to a little-known heart condition called SCAD.
On Jan. 2, 2011, 51-year-old Judy Alico experienced blurry vision and pain in her right arm. She was rushed from her Scottsdale home to the hospital, but doctors couldn’t find the source of her decline. She died two days later, the apparent victim of a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. The sudden death of this seemingly healthy woman – who did not smoke or drink, was not overweight or diabetic, and had no family history of heart disease – baffled both doctors and her grieving husband.
Valley NewsBlood Business
Wynter HoldenMay 1, 2015
Disruptive tech company Theranos launches a pilot program in Arizona that may revolutionize blood testing – and that needles the competition.