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The Pavillions Sweets in Scottsdale Arizona Restaurant Week
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FALL 2013
The Sweet Life in Central Scottsdale
Q&A withChaparral High School
Winners of the ‘We Love Scottsdale’ Photo Contest!
The PavilionsA Come Back Story
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Conten
ts
The Pavilions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
The Sweet Life in Scottsdale . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Q&A with Chaparral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
‘We Love Scottsdale’ Photo Contest . . . . 26
4 FALL 2013
McCormick Ranch Lifestyle is published quarterly by eClaire Publishing, LLC, 7349 N. Via Paseo Del Sur, Suite 515-268 Scottsdale, AZ 85258. Phone 480 212-6203. Fax 480 699-2049. Not responsible for unsolicited materials. Not affiliated with the McCormick Ranch Property Owners Association, nor does the publisher endorse the advertisers included. This publication is sent to each household on the McCormick Ranch. If you do not live on the McCormick Ranch or would like a separate copy mailed to you, an annual subscription fee of $12 is requested.
In EvEry IssuE:Real Estate Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Four-Legged Ranchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Local Personality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
LocaL BusInEss HIgHLIgHts:Food Truck Caravan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Brooklyn Cafe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
FEaturEs:8
16
10
24
McCormick Ranch Lifestyle 5
Letter from the
EditorDear reader,
Transition . It’s a word that resonates clearly with me right now . As my youngest child has started Kindergarten and I begin the intensive Scottsdale Leadership Program, this seems like a time of change and growth. I find this applies well to McCormick Ranch also . We are becoming known for more than just a green, well-poised neighborhood on the map . In fact, the August issue of Phoenix Home & Garden named us a “hot” neighbor-hood .
We are gaining more publicity for the area with nearby attractions like Octane Race-way, Butterfly Wonderland and Salt River Fields (see our feature on The Pavilions). This summer the apartment complex on Via de Ventura sold for $35 million, several beloved area businesses closed while new ones are opening, and the controversy over The Vig coming to Paseo Village broke ground .
In this issue, I’m pleased to profile some of what makes our area so special; people in the community who are leaving a legacy, great dining options and one of the top rated public high schools in the nation .
The winners of our photo contest capture perfectly the beauty of why we love Scotts-dale . Here I am at 8 months old with my family during construction of our home in 1977 .
Thanks for reading!
Alexandra Duemer alexandra@mcrlife .com
After two years of skyrocketing home prices, your Scottsdale home is probably worth a lot more than you think . The average single family home sold in Scottsdale two years ago went for about $160 per square foot . This summer it went for about $210 per square foot . That’s a 30 percent increase in two years . Not bad! For a 2,500 square foot home, that’s equivalent to a $125,000 increase in price .
We deserve it after all we’ve been through . Decades from now, many people will still remember the Great Housing Bust as the worst time in their lives -- kind of like the Great Depression for a new generation -- the time they lost their house to foreclosure .
From the absolute peak of the Scottsdale real estate market boom in 2006, the average single family home price fell from about $300 Re
al Esta
te by John Wake
6 FALL 2013
Market Trends
per square foot to almost $160 per square foot . So that same hypothetical house that gained $125,000 in value in the last two years actually lost $350,000 in value from 2006 to 2011 . (That means that in 2011 your home was probably worth a lot LESS than you thought.)
But that’s all ancient history now… the storm is over . Now, Scottsdale home prices are way up and home sellers are upbeat and optimistic . Unless you bought it between 2005 and 2009, your home is probably worth more than you paid for it . And no matter when you bought it, it’s worth phenomenally more than two years ago .
Within Scottsdale, the price increases have been great-est in the less expensive zip codes . In 85257 which borders Tempe, for example, the average home price is up about 60 percent from two years ago while in 85255 in north Scotts-dale, the price is “only” up about 30 percent. (On the other hand, prices in 85257 fell 55 percent from the peak in 2006 while prices in 85255 “only” fell about 40 percent from the peak.)
However, if we look at the dollar increase instead of the percentage increase we find the results are flipped. In 85255 (approximately from Bell Road north to Jomax Road) the average sold price is up around $150,000 from two years ago while in 85257 (southernmost Scottsdale) the price is “only” up about $80,000. (Much of that difference is because homes in 85257 tend to be a lot smaller than homes in 85255.)
For us here in 85258, the numbers are very similar to those for Scottsdale as a whole . However - and this hasn’t been talked about much - almost all the increase in home prices in 85258 over the last two years occurred from mid-2011 to late 2012 . So far in 2013, home prices in 85258 haven’t risen much, maybe $5 per square foot at best . The steep upward momentum in 85258 home prices is definitely over .
Sales of non-distressed McCormick Ranch homes have been growing strongly in recent years, that is, until this year . The high season for home sales in McCormick Ranch is the second quarter (April-June). In recent years the number of single-family homes sold during the high season increased ev-ery year from 2009 to 2012 . In the second quarter of 2013, however, the number of homes sold in McCormick Ranch fell a bit for the first time in four years. That suggests that McCormick Ranch home prices have risen to the point that they may be starting to reduce the number of homes sold .
What will happen to our home prices in 2014? Are we in for another real estate bubble? Stay tuned for the next issue of McCormick Ranch Lifestyle.
John Wake has lived in McCormick Ranch since 1998 and is an Associate Broker with HomeSmart Real Estate. John was born and raised in Phoenix and graduated from Gerard High School and ASU. His two sons, John and Chris, graduated from Saguaro High School and ASU. John can be reached at [email protected] or (480) 463-4475. For more information, see his ad on the back cover.
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McCormick Ranch Lifestyle 7
8 FALL 2013
Every Saturday night, you can join the Food Truck Caravan revolution from 7:30 - 11:30pm in Downtown Scottsdale on the Northwest corner of 5th Ave . and Goldwa-ter Blvd .
A rotation of eight gourmet food trucks are on hand each week, providing guests with a wide range of dining options (start-ing at $8) from around the world; including farm fresh food, Southern comfort, Dutch-Indonesian satay and dessert trucks serving everything from homemade pastries to gourmet artisan ice cream .
Believe it or not, Lori Baker and Casey Stechnij started dreaming up this concept in April . Six weeks later they had gotten the City of Scottsdale’s approval and had 400 people at their first event! With food truck novelty, the news spread quickly and even in the heat of summer, they have seen up to 1,000 people attend on a Saturday night .
Community has been the driving force behind Food Truck Caravan . Stechnij is a 3rd generation Arizona dairy farmer . He’s the guy behind the scenes who makes things happen and never complains. Lori is the spirited gal from a small town in Mas-sachusetts who sweats every detail to make the event a success . They are proof that entrepreneurials have to trust their gut and take a chance .
The Food Truck Caravan is open to all ages and everyone is encouraged to sit at one of the communal tables and socialize
with friends and neighbors . Some regulars even bring their dogs to the event. Misters keep diners cool (heaters will be on site for
winter), lanterns light the night sky, and live musicians provide entertainment . The "Ate on 5th" program, at the concierge desk, also allows guests to receive discounts at participating area merchants, restaurants and bars just by purchasing food from one of the trucks .
Baker says, “Most people are tired of the big box chains . We’re providing some-thing different and a great way to meet the community . I love bringing people from all over the Valley to experience this event . I love that I can help revive Downtown Scottsdale and encourage economic devel-opment .”
There is a rotation of themes, trucks and musicians every Saturday . Baker is proud of the fact that someone could come every week and not eat the same food . She says, “The bar has been set high by these trucker chefs and they are dish-
ing out some amazing food! We actually have a waiting list for trucks .” And it’s only going to keep getting better as they add art demos, a hookah, and even a VIP tent for private parties in the coming months .
“I believe street food is a conduit to community . It gets peo-ple together for a multi-cultural event and we couldn’t be more proud,” says Baker . “There’s a lot of love in our parking lot .”
FoodTruckCaravan
Lori Baker and Casey Stechnij
8787 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85253SE Corner of Scottsdale Rd. & Doubletree Ranch Rd.facebook.com/theSHOPSgaineyvillagewww.theshopsgaineyvillage.com
Exquisite Shopping & Dining...right in the heart of Scottsdale.
A Cool Breeze | Andreis Rug Gallery | Bryn Walker | Carine’s BoutiqueChez Vous | Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf | del Adora | Diva Women’s Wear
Downside Risk | DS The Studio | Femme | Gainey Cleaners | Kiss Me KateLes Ateliers | Mackie’s Parlour | Mariee Bridal | My Fit Foods | Oak Creek
Oliver Smith Jeweler | Paradise Bakery & Café | Paris Paris | Pei WeiRitzy Rags and Shoes | Rolfs Salon | Scottsdale Jean Company | Soi 4 Bangkok Eatery
Two Hearts Nail Salon | Two Plates Full | Village Tavern | Village Wine Cellar
10 FALL 2013
One of my first childhood memories was our family’s annual spring trip to Scottsdale for vacation . We’d stay at the Papago Inn on McDowell Road and spend the majority of our time in the swimming pool . I grew up in Wisconsin so I really saw Scottsdale as a literal paradise in the desert . As part of those family trips my parents used to take us for ice cream almost nightly to the Haagen Daaz that used to be on 5th Avenue near where 5th and Wine cur-rently resides, across from the iconic horse fountain .
My twin brother and I would count the minutes it took to drive just a few short miles north for a big scoop of Chocolate Choco-late Chip or, as I got older, Chocolate Peanut Butter . I am still a huge fan of sweets and lucky for me, I have been a resident of Scottsdale for over 20 years .
Here’s a look at some of my most favorite sweet confections and decadent desserts in our fair city .
Butterscotch Pudding from FnBWarning: the following treat is highly
addictive . It’s the very best butterscotch pudding you’ll ever taste topped with barely sweet house-whipped cream and a dusting of nutmeg . I’ve even gone as far as to say it’s so good I’d hap-pily eat it off my own arm . That may be a bit extreme however this is a must-order on each and every visit to FnB .
twozels from goodytwos toffee company
The sweetest mother and daughter duo brings this ridiculously delicious snack to life: Clusters of pretzels, kettle corn and roasted almonds are drizzled with toffee and a duo of milk and white chocolate . Amazing . I recently spotted them at my local Whole Foods store, but the location on Scott-sdale and Shea smells so heavenly inside it’s well worth stopping in .
Butter cake from Mastro’sI could easily make this cake a meal in itself . Topped with a
layer of straight up sugar, the butter cake at Mastro’s is the stuff of legends . It’s served with fresh berries and whipped cream and frankly, it is dessert perfection .
the Dossant from the Herb BoxThe croissant/doughnut hybrid is the stuff dreams are made
of . Filled with everything from bourbon butterscotch to cannoli cream, this dessert will blow your mind and your hair back. My personal favorite is the Bacon, bourbon and butterscotch combo . I get chills just thinking about it .
Mint chocolate chip Ice cream from sweet republic I mentioned my affinity for ice cream earlier and since child-
hood, my passion for it has not waned . In fact, if I was stranded on a desert island and was only allowed one food to eat for the
rest of my life, I’d go with ice cream . Preferably the Mint Chocolate Chip from Sweet Republic. This uber minty concoction has very large dark chocolate chunks infused in sweet,
creamy ice cream . It’s a summertime cure to our wondrous weather .
Macarons at aunt abby’s treatsI can’t possibly write about
desserts and leave out a new local favorite . All of the gourmet cookies here are delicious, but the macarons will melt in your mouth faster than you can say “oui,oui!” With flavors like Apricot Almond (Abby’s favorite), White Chocolate Strawberry Cham-pagne (my favorite) and Chocolate Peanut Butter, these delicate French cookies are gluten-free and baked fresh .
There are plenty of Scottsdale spots for awesome dessert options . These are just a few of my favorite places for a sweet treat. My motto is: there’s always room for ice cream . Well, or any dessert .
By Susie Timmof Girl Meets Fork
Sweet Life Scottsdale
The
inSweet Life
Scottsdale
The
in
INGREDIENTS:• 1/2 cup (2 oz) Israeli (pearl) couscous, cooked• 1/2 cup (2 oz) Roma tomatoes, dicedª 1/2 cup (1 oz) super-sweet dried corn• 1/2 cup (2oz) arugula, chopped• 2 ounces smoked salmon, diced• 1/2 oz asiago cheese, crumbled **• 1/4 cup (1/2 oz) toasted pepitas **• 1/4 cup dried black currants**
Pesto dressing ingredients:• 1/2 cup basil pesto• 1 cup aioli (Note: If you cannot find commercially prepared
aioli and don`t want to make your own, you can substitute mayonnaise, or use 1 cup olive oil, drizzled in very slowly with motor running so the mixture emulsifies. It should thicken further with refrigeration .
• 1 shallot, roughly chopped• 1 cup buttermilk• Juice of 1/2 lemon• 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper• Salt to taste
StetsonSalad
12 FALL 2013
DIRECTIONSSalad instructions:
In a shallow bowl, assemble the salad ingredients in rows . Start with tomatoes or arugula at one end; push previous row back with one hand as you place and line up the next ingredient with the other hand .
**Combine these ingredients beforehand and use as one row . All are available at Trader Joe’s .
Pesto dressing instructions:Add first three ingredients to food processor and blend thoroughly.
With motor running, pour in buttermilk . Add remaining ingredients to combine . If using prepared pesto, taste before adding additional salt . Store in refrigerator until ready to serve .
Notes:If pearl couscous is unavailable, substitute a tiny pasta like ditalini
or acini di pepe. Pepitas are sometimes called Mexican pumpkin seeds. Sweet dried corn is usually available at natural food markets or in the produce section of some major grocers .
FROM COWBOy
CIAO
Four-legged Ranchers
McCormick Ranch Lifestyle 13
9500 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale, AZ 85256
butterf lywonderland.com(480) 800-3000
“Buttercup is a 10 year-old female rescue cat . She had her back left hip broken by someone who abused her, but now she is living the DREAM in McCormick Ranch. She loves to hang out
with my other rescued pets and she is the leader of the pack!” - Michele K.
“Harry Potter is a newcomer to the Ranch, where he and his Mom moved last Fall . Harry has spent the last few months settling in to his new digs and getting oriented to the neighborhood . He loves walking along shady tree-lined streets, stopping to socialize at nearby coffee shops, and making new friends . Lately, Harry has been spending the Dog Days of Sum-mer hanging out poolside and waiting for his "snowbird" buddies to return to the Ranch .” –Carol B .
Send us a picture of your pet!Please email [email protected]
14 FALL 2013
by David M. Brown The classic Voltaire Restaurant has changed names and conti-
nents: It’s now Brooklyn Cafe . The 18th-century French Enlightenment philosopher might not
enjoy this New World, New york transformation, but restaurant owner David Antonelli and wife Lydia thought that it was time to update their 35-year-old landmark Scottsdale restaurant, 8340 E . McDonald Drive.
The popular restaurant reopened for lunch Aug . 14 and will open for dinner the first or second week of September. Antonelli suggests that patrons check their web site, www .brooklyncaferes-taurant .com, and Facebook, brooklyncafescottsdale, for updates .
“Fewer people seem to be interested in white-tablecloth res-taurants any more, and the items that we were using had very high food cost,” says Antonelli, a Scottsdale resident who purchased Voltaire from the original French owners in 1994 .
“We have always been a small locally owned restaurant with no investors,” he notes . Lydia is an Arizona native, but he grew up in Brooklyn where he worked for an uncle who owned several Manhattan restaurants. Since then, for almost 30 years, he’s worked in food service .
Although Voltaire offered a French bistro menu, some items were not traditionally French, such as the popular Veal Marsala, he explains . The couple regularly added dishes, including fresh walleye from the Great Lakes . Some of these will appear on the Brooklyn Cafe menu . All items were made and will be made in house — ex-cept the bread and ice cream .
“Voltaire restaurant has seen many changes in Scottsdale, and the population growth was one of them,” Antonelli says . An ac-companying demographic shift has realigned the culinary market to the predilections of an increasingly younger crowd while increasing the demand for high-quality food .
The restaurant once closed for four months in the summer, but during the last 10 years, the Antonellis have cut that to two months and are considering slicing that down time even more as Brooklyn Cafe becomes well known .
No specific theme has driven them to the name change, says Antonelli, although memories of his days in New york are cer-tainly part of it . “We just wanted a place that people can go to and enjoy .”
The interior of the Brooklyn Cafe dining room will change to a more casual ambiance . “Even though we will be more casual and comfortable, the quality of our products will remain the same,” he says .
At Voltarie, lunch was not served, just dinner . The new Brooklyn Cafe, however will serve both . As a result, it will be two restaurants, he explains. Lunch, Monday through Friday, 11 a .m .–3 p .m ., and will feature soups, salads and sandwiches, all priced under $10 .
Dinner, Tuesday through Saturday, 5:30–9:30 p .m ., will feature standards from Voltaire with many new dishes as well . Brooklyn Sunday Dinner, for example, will be available every night for $17, with meatballs, sausage and pork over penne .
Most dinners will be priced $15–$25, although some selections, such as the lobster and Dover sole will, naturally, be higher, he says . The new wine list will focus on quality domestic bottles, with many selections under $50 .
Brooklyn Cafe will continue to serve some of the Valley’s best seafood, he says . “We source our seafood from some of the best companies in the country, so we are going to have a lot of seafood dishes added as specials .”
Expect Voltaire’s commitment to quality local products to stay in place as well: “Over the past 10 years, we have seen a great increase in the availability of quality products that have been pro-duced locally, and we have tried to use as many as possible and will continue to do so with the new restaurant,” Antonelli says .
“I hope that the quality of our products and the time we put into preparing them is what will set us apart,” he adds . “We really want to let our Voltaire customers know that we still love them — and the new ones Lydia and I are looking forward to meeting at Brooklyn Cafe .”
Brown is a Valley-based freelancer.
voltaire Becomes Brooklyn cafe
Largest Price per sq/ft ($273.19) SOLD this year in McCormick Ranch, in one day! This 4 Bed, 3 Bath, 2745 sq/ft Home with Diving Pool & Heated Spa was SOLD by Easterly Properties!
Easterly Properties @ Realty ONE Group7975 N. Hayden Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85258
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480-406-5883 cell
Jason [email protected]
602-502-8605 cell
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16 FALL 2013
It was 1986 when The Pavilions first opened and was a “cool” place to be. The shops and movie theatre were humming with big haired Bon Jovi fans. Fast forward 20 years and it was a run down center with a veritable list of Who’s Who for failing businesses.
When De Rito Partners Development bought the center for $88 million in 2008, Mervyn’s, Circuit City and Best Buy were all on their way out. Luckily, behind the scenes, the wheels were in motion for a re-vitalization of the area. “Talking Stick” was being born with a casino resort, Salt River Fields and future entertainment district now called “Talking Stick - a Cultural and Entertainment Destination Area.”
Charles Carlise, President of De Rito Partners, has been in commercial real estate since 1986. He says, “We have 1.2 million square feet of retail space, which is unheard of nowadays. No new shopping centers will be built in Scottsdale for the next 5 years. There is so much vacant space to fill in the Phoenix area and retailers are getting smaller.”
Since purchasing the property, De Rito Partners Development has spent $21 million to bring the property back to standard operating conditions (imagine 350 missing light bulbs), including water and sewage issues, and there has been extensive remodeling and landscaping done. Carlise says, “The lakes that so many people were worried about losing, were a solution by the original owners for not having a sewage system and municipal water available to the property.” The company plans to spend an additional $10 million in the next few years.
Marty De Rito, CEO, and Carlise knew this property would need a lot of work and require quick decisions, which is why they decided to move their development office on site (near Home Depot). “We want to be sure that things are done correctly and that we can react quickly. It’s been the key to our success,” says Carlise. He goes on to explain how every month they personally walk the property with maintenance and landscape people to see what needs to be done.
In 2011, the members of the Salt
River Pima Maricopa Indian Community voted to approve the on-site consumption of alcoholic beverages for restaurants on the property. It was a difficult decision, but a game changer for the types of restaurants that could now be brought to The Pavil-ions and serve its growing needs.
Carlise quips, “For a while, I think we were the scrapbooking capital of the world… Because the center is so big, we’ve had to get creative.” An average lease ne-gotiation takes at least 8 months. And if an anchor is vacant, they know it will take 3-5 years to fill that space. During the reces-sion, when they were only 50% occupied, De Rito experimented with short term-leases in a few locations (like Potato Barn and The Scottsdale Auto Museum).
De Rito encourages internet-proof businesses and retailers focused on merg-ing the internet with brick and mortar at the center. Goodwill has been a great addi-tion because of the green movement and what it offers value shoppers. They also have a wonderful outreach program that
The PavilionsA Come Back Story
The PavilionsA Come Back Story gives back to the community.
Another important part of the Pavilion’s turnaround has been community partnerships and media coverage. For example, the Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy brings Phoenix Fashion Week involvement to the center. The opening of Octane Raceway in July also brought people from all over the Valley to the Pavilions.
“This isn’t Kierland,” Carlise says. “We want to provide basic needs and entertainment. We want you to be able to bring your family here and enjoy the cultural and entertainment destination. ”
Speaking of entertainment, a dozen new events were added to the line-up this year includ-ing Circus Vargas and the Hot Chocolate Mara-thon. Events like the ongoing McDonald’s Rock n’ Roll Car Show, Barrett Jackson and Russo Steele VIP events brought more than 100,000 people to the center. Additionally the Salt River Fields brought more than one-million visitors to the area in just 24 short months of opening, with many game attendees parking, shopping and din-ing at The Pavilions.
This type of publicity, along with a turn in the economy, has brought the Pavilions more small shop lease inquiries in the first six months of 2013 than all of 2010, 2011 and 2012 combined.
Carlise states, “Our vision is to have more restaurants, locally owned businesses, entertain-ment and a cluster of trendy retail shops here.” They are also planning a Phase II on the 60 acres adjacent and south of the center.
• The property has 650 palm trees. Trimming them costs $35,000 annually.• There are 9,700 tribe members of SRPMIC, of which 6,000 live at the Community, and are very loyal to this center. Their quarterly capita check provides a huge bump in sales for tenants. • There are several 24-hour restaurants here: Filiberto’s, Denny’s, Five & Diner and McDonald’s. Coming Soon:
Burlington Coat FactoryRed Robin
Conn’s Home Plus
Little Known Facts:
18 FALL 2013
From September 21-29, food lovers statewide will have the opportunity to choose from multi-course,prix-fixe dinner menus at more than 200 restaurants across Arizona as part of the semi-annual fete.
As the event grows each year, so do the restaurants interested in being a part of the fun – and this year is no different. Among the Scottsdale-area venues signing up to take part in the event for the first time are::
Arizona Restaurant Week
VirtùAlready adored by critics, Scottsdale’s best-kept secret, Virtù, is Chef Gio Osso’s intimate gathering spot tucked inside Old Town Scottsdale’s newly opened Bespoke Inn. It’s $40 menu includes:
FIRST COURSE(choice of)Chef’s Starter PlateRoasted Beet & Butternut Squash Salad
SECOND COURSE(choice of)Branzino with traditional Caponata Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Rib ChopGrilled Flat Iron Steak Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli
THIRD COURSE(choice of)Affogato with Nocciola Ice Cream Chocolate Bites with Chocolate Mousse Mascarpone Ice Cream
Sapporo ScottsdaleThe north Scottsdale staple, known for its unique combination of Pan Asian flavors, fresh sushi, Teppanyaki tables and – of course – its world-famous bar offerings, has been in the Valley for two decades. With a slew of new menu items launching this fall, Chef Stephen Stromberg was finally ready to jump in knife-first with a $40 menu including:
FIRST COURSE(choose one)Blue Jumbo Crab CakesHoisin BBQ RibsLobster PotstickersFriends with Benefits Sushi Roll
SECOND COURSE(choose one)Grilled Teriyaki Salmon Elements of Taste with Choice Of Tofu, Chicken or Crispy ShrimpEight-Ounce Buttermilk Sirloin Steak from TeppanyakiShrimp with Scallops from Teppan-yaki
THIRD COURSE (choose one)Red Velvet CakeBananas Foster Spring Roll with Ice Cream
5th and WineDowntown Scottsdale’s favorite restaurant disguised as a wine bar, 5th and Wine is located in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale and offering a $30 dinner including:
FIRST COURSE(choose one)Hummus PlateFried PicklesAhi PokeCaesar Salad
SECOND COURSE(choose one)Pork Osso BuccoPomadoro Pasta with MeatballsRisotto of the DaySea Bass
THIRD COURSE(choose one)Chocolate MousseBread Pudding with Bourbon
Renegade by MODWith walls “tagged” by local street muralist Lalo Cota, an army of atten-tive yet spunky servers, an inventive bar program, and a live music stage, Renegade by MOD is nothing if not a “vivid” dining experience in North Scottsdale. The $30 menu includes:
FIRST COURSE(choice of)Heirloom Tomatoes, Soy Beans and Crab Gazpacho The “Shaken Wedge” Lightly Smoked Duck Pastrami Brus-chetta on Pretzel Crostini
SECOND COURSE(choice of)Kobe Chicken “Jerked” & Sweet Potato CasseroleKobe Chicken Breast with Burnt Marshmallow Fluff Pan Seared Salmon on Fingerling Potato HashIrish Corned Beef Nuggets Mesquite Grilled Petite Filet Mignon & Lobster Knuckles
THIRD COURSE (choice of)White Chocolate & Apple Crème BruleeCherries, Rosemary & Bacon Bread Pudding
The most edible time of year, is back!
For all menus, prices and addition details:
ArizonaRestaurantWeek.com
McCormick Ranch Lifestyle 18
20 FALL 2013
Q) Chaparral has had a great reputation for a long time. To what do you attribute that?
A) Chaparral has had a Tradition of Excellence for many years. Our students continue to lead our district in the number of College Board Na-tional Merit finalists, semi-finalists, and commended students. The Class of 2013 earned over $13 million dollars in scholarships to our in-state universities and to schools such as Stanford, Yale, MIT, Duke, Vanderbilt, Michigan, and USC, just to name a few. Our fine arts program excels. Our marching band won 2nd in the state at the 2012 State Marching Band Competition. Our the-ater students have again been asked to compete in the International Thespian Conference. Our art students continue to win awards and earn scholarships. Our Robotics Team builds robots and competes in state and regional compe-titions. Our Culinary and Hospitality students regularly prepare and serve luncheons for various groups, including
the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce. Our athletic teams are well known. Our football program is recognized as one of the best in the state, as are our baseball and softball programs. Swim, badmin-ton, volleyball, golf, basketball, wrestling, soccer, track and cross-country also have successful programs. Through the years, we have had a large number of athletes who have earned athletic scholarships and gone on to play college ball, and even professionally. Lyle Sendlein, Kyle Wil-liams, Ike Davis, Charles Brewer, and Paul Konerko are all Chaparral alums. We have over 70 active campus clubs. Best Bud-dies and Interact are among the largest clubs. Best Buddies, a national club, pairs regular education students with special needs students. Our current ratio is 3-1 regular ed to special needs! Buddies enjoy many activities together including bowl-ing, watching movies, going to the park, and just hanging out together. Our Best Buddies Club has earned state recognition the past two years. Interact, associated with Scottsdale Rotary, learn and practice
Q&A with Chaparral High School Principal, Gayle Holland
McCormick Ranch Lifestyle 21
leadership skills and spend hours doing community service activities. I attribute these successes to great parent and com-munity support, and our well-trained and dedicated staff members. Our parents have high expectations for their children and our staff, as they should. They are invested in ensuring that their children receive the best education possible and they work with and support our staff for that to happen. Active parent involvement is key to a child’s success. Our students come to school prepared to learn and that culture is fostered at home.
Q) How is Chaparral coping with the budget cuts as a result of state cuts and last year's failed override?
A) As the result of budget cuts from the Legislature and the failed override, we have had to increase our class sizes and reduce staff. It is a very painful process but one unfortunately we have had to contend with over the years. An override funds staff and programs which directly benefits our students. Our School Board has decided to place an override on the November ballot. If Scottsdale voters choose to approve it, we will be able to apply those funds to benefit students. I grew up in Scottsdale and attended SUSD
schools K-12, as did my husband and our three children. Two of Chaparral’s assistant principal attended SUSD K-12 as well as staff members, many of whom graduated from Chaparral. As SUSD alums and residents of Scottsdale, we also are truly invested in our students and their educational opportunities. Approval of the override will benefit all SUSD students.
Q) Anything new this year at Chaparral?A) We have added several new classes
for the 2013-14 school year, due to the talents and expertise of our staff. We added two new Advanced Placement classes, Environmental Science AP and Macro-economics AP. These students will take the Advanced Placement exam in May and have the opportunity to earn college credit. Our new CTE offerings are Sports Medi-cine and Sports and Entertainment Market-ing, and we were able to bring back Interior Design I and II. We will also offer a piano class, which gives our student another choice for their fine arts credit. World Language additions are Mandarin Chinese IV Honors and Russian II. Integrated math offers our students another course to earn their four credits of math required for high school graduation. We are also in the only SUSD high school to continue to
offer Calculus III/Differential Equations Honors, the next course after Calculus B/C, and Real Estate I and II, offered to seniors who then take the State Real Estate licensing exam. We have increased our dual enrollment classes as well-Trig/PreCalc Honors, Algebra III/Trig, Human Physiol-ogy and Anatomy Honors, Physics Honors, Astrophysics, College English, as well as upper level CTE classes, allow students to pay the community college tuition fee and earn both high school and community col-lege credit.
Q) What is the biggest challenge Chaparral faces?
A) Probably the biggest challenge Chap-arral and all public schools face are the budget cuts from the Legislature that total over $20 million. As an educator, I believe that public education is a cornerstone of democracy. All children should be afforded the very best public education possible. As a community, state, nation, and world community member, we depend upon our students to receive the best education pos-sible so that we can continue to compete in a global economy. We need to fund public education so that our students of today have the resources to become the leaders of tomorrow.
22 FALL 2013
Ask Patrick Bonner, age 15, what makes him interesting and he’s liable to tell you about a recent hot-air balloon ride that he describes, with an impish grin, as both fun and “a little scary.” He might tell you that he likes to snow ski in Durango, Colorado or that he enjoys water sports like swim-ming, jet skiing and waterskiing. He giggles when it’s suggested he might be a bit of a thrill-seeker, but he doesn’t deny it. He enjoys an impressive collection of activities for any teenage boy, but it is made remarkable by the fact that Patrick uses a wheelchair and hasn’t walked since he was a toddler, “I have cerebral palsy,” he explains, “I had a stroke when I was a baby. It affected the part of my brain that makes it so I can’t walk.”
Five years ago Patrick, who has lived in McCormick Ranch his entire life, began taking weekly lessons at Camelot Therapeutic Horseman-ship which occupies 14.5 beautiful acres of Sonoran Desert in North Scottsdale. Camelot is a nonprofit and has been offering horsemanship lessons to children and adults with disabilities for 30 years. The program is curriculum-based, so besides learning how to ride, students study things like vet care, equine anatomy, grooming, training and stable management.
One of the things that sets Camelot apart from other groups is that it has never charged its students for lessons. “At Camelot our philosophy is that you can’t put a price on human dignity,” explains Executive Director, Mary Hadsall, “So, rather than pay for lessons, each student is expected to give back to the program or community in some way.”
Over the years Patrick has paid it forward
in myriad ways, including participating in a disability awareness program at Camelot that he says is important because he wants to teach people to look at people with disabili-ties like his and see what they are capable of, rather than what they aren’t capable of. In addition, he recently agreed to act as a men-tor to a new, 12-year-old student named Jesse Franklin. “I have autism,” Jesse explains, “I don’t really know what that means but I feel different from other kids.”
When Jesse’s mother, Kris, describes the distant, closed-off Jesse who exists away from Camelot, it is hard to reconcile him with the immensely likable boy who is glee-fully tickling horses’ noses with a feather he found in the chicken coop and chortling when an egg cracks in his instructor’s hand during a spirited egg-in-spoon race. Kris says Jesse feels at peace at Camelot and his experience there, along with his friendship with Patrick, has begun to affect the way he acts when he’s away from the ranch. “He has started interacting with other kids at school in a way he never had before,” she explains. “His confidence has increased so much since coming to Camelot, I think because he un-derstands that he’s doing something very few
other people are able to do.”Safety is always the first consideration at
Camelot but students are also given the free-dom to find their own limits and push past them. When Jesse first arrived at the ranch he was nervous about the “sharp things” in the desert and scared to mount a horse, “I have a fear of heights,” he explains, “and horses are pretty high.” Now, however, he is so comfortable that he spent half of a recent lesson sitting, at his own request, backwards
on therapy horse, Fjola, ignoring his favorite part of her, her fuzzy ears. In-credibly, this boy who was so afraid of falling just a few short months before, now asks, at the end of his lesson to practice his “emergency dismount” and then gracefully slides off of his horse, completely independently, to the sandy ground below.
Watching Patrick and Jesse at Camelot is impressive for all of the things their accomplishments on horseback represent, but as they fill the barn with their joyful giggles it is
easy to forget that they are children with disabilities who have obstacles to over-come, they just seem like two boys having a great time together, doing something they love.
Camelot funds its program completely though private donations, charitable grants and regular fundraising events. On November 2nd it will hold its annual evening fundraiser, Starry Knights, at The Scottsdale Plaza Resort. The evening will include dinner, live and silent auctions and a very special presentation featuring Patrick Bonner. For more information about Camelot Therapeutic Horsemanship and to purchase tickets to Starry Knights please visit CamelotAZ.org.
Camelot Therapeutic Horsemanship:
Going Full
CircleStory and photos by Sasha Graham
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24 FALL 2013
John Dawson is a Valley hotelier in a world destination of mega-resorts based elsewhere.
His Scottsdale Plaza Resort, which has served the McCormick Ranch community during its 40-year history, is the only major Valley-owned resort. Dawson, A Paradise Valley resident, has man-aged and owned the property for 38 years.
“When we came out here in the early ‘70s, much of what’s here now wasn’t then,” says Dawson, who is CEO and president of his Scottsdale-based The Dawson Companies. “We have seen it change and, fortunately, have been part of the success of McCor-mick Ranch and other local communities.”
Today, the 40-acre destination resort includes 404 rooms and suites as well as multiple pools, a spa and restaurants such as well-known Remington’s, which has combined good food and fine jazz since 1986 for locals and guests.
Keeping the resort competitive with the area’s other properties has required a local’s commitment to serving everyone as a neigh-bor, no matter how far away they’ve come to visit the Phoenix/Scottsdale area.
“From the day we started in Scottsdale, ours has been a com-mitment to a guest experience that exceeds customer’s expecta-tions,” he explains. “Our best compliment? When our customers return — again and again.”
Many do, year after year for their vacations, business events and special events such as weddings: Scottsdale Plaza Resort is a tradition for many families and companies. A Life Member of the Fiesta Bowl Committee, Dawson hosts one of the participating college teams each year at the resort. “The teams that get to stay with us love it,” he says. “At last count, 20 out of the 29 years the team staying with us has won. Over the years, we have become a good luck charm.”
The hospitality cognoscenti have agreed it’s a winner, too: The
Scottsdale Plaza Resort has been accorded the AAA Four Dia-mond 12 times and the Mobile Four Star Award five times as well as numerous industry excellence awards.
So, too, his staff stays with him, too. “We have approximately 176 employees that have been with us more than five years, and 85 have been with us more than 10 years. You don’t see that often in the hospitality industry, which tends to be relatively transient.”
Born in Topeka, Kansas, he graduated from Topeka High School in 1957 and the University of Denver in 1961 and began his career as a real estate executive, builder, banker and resort and travel services executive. He established his company in 1967.
In 1976, he purchased the Sheraton Inn and Villas; 10 years later, he completely renovated the property and reopened it as the Sheraton Scottsdale Resort. Five years later, he renamed it the Scottsdale Plaza Resort, dropping the Sheraton branding.
Actively involved locally, he has been a director of the Mari-copa Division of the American Heart Association, director of the Valley Innkeepers Association and has served two terms on the board of directors of the Phoenix and Valley of the Sun Conven-tion and Visitors Bureau.
He is a long-time jazz devotee, supporting Valley events and youth programs and booking local stand-out performers at Remington’s. On its vine-covered patio, you can hear artists per-form six nights a week. They have included, and include, Ike Cole, Nat “King” Cole’s brother, Margo Reed, Buddy Weed, C.C. Jones, Armand Boatman, Ken Wain, Joel Robin, Delphine Cortez, Danny Long and Judy Roberts.
“We are most grateful to the local community for their continu-ing patronage of Scottsdale Plaza Resort,” Dawson says from his McCormick Ranch company headquarters. “And, for those who haven’t yet enjoyed our place, please stop in and say hello to your neighbors.”
Meet John Dawson
By David M. Brown
1 APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2013 STAYCATION
RESIDE GUIDE
Read the entire RESIDE GUIDE: Scottsdale Real Estate produced by Business and Life Media
Group, LLC (Scottsdale Business + Life) in collaboration with eClaire Publishing (McCormick Ranch Lifestyle) for free by visiting www.scottsdalebusinessandlife.com.
USEFUL INFORMATION FROM EXPERTS, INSPIRED IDEAS FOR UPDATING YOUR RESIDENCE, AND A TEN-PAGE VIRTUAL PARADE OF HOMES
“All active REALTORS® have access to data that covers every aspect
of our industry.
someone who stays current and will forward that
information to you in a manner that addresses your
– Joan Pike, REALTOR®,Top-Producer for
Prudential Arizona Properties
“Paint always has been - and will
probably always be - the single
most impactful and affordable change you can make (in a home). A skilled
painter is worth every dime, but for the most part, the homeowner
can DIY around a
– Kristen Forgione, Style Consultant and Owner,
THE LifeStyled COMPANY
“There are over 40,000 licensed
agents in this market. However, less than ten-percent of this group does over
90-percent of the total
– John Crow, CEO of Century 21 Northwest
Realty
the most outdated design elements we are seeing in
Scottsdale homes, especially if the
years-old. Scottsdale homes have a distinct era of whitewashed cabinets with a pink
tone that points directly to the mid to
– Jeff King, Soft Remodel Expert and Owner of One
King Street
“Unless the seller is accepting a cash
offer with no appraisal contingency, a buyer
will likely be utilizing a home mortgage. The
buyer’s lender will require an appraisal.
Appraisers today
closed comparables that support the
rapidly-increasingmarket prices. Having
gone through the recent real estate downturn, lenders
and appraisers have tightened guidelines
– Kelly Zitlow, Vice President, CMPS®, Cherry Creek Mortgage Co., Inc.
Meet John Dawson
1 APRIL/MAY/JUNE 2013 STAYCATION
RESIDE GUIDE
Read the entire RESIDE GUIDE: Scottsdale Real Estate produced by Business and Life Media
Group, LLC (Scottsdale Business + Life) in collaboration with eClaire Publishing (McCormick Ranch Lifestyle) for free by visiting www.scottsdalebusinessandlife.com.
USEFUL INFORMATION FROM EXPERTS, INSPIRED IDEAS FOR UPDATING YOUR RESIDENCE, AND A TEN-PAGE VIRTUAL PARADE OF HOMES
“All active REALTORS® have access to data that covers every aspect
of our industry.
someone who stays current and will forward that
information to you in a manner that addresses your
– Joan Pike, REALTOR®,Top-Producer for
Prudential Arizona Properties
“Paint always has been - and will
probably always be - the single
most impactful and affordable change you can make (in a home). A skilled
painter is worth every dime, but for the most part, the homeowner
can DIY around a
– Kristen Forgione, Style Consultant and Owner,
THE LifeStyled COMPANY
“There are over 40,000 licensed
agents in this market. However, less than ten-percent of this group does over
90-percent of the total
– John Crow, CEO of Century 21 Northwest
Realty
the most outdated design elements we are seeing in
Scottsdale homes, especially if the
years-old. Scottsdale homes have a distinct era of whitewashed cabinets with a pink
tone that points directly to the mid to
– Jeff King, Soft Remodel Expert and Owner of One
King Street
“Unless the seller is accepting a cash
offer with no appraisal contingency, a buyer
will likely be utilizing a home mortgage. The
buyer’s lender will require an appraisal.
Appraisers today
closed comparables that support the
rapidly-increasingmarket prices. Having
gone through the recent real estate downturn, lenders
and appraisers have tightened guidelines
– Kelly Zitlow, Vice President, CMPS®, Cherry Creek Mortgage Co., Inc.
‘We LoveScottsdale’
Photo ContestWinner
26 FALL 2013
Thanks to all of you who entered the ‘We Love Scott-sdale’ photo contest this summer! We had several great entries, which made it hard to choose just one. Here are our favorites and the winner of a $300 gift card to CARLIFE!
1 My husband and I often walk in the evening around Lake Margherite and captured this photo of another fan-tastic Arizona sunset looking southwest toward Camelback Mountain. - Chris Eberhardt
2 Our 16 month old puppy boxer named Kingston loves his walks around McCormick ranch! He no longer is walking us... we are now walking him around the great golf courses and ponds. – Sarah McLeod
3 This photo of the fourth hole of the Dunes course at Gainey Ranch seems to capture the “feel” of Scottsdale golf as well as its beauty. – Howard Jones
4 Jet trails to LA on an evening hike! – Yvonne Cahill5 Watching my son play Little League baseball at Scotts-
dale Ranch Park on a beautiful Saturday morning. - Patti Wick
2
3
4
5
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28 FALL 2013
Artwalk in Downtown Scottsdale
Every Thursday 7-9pm on Main Street and Marshall Way.
Food Truck Caravan Every Saturday 7-11pm,
enjoy a variety of cuisine from food trucks at Main Street and Goldwater Ave.
North Scottsdale Farmers Market
Saturdays, 7-11am in Pima Crossing (next to Culvers, PGA Golf Store and Stein Mart) 8740 E. Shea Blvd Scottsdale, AZ 85260
McDonald’s Rock n’ Roll Carshow Saturdays, 4-8pm at The Pavilions The longest consistently run car show!
The perfect destination to see classic cars and motorcycles in a free open air event complete with 50’s ear music provided by “Party Time DJ’s.” An average night showcases 250-500 cars and up to 150 motorcycles.
Railfair at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park
October 12-13, 10-5pm FREEAll Aboard! This event features model
train displays and exhibits, moonwalks, and
other entertainment. Free tours through the Roald Amundsen Pullman car, a former presidential car. Many of the park’s seldom seen railroad equipment will be on display.
Scottsdale International Film Festival October 4-8, see listingsCreative films and documentaries fea-
tured at Harkins Shea 14 Theatre!
Boo! Scottsdale’s Fall FestivalOctober 26, 5-10 pm, at Eldorado Park,
2311 N. Miller Road. FREEStay up late and celebrate! In addi-
tion to the popular game booths, haunted forest, food, entertainment and fireworks, this year will also feature “Tots Alley” an attraction that offers fun for the youngest goblins.
La Gran Fiesta November 2nd at Scottsdale
Center for the Performing Arts FREE
An action-packed afternoon of Latin music, dance, art and cuisine! La Gran Fiesta is a free community festival featuring performances by Arizona’s top Latin bands, fun activities for children and families, educa-tional exhibits and an arts-and-crafts mercado. Latin-inspired food and drinks are available for purchase. This year’s La Gran
Fiesta will include a special celebration of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), in-cluding shrines and sugar-skull decorating. Guests are invited to bring blankets and lawn chairs and enjoy a relaxing afternoon of great entertainment.
Community Focus:Local Boys & Girls Clubs Benefit
Did you know that there are two Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale in the area, serving more than 1,000 McCormick Ranch youth each day?
The Rose Lane Branch, which is located at 8250 East Rose Lane, focuses on provid-ing Ranch kids from Kiva Elementary, Mohave Middle and Saguaro High Schools. The Virginia G. Piper Branch, which is
Local E
vents
Calendar
McCormick Ranch Lifestyle 29
located at 10515 East Lakeview Drive, serves area children from Cochise Elemen-tary, Cocopah Middle and Chaparral High Schools.
“A big secret to our success in serving your kids is support,” says Steve Davidson of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale. “And this fall, we are working to provide three very unique signature events in the area to allow your readers to support us while having some fun.”
Weekend Jetaway – October 11
Benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs as well as the Pat Tillman Foundation, the 2nd Week-end Jetaway will feature live music, culinary creations from leading Valley chefs, cocktails and casino games set in a private jet hangar within the Scottsdale Airpark from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, October 11. During the event, for which McCormick Ranch’s own Southwest Wealth Strategies is helping coordi-nate, guests will take part in a casino-style dice game, with several lucky winners taking home a multitude of lux prizes, including the grand prize – a luxurious all-inclusive, first-class trip on a private jet for four to Las Vegas. Among the popular venues sampling scrumptious items from their Fall and Winter menus at the event are: Dominick’s Steakhouse, North
Italian Farmhouse Kierland, Peñasco Tequila, Proof – An American Canteen, Sapporo Scottsdale, Sassi Scottsdale, SOL Cocina, Stella Artois, The Greene House and Tom’s Thumb Fresh Market. Tickets start at $100 and are available at weekendjetaway.org.
Live & Local – November 3One of the Valley’s new-
est culinary events, Live & Local presented by GoDaddy, is set to take place on Sunday, November 3 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall with all proceeds benefiting the local Scottsdale Clubs. With ad-ditional thanks to title sponsor NOVA Home Loans, in total, the event will feature over 40 local wine, spirit and restaurant tastings including a specialty tequila bar, festive sangrias stations and even a soda and ice cream float station. The music lineup will be headlined by national recording artist Kelley James, with additional acts and culinary partners being announced each day. Tickets start at $50 and are available at www.liveandlo-cal.bgcs.org.
Visions of Sugarplums – November 25The 33rd Annual Visions of Sug-
arplums Holiday Event is hosted by Auxiliary of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale and will take place at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess on November 25 starting at 9: 30 a.m. The morning activities will include lavish silent and live auctions complemented with a generous $5,000 raffle as well as a boutique overflowing with handcrafted treasures, gourmet foods and gift baskets. After shopping, guests enjoy an elegant luncheon and fashion show sponsored by Scottsdale Fashion Square and Kierland Commons. Tickets start at $85 and are available at www.theauixiliary.org.
30 FALL 2013
After 41 years, McCormick Ranch has established itself as one of the most desirable neighborhoods in The Valley thanks to our Midwestern-like greenbelts, parks and boulevards. Ranch residents take pride in their “green, green grass of home”.
So how are Ranchers going to react if over the next two winters, when part of The Greenbelt becomes The Brown Belt?
That was the dilemma facing the McCormick Ranch Property Owners’ Association Board of Directors earlier this year.
“We have a problem”, says Dave Reid of the McCormick Ranch POA staff. “We have a 40-year old landscaping infrastructure (e.g. clocks, timers, electrical boxes, valves, etc.) that has been renovated in bits and pieces for years. The main lines have not been addressed due to constant demand.” The result is dry patches, irrigation timers that no longer have a power source (due to utility company changes), and valves that are so over-taxed the demand cannot be met adequately.
“Unfortunately, it is impossible to overhaul an outdated landscape infrastructure if watering is required four or five times per day”, says Mike Hart of the McCormick Ranch POA Board of Directors. “We can either vote to continue our short-term gains, or invest in the long term… with some short term pain.”
The short term pain is brown grass in the winter.McCormick Ranch’s greenery stems primarily from Bermuda grass,
a grass that thrives in hot climates. Bermuda grass goes dormant when temperatures start consistently dropping below 65 degrees. When a frost or freeze occurs the grass blades lose chlorophyll, the natural chemical that creates the green color. At that point the grass turns a brownish-tan color until the temperatures once again rise above 65 degrees.
To avoid grassy areas being tan in the winter, the MRPOA landscaping crew over-seeds the Bermuda grass with Rye grass.
According to Dave Reid, Director of Maintenance for the McCor-mick Ranch POA, “Over-seeding is stressful on Bermuda grass. Scalping Bermuda grass before dormancy does not allow for adequate storage of energy in the roots. In the spring, the rye competes with Bermuda, so we withhold water to transition from winter to summer grass. This also stresses the Bermuda.”
“Over-seeding makes The Ranch beautiful,” says Cameron Carter, MRPOA Board Treasurer, “but it does not come cheap.” Over seeding is an investment in seed and labor, and must be watered several times throughout the day for it to take hold.
“If we skip the over-seed, we allow the Bermuda grass to rejuve-nate, and we give ourselves the time and money required to overhaul our infrastructure, ensuring that in the following years, the McCormick Ranch greenbelts are healthier and more efficient to maintain,” says Jaime Uhrich, Executive Director.
What can residents expect? This winter the POA will focus on restructuring the landscaping sys-
tems north of Via de Ventura. Expect to see “Always Improving” signs in certain locations, indicating that work is being done in that area. No over-seeding will occur north of Via de Ventura. As soon as the tem-peratures are consistently below 65 degrees, expect the Bermuda grass to change color. This will not happen in areas south of Via de Ventura until the 2014, when the work shifts to this area.
To assist property owners, a page has been added to the POA website listing the various landscaping improvement projects, plus links to the latest studies on rejuvenating Bermuda grass. Owners can go to www.MRPOA.com/AlwaysImproving.
“It’s like surgery,” says Board Director Liz Guinan, “If you’re sick and want to be healthy, you’re going to look and feel a little ugly for a while.”
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