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 ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski When America’s first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was traded from the D-backs to the St. Louis Cardinals, there was a collective gasp in the Valley. There is one thing to do this baseball season: Head to St. Louis. The trip to the “Gateway to the West” started with a turbulent flight with swearing stewards. But we landed safely at 10 p.m. to a storm. The rain was refreshing; a depa ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski The Tikka Shack’s website flashes “seriously good Indian food.” Owner Parish Patel wholeheartedly backs that, and he says guests at his Desert Ridge restaurant agree. “We opened on April 14 and it’s been great so far,” Patel says. “I always wanted to have an Indian food restaurant that was modern in its approach. Anybody who walks through the door can understand the menu and be ...

With jan D’Atri It’s a special occasion dinner, a fabulous Sunday supper, a Father’s Day feast or just a delicious weeknight meal. Beef tenderloin is always a favorite, and I often get requests for different ways to prepare it. Cooked correctly, this cut of beef can be so tender it will melt in your mouth. In fact, beef tenderloin is widely regarded as the tenderest of all cuts. (After all, you’re getting a ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Founded in 2005, the law offices of Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys consist of 180-plus compassionate attorneys and staff with over 240 years of combined litigation experience. This noteworthy amount of time equates to the firm’s legal team achieving impressive results for clients. In fact, the law firm takes great pride in providing compassionate and aggressive care and servi ...

By Sherry Jackson From notorious motorcycle club members to adult filmmakers to defendants facing life in prison for murder charges, attorney Richard Gaxiola has the skillset, reputation and experience to achieve tremendous results and he works tirelessly for his clients. Gaxiola focuses his practice on major felony defense and believes everyone charged with a crime deserves to have aggressive representatio ...