By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Jennifer Paige Boonlorn and her family were traveling home from Tucson when her mother turned around and said, “Where do you want to go?” She didn’t finish her question because, moments later, her father’s tire blew and the SUV rolled, killing her parents. The crash near Chandler was May 21, 2000, right before Boonlorn’s senior year at ASU. “At the time, I thought law school wo ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Nearly 150 women gathered at a private home in Paradise Valley on October 26 for the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix’s (CJP) Power of the Purse, an initiative of the organization’s Women IN Philanthropy. Chaired by Leah Bold Mondlick, this was the committee’s first in-person event post-pandemic and was a chance to highlight the CJP’s mission to energize and su ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski A new addition to North Scottsdale, Jack’s at Desert Highlands has everything going for it—beautiful views, an evolving menu and success despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Named after golf legend and course architect Jack Nicklaus, the gastropub was formerly a private dining room in the clubhouse. During a COVID-19-dictated closure, crews renovated the space, tore down walls and tu ...

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 ...

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 ...