By Kamala Kirk Estate planning is important because it helps people — no matter their age or wealth — protect their legacy and their family’s future by deciding how their assets and end-of-life wishes should be carried out. West Hunsaker is a longtime attorney at Morris Hall PLLC who specializes in estate planning and trust administration. Throughout his career, he has helped countless families and individu ...

By Connor Dziawura Upon stepping foot into North Phoenix’s Gallery Bar, the newest addition to the growing High Street district, a laid-back, upscale vibe is immediately apparent. Situated at the northeast corner of High and 54th streets, the combination art space and bar is a low-lit, classy lounge. Local art lines the walls, while the gallery floor is filled with couches of varying shades and styles, ador ...

By Alison Bailin Batz This spring, female leaders across Arizona will be honored by 48 Arizona Women, an Arizona Centennial Legacy initiative in partnership with the Arizona Historical Society that recognizes remarkable local women making a lasting impact in their communities, often with little fanfare. The program, only put on every 10 years, showcases how female leaders have transformed lives, built stron ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski   The COVID-19 pandemic closed most businesses in the country more than two years ago. Although the stock market has proven to be very resilient through this, it has not been without incredible volatility. This has caused a high degree of anxiety as many people are watching their stock portfolios have large swings in value daily. “Sometimes, in times like this, we need to ...

By C.A. Haire This Lexus ES 350 is one of the better luxury cars sold today. For 2022, it gets better with some updates. The refresh includes redesigned wheels, stronger headlights, reshaped grille and interior changes. The list is short, because the vehicle is so good, few changes are needed. This is the ultra-luxury version. It has a long list of goodies that are too long to print here. However, we were n ...

By Marshall Trimble Little was known about the navigability of the Colorado River above Fort Yuma until 1858 when Capt. George Johnson took his steamboat, a side-wheeler dubbed the General Jessup upstream from Fort Yuma. On his heels was, Lt. Joseph Christmas of the Army Corps of Topographical Engineers and his iron-hulled, 54-foot-long military stern-wheeler, aptly named the Explorer. They both set out to ...

By Jordan Houston It’s February, the season of valentines, and love is in the air – unless it isn’t. Cue renowned professional matchmaker Erica McKay.  The Minnesota native helms her own boutique matchmaking company, Erica Suzanne Fultz, and has spent over 20 years connecting men and women nationwide with their forever someone. Despite the rise of digital dating apps, McKay has built a reputation for hersel ...

By Annika Tomlin Chocolates and flowers are a great gift for Valentine’s Day, but for someone looking for something outside the box, C2 Tactical’s date night package might be the way to go. “The date night package was something that we wanted to create for customers to say, ‘Hey, let’s go do something fun,’” C2 Tactical managing member Vincent Vasquez says. “‘Let’s get out of our normal routine. Let’s do so ...

By Marshall Trimble The boom towns of the Old West had a severe shortage of eligible women, and that void for the lusty young men was filled by what were euphemistically referred to as good-time girls, shady ladies, soiled doves and ladies of the evening. A woman who was on a socially higher level might call herself a courtesan. An alternative was provided on a census report that one referred to herself as ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Music has embraced Ed Heisler’s life. A Marine City, Michigan, native, Heisler traveled south to the Detroit area to perform in clubs throughout his teens and early 20s. He stepped away from music to start a family and, after six years with Chrysler, packed up and moved his family to the Valley. “I started playing seriously when I moved out here,” Heisler says about the relocat ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski In 2022, North Valley buyers and sellers can expect to see more of what resulted from the pandemic-fueled housing market — skyrocketing home prices, increased competition between buyers, the speed of action necessary to snatch a property off the market, and the reasons people are moving to new cities and buying homes. Demand was high and supply was low, resulting in a hyper-com ...

By Sherri Plotke, Broker at Arizona Golf & Sun Properties Real estate was the hot dinner party topic in 2021, as the Valley led the country in population growth and annual appreciation increases.  Desert Ridge soon became Arizona’s largest master-planned lifestyle community. This multifaceted community includes single-family homes, luxury multifamily communities, residential golf estates, schools, high- ...

By Alex Gallagher After seeing record sales of art last year, the Celebration of Fine Art has returned for its 32nd year with high energy and hopes for continued success.  Located off of Loop 101 and Hayden Road, 40,000 square feet of tents comprise home to 100 artists who have covered just about every inch of wall space with art and converted their slice of the space into their own studios where guests and ...

By Jordan Houston Lucia Micarelli is not the average violinist. The New York native, who has toured with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra as a featured violinist and concertmaster, is known to seamlessly blend genres, ranging from bluegrass to Led Zeppelin, all on one stage. A powerhouse performer, Micarelli has captivated audiences by guiding them on a dynamic journey through her vast musical tastes — and she’ ...

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski It’s 10:30 a.m. and saxophonist Kenny G has just finished his daily three-hour practice session. He’s prepared and ready to entertain Arizona Musicfest patrons on Saturday, February 19, at Highlands Church in North Scottsdale. “We’re looking forward to playing any gigs these days,” he says with a laugh. “Seriously, Scottsdale’s always fun. “I think we put on a really great show ...