Native Trails Educational series brings attention to Native American culture, creativity, and history. By Julie Carlson Do you know where the Grand Canyon is located? In a recent survey by Intrepid Travel, a small adventure company with destinations across the globe, 57 percent of the survey respondents had no idea that the Grand Canyon is in Arizona. Not only is the Grand Canyon a breathtaking landmark and ...

Total Body Strength Get your heart pumping with this energizing workout. By Kim Miller and Shannon Dougherty Photos by Stephanie Heymann Photography If you’re short on time and want to target a variety of areas on your body, this workout will do the trick. It incorporates strength training alongside exercises that will get your heart pumping. Complete the following circuit for three to four rounds. If desir ...

Girl (Scout) Power Local chefs support area troops in sweetest way possible By Alison Bailin Batz Did you know that the Girl Scout cookie program is the largest girl-led business in the world, and it’s focused far beyond simply ensuring you get your annual Thin Mint fix? In fact, the goal of this Girl Scout rite of passage is actually to teach girls the critical entrepreneurial skills of goal setting, decis ...

Funny Man Rick Bronson is redefining stand-up at Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy at High Street. By Sondra Barr For Canadian funny man Rick Bronson, owner of Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy, keeping audiences entertained is the name of the game. His live-entertainment venue in the charming High Street shopping center in Phoenix recently celebrated its year anniversary and by all accounts the laughter keeps fl ...

Leap Year Dr. Sky treats you to a ringside seat to the wonders of the bissextile year’s skies. After a mild winter, we move on to the warmth of February and March and welcome you to some great skies for early 2016. Many of our winter visitors know that this is one of the best times of the year to get outside and experience the wonders of our Arizona night skies. If you live in the Valley, you already have a ...

Ask Dirk A North Valley guy’s perspective on matters of the heart and home.   Dirk, Blessing be upon you M.D., I hope this message finds you well. I’m writing to ponder your thoughts on asking my lady to take my hand on Valentine's evening. My plan is to ask her to take me, to have and hold, between dinner and dessert, and have the server deliver the tiramisu with an engagement ring in the top layer of ...

Three-Card Monte Beware of jewelry deals that are too good to be true. By Scott Bohall For those who don't know three-card Monte, it’s the game you see on the streets of New York where the object is to watch a dealer arrange three playing cards back and forth until you are confused enough to select the wrong card. The problem is that the queen you are supposed to find is actually not any of the three cards. ...

Practice Time Golf pro Scott Sackett on how to make the most effective use of your time hitting balls. Most of my students don’t live the life of a touring professional. They work full time, have families, and shuttle the kids to and from sports games, leaving them with limited time to practice. I teach on a public range and am privileged to have a large sample size of data surrounding how the general golfi ...

Denise Yaghmourian Multimedia artist creates riveting works of art incorporating patterns and texture.   By Nicole Royse Denise Yaghmourian is a talented multimedia artist who creates dazzling mixed media works, riveting art installations, and unforgettable performance art pieces. Her artwork utilizes bold colors and textures that incorporate fiber and found objects. Yaghmourian says she prefers to wor ...

Fresh book selections  By Julie Carlson   THE GOOD NEIGHBOR  By A.J. Banner The Good Neighbor is a page turner. The main character, Sarah Phoenix, is likable but extremely naive. She lives in Washington’s quaint and lush Shadow Cove with her husband, Johnny McDonald, a successful dermatologist. They have a happy and loving marriage, or so Sarah thinks. But when a tragic incident occurs one evening, Sar ...

Community orchestra group ProMusica Arizona makes harmonious music in the North Valley and beyond. By Julie Carlson The melodic tones of a flute mixed with the solemn strings on a violin and powerful percussion, float dreamlike through the air toward your seat. The sounds of an orchestra, along with the harmonious voices of a choir, carry a range of emotions to the listener. One such orchestra and choral gr ...

Ask Dirk An Arizona guy’s perspective Dear Dirk, I am taking a shot in the dark that a misogynist like you would surely have some advice when it comes to family gatherings and grilling in particular. My brother-in-law is a condescending and rude individual. He’s constantly over my shoulder criticizing not just my grilling techniques, but also my clothing, mannerisms, and general air of speaking. He tells me ...

The Perfect Fade  Learn how to hit the shot every Scottsdale golfer wants to consistently hit By Scott Sackett   A perfect fade is a shot every player wants to consistently be able to hit. With the following knowledge and help from Trackman, you will now have an understanding of how to pull it off. First, you’ll need to grasp the importance and relationship of clubface and path. In the image, the numbe ...

Content and Connections Local entrepreneurs connect companies and creators By Michelle Talsma Everson When you’re a freelance writer, it can be hard to find a steady source of work with clients who pay decently and on time. On the flip side, if you’re a business, large or small, in need of content creators for your website, ad campaign, marketing materials, etc., it can be hard to connect with decent writer ...

Subaru XV Crosstrek Safe and reliable, the Subaru XV Crosstrek delivers terrific value for an all-weather-capable little runabout, says auto writer Greg Rubenstein.   No car manufacturer today is experiencing success like Subaru. This relatively small Japanese company is on a run, far outpacing the sales growth of every other automaker on the planet. While this news is no surprise to the loyal buyers o ...