Writer Joseph J. AirdoPhotography Courtesy of Scottsdale Public Library [dropcap]A[/dropcap]nywhere you look around Arizona, horses play a very important role. They are a cowboy’s best friend, an outdoor enthusiast’s favorite form of transportation and an entire population’s primary symbol of simpler times. Horses have become synonymous with our state’s Western heritage. This is especially true…
Writer Joseph J. AirdoPhotography by Ann von Pentz [dropcap]H[/dropcap]orses have long been universal symbols of freedom without restraint. Way back in the days of the Wild West, riding a horse made a person feel as though they could free themselves from their own bindings. Therefore, it is only natural that horses are also linked as…
Writer Joseph J. AirdoPhotography Courtesy of Phoenix Art Museum [dropcap]A[/dropcap]s Arizona’s temperatures begin to hit their 2021 peak, you have undoubtedly already reached for that swimsuit and taken a dip in a pool, lake or creek. If you are a woman, the chances of that swimsuit being a bikini may be somewhat high. But what…
Writer Joseph J. AirdoPhotography Courtesy of Scottsdale Arts [dropcap]W[/dropcap]hile studying the art on display in the Center Space Gallery at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts during Scottsdale Arts’ Visions ‘21 exhibition, one can clearly see the paramount proficiency with which each piece was created. Delicate details collide with shocking ingenuity, resulting in works that…
Writer Joseph J. AirdoPhotography Courtesy of Amoroma Productions [dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is no secret that 2020 was one of the most challenging years of all time for small businesses. However, as inspirational author Doe Zantamata once wrote, “It is only in our darkest hours that we may discover the true strength of the brilliant light within ourselves…
Writer Joseph J. AirdoPhotography Courtesy of Back to Health of Anthem [dropcap]D[/dropcap]r. Brian Hester has always embraced a single, transformative philosophy across all aspects of his life: If you do the homework, then the test will be easy. Ten years ago, the chiropractor and founder of wellness facility Back to Health of Anthem decided to…
Writer Shannon SeversonPhotography by Amelia Barofski [dropcap]B[/dropcap]asketball requires endurance, focus and the ability to shift direction at the same fast pace as the game itself. Boulder Creek High School 2021 graduates Kayla Clark and Violet Toon embody all three of those skills — both on the court and in their personal lives. After a year…
Writer Shannon SeversonPhotography Courtesy of Mediterra Bakehouse [dropcap]A[/dropcap]mber waves of grain aren’t generally associated with our desert state, but Mediterra Bakehouse founder Nick Ambeliotis is changing that. His handcrafted, artisanal breads are made from grain that is grown and milled here in Arizona using traditional methods that preserve the nutritional integrity of his high-quality ingredients….
Writer Shannon SeversonPhotography by Mariel Schmitt Photography [dropcap]F[/dropcap]or furniture maker Todd Flaming, each piece of wood that enters his shop is full of potential— a puzzle piece designated to be honed and formed into something beautiful and functional. “I feel like this is a partnership between me and a piece of wood and we are…
Writer Joseph J. Airdo Photography Courtesy of David Coleman [dropcap]T[/dropcap]wo or three times each year, David Coleman and his fellow adventurers head out into the desert to experience a few days completely cut off from the rest of society. “There is no civilization from one end to the other,” Coleman says. “We carry all of…