It’s back-to-school time! By Superintendent Curtis Finch Deer Valley Unified School District It is that exciting time of year again: new sneakers, backpacks and pencils. A fresh school year is all about “new beginnings.” Social media platforms and cellphone cameras will be sending pictures of smiling students throughout the cyber world to family members around the globe. There is only one first week of scho ...

Echo Sushi serves more than 40 kinds of sushi By Shelley Sakala Some communities wait years to get an authentic, locally owned sushi restaurant. North Phoenix/Anthem has one right now—and it’s fantastic! Say hello to Echo Sushi. Don’t let the strip mall location fool you. The food here is legit, and the sushi is just the beginning. Echo serves up top-rate poke bowls, hearty ramen dishes, noodle and fried ri ...

Jennifer Hermanson brings an international flair to Norterra Canyon By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski New Norterra Canyon Assistant Principal Jennifer Hermanson has worked in the Deer Valley Unified School District for a year. Already she sees it as her perfect job. She formerly worked as a teacher on assignment/assistant principal at Bellair and Arrowhead elementary schools in Glendale. It was there she had a ...

West-MEC gives options to the ambitious By Jadyn Fisher High school is a time for rapid change and growth. Most students can agree on two things: it can be difficult to navigate everything offered in schools and it can be scary being thrown into the “real-world” after high school and college. Students are pushed toward a four-year degree that may have once been a dream. After graduation and the bills roll i ...

Local mom instills organization’s ethics in her daughter By Annelise Krafft; Photos courtesy Girls Scouts Leading a Girl Scout troop always felt daunting to 85085 mom Allison Buffington. A year ago, the native Arizonan left her comfort zone when she realized there were no troops available in her area for her 6-year-old daughter Brynlee. She became one of the leaders of her daughter’s Daily troop with Girl S ...

Six teens are helping the military one care package at a time By Ron Sanzone A group of teens is proving there isn’t an age restriction to show appreciation for those who are serving all of us. Youth for Troops is an Anthem-based nonprofit that works to improve the lives of veterans and active-duty servicemen and women. The organization was founded in 2017 by six local schoolchildren who comprise its curren ...

Starlight’s ‘Frozen Jr.’ brings winter to Phoenix By Laura Latzko The film 2013 “Frozen” enthralled audiences young and old with its catchy music and central storyline of sisterly love. The musical version sends a similar message of the importance of family and presents many of the same characters. The Starlight Community Theater will present “Frozen Jr.,” an abbreviated version of the Broadway musical, fro ...

By Jan D’Atri I was searching for a great recipe for you that’s simple, takes very little time, and cooks so quickly it will hardly heat your kitchen during the summer months. I found my catch of the day thanks to celebrity chef and cookbook author Ina Garten, my favorite Barefoot Contessa. This simple skillet dish is called Sole Meunière (pronounced “mah-nyear”). But don’t let the name scare you. Meunière ...

The consequences of contracting without a license By Judge Gerald A. Williams Performing work that requires a contractor’s license, when you don’t have one, is not just a bad idea. It is also a crime.  Almost any business that builds, alters, repairs, adds to, or subtracts from any building, highway, road, or excavation, must have a contractor’s license. There are separate licenses for commercial and for re ...

North Phoenix coffee company caters to the community Story and Photos By Laura Latzko For Troy Hailpern, serving as managing partner for North Phoenix’s Elevate Coffee Company means delivering food, bringing in tables from outside, greeting patrons by name and making sure the back meeting room is open.  Superior customer service and a quality product have always been important to Troy, who serves as general ...