An 85085 family tells their story about the battle with their disorder By Jill Jones My son, Clark, was a “typically developing” child. He learned to talk and walk normally and really enjoyed building things. When he was 4, Clark got his first preschool homework assignment—copying the letters of the alphabet. After struggling with it for a while, he finally just scribbled on the paper in frustration. I said ...

The Addams Family visits the Starlight Community Theater for Halloween By Bridgette Redman At Starlight Community Theater, the staff gives teens what they want, especially when it comes to musicals. This October, as Halloween decorations take over the stores and people prepare for stories of ghosts and ghouls, Starlight Community Theater will be producing “The Addams Family Musical” with a cast of teenagers ...

By Superintendent Curtis Finch Deer Valley Unified School District Muhammad Ali, Steffi Graf, Michael Jordan, Richard Petty, Annika Sorenstam, Johnny Unitas and Deer Valley Unified School District. What do the above have in common? The relentless pursuit of greatness. Each of these legends had help along the way, made calculated decisions and were dedicated to their craft. The “Good to Great” (G2G) series o ...

Football is the most popular way of showing school pride By Jadyn Fisher At any high school, being involved in clubs or sports or just showing team spirit is what can make or break those four years of your life. There are plenty of opportunities for involvement, but one of the most mainstream and popular options is sports, especially football. Most people sit in the stands and cheer for their team with thei ...

Great Hearts hopes to raise $500K through ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Great Hearts Academies is working to keep their classical education intact by hosting the benefit “A Wrinkle in Time” from 5:30 to 11 p.m. Saturday, September 28. The event is set for Chateau Luxe, 1175 E. Lone Cactus Drive, Phoenix. Tickets for the signature event are on sale and support the faculty and the Teacher ...

STARTS SEPTEMBER 5 Daisy Mountain Fire & Medical’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training Developed by the Department of Homeland Security for Local Community Preparedness, this training session is provided for free. It’s tailored to the Phoenix area and more specifically, the Daisy Mountain communities. Training is open to anyone who is at least 18 years old. The class is eight consecutive T ...

The noncompetitive Fitness with Benefits runs the trails of North Phoenix Story by Eric Newman; Photos by Pablo Robles North Phoenix residents Larry Padgett, Lewis Young and Lisa Evans were at a nearby Fry’s Wine Bar, hanging out and sharing stories of their exercise regiments and fitness goals when they had an epiphany. Why not start a small club to merge their interests. “We kind of figured, why not do it ...

UCP’s Valerie Pieraccini is celebrating 25 years of changing lives By Zac Dunn Valerie Pieraccini spent her early 20s traveling the country, peddling her skills as an occupational therapist wherever they were needed. By her own admission, she was restless; every few months she would pack and move to a new city, a new state and start again. When the Deer Valley resident accepted a position at United Cerebral ...

By Jan D’Atri Who knew crispy apples, store bought biscuit dough, a few spices and a can of 7-Up could make the most amazing Apple Biscuit Dumplings? It’s absolutely true and might just be the perfect finish for your Sunday Supper! This easy-as-ever recipe has become my new favorite dessert! It all starts with apple wedges tucked inside biscuit dough. A beautiful caramel liquid comes together on the cooktop ...

Sweeteez delivers homemade cookies with a sense of humor Story & Photos by Octavio Serrano Opening a restaurant can be daunting, but these three sisters can’t seem to stop laughing. This energetic vibe is what makes Sweeteez the place for families to visit. Chelsea Jenkins of Mesa, Brooke Giffin of Scottsdale and Hilari Jackson of Phoenix opened the doors to Sweeteez in May, introducing the 85085 neighb ...