EMDR Therapy in Fountain Hills, AZ

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History announced March 23 as the date it will open “Lights Out: Recovering Our Night Sky”, a new 4,340-square-foot exhibition about the global loss of the night sky to light pollution. The Arizona town of Fountain Hills and its beautiful view of the night sky is included in the exhibition.

“We are honored to have our community be one of only thirteen of the more than 200 designated International Dark Sky Places around the world included in the exhibit,” said Fountain Hills Mayor Ginny Dickey. “We’re also proud of that designation given how rare that achievement is when adjacent to a major metropolitan area.”

The new exhibit will cover the history of lighting, the connection between humanity and the night sky, the unintended consequences of excessive outdoor lighting, and the principles that can be used to reduce light pollution. “‘Lights Out’ will give visitors the opportunity to learn what is at stake as the stars and cosmos fade from our view at night,” explained Kirk Johnson, Director of the National Museum of Natural History.

Fountain Hills is included in the exhibition to show visitors that they can find ways to experience the night sky in their own communities, wherever they are. Due to its exemplary dedication to protection of local night skies through public policy, the promotion of quality outdoor lighting, and outreach to residents and visitors, Fountain Hills can still glimpse the Milky Way, even with skyglow from nearby Phoenix. It was accredited by the International Dark-Sky Association for these efforts in 2018.

U.S. Senator Mark Kelly is one Arizonan who has an insightful perspective on light pollution. “As a pilot and commander of the Space Shuttle, I’ve seen just how bright our planet is at night,” Sen. Kelly said. “And I’m thrilled that Fountain Hills is leading the way in showing how we can protect dark night skies while growing the Arizona economy.”

A recent report found that each year, astronomy and space science in Arizona generate as much economic activity as Super Bowl host cities can expect. Arizona skies are also a boon to its tourism industry, drawing visitors from around the world.

“Dark skies are an increasingly important part of our state’s tourism offerings,” said Arizona Office of Tourism Director Lisa Urias. “Fountain Hills admirably represents Arizona at the Smithsonian, and we look forward to welcoming visitors inspired by the exhibit to come experience all our night skies have to offer.”

Development of a nonprofit STEM-based International Dark Sky Discovery Center is underway in Fountain Hills. “We are delighted to have the Smithsonian open an exhibit with the same mission of educating people about the adverse impact of excessive lighting,” said Joe Bill, President of the Discovery Center. “Detailed design is nearly complete, and we have already raised one-third of the $25 million needed for this facility.”

The planned Discovery Center has five major components supporting its educational mission. These include a Dark Sky Observatory with the largest telescope in the Greater Phoenix area, a state-of-the-art Hyperspace Planetarium, a highly interactive Immersion Zone, a 150-tiered-seat theater with 8K technology, and a hands-on Einstein Exploration Station to teach the physics of light. A narrated 3D flyover of the Discovery Center, support statements from leaders throughout the state, and much more at darkskycenter.org.

In support of the mission of the Discovery Center, the Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association hosts its sixth annual Fountain Hills Dark Sky Festival on Saturday, March 25, from 4-9 P.M. Events will be held at the Fountain Hills Community Center and surrounding outdoor area at 13001 North La Montana Drive. The festival includes nationally known speakers, virtual reality experiences, meteorite and live nocturnal animal exhibits, food trucks, and beer and wine garden, laser tours of the night sky, and much more. For more information about the Festival, visit fhdarksky.com/events/festival/.

Solving Rio Verde Foothills' water crisis is a waiting game, but the people can only wait for so long.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (CN) — Politicians and other state officials say they’re working diligently toward both short- and long-term solutions for the Rio Verde Foothills, which entered its second month without a reliable water source on Wednesday.

But the community can’t wait forever.

“As soon as we hit 90 degrees, we’re screwed,” said Christy Jackman, a 13-year Rio Verde Foothills resident. “That’s when it’s gonna really, really be bad. You have to keep drinking water. Your horses have to keep drinking water.

“We will not be able to conserve the way we do now, and we will run out.”

Before Jan. 1, the more than 1,000 people living in the unincorporated area north of Scottsdale received water for over 30 years from water haulers from the city. But Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega followed through on a November warning, cutting the community off to prioritize city residents as part of Scottsdale’s drought management plan.

“It’s scary,” Jackman said after a Jan. 29 evening town hall meant to discuss potential solutions. “There’s already people not doing laundry unless they have a friend in Scottsdale. There’s already people that literally are flushing toilets from water they’ve collected from the rain. There are people that aren’t using toilets, having to pee outside. There are people that joined a health club so they can shower in town. There are people whose kids get one bath a week.”

Because water delivery trucks now have to travel outside even farther to get water, Jackman said the community receives about 25% of the water it did before.

She said she knows one woman who used only 600 gallons of water in January. For reference, the United States Geological Survey estimates the average person uses 80 to 100 gallons of water per day, or about 2,700 per month.

She and other Rio Verde Foothills residents sued Scottsdale in Maricopa County Superior Court last month, claiming Ortega’s decision violated state law and asking a judge to issue a temporary stay, which would force Scottsdale to continue providing water to the roughly 500 homes. The judge denied the stay, finding that the plaintiffs “have not provided evidence of irreparable harm.”

“The plaintiffs have not shown that they are unable to access water at all,” wrote Superior Court Judge Joan M. Sinclair in her Jan. 20 ruling. “They just cannot access it from the Scottsdale standpipe at this time.”

Residents are now banding together to help one another as they desperately await a solution.

Jackman said she keeps a list of people with reliable wells and private water trailers, asking people to come to her if they or their loved ones need help.

“We can’t fill you up, but we can give you what you need,” she told the nearly 200 people gathered at the Reigning Grace Ranch. Horses whinnied and birds chirped behind her as she spoke to the frustrated crowd. “Please do not go without water.”

Dozens approached her after the two-hour town hall to thank her for her work.

“This is my life now,” she said. “This is all I’ve done for two years.”

Plans in place, but it’s a waiting game

Anticipating Rio Verde Foothills losing Scottsdale water access, the private water company EPCOR applied for a certificate of convenience and necessity from the Arizona Corporation Commission to build a new standpipe that would provide water directly to the Foothills. The five commissioners approved EPCOR’s request to waive certain requirements of the application “given the unusual circumstances surrounding water service to the residents.”

But the process has a few more steps. There are five separate hearings set from April 10 to April 19. After those hearings, it may take until June for the commissioners to issue a ruling.

Attention all car, motorcycle and military vehicle fanatics! The 9th annual Gila River Resorts & Casinos Concours in the Hills, presented by Matson Money is back Feb. 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fountain Park in Fountain Hills. The free, family-friendly event will have plenty of horsepower for everyone while supporting the top-notch care that Phoenix Children’s Hospital provides.

Peter Volny, the creator of Concours in the Hills, has constructed an advertising business promoting the automobile industry that has yet to take its foot off the gas. Volny hit the jackpot when coming to Arizona, the “mecca” for car collectors. His passion for exotic cars and speed turned into one of the most prestigious auto shows on the West Coast. As a childhood cancer survivor himself, Volny donates all proceeds of the event to Phoenix Children’s.

“2023 is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting year as the details fall into place for Concourse in the Hills,” says Volny. “Since its inception in 2014, Concours in the Hills has set multiple records for the number of cars on display, number of sponsors, number of spectators and total funds raised for Phoenix Children’s. Since 2018, the show has raised over $900,000 for Phoenix Children’s. The 2022 show alone raised $460,000 for the Center for Heart Care.”

This year, Dr. Kris Birkeland, a member of PCH50, will step in to take a larger role during the event. PCH50, also known “The Fifty,” has a mission to harness the energy, enthusiasm and experience of 50 driven community leaders as the next generation of supporters of Phoenix Children’s through financial fundraising, volunteer efforts and awareness building.

“The PCH50’s mission is to serve Phoenix Children’s with the three pillars of fundraising, volunteer efforts and awareness building,” says Dr. Birkeland. “The scope, size and success of Concours in The Hills allows our members to further that mission with a well-established event and work to continue growing it well into the future.”

The show is divided by types of cars such as domestic, import, race cars, limited-edition exotics, off-road and motorcycles. The event will also include a helicopter display featuring military attack helicopters.

The auto show is supported by leading car dealers and clubs including: Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, McLaren, Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Mercedes-Benz, Corvette, Audi, Mustang and more. The value of the vehicles is well over hundreds of millions of dollars, with seven individual cars costing over $10 million.

Starting with 220 cars and 3,000 spectators in 2014, the 2022 show had 1,200 cars, 100 sponsor booths and an estimated 50,000 spectators, all of which smashed previous records.

Admission and parking are free for spectators. The exhibitory fee is a minimum $75 donation for vehicles and $40 for motorcycles. Additional donations are welcomed. More information on the event is available here.

Scottsdale-based Keystone Homes sold its first build-to-rent project and now has four more in the pipeline totaling $197 million in development costs.

A year after completing construction, the 147-unit luxury rental community on 12 acres in Fountain Hills was more than 90% occupied when Keystone sold it to Washington-based Private Portfolio Group for $68.3 million.

When the Havenly Fountain Hills transaction closed, monthly rental rates ranged from $2,090 for a 722-square-foot one-bedroom unit to $3,570 for a 1,612-square-foot 3-bedroom unit, said Jim Belfiore, chief strategist for Keystone Homes.

While developers have been building these build-to-rent communities across the Valley, this was the first build-to-rent community approved in Fountain Hills, Belfiore said.

Mark Forrester, senior managing director of Berkadia Phoenix, represented Keystone in the transaction, while Scott Holland, senior managing director for Berkadia Scottsdale secured financing on behalf of the buyer.

Proceeds from the sale are being used to finance the development of more build-to-rent communities where Keystone will have the first BTR product approved in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The Santa Fe project will be Keystone's debut in New Mexico and its first venture outside of Arizona since the company started building for-sale homes in 1989.

Today, Keystone is focusing on the build-to-rent market, with plans to begin development on a 183-home luxury community in Santa Fe, where the architectural design will complement the traditional style of Santa Fe.

"We've been looking in New Mexico for the right land opportunity for about a year," Belfiore said. "Santa Fe has a shortage of housing. There is no other build-to-rent community in Sante Fe. The city of Santa Fe has embraced our product and we've embraced their residents' desire to have a unique lifestyle product that's designed in a more traditional Santa Fe style. The architecture embraces their unique brand and identity."

Being the first build-to-rent community in a city can be a daunting process because those municipalities don't yet have a code that matches this type of rental product where the single-family homes are detached in a community with resort-like amenities.

"Once the city was able to see the product, I think they quickly came to the conclusion it was a perfect match," Belfiore said.

Of the 183 homes in the community, 177 will be detached, with homes ranging between 722 and 1,685 square feet. With eight floor plans, each of those homes will have their own private backyards.

Six of the homes will have one shared wall, and will be located above garage banks, offering a more affordable option than the detached units. Instead of a backyard, those units will have their own garage. The other garages will be available to rent.

Keystone's community in Apache Junction also will be among the first build-to-rent project approved in that town, Belfiore said.

Called Havenly Superstition, all 166 units of that community will be detached. Construction has begun and are expected to be ready to lease in early 2024.

Click through the gallery below for a look at architectural renderings of some of these projects:

Havenly Prescott is another BTR community with 200 detached homes currently under development. It is expected to be ready to lease around the same time as Havenly Superstition.

Breaking ground in June will be the 157-unit Havenly Gilbert. This will be a mix of 2-story townhomes ranging between 900 and 1,600 square feet and detached single-family homes ranging between 720 and 1,700 square feet.

Belfiore said he expects Havenly Gilbert to begin leasing in late 2024 with 12 floor plans.

Plans call for expanding into other markets, starting with major markets in Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Missouri and Kansas.

"We're actively seeking land for sure," Belfiore said. "We're looking for very specific pieces of land that meet specific criteria."

PHOENIX — Fountain Hills’ night sky will be featured in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in a new exhibit about the global loss of the night sky to light pollution.

The 4,340-square-foot “Lights Out, Recovering Our Night Sky” exhibit will open on March 23 and run through December 2025. It aims to teach the history of lighting, the connection between humanity and the night sky, the unintended consequences of excessive outdoor lighting and more, according to a press release.

Fountain Hills and other places around the world will be showcased in different categories at the Washington D.C. museum, including the history of lighting and light pollution, the dark side of light, who needs the dark, experience the night and more.

“We are honored to have our community be one of only 13 of the more than 200 designated International Dark Sky Places around the world included in the exhibit,” Fountain Hills Mayor Ginny Dickey said in the release.

“We’re also proud of that designation given how rare that achievement is when adjacent to a major metropolitan area.”

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Even with its proximity to the bright lights of Phoenix, glimpses of the Milky Way are still visible in Fountain Hills. The town was accredited by the International Dark Sky Association for efforts to limit light pollution.

The museum cited Fountain Hills as an example of a unique way people can experience the night sky in their own backyards.

“As a pilot and commander of the Space Shuttle, I’ve seen just how bright our planet is at night,” Sen. Mark Kelly said in the release. “And I’m thrilled that Fountain Hills is leading the way in showing how we can protect dark night skies while growing the Arizona economy.”

Fountain Hills has started development on a STEM-based International Dark Sky Discovery Center with plans for the largest telescope in the greater Phoenix area, a state-of-the-art planetarium and more.

The town will hold the sixth annual Fountain Hills Dark Sky Festival on March 25 off Avenue of the Fountains and Saguaro Boulevard. The festival will include live speakers, virtual reality experiences, meteorite and live nocturnal animal exhibits, food trucks, a beer and wine garden and laser tours of the night sky, according to the release.

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