Arizona
Scottsdale political signs spark claims of election interference
SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — Supporters of some conservative school board candidates in Scottsdale claim their opponents got an unfair advantage because of a change in the city’s enforcement posture on political street signs.
Arizona has strict laws governing political signage in the public right of way, including criminal penalties for people who improperly remove or deface signs.
When the slate of Democratic candidates for Scottsdale Unified School Board started placing their signs around July 22, their opponents thought it was a clear breach of the rules.
“It has to be an equal playing field,” said Jill Dunican, a Scottsdale resident who supports the Republican slate.
Dunican and other supporters of the Republican slate felt the Democratic signs were displayed too early, before a 71-day window established by state law.
They filed complaints, and a city code enforcement officer initially suggested the signs were in violation.
Documents provided to Arizona’s Family show the city responded by removing one sign on July 23.
The following day, code enforcement said it received guidance from the legal department that the signs should be allowed to stay.
“You’re caught off guard and the other team is getting visibility and name recognition,” Dunican said. “Allowing teams to operate under different rules is clearly election interference.”
Democratic candidates Mike Sharkey, Donna Lewis, and Matt Pittinsky did not respond to an email Monday seeking comment.
Based on the city’s interpretation of state law, the Democrats placed their signs within the legal window.
Arizona law lets people place political street signs 71 days before a primary election, as long the signs meet certain requirements and are for candidates “running for public office.” That means candidates could start placing signs on May 20.
However, the Scottsdale school board race is unusual.
The race only appears on the general election ballot in November, not the July primary, causing confusion about when the 71-day window begins.
The conservative candidates—Gretchen Jacobs, Jeanne Beasley, and Drew Hassler—planned their signage strategy to coincide with a start date of Aug. 26.
Dunican said the city’s longstanding interpretation of the signage law was that the window started 71 days before the election a candidate appeared in.
An email from a Scottsdale Code Enforcement officer provided to Arizona’s Family cites Aug. 26 as the start date for candidates in the Nov. 5 election.
However, within two days of that email, records show code enforcement officers received new guidance from the city’s legal department.
State law “provides a single period during which election signs are legal: from 71 days before the primary election to 15 days after the general election. State law on this subject does not currently provide separate periods for primary and general elections, only that single span,” Kelly Corsette, communications and public affairs director for the City of Scottsdale, said in a statement to Arizona’s Family.
Corsette did not respond to questions about whether the city reinterpreted the signage law or if the communication from Code Enforcement was based on an error or outdated information.
“In attempting to be responsive to resident complaints, staff initially acted based on the city’s sign ordinance, however, during an election, state law supersedes Scottsdale’s local sign regulations, and the city must follow the State law,” Corsette said.
Dunican and other supporters of the conservative slate believe the Democrats were “tipped off” by someone in the city about the change in enforcement posture.
According to documents, the city sent a guidance email to candidates for mayor and city council on May 16, informing them the signage window opened on May 20.
It’s not clear if that email was shared with candidates for the school board.
The change in enforcement posture on political signs forced the conservative candidates to move up their timeline and rapidly find a designer and printer, Dunican said.
Jacobs, Beasley, and Hassler started placing their large street signs Tuesday night, two weeks behind the other candidates, she said.
“They lost visibility that they’re now desperately trying to catch up,” Dunican said. “The city of Scottsdale most certainly committed election interference.”
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Arizona
Arizona’s Rugged Wilderness Area Has Gorgeous Mountain Trails And Scenic Camping Spots – Islands
While those who haven’t spent a lot of time exploring Arizona may associate the Grand Canyon State with towering saguaro cacti and endless stretches of barren, moon-like landscapes, that description, though accurate, does not tell the complete story. Because located within the Tonto and Coconino National Forests is 252,500 acres of rugged wilderness that, in addition to cacti and desert, also includes pine forests, snow-dusted mountain peaks, and the Verde River, Arizona’s only designated Wild River Area.
Called the Mazatzal Wilderness Area, and spanning from the brush-covered Sonoran Desert to the tip of the 7,903-foot Mazatzal Peak and beyond, the area became a designated wilderness in 1940. It has since become known for its diverse, rugged scenery that includes steep ridges, narrow canyons, riparian habitats, and 240 miles of hiking trails, many of which are too craggy and steep for mountain bikes and horses. The trails are gorgeous, however, offering sweeping forest and mountain views as well as several scenic camping spots along creeks and ridgelines of wildflowers. Mazatzal, which gets its name from an Aztec word that means “land inhabited by deer,” is home to mule deer and whitetails as well as bald eagles, river otters, bears, and kit foxes, among other wildlife.
Mazatzal is unique in that it combines a rich network of diverse ecosystems into one expansive wilderness area, allowing you to swim in a cactus-lined river or cool off in an icy mountain waterfall. Just two hours from Phoenix, Mazatzal offers access to remote wilderness you can experience without having to venture too far from the comforts of urban life.
Mazatzal Wilderness Area is a backpacker’s paradise
The more than 40 hiking trails at Mazatzal offer breathtaking Tonto National Forest scenery full of unforgettable wildlife and panoramic views. “…This ‘secret’ area has some of the most beautiful, interesting, fascinating geography, geology, flora and fauna to be found anywhere in the high Sonora Desert,” writes a reviewer on TripAdvisor. “You’re almost guaranteed to see not a single other person for your entire hike, but you’ll see birds, snakes, lizards, range cattle, desert bighorn sheep and who-knows-what other animals while getting a sense of what it must have been like a hundred years and more ago, the natural environment almost absent [of] the effects of human beings.” One of the most popular hikes includes the moderate, 6.2-mile Barnhardt Trail Waterfall, where the sound of birds singing will be your soundtrack as you hike through lush vegetation punctuated by red rocks and jagged cliffs to lookout points with sweeping views of the hazy rolling hills and olive-green forests below. A seasonal waterfall is your reward at the end. “Barnhardt trail is an absolute must, one of the top 5 classic hikes in Arizona,” says a reviewer on a forum for Backpacking Light.
Although gorgeous, many of the trails are challenging, with cat claw plants that snag on your clothing, treacherously steep inclines, and rocky, overgrown terrain where you can twist an ankle if you’re not careful. Portions of the Arizona National Scenic Trail pass through the wilderness area, too, with the Arizona National Scenic Trail ranking number six in the list of the 11 U.S. National Scenic Hiking Trails ranked by difficulty.
Mazatzal offers primitive and dispersed camping throughout the wilderness area that can serve adventure-seeking backpackers and multi-day hikers with a remote wilderness camping experience. None of the campsites have toilets or any other facilities and all campers are encouraged to follow Leave No Trace principles and pack out all waste. Although glamping this is not, the campsites offer scenic views of ponderosa pine canyons and fire-red mountain ridges. For those looking looking to RV or car camp, Mazatzal is about a 40-minute drive from Payson, a high-elevation Arizona lakeside town where you can camp at one of the full-service campgrounds as well as shop, dine, and gamble at the Mazatzal Casino.
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A former candidate for Gilbert mayor has opened the first Arizona location of a Founding Fathers-themed ice cream shop in Chandler.
Brooker’s Founding Flavors Ice Cream is a Utah-based ice cream shop centered around the early history of the United States. Female employees scoop cones in bonnets and dresses; male employees wear tricorn hats and coats. The ice cream flavors have names like Martha Washington’s Colonial Cotton Candy and Alexander Hamilton’s Not Throwing Away My Scoop.
On a trip to Utah in 2019, Arizonan Shane Krauser went to a Brooker’s and was blown away.
“I walked out of that, called my wife Janelle and I said, ‘We will own one of these,’” Krauser said.
The couple had no previous restaurant experience, but decided to open up the chain’s first location outside of Utah, choosing a storefront near the intersection of Chandler Boulevard and Dobson Road. The store opened on June 6.
Krauser loves how the shop creates conversation among customers about American history.
“I love history. I love the Founding Fathers. I love the ideals of America,” Krauser said. “It’s an amazing concept.”
Opening Founding Flavors isn’t political, it’s a ‘labor of love’
Krauser is a retired lawyer turned motivational speaker who addresses topics including “freedom, the proper role of government and the parameters of the U.S. and state constitutions,” according to his website.
In 2024, Krauser ran for Gilbert mayor, but withdrew his candidacy amid scrutiny over involvement with a past investment fraud scheme and his son’s appearance in a video with the Gilbert Goons, The Arizona Republic reported.
Although the shop plans to host events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S., such as one for Constitution Day in September, Krauser said he does not see the ice cream store as related to his political career.
“The mayoral run was something to be involved in politically. This is more of a labor of love,” Krauser said. “This is not political in nature at all. It’s an ice cream shop with an American theme.”
Details: 2560 W. Chandler Blvd. #3, Chandler. brookersicecream.com, 480-881-6100.
Reach the reporter at reia.li@gannett.com. Follow @reia_reports on Instagram.
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