Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 95

SCOTTSDAIiE REPUBLIC 6 TI IURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2002 Small businesses are key to revitalizing Scottsdale SCOTTSDALE REPUBLIC scottsdaleopinions.arizonarepublic.com OPINIONS QUICK NIT Cave Creek is a hotbed for entrepreneurs, the census says, with 17 percent of the town self-employed in non-incorporated businesses. It figures Cave Creek has long been known for attracting the strongly individualist types; now they're making money. Editorials represent the opinion of the newspaper, whose Editorial Board consists of Paul Schatt and Jennifer Dokes, who also are members of The Arizona Republic editorial board. to transform our canal banks into beautiful, parklike settings. Such reinvestment benefits all citizens.

Republic West's attractive new building will be a point of pride for our community. The city's Economic Vitality Department is also working with the owners on landscape plans along McDowell Road. This mature area of our city has all the elements for a tremendous future. It is an easy walk to the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt and just minutes away from our downtown and Loop 101. 1 believe its best days are ahead.

At this moment, dozens of business owners like Jim and Linda are pursuing their dreams, investing in our community and bolstering the economy. They may not make for splashy headlines, but they are the backbone of revitalization. As mayor, I pledge to continue working with these entrepreneurs in a partnership to make Scottsdale stronger. Their visions and our future are inseparably linked. That has always been the story in Scottsdale and that is how we will continue to be a beacon for those with unique ideas, big dreams and an unshakable sense of community.

Mary Manross is the mayor of Scottsdale. The views expressed are those of the author. economy. However, the small-business owner, the backbone of the American economy, often writes the story of revi-talization in Scottsdale and throughout the nation. These entrepreneurs MARY MANR0SS may not have the backing of multinational investment companies or their own PR wing, but they do have compelling visions and a powerful work ethic, and Scottsdale is blessed with a great number of such small-business owners.

That is how Scottsdale was founded. That is how it grew to greatness. That is how, I believe, Scottsdale will evolve to meet the challenges faced today. "Development" is no longer tied to vast tracts of open spaces. Indeed, most citizens agree that our Sonoran Desert is something to be protected, not exploited.

The frontiers still exist and opportunities beckon in Scottsdale from each vacant lot and along every commercial corridor. You can see the promise of revitalization in the commitment of Jim and Linda, in the number of refurbished buildings along Scottsdale Road in Old Town and the exciting plans MY TURN EDITORIAL Renovating Supai School is bringing large returns Our stand: Remodeling saves money, boosts student and neighborhood pride The Scottsdale Unified School District got a tremendous return on investment when it did a major overhaul of Supai Middle School. By the numbers and by the looks of the remodeled campus, the district built a modern, functional facility without busting the budget. Talkback Scottsdale Unified School District gave Supai Middle School a new lease on life with its $10 million refurbishing program. It was an important statement of faith in the neighborhood.

What's next? What school Is your candidate for renewal in the Scottsdale area? Will success in this project encourage you to vote for future school bond Issues? E-mail us at ne.lettersscottsdalerepublic.com or write us at: Opinions, Scottsdale Republic, 16277 Greenway-Hayden Loop, Suite 200, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. You can also fax us at (602) 444-7985. FAIRRINGTON'S WORLD For $10 million and change, the district got a lot more than an efficient construction of bricks and mortar. It laid the foundation for new pride and respect for students, faculty and an entire Scottsdale community. It did something good.

In many ways, the old Supai Middle School, founded in 1959, typified its southern Scottsdale neighborhood. It was a little worse for wear. Run down, in other words, suffering from age, poor plumbing and inefficient electrical wiring. In that weakened condition, the school was a target of vandalism. Supai became an example of the noticeable differences between northern tier and southern tier public facilities.

Supai now represents the possibilities of urban renewal. With this facility, the Scottsdale school district tells Supai's extended school community that it is valued. This solid expression of worth means something to the seventh- and eighth-grade students who spend so much of their lives there. Although it's true that good instruction can take place in rickety facilities, no one should doubt that a nice school facility makes for a pleasant, healthy environment for learning. Facilities matter.

"It makes a real difference in the students," Principal Dan Cooper said. "I'm seeing it." The neighborhood sees something, too. Where Supai once suffered from graffiti and broken windows, seeds of urban blight, it Tim Weisman and Linda Zim-I merman could have moved I their thriving business any- -where. Republic West, their home-improvement company, has grown and prospered since its founding in 1995 in rented space along Scottsdale Road south of Oak. When it came time to look for a larger building and a place they could own, Jim and Linda stayed committed to the neighborhood.

They will break ground this month on a headquarters near McDowell and Hayden roads. The dozens of jobs created by Republic West at an average salary of more than $51,000 will help stabilize the area and boost the economy. Much has been written about the city's recent successful ventures to revitalize Scotts-dale's mature business areas, including the reopening of the Galleria, the agreement to move forward on the Waterfront, passage of the Loloma Arts district, the new senior center and theater coming to the former Smitty's site and the upgrade and renovation of the historic Valley Ho, to name a few. Also, we continue to aggressively pursue an appropri ate redevelopment of Los Ar-cos. Obviously these areas are playing an important and critical role now and will in the future as they help to fuel our Even Whites have ethnicity Your ethnocentric bias is showing, Veronica Moll! versity adding color to Scotts dale," Monday.) "It's a delight now being in Scottsdale, because you see a greater number of people with ethnic backgrounds," she said.

Everyone has an ethnic background, even White people. Bonita Cardarella Scottsdale Divided indeed Lois Fitch's observations on divided Scottsdale dale truly 2 cities," Oct. 3) are sadly right on the mark. I have lived in Scottsdale since 1985, and until sometime in the '90s, reference to north Scotts dale simply meant driving to the wide-open spaces, the area of the Scottsdale Airport, Raw hide, the TPC and Greasewood Flats. Everywhere else was just, uh, Scottsdale.

Decades before "north Scottsdale" became a synonym for the rich and famous, there were hundreds of luxury homes and multiacre "horse now is a point of pride. Cooper, who is in his first year as Supai's principal, is right to think that Supai will be a community resource. That's how it should be. And it is entirely appropriate for neighbors to join in Thursday's school dedication celebration. It was enough for school officials to provide for students a quality facility at reasonable cost.

That it laid the groundwork for so much more beyond school grounds is an investment worth repeating in south COMMUNITY C0LUM1NST LETTERS TO THE EDITOR state, not party counterpoint you did Oct. 2. 1 sure hope to see more. After reading the articles, I would agree that public education has failed our kids, not the other way around. And what's funny is my sister has been a teacher for years, and I always felt more money for departments was the answer.

Maybe you can't relate to this, but I do not have the time to hear the arguments laid out side by side for me. But your point-counterpoint with Can-toni was so hugely appreciated! It really provides me a service which I am thankful to have, because now I can get both sides of one issue. I can hear the arguments, understand them and grow. What more could I possible ask for from my hometown paper? Wendy Couslno Scottsdale Got something to say? Write to us at ne.lettersscottsdalerepublic.com or the Scottsdale Republic, Letters to the Editor, 16277 N. Greenway-Hayden Loop, Scottsdale, AZ 85260.

Responses also can be faxed to (602) 444-7985 or called in to our Letter Line at (602) 444-7714. Please include your name, city and daytime phone number for verification purposes. properties" north of Shea Boulevard. Still, it was just called Scottsdale. Now "north" and "south" have sadly become words used to delineate the "haves" and the "have-nots" of Scottsdale.

"North Scottsdale" came into its own in the '90s with the enormous commercial growth and resulting traffic gridlock in the area from Shea to Frank Lloyd Wright, Scottsdale Road to 90th Street. An almost border-crossing-like bottleneck resulted between north and south residents. Our newspapers need to be mindful of the divisiveness that repetitive "north Scottsdale" references can cause. The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce needs to be careful that the city is not promoted in geographical (read affluen-cy) terms. Perhaps more subtly, our real estate community (of which I am a member) should use "north Scottsdale" more as a location rather than a lifestyle.

The "poor" people living on Gainey Ranch are liable to get a complex! Randy Thomas Scottsdale Seeing both sides Wow! Did I love your point- CONTACT US Vote for It was Scottsdale Republican Randall Gnant who led the historic common-sense revolt in a state Senate hobbled by a 15-15 Republican-Democrat deadlock. The East Valley zealots had finally lost control for a session, and sweet breezes of compromise and quiet cooperation across party lines temporarily wafted through the joint. Alas, the moderates took over just in time to be hit by a snowballing billion-dollar shortfall created by a decade of fiscally irresponsible tax-cutting, the alternative-fuels fiasco and a year of recessionary revenue shrinking. The marriage got rocky, and now it may be over. Only the most conservative one in five voters bothered to cast a primary ballot, and the Republican general election slate has filled up with the usual cast of far-right suspects led by gubernatorial candidate Matt Salmon and other statewide office seekers, as well as too many other "socially conservative" dogmatists running to infiltrate the Legislature.

They aren't very representative of mainstream Republicans, who voted 30 percent for the moderate Bayless and 14 percent for the "unsocially conservative" Springer. Nor do they represent the four in five who didn't vote at all. Zealots are in full cry, "reading the lips" of opponents they suspect might flirt with the notion of reforming and expanding the tax base, plugging unfair loopholes or eliminating counterproductive tax credits for rich folk. The ideologues of the right irrationally confront the billion-dollar shortfall with a "No New Taxes" slogan and hysterical promises to eliminate un- ernor, especially if for once we supported our leader with a "militantly moderate" bipartisan majority for change in the Legislature. Scottsdale, northeast Phoenix and areas north are home base for many of the sophisticated Betsy Bayless voters who lost the gubernatorial race but still hold the legislative balance of power.

Voting your convictions for the good of the state might even involve (sigh) splitting your ticket for once. (Not to worry, nobody will know how you voted.) Virtually all Democrats running statewide compare favorably with opponents selected by far-right voters. Locally, moderate Democrats Virgel Cain for the House and Jeff Bollerman for the Senate in District 7, Ginny Chin and Stuart Turnansky in District 8 and Sam Wercinski, Peter Morkert and Stuart Starkey in District 11 are the kind of common-sense folk who could improve the state House and Senate immeasurably and swing the balance away from the extremists. They are your neighbors and are involved in our communities, just like the Republicans. And I can assure you, they are pragmatic and independent, with fresh ideas free of the stultifying party discipline imposed by machine politicians who have been too dominant too long.

Gill Searle is a retired business executive and sometime political activist. He can be reached at williamdsearlenetscape.net Thoughtful dissent is welcome and will be acknowledged to the extent possible. The views expressed are those of the author. specified "waste, fraud and abuse." The only visible fraud and abuse is their wasteful sloganeering. Contrast this with recent "unsuccessful" Dem BILL SEARLE ocratic gubernatorial candidate Mark Oster-loh, a different kind of problem-solving "ideologue." He has already contributed more from outside elective office than most accomplish in office.

He spearheaded successful voter initiatives for Clean Elections campaign reform and Healthy Arizona insurance and prescription coverage for hundreds of thousands of the working poor and elderly. He fits the definition of what an ideologue should be someone who produces constructive results by relating political ideas to reality, not to some ideological agenda. So what's a moderate Republican voter to do to avoid another slide back into partisan warfare and ruinous state government paralysis? Mainstream moderates of both parties have a rare opportunity together to break the stalemate this year by putting the future of Arizona ahead of the future of party leaders and major contributors. Republicans could start by swallowing hard and voting for the only moderate now running for governor. Janet Na-politano blends ideas from both right and left; fiscal as well as social responsibility.

She's a competent candidate with a history of common-sense accomplishment. She would be a most effective gov 4 E-mail: ne.lettersscottsdalerepublic.com Visit us online: You can find current and past editorials and letters on the online news and information service of The Arizona Republic. The Internet address is scottsdaleopinions.arizonarepublic.com III III IT TIA We welcome your letters on any topic. They may be edited for clarity and length. Letters must include your name, address and a dayiime phone number.

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