Page 30 May 2015 By Michelle Donati-Grayman If you’re looking for ideas to celebrate summer’s arrival, look no further. From free concerts to theater classics, there’s no shortage of family friendly events and activities taking place around the Valley this month. Check out the list below for a few ideas: PUPPET THEATER Located in downtown Phoenix near the Japanese Friendship Garden and Margaret T. Hance Park, the Great Arizona Puppet Theater produces fantastic puppet shows year-round. This month, the theater will feature an updated version of the classic tale The Boy Who Cried Wolf , from May 1 to 3, and one of the theater’s most popular shows, The Princess, the Unicorn and the Smelly Foot Troll runs from May 6 to 31. Tickets are $7 for children 2 and older and $10 for adults. Children under 2 are free with the purchase of another ticket. Visit azpuppets. org for more information. CONCERTS IN THE PARK The McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park may be known for being home to the Paradise and Paci fi c Railroad, but it also features an antique carousel, shops, museum, playgrounds and more. This summer, this Scottsdale park is adding free summer concerts to its list of amenities. May 3 through July 5 the park will host Sunday evening concerts featuring local bands. Train and carousel rides are also available for $2 each. For more information, visit therailroadpark.com. THEATER CLASSICS The Valley is home to a host of family friendly theaters that offer productions of beloved classics. At the Mesa Arts Center catch Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. during May 1 to 3, or check out The Wizard of Oz May 8 to 17. Desert Stages Theater in Scottsdale will feature Shrek the Musical May 1 to 10 and Willy Wonka Jr. will run May 22 to June 21. You also can watch Ariel and friends May 22 to June 21 at the Arizona Broadway Theatre’s production of The Little Mermaid. Ticket prices vary. Visit mesaartscenter.com, desertstages.org or azbroadway.org for more information. Kicking off summer with valley-wide family fun The Great Arizona Puppet Theater will perform three great shows in May. Eileen Klecka, R.N. Medical Director: David Francyk, D.O. • Certificate in Travel Health Medicine • Recognized as one of Conde Traveler Magazine’s Top U.S. Travel Health Specialists Gorilla Capital purchases properties with cash, requiring no concessions, inspections, or repairs, and then renovates them into remarkable homes. If you or someone you know is interested in Gorilla Capital and what we can do for you, contact Richard today! RICHARD CARDENAS 602.451.8403 richard@gorillacapital.com gorillacapital.com 5431 E ROCKRIDGE ROAD, PHOENIX | $1,799,900 4 Bedrooms | 4 Bathrooms | 4,226 Square Feet | 1.08 Acre Lot CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN RETREAT Coming soon - available for pre-sale! Located in the heart of the Arcadia/Camelback corridor at the base of Camelback Mountain, this home sits on over 1 acre of gorgeous desert, features a rustic contemporary feel, and maximizes mountain views. Five sets of Arcadia sliding doors create an amazing indoor/outdoor feel with 15 foot high ceilings in the great room looking out to Camelback Mountain. High-end finishes throughout include Restoration Hardware lighting, Ferguson plumbing fixtures, commercial-grade Thermador appliances, and more. Please call Richard for an appointment to view this property.

Arcadia is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in all of Arizona, and I love living here. My father and I both chose to purchase our homes in Arcadia because of the special ambiance and low density, purely residential lifestyle. My father first moved to Arcadia in the 1970’s when many of the roads were still dirt and large citrus and pistachio orchards were interspersed throughout the neighborhood. These orchards were an important part of history, providing citrus to our American hero’s fighting in World War II. I moved to Arcadia in 1983, purchasing a property that was (and still is) home to one of the last two of these indigenous citrus groves. Both my father and I remodeled our homes but were quite careful about preserving the history and unique character of the community. Through an appreciation and respect for the Arcadia heritage, we decided to retain the orchards on our properties and today, after multiple decades, they remain. It is no accident that our business, The University of Phoenix, is one of the top 50 community-minded companies in America. My father and I are strong believers in the concept of community. Unfortunately, we have a new neighbor who is taking quite a different approach. A lawyer from Las Vegas recently bought the beautiful home near Exeter and Rubicon which Frank Lloyd Wright built for his son David and daughter-in-law Gladys back in the 1950s. Back then, the Wright’s decided not to pave Rubicon because they didn’t want to alter the rural character of the neighborhood. But the new owner, Mr. Rawling, has a different idea. First, he bought three other nearby homes, then he knocked one down to develop a commercial complex, complete with a museum, a large outdoor amphitheater, a café, alcohol, and a huge underground special event space open for rental. He says he intends to attract 100,000 new visitors into our neighborhood each year. When you stop for a moment and consider Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of organic architecture, it’s obvious that this massive commercial complex doesn’t make sense at this location. As Wright explained in 1939, the fundamental value he strove to bring to life was “exalting the simple laws of common sense.” His gorgeous works did more than just fit in with the existing land and environment — they exalted them. He did not construct buildings to stick out of nearby mountains like sore thumbs, but rather to blend into them and reflect the natural beauty that existed there already. If only Mr. Rawling would take the Wright approach to his new homes in Arcadia. Can you imagine what a massive café/museum/ amphitheater/ wine bar would do to parking in Arcadia? Or noise at night? Or traffic? Can you imagine what any size of a use like this in the middle of a residential neighborhood might to do the property values of the homes that so many families have poured their savings into? Mr. Wright’s winter home itself, at the much larger Taliesin West in Scottsdale, doesn’t allow for wedding rentals or such commercial activity as they want to respect the architects philosophy. Arcadia shouldn’t be made to suffer because a restoration project became too expensive. The commercialization of Arcadia shouldn’t be a subsidy or bailout for anyone. Some may say look at Wrigley Mansion in the Biltmore or Paolo Soleri’s Cosanti in Paradise Valley which are tourist attractions with tens of thousands of people as something we shouldn’t mind in Arcadia. Well, both of those examples were there first, before people invested their homes and families nearby. That’s not the case here. If it is allowed to happen in this part of Arcadia near us, it will be encouragement to do the same with other neighborhoods near you. The Arcadia High School basketball team put up a great fight in their recent championship game. It’s up to us to show that same spirit now. And while the courageous Titans might have come up short in overtime, we can’t and won’t lose this fight to save our residential Arcadia community. PRESERVE ARCADIA. SAY ‘NO’ TO COMMERCIALIZATION. An open letter by Peter Sperling, Arcadia Homeowner and Chairman of Apollo Group. www.PreserveArcadia.com PAID ADVERTISEMENT