WE’RE HAPPY TO SERVE YOU AT ANY OF OUR 8 CONVENIENT VALLEY LOCATIONS! • 22 S. Mesa Dr, Mesa • 1017 E. Apache Blvd, Tempe • 1111 E. Buckeye Rd, Phoenix • 2628 W. Van Buren, Phoenix • 3920 S. Central Ave, Phoenix • 4121 N. 44th St, Phoenix FAX: 602-952-9233 • 5516 W. Glendale Ave, Phoenix • 9309 W. Van Buren, Tolleson Need a menu? Visit our web site: WWW. PETESFISHANDCHIPS .COM Burgers, Dogs, Burritos! Scrumptious Fish & Chips! Fresh Breaded Onion Rings! Children’s Menus at Some Locations! Drive Thru/Take-Out Is Our Specialty! ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ Family Owned & Operated Since 1947 HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! –from your friends at Pete’s Page 24 July 2015 By Katie Mayer Comedians are like clowns, but good comedians are more like matadors. They lead; they take control and they win in the end. That’s the philosophy of local comedian and Arcadia resident Howard Hughes, owner of Stand Up Scottsdale. “As a comedian, it’s almost like an orchestra,” Hughes said. “You are conducting their laughter.” Hughes, 46, is open, friendly and looks younger than his age. Even in the most serious conversations, he finds unexpected moments to lob jokes that simultaneously shock you and throw you in to rip-roaring laughter. His divorce, a stroke he suffered and his dog’s death – for Hughes, none of these topics are off limits for a joke. In fact, it’s exactly these raw and real-life experiences that make for some of his favorite material. “Anybody can learn to tell a joke,” Hughes said. “A real comedian doesn’t just make people laugh; they make people care about why they’re laughing.” Hughes is proud to be a different sort of comic and equally proud of his business, which is a different sort of comedy club. Independently owned and operated in Old Town, Stand Up Scottsdale brings carefully selected new talent to the stage in an intimate no-drink-minimum atmosphere. Hughes selects the comedians – some of whom are now A-listers in comedy – and also takes the stage himself every weekend with his own stand-up act. Funny, shocking and always real, Hughes’ brand of comedy has garnered fiercely loyal fans as well as those who love to hate him. “People have this attitude that they just want to laugh, but why you’re laughing is more important,” Hughes said. When it comes to life in Arcadia, Hughes doesn’t have any jokes penned, but if he did, he’d say, “I think I’d probably have to take everyone to task on the wainscoting,” he said with a chuckle. On Yelp, Hughes’s comedy club boasts four stars and hundreds of passionate reviews. In a most colorful fashion, Hughes replies to many of the comments himself. “This is a business where the customer is rarely right,” Hughes said. Hughes has also appeared on the Spike TV reality show Bar Rescue, which he said fabricated a fictional narrative of him as a negative and failing business owner and made unapproved changes to his building that violated city code. But behind his large glasses, witty and sometimes snarky Yelp posts, and his portrayal on television, who is Howard Hughes? For starters, he was always known as “a wise guy,” but didn’t actually go into comedy until later in life. He’s also a veteran who served our country during Operation Desert Storm and suffered injuries from his service. He’s a former high-end sink salesman who was also once married to a famous Mexican actress with whom he lived in Mexico City. Sound like a joke? It’s all true. Hughes’ life has been as colorful as his comedy itself. “Howard has always been that guy that just runs into opportunity,” said childhood friend Luke Maze of Glendale. “He has a really strong personality and will succeed in what he does or die trying.” His big opportunity came more than three years ago, when local investor Nathan Learner invested in Stand Up Scottsdale and Howard Hughes following the closure of the Tempe Improv. “I was looking for another alternative to the Improv and found Stand Up Scottsdale and that’s when I met Howard…and I said, ‘This is great, but you need better talent and I’ll support you,’” Learner said. Learner said Hughes has had to learn to grow as a business person, but that he has an incredible knack for finding and booking great comedians. “I will tell you pound for pound we bring the best talent in town,” Learner said. Learner calls Hughes “good at his craft” and “one of the more thoughtful guys in comedy.” Still, the two disagree at times. “I don’t always think he’s funny and we battle,” Learner said, “but I know his heart is in the right place.” He added, “Listen, being a comedian is tough; you kind of bare your soul and show your underbelly. Some of the stuff that’s funny is really sad in life terms, but it’s that ability to be open and honest with an audience that grabs them.” Alan and Jan Owens have been loyal fans of Stand Up Scottsdale for years. “I just fell in love with Howard,” Jan said. “He was so fun and wanted everybody to have a good evening and we just laughed so hard.” While Hughes said he appreciates the laughter and treasures his loyal fans, he says at the end of the day, it’s really about sparking the audience’s interest, making them think and ensuring they remember you. “I always say that in comedy, one minute you’re Andrew Dice Clay and another minute you’re Andrew Dice Clay,” Hughes said. To stay relevant, Hughes said he will continue finding great comedians, naturally evolving his own acts and has plans to expand the patio of Stand Up Scottsdale and unveil some new offerings to guests. “This isn’t the comedy club to come to if you want to reaffirm what’s funny,” Hughes said. “It’s the comedy club where you come to find out what’s funny.” — For more info., visit standupscottsdale.com. Think you know comedy? Then you haven’t met Howard Hughes Anybody can learn to tell a joke. A real comedian doesn’t just make people laugh; they make people care about why they’re laughing.” — Howard Hughes, owner of Stand Up Scottsdale ‘‘

Summer Hours: June thru September Monday 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Taco Tuesday $3.00 Machaca, Chicken, Ground Beef* 4 for $5 Street Tacos: Carne Asada and Carnitas* 4144 E. Indian School Rd. 602-956-0178 $3.00 Machaca, Chicken, Ground Beef* 4 for $5 Street Tacos: Carne Asada 4144 E. Indian School Rd. 602-956-0178 *Dine in Only. Dates: June thru August. Not to be combined with any other discounts. Page 25 July 2015 By Mallory Gleich Remember skipping school for a day? Most of the time, you just sat on the couch, eating junk food and watching television, right? Well, for one Arcadia resident, taking a day off of school meant being a part of a most prestigious ceremony involving the New York Stock Exchange, while meeting a couple of celebrities in the process. William Erblich, a seventh-grader from Veritas Preparatory Academy in Arcadia, was that student. William and his father, Tim, were part of the bell ringing ceremony in April that also promoted the opening of Marvel’s Avengers, Age of Ultron . Jeremy Renner and Robert Downey, Jr. were part of the ceremony as well, and William met them. They left on a Sunday night and flew six hours to New York, arriving at the stock exchange building at 8:30 in the morning. After going through security, William and Tim were led to a private boardroom, where the Avengers were waiting before the ceremony. They also got a private tour of the building. William’s favorite part was meeting the Avengers. He took pictures with them and Jeremy Renner even complimented William on his Avengers T-shirt. Tim, who has been a part of the New York Stock Exchange through a couple of different companies, was invited to the ceremony and William tagged along. Tim is the CEO of a magazine called Ethisphere , which “defines standards of ethical behavior” for a multitude of businesses. They are most known for their business ranking called “the world’s most ethical company.” Before that, Tim worked for a couple of businesses that were a large part of the New York Stock Exchange. He has also had the pleasure of ringing the bell himself. Every morning at 9:30 and every afternoon at 4:30, the exchange opens and closes with the ringing of the bell. Over 100 million people witness this ceremony every day, whether they are physically there or watching through media platforms. The bell is placed on a platform, and people watch the ceremony from below the platform. In fact, the boys were standing next to the Prime Minister of Portugal while watching the bell ringing. Once the bell is rung, everyone watching claps and cheers for a full 60 seconds before the stock exchange is open for business. At the end of the day, whoever is closing the stock exchange will bang a gavel on a wooden block, signaling the end of the day. The bell was first used in the 1870s and has been an important part of the stock exchange ever since. For William, this was an event in his life that he won’t soon forget. William Erblich, a seventh grader at Veritas Prep met Avengers star Jeremy Renner at the New York Stock Exchange. Arcadia resident becomes part of NYSE bell ringing ceremony