Page 36 December 2 0 1 6 Tino Ferrulli XThe Mercedes-Benz Winter Event offers the best of both worlds – an expertly crafted automobile you’ve dreamed of for a price you never dreamed possible. XGet great offers on the breathtaking CLA, powerful new C-Class, innovative E-Class, stylishly safe M-Class and the versatile GLA. Hurry, offers ends soon. XI want to wish everyone a very safe and Happy New Year. Engineered naughty. Priced nice. The Mercedes-Benz Winter Event 480-748-4810 teamtino@mb-scottsdale.com 4725 North Scottsdale Road • Scottsdale, AZ 85251 By Rachael Bouley P hoenix may be in the heart of the desert, but that does not deter locals from enjoying ice skating and playing hockey. One local rink has been in business for fifty years, surviving economic changes and competition to continue serving ice skaters and hockey players throughout Phoenix. Today the rink, officially branded as AZ Ice Arcadia, is an independent, stand-alone building behind the Desert Palms Power Center on East Thomas Road. On any given day, chances are you will find hockey players lacing up their skates and hitting the ice for a league game, or children giggling as they squeeze their feet into rental skates and take their first tentative steps onto the ice. The rink has fifty years of rich history as a community hangout and safe haven for skaters. It all began in 1966, when the original owners, George Snelson and Ed Carney, built the rink, naming it the Ice Palace. This location was constructed as a replacement of Ice Palace East, which originally sat at 28th Street and Indian School. At the same time, there was an Ice Palace West at 27th Avenue and Indian School. Both of these original Ice Palace locations were smaller than NHL rinks at the time, and the Arcadia rink was constructed as the first NHL size rink in Phoenix. The rink was an independent building when first built in the sixties, before becoming incorporated into Tower Plaza Mall as part of the shopping center. At the time of original construction, Arcadia was one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in Phoenix. The size and quality of the ice appealed to public skaters who wanted indoor entertainment as a break from the heat. Public skating was the rink’s main business for its first two decades, as there was very little hockey in the Valley at the time. “Business back in the early days consisted of mostly public skating,” said Jim Rogers, Arizona Ice Arcadia celebrates 50 years in the neighborhood PHOTO COURTESY OF ARIZONA ICE ARCADIA

Page 37 December 2016 (602) 956-7481 s o u t h w e s t f e rt i l i t y c e n t e r. c o m SUJATHA GUNNALA, MD Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility Sujatha Gunnala, MD, is the founder and medical director of Southwest Fertility Center Center Center , Phoenix’s longest established fertility clinic. Dr. Gunnala’s expertise and state-of-the-art services have allowed SWFC to serve as a leading Phoenix fertility clinic for 35 years. • Infertility Testing/Treatments • Reproductive Endocrinology • Reproductive Surgical Procedures • Artificial Insemination • In Vitro Fertilization, ICSI, PGD/PGS • Fertility Preservation: Sperm, Egg & Embryo Cryopreservation • Donor Egg Program, Donor Sperm • Embryo Adoption SERVICES OFFERED: Serving Patients in 2 Locations PHOENIX 3125 N. 32nd St, Ste 200 MESA 1520 S. Dobson Rd, Ste 215 (602) 956-7481 s o u t h w e s t f e rt i l i t y c e n t e r. c o m (602) 956-7481 SUJATHA GUNNALA, MD Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility Sujatha Gunnala, MD, is the founder and medical director of Southwest Fertility Center, Phoenix’s longest established fertility clinic. Dr. Gunnala’s expertise and state-of-the-art services have allowed SWFC to serve as a leading Phoenix fertility clinic for 35 years. SUJATHA GUNNALA, MD is the founder and medical director of Southwest Fertility Center, Phoenix’s longest established fertility clinic. Dr. Gunnala’s expertise and state-of-the-art services have allowed SWFC to serve as a leading Phoenix fertility clinic for 35 years. Sujatha Gunnala, MD, is the founder and medical director of Southwest Fertility Center, Phoenix’s longest established fertility clinic. Dr. Gunnala’s expertise and state-of-the-art services have allowed SWFC to serve as a leading Phoenix fertility General Manager and owner of AZ Ice Arcadia. “Since 1985 or so, the public sessions have dwindled due to the many recreational opportunities that are available in the metro Phoenix area.” Movie theatres, bowling centers and other entertainment options have captured the attention and business of locals, but public skating and private skating lessons are still options for customers at the Arcadia rink. What became the life force for the rink was the success of hockey in the Phoenix area. The rink has become a center for Valley hockey, including adult leagues, all-ages lessons and youth camps, due in large part to Rogers’ efforts to increase the presence of hockey in the Valley. He first got involved with the rink in his teenage years, when he started working at the rink as a sophomore at Arcadia High School. By the time he turned 21, Rogers was managing the rink while attending ASU and meeting fellow hockey enthusiasts who were excited about the sport and enjoying Arizona’s warm weather. “I was inspired in 1980 by the USA Gold Medal run and decided we need more hockey in the area,” Rogers said. “I rallied as many guys as I could and created a pretty high level of adult hockey the Valley hadn’t seen until then,” In the mid-1980s, he organized teams with players from hockey hot spots such as Chicago, Boston, Canada, New York, Minnesota and Michigan. The city’s mere eight teams blossomed over a period of 6 months, turning into more than 28 teams at 4 different levels of competition. Since then, the sport has continued to grow, with Arizona State University and Grand Canyon University boasting teams, and many more leagues popping up in the metro area. Despite the construction of rinks in surrounding cities, the Arcadia rink has remained one of the best options for hockey players, appealing to them with its traditional atmosphere. “We have the hardest, fastest ice in the Valley and the original hockey barn feeling in our building, as compared to the newer bells and whistle facilities being built in the past twenty years,” said Rogers. Updates over the years have helped the rink maintain its standing, such as two years ago when they installed state of the art LED lighting to replace the outdated lighting. For Rogers, the goal of AZ Ice Arcadia today is the same as it was when he first came aboard; to make the rink a safe, comfortable environment for skaters of all skill levels. “We are a family-owned and operated facility,” said Rogers. “We strive to create a family atmosphere in everything we do.” I was inspired in 1980 by the USA Gold Medal run and decided we need more hockey in the area. ” — Jim Rogers ‘‘ Heralded as Arcadia’s oldest bar, Ice House Tavern is a quintessential dive bar that’s been open since 1966. Located behind Tower Plaza, the bar has windows looking out onto the Arcadia Ice Arena. As you watch the pucks fly into the glass, you can enjoy an impressive selection of craft brews, mostly in bottles and cans, with a select rotation on draft. What’s more, they have Steel Tip Dart Leagues every Tuesday and Thursday, as well as live music every Friday. — Riley Kissee ICE HOUSE TAVERN Looking for more hidden bars around the neighborhood? Check out PAGE 46