20 JULY 2019 By Riley Kissee According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18.5 percent of U.S. children are affected by obesity and are at risk for poor health. What’s more, many schools have a limited budget to spend on lunch, which can affect the quality and nutrition of the food, not to mention academic performance. For the past several years, Chef Charleen Badman of FnB Restaurant in Scottsdale has worked through an organization of chefs, restaurateurs, farmers and community food advocates to educate youth about food, with the goal of encouraging lifelong healthy eating habits. The organization, called Blue Watermelon Project, focuses on three main goals: helping future generations diversify the types of foods and flavors they consume, encouraging schools to serve fresh and healthy food to students and preparing students and families for academic and social success. “The name Blue Watermelon was made up after explaining to my best friend’s husband what we were trying to accomplish as a group. Watermelon being a food and something children usually enjoy and Blue Watermelon, which is something never seen before and unusual,” Badman said. “We go into classrooms to teach kids about the importance of nutritious food and where it comes from. We also raise money to help schools and school districts rethink relationships with food,” says Badman. “My inspiration for the program comes from the last 10 years working with Ann and Lou Rodarte and their Chef in the Garden Program at Echo Canyon.” Echo Canyon School’s Chef in the Garden Program invites local chefs to share their knowledge by hosting an interactive cooking demonstration with students. During Badman’s first class, the students crafted meatballs and panna cotta infused with lemon verbena. Although she wasn’t sure what the response would be on some of the unfamiliar ingredients, she was met with all positives. Through the non-profit Blue Watermelon Project, Badman has taken this concept a step further and teamed up with culinary leaders to incorporate taste education and culinary techniques into K-12 curriculum. Families are also given resources to create nutritious recipes at home, with the hope that the students will develop healthy habits. All funds raised for Blue Watermelon Project go back into the program and fully support their non-profit efforts. Badman is a culinary industry veteran with more than 30 years under her belt. She’s spent nearly 10 of those years refining her craft at FnB Restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale with co-owner Pavle Milic. Including this year, Badman has been a James Beard Award semifinalist five times in a row. This year, Badman’s community efforts and acclaimed culinary skills were enough to finally win the James Beard Award as 2019 Best Chef in the Southwest. The Southwest award region includes Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah. To be considered for the accolade, her colleagues, previous winners, journalists and others had to nominate her. FnB Restaurant features an ever-changing veggie-forward menu that places an emphasis on locally-sourced ingredients and curated wine pairings. For more on the Blue Watermelon Project: slowfoodphoenix.org. Chef unites culinary leaders to improve nutrition education After 30 years in the business, Chef Badman has perfected the recipe on teaching children healthy eating habits. PHOTOS BY JILL RICHARDS Chef Badman (fourth from right) started the Blue Watermelon Project to encourage students to maintain healthier eating habits. Chef Badman recently won the 2019 James Beard Award as Best Chef in the Southwest. My inspiration for the program comes from the last 10 years working with Ann and Lou Rodarte and their Chef in the Garden Program at Echo Canyon.”

21 JULY 2019 By Rhys Lee Walking outside in July, it feels like the sun is trying to smite you out of existence. You turn three shades redder if you haven’t already put on sunscreen. You want to leave the confines of your house, but you need an affordable option to stay cool. Here are some water parks, splash pads and shaded areas to help satisfy your cabin fever: PAIUTE PARK 3210 N. 66th St., Scottsdale Scottsdaleaz.gov Spanning eight acres, Paiute Park offers it all: splash pad for the little ones, shaded picnic areas, shaded play area, basketball and tennis courts and soccer fields. Sitting just outside of downtown Scottsdale, this is the perfect place to picnic and stay cool. The park is open seven days a week, sunrise to 10:30 p.m. VISTA DEL CAMINO PARK 7700 E. Roosevelt St., Scottsdale Scottsdaleaz.gov Stretching a mile along the Indian Bend Wash, Vista Del Camino Park contains grassy areas, disc golf, large trees with plenty of shade, barbecues and a splash pad. Cool off by the water and walk along the scenic trail. Kids can play on the splash pad while you stay cool in the shade. The park is open seven days a week, sunrise to 10:30 p.m. ALTADENA PARK 3711 E. Altadena Ave., Phoenix Phoenix.gov With grassy lawns and large trees, Altadena Park is perfect for a family barbecue. Little ones can play on the play structure and run through the splash pad. The only thing the park is lacking is a restroom. The park is open from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. The splash pad is turned off on Sundays. CITYSCAPE 1 E. Washington St., Phoenix Reddevelopment.com This one isn’t a park; however, Cityscape offers a large splash pad with umbrella covered seating in the heart of downtown Phoenix. Accessible from the light rail, you can come shop, dine and let the kids cool off in the water. Cityscape’s hours for the splash pad are every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. SIX FLAGS HURRICANE HARBOR 4243 W. Pinnacle Peak Road, Glendale Sixflags.com Hurricane Harbor boasts water rides for all ages and thrill seekers. The more adventurous can ride the Anaconda, Bahama Blaster and the Tornado. Families can enjoy attractions like the Adventure River or the Hurricane Bay. For the truly competitive, the Wahoo Racers tests one’s aerodynamics. Younger kids can enjoy Splashwater Beach or Splash Island. Regular tickets start at $40 a ticket if you buy in advance. At the gate, general admission is $45.99, kids under 48” are $35.99 and children 2 and under are free. GOLFLAND SUNSPLASH 155 W. Hampton Ave., Mesa Golfland.com If you’re looking for more than just water, there is Golfland Sunsplash. Miniature golf, arcade games and laser tag are a few examples. Inside the waterpark, there are thrill rides like Thunder Falls and Stormrider, each standing about seven stories tall. For something more relaxed, there is Thunder Bay wave pool or Lazy River. Little ones can enjoy the Toddler Tadpole Pool or the Caribbean Water Works. Golfland is open every day from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunsplash opens at 11 a.m.; general admission for Sunsplash is $34. BIG SURF 1500 N. McClintock Dr., Tempe Bigsurffun.com Luckily for Arcadia, this waterpark is just a hop, skip and a wave away in Tempe. Attractions include the Waikiki Beach wave pool, Hurricane slides and the Black Hole, where you won’t be able to see anything until the light at the end of the tunnel. Kid-friendly rides include Bora Bora Bay, the Otter slides and Captain Cook’s Landing. In the 50 years since Big Surf opened in 1969, the waterpark has appeared in three Hollywood movies (most recently, Another Day in Paradise (2016), and they have hosted concerts from musicians like Pink Floyd, Elton John and the Beach Boys. General admission is $34 and $21 for kids 4 and under. Big Surf opens at 10 a.m.; 11 a.m. on Sunday and closes at 6 p.m.; 9 p.m. on Friday. Bring on the waterworks Paiute Park splash pad in Scottsdale. By Anthony Wallace Some people view math as a subject best left to professionals. Grace Gould, a third grader at Paradise Valley Christian Preparatory, is not one of those people. “I love math. It’s my favorite subject,” Grace said. Although Grace is only in elementary school, she has years of mathematical computations under her belt. Her favorite pastimes include doing complex puzzles such as Rubik’s cubes and slide puzzles. Recognizing her propensity for the subject, Grace’s mother Marissa, a teacher, started giving her multiplication lessons in the summer leading up to second grade. “I realized it was really fun,” Grace said. Just recently, she had the chance to put her math skills to the test. Grace’s school is a member of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). Each year, the ACSI’s Rocky Mountain region, which includes schools in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, puts on a Math Olympics event to celebrate their most mathematically- proficient students. To compete for a gold medal, Grace first had to advance through a months-long qualification process consisting of four qualifying exams at her school. After each test, the field was reduced until the final exam, which was held at Grace Christian Academy in Tempe. Grace was among nine third graders from the region selected to compete for the gold in the Arithmetic Computation category at the Math Olympics. When the time came, she was led into a room with her fellow competitors and provided a desk to complete the test. There were four rounds of questions, each lasting 11 minutes and consisting of 12 problems. Grace recalled one of the questions as: (750*2) (500*8). There were no calculators allowed. After the test was complete, Grace waited anxiously for over an hour with her mother and brother while the judges tabulated the results. “I didn’t even think I got in the top five. I was so nervous,” Grace said. Eventually the suspense was broken, and Grace was announced as the winner of her category. “I was so excited I could barely control myself from running up to the stage. I was like ‘Oh my gosh,’” Grace said. Grace believes her understanding of math concepts will help her future goal of becoming an athlete. “I want to be a professional soccer player,” Grace said. “Practicing math kind of helps me know strategy by looking at the field and knowing where to go.” The Gould family, which includes Grace’s two siblings (her brother Patrick also competed in the Math Olympics), defies the popular idea that math is a drag. “My experience has been that if kids think math is boring, then it will be boring and they will shut down,” Marissa said. “If you can convince them that it’s a game, a mystery, a puzzle, then their attitude changes. Thankfully, all three of our kids have embraced the ‘math is fun’ idea.” PV Christian Prep third grader earns gold in Math Olympics Grace Gould has enjoyed practicing her math skills since she could hold a pencil. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARISSA GOULD Christ Lutheran School Preschool - Grade 8 • www.clsphx.org LC-MS 3901 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix | www.cclphoenix.org | (602) 955-4830 LOVE GROW SERVE Worship Sunday 8:00am & 10:45am – Traditional* | Sunday 8:30am & 10:30am – Contemporary* Sunday School/Bible Classes – 9:40am* | Sunday 12:30pm – Spanish Sunday 5pm – Sunday Night Devotions 3rd-4th Grade Youth Group – Sunday 3:30 – 5:30pm 5th-6th Grade Youth Group – Sunday 5:00 – 7:00pm *Nursery Care is available at all Sunday AM services