18 JANUARY 2020 By Kaylee McClaine Art One held its first anniversary fundraiser in November to celebrate 26 years in business and to raise money for their newly-named nonprofit, NCBFST (nurture, create, believe, flourish, succeed, and transform) Foundation for Student Artists. For the past five years, Art One has hosted an anniversary celebration to showcase artists and remind the community of its mission, which focuses on representing high school and college student artists, as well as local artists in Arizona. But this year, Art One wanted to plan something extra special for its anniversary celebration. The Art One family asked the community to participate in their “26 Donations for 26 Years” fundraiser. By asking for one donation for each year Art One has been open, the local business was hoping to raise money for the foundation, which had zero funds when it re-launched last year. The foundation provides tuition assistance, art supplies and other art- related expenses to high school and college artists. By providing financial assistance to this underfunded group, the organization has become a re- invention of Foote’s first nonprofit, the Newton-Foote Foundation. The fundraiser was held at Art One’s gallery in Old Town Scottsdale during the Thursday Night ArtWalk. The event included live music from musician Janelle Loes, live painting from artist Pat Cain and homemade tacos. Guests could buy 26th anniversary NCBFST t-shirts as well as bid on art pieces in a silent auction. Monetary donations given the night of the fundraiser came with a raffle ticket for $100 off a purchase at Art One Gallery. By the end of the event, the gallery collected 50 monetary donations, sold 13 art pieces in the auction and sold ten t-shirts. The donations raised over $8,000 for the NCBFST Foundation. The success of the fundraiser inspired the gallery to make it an annual event. The donations received this year will be dispersed to various schools, students and organizations throughout the year. Art One Gallery and the NCBFST Foundation share an overall goal to create a community for up-and- coming local artists, and provide a place where they can further their art careers. In addition to helping local artists, the foundation hopes to educate the community on the importance of supporting the arts and education. For more: artonegalleryinc.com. Local gallery raises money for student artists Original art pieces from the Autism Academy for Education & Development were featured at the silent auction. PHOTO COURTESY OF ART ONE GALLERY PLAY LOCAL. PLAY BALL. REGISTER online for the 2020 Spring BASEBALL and SOFTBALL Season – Boys & Girls Ages 4-14 PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND REGISTER TODAY www.ArcadiaLittleLeague.com Please visit our website for complete information about Player Evaluations and Important Dates Practices Begin in February – Spring Season Runs Early March through End of May LAST DAY TO REGISTER IS JANUARY 24, 2020 Re gister at www. ArcadiaLittleLeague.com

19 JANUARY 2020 By Pam R. Selthun As managers of Echo Canyon School’s gardens, Lou Rodarte and his wife Ann have turned their labor of love into a hands-on curriculum that takes garden produce into the classroom and invites students to taste locally-grown food prepared by some of the best chefs in the Southwest. Echo Canyon’s Chef in the Garden Program has been so popular that the school decided to branch out and invite local chefs to share their knowledge by hosting interactive cooking demonstrations for students, parents and the community. For the third year, the school has hosted a Chef in the Garden Family Night featuring chefs from the Blue Watermelon Project, an initiative of Slow Food Phoenix, to promote healthy eating and gardening in schools. Slow Food’s mission is to “create a diverse and inclusive food community that supports good, clean and fair food for all by educating, advocating and connecting,” especially within the area schools. The Blue Watermelon Project was started by Chef Charleen Badman, who was the winner of the 2019 James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southwest. Family Night is an opportunity for parents to experience what Echo Canyon students do in the program. The event features interactive food-prep stations with demonstrations and samples. Participating chefs talk to guests about their dishes and even extend invitations to help them prepare – and eat – the food. All of the food, including local produce, is donated from suppliers and cooks, the Rodarte family, and a grant from Sprouts that was secured this year. “We fed 500 people at this event. All the stations mirror an actual Chef in the Garden class that we have done with the students during the year, and feature produce from the school gardens,” Ann said. “Chef in the Garden is celebrating its 10- year anniversary this year,” she said. “We are working now in 10 schools and have 25 chefs participating in the program.” Those who participated this year include Badman, Jason Raducha of Noble Bread and Cotton and Copper, Juan Zamora of Chula Seafood, Chris Mendoza of North Italia and Helen Yung of Sweet Republic. Past participants include Arcadia resident and The Parlor owner, Aric Mei and Sacha Levine of Century Grand. This year, students from Glendale, Maricopa and Ironwood High School joined the event as well. “Jason Raducha’s Noble Bread with Chris Mendoza’s freshly made, hand-pulled mozzarella with tomatoes and garden-picked basil is always a crowd favorite. Raducha generously supplies us with his fresh bread whenever we go out with the students. We always say if you add the bread, they will eat anything,” Ann said. The people who donate their time and talent to share their passion for healthy eating are all invested in the Blue Watermelon Project. “If I’m reaching the children that are in kindergarten through eighth grade, then that effort translates into a high school student that wants to have a better lunch program,” said Badman. “It’ll continue to an adult who eats better. It’ll continue to an adult that expects better from what is coming out of those cafeterias.” For more: slowfoodphoenix.org. Echo Canyon Gardens inspire students, grow healthy appetites PHOTO COURTESY OF LOU RODARTE This year, the Family Night in the Garden event fed over 500 people from the neighborhood and surrounding schools. Participating chefs set up demo stations for folks to watch and sample each dish. Serving the Arcadia area since 1958          Find us on Facebook! Member Since 1959      •  •    •   •    •          4855 E Thomas Rd, Phoenix AZ 85018 | www.ingleside.com Open 7 days a week! BRIAN A. SERBIN, DVM • LINDSAY BUSH, DVM KATHERINE HEWITT, DVM • SAMANTHA MIELKE, DVM HOSPITAL 602-840-3446 | GROOMING 602-952-1754 Grooming OPEN Tues - Sat CHRISTY PYLMAN 602-684-9636 | ChristyJPylman@gmail.com AZhomes.com 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,925 sf, 7600 Lincoln subdivision, guard-gated, community pool, tennis courts. Perfect for downsizing or part-time residents. $765,000 Main cabin 2,250 sf, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, guest cabin 1,500 sf, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. Nestled on 1.2 acres in the White Mountains of Pinetop. $675,000 7532 E. Cactus Wren Rd. Scottsdale 861 E. Osprey Ln. Pinetop Your home specialist in Phoenix, Scottsdale, PV and Pinetop