38 DECEMBER 2022 I f you’re looking for a place off the beaten path to do some shopping and enjoy some down-home holiday spirit, head to Miami, Arizona. About an hour and a half from downtown Phoenix, Miami is a classic Western copper boomtown with a rich mining and ranching history. Miami is filled with small-town charm, dotted with businesses and eateries, nearly all of which are family owned and have been around for years. The big pink house on Gibson Street is one of those quaint and unique places. A couple of blocks off downtown Sullivan Street, this family home is filled with cherished memories and hometown pride. Lisa and Denise Zaragosa of My Mom’s House DZynes is a mom-and-daughter crafting duo behind many projects sold here. They make everything from personalized shirts, hats, candles, bath salts and bath balms. Another sister bakes delicious treats, and the nephews tie dye socks and make crayons and lip gloss. However, it’s not just a family thing: it’s a Miami thing. Ninety-five percent of the items sold here are made right in town. There’s no real rhyme or reason for what they sell. It comes down to what the residents want to make. Another family-owned business is Guayo’s El Rey. Greg and Dorine Esparza are the owners, but Greg’s Aunt Josephine opened the restaurant in 1938. Many would go so far as saying Guayo’s El Rey is the reason Miami is on the map. It’s still located on Sullivan Street, and it’s the place to eat, gather and celebrate. Customers come here for birthdays, engagements, family reunions and graduations. Or perhaps, they are just looking for a place that feels like home. Greg and Dorine have also stayed true to Aunt Josephine’s recipes, which have stood the test of time and kept the customers returning. Some of the most popular dishes are the green chili plate, the red chili burro enchilada, the chimichangas, albondigas soup and Menudo. Locals say you can taste the tradition, the love for the food and love for serving people. Bullion Plaza Elementary School, a monument in Miami, opened nearly a century ago. The beautiful neo-classic building was designed by famous Southwest architect Henry C. Troust and was considered a first- class institution. Bullion Plaza is a place to learn if you are looking for some history. Now on the Register of Historic Places, the former school-turned-cultural center and museum are dedicated to the area’s rich history and Mexican heritage. They also celebrate Native American culture, from the Hohokam to the Salado and the Apache. Most of the artifacts, baskets and photographs are local and regional. Many mining history and exhibits reflect Arizona’s more recent political past, like Governor Rose Mofford, who was born in Globe/Miami. This town is a hidden gem, filled with artists and makers that add some extra color and sound to an already vibrant community. Head to Miami – no, not that Miami – for some AZ history Robin is the host and executive producer of the Arizona Highways Television , Saturdays and Sundays on CBS. BY ROBIN SEWELL Robins Adventures Greg and Dorine Esparza own the Guayo’s El Rey Café, which was opened by Greg’s Aunt Josephine in 1938. Bullion Plaza Elementary is a school-turned-museum that is also on the National Register of Historic Places. 480.946.5076 4130 n marshall way • scottsdale art one gallery | foundation Representing students and local artists of Arizona since 1993 artonegalleryinc.com @artonegalleryinc An Olympians Nap by Rebecca Grace • acrylic on canvas • 34” X 17” X 1.5” • $350

39 DECEMBER 2022 Part of the holiday season means celebrating yearly family traditions, so Arcadia News reached out to the neighborhood and asked them to share some of theirs – here’s what they had to say! Antonella, Avianna and Angeles Klein put a Christmas tree out in the neighborhood for passersby to decorate. “Each day it’s so exciting to see what our neighbors add. The kids draw and create ornaments and even leave special ones that touch our hearts,” Angeles said. “I am 100 percent Polish. My Christmas mornings – as a child and now – are: homemade apple fritters, everyone sitting around the kitchen table peeling and slicing apples. Polish kielbasa from the butcher, not the grocer – the best I’ve found in Phoenix is Schreiner’s. My whole family loves it!” Chris “Skalski” Hain said. “Our holiday tradition (top photo) for the last 15 years is to go to Maui and enjoy Christmas in the islands,” Heidi Staudenmaier said. “We used to ‘Griswold’ my house with my dad and now I continue the tradition. My family throws a Christmas party where everyone can wear their best Christmas attire,” Christie Demas Crossley said. “After my dad passed away in 2008, my mom and I established a tradition of playing Coronado Golf Course on Christmas Day. It’s our version of the ‘Santa Claus Open.’ Mom played until two years ago when she was 92. She’s still going and serves as my gallery,” Kevin Riley said. “I have enjoyed the same traditions for 45 years. My parents live just down the road, so on Christmas Eve, we pack up the car with our grown children and presents and spend the night. We leave cookies out for Santa. Christmas morning, we wait while my dad ‘checks to see if Santa came.’ We eat pull- apart sweet rolls each year, open presents, then sit down to egg casserole before preparing Christmas dinner, including the same traditional foods my grandmothers made,” Michelle Ganz said. NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2023 KINDERGARTEN - 2ND GRADE! Ask about our Fund for All program making Catholic education affordable for all families regardless of income. 4510 N. 24TH STREET • PHOENIX, AZ 85016 www.staphxschool.org (602) 954-9088 ADVENT AFTERNOON: Dec. 4th, 2:00pm ADVENT CONCERT: Dec. 6th, 7:00pm ADVENT MISSION: Dec. 14th, 6:00-8:00pm Joyful Mysteries Sonatas featuring St. Thomas the Apostle Music Ministry and Violinist, Esther Witherell IN THE CHURCH; FREE ADMISSION Featuring St. Thomas the Apostle Adult and 6th/7th Grade Choirs, and special guests. IN THE CHURCH; Donations gratefully accepted. Join us in the church for Confession, Mass, and talk from Bishop James S. Wall, Bishop of Gallup as he presents Christ, Our Light in Times of Darkness ALL ARE WELCOME TO OUR PARISH ADVENT EVENTS! CHRISTMAS MASS TIMES CHRISTMAS EVE: Sat., Dec. 24th 4:00PM • 7:00PM MIDNIGHT MASS Music begins at 11:30PM CHRISTMAS DAY: Sun., Dec. 25th 9:00AM • 11:00AM