Author: Tad T. Gann

Lidia Vitale (left) and Ludovica Mancini star in “The Grand Bolero,” which will screen at The Orpheum Theatre Phoenix Sunday, Sept. 4. Gabriele Fabbro’s first feature film, “The Grand Bolero,” will screen Sept. 4 at the historic Orpheum Theatre Phoenix. Beyond the opportunity to view the award-winning film, Orpheum fans will have the opportunity to experience the theater’s Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ in action — organist Tim Versluys will play prior to the screening. Fabbro, a young Italian director based in Los Angeles, set and filmed his feature debut during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy. Roxanne (Lidia Vitale), a gruff middle…

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Trulieve founder and CEO Kim Rivers, center, was joined by company president Steve White and community members at an Aug. 2 ribbon-cutting ceremony (submitted photo). Trulieve Cannabis Corp. opened its first branded dispensary in Arizona Aug. 2. in the Roosevelt Row neighborhood in downtown Phoenix. The company’s founder and CEO, Kim Rivers, and president, Steve White, formerly Harvest founder and CEO, attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We are thrilled to open our first Trulieve dispensary in this vibrant area of downtown Phoenix,” said Rivers. “We look forward to serving the community with our high-quality products and customer-centric approach to cannabis.” The…

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Michael Sullivan The Phoenix Police Department will welcome Interim Police Chief Michael Sullivan to duty Sept. 12. The appointment was announced the end of July by City Manager Jeff Barton. Sullivan currently serves as deputy commissioner of the Compliance Bureau for the Baltimore Police Department. In May of this year, current Police Chief Jeri Williams informed city leadership of her intent to retire after a 33-year career in law enforcement. Williams will begin her retirement after a transition period to assist in onboarding interim Chief Sullivan. As interim Chief, Sullivan will lead Phoenix Police through the currently open Department of…

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Hospital employees from Abrazo Central Campus volunteered their time this summer to paint and create a Wellness Room at Maryland School (photo courtesy of Abrazo). The new school year is underway, and children at Maryland School in north central Phoenix were welcomed by new Wellness Center thanks to hospital employees from Abrazo Central Campus. Over the summer, Abrazo staff volunteered to spruce up the room with new paint and furnishings. The Wellness Center will offer a place where students can experience a calming environment to help with emotional needs, according to Abrazo Central Campus CEO Omar Pineda. Maryland School provides education for…

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RED is the Night co-chairs are Becky and Dr. Dan Lieberman, a retired neurosurgeon, who own and operate Phoenix Spine and Joint ambulatory surgery centers (submitted photo). Aunt Rita’s Foundation is gearing up for its largest fundraiser of the year — the fifth annual RED is the Night. The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 1, at Walter Where?House. Presented by Mail-Meds Clinical Pharmacy, the theme for this year’s event is “An Evening in Wonderland: A Costume Ball.” RED is the Night supports Aunt Rita’s programs and philanthropy. Among the programs are Positive Empowerment Youth Retreat for youth who are HIV…

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Fans of Arizona 4-H can now show their support with a new specialty license plate. Arizona drivers who want to support charitable causes will now have even more choices to through the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division, which released four new specialty license plates. “We know that people who choose specialty license plates for their vehicles take pride in displaying their connection to these community organizations,” MVD director Eric Jorgensen said. “MVD is pleased that we can partner with various organizations that benefit Arizonans.” Most specialty plates cost $25 each year. Of that amount, $17 goes to a…

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Kiddie’s Carnival, Trinidad, 2013, a photo by Sasha Phyars-Burgess, is part of an exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum (©Sasha Phyars-Burgess, from the THERE (Yankee) series). A major exhibition showcasing the work of five photographers, all of whom explore the ways in which their experiences of the African Diaspora influence their understandings of identity, place and belonging, is now on display at Phoenix Art Museum. The exhibition features more than 70 photographic works, including portraits, family archival images and landscapes, by Widline Cadet, Jasmine Clarke, Hellen Gaudence, Nadiya I. Nacorda and Sasha Phyars-Burgess. Curated by Aaron Turner, an African-American photographer…

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Fans of Fly Bye’s cheesy pan pizza can now dine in at a new North Phoenix location, and in Arcadia this fall (photo courtesy of Fox Restaurant Concepts) The second location of Sam Fox’s Fly Bye officially landed at Desert Ridge Marketplace on July 14. What started as a pop-up ghost kitchen when the original opened in 2020 at 5632 N. 7th St. in Phoenix, now has a dine-in location in North Phoenix that includes an even bigger menu (new pizzas, hoagies and chopped salads), more variety (new hand-tossed pizza dough and gluten-free options). Original menu items like cheesy pan…

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Launched in 2019 by the team at Barter & Shake, Century Grand houses three turn-of-the-century-inspired cocktail bars serving specialty craft cocktails within an immersive environment. Filled with the sights and sounds of a bygone era, each experience is a unique escape from the everyday — Platform 18 is a replica Pullman train car, complete with a snowy landscape rushing by outside the car windows; Grey Hen Rx is a New Orleans apothecary-inspired cocktail bar; and UnderTow takes travelers on a below-deck nautical adventure. This is a 21+ drinking establishment (although they do serve “temperance” items); they do not offer food.…

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Click the graphic to download a detailed map PDF from the County website. In late June, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to approve a new map adjusting the boundaries of the county’s five supervisorial districts to account for population and demographic changes over the past decade. The Board’s approval came after a three-week public comment period on five draft maps, a public hearing that detailed the methodology behind redistricting, and several rounds of revisions incorporating public feedback.  The new map will be effective on Jan. 1, 2024. Residents can learn more about the process and view the…

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