The killings at the Sikh Temple in Wisconsin are tragic and speak to a deeper illness in our society. It is an illness that we cannot address in one day or even one year.

But what we can do in one day is make a statement. We stand together. We can educate. We can reach out.

We are writing together because we were both touched by last Sunday’s events. Clearly, we are grief stricken for the victims of the shooter. And we are floored by fact that this confused and misguided murderer misdirected the anger resulting from stereotypes around cultures known to wear turbans.

This is so tragic and telling in so many ways. It is tragic that any person would kill civilians and worshipers of any religion. But it speaks volumes about our country and our culture that so many people do not understand who Sikhs are, let alone other groups at large. In this person’s haste to hate and destroy, he attacked anybody who even remotely resembled the target of his hatred.

This presents an inspiring opportunity for our communities to learn more about each other and in particular this powerful Ashram community embodying the maxim “All are One.”

We, the authors of this blog post have our own connections to this community. Harpal Kaur Khalsa is a Sikh member of the Guru Nanak Dwara Ashram here in Phoenix and has participated in the community as a teacher of kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan for the last 5 years. Ken Clark, a resident of downtown, is not a Sikh, but who has benefited from the kindness of the Ashram’s members.

What we share in common, too, –and what we want to share with you– is an understanding of the role of the Ashram in the Coronado Historic Neighborhood. We believe that the Ashram represents a largely untold story in central Phoenix.

The Ashram has been operating since 1972 and will soon expand its new Gurdwara to serve its growing congregation. There are only about 30 million Sikhs, worldwide and only a few hundred thousand in the United States. The congregation in Phoenix may only number in the low thousands. But their influence is felt strongly here.

The Ashram has been a stabilizing force in the neighborhood, even in those years that the Coronado Neighborhood saw its worst blight, crime and dilapidation. Members of the Ashram educate the children of Sikhs and non-Sikhs, alike, in the Kahlsa Montessori schools in Phoenix. They provide a place, not only for yoga classes, but for refuge and contemplation.

In this way, they are unique, but also no different from any Christian, Jewish or Muslim congregation in America. As such, we hope you will join us as we unite to make a statement about this community’s support for our neighbors. We hope to introduce you to this congregation if you have not yet met them. We  hope to illuminate this unique group of people so that a tragedy like this will never happen again.

Please join us as we attend the AZ Sikh Candlelight Vigil at Cesar Chavez Plaza (201 W. Washington St.) on Thursday, August 9th at 7:30pm.

In Peace.

Harpal Kaur Khalsa                                                  Ken Clark

From the “Cool Goings-on Desk”:

The Grand Avenue Arts & Small Business District is holding a logo design contest for the 4th Annual Grand Avenue Festival, scheduled for October 20, 2012.  The purpose of the contest is to create a unique logo representing the Grand Avenue Festival by letting artists show their creativity and style. The winning design will be featured on all promotional materials including; festival brochures, posters and a variety of community advertisements.  Additionally, the winning artist will receive their name or business entity acknowledged on the festival brochure as an in-kind sponsor.   

About the Festival:  The focus of the festival is to explore the history of Lower Grand and spotlight adaptive re-use projects and sustainability in the neighborhood. This celebration honors the local arts and small businesses, and encourages recycling and re-use so please be mindful of our mission when designing your submission. 

Eligibility: The contest is open to everyone 18 years of age and older, or with a parent’s consent for younger gifted individuals.

Submission Requirements: Preferred file type is .ai or a vector .eps (will accept .pdf, .jpg, .tif but they must be highquality, minimum of 300 dpi at a physical size of 3″ x 3″); all fonts must be converted to outlines; logo submissions must print well as both color or black & white

Entry Info and Deadline: Contest entries must be received no later than 5pm, August 3rd, 2012, for consideration.  The festival planning committee will notify the winner no later than August 10th, 2012. Contest entries should be sent to grandavelogo@gmail.com

Intellectual Property Rights: The winning designs submitted for this contest become the property of Grand Avenue Arts & Small Business District and the Grand Avenue Merchants Association (GAMA). By submitting the design, the entrant warrants that the work is original and free of all copyright or other encumbrances that would prevent its use by the Grand Avenue Arts & Small Business District and GAMA for any of the intended purposes.

Privacy and Personal Data: Submissions are confidential until the completion of judging and until the announcement of the winner. Only the submissions of the winner will be disclosed and published. The designs and all personal data of all other submissions will be kept confidential, other than announcing the total number of submissions received. 

Questions: All artists and their suggestions are welcome! For more information, please contact grandavephoenix@gmail.com

Feel free to share this announcement !  Here’s a PDF of contest entry requirements or you can visit the Grand Avenue FB  Events page.

Thank you to all the folks at 180°Automotive for a great July 2012 Get Your PHX event.  We had over 20 raffle prizes to hand out and lots of happy attendees. The success of the free raffle makes me think that we should make that a regular thing. So, if you represent a business looking for local exposure in a group of hip, well connected professionals, please respond to me at this address and let me know what you’d like to raffle off.

But, special thanks to Christine Cassano and Monika Woolsey for helping to organize the raffle. Of course, thank you to Bogi Lateiner, Heidi Abrahamson, Kate Benjamin, Christine Cassano (get well soon) and Tracy Perkins for participating in our honoring of their inspiring contributions to CenPho.

So, we are going to enjoy the August Get Your PHX in the best way we know how: with a cold beer in hand at the new Phoenix Ale Brewery.

I’m very excited about this event because we are not only celebrating good beer, but we are also building a new history in Phoenix. Did you know that Phoenix used to have a number of local breweries until the big corporate brewers gobbled up the market? Obviously, we have seen a resurgence of domestic brewing in America over the last 25 years. Naturally, you can find franchise restaurants that brew their own batches. But we are starting to see more local brewers who tailor to a local market –finding that there is sufficient interest in their product to survive.

I am happy to announce that our August hosts will be George Hancock and Gregory Fretz, owners of the Phoenix Ale Brewery, along with their Head Brewer John Donehower. We will get a tour of the brewery, get a taste of the beers on special and George is arranging for a special appearance of LunchaLibre, a local food truck.

This is no average beer. I discovered Phoenix Ale Brewery when I tried their Watermelon Wheat Ale at Urban Beans last month. I was very impressed with how they handled this delicate, complex taste. The quality of the brew made sense when I discovered that George Hancock was one of the founders of Pyramid Ale almost 25 years ago. Brewmaster Donehower has also put together the Camelback Indian Pale Ale, Fretzy’s Unfiltered Ale and the Ironwood Imperial Porter. George also tells me that they are introducing a new Imperial Hefeweizen called Wheatstalk. So, you will be some of the first folks to get to taste that.

I’m looking forward, not only to learning from George, Gregory and John’s experiences, but also in helping to support a new era in local urban brewing.

Please RSVP on Facebook here.

August 2012 Get Your PHX
Thursday, August 23rd at 5:30
Phoenix Ale Brewery
3002 E Washington
Phoenix AZ 85034  Map it

From the “In Case You Had Not Already Heard” department….

This news is a few days old, but I wanted to touch on it because this says a lot about all of the work y’all have been doing to emphasize supporting local.

The Arizona Capitol Times spoke with Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton about it:

 

Not only is the city following a policy that provides for prudent and efficient investment, but provides additional funds for consumer and small-business loans in the local economy.”

Another reason for the city’s investment is to hopefully get a higher rate of return on some of Phoenix’s other investments. This move isn’t a totally unique one as several cities around the country have been implementing plans like this to manage their money in the fallout from the financial crisis.

It sounds like a novel idea and it stimulates and benefits the local economy, so why aren’t their reports of a high number of states and cities implementing such a plan? Says the Capitol Times…

Investing money in local banks isn’t easy. State law requires that the city’s bank deposits be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to prevent it from losing taxpayer money if the bank fails. The maximum federal insurance on low-risk investments that the city might utilize, such as a certificate of deposit, is $250,000. That could require the city to work with many banks if it hopes to invest anywhere near $50 million locally.

For these reasons, Phoenix mostly invests in U.S. government securities.

Jeff Dewitt, the City of Phoenix Finance Director said the city probably can’t invest more in local banks likely could not invest more in local banks given FDIC insurance limits. The East Valley Tribune also reported that Phoenix has a team of in-house investment managers who oversee its deposits and ensure that city funds are protected while earning the highest yield possible. Dewitt said the city is inviting local banks to submit applications with their investment pitches. He said proposals must be completely FDIC-insured or collateralized and offer a higher rate of return than U.S. Treasury notes.

As Local First so wonderfully reminds us,

The flow of these dollars will recirculate throughout the local economy, creating jobs and securing a strong economic future for our community. If you are a locally-owned and operated bank or credit union: Phoenix’s Finance Department will be accepting applications from local banks that have an interest in providing CDs and other FDIC-insured products to the city.  Local banks can contact the city’s Finance Department at 602-262-7166 for more information or to submit an application.”

Photo by Stacy Champion

There is an interesting buzz around downtown, along the Roosevelt Row. Spaces are filling up along Roosevelt as the economy rebounds.

There’s the Concordia Eastridge Complex going up—slowly rising up to replace that empty dirt lot that used to greet you as you exited from off the I-10 exit on 3^rd street. As I pulled off that very exit this afternoon, I said to a friend, “Look at our new entrance to downtown Phoenix. No more greetings from a forty year old dirt lot. This is looking to be a proper welcoming. ”

And there’s the old Canvass location at 3rd Street and Roosevelt, which back in 2008 was all talk about the multitude of places going in, but which never materialized (see the link for an artist rendering and a list of venues planned, but not done) and which is now getting a bunch of new goodies: an ice cream parlor, a Vietnamese restaurant, an Italian restaurant, and a French restaurant (operated by Duc and Noelle Liao, chef-owners of Scratch Pastries). According to the Phoenix New times, four leases were signed last month so this isn’t just wishful thinking or hearsay.

Speaking of Scratch, there’s an interview with Duc and Noelle called, “The Sweet Life” in the July/August issue of Java Magazine. (The link is a little weird, it’s a photo scan of the magazine, so just click the little arrow at top middle to read the 2^nd page of the article).

They have had such great success with Scratch Scottsdale that they are opening a second location next fall….it will have a café and an adjoining pastry shop, and Noelle emphasizes that the new café’ will be much more than a coffee shop…the new Scratch will also have a full kitchen/full menu.” ~ Jenna Duncan (Java Magazine)

Don’t miss out on all the new opportunities coming to Roosevelt. I’ll update you on all the other  new places as I hear about them in the days ahead.

Of course, don’t forget that I now have a workspace here at monOrchid, next to the new Songbird Tea and Coffeehouse. See the story, here.

Thank you to Wayne Rainey of monOrchid for hosting the June Get Your PHX. Special thanks to Michael Popescu of MojoTree for bringing the Pichuberries and to Dwayne Allen and Danielle Leoni of Rum Bar for contributing their brand new recipe for the Pichuberry Punch. Many folks walked out of this last event wondering where they could get that drink again. (I know I did.) Drop by and try this new drink at Rum Bar.

Thank you also to Jonathan and Erin Carroll of the Song Bird Tea and Coffee House for contributing to the food, the prizes and sharing their new space with us and to Troy Benjamin for his food creations using Pichuberries. Troy, I think you have a new calling.

This July 19th we are celebrating 180° Degree Automotive, which just celebrated its grand opening a brand new shop at 545 W Mariposa.

See the Facebook invite page here.

180° Automotive is a unique venture, started in another location in the Melrose District in 2009 by Bogi Lateiner, a former law student – turned celebrity mechanic. Bogi garnered a lot of attention in recent years because she is a female mechanic, business owner and all-around great lady. She has also managed to fit in time to co-star in the Velocity Channel’s auto-repair “MacGyver-like” problem-solving show “All Girls Garage.”

But as if that were not enough, we are dedicating this event to celebrate four other inspiring women business owners in CenPho. Why are we celebrating these five women? Because each and every one of them not only inspires us, but has also grown their respective businesses during the recession.

Heidi Abrahamson — Heidi is a recognized jewelry designer who has shown all over the United States and in Europe. Her jewelry is, as she says, “modern architecture for the body.” Heidi and her husband, Doug, own Phoenix Metro Retro just off 7th Ave and Hazelwood. Heidi recently got nation-wide attention for the cat hair jewelry that she created with Kate Benjamin.

Kate Benjamin — Kate is best known for Modern Cat Design, a newsletter, website and source for chique accessories and furniture for the modern cat and their people. In 2009, Kate launched Moderncat Studio, a line of modern cat products that includes handcrafted toys, beds and scratchers that are all carefully tested by Kate’s nine felines at their Phoenix, Ariz., home. Some of Kate’s chic creations were recently featured in an annual design episode of CBS Sunday Morning.

Christine Cassano — Christine is an artist and designer, who has taken the medium of concrete to a new level (come see the front counter at 180° Automotive). We know Christine because she is the inspiration behind the Phoenistivus Market publicity designs. Christine has taken up residence next to the 180° “compound”, where her work can be seen. Christine is one of those behind-the-scenes champions who helps drive the energy and connections in the business community in CenPho.

Tracy Perkins — Of Strawberry Hedgehog has proven that you CAN make vegan, plant-based bath products, which are attractive to men and women, alike. Further, Tracy has proven that these products are attractive to national retailers, such as Whole Foods.  Tracy also works out of the 180° Automotive neighborhood, where she makes her soaps in small batches by hand.

July 2012 Get Your PHX
Thursday, July 19th at 5:30
180° Automotive
545 W Mariposa St.,
Phoenix AZ 85013  Map it

In a June 5, 2012 letter to Mayor Greg Stanton, Phoenix’s Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) recommended the language for the Solid Waste Collection Ordinance be updated from “The City does not provide” to “The City may provide” waste and recycling services to commercial, industrial and multifamily customers.

“We believe updating this ordinance is congruent with achieving the Environmental Quality Commission’s goal to help city leaders identify environmental issues and advise the City Council on opportunities to protect Phoenix’s natural and urban environment.” ~ Kate Gallego (Chair) and Jessica Catlin (Member)

The most common complaint the EQC hears from Phoenix residents is that they have insufficient access to recycling services. The letter to Mayor Stanton goes on to say:

“Phoenix should have the flexibility to study whether the Public Works Department can meet these customers’ needs by expanding its popular recycling program.”

The EQC letter include goes on to suggest that:

• Allowing Phoenix to explore service options that might result in innovative partnerships with the private sector. This might help expand service and lower rates for solid waste and recycling services.
• An expanded recycling program may help the city simultaneously create a new revenue stream and achieve its diversion goals.
• Removing the barrier to explore this service provision is one significant but simple step Phoenix can take in its efforts to become a more sustainable city.

Why hasn’t Phoenix had a recycle presence in these areas?  

In my quest to answer that question, I found out that obstacles to having recycling bins at multi-family housing units is not the same as reasons some people cite for why it won’t work.

For example, in 2006, The Arizona Republic reported, “Valley cities say they don’t offer recycling to apartments and condos because those residents won’t take advantage of the service. They also fear that contamination (regular garbage mixed with recyclables) would be too high because of the anonymity that shared trash bins offer. They also say there is simply no demand.”

Another interesting tidbit from the article:

Terry Feinberg, president of the Arizona Multihousing Association, said recycling won’t work at apartment complexes because scavengers would rummage through containers. He also said existing dumpster corrals are difficult to enlarge to make room for separate recycling bins.

“Even on new construction, the extra space required can lead to elimination of parking spaces, which can put the property out of zoning compliance,” Feinberg said.

If the state was serious about requiring multihousing to recycle, Feinberg said, officials would offer financial incentives to the industry or allow complexes to retrofit and waive code penalties.

That was in 2006. Where are we now in handling these situations?

“I can’t speak to why Phoenix has not been in the business of recycling in the past, but here is what i do know. Residents and businesses want better service, and other cities across the country have much more robust programs, so there must be a way to meet this need. Changing the language allows our city to explore those possibilities.”

~ Jessica  Catlin, Phoenix Environmental Quality Commision

Now that’s what I’m talking about: Proactive, forward-leaning momentum. Enough talk about change. Be the change. 

—The EQC plays a leadership role on a number of environmental topics, including greener neighborhoods, renewable and solar energy projects, land use policies, air and water quality, sustainable building codes, urban heat island, recycling initiatives, climate action plan goals, the Phoenix General Plan, and other key city efforts.—

Devour Phoenix and Waste Not are joining forces together with local restaurants to raise money for hungry Phoenix children, July 17th – 31^st.

Devour Phoenix members will use local food producers such as Scheriener’s Sausage, Crooked Sky Farms, Chili Acres, Schnepf Farms, MJ Bread, The Meat Shop, Seacat Farms, Desert Blossom Honey, Queen Creek Olive Mill, McClendon’s Select,High Spirits Gin to raise funds for Waste Not.

Devour Phoenix is a city-wide, non-profit coalition of selected, independent restaurants operating under the umbrella of Local First Arizona. Waste Not works behind-the-scenes to rescue cooked, perishable foods that would otherwise go to waste and through a logistical marvel they get nourishment to those who need it most.

Believe it or not, 1 in 4 Phoenix children go to bed hungry. “By teaming up, [Devour Phoenix and Waste Not] hope to feed 100,000 people in the Phoenix area,” said journalist Danielle Verbrigghe in a  recent Phoenix Business Journal article.

“This is one pick up in my ride along. We picked up another 48 gallons of milk, 160 pounds of meat and about 300 pounds of bread, pastries and dry food,” said  Devour Phoenix Coordinator, Margaree Bigler.

“It was incredible. They are an amazing organization and the restaurants are happy to collaborate for such a great cause. I went on a ride along with one of the trucks and the sheer quantity of food rescued was incredible. It’s a very efficient operation– food is picked up and distributed the same day. The effects are immediate. ”

Check out this 3-minute video and see how every $1 of Devour Phoenix and Waste Not fundraiser will go to feed hungry Phoenix children.

Energize Phoenix (not to be confused with the ever creative Ignite Phoenix) and Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton will unveil “Go Green Like Your Grocer“, a community energy efficiency showcase at AJ’s Fine Foods on Central Avenue and Camelback Road from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  this Saturday, June 30.

Why should you attend the Go Green Like Your Grocer event?

Other than hearing the Mayor’s announcement that rebates are doubled, up to $3,000, for the rest of the program?

“We are thrilled to showcase AJ’s commitment to energy efficiency and officially name them an Energize Phoenix Energy Saving Superhero,” said Mayor Stanton.  “Our goal is to encourage residents within the Energize Phoenix Corridor to complete a free home energy check-up so they can save money by saving energy and contribute to a sustainable community.”

What is Energize Phoenix?

“The city of Phoenix was awarded a $25 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Energy Better Buildings Program and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to launch, in partnership with Arizona State University and Arizona Public Service, “Energize Phoenix,” a project that will save energy, create jobs and transform a diverse array of neighborhoods along a 10-mile stretch of the light rail line.” ~ energizephoenix.com

In addition to being a visible support of our great Phoenix community, applauding the energy saving efforts of Mayor Stanton, Energize Phoenix, and fine examples like AJ’s, you’ll be energizing your own awareness of the cool savings to be had this  monsoon season and through the year.

“Did I mention APS will be on-site giving away a free CFL bulb to attendees, as long as supplies last? Or that in a lot of cases double rebates will pay for 100% percent of energy efficiency project costs?” ~ Ken Clark 

(If you can quote yourself, you know you’re onto something good, right? 🙂

Energize Phoenix offers cash incentives and financing to help pay for energy saving projects for homes and businesses located within the Energize Phoenix Corridor, a 10-mile stretch (PDF) along the light rail line.

Get the full skinny in the Energize Phoenix Press Release.

Many of you know the role that monOrchid played in the establishment of First Fridays over 13 years ago, back when people still hosted raves and Clinton was still President.

You could not do First Friday without stopping first at monOrchid.

The recession slowed business for a while, but owner Wayne Rainey powered through with a rag tag fleet of artists, architects, designers and the like. Now he is announcing new additions and new incentives to his “creative  co-lab.”

First, for the uninitiated, a creative co-lab is a space where you can have office space at a great price and access to other folks in your industry. While you don’t necessarily need to be an award winning photographer, for instance (I’m not and I’m in here!), being here gives you access to folks with whom you can collaborate, market and create new ideas.

You also have free access to the conference room, wireless and a kitchen. Soon to come is a media room where you can print, cut, copy and touch-up. You can also have access to the industry standard cyclorama and event space.

The folks over at Co-Hoots have proven recently that there is a huge market demand for this and we all share the same vision for a creative hub in downtown.

So, what is new? First, the Songbird Coffee and Teahouse plans to open by July 9th, which will greatly increase foot traffic and give you the much-needed caffeine to get through your busy day.

Second, a bunch of us are moving in to help make this dream a reality: Get Your PHX, Stacey Champion and Cesar Chaves Design are the most recent.

Third, the massive loft spaces, which can be broken up in to affordable creative stalls, are available with a new price structure.

Finally, if you sign a contract between now and August 30th, you will get 25% off event space and studio rental for a year.

This is your chance to get inexpensive bricks and mortar in a reinvigorated downtown establishment.

See this link for floor plans, availability and prices.

Please call me at 602-456-9388 or ken@getyourphx.com for more information.