Queens County

The Melon Ball

U.S. Court of Appeals Decision Favors Tohono O'odham Nation but Requires Feds to Better Explain Decision to Approve West Valley Reservation

If you're keeping score in the Tohono O'odham Nation's epic -- and seemingly endless -- battle against state and local officials to build a resort-style casino in the West Valley, chalk up another point for the Nation. The Nation unveiled in 2009 plans to build the West Valley Resort and Casino ne ... More >>

Chandler's Living Room Wine Café Expanding to Northwest Valley

Northwest Valley folks looking for a new place to lounge with a glass of wine soon will be able to add The Living Room to their list. See also: - New Korean Barbecue Spot Opens in Glendale - Z'Tejas to Debut New Taco Restaurant Concept in Old Phoenix Church Restaurateur Tom Kaufman (owner of the H ... More >>

Glendale Police Find "Spice" Lab in the Back of a Convenience Store

Glendale police found what appeared to be a lab for manufacturing the substance known as "spice" in the back of a convenience store.Arizona Department of Revenue officers were doing a routine inspection of Pronto Mart, near 59th Avenue and Missouri, and found some sort of manufacturing process going ... More >>

CLOSED: Bueno Burger in Scottsdale

Just a little over a year ago, owners Gary and Vanessa Shaw shuttered Bueno Burger Mex American Grill in Glendale. This month, they've shuttered their second concept, Bueno Burger, in Scottsdale. See also: CLOSED: Oaxaca Restaurant & Cantina in Downtown Phoenix and CLOSED: Ivy League Dogs in Goody ... More >>

Sal Reza, Tonatierra March 13.4 Miles for Justice on Saturday

The human rights activists of Tonatierra and the Barrio Defense Committees will do the annual PF Chang's 13.1 mile marathon one better this Saturday by holding a 13.4 mile march for human rights and dignity, beginning at Sheriff Joe Arpaio's notorious Fourth Avenue Jail and ending at Glendale Police ... More >>

Season Finale

Appellate Court Opinion Favors Creating West Valley Reservation for Tohono O'odham Nation

See also: Gila River Indian Community Attacks Sister Tribe With Federal Lawsuit See also: Glendale Officials Ordered to Pay Tohono O'odham Nation's Legal Fees See also: Wanna Bet? The Tohono O'odham Want to Build a West Valley Casino Glendale officials should start baking cookies to walk over to th ... More >>

Oakland Raiders Come to Town, and While Not Entirely Surprising, Someone Did Get Shot

The Oakland Raiders came to town on Friday to play some preseason football against the Arizona Cardinals, and someone got shot.According to Glendale police, a man called police saying he'd "accidentally" shot another man in a parking lot just north of the University of Phoenix stadium, and waited at ... More >>

Big New Asian Supermarket Opens In Glendale

Glendale is now home to a supermarket called LF Market Oriental & Seafood. As the name implies, LF Market specializes in ethnic food of the Asian persuasion. While we haven't been able to get out to its distant north Valley location, it certainly sounds promising. Even if it doesn't have quite the d ... More >>

Sweating Puppies

Wild Wild Westside

ATF Offering $10,000 to Anyone Who Gives Up the Guy Turning Flashlights Into IEDs

If you know the guy who decided to turn flashlights into IEDs that blow up when people try to turn them on, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is offering $10,000 for you to give him up.Three of these devices have been found in the last three weeks, and have caused plenty of fla ... More >>

Glendale PD: Don't Pick Up Random Flashlights -- They May Be IEDs

For the strange public-service announcement of the day, the Glendale Police Department urges that you not pick up any random flashlights you find around the city.Even stranger is the reason why -- two citizens have discovered that the flashlight they found was actually an improvised explosive device ... More >>

Draft Beers

Phoenix's Worst Pro Sports Day Ever Saturday? D-Backs, Suns and Coyotes All Lose Within Hours Of Each Other

Saturday was a coulda woulda shoulda day of major proportions in the cities of Phoenix and Glendale. It could have been a very cool day. Instead, it was a disaster.Three of our Valley's four major sports franchises were in action, with two of the teams--the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Coyotes- ... More >>

Tamale Dinner at Corona Ranch Tonight Benefits Friendly House

If you have a hankering for some Mexican food and don't already have plans tonight, might we suggest tamales and a show in South Phoenix. The 77th Annual Friendly House Tamale Dinner is tonight from 5 to 9 at Corona Ranch Rodeo Grounds.

Employee-Owned WinCo Set to Shake Up the Valley's Supermarket Scene

On the heels of the news that Sprouts Farmers Market will merge with competitor Sunflower Farmers Market, a new grocery store is preparing to further shake up the Valley's competitive supermarket scene. WinCo, the employee-owned, no-frills discount supermarket based in Boise, Idaho, has announced i ... More >>

Burned Body Found In Desert; Suspects Daniel and Jennifer Griffith Arrested

​The Glendale Police Department has arrested two people they believe are responsible for the death of a person found burned in the desert near the White Tanks Mountains early this morning.The body has not yet been identified.Glendale police were contacted yesterday by the Phoenix Police Department ... More >>

Latitude Festival

Closed: Camarones Mexican Grill

​Well, that does it for local restaurant chain, Camarones Mexican Grill.  According to their Facebook page, Twitter, and website, the Mexican restaurant, previous know as Gardunos, has shut the doors for good on their final location at Glendale's Westgate Center. The Chandler and Scottsdale ... More >>

Now Closed: Taberna Mexicana

​Uh-oh. Looks like summer is starting to take its toll. The Houston-based restaurant group Legacy's Taberna Mexicana closed its doors last week with a sign on the door stating that it's the economy's fault. Pesky economy, that guy is always shutting things down. The Modern Mexican food joint was o ... More >>

Tohono O'odham Nation Gets Favorable Ruling From U. S. District Court Judge; Glendale Cannot Forcibly Annex Nation's Land

An artist's rendering of the Tohono O'odham Nation's West Valley Resort. ​The Tohono O'odham Nation was victorious again after a U.S. District Court judge declared unconstitutional a law allowing Glendale to annex the nation's property.   It's the latest in a series of decisions th ... More >>

Goal Oriented

Tohono O'odham Nation Scores Major Legal Victory Over Glendale; One Step Closer to W. Valley Casino

An artist rendering of the Nation's proposed West Valley casino.​The Arizona Court of Appeals has delivered a blow to Glendale officials trying to block the Tohono O'odham Nation from building a resort-style casino near the city's border.The court ruled on May 3 that the Nation's entire 135-acre p ... More >>

Morning Poll: Should the Phoenix Coyotes Really Be Thanking the "Fans"?

The Phoenix Coyotes: Bon voyage?​The Phoenix Coyotes season is over following a 6-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in game four of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last night. It very well could be the last hockey game played in Glendale as the team could potentially be whisked away to W ... More >>

Glendale Officials to Meet With Goldwater Institute Representatives in Hope of Avoiding Lawsuit Over Hockey-Team Subsidy

  ​Goldwater Institute representatives are scheduled to meet with Glendale city leaders today at 3 p.m. to hear arguments on why they shouldn't sue the city over a planned $100 million subsidy for the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team. The right-leaning institute says it will release partial ... More >>

Apocalypse Pow

Governor Jan Brewer Signs Law That Allows Forcible Annexation of Land, Leaves Property Owner Without Any Say

www.westvalleyopportunity.com The latest rendering of the West Valley Resort, a casino that Glendale officials and state leaders are trying to derail.​Governor Jan Brewer signed into law a measure that allows local governments to annex property without a property owner's consent under certa ... More >>

Glendale City Council Voting Tonight Whether to Shell Out Nearly $200 Million to Keep Phoenix Coyotes In Town

Phoenix Coyotes​It's a simple yes or no. Will the Glendale City Council vote to shell out nearly $200 million in a deal aimed at keeping the Coyotes in town for at least 30 years?But there is nothing simple about the decision facing elected officials in the West Valley city that has yearned to bui ... More >>

Taberna Mexicana Now Open in Scottsdale

​Taberna Mexicana, a new upscale Mexican eatery from Legacy Restaurant Group (the folks behind Houston-based Ninfa's, which has a location in Glendale), just opened its doors a week ago in the former Roy's location at the Scottsdale Seville (7001 N. Scottsdale Rd.). Execu ... More >>

Russell Pearce Suing the Feds to Derail Tohono O'odham's Proposed Casino ... and Glendale's Picking up the Tab!

Russell Pearce ​State Senator Russell Pearce, best known for his immigrant-loathing views, is taking on the Tohono O'odham Nation, an Indian tribe that plans to open a resort-style casino in the West Valley.Pearce and state Senate-hopeful Scott Bundgaard, now joined by about a dozen Ari ... More >>

Oxtail Soup and Jerk Chicken Keep Us Going Back to Starlight Cuisine

Captain Squeegee Makes Fancy Video in Fancy Studio, Releases Free Single

"Mesa's only known ska-rock septet," Captain Squeegee has a pretty cool video of them recording their new album at Glendale's totally-weird Pyramix Studios.Looks like they're having a lot of fun working on Lucidity.The first fruit of their labor, a song called "Your Own Invention" can be downloaded ... More >>

Phoenix Coyotes Update: Goldwater Institute Not Ready to Sue Just Yet

Goldwater Institute lawyers have decided against suing the city of Glendale -- for now.​Yesterday, a spokesman at the Goldwater Institute told us that the think tank was readying a lawsuit over the city of Glendale's deal with the NHL, which could give the hockey league up to $25 million to ... More >>

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, May 13, 2010

Rabies in Maricopa County: Why You Should and Shouldn't Be Terrified; Plus, Here's a Free Pets-Vaccination Spot

www.deviantart.com​As we reported back in January, 2009 was the most rabid year in Arizona history, with 261 animals testing positive for the disease, which is an alarming 85 more than 2008.The outbreak got so bad in Santa Cruz and Coconino counties that county-wide quarantines were issued. ... More >>

Glendale Assails El Mirage for Not Bending Over "In All Ways" to Luke Air Force Base

​El Mirage just can't catch a break.For decades, the small West Valley community has been steamrolled, dismissed, and mocked by neighboring cities, mostly because they believe that El Mirage and its policies pose a threat to Luke Air Force Base.The city was recently assailed by Glendale over d ... More >>

Parking in Glendale: A Two-Hour Odyssey Through a Hell That Made Cormac McCarthy's The Road Look Like Candy Land

​I'm one of those people who prides himself on never paying for parking. Toss me anywhere, anytime, and I'll find a reasonably safe spot to stow my car while I attend to whatever business I'm there for.I've paid to park at a non-meter a few times in the years I've lived in Arizona, but probably no ... More >>

WrestleMania XXVI

Hot Links: Fiesta Bowl, Scorpion Stings, and Kyrsten Sinema

​The Fiesta Bowl wants a refund from the city of Glendale for at least $600,000 for overpayment of taxes on ticket sales. Fiesta Bowl officials say for the past three years, they've overpaid for taxes at University of Phoenix Stadium. Glendale would not confirm or deny the request, but city offici ... More >>

You Asked For It: Bomber

​Artist: BomberTitle: The Last Stand, the band's first full-length.Basics: The band, a classic mix of hard rock and punk influences, recently had their song "Game Face" named as the Phoenix Coyotes' home intro song, an honor their song "Superblinded" previously held.Despite their prominent place i ... More >>

Paul McCartney To Open "Up And Coming" Tour In Glendale

​Paul McCartney will open his upcoming "Up And Coming" tour at Glendale's Jobing.com Arena. The former Beatle will play a show at the hockey arena on Sunday, March 28.The news, which was officially announced at a press conference this afternoon, was hinted at by Danny Zelisko at Saturday night's M ... More >>

Kozy Cactus Fails the Spell Check, Passes on the Patty Melt

​A rock solid restaurant name should tell you something about the food, the location, or at the very least, the vibe you'll experience when you walk in the door. It should also pass a basic spell check, which is why Kozy Cactus might want to reconsider its mess of a moniker. Is there anythin ... More >>

Declasse Cafe: Even Used Record Shops Like Bookmans in Mesa Are Selling Coffee and Pastries Now

There are rumors that Fast Eddie's Pawn 'N Loan in Glendale is also looking to open a coffee shop next month. ​ Bookmans, the giant "Entertainment Exchange" store where people go to sell their CDs, books and video games when they're out of beer money, has opened a fancy in-store cafe, Arizona Stat ... More >>

America's Most Wanted Fugitive Busted Trying to Cross Border Near Nogales; Suspected of Murdering Woman in 2003

​A Mexican national suspected of murdering a woman in 2003 was busted by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Nogales.Guzman Badilla-Corona, 28, better known in the crystal-meth community as "Indio," was trying to cross back into the United States from Mexico when he got picked up by borde ... More >>

Hot Links: Dinosaurs, Mannequins, and Throwing Rocks

​A Mesa native has discovered a new dinosaur. Sterling Nesbitt was featured in an article in Science magazine last month, which detailed his team's discovery of a new dinosaur species during a four-year dig in New Mexico. The new species may fill in evolutionary gaps between early dinosaurs and tw ... More >>

Hot Links: UA's Nuclear Reactor, Salvation Army, and Circles

​The University of Arizona plans to shut down its nuclear reactor by mid-2010. The license for the 51-year-old reactor, used for research, expires next year, and Director John Williams says it isn't used enough to warrant a vigorous re-licensing process with the Nuclear Reg ... More >>