MediterraneanGrocery Wholesalers in Phoenix, AZ

In many parts of the country, students are heading back to school this week.

What's happening: Tempe Union High School District and its feeder schools in the Kyrene and Tempe Elementary districts shortened their summers this year, joining districts in neighboring Chandler and Gilbert with July start dates.

Why it matters: Some educators and researchers believe shorter summers can help minimize students' "summer slide" — learning lost during extended breaks from school.

Between the lines: Kyrene and Tempe Union surveyed families and staff members before making the switch. Employees favored the year-round schedule by almost 60%. Families were more evenly split, favoring the traditional calendar 46% to 43%, with the remainder having no preference, Ahwatukee Foothills News reported.

Flashback: The Balsz Elementary School District, which consists of several Title 1 schools in east Phoenix, took a more drastic step to combat summer learning loss in 2009.

Yes, but: There were unintended consequences to adding more school days, according to the district.

Getty Images

After the 2023 trade deadline, Josh Okogie started every regular-season game for the Phoenix Suns. He was their best point-of-attack defender, their fastest player in transition and he wasn't going to take touches away from Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.

In Phoenix's first playoff game, though, Torrey Craig was the fifth starter, as he had the size to match up with the Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard. Okogie played just seven minutes in the opener, earned more playing time as the series went on and returned to the starting lineup in the second round against the Denver Nuggets, so he could match up with Jamal Murray. Okogie started Games 1 through 5, but his minutes were erratic because he only attempted a total of five 3s and missed all of them, with Denver ignoring him on the perimeter. In Game 6, with the season on the line, Landry Shamet got the start and Okogie got a DNP-CD.

Next season's Suns will be different. Coach Frank Vogel has replaced Monty Williams, Bradley Beal has replaced Paul and, while Okogie will return, the other role players are almost all new. What hasn't changed, though, is the uncertainty about the fifth spot in the starting lineup.

In an interview with the Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin, Vogel said that he expects "a lot of guys" to get a chance in that role, adding that he plans to experiment with it throughout the regular season so the team understands its options as well as possible in the playoffs:

"I think the one that is going to fit the best, really. We'll have a lot of guys that have an opportunity to be that fifth guy. The versatility of maybe being able to guard multiple positions or maybe it's an elite shooter. Maybe it's just another playmaker. I think we have a lot of guys with a lot of different skill sets and we'll put a lot of different combinations throughout the year, but I think all of those skill sets would fit the four guys you mentioned. We'll see how it plays out."

…

"When you're a brand new team like this, the opening day starting lineup doesn't have to be that lineup all 82 games. There's an element of trial and error. Giving certain guys opportunities with certain groups and not because one is succeeding or failing, but just because throughout an 82-game season, you want to explore what possibilities you have on your roster so you're best equipped come playoff time. I do think there will be several guys that get those opportunities."

In the offseason, Phoenix effectively swapped Shamet, Craig, Terrence Ross, Jock Landale, Bismack Biyombo, Cameron Payne, T.J. Warren and Darius Bazley for Eric Gordon, Keita Bates-Diop, Drew Eubanks, Chimezie Metu, Jordan Goodwin, Bol Bol and Toumani Camara. Even though Vogel loves "smashmouth basketball" and built a championship-winning defense around size, it's safe to assume that he's not going to start two centers. Let's also assume that, when The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that Beal would start at point guard, it meant that Beal, Booker and Durant would all initiate offense, without a traditional PG in the starting five. That means that these are Vogel's options:

With a roster like this, Vogel doesn't need to commit to a starting five weeks before training camp. He doesn't necessarily need to commit to one at all during the regular season. Some coaches prefer consistency, but he clearly wants to evaluate different looks and he might find that a matchup-dependent starting lineup works for this group. That way, if he has to change things up in the playoffs, it won't be a shock.

Sometimes, the answer presents itself as soon as the games get started. Leading up to the 2019-20 season, Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse said he'd keep his starting lineup fluid, but Fred VanVleet scored 34 points in an opening-night victory and kept his starting spot for the next four years.

What the Suns end up doing, though, might depend more on their stars than their role players. If Beal and/or Booker show in training camp and the preseason that they're up to the task at the point of attack, then Okogie's brand of defense will seem less essential than if they get cooked by Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson in their first preseason game.

Nikki Michelle Charnstrom

Homemade pancakes, freshly brewed coffee and friendly staff are essential characteristics of a neighborhood breakfast joint. It's that sense of community and familiarity paired with the traditional comforts of the first meal of the day that create a welcoming atmosphere at south Scottsdale’s newest brunch spot, The Eleanor.

“The overall vibe is a place that you can trust to bring your first date, your hundredth date, your family — we just want to make sure we do the small things right,” says Steve Ellefson, part-owner of The Eleanor. “We’re flexible, we’re here for the neighborhood."

Ellefson brings knowledge of running welcoming, community-focused spaces from his role as part-owner and director of operations at Fate Brewing Co.

In contrast to many of Scottsdale’s popular party brunch spots, The Eleanor, located at Hayden and Osborn roads, is intended to be more intimate and family-focused — giving the community a clean, comfortable dining option compared to the overly loud, club-like brunch scene typically found in the area.

“We are family-oriented people that want to care as much about your family as we do about ours,” Ellefson says.

Nikki Michelle Charnstrom

A unique spin on homemade recipes

With convenience and accessibility in mind, The Eleanor team designed its food and drink menu for two types of customers: those who crave a sit-down meal and those who need something quick when they’re on the go.

Head chef and partner Kent Macaulay hopes the restaurant will become an integral part of the community’s daily routines, whether that means grabbing a coffee and breakfast burrito on the way to work or picking up a freshly packaged deli sandwich or pint of egg salad for lunch. The Eleanor will offer a grab-and-go section at the front of the restaurant, complete with designated pick-up parking spots.

“That’s going to be something I feel like we’re going to continually change and push whatever’s seasonal or whatever we feel like creating at the time. You can’t just go somewhere and get an egg salad," Macaulay says. "Memories of home, that’s what we’re trying to create."

Nikki Michelle Charnstrom

After years of experience working in the Valley restaurant scene, Macaulay is excited to develop his own menu that’s inspired by dishes he makes at home for his family. The new mid-century-inspired restaurant will offer classic breakfast and lunch items with a fresh twist, including Eggs Blackstone, Breakfast Hash, Stacked BLT, Chicken Salad Sandwich, Buddha Bowl and pancakes served with maple butter made in-house.

The drinks menu will include craft cocktails, mimosas, wine and beer. The Eleanor will also feature specialty coffee and espresso-based beverages crafted from beans roasted by James Coffee Co. out of San Diego, California.

“We tried to keep (the menu) traditional just done with a lot of care. Execution is super key when it comes to breakfast,” Macaulay says. “I mean for me, going out to eat with my family was a big deal when I was a kid — we didn’t do it much… especially, nowadays where things are so expensive, you want to make sure you’re giving people what they came here for.”

And that means offering flexibility as well.

"We have the menu built out," Ellefson says. "(But) if someone comes in and they just want an egg on a plate, we’re going to make them an egg on a plate… you can have whatever it is that you want here.”

The grab-and-go section and adjacent community table will cater to locals looking for a quick bite to eat. While items might vary slightly depending on the season or what's in the kitchen, customers can expect to find fresh-made sandwiches, salads and drinks.

Nikki Michelle Charnstrom

More to come

Transforming the former Scottsdale Dry Cleaners building into an upscale but approachable brunch restaurant is just the first phase of a larger hospitality project led by part-owner Tom Frenkel of Clayton Companies and the design team at ALINE Architecture Concepts. The duo is responsible for other generational reuse projects in the Valley like Fate Brewing Co. and The Clayton House.

The Eleanor is just one of the concepts the team is executing in the same plaza — its neighboring building, the iconic Polynesian Dairy Queen that was dismantled in 2019, is set to open next spring as a lunch and dinner restaurant.

Originally built in 1964 near McDowell Road and 68th Street and owned by Eleanor (the brunch spot’s namesake) and Don Drake, the reconstructed A-frame will serve as the plaza’s focal point and overall inspiration for the Polynesian-themed design. Clayton Companies and ALINE Architecture Concepts aim to revamp the entire plaza by creating a bustling shopping and dining area for the neighborhood to gather regularly.

“It’s the first project in a center that we’re hoping the neighborhood is going to love. Once you realize how much you love (The Eleanor) it’s going to carry over into how much you’re going to love the next one and the next one,” Ellefson says.

The Eleanor opened on Monday and is now serving customers seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The new restaurant's grand opening celebration is scheduled for Saturday.

The Eleanor

3207 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale

Keep Free

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1.

Play/Pause

Mute/Unmute

Embed video

Playback Speed

Video Quality

Embed video

Copy the code below to embed the video.

<div _="@=1355,dis=none"><div _="@=1356,dis=none"></div></div> Copy

Playback Speed

2

1.75

1.50

1.25

Normal

0.50

Video Quality

Play/Pause >>

Mute/Unmute

0:00 / 0:00

Settings Closed Captions Picture in Picture Cast Fullscreen

Play/Pause >>

Mute/Unmute

0:00 / 0:00

Settings Closed Captions Cast Fullscreen

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Art Museum is celebrating the grand re-opening of its immersive infinity mirror room.

Yayoi Kusama’s "You Who Are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies" has been a staple at the museum for more than a decade and it’s the only Kusama infinity mirror room in the American Southwest.

The 24-foot-by-24-foot square room is in complete darkness, aside from the blinking lights that illuminate, dim, and then change colors. Nearly 200 strands of lights of varying lengths are suspended from the ceiling while mirrored panels give the illusion that the lights go on forever.

The installation, which has been on view at the museum since 2006, underwent some vital restoration work.

Now the exhibit is located in a more accessible, central location on the museum’s first floor alongside new enhancements, offering visitors a more dynamic viewing experience.

To celebrate its re-opening, the Phoenix Art Museum will host a special ‘Creative Saturday’ event on September 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with themed art-making activities and engagement experiences that will allow visitors to connect more deeply with the artwork.

This event is included with general admission and will feature:

That same day, the museum will also unveil a new fall rotation of Art of Asia installations, which will be on view in the Art of Asia Wing adjacent to Kusama’s infinity mirror room.Click here for more information.

Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Report a typo

Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady considers Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant the best “1v1” or 1-on-1 forward in the NBA.

“I’ve got to go with KD,” McGrady said during an interview from his OBL league DUNK posted on Instagram. “I don’t think nobody is better than KD. His shooting ability, 7-foot. KD reminds me of myself being able to get to your spots in three, four dribbles.”

Sign up for the Ball Don't Lie weekly hoops newsletter

The interviewer followed by saying no one is like McGrady, but McGrady reiterated that Durant is like him in terms of how he gets to his spots on the floor to elevate and launch.

"Just get there."Kevin Durant on getting to his spot for the game winner over Tim Hardaway Jr. in #Suns win over #Mavs."Once I had him on my hip, I felt like I was in good position to just stop on a dime. Glad I made it." https://t.co/Em19MzTouP pic.twitter.com/3oHJv7I77O

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) March 5, 2023

“KD doesn’t need 10 dribbles to get his rhythm to rise up,” said McGrady, who is considered one of the best players ever at playing 1-on-1 in scoring 18,381 points in 15 NBA seasons. “KD needs about three to four dribbles, and he is in his spot. He gets where he wants to go in less dribbles and he is efficient. So I got to go with KD.”

Durant will enter his first full season with the Suns after joining the team via blockbuster trade right before the Feb. 9 deadline. Durant is 13^th all-time in the NBA in scoring at 26,892 points, but he is the only one in the top 20 to have played less than 1,000 games.

The two-time finals MVP has played 986 regular-season games. Durant’s entering his 16^th season of actually playing as he missed the entire 2019-20 season, returning from an Achilles injury suffered in the 2019 finals while playing for Golden State.

Toronto topped the Warriors in the 2019 finals.

McGrady also asked who was the top “1v1” guard in the NBA and he mentioned new Suns addition Bradley Beal after saying Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is the best.

He also named four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry of the Warriors, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox and Beal.

“I think there are a handful of guards I think are must-see TV in 1v1,” said McGrady, who has put on “1v1” tournaments through his OBL league. “There’s Steph, Kyrie. Dame is one of those guys. I’d even put somebody like a Bradley Beal in there. Fox, De’Aaron Fox, but to me, it’s Kyrie.”

The Suns traded for Beal in the offseason in a deal that sent Chris Paul to the Washington Wizards. Paul later landed with Golden State in a trade that put Jordan Poole with the Wizards.

Beal is the second all-time leading scorer with the Wizards 15,391 points. Playing 11 NBA seasons in Washington, Beal is the franchise’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made at 1,514.

The interviewer later asked McGrady if he thinks Irving is the best 1-on-1 guard in the NBA.

“I crown Kyrie as the best guard in the league,” McGrady answered in the 45-second clip.

The interviewer followed by clarifying this being 1-on-1 and McGrady simply responded by saying, “Yeah.”

Q&A Part 1: Who starts for Suns with Booker, Durant, Beal and Ayton? Here's what Frank Vogel says

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

Support local journalism. Start your online subscription.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns: Tracy McGrady says Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal two of NBA's best 1-on-1 players