Not very long ago a Scottsdale voter could count on selecting from among a double-digit number of candidates seeking seats on the City Council. Today the city has only grown in population but the number of hopefuls has noticeably declined: Only five candidates turned in petitions Wednesday to seek three council seats in the March 14 election.

A Tempe youth sports complex will get a $50,000 facelift thanks to an NCAA Football grant.

Workers began construction on Saguaro High School’s new academic and administration buildings Wednesday, marking the start of the Scottsdale's fifth major classroom construction project.

Workers began construction on Saguaro High School’s new academic and administration buildings Wednesday, marking the start of the Scottsdale's fifth major classroom construction project.

Workers began construction on Saguaro High School’s new academic and administration buildings Wednesday, marking the start of the Scottsdale Unifi ed School District’s fifth major classroom construction project.

Workers began construction on Saguaro High School’s new academic and administration buildings Wednesday, marking the start of the Scottsdale Unifi ed School District’s fifth major classroom construction project.

Boutiques and gourmet restaurants in buildings designed to evoke images of a Western winery are ready to rise from the construction debris that lines the south bank of the Arizona Canal in downtown Scottsdale.

The cranes are working and the steel frames are going up at the Promenade Corporate Center, slated to serve as the bustling "Gateway to Scottsdale.’’

The hotels are maxing out. The champagne is on its way. Scottsdale is ready to party tonight. Thousands of people from all over the United States are in town for college football bowl games, and many of them will be ringing in the new year in the city, said Rachel Pearson of the Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Scottsdale, long renowned for its luxury golf and spa resorts, havens for rich — and aging — baby boomers, is becoming suddenly hip.

Joe Zemaitis has a chip on his shoulder. The founder and head coach of Neptune Natation in Scottsdale, is leaving next week for Canberra, Australia, to compete in the ITU Long Course World Championship.

June 22, 2004

More than $124 million that Scottsdale voters approved for new and expanded parks, recreation facilities, libraries and social service centers falls short of what will be needed to meet growing needs in those areas in the next 10 to 15 years.

An indoor soccer field may be Gilbert’s next acquisition as the town strives to become the destination for family recreation activities.

An indoor soccer field may be Gilbert’s next acquisition as the town strives to become the destination for family recreation activities.

Scottsdale and Tempe plan to use funds from the state Tourism and Sports Authority to retain the cities’ respective spring training baseball teams.

Two fields with access for disabled players will be the crown jewel of the continuing statewide Arizona Diamondbacks youth diamond projects.

Playoff softball is not the time for sickness and injuries. Those were the cards Scottsdale Christian was dealt on Friday in the 2A softball semifinals at Rose Mofford Sports Complex.

The Scottsdale Unified School District is scrambling to get ready for students on Monday after vandals broke into a bus yard over the weekend and smashed the windshields of 70 school buses.

May 14, 2004

May 13, 2005

South Scottsdale’s aging commercial district is about to see one of the first steps in the city’s planned revitalization efforts for the area.

Scottsdale’s streets are full of cars, and Old Town shops are full of actual shoppers. It’s nearly impossible to get a Saturday night restaurant reservation unless you call by Wednesday.

At least one south Scottsdale auto dealership has its eyes on Mesa Riverview’s 33-acre auto mall in a deal developers say could triple the sales tax revenue that cash-strapped Mesa receives from existing dealerships.