🌱 Erica's Legacy + Scottsdale House Fire + COVID Pill Treatment

Geoff Campbell
Updated ·4 min read

Up and at 'em, Scottsdale! Welcome to the weekend. So, let's get you started with everything you need to know going on around Scottsdale.

First, your weekend weather:

  • Friday: Hazy sun. High: 63 Low: 41.

  • Saturday: Plenty of sunshine. High: 68 Low: 49.

  • Sunday: Plenty of sunshine. High: 69 Low: 44.

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Here are the top stories in Scottsdale today:

  1. A Scottsdale dad fought tirelessly to improve grieving parents' benefits. Following the death of his 18-year-old daughter, Erica, in a North Scottsdale car accident, according to KPNX news, "Barry Kluger has pushed Congress to give parents time off after the death of a child... on Wednesday, parents won." The new law provides 2- weeks of paid leave following a child's death. Kluger explained, "The driving thing behind it was my memory and my recollections, and my unwavering and undying love for Erica." (12news.com KPNX)

  2. A gruesome scene revealed itself as the fire at a Scottsdale home ended. According to Arizona's Family reporting, "A body and several dead pets have been found." Additional details were unavailable. According to the report, the fire that started Tuesday night required multiple firefighting resources and was still smoldering on Wednesday. (Arizona's Family)

  3. For some patients, two Merk and Pfizer pills, mitigating the severity of COVID-19, are likely to be approved and in use soon. Results for the Pfizer pill were released Tuesday. Reporting in Patch stated, "the pill reduces combined hospitalizations and deaths by about 89 percent among 2,250 high-risk adults when taken shortly after initial COVID-19 symptoms." According to the report, Dr. Daniel Griffin of Columbia University told CNN that the addition of the meds is a "game-changer."(Patch)

ICYMI and In Other News:

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This weekend in Scottsdale:

Friday, Dec. 17

  • Meet Your Neighbors — Franciscan Renewal Center. (11:30 a.m.)

  • Langley Piano Studio Recitals — Scottsdale Neighborhood Arts Place. (5 p.m.)

  • That's What Friends Are For: Valley Stars Celebrate Dionne —Kerr Center. (7 p.m.)

  • Taiko Extravaganza: Flower of Life — Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. (7:30 p.m.)

Saturday, Dec. 18

  • Scottsdazzle Events. (This Weekend)

  • Free Dino Weekend Festival — Phoenix Herpetological Society Sanctuary. (11 a.m.)

  • "New" Old Fashioned — Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. (7 p.m.)

  • Full Moon Celebration with SOUND — Journey Beyond a Holistic Center. (7 p.m.)

  • The Visual Art of Persian Dance: Classical, Modern, and Beyond — Arizona Persian Cultural Center. (7:30 p.m.)

  • Jiji and Danbi Um — Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. (8 p.m.)

Sunday, Dec. 19

  • Grand Opening — Arizona Persian Cultural Center. (4 p.m.)

  • AJ Odneal and the Littlest Big Band Christmas Show — Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. (4:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

  • Check out the video of The Salt River Senior Steppers performing "All I want for Christmas is you." (Facebook)

  • Don't miss the Holiday Lights at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park through Jan. 2. (Facebook)

  • There's still time to register for the student vaccination event today at Scottsdale Stadium, and walk-ins are welcome — from 2-7 p.m. today, Dec. 17. (Facebook)

  • Learn more about water conservation by the City of Scottsdale. (Facebook)

  • Stafos Cactus Growers can help you with any cactus issues, according to a post on Nextdoor. (Nextdoor)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start your weekend off right! I'll be in your inbox next week with another update.

— Geoff Campbell

I live in Scottsdale, and I am a freelance writer, published in print and on the web. Following a 40-year career as a teacher, administrator, and coach, now committed to education in the broadest possible sense.

This article originally appeared on the Scottsdale Patch