Business briefs (11/19)

Crime prevention seminar

Sterling Grant & Associates will present Crime Prevention through Environmental Design, a seminar to educate attendees on risk management, crime and loss prevention, and key steps for creating a safe and secure environment.

The Phoenix-based insurance brokerage has teamed up with former Mesa police officer and crime prevention expert, Timothy Zehring, to present the certification program geared specifically to property/business owners.

The seminar will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant, 2575 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix. Cost is $250 per person, the registration fee includes class materials, continental breakfast, lunch and refreshments.

For more information or to register, call John Milne at (602) 954-7200.

Entrepreneurship conference

Businesses and entrepreneurs looking for funding, talent, real estate plays for the future, green initiatives or innovative ideas will find them all at the Third Annual Arizona Entrepreneurship conference Nov. 19 at the Buttes Resort in Tempe.

The day-long event will connect participants with entrepreneurs and investors across the U.S. Keynote speakers include AllanKaplan, co-founder of Limelight Networks and director of Clearview Capital Partners; Matt Mullenweg, founding developer of Wordpress; Gary Vaynerchuk, founder of WinleLibrary.com; Bill Reichert, managing director of Garage Technology Ventures; Howard Lindzon, partner in Knight's Bridge Capital Partners and founder of Wallstrip.

The conference will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the resort, located at 2000 Westcourt Way in Tempe. Cost is $150, registration includes lunch and a continental breakfast. For more information, visit www.azentrepreneurship.com.

Mortgage Watchdog opens

Aiming to help misinformed home buyers, many of whom are still paying too much for their home loans, U.S. Mortgage Watchdog, a new Phoenix-based business, opened this week.

Services Offered by Mortgage Watchdog:

- Interview clients to get a feel for the most appropriate loan and ensure that there is a thorough understanding of all offers.

- Review the Good Faith Estimate (GFE) for interest rate, closing costs, etc. to ensure that, given market conditions, the client is not being overcharged.

- Review the estimated HUD-1 Form (also known as a "closing sheet" or "settlement form") prior to the closing to ensure that the loan officer and/or lender did not increase the interest rate, charge additional fees, or make any other unanticipated changes, i.e., that the terms are exactly as U.S. Mortgage Watchdog previously negotiated for the client.

For more information, contact Ahwatukee Foothills resident Daryle Messina, president of Mortgage Watchdog, via e-mail at dmessina@usmortgagewatchdog.com or by telephone at (602) 885-8419, or visit www.usmortgagewatchdog.com

Conference helps charities

GTAA announces an educational conference that helps fundraising coordinators such as charities, associations, meeting planners, schools, civic groups, etc. take their fundraising event to the next level.

This conference will cover how to Raise More Money, Recruit More Volunteers and Increase Participation for all Your Fundraising Events. Other sessions include How to Sell Major Sponsors, How to Produce a Successful Golf Tournament and Fund Raising Ideas. Speaker is Phil Immordino, chairman of the GTAA, national speaker and author, How to Produce a Successful Golf Tournament.

The conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at The Legacy Golf Resort, 6808 S. 32nd St. Cost is $99 for event coordinators ($149 after 11/21); bring one guest for $25. For more information, visit www.gtaaweb.org/calendar or call 888-810-GTAA (4822) x1.

Arizona Grand reopens redesigned golf course

Arizona Grand has reopened its 6,336-yard, par 71 golf course to the public for the fall to reveal its transformation.

Golfers will begin play over a water feature at the redesigned hole No. 1, formerly hole No. 18. Other design elements include adjustments to course and slope ratings, as well as tee box adjustments for most holes. The downhill 202-yard par three on the north face of South Mountain becomes hole No. 18 and is a dramatic finish.

New cart paths, landscaping and maintenance system renovations are also part of the resort's sustainability program. The new system will create healthier fairway grasses, reduce the amount of fertilizer usage and save more than 20 million gallons of water each year, which will lessen the impact to players and wildlife.

For tee times, call (602) 431-6580.

Restaurant partners with Give Kids the World

This holiday season, Boston Market restaurants will develop a Give Kids the World coupon booklet with $35 in restaurant values.

These booklets will be available in restaurants and cost $1. All proceeds will be donated to the organization.

GKTW is a nationally recognized charity in Central Florida that fulfills the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses, with 93 cents of every dollar raised going toward program expenses.

Boston Market Ahwatukee is located at 4716 E. Ray Road. For more information, call (480) 893-9000 or visit www.bostonmarket.com.

Local real estate agent opens new firm

Kevin A. Levy, real estate broker and Ahwatukee Foothills resident, has opened Blackhawk Property Management and Realty. 

While providing customary service to buyers and home sellers, Blackhawk has a division specializing in residential property management. With business partner Steve Sia, Blackhawk is focused on providing superior customer service and professional management of residential investment properties.

For more information, call Levy at (602) 538-5174 or e-mail at klevy@blackhawkpmr.com. 

BAR Fitness fights tough times

For consumers looking to get more for their money in a tough economy, having a gym membership might be costing you money and may not be helping you get healthy and fit.

The philosophy at The BAR Fitness is that people are looking for more than just a place to workout - they are looking for an experience that combines customer service with fitness guidance, support and education. The BAR also offers training and membership packages that can fit any budget, without compromising the quality of service provided.

For more information, call Brad at (480) 213-4931.

Giving Tree helps shelter

For the month of November, Curves Ahwatukee will have a "Giving Tree" to collect items for the Sojourner Center, a Phoenix-based, nonprofit domestic violence refuge that helps empower women to take control of their lives by making choices that foster healthy, violence-free relationships.

Donors can pick an apple from the Giving Tree and purchase the item inscribed on the apple. All items are included on the Sojourner's Wish List. The top items currently needed include blankets, deodorant, diapers, wipes, shampoo, conditioner, twin-size blankets, twin-size linens and underwear for women, children and teens.

Participants will be entered to win a book and CD copy of Shel Silverstein's, The Giving Tree. Participation is encouraged from Curves members, friends and family, as well as the general public.

Curves Ahwatukee is located at 15410 S. Mountain Parkway, Suite 101. For more information, call (480) 759-4340 or e-mail info@curvesgym.com.

For details, call (602) 253-9180 or visit www.sojournercenter.org. For the domestic violence hotline, call (602) 244-0089.

Free eye screenings offered

Mayo Clinic researchers, as part of a nine-site study, helped discover the best of three currently-used treatments for convergence insufficiency in children.

Convergence insufficiency is a common condition characterized by a person's inability to maintain proper binocular eye alignment on objects as they approach from distance to near. Symptoms may include double vision, eye strain, transient blurred vision, difficulty sustaining near-visual function, abnormal fatigue and headache, corresponding issues in reading and concentrating, which ultimately impact learning.

The findings of the study show children improve faster with structured therapy sessions in a doctor's office, with reinforcement eye exercises at home. Such vision therapy is provided at Ahwatukee's Eye Priority, located at 15725 S. 46th Street #112. Dr. Kelly de Simone leads to normalized vision in the shortest interval of time - sometimes just 12 weeks.

For details, call Eye Priority at (480) 893-2300.

‘Are you socially acceptable?' PR workshop

Charlotte Risch, of Phoenix-based PR firm The Media Push, and Amanda Blum, of marketing and design firm Howling Zoe Productions, are taking a hands-on approach to teach Valley businesses how to best publicize themselves in the Web 2.0 world.

Their workshop, "Are you Socially Acceptable" will take place Dec. 16 and 17 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days at Jobing.com main offices, second floor classroom, 4747 N. 22nd St., Suite 100, in Phoenix.

Early registration cost is $175 for one class or $350 for both; registration after Dec. 7 is $200 for one class or $400 for both. For more information, visit www.areyousociallyacceptable.com.