Arizonans have devised a variety of ways to retreat from the scorching summer heat, including relaxing indoors or poolside, or escaping it entirely for a summer vacation. However, there’s one thing that can’t escape from the sizzling temperatures — your ride.

You may better know her sister, Dakota, from box-office smashes like “War of the Worlds” and “The Twilight Saga,” but 14-year-old Elle Fanning has already made quite a name for herself among the arthouse set, appearing in such acclaimed works as “Babel,” “Somewhere” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” This month, she takes center stage in a new drama from writer/director Sally Potter entitled “Ginger & Rosa” – a coming-of-age tale set in 1962 London as the threat of the Cuban missile crisis looms overhead.

Recently deciding to collaborate with Canon in a Digital University partnership is just one of the steps Arizona State University is taking to maintain its goals to achieve higher sustainability. Implementing “Sustainable Printing” has decreased its number of printers by 32 percent, but is still easily accessible for students.

As spring temperatures warm, be ready to increase the irrigation cycle on some watering zones around your house. To make sure your spring-summer garden transition happens easily, complete a thorough irrigation check-up to detect any existing and potential problems — before temperatures rise and timely watering becomes a crisis.

Yes, it snowed in the Phoenix metro area last week, a phenomenon that caused weather forecasters to run with glee to report former records and caused our snowbirds to wonder why they escaped Minnesota to enjoy our sunshine. Yet, slow down, everyone … global warming is REAL.

Thirty thousand black paper moths are perched on the walls and ceiling of the Phoenix Art Museum lobby. Some moths the size of a softball, others as small as a penny, greet visitors to the museum with their delicate wings and form a visual path that encircles guests and escorts them into the main exhibition.

Given the economic climate we’re in, you may one day be faced with a downsizing or otherwise forced to retire earlier than you had planned. But even if that happens, you can still maintain control of your financial future — if you make the right moves.

‘Weather or Not: Art With Atmosphere’ - Weather may not be one of Arizona’s top concerns, but it’s still pretty amazing. Thanks to the new exhibit at Arizona Museum for Youth — which includes artistic representations of wind, rain, sleet, snow, tornado, hurricane, fog and sun, and a hands-on tornado-making activity — your kids can learn all about meteorology and climatology in an interactive environment.

Saying students are getting only one side of the debate, a state senators wants to free teachers to tell students why they believe there is no such thing human-caused "global warming.''

I must disagree with Mr. Robert O’Meara, “A shadow in the hallway near the Lincoln Bedroom,” AFN, Jan. 30, when he says that Bill Clinton has no other interests in life outside politics. His interests range far and wide.

Now is the time for high school juniors to begin researching, evaluating, and selecting the short list of colleges they will apply to in the fall. While the process may seem overwhelming at first, starting now will ensure you are ready and well positioned for the upcoming application season. Here are a few tips to get you started:

My view of president Obama’s vision and leadership abilities have continued to decline as his time in office has increased. Here is a man who has had an historic opportunity … nearly of Mount Rushmore proportions … to lead the country to a better place, yet his second inaugural speech confirmed his parochial vision and the likelihood that his legacy will be one of great orator and adept politician … and not that much more.

A quick Google search yields no fewer than six bicycle rental shops with addresses in Phoenix, expanding the search to include neighboring cities brings the total to a couple dozen shops.

As we start 2013, let’s reflect on the beginning of our nation and the moral and religious beliefs of the Pilgrim settlers of 1620. The Pilgrims were Puritans, a group of English Protestants who had become unhappy with the corruption in the Church of England and the English laws which controlled the practice of religion. At that time (1620), other religions weren’t represented. There were no Buddhists, Zoroastrians, Jews, or Muslims. Only Christians who wanted freedom of religion. Not freedom from religion, but freedom of religion.

New home construction is on the rise in the Valley. A report this past week from the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona shows that single family building permits are up nearly 70 percent so far in 2012.

My fellow Americans, I just finished reviewing my son’s fifth-grade homework assignment on the Mayflower Compact and was explaining to my son that “majority rules” is the basic tenet of our government and its constitution. This got me thinking about our current political climate. There are some cynical elements in our political landscape that constantly engage in obstructive agendas that continue to undermine the majority’s wishes.

Red may be the color of the season — what with Santa’s suit and Rudolph’s shiny nose — but what if you’re dreaming of a white wine Christmas?

Danny Zelisko presents Brian Setzer’s Christmas Rocks! Extravaganza, with special guest Totsy, at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Celebrity Theatre. 

With cacti and strip malls obstructing the views at times, visitors could easily write Phoenix off as a place where water and culture are scarce. But this metropolis — which includes upscale Scottsdale and college town Tempe — is a nature lover’s oasis with pristine peaks and the vast Sonoran desert.

The awe-inspiring Grand Canyon was probably carved about 70 million years ago, much earlier than thought, a provocative new study suggests — so early that dinosaurs might have roamed near this natural wonder.

The awe-inspiring Grand Canyon was probably carved about 70 million years ago, much earlier than thought, a provocative new study suggests — so early that dinosaurs might have roamed near this natural wonder.

The sexual harassment allegations against the Phoenix Fire Department are appalling. No woman should have to go through the harassment inflicted on this Phoenix Fire Department employee, who recently sued the city over years of such treatment.

We don’t want any more subsidies for expensive, unsafe nuclear power or dirty coal.

As the country prepares to enjoy the 108th Baseball World Series, even those who may not be true baseball fans are often caught up in the spirit of America’s national sport. If you are indeed a die-hard baseball fan, “The Art of Fielding,” by Chad Harbach might be just the book for you. But don’t discount it even if you don’t know first base from a knuckle-ball pitch. Described by one critic as the “greatest baseball novel in a generation,” the sports theme is metaphorically much grander — that of the human condition.

Pet Paradise, an upscale pet boarding and daycare operator, is scheduled to open its first Arizona pet resort.