Water Damage Restoration in Surprise, AZ

James Truman’s childhood memories of milking cows and harvesting fruit now stand in stark contrast to the rapid development encircling their land.

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SURPRISE, AZ — When Flora Mae Statler sold the first piece of land in what would become Surprise, she famously remarked she'd "be surprised if the town ever amounted to something.” Well, all these years later—surprise!

"Good morning," George Bradbury said to his longtime neighbor, James Truman.

"Oh, you're delivering the paper," Truman responded with a chuckle.

For decades, Bradbury and Truman have shared a little slice of heaven in Surprise, a place rich with history and memories.

"The dairy, hay barns, and calf barns were all built in 1953. I was six years old then, so everything here is from my youth," Truman recalled.

“When we moved out here, everyone accused us of moving to East L.A. There was nothing but farms around us,” Bradbury added.

Both admit a lot has changed since those days. Truman’s childhood memories of milking cows and harvesting fruit now stand in stark contrast to the rapid development encircling their land.

“It’s hard to envision the intensity of development. In your mind, you know there will be houses, but my gosh, it’s so different now,” Truman said.

Surprise, founded in 1938 with a “z" in its name according to land documents, was once dominated by agriculture, where hard-working families enjoyed a slower pace of life.

This story is part of ABC15's Voice of the Voter series, where we're highlighting voter perspectives from communities all across Arizona. To see more Voice of the Voter coverage, click here.

"I mean, this is in your blood, so to speak," Bradbury said.

For 24 years, Bradbury has raised horses and managed a U-pick orchard that draws thousands of visitors annually.

"After it's all done, we still get about 80,000 to 100,000 pounds of fruit out of here. Every bit of it goes to the food bank," Bradbury shared.

Since 2020, Surprise has ranked among the fastest-growing cities in the nation, with land sales fueling the development of homes, retail, and restaurants. While Bradbury and Truman miss the peace and quiet of earlier days, they also acknowledge the benefits.

“As we age, shopping and medical care are much closer now, so there are some advantages,” Truman noted.

“It has gone in directions that nobody could’ve predicted—like the warehouse boom. Who could’ve seen that coming?”

Thanks to Loop 303, the area has become a hub for warehouse distribution, sparking an unexpected industry boom.

“That whole 303 corridor is becoming a warehouse distribution mega center,” said Raoul Sada of the Northwest Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Sada noted that businesses fleeing California’s high costs and taxes are settling in Surprise, where employees can thrive with more affordable housing, rents, and access to transportation and tourist attractions.

As fewer children take over family farms, a new tide of prosperity is transforming the area. While it’s bittersweet for long-time residents like Bradbury and Truman, they remain proud to call it home.

“The jobs are here, so the city has a bright future economically, for sure,” Bradbury said.

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PHOENIX (AZFamily) — When a teacher for kids and young adults with special needs experienced a health crisis that took him out of school, his former students and parents wanted to do something special for him. That’s when they contacted Colton Shone and the Arizona’s Family Surprise Squad.

His first name is Glenn, but the students he’s mentored call him Mr. G. For some 15 years, he’s dedicated his life to serving students with special needs in the West Valley.

Kim is the mother of Preston, a young man who’s spent several years with Mr. G. She says the teacher’s aide treats everyone as though they are someone special. He loves the kids unconditionally and likes to help break down barriers by making the students laugh.

“When I think of compassion, and I think of somebody who is selflessly serving our community, I think of Glenn,” Kim said.

Spencer is another of Mr. G’s students. His mom, Karin, said Glenn loves the kids unconditionally and likes to help break down barriers by making them laugh. Even though both young men are no longer in class with Glenn, they both enjoy spending time with him doing activities like bowling.

The two moms said that Glenn recently had an infection that required a partial amputation of one of his legs. He’s used up much of his savings while recovering from surgery since it’s been weeks since he was last able to work.

“He is recovering, he’s on a positive trajectory,” Kim said. “But he still has a long road to go.”

Preston and Spencer, along with their parents and the Surprise Squad, drove over to Mr. G’s house. He thought only Kim and Preston were visiting, so he was surprised when he opened the door and saw a small crowd in his yard.

“They (the two boys) mean a lot to me,” Glenn said. “I mean a ton. I love these guys. They’re like family to me.”

Glenn went on to explain that helping people with special needs is a passion of his. Not only does he do it, but so does his wife.

When Colton opened an envelope and told Glenn the boys and their families nominated him to receive $5,000, he was visibly moved by the news.

“I’m very emotional. This means a lot to me. A lot. It’s amazing. I’m just doing what I love to do,” Glenn said.

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|Updated: Sep. 22, 2024 at 9:45 PM MST

SURPRISE, AZ (AZFamily) — You might first think it’s just another sports bar, but that’s not what Guy Fieri traveled across the country for.

This week for Taste of Arizona, we checked out Bonfire Craft Kitchen and Tap House in Surprise after a viewer recommended we try the elevated sports bar featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives back in April.

David Lindsley, CEO of Bonfire Craft Kitchen and Tap House, says he didn’t initially want to work in restaurants after going to school for architecture, but after the 2008 market crash, he didn’t have many options. So, he turned to restaurants and making pizza, which his family had been doing for forty years in Michigan.

Bonfire offers the “Monsoon Pizza,” named after Arizona’s summer Monsoon. It’s an award-winning pie served with a specialty golden “sunshine” sauce, mozzarella, chicken, bacon, banana peppers, jalapeno, pineapple, tomatoes and a drizzle of ranch. Guy Fieri also featured it.

Lindsley says they wanted to ensure food for everybody, so their offerings evolved. The restaurant serves a variety of homestyle entrees based on regional food from the owners’ backgrounds.

“I’m from Michigan, my best friend and business partner’s from Buffalo, so we have larger portions, and we still do a lot of Midwest-inspired meals like meatloaf (and) pot roast,” Lindsley said.

Bonfire attracts many out-of-town guests, especially since both the Surprise and Tempe locations are across from Spring Training facilities. So, they also offer regional dishes like gumbo, poutine and barbecue.

As with many homestyle dishes, Lindsley emphasizes cooking low and slow, locking in the flavor and tenderizing the meat. That’s how the barbecue dishes shine.

The Burnt Ends are outstanding. They’re braised, smoked and caramelized with a honey barbecue sauce that’s the perfect amount of sweetness. Each bite is incredibly tender and soft, unlike many restaurants that seem to overcook them.

While many dishes are regional, they each offer an ode to Arizona. Bonfire sits near the base of the White Tank Mountains, so there’s a White Tank burger served with white cheddar cheese curds and a white cheddar cheese sauce.

The Gila Monster burger also features a flame-broiled patty, pulled pork, peppered bacon, pepper jack cheese and banana peppers. The pulled pork is quite tasty but is elevated on the burger. The different smokey flavors of the meats also pair well with a sweet bun.

It’s not just the main dishes that delight. Bonfire has an exclusive contract to serve one-of-a-kind scooper fries.

Lindsley says, “It’s kind of like a Pringle shaped scoop potato that’s thick like a steak fry, but it’s also kind of shaped like a potato chip, so it’s a half chip, half steak fry shaped in a scoop.”

The scooper fries come with all the burgers, sandwiches and the southern twist on poutine.

“What comes on our brisket poutine is those scooper fries covered with our brisket demi-glace gravy and white cheddar cheese curds,” Lindsley says.

Even with some inspiration from the Midwest and Northeast, Bonfire strives to be local and nod to Arizona’s history. That includes local vendors for food and beer from Husk Brewing Company, Tempe Fate, Historic Brewing Company in Flagstaff, and Scottsdale and Tucson beer companies.

But one of the most impressive local ties comes from the walls.

Lindsley says they found barn wood from the Cartwright Ranch in Cave Creek.

“The outside of that barn used is now the inside of our restaurant, and the wood beams that are hanging from the ceiling are the exact trusses and beams that were used to build the barn. So, that means a lot to us to be able to have that connection to our roots and our connection to our past,” Lindsley says.

That connection to the past is a theme many will see at the restaurant.

“We have a sign in our restaurant that says the past is never far from the future and what that means for us is we wanted to harken back to the times, the slower times of bonfires, of course, and campfires,” Lindsley says.

And with campfires, S’mores are a must. In this case, you can make them tableside.

“We have mini hibachi grills that we bring right out, and then a S’mores kit is the Graham crackers, Hershey bars, marshmallows and roasting skewers, so everybody can do it as a family,” Lindsley says.

Both the Surprise and Tempe locations of Bonfire offer nightly entertainment from Monday night football and Buffalo Bills and Michigan football to trivia nights and live music.

Plus, a third Bonfire location is coming to Lake Havasu. Lindsley used his previous architectural skills to design it from the ground up. They plan to break ground at the beginning of 2025 and have it open by Labor Day next year.

Bonfire Craft Kitchen and Taphouse

Surprise Location: 15332 W Bell Rd, Surprise, AZ 85374

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Tempe Location: 1617 W Warner Rd, Tempe, AZ 85284

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SURPRISE, AZ (AZFamily) — The Surprise City Council voted to scrap a rule that banned the public from complaining against city workers during council meetings on Tuesday night.

The change follows an intense moment when activist Rebekah Massie was arrested and escorted out of the meeting on Aug. 20 by an officer moments after Mayor Skip Hall interrupted Massie.

Mayor Hall said Massie signed a form to follow the city’s rule that says “oral communications during the City Council meeting can’t be used to lodge charges or complaints against any city employees.”

Despite the rule being repealed, Massie’s lawyer Conor Fitzpatrick with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) is still moving forward with a civil lawsuit against the city, its Mayor and the officer.

“Cities need to be punished when they violate citizens’ clearly established First Amendment rights,” said Fitzpatrick. “And there is nothing more at home with the First Amendment than peacefully going to a government meeting, stepping up to the podium and addressing your problems to your elected officials.”

He said they’re grateful the city has taken this first step, but still needs to be held accountable.

“This rule shouldn’t have been in place for 20 minutes, let alone 20 years. So the fact that this rule stayed in place for two decades is frankly a rather damning indictment of the City of Surprise’s respect for the First Amendment over these last two decades,” said Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick also has a message for other cities who have a similar rule.

“Those other cities should see what’s happening in Surprise right now and take heed as to what is happening in Surprise. If other cities have a similar rule, it’s time for that rule to go,” he said.

Massie was cited for trespassing when she was arrested. The case will be handled by the city of Phoenix due to the conflict of interest.

She is set to be arraigned on Oct. 22.

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City of Surprise

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The vote was uneventful.

Robert Wingo, the Surprise city attorney, introduced the measure at the end of a busy, 90-minute city council meeting on Sept. 17. At issue was the proposed repeal of a small segment of the city policies and procedures manual. There was no formal presentation or discussion. "I would ask a motion be made and a vote be taken without delay," Wingo said, and it was. The council unanimously approved the repeal and quickly moved on to other business.

Nearly a month earlier, though, that same rule had led to a controversy that generated national attention. While speaking during the public comment portion of the council's Aug. 20 meeting, Surprise resident Rebekah Massie had been arrested at the direction of Mayor Skip Hall. Massie had been criticizing a proposed pay raise for Wingo. Hall claimed her comments had violated the city's rule on not lodging "charges or complaints" against any city employee while speaking to the council.

Massie's arrest — which occurred after a spirited argument about whether that rule violates the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech — generated national outrage. Massie filed a free speech lawsuit with the help of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE. Last week, Republican state Sen. John Kavanagh asked Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes to investigate the city.

Hall did not respond to a request for comment from Phoenix New Times. The only councilmember to respond to similar requests was Chris Judd, who said he "would very much like to answer your questions" but can't because "we are involved in ongoing litigation over the matter."

Virginia Mungovan, the city's marketing and communications director, wrote in a statement that the rule had been "part of (the city's) speaker decorum rules for over 20 years" and that "other cities in Arizona follow similar speaker decorum rules or variations thereof at their meetings."

However, she added, "as this area of the law is constantly evolving, and in light of recent events, the City has decided to repeal this rule and review its speaker rules to ensure they set forth appropriate time, manner, and place guidelines that protect both the public's right to speak and the City's right, and expectation of citizens in attendance, to conduct its meetings efficiently, effectively, and with appropriate decorum and civility."

City of Surprise

Lawsuit ongoing

Repealing the law may not halt that litigation, according to FIRE attorney Conor Fitzpatrick, who is representing Massie in the case.

"The city council’s decision to scrap its unconstitutional rule banning criticism of public officials is the right move — but the damage has already been done," Fitzpatrick said in a statement. "Twenty-eight days ago, police dragged a local mom out of the meeting for criticizing a city attorney’s pay. Twenty-eight days ago, Mayor Skip Hall abused his power to stifle dissent. This decision comes 28 days too late for Rebekah Massie."

The repeal was enough to satisfy Kavanagh, however. Reached by phone, he told New Times that he'd be withdrawing his complaint with the attorney general. However, he would like Mayes to still weigh in on the matter.

"I am going to ask the attorney general to render a formal decision on that language so all municipalities and county boards of supervisors and other boards are aware they can’t use that language," Kavanagh said.

By repealing the law and getting Kavanagh off its back, Surprise will avoid what could have been a costly outcome. If Mayes had found that Surprise's public comment rule ran afoul of state law, which requires that calls to the public "allow individuals to address the public body on any issue within the jurisdiction of the public body," Surprise would have had to repeal the law anyway or be forced to forfeit its state-shared revenues.

In a fitting bit of irony after the rule's repeal, Hall nearly skipped over the Sept. 17 meeting's public comment segment. But he then caught himself and made a call to the public. No one was registered to speak.