Category: Phoenix New Times

More than 700 of the belly buttons in San Manuel are the handiwork of Dr. Robert Brower. The 71-year-old staff physician has worked at the San Pedro River valley town's small hospital since 1961. It was called the Magma Copper Company Hospital until 1987, when TMC HealthCare bought it and rechristened it the San Manuel… Continue reading Boomerang Bust

Out in the dusty boondocks of east Mesa, a blue sign is posted next to Power Road. It tells motorists that the highway has been adopted by Project Challenge. There is no litter in sight. "Don't Waste Our Space," insists the sign. The same slogan should be tattooed on the 141 kids who arrive at Williams… Continue reading Full Mettle Junket

The rules of the prize match are simple: No direct strikes to the face. No gloves are worn. Jake Harman stares across the mat at his foe, a jacked-up Marine sergeant who looks like he could vaporize a village by flexing his atomic biceps. The combatants lock eyes, and Harman unloads with a melon-crushing slap to… Continue reading The Athlete and the Aesthete