BEST PRO WRESTLING SHRINE Eddie Guerrero's grave at Green Acres Mortuary & Cemetery.BEST PLACE TO SEE MERCURY PLAYERS OFF THE COURT Einstein Bros Bagels.BEST PLACE TO SPOT SPRING TRAINING PLAYERS OFF THE FIELD Sluggo's Sports Grill.BEST PLACE TO SEE A SPRING TRAINING GAME Hohokam Stadium.BEST COOL NEW ATHLETE IN TOWN Eric Byrnes.BEST PRO ATHLETE Shawn "The Matrix" Marion.BEST PRO SPORTS TEAM The Phoenix Suns, of course.BEST SIN BY A VALLEY SPORTS STAR Raja Bell.And to think MacDonald chose a Valley lease over a 24-hour lap-dance-a-thon from a stripper in Japan. The album will be pitched to record execs for Sony and XM Radio. Jody's recording contract includes 30 hours of recording time, 50 hours of mixing, and transportation to and from the Toronto studio. He accepted, flew out, and they made the swap at high noon on a warm April afternoon.
She e-mailed MacDonald through his Web site, and offered one free year of shelter in her 1920s-era Garfield neighborhood duplex. His first trade was a fish-shaped pen, the seventh exchange was a snowmobile, and by his 10th trade, he held a recording contract, a dream for the folk singer-songwriter Gnant. Using the Internet as a bartering tool, he slowly made trades for bigger and better items. A year ago, a light bulb went off in the head of Kyle MacDonald, an enterprising young Canadian who wanted to trade a thin piece of metal for a home of his own. When word about the red paper clip trading frenzy hit national media outlets, including Good Morning America, World News Tonight, and National Public Radio, it brought Valley musician Jody Gnant into the national spotlight.
This is one Ho we intend to spend plenty of time with. We assume they left the popcorn ceilings on purpose, for a retro feel, so we'll forgive the otherwise unforgivable. Unlike other boutique hotels, which skimp on details once you've left the common areas, we were pleased to find plush towels, nice sheets and funky decor, in every nook and cranny. Well worth the price of admission, which, true to the form of the boutique hotel model, is quite affordable. We particularly love the executive suites, with wraparound patios and a bathtub big enough to fit your whole birthday party, if you so choose. The Rat Pack croons by the pool via speakers and the rooms are divine. Iridescent tiles offset the mid-century furniture, and the lobby is so cool, even in the dead of summer. From the moment you step out of your car in the driveway, you're transported back to the '50s, but with a 21st-century twist.
But it did, and boy, was it worth the wait. We heard so much for so long about the remodel of the Valley Ho that, frankly, we never thought it would happen.