Veterans Home Care Funding in Glendale, AZ

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GLENDALE, AZ — A small online bakery in Glendale is about to have a big moment connected to Hollywood’s biggest night.

Taira Bagley, the founder of Haize & Honey, has been selected to include her handcrafted chocolate chunk cookies in the “Everyone Wins” Oscar nominee gift bags.

It’s one of the most talked-about traditions surrounding the Academy Awards.

The curated gift bags, organized by the marketing company Distinctive Assets, are delivered to select Oscar nominees each year, loaded with luxury products, experiences and emerging brands.

This year, Bagley’s cookies are the “something sweet” inside.

“It was huge,” Bagley said. “I was so happy. But the biggest thing I felt was… it’s time to get to work.”

Haize & Honey is not a traditional storefront bakery.

The Glendale-based company operates online, with cookies baked in small batches and made completely from scratch.

Bagley says baking has been part of her life since childhood.

As a young girl, she imagined what her future bakery might look like. She even drew pictures of the treats she hoped to make one day.

That dream eventually became reality, but the path there wasn’t easy.

Bagley says she spent years struggling with an eating disorder and eventually checked herself into a recovery center.

During that time, she stepped away from baking completely.

“These cookies really are proof of my recovery,” Bagley said. “They’re the embodiment of being healthy.”

Today, baking has become part of her healing and purpose.

Each box of cookies sent to Oscar nominees includes a personal message written by Bagley.

“Through the power of creation, I’m offering love, joy and healing,” the note reads. “I hope you enjoy my art.”

Bagley says the recipe for her chocolate chunk cookies took months of testing and refining.

Each batch includes brown butter, honey, two types of chocolate and house-made toffee, all crafted from scratch.

“It takes time,” she said. “Twenty-four hours. But it matters.”

This year, Bagley baked 236 cookies for the Oscar gift bags, sending a taste of Arizona to some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

For Bagley, the moment represents more than a business milestone.

“You can do hard things,” she said. “If you’re afraid of something, do it afraid.”

From a dream that once felt impossible, her cookies and her message of encouragement are now headed to Hollywood.

Nine Inch Nails faced an unexpected interruption during their March 6 performance at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ, when a fight broke out in the audience during their set-closing track, "Hurt".

Band mastermind Trent Reznor immediately paused the song to address the incident, calling out the violent attendees from the stage: "Hey, we're not here for this shit man. C'mon, hey! Hey! There's enough bullshit happening out there, we don't need it happening in the fuck here."

Security quickly intervened, removing the individuals involved, while the rest of the audience booed as the altercation was cleared. Which is fair – don't interrupt "Hurt" because you can't get your shit together, or whatever.

This especially sucks for those fans considering might be done touring after this current trek. During a recent show at the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK, Reznor addressed the crowd saying: "I think one of the first times we played here, I think maybe it was Cain's Ballroom, like 80 years ago.

"I think we were opening for Peter Murphy… and we were playing 'Head Like A Hole,' and I could see someone in the back screaming the fuckin' lyrics back at me, and I thought, 'This is all I ever wanted in life, is to connect with somebody like that dude in the back [of the venue]," said Reznor to the crowd.

"Anyway, that's what I think of when I roll into Tulsa. I don't know if we're gonna be touring anymore after this, but I'm proud of the show that we're doing right now. And I'm fuckin' grateful that you've chosen to spend your evening with us tonight. Thank you very much."

Midwestern University’s Glendale Campus hosted its annual Health Sciences Career Day (HSCD) on March 3, 2026, welcoming a record number of 997 high school students. The event brings teens from across Arizona to explore what a future in healthcare could look like. Midwestern faculty and students from every college and program hosted presentations and hands-on activities, which gave the younger students the opportunity to discover new career paths and envision themselves working in the medical field.

“This event means opportunity for the students,” said Shawn Stenzel, Home Health Aide Instructor at Independence High School. Ms. Stenzel explained that her students come from low-to-middle income backgrounds, so HSCD is the first time some students hear about varying careers in healthcare.

The interactive day included more than 30 workshop choices highlighting Midwestern’s eight colleges and 24 degree programs. Each high school group attended four of the offered classes and was accompanied by a current Midwestern student ambassador to connect with high schoolers and answer their questions about healthcare careers.

Ambassador Ryan Yifang Tan (CDMA ’28) said, “If I had been able to attend something like this Health Science Career Day, I would have had a lot more experience with the different programs that I was considering. A lot of motivation for your future career comes from enjoying what you do on a day-to-day basis. If they’re able to find something that fulfills them here at Health Sciences Career Day, that would make my day!”

To broaden the students’ learning, three new class topics were introduced this year: Agra Gel Immunodiffusion, Graduate Nursing Careers and Germ Safety, and Surgery & Laparoscopy Training. In Agra Gel Immunodiffusion, Adebayo Molehin, Ph.D., M.S. (CGS-Glendale), Assistant Professor, Microbiology & Immunology, taught students how to test for viral infections using samples from hypothetical patients.

Of the experiment, Dr. Molehin said, “It’s a real-world, real-life experience. That’s why I chose this topic. We’re always having patients come into clinics showing similar symptoms. You want to figure out whether they have contracted the same kind of virus or pathogen. The students will do this if the come to medical school or in their clinical lab.”

Interactive labs such as the Immunodiffusion Lab gave students a hands-on experience of what their day-to-day life in a future healthcare career might be like and helped them envision themselves in that future.

“This experience at Midwestern helped prepare me for a future career in the medical field as it gave me multiple opportunities to personally talk to medical professionals or medical students,” said Valeria Garcia Gomez, a junior at Independence High School. “Getting first-hand experiences helped boost my interest in understanding that there are multiple pathways in the medical field.”

“Paris in the Spring” invites the community to don their berets and explore historic downtown Glendale for an afternoon of shopping, France-themed treats and make-and-take crafts. Glendale Merchants Association President Lorraine Zomok said this year’s experience is sure to be “iconic, treasured and beloved.”

“‘Paris in the Spring,’ in particular, came together from Carol Migray who’s the owner of The Cottage Garden,” Zomok said. “When she began this event over a decade ago, she really wanted to bring together an opportunity for the community to celebrate the start of the spring season and to showcase the new fashions for spring and summer.

“It’s days like this where we get to really pamper our guests, showcase downtown Glendale in a themed and beautiful way.”

“Paris in the Spring” begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 14, at the Arizona Information Center. Participants will pick up their walking map and activity list for the day and be sent on their way — free to explore the various boutiques, antique shops, galleries, museums, family-owned restaurants, ice cream parlors, bakeries and tea rooms with special offerings for the occasion.

In the spirit of the event, Zomok said that many of the local shops and businesses will decorate in accordance with the colorful, floral aesthetic of the festival.

In combination with the open-air shopping experience, “Paris in the Spring” also features various photo opportunities, fashion shows, trunk shows and artisan displays.

Along the way, “Paris in the Spring” patrons will have the opportunity to collect various charms from the participating businesses to assemble a bracelet reflective of their adventures — such as an ice cream cone from Packer Family Ice Cream, a bear from Bears and More or a teapot from The Spicery. Last year’s special charm, Zomok said, was an Eiffel Tower and a new charm will be unveiled this year.

“Folks come out really early to pick up that charm — once the charms are gone, they’re gone,” the association president said.

The starter bracelet can be purchased at Glendale Flowers and Gifts or Memory Lane Trinkets and Treasures for $5. Zomok said that there will be free parking as well, noting a large parking garage on 58th and Palmaire avenues.

Additionally, the first 100 guests will receive a commemorative sticker for their participation — joining various other stickers to commemorate the Glendale Merchant Association’s monthly events. As a sticker collector, Zomok said that the commemorative sticker is one of her favorite parts of celebrating Paris in the Spring.

For the association president, one of the major goals of the event is to showcase the spirit of the community and all it has to offer, while fostering connection.

“There’s nothing like downtown Glendale and all the locally owned one-of-a-kind shops that really want to get to know their customers and call them by name,” she said. “Many of our customers become dear friends and visit us often and we truly appreciate that.”

As the businesses in Glendale prepare to transform into Parisian market places, Zomok said that she is excited to see familiar and new faces alike.

“On average, more than 50% of the attendees are coming to our events for the first time and we love showcasing our downtown to a new audience,” she said. “Not only do we look forward to seeing our treasured friends that come year after year, but we love showcasing Downtown Glendale to new people.

“The sun will be shining and it’s going to be a beautiful day — we can’t wait to see you.”