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Notes for April 2007
Washington Adult Center gets new name
Washington Adult Center gets new name
One of the city's earliest adult centers has changed its name to reflect its changing role as a great place for young people, too.The Washington Adult Center now is officially the Washington Activity Center.
Opened in 1969, the facility at 2240 W. Citrus Way spent its first 18 years catering to the adult population. Then in 1987 it began introducing activities for young people as well.
Today, the center offers a wide mix of programs for both adults and youngsters.
The older folks play bingo and cards, take educational classes, attend dances and do sing-a-longs, while the kids take piano, music, karate and dance lessons or shoot hoops and play billiards. And just in the past few months, the Parks and Recreation Department has added many new youth and family classes to its offerings at the center.
There's more on the way, too. A gymnasium under construction next to the center and scheduled to open in the fall will add basketball and volleyball activities and more fitness and dance classes.
Registration for classes and programs at the activity center or other centers can be done online at phoenix.gov/parks and clicking on the "Classes and Programs" link.
For more information, visit phoenix.gov/parks or call 602-262-6971.
Soccer fields open
The city's first large-scale soccer facility now is open for fun and games.Reach 11 Sports Complex boasts 10 lighted soccer fields - nine of them turf and one synthetic grass - as well as two playgrounds, restrooms and parking for 1,200 vehicles as part of the first of a two-phase development project.
Funding for the facility at 2425 E. Deer Valley Road came from city voters who approved $11.5 million for the project in a 1999 election.
The city's Street Transportation Department, the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority and the federal Bureau of Reclamation also helped fund the lighting, surrounding street improvements and the other recreational elements. Voters last year approved $12.5 million more for a second phase that will add 10 more lighted fields to the complex.
In addition, the Arizona Diamondbacks and their partners have committed another $2.4 million to create a Little League venue.
PHX 11 live on Internet
The city's Web site has added an exciting new feature - PHX 11 programming.Programs playing on PHX 11, the city's news and information television station, now can be viewed online 24 hours a day at phoenix.gov.
The live video streaming provides access to the programming to people who live outside the city or do not subscribe to cable television where the station is broadcast on Channel 11.
Future plans call for extensive Video on Demand capabilities that will allow people to watch PHX 11 shows and special videos at their convenience.
For more information, call 602-261-8937 or visit phoenix.gov/11.
Surplus goods auction May 19
Surplus materials ranging from furniture to cars will be sold by the city at an auction Saturday, May 19.Gates to the city auction yard, 2820 S. 22nd Ave., south of Lower Buckeye Road, will open at 6:30 a.m. and the sale will begin at 8 a.m. The cashier will remain open until 1:30 p.m. and the gates will close at 3 p.m.
People planning to attend the auction may register online and receive their bidder card when they arrive at the sale. Just go to phoenix.gov/invmgt, click on "Online Registration" and follow the instructions. Registration continues to be available at the auction.
Inspection of the auction items will be allowed at the yard from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 17, and Friday, May 18.
For more information, call 602-534-0828.
Sky Harbor improvement project advances
The City Council has cleared the way for work to begin on a major capital improvement program at Sky Harbor International Airport that will include the starter segment of an automated train, development work for a new terminal and the addition of the final concourse at Terminal 4.Aviation officials who received council approval for a 10-year, $2.9 billion project said the work is vital to the airport's ability to keep pace with the increasing number of travelers who pass through the airport every year.
More than 41 million people used the airport last year and conservative estimates put the count at more than 50 million by the year 2015.
Funding for the projects will come from the charges that the airlines pay for use of the airport and fees from airline passengers, car rental customers, parking facilities, shops and restaurants.
Initial plans call for the construction of an automated train starter line that will shuttle airline passengers and others between a METRO light rail stop at Washington and 44th streets and Terminal 4 beginning in about 2013.
Work on extending the people mover to other terminals and the Rental Car Center would not begin until 2016 and not be fully developed until 2020.
Other plans include the addition of an eight-gate concourse at Terminal 4, the rehabilitation of other airport facilities, and in the longer-term, the construction of a 33-gate terminal to open in 2016.
City pools open May 5
The weather is warming up and the Parks and Recreation Department is getting ready for another action-packed swim season.All 29 pools will open for weekend swimming noon to 8 p.m. beginning Saturday, May 5, and the 15 regional pools will add weekday swimming 3 to 7 p.m. May 21 to 25 and noon to 7 p.m. May 29 to June 1. All of the pools also will be open noon to 8 p.m. on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28.
The regular schedule of noon to 8 p.m. seven days a week begins June 4 at all city pools. For more information, including online class registration and a complete list of city pools, visit phoenix.gov/parks.
Additional information also is available at 602-534-SWIM (7946).
Free People's Pops Concert May 13
The annual free People's Pops Concert "Lights, Camera, Action...Hollywood" will be 3 p.m. Sunday, May 13, at Phoenix Symphony Hall, 225 E. Adams St.Tickets - there is a limit of four per person - will be available at all Phoenix public libraries beginning Saturday, May 5.
For groups of 20 to 50 people or for additional information, call 602-262-4627.
Keep up with state legislation
Phoenix neighborhood leaders and residents now have an easy way to keep pace with activities at the State Legislature that might affect them.The Phoenix Intergovernmental Programs Office offers them the P.L.A.N. - Phoenix Legislative Action Network.
People who sign up for the Internet-based program can use their personal computers to view the city's legislative agenda, receive regular reports on legislation affecting neighborhoods, have access to legislature and City Council district maps and much more.
You can join now by visiting phoenix.gov/intergov.
Disposal facilities set weekend summer hours
The weekend summer hours for the North Gateway Transfer Station and the 27th Avenue Solid Waste Management Facility are 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. from May 5 through Oct. 5. The 27th Avenue Facility is open on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. The North Gateway Facility is open both Saturdays and Sundays. Weekday hours remain unchanged at both facilities: 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For trash disposal facility information, call 602-262-7251 or visit phoenix.gov/publicworks.
April is Fair Housing Month
If you want to learn about fair housing practices, the city offers a series of free fair housing workshops throughout the year that covers how the practices apply to apartments, houses, condominiums and mobile home parks.For more information about fair housing practices, to register for a workshop or to arrange disability accommodations, call the city's Equal Opportunity Department at 602-262-7486/voice or 602-534-1557/TTY
Hazardous waste collections set
Phoenix residents can dispose of common hazardous wastes and other items at Household Hazardous Waste collections from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 17 - 19 at Los Olivos Park, 2802 E. Devonshire Ave., and from 7 a.m. to noon June 14 - 16 at Desert West Sports Complex, 6602 W. Encanto Blvd.In addition to batteries, oil, paint, antifreeze, pesticides and pool chemicals, the events will accept five road tires per household, computers and household appliances that use refrigerants, including refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and heat pumps. Commercial loads will not be accepted.
The city also will pick up household appliances at your home for a fee. Call for a collection appointment. For information, call 602-262-7251, send e-mail to pwserve@phoenix.gov or visit phoenix.gov/publicworks.
Be sure to buckle up
Want to reduce your chances of being seriously injured if you're in a car crash?Police say it's pretty simple - wear your seat belt.
Officers from the Traffic Bureau say people using the safety restraints have a much better chance of coming out of a collision with fewer injuries than those who don't buckle up. They urge motorists to always secure their seat belts when they get behind the wheel of their vehicles and to make sure all of their passengers do, too.
"There's nothing easier than wearing a seatbelt," they stress.
If you want additional information or have questions or concerns about traffic issues, call the Traffic Education and Safety Unit at 602-495-0937 or the traffic complaint hotline at 602-534-SPEED (7733).
City offers small business workshops
Small business owners can get a helping hand in learning how to better manage their businesses by attending free monthly workshops hosted by the Community and Economic Development Department.The next two sessions of the "Mind Your Business" series - May 21 and June 25 - will deal with financing. The first will cover preparing for business borrowing needs and the second will focus on putting together loan packages.
All of the meetings in the series are from 4 to 6 p.m. at Phoenix City Hall, 12th floor, 200 W. Washington St.
Other dates and topics are: July 23, bonding requirements, agents and programs; Aug. 27, joint ventures and partnerships; Sept. 24, requests for proposals and qualifications; Oct. 22, human resources; and Nov. 26, the importance of having a business plan.
For more information or to register, visit phoenix.gov/econdev/smbusmu.html or call 602-495-5626.
EXPAND helps businesses grow
Phoenix businesses that are interested in growing, but don't have enough financial resources to make it happen can turn to the city for help.The Community and Economic Development Department's EXPAND or Expansion Assistance and Development program offers businesses extra collateral that can be used to obtain loans from private lenders for a wide range of expansion projects.
To be eligible, the businesses must be a for-profit company with two years of history, have a net worth of below $7.5 million and profits over the past two years of less than $2.5 million. In addition, they must provide a minimum of 10 percent of the total project costs and strive to create at least one job for each $35,000 of collateral provided by EXPAND.
Loans that businesses obtain with the EXPAND collateral can be used to acquire land, buy or construct new buildings, remodel existing facilities and acquire new businesses.
For more information, send e-mail to business@phoenix.gov or call 602-534-CITY (2489).
Police look for volunteer reserves
Men and women who have had an interest in police work, but never got around to doing anything about it, now have a second chance.And they can do it without giving up their regular jobs.
Phoenix Police is looking for people to join its reserve program. About 120 volunteers currently serve in the program and the department wants to increase that number to 300.
Certified reserve officers work in the same capacity as regular police officers, including serving as patrol officers and working in various bureaus, including detective and administration. With enough hours and some additional training, they can work solo and become eligible for promotions in rank.
Volunteers are required to attend two semesters of college work at a community college. The classes are held for four hours two evenings a week and eight hours on one weekend day. Some additional studies and training also are required before a recruit can become certified.
Although reserve officers do not get paid, their college classes are paid for and they receive an annual uniform allowance, a weapon, reimbursement for a ballistic vest, industrial insurance, court and stand-by pay, service awards and longevity benefits. Solo reserve officers also are eligible for paid, off-duty employment.
Applicants must be Maricopa County residents and at least 20 years old when they enroll and 21 by graduation. They also must meet polygraph, psychological and background standards and have no felony convictions.
For more information, visit phoenixpolicereserve.org or call 602-534-9000.
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