Councilman Tom Simplot's
North Central News Column

April 2006

Moonlight Movies, Bond Passes, Fighting Back Against Meth

It's that time of year.

Steele Indian School Park once again is turning into a wonderful outdoor venue for screening some great movies. It's the third year we've helped bring movies to the park as a great community activity.

We started off the Moonlight Movies 2006 series in March, with the classic Julie Andrews musical, “The Sound of Music" and the hilarious film, "The Birdcage." Next up is "Galaxy Quest" at sunset on Saturday, May 20. Tim Allen is cast as one of a group of TV actors who once starred in a science fiction show called "Galaxy Quest." The crew finds out that aliens actually exist and think that the old show is real. The movie is great for the whole family.

The final movie of the series will start off your summer with a smile. "The Sandlot" is a great film about baseball and the struggles of growing up. It's on the big screen at sunset on Saturday, June 24.

Thanks to all who've come out this year and in previous years for Moonlight Movies. It's just one example of something that makes our city a great place.

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I also want to thank everyone involved with the 2006 Phoenix Citizens Bond Program. All seven propositions passed on Election Day in March. Residents of north central Phoenix and other parts of the city worked to set the priorities and a large percentage of voters agreed that the improvements are critical for our city's future.

The bond program passing means we'll have a full-fledged ASU downtown campus just a short light-rail ride away from north central Phoenix. $16 million dollars goes to rebuilding the Squaw Peak Police Precinct. Non-profits like the Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Garden also get a boost.

Around the city, bond money will renovate aging parks and libraries and build news ones. It will improve police and fire technology and infrastructure to keep us all more secure. And money from the bond will help seniors, fix streets, spur new affordable housing – basically the kinds of improvements that a forward-thinking city needs.

The bond program is by, for and about the community and Phoenix is better for it.

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March also was a month of moving forward on critical steps to help with the huge problem of crystal meth. Together with Councilman Dave Siebert, we held the second meeting of the city's Crystal Meth Task Force. We're working with the state and many others in the community on education programs that can help prevent our young people from ever starting with meth.

This builds on the ordinances that Phoenix and 28 other Arizona cities and towns have passed, limiting the availability of common cold medicines that criminals use to make meth.

As of mid-March, state and federal legislation that would help with meth were moving forward.

We'll keep working with the community and our state and federal legislators to make the dangers of meth a story of the past.

Councilman Tom Simplot represents District 4, which includes parts of north central Phoenix. If you have questions, comments or suggestions on this or any other issue, please contact his office at council.district.4@phoenix.gov.or call 602-262-7447.