Filed under: Arizona, City of Phoenix, City of Phoenix News, Phil Gordon, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, US - AZ (Phoenix) | Tags: Arizona, Government, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona
It’s official: Phoenix Arizona is an All-America City – for the fifth time. National Civic League judges today chose the city as one of 10 winners of the prestigious, nationwide competition. Phoenix was one of 29 finalists presenting at the 2009 All-America City Awards in Tampa Bay this week. Phoenix is the only Arizona winner or finalist for the 60th annual awards.
A committee of approximately 60 people worked collaboratively on the presentation and award application, including 40 community members and 20 city employees. Phoenix highlighted newly developed urban education campuses (ASU Downtown Phoenix Campus and Phoenix Biomedical Campus) providing an economic boost, parks and land preservation strategies and the city’s innovative library teen spaces. The awards called for innovative, recent projects that meet major challenges and include the community in the process.
Participants were barred from using video, PowerPoint and visuals other than simple poster boards during their oral presentations.
“We are honored and proud for America’s fifth-largest city to be named an All-America City for the fifth time,” said Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon. “Our collaborative, progressive projects have improved education and the economy downtown, saved thousands of acres of open space, renovated and built neighborhood parks and provided unique spaces just for teens at all of our libraries. Working with the community means that everyone in Phoenix has a chance to help shape the future of our All-America City.”
The Phoenix delegation included Mayor Gordon, Councilmembers Michael Johnson and Michael Nowakowski, City Manager Frank Fairbanks and Deputy City Manager Rick Naimark, along with community members representing the highlighted projects. Others presenting: a student from ASU’s Cronkite School and a medical student from the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix in Partnership with ASU; two teen Phoenix Public Library volunteers; business representatives from Latino Vibe radio, which supports library teen reading programs, and the Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation; a Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board member; a young adult who has worked and volunteered for Phoenix Parks and Recreation; and a senior who is a founding member of the Sunnyslope Village Alliance.
No tax dollars were used for any expenses. US Airways, FedEx Express, SuperShuttle, the Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Downtown Phoenix Partnership all donated to the effort. The Phoenix Parks and Conservation Foundation and Friends of the Phoenix Public Library also supported the delegation.
Phoenix previously won the All-America City Award in 1950, 1958, 1980 and 1989. It is the country’s most prestigious community recognition award, honoring communities of all sizes for collaborative projects addressing critical issues.
Phoenix is Named All-America City For more information, visit ncl.org.
Filed under: Arizona, Arizona Jobs, City of Phoenix, City of Phoenix News, Events, Free, Human Services, Jobs, Meeting, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, Phoenix Jobs, Seminars, Services, US - AZ (Phoenix), Volunteering, Volunteers, Workforce, Workforce News, Workshops | Tags: Arizona, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, Phoenix Workforce Connection, Volunteer, Volunteer Fair
Phoenix Workforce Connection
Join us at our Volunteer Fair where you can meet with organizations such as AZ Humane Society; the AZ Children’s Hospital; Sun Sounds; Catholic Social Services; Phoenix Youth at Risk; State of AZ; City of Phoenix and more. Help others while you help yourself! Equal Opportunity Employer/Program Auxiliary Aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Please contact 602-262-6776 or City TTY Relay / 602-534-5500 as early as possible to coordinate needed arrangements.
• Network with those who share your interests
• Enhance marketability and skills
• Keep your resumé active
Phoenix Workforce Connection
9801 North 7th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85020
JOIN US FROM . . . 9 to noon, Thursday, June 25, 2009
Phoenix Workforce Connection Volunteer Fair
The Phoenix Workforce Connection (PWC) offers workforce, employment, training and career information in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Volunteer Fair at Phoenix Workforce Connection
Filed under: Arizona, City of Phoenix, Human Services, Maricopa County, Maricopa County News, News, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, Tax, Taxes, US - AZ (Phoenix) | Tags: Arizona, Earned, Earned Income Tax Credit, EITC, Free Tax Preparation, Income Tax, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, Volunteer
Free Income Tax Preparation
Free Tax Preparation Sites
Phoenix Arizona — Community Information & Referral’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Tax Assistance Hotline is available through April 15th This special Hotline, in cooperation with the IRS, provides information on locations where low and moderate income individuals and families can go to have their tax forms prepared free of charge. Volunteers at the sites are trained by the IRS and at certain locations, can file your taxes electronically, also free of charge. Call (602) 263-8856 or 1-(800) 352-3792 outside Maricopa County or visit our website at http://www.cir.org/ for details. 2008 EITC/Tax Assistance Hotline sponsors are Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP), and Southwest Gas Corporation.
Last year (January 1, 2008 through April 15, 2008 14,318 callers were assisted by the EITC Hotline.
Community Information & Referral (CIR), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, provides FREE 24-hour Help Hotline services to ten Arizona counties, including the greater Phoenix area. Trained Information & Referral Specialists respond to calls for help, assess problems, and provide appropriate information and/or referrals to available community resources. Callers can reach the helpline in Maricopa County by calling (602) 263-8856 or, outside of Maricopa County toll free at 1-800-352-3792. Visit us on the web at: http://www.cir.org
Free Income Tax Preparation
Free tax help at VITA sites in Mesa Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) The City of Mesa’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides free basic tax preparation and free electronic filing… Read more »
Filed under: Arizona, City of Phoenix, City of Phoenix News, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, US - AZ (Phoenix) | Tags: GPEC, Greater Phoenix Economic Council
GPEC Announces New Board Director Leadership
(Phoenix, Arizona) – The Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) announced the appointment of its Board of Directors for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.
The Board of Directors will be led by Chair Michael Bidwill, president of the Arizona Cardinals; Vice-Chair Sharon Harper, president and CEO of The Plaza Companies; and Vice-Chair William Pepicello, president of the University of Phoenix. Board officers include Treasurer Donald E. Brandt, president and COO of Pinnacle West and president and CEO of APS; Secretary Ivan Johnson, vice president, community relations & televideo, Cox Arizona; and Immediate Past Chair, R. Neil Irwin, partner at Bryan Cave.
IIt is certainly an honor to be elected chairman of such a distinguished organization,” said Bidwill. “I look forward to continuing GPEC’s work with regional leaders in bringing top-flight companies and high-paying jobs to Greater Phoenix. In particular, Arizona has a unique window of opportunity to land a number of solar technology companies in the coming months and GPEC is working diligently to bring them to the region which will help diversify our economy.”
New appointments to the Executive Committee include Richard C. Adkerson, president and CEO of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold; Steve Betts, president of SunCor Development Company; Dr. Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University; and William Pepicello, president of the University of Phoenix.
New Board Directors include David Bentler, statewide economic development manager for APS and chair of GPEC’s Economic Development Directors Team; Dr. Ángel Cabrera, president of Thunderbird School of Global Management; Jeffrey Crockett, partner at Snell & Wilmer; Dr. Debra Friedman, dean and vice president of Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix; G. Todd Hardy, associate vice president of corporate engagement at Arizona State University; Tom Johnston, senior managing director of Cushman & Wakefield of Arizona and chair of GPEC’s Community Building Consortium; Andy Kunasek, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for District 3; Jeff Lowe, president of MidFirst Bank Arizona; Paul Luna, president and CEO of Helios Education Foundation; Jackie Meck, Town of Buckeye Mayor; Denise D. Resnik, president of Denise Resnik & Associates; and Anthony Smith, City of Maricopa Mayor. A complete Board Director list is included below.
“GPEC’s role in driving a high-performance economy is more crucial now than ever and our new and returning Board leadership will help us achieve success in the current economic downturn,” said Barry Broome, GPEC president and CEO.
Mayors from GPEC’s member communities and the organization’s Nominating Committee are responsible for appointing Board Directors. The one-year terms are approved annually during GPEC’s September Board meeting.
GPEC FY 2009 Board of Directors (in alphabetical order) Bold Denotes Executive Committee Member
- Richard C. Adkerson, President and CEO, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold
- Jason Bagley, Government Affairs Manager, Intel
- Dennis Barney, President, Landmark Property
- The Honorable Robert Barrett, Mayor, City of Peoria
- David Bentler, Statewide Economic Development Director, APS
- The Honorable Steven M. Berman, Mayor, Town of Gilbert
- Steve Betts, President, SunCor Development Company
- Michael Bidwill, President, Arizona Cardinals
- Donald E. Brandt, President and COO, Pinnacle West Capital Corporation and President and CEO APS
- The Honorable Fulton Brock, County Supervisor, District 1, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
- Ángel Cabrera, Ph.D., President, Thunderbird School of Global Management
- Brian J. Campbell, Attorney, Wilkins Campbell Mahoney Chartered
- José Cárdenas, Chairman, Lewis and Roca
- Bradley Casper, President and CEO, The Dial Corporation/A Henkel Company
- Jeffrey W. Crockett, Partner, Snell & Wilmer
- Dr. Michael Crow, President, Arizona State University
- Rick Dietz, Councilmember, City of Apache Junction
- Mark Dobbins, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and General Affairs, SUMCO Phoenix Corporation
- Rich Dozer, President, GenSpring Family Offices
- The Honorable Boyd W. Dunn, Mayor, City of Chandler
- Robert Enderle, Director of Community Relations, Medtronic
- Peter S. Fine, President and CEO, Banner Health
- Debra Friedman, Ph.D., Dean and Vice President, Downtown Phoenix Campus, Arizona State University
- The Honorable Adolfo F. Gamez, Mayor, City of Tolleson
- Kevin Gillette, Senior Vice President, Arizona Market Executive, Bank of America
- Rufus Glasper, Ph.D., Chancellor, Maricopa Community Colleges
- Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D., President and CEO, Midwestern University
- MaryAnn Guerra, Chief Business Officer, TGen and President, TGen Accelerators, LLC
- The Honorable Hugh Hallman, Mayor, City of Tempe
- Barry Halpern, Partner, Snell & Wilmer
- G. Todd Hardy, Associate Vice President, Corporate Engagement, Arizona State University
- Sharon Harper, President and CEO, The Plaza Companies
- Jim Hartman, Chairman, Economic Development Advisory Commission, Town of Wickenburg
- Jon Held, Executive Vice President and CFO, The Arizona Republic
- C.A. Howlett, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, US Airways
- R. Neil Irwin, Partner, Bryan Cave, LLP
- Ivan Johnson, Vice President, Community Relations & Televideo Cox Arizona
- Paul Johnson, CEO, Old World Homes
- Tom Johnston, Senior Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield of Arizona
- Don Kile, President, Master Planned Communities, The Ellman Companies
- David Krietor, Deputy City Manager, City of Phoenix
- The Honorable Andy Kunasek, County Supervisor, District 3, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
- The Honorable Georgia Lord, Councilwoman, City of Goodyear
- Jeff Lowe, President, MidFirst Bank Arizona
- Paul J. Luna, President and CEO, Helios Education Foundation
- Jim McDowell, CEO, AAA Arizona
- Jeff McElfresh, Vice President and General Manager, AT&T Mobility
- The Honorable Jackie Meck, Mayor, Town of Buckeye
- William Pepicello, Ph.D., President, University of Phoenix
- Denise D. Resnik, President, Denise Resnik & Associates
- Steve M. Shope, Ph.D., President and Acting COO, Cognitive Engineering Research Institute
- The Honorable Anthony Smith, Mayor, City of Maricopa
- Donald A. Smith, Jr., President and CEO, SCF Arizona
- Joseph Stewart, Chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase Arizona
- Victor Trastek, M.D., Chairman, Board of Governors, Mayo Clinic
- Gena Trimble, Manager, Communications and Community Relations, Salt River Project
- Gerrit van Huisstede, Regional President, Desert Mountain Region, Wells Fargo
- Richard B. West, III, President, Carefree Partners
- Candace Wiest, President and CEO, West Valley National Bank
- Dan Withers, President, D.L. Withers Construction
- Kate Zanon, Assistant to the Town Manager and Economic Development, Town of Fountain Hills
GENERAL COUNSEL
Bryant Barber, Attorney at Law, Lewis and Roca
About the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC)
A true public/private partnership, GPEC is the regional economic development organization for Greater Phoenix. Working with its 18 member communities, Maricopa County and more than 140 private investors, GPEC attracts quality businesses to this dynamic region. By creating a high-performance economy through capital investments and jobs, Greater Phoenix companies enjoy a business climate where they can compete and thrive in today’s global economy. Since 1989, GPEC has worked to achieve an economically sound and sustainable region. For more information, visit www.gpec.org.
Filed under: Arizona, Art, Artists, Arts, Arts and Entertainment, Business, City of Phoenix, City of Phoenix News, City of Scottsdale, Entertainment, Events, Family, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, Real Estate, Scottsdale, Scottsdale Arizona, Scottsdale Business, US - AZ (Phoenix) | Tags: Bison Homes, Bison Museum, Entertainment, Family, Family Fun, History
Bison Homes Celebrates one year for
Bison Museum
Anyone else planning to attend the Bison Homes Bison Museum one year anniversary party and celebration today in North Scottsdale?
Here is some information in case you had no idea that was going on. Bison Homes is a specialty Home Builder in Arizona.
I am going to try to get there today as well as heading over to the Sustainable Living Expo on Market Street in DC Ranch Corner of Thompson Peak Pkwy and Pima
Thank you,
Bison Western Museum to
Celebrate 1st Anniversary
SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – The Bison Western Museum will celebrate its first anniversary on Saturday, October 18, 2008, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm in North Scottsdale. Festivities will include giveaways, contests, cowboy storytelling, free popcorn, candy and balloons and more.
To commemorate the one year anniversary, admission will be just $1 per visitor all day on the 18th. In addition, the celebration will mark the official opening of the Lou & Evelyn Grubb Room exhibiting the woodcarvings of Dee Flagg.
Since opening its doors last October the Bison Western Museum has gained wide acceptance and has established itself as one of the finest collections of Western, Native American and bison memorabilia and artifacts in the country. Year two will feature a special Spirit of the Old West lecture series, a Welcome to Old Scottsdale display, Flagg family pieces previously not displayed and more.
The Bison Western Museum houses more than 30,000 pieces and features such exhibits as “Dances with Wolves” and Native American artifacts room, the Singing Buffalo Family, the Saddled Bison “photo op” and a vast assortment of bronzes, paintings and prints. The extensive Buffalo Bill exhibit includes historic photos, prints, trinkets, documents, one of his famous Sharps rifles and more.
Also highlighted is the personal collection of the Flagg family, Scottsdale’s own “first family” of Western artists. The Flagg collection contains hundreds of items from paintings to sketches, from the original Parada del Sol program cover artwork to life size wood carved figures of Buffalo Bill, Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok and others. In addition, the Flaggs created the artwork of the giant cowboy that has welcomed visitors to Scottsdale for over 50 years. A blow up of the original sketch is on display.
The museum is complemented by a gift shop, western library, party lounge, Western pavilion and the Bison Homes Information Center. It is located at 16641 N. 91st Street in Scottsdale, just north of West World. For more information and hours of operation please call 480-837-8700, or visit www.bisonwesternmuseum.com
Filed under: Arizona, City of Phoenix, City of Phoenix News, Education, Events, Family, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, US - AZ (Phoenix) | Tags: Arizona, College, Education, Family, Moms, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, Single, Single Moms
Single Moms Succeeding in College
Phoenix, Arizona – On Saturday, November 8, 2008 Helping Hands for Single Moms will celebrate the success of forty-three single moms who are pursuing a college education and financial independence. The Celebrate Success – Meet the Moms dinner will take place at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort from 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm. The gala event will feature Brenda Warner (founder of First Things First and wife of Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback Kurt Warner) and Fay Fredricks of 12 News. Reservations can be made by calling 602/796/7875, or 602/475/1718, or online at http://www.helpsinglemoms.org/. The cost is $75 per person.
Those attending will have their hearts touched as they hear the courageous stories of single moms who are pursuing a better life for their children through educational achievement. Four moms will be honored for their recent graduation from college and successful launch of their careers as nurses and educators. A Community Service Award will be given to NARPRO (Neighborhood Auto Repair Professionals) and Cardinals’ Charities for providing no-cost auto repair for Helping Hands’ clientele through their generous donation of in-kind labor and funds for parts.
Filed under: Arizona, City of Phoenix, City of Phoenix News, library, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, Phoenix Public Library, Public Library, US - AZ (Phoenix) | Tags: Arizona, October, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, Phoenix Public Library, Teen Read Month
October is Teen Read Month at Phoenix Public Library
Phoenix Public Library will celebrate Teen Read Month in October, encouraging teens to read just “for the fun of it.” This year’s theme is “Books With Bite.”
To celebrate, Phoenix Public Library locations will host special activities for teens, ages 12 -18, including workshops on monster makeup, T-shirt silk-screening, drip painting, computer technology and astrology. Visit phoenixpubliclibrary.org for dates and locations.
By reading, attending a program or submitting artwork or poetry to Create!Zine, a teen-produced publication, teens can reduce their library overdue fines by $5 and enter a drawing to win a $50 Best Buy gift certificate. Prize drawings will be held at each library at the end of the month.
Phoenix Public Library joins thousands of other libraries across the country encouraging teens to spend time reading for pleasure.
Teen Read Month is sponsored by the Friends of the Phoenix Public Library.
Phoenix Public Library is a system of 14 branch libraries and the Burton Barr Central Library. For more information, call 602-262-4636 or visit phoenixpubliclibrary.org.
Filed under: Arizona, Art, Artists, Arts, Arts and Entertainment, City of Phoenix, Entertainment, Music, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, US - AZ (Phoenix) | Tags: Arizona, Artists, Arts and Entertainment, Entertainment, Local Phoenix Artists, Local Phoenix Music, Music, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, Phoenix Artists, Phoenix Entertainment, Phoenix Local Music
Phoenix Local Music Website Inspires Creativity and Awareness for Local Phoenix Artists
The summer of 2008, brought a few enthusiastic local Phoenix residents together to launch an avenue of communication for local artists, promoters, producers, and fans. Phoenix Local Music provides a platform for life in Phoenix; from art, to music, to local fashion and restaurants. The goal: to encourage locals to reach out and connect with individuals who have an interest in and a passion for the Phoenix culture. Simply speaking, Phoenix Local Music is addressing the often muttered and all-too-frequently unanswered question of what there is to do in Phoenix.
Phoenix Local Music – http://www.phoenixlocalmusic.com – provides a platform for life in Phoenix; from art, to music, to local fashion and restaurants.
When faced with a seemingly uneventful week, people can visit the website and find nearby venues, boutiques, galleries, and restaurants. When too busy or unmotivated to go out, members can browse media groups, read and write reviews, and establish and maintain personal and professional relationships with other members. Phoenix Local Music is the first website locally that is trying to create awareness for those who realize that a city should be more than the place where we live. A city should be a place that comes alive with the presence, appetites, desires, and hopes of its inhabitants.
“Phoenix Local Music is designed to strategically leverage the paradigm shift in human interaction on the internet while bridging the gap of online and face-to-face interaction. Most importantly the development of Phoenix Local Music is not single handed, the interaction, suggestions, and constructive criticism from the community will mold Phoenix Local Music. Our success lies in the hands of our community, understanding this, we seek to distill transparency and expose Phoenix’s developing culture to the global community while strengthening local bonds. As Phoenix Local Music grows the ideas and feedback from musicians, artist, fans, industry gurus and local small businesses will be fused with our strategic plan to perpetuate Phoenix Local Music into the future” (Elliott Lemenager, Founder of Phoenix Local Music).
Phoenix Local Music not only provides an underrepresented voice for local artists, but also lends its use to promoters and producers looking for new talent. Fans will also be given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with artists that may have gone overlooked in the past. Phoenix Local Music goes beyond artists and musicians, into fashion and food; where the art of design and culinary excellence are celebrated as they should be. Here, Phoenix is dissected to show its parts, to show how the blood of this city pumps through every vein and how we, as local residents, can play a part in its beauty.
Some other great sites for news about Local Phoenix Music include a non-profit organization called Ear Candy Productions and East Valley Living’s Phoenix Local Music Category.
Filed under: Arizona, Arts and Entertainment, Christmas, City of Phoenix, City of Phoenix News, Entertainment, Family, Holiday, Holidays, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, US - AZ (Phoenix) | Tags: APS, APS Electric Light Parade, Arizona, Electric Light Parade, Parade, Parades, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona
Update: Details of the APS Electric Light Parade
Phoenix Arizona Now Accepting Applications for 2008 APS Electric Light Parade
Though winter is months away, organizers for the APS Electric Light Parade already are accepting applications to participate in the Dec. 6 holiday gala. The theme for the 2008 parade is “Preserving a Family Holiday Tradition.” … Read more »
APS Electric Light Parade – Phoenix Arizona
The parade gets under way at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6 on Central Avenue at Montebello (just south of Bethany Home Road). The parade route heads south on Central to Camelback, where it heads east to Seventh Street before turning south to the end at Indian School Road.
Filed under: Arizona, City of Phoenix, City of Phoenix News, Entertainment, Events, Family, Halloween, Holiday, Holidays, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona, US - AZ (Phoenix) | Tags: Arizona, Community Information & Referral, Halloween, Halloween Events, Phoenix, Phoenix Arizona
Halloween Events in Arizona
Arizona Halloween Fun – Community Information & Referral helps you find the nearest haunted house, hayride, corn mazes, and other family fun events to celebrate Halloween! Please visit our website at … Read more »
Halloween Costume & Other Contests
Family-Friendly Fun
Haunted Attractions
Hayrides & Mazes
Trick or Treating
Community Information & Referral wishes you a safe and happy Halloween!
Phoenix Arizona 