Smithsonian Exhibit Journey Stories

The Smithsonian Exhibit “Journey Stories” is here to stay until April 5th, and residents of Sierra Vista are loving it.

Culture influences, automobile evolution, and what has driven Americans from coast to coast are just a few of the engaging topics covered at this unique presentation, which is open Monday-Saturday, free of charge, at the city’s Henry F. Hauser Museum.

The idea that “everyone has a story” is a central theme of Journey Stories. The tales of travel to America-whether in hopes of a better life, by force, or original settlement-carry significant impact in the country’s history and formation, and the continuing diversification of its modern-day culture.

The Exhibit is a collaboration between both the Smithsonian Institution and State Humanities Councils, and is made possible by Arizona Humanities Council. It has been displayed in nearly 100 communities located in 18 different states. Nancy Krieski, the Hauser Museum curator, was quite instrumental in pulling together the countless events and activities complementing the exhibit on its opening day. Engaging speakers, a variety educational entertainment, and local storytelling were among a lengthy list of other complementary attractions residents enjoyed on February 22. Krieski expressed gratitude and appreciation of volunteers and donors that made a memorable opening day possible.

Those who missed the excitement from the February exhibit opening needn’t worry, as there are a variety of complementary events scheduled until the end of March. Aviation & Military Enthusiasts will love the presentation of Douglas Army Air Field, previously “one of Arizona’s largest and most important training bases.” Railroad buffs will appreciate the upcoming “tales and truths” session about railroads in Cochise County, set to take place on March 15. A tour and presentation of the unique Camp Naco historic site will happen on March 29, and a delightful “Children’s Music Maker” workshop is scheduled for March 30.

For more information, call the Museum at 439.2306 or visit www.SierraVistaAZ.gov.

Phoenix City Clerk Cris Meyer was named the 2013 Clerk of the Year by the Arizona Municipal Clerks’ Association (AMCA) at its annual conference..  The Municipal Clerk of the Year award is given annually to a deserving candidate selected by the AMCA’s Executive Board to recognize an AMCA member who has made significant contributions to the profession.  In addition to advising clerks across the state, Meyer serves as the AMCA Legislative Committee Chair and does training on campaign finance law at each annual elections conference.

“Cris consistently finds new and improved ways of serving the public,” said former Phoenix City Manager David Cavazos.  “Those innovations have become models for other local governments.  He is a tremendous asset to the city of Phoenix and is well-deserving of this honor.”

Meyer has been involved in Phoenix elections in various capacities since he joined the city in 1985 and has participated in conducting more than 30 elections.  He has managed the development and implementation of Phoenix’s successful early voting by mail program that now accounts for more than 90 percent of all ballots cast.  Most recently, he managed the launch of the city’s innovative voting centers, which is the first in the nation to offer three days of voting, with one of those days being a Saturday.

He is the recipient of several public service awards, including the Governor’s Excellence Award in 1994 for coordinating a state interagency effort to better handle child support cases.  He also received a City Excellence Award in 2011 and 1997.

Meyer has a law degree from the University of Illinois and is a member of the Bar in Arizona and Illinois.  Prior to joining the city of Phoenix, he worked as a law clerk in federal district court and as assistant attorney general in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

The success of a cleanup in December 2013 has prompted the City of Buckeye to host a second cleanup event near Skyline Park, an 8,675 acre mountain preserve set to open in 2015. The City of Buckeye is seeking volunteers and community groups to participate in the second cleanup to remove trash and debris that has accumulated from illegal shooting and dumping occurring on Arizona State Trust Land just south of the future park entrance.  The first cleanup kicked off an educational campaign to inform the public the area known informally as “Shotgun Alley” is closed to shooting and dumping.  During that event, 200 volunteers removed over 37,000 pounds of trash.

“During the first cleanup, we filled eight 20-yard dumpsters with trash, and the work done by all those volunteers made a huge impact.  You can definitely see a difference,” Wisener said.  “But there’s more work to be done to bring that area back to its beautiful desert foothills setting.”

A major part of the effort to restore that setting will be to continue an educational campaign by Buckeye police to turn away target shooters who previously had used the State Trust Land illegally.  “The area had become a popular place to shoot, with people bringing old TVs, appliances and glass bottles to use as targets and then leaving the trash behind,” Wisener said.     “We were starting to see the shooting and dumping spill onto the future Skyline Park and wanted to get the issues under control before the park opens in 2015.”

Police Chief Larry Hall said off-duty officers have been stationed at the end of the paved access road to the site on weekends.  “This is an area that will be used by Buckeye residents to access the future Skyline Park, so we want to make sure the public knows it is illegal to use any firearms there,” Hall said.   “Skyline Park will be a beautiful place for everyone who enjoys the outdoors, and we want to make sure it is a safe place for people of all ages to do just that.”

Buckeye is leasing the 8,675 acres from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as part of the Recreation and Public Purpose Act, which allows BLM to lease lands at no cost if it will benefit the public.  Improvements slated to be constructed by the City of Buckeye as part of Phase I include trailheads/parking areas with connections to existing trails, a gatehouse/entrance station, restrooms, camping sites, picnic areas and an environmental education programming area.  Construction will begin during the latter part of 2014 with the grand opening expected in 2015.

For additional information on the Cleanup on March 8^th, please visit www.buckeyeaz.gov/events or contact Robert Wisener at 623-349-6621 or at rwisener@buckeyeaz.gov.

Mesa City Manager Chris Brady at “Celebrate Mesa” event with wife Shawna and daughter Whitney

At the Arizona City/County Management Association’s Winter Conference Awards Ceremony, Mesa City Manager Chris Brady  was awarded the John J. Debolske Award, the highest honor that ACMA bestows upon an active Arizona city or county manager.  The namesake of the award, Jack DeBolkse, was the Executive Director of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns for 40 years, and was an advocate for the council-manager form of government.

Chris was recognized for his 25 years of service to the local government profession, and most notably his outstanding accomplishments in Mesa by partnering with the Mesa City Council, city staff and our residents in creating transformational projects to build a better Mesa.  As city manager, Chris steered Mesa through some of the most difficult economic times in recent history.  He made certain that Mesa would be in a stronger position to progress during and after the recession. Even during these times, in 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2013 the city was successful in having Mesa voters approve bonds for public safety facilities, utility infrastructure, streets, parks and cultural facilities to enhance the lives of Mesa residents.

Mesa has recently achieved great economic development success in extending light rail through downtown Mesa which will open in 2015 with another 2-mile extension planned to open in 2018;  recruited five liberal arts colleges to Mesa,  housing some of them in once vacant buildings; retained the Chicago Cubs and just opened the new Cubs Spring Training Complex and adjacent spectacular Riverview Park;  came to an agreement with the Oakland Athletics to rehab the Cubs former stadium so they can begin Spring Training in 2015; and brought an Apple manufacturing facility to Mesa. Through Chris’ leadership, these successes have gained Mesa national and international recognition as being tactically bold and forward thinking.

Chris was also recognized for creating a leadership pipeline, fostering the next generation of local government leaders and ensuring the future success of the city of Mesa by developing all levels of the organization. Chris regularly meets with college students to share his expertise, has created internship and full-time employment opportunities for recent college graduates, created the Executive Manager Program which rotates four city employees per year through the city manager’s office, and regularly shares Mesa’s best practices with other communities at national and state conferences.

“This is an incredible and unexpected honor.” Brady said, “I have devoted my professional life to public service and my experience in the city of Mesa over the last 8 years has been both challenging and rewarding. The community, city employees and elected officials have worked hard to bring many successful projects and initiatives to fruition.”

Report identifies key performance metrics; promotes transparency and opportunities for increased efficiency

The town of Gilbert is pleased to present its first benchmark report, which is available online at http://www.gilbertaz.gov/home/showdocument?id=2862. Created as a component of the town’s performance management strategy, the report includes 83 measures across 17 departments, utilizing a total of 33 benchmarks in 15 states. Ten Arizona communities are listed as benchmarks.

Navigating the Report
Page 11 provides a map of the benchmark communities in each state; pages 12-15 include a matrix of the benchmarks and departments, as well as some high-level comparative data, such as median home value and per capita income. Department benchmarks begin on page 17.

Benchmark Uses and Benefit to Citizens
Benchmarks provide greater context to municipal operations and are a valuable tool in gauging performance. They allow a city or town to look outside its four walls to examine how it compares to other municipalities of similar size and function. Similarly, benchmarks offer citizens perspective on the various services their city or town provides. For example: How many acres of developed parks are in each community? What are average response times for fire and emergency services? How do local sales tax rates compare? What would an average monthly water bill cost?

These measures and many more are included in the report.

For the town of Gilbert, benchmarks were also designed to identify not only where the town is excelling, but also where the organization might look to incorporate demonstrated successes and process improvements that other organizations have explored.

As other cities and towns explore similar efforts, each will be able to share data and compare operations – all with the ultimate goal of determining the services and offerings that are best fit for each community. To that end, the town of Gilbert is a member of the Valley Benchmarking Cities group through the Alliance for Innovation and ASU, a group comprised of several Phoenix metropolitan area cities that meet monthly to share and discuss performance metric data. The member cities have been a tremendous help in sharing data and providing feedback on the Gilbert report. The town looks forward to continuing its work with this group.

Through these and other efforts, the town of Gilbert’s performance management strategy drives the organization to continually seek new opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of services.

Questions? Comments? Visit http://www.gilbertaz.gov/departments/management-budget.

The fact that Arizona is a “leader of science, technology, and innovation” must be celebrated. During Arizona SciTech, this is exactly the commitment Arizonans enthusiastically fulfill.

While the festival generates awareness of what an “immense potential” both research and technology offer to the state’s bright future,  residents engaging in its various events and activities will also encompass the significant roles both fields have played throughout  Arizona’s past and in maintaining its dignitary present. The SciTech Festival is recognized state-wide as a “powerful vehicle for leveraging productive synergy in the scientific, educational, and business communities.” This  celebration continues to not only further address the state’s education, economic, and workforce needs, but is dedicated to increasing the number of future leaders and innovators in all STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math).

Throughout both February and March, cities and towns will commence SciTech Festival in unique and fun ways. Residents scattered throughout Arizona will appreciate the especially diverse scattering of event settings, and can count on topics and activities that will capture their interest. From concerts to workshops, the majority of occurrences are free, completely open to the public, and even within close proximity of public transportation.

The City of Glendale kicks off its 2nd Annual Passport to science Series. A proud partner of the Arizona SciTech Festival, Glendale is hosting a series of events to promote science, technology, engineering and math within their city. They are also collaborating with the Glendale-based HEROES for Students in a joint initiative to promote science to students.

The City of Cottonwood will host an interactive session of water system testing followed by a tour of it’s wastewater treatment plant. Residents will see how their city utilizes biology and chemistry to not only turn wastewater into reclaimed water, but even recycle it.

The City of Chandler will dedicate three days to invention exploration. Residents can take advantage of the unique opportunities to explore the discoveries and science instrumental to daily life.

The Town of Gilbert is giving residents and visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the science of the city, with tours featuring its water treatment plant and innovative solar projects.

The City of Tempe will blend science, technology and fun during its Geek’s Night Out. This family-friendly event will host several booths showing how the next generation of Tempe’s workforce  is using science to address world-wide concerns.

The City of Buckeye held its air fair event last weekend, where attendees enjoyed seeing aviation demonstrations, aircraft displays, and even a car show, among many other features.

 The City of Scottsdale’s Science Week promises fun for everyone as residents fuel their imaginations and learn about the science’s contribution to baseball and various city services. 

To learn about the Arizona  Sci-Tech Festival and see a full listing of upcoming events, visit: azscitechfest.org.

In Apache Junction, George Hoffman serves as the City Manager. Serving his community since 1987, Hoffman is an excellent leader, implementing long-lasting improvements and holding high ethical standards. He has prepared the community for growth, positively positioned the community with a low level of bonded indebtedness and demonstrated that Apache Junction is a community on the forefront with the first LEED Certified municipal building in Arizona.

George has not only benefited the citizens of Apache Junction; he strives to ensure positive and proactive partnerships with the business community, as well as other government entities in the region. Hoffman said that as city employees, they are “blessed to have responsibility for an organization and for a community.” He said that they “do not ‘own’ the organization, but we have the opportunity to serve others and to leave an organization and a community better than when we started.”

For his leadership and dedication, George recently received the 2013 Dwight W. Patterson Lifetime Achievement Award from the East Valley Partnership.

City managers like George are some of the many people who make Arizona cities and towns work!

The Arizona cities and towns of Queen Creek, Oro Valley and Yuma are making 2014 a celebration of their past, present, and future. In honor of Queen Creek’s 25th year as an incorporated town, its residents are invited to help design a special commemorative flag. Designs are encouraged to include symbols, original logos, text, and anything residents believe represents their unique community. While all submissions will be featured on the town’s websites and various social media outlets, the winner will enjoy having his or her flag flown proudly in Queen Creek during the rest of year.

To recognize its 40th year as an incorporated town, Oro Valley will be encouraging its students, K-12, to participate in  a “Life in OV” art contest. Entries may include  simple artwork or photography, or even a video clip, altered image, or digital collage for the especially tech savvy. Each participant should include a brief explanation of how their creation embodies life in Oro Valley.  All artwork entries will be displayed at Oro Valley Town Hall, and Mayor Hiremath will announce  the four lucky winners at Steam Pump Ranch. Winners will not only enjoy a special lunch invitation with the Mayor himself, but a $100 gift card and even a family four pack of day passes to the town’s Aquatic Center.

The City of Yuma will be celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and residents and visitors will not want to miss the official April 7th kick-off to the city’s Centennial Celebration.  Attendees will enjoy the proclamation by Mayor Doug Nicholls and the lighting of the new Main Street signs by Governor Brewer.  The talented Ms. Arizona will even be singing the National Anthem. On the 9th, the city’s Art Center will unveil  a photo display 100 years in the making. Residents will not only get a glimpse of what life has been like in Yuma from 1914 to now, but will do so enjoying live entertainment and light refreshments. Anyone with a photo to contribute to this special display may contact the Yuma Art Center at 928.373.5202.

Monday, Jan. 20 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and celebrations in 2014 will serve to strengthen communities and accomplish collective goals. The Corporation for National and Community Service has set this day aside as a day of service nationwide, to honor the memory and service of Dr. King. Many of Arizona’s cities and towns will honor Dr. King’s commitment to creating positive community change through various clean-up tasks and volunteer projects.

Phoenix volunteers will come together to for a special garden harvest project that will provide a healthy food source to low income residents.

Nearly 200 of Glendale participants will spend the day at Sahuaro Ranch Park Historic Area picking citrus for use in food boxes from St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance.

Show Low volunteers and employees will meet at their City Hall to carry out various community cleaning assignments.

City of Mesa participants will take the day to show their appreciation for a retired Air Force Veteran by painting the exterior of his home

Clearly, cities and towns in Arizona are committed to, as Show Low says, transforming the holiday from a “day off” to a “day on.”  

Cities and towns in Arizona are safe places to live- thanks to the many who serve  daily on municipal public safety forces. We are grateful for the many first  responders who keep our cities and towns working day in and day out.

In the Town of Oro Valley, Police Chief Daniel Sharp keeps safety at the forefront.

Chief Sharp has served as Chief of Police since January 2000 and is an  extraordinary asset to the town. In addition to implementing a community  policing strategy, he has demonstrated a commitment to community programs  such as Adopt-A-Business, Project Graduation and the School Resource Officer  Program. In fact, under his leadership, the Oro Valley Police Department’s School  Resource Officers (SRO) Unit was chosen as a model SRO agency by the Arizona School Resource Officers Association.

In August, Chief Sharp was named recipient of the Greater Oro Valley Chamber of  Commerce 2013 Legacy Award in recognition of his long-term contributions to  the well-being of the Greater Oro Valley community.

Oro Valley Mayor Satish I. Hiremath add, “Not only has he created a safe environment in which we can thrive, but he has also taught our children the values of respect, honesty and integrity through public safety.”

Thank you, Chief Sharp! You are one of the many reasons why Arizona Cities and Towns work!