Kids can have fun and learn about Sonoran Desert ecology at Glendale libraries this June and July. The Great Arizona Puppet Theater will present a free puppet show, “Hotel Saguaro,” at the Foothills Branch Library, 19055 N. 57th Ave., on June 15 at 2 p.m. and at the Glendale Main Library, 5959 W. Brown St., on July 29 at 3 p.m.

“Hotel Saguaro” is sponsored by the Glendale Water Services Department – Conservation and Sustainable Living Division. The show is funded by the Arizona Game and Fish Department Heritage Fund.

This award-winning puppet show features Sammy Saguaro, his wise Grandpa, and all the desert animals that call the saguaro their home. Audiences will discover how the saguaro supports a diversity of Sonoran Desert wildlife by providing food and shelter. An entertaining and educational post-show discussion is included.

The 45-minute play is recommended for kindergarten to third grade students and families. No registration is required. For more information, call 623-930-3550.

For the third consecutive year, the city of Glendale this month is launching a campaign designed to reinforce safety messages during the summer with residents; entitled Operation Safe Summer, kicking off in conjunction with Heat Safety Awareness Day on May 22. The campaign will feature a public event at Westgate Entertainment District on June 19, as well as a bottled water drive throughout the city.

There are several departments that will offer programs and events to remind residents of their mission: to keep the city’s residents safe with an outstanding quality of life. These departments include the Police and Fire Departments, the Transportation Services Department and Parks, Recreation and Library Services.

With a dedicated website and logo, the campaign features a different safety message each week, covering timely summer topics such as kids out of school for the summer, children being home alone and out riding bicycles more often, heat-related issues, vacation and travel safety, BBQ and fireworks precautions, and of course, water and pool safety. Information will be distributed through public facilities in Glendale and at certain events, as well.

The public event will be held on June 19,  6:30-8:30 p.m., called “Surviving the Summer,” at Westgate Entertainment District, 6770 N. Sunrise Blvd. Held in the shopping center’s Fountain Park, this free event will feature a variety of agencies and vendors to educate residents on water and sun safety and much more.

In addition, donated water bottles will be collected at all Glendale fire stations throughout the city, as well as the Glendale Visitor Center in downtown Glendale. The water donation drive will run through the Glendale CVB’s Christmas in July event on July 18. Water will be distributed through Maricopa Association of Government’s (MAG) Heat Relief Regional Network, to the most vulnerable populations in the region to stay hydrated and healthy. MAG’s program offers both hydration stations and refuge locations throughout Maricopa County. For more information on this program, visit http://www.azmag.gov/heatrelief.

For more information on the event and the Operation Safe Summer campaign, including great tips and resources you can take advantage of, visit www.glendaleaz.com/safesummer.

Arizona Cities @ Work is holding a Twitter contest!

You could win an ipad mini!

All you have to do is follow @AzCitiesWork and tweet us why you love your Arizona city or town. You MUST live in a municipally incorporated area in Arizona  in order to win this contest.

(Mentioning your town in the tweet is a plus!)

Then you’ll officially be entered into a drawing to win an ipad mini.

You can enter the contest once per day.  Tweeting @azcitieswork what your love about your Arizona city or town any more than that each day will not increase your chances to win. (So you could potentially enter your name into the drawing six times over the course of the contest.)

You can tweet about @azcitieswork regarding other issues, but only one tweet relating specifically to what you love about your AZ City/ Town will be accounted for per day.

The contest ends Thursday August 21^st at 11:59 p.m. We’ll announce the winner Friday (8/22) morning!

Having trouble thinking of what to tweet? Maybe you love what your town’s parks and recreation department is doing or you love a specific attraction in your town. The sky is the limit! (Although no malicious content will be accounted for.)

For further questions, you can either tweet @AzCitiesWork or email azcitieswork@azleague.org

Tucson recently proclaimed July 28 “Buffalo Solider Resolution Day.”

The proclamation was conducted by the Honorable Jonathan Rothschild and the Honorable Richard Fimbres.

This is part of Tucson’s Buffalo Soldiers Memorial Project, which is a collaboration between City of Tucson, Ward 5, Arizona Historical Society, The Greater southern Arizona Area Chapter, 9th and 10th Cavalry Association, 9th Memorial Cavalry, Inc., 10th Memorial Cavalry, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and Arizona Heritage Tours.

If you don’t reside in Tucson, still feel free to celebrate the Buffalo Soldiers by reading about their history below (retrieved from the Buffalo Soldier Proclamation Program):

In 1866 Congress authorized, for the first time, African Americans to serve in the peacetime army of the United States. Two cavalry and four infantry regiments were created and designated the 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry regiments and the 38th, 39th, 40th, and 41st U.S. Infantry regiments.  The four infantry regiments later became the 24th and 25th Infantry regiments. The all-African American regiments, commanded mostly by white officers, were composed of Civil War veterans, former slaves, and freemen.

Throughout the period of the Indian Wars, about 20% of the U.S. Cavalry troopers and 8% of the infantry soldiers were African American. The Buffalo Soldiers rose above the challenges of harsh living conditions, difficult duty, and racial prejudice to gain a reputation of dedication and bravery. Thirteen Medals of Honor were awarded to Buffalo Soldiers during the Indian Wars, and five were awarded during the Spanish-American War. Stationed on the U.S. frontier from the 1860s to the 1890s, Buffalo Soldiers played a major role in the settlement and development of the American West.  Following the first Buffalo Soldiers, African American regiments later served in the Spanish-American War, Philippine Insurrection, Mexican Punitive Expedition, World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. In the 1950s, African American regiments were disbanded when all military services were integrated. At that time, for the first time, black and white soldiers served together in the same regiments.

Buffalo Soldiers were known to have played a significant historical role in at least six parks in the American Southwest:  Fort Davis National Historic Site (FODA) and Guadalupe Mountains National Park (GUMO) in Texas; Fort Larned N.H.S. (FOLS) in Kansas; and Fort Bowie N.H.S. (FOBO) and Chiricahua National Monument (CHIR) in Arizona. Buffalo Soldiers were also stationed at Fort Huachuca (still an active military installation) near Coronado National Memorial (CORO) in Arizona. Throughout these sites, the soldiers protected traffic on the San Antonio-El Paso Road, helped build Fort Davis into one of the largest posts in Texas, participated in campaigns against Native Americans, protected settlers and guarded stage stations, constructed roads and telegraph lines, and explored and mapped previously unmapped regions.  Colonel Charles Young was the first African-American to head the National Park System.

The Aquaplex in Flagstaff is a multi-generational, multi-scheduled community recreation center with affordable community fitness and fun for everyone!

Recreation, fitness and leisure activities are an essential part of a healthy, well-balanced life, and the Aquaplex offers a full spectrum of programs, drop-in activities and events to help you keep yourself and your family healthy.

Boasting an 8,643-square-foot pool area, there are plenty of aquatic activities available. Take a float down a lazy river current channel with vortex, or slip down one of two body slides that exit and re-enter the building, or take the kids to a splash area with a zero depth entry. Looking for water fitness? Take some laps in the 3-lane lap pool.

But don’t let the name “Aquaplex” fool you – there are plenty of other amenities available as well, such as a birthday party room, meeting, banquet and celebration spaces with the availability of a catering kitchen, and a babysitting area for young children and toddlers

Get fit in the multi-activity gymnasium with state-of-the-art cardio workout equipment and weight room, or participate in the fitness and aerobics rooms with more than 1,715 sq. feet of space, take care of arm and core strength on the two-story climbing wall, or take a jog on the indoor walking and running track.

Whether you’re looking for some fun aquatic activities during those icy winter months, or need a place to keep a healthy lifestyle, the Flagstaff Aquaplex has you covered!

The summer months are here. And as tempting as it might be to keep cool in the pool or hang by your favorite lake, stop and remember to watch those around water who may be susceptible to drowning. Since January 2014, Arizona has had 19 drownings, 8 of which were children. As temperatures in Arizona go up, let’s keep the statistics down!

While there are several ways to prevent water hazards, here are some main points to keep in mind:

1. Staying close, being alert and watching children in and around the pool

• Never leave a child unattended in a pool or spa and always watch your child when he or she is in or near water
• Teach children basic water safety tips
• Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments
• Have a telephone close by when you or your family is using a pool or spa
• If a child is missing, look for him or her in the pool or spa first
• Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors

2.  Learning and practicing water safety skills

• Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim
• Learn to perform CPR on children and adults, and update those skills regularly
• Understand the basics of life-saving so that you can assist in a pool emergency

3.  Having appropriate equipment for your pool or spa

• Install a four-foot or taller fence around the pool and spa and use  self-closing and self-latching gates; ask your neighbors to do the same  at their pools.
• Install and use a lockable safety cover on your spa.
• If your house serves as a fourth side of a fence around a pool,  install door alarms and always use them. For additional protection,  install window guards on windows facing pools or spas.
• Install pool and gate alarms to alert you when children go near the water
• Ensure any pool and spa you use has compliant drain covers, and ask your pool service provider if you do not know
• Maintain pool and spa covers in good working order
• Consider using a surface wave or underwater alarm

Additionally, take a look what various cities and community departments have provided in order to heighten water safety awareness:

• City of Scottsdale: Offers several tips, including CPR class opportunities here.
• City of Casa Grande: Some great tips, resources, and informational video on water safety is provided here.
• City of Maricopa: The city has released some great tips on water safety. Take a look here.
• City aquatics departments: SRP Safety Connection partners with city aquatics departments in Maricopa County during the summer to sponsor free or reduced-price swimming lessons at selected Valley public pools. This year, SRP will sponsor free swimming lessons through the city of Mesa’s Making Waves program and reduced-price swimming lessons through the city of Phoenix’s Kool Kids program.
• City of Yuma: With several facts and statistics, Yuma illustrates the importance of water safety and provides several resources and tips as well, here.
• City of Tucson: Provides the “ABC’s” of water safety with helpful pointers on supervising children around water, here.
• City of Chandler: With their slogan “Eye to Eye to Supervise,” Chandler rallies water safety through helpful videos and tips here.
• Salt River Project: Here is a special video provided by SRP on water safety and how to use life-saving techniques in the event of a water incident: http://youtu.be/wK5xkel_GUQ

Let this month serve as a reminder to always practice water safety – no matter what time of year it is!

The Town of Gilbert celebrates its 2014 Playful City USA status. Gilbert is one of four cities in AZ to receive the award eight consecutive times.

KaBOOM! recently announced its Playful City USA honorees: communities that are leaders in “playability,” the commitment to providing balanced and active play to children.

The KaBOOM! Playful City USA program honors cities, towns and communities across America that are taking bold steps to ensure that all children, especially the 16 million American kids living in poverty, have easy access to balanced and active play in their communities. 212 cities nationwide have been recognized this year, 12 of which are in Arizona.

Playful City USA honorees include major cities such as Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Chicago. In Arizona, these honorees include cities and towns across the state. They range from eight-time honorees like Chandler, Gilbert, Tucson and Yuma, to first-time recipient Prescott Valley.

Tempe is once again recognized by KaBOOM! as a Playful City USA community for its commitment to keeping kids active through accessible playspaces and youth sports programs.

These Playful City USA communities are making a commitment to transform their communities to become more playable by developing unique local action plans to increase the quantity and quality of play in their community.

Playful City USA Honorees in Arizona: 

Buckeye
Casa Grande
Chandler
Coolidge
Gilbert
Maricopa
Mesa
Oro Valley
Prescott Valley
Tempe
Tucson
Yuma

To see the full list of the 212 communities named 2014 Playful City USA honorees, or for more information on the Playful City USA program, visit www.playfulcityusa.org.

The Tree City USA program is a national program that provides the framework for community forestry management for cities and towns across America.

Communities achieve Tree City USA status by meeting four core standards of sound urban forestry management. The first is maintaining a tree board or department, and the second is having a community tree ordinance. These communities must also spend at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and lastly, celebrate Arbor Day.

Participating communities have demonstrated a commitment to caring for and managing their public trees. Together the more than 3,400 Tree City USA communities serve as home to more than 135 million Americans.

Arizona’s very own City of Scottsdale has been a Tree City USA community for an impressive 32 years, the highest of all of Arizona’s other cities and towns. Pine-Top Lakeside, however, isn’t far behind at 29 years, with Phoenix following at 28 years. Congratulations to the Town of Patagonia, who just joined the list this past year.

To see a full list of Arizona cities and towns with Tree City USA designations, visit: http://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA/treecities.cfm?chosenstate=Arizona

This week is the 45^th Annual Municipal Clerks Week!

Municipal Clerks Week is a week-long event aimed at increasing the public’s awareness of municipal clerks and the vital services they provide for local government and the community.

Municipal Clerks Week has been sponsored by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks since 1969. In 1984 and in 1994, Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, respectively, signed a proclamation officially declaring Municipal Clerks Week the first full week of May and recognizing the essential role municipal clerks play in local government.

City or town clerks have a variety of functions, including preparing agendas, taking minutes, maintaining ordinance and resolution files, keeping the city or town’s historical records, and processing permits. In addition to keeping records and maintaining the city’s documents, a clerk is responsible for administering local elections.

Municipal and Deputy Clerks’ main function is to serve as the council’s foundation. Other duties include, but are not limited to, preparing agendas, taking minutes, maintaining ordinance and resolutions files, keeping the municipality’s historical records, processing permits and serving as the clearinghouse for information about the local government. They also record the actions of the various commissions and committees appointed by the council. Many serve as financial officers or treasurers, and in small municipalities, may act as chief administrative officers. Another important responsibility is administering part or all of the local election functions.

Thank you, Arizona city and town clerks, for all that you do. You are some of the many reasons why Arizona Cities and Towns work!

The rapidly growing Town of Marana has launched an advertising campaign that highlights the quality of life its residents are offered.  From posters to videos, the completely “in house” production covers all that makes this charming community a truly special place to live.

Boasting everything from its scope of fun activity and impressive range of advanced economic opportunity, the launch remains overwhelmed with resident delight.

Impressively enough, “in house” producing included not only subject recruitment, but scheduling, photography, and even graphic design.

What makes Marana your town? Click the above video to see a variety of residents and even summer vacationers discussing their different, yet very pleasant, experiences of Marana living.