By Pete Wertheim, Communications and Public Affairs Manager

No Arizona event is as steeped in tradition and entertainment as the Prescott Frontier Days and World’s Oldest Rodeo™. This year marks the 126th anniversary of the rodeo and for seven days, July 1-7, Prescott will be consumed by thousands of residents and visitors who will enjoy one of the highest ranking rodeos in the country. More than 600 contestants will be riding, roping and racing to compete for payouts that exceed $250,000.

The rodeo is the largest attraction, but many also flock to downtown Prescott for the second largest parade in Arizona, a fine arts and crafts show, the rodeo dance and a Fourth of July all-day carnival with rides, freestyle motorcross, music and games ending with a spectacular fireworks display.

The Prescott Frontier Days and World’s Oldest Rodeo™ is one of the longest running and biggest Arizona attractions during the week of the Fourth of July. Its legendary status and grandeur earned the City of Prescott the nickname “summer capital of Arizona.”

Wild rodeo action amazes the fans

Thousands line the streets for the Prescott Frontier Days Parade

Watch Doug Von Gausig, League of Arizona Cities and Towns President and Mayor of the Town of Clarkdale, talk about AZ Cities @ Work and the vital services cities and towns in Arizona provide to their communities each and every day.

Maricopa in Motion on My Fox Phoenix with Cory McCloskey! Just another example of AZCities@Work. Visit www.maricopa-az.gov for more info.

Learn what’s being done to bring Arizona’s cities and towns together to better serve their residents.

Tempe: Get engaged in 2013-14 budget efforts!

By: Ken Jones, Finance and Information Technology Director 

The city of Tempe is in the midst of drafting operating and capital budgets for the 2013-14 fiscal year. They will not be finalized until June, but work is progressing to plan for what will be needed to fund city services and capital needs. In addition, the city is planning for the expiration of the additional sales tax approved by voters in 2010. The 2013-14 fiscal year will be the last year with the additional funding from the tax.

For updated details on the formulation of operating and capital budgets, links to the PowerPoint presentation from two February public meetings, as well as projected dates for City Council discussions and votes, visit www.tempe.gov/budgetplan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X3K8NSpsto&feature=youtu.be

Check out this article highlighting some of the important work being done in the Gilbert clerk’s office:

http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/20130318gilbert-town-clerk-preserves-protects-paper-trail.html

Geeks’ Night Out in Tempe

It wasn’t hard to find Tempe’s contribution to the Arizona SciTech Festival. You just had to find your way to Tempe City Hall. The three Dr. Whos, the garrison of storm troopers, the pack of zombies, team of proton-packed ghostbusters and myriad of other costumed characters pointed the way for you.

Amidst all the chaos and fun were more than 60 booths by students, businesses and local groups. At the event, you could find nanotechnology by a collaboration between ASU, Rio Salado College, and the Boys and Girls Clubs. Chevron sponsored five Tempe school booths to showcase their experiments and learning. Mark Taylor brought glow in the dark furniture and awareness on healthy living. Go Daddy, NASA, Honeywell and so many others shared state of the art science and technology. We had an 8’ tall video game by University of Advancing Technology that used Tempe’s streets as a backdrop and a life-size replica of the Dr. Who Tardis – you know, that phone booth he uses to travel through space and time. It was built by a local fan.

We had robots everywhere, including one built by Corona del Sol High School students that shot basketballs in our City Council Chambers. The Tempe City Council proclaimed the third week of February to be Geek Week and the robot accepted the certificate.  

A ballyhoo like Geeks’ Night Out is our sneaky way of getting kids interested in (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) STEM education. They prepared their displays months in advance, learning along the way, and spent an evening telling people about their projects – and hanging out with Darth Vader.

We need the next generation to love science. We need them to know  that it’s fun. Our world has become so much more technologically advanced. We need people who not only have skills to keep advancing us – we need people who love doing it. If we can start now by showing that science and science fiction go hand in hand, that super heroes can be super scientists, we will get there faster. With more flair.

A more sedate portion of our event is the ASU Venture Catalyst Rapid Pitch. We bring together some of the state’s best technology and business experts to judge the concepts and actions of start-up companies. More than $14,000 in prizes were awarded from law firms, Microsoft and marketing companies.

Geek’s Night Out is also our way of thanking the 20 percent of Tempe’s workforce that is currently employed in a tech job. We celebrate their accomplishments and remind them that they are valued with this week. We see people leave their Mill Avenue offices, smile and walk across the street to enjoy the geeky array of fun. 

More than 3,000 people attended the four-hour event. Geeks’ Night Out will happen again next year – we’ve already had people asking if they can get more involved. Join us on the third Thursday of February. Bring your light saber.

Contact us for any questions you may have.

Vice Mayor Onnie Shekerjian – onnie_shekerjian@tempe.gov
Councilmember Robin Arredondo-Savage – robin_arredondo-savage@tempe.gov

Mayor Georgia Lord
City of Goodyear

A frenzy of fans and tourists have returned to the Grand Canyon State for a fun-filled time of year that arrives with the anticipation of the holiday season:

Another spring training season has begun as thousands of fans are converging in Arizona to see their favorite Major League Baseball Team.

A tradition that began with the Cleveland Indians and New York Giants more than 65 years ago, half of baseball’s teams – 15 – today call Arizona their spring training home.

Spring training has boomed into one of the state’s largest tourism draws, generating $422 million a year in annual revenue just during the baseball season alone, according to the results of an economic impact study conducted by Elliot D. Pollack and Company and released by the Cactus League and the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority in December. Overall, spring training facilities around the Grand Canyon state generate $632 million a year, that’s including the off-season events held at the facilities.

Goodyear Ballpark – home to the Cincinnati Reds, baseball’s oldest professional team, and the Cleveland Indians – the first team in the Cactus League, was voted the best place to see a spring training game by readers of the Phoenix New Times two of the last three years.

So, while baseball fever is catching on, catch a game in the Cactus League and see all there is to see in the Grand Canyon State.

Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers
City of Avondale
National League of Cities (NLC) President

I was honored and thrilled to be in the House chamber Tuesday night listening to President Obama’s State of the Union address with the First Lady, and I want to thank them for the opportunity.  I was inspired by  President’s dedication and focus on federal action to help cities address key issues they are facing: the economy, investment into our education, job creation in America, and immigration reform. I wholeheartedly agree with President Obama when he said stronger families make stronger communities, which makes a stronger America, which we strive for everyday in our cities.

I along with many of my colleagues across America urge Congress to quickly take up these efforts to help cities and our families.  These are pressing issues that have been put off for far too long. As the President asserted throughout his speech, stronger communities equal a stronger America. We look forward to working with our Congressional members on behalf of the constituents we collectively serve as we invest in our future.