The 2016 Republic Services Arizona Celebration of Freedom is Monday, July 4 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. For the third consecutive year, this free event and the “coolest” independence festival in Arizona, will be held at the Mesa Convention Center and Mesa Amphitheatre campus, 263 N. Center St., and along Center Street between First Street and University Drive.

Fireworks will begin at 9:30 p.m.

The Arizona Celebration of Freedom includes live music, patriotic displays, a naturalization ceremony, family fun, fireworks and much more! The festival will include Revolutionary War reenactments from We Make History, the only reenactment group of its type in the southwestern United States. There will also be a Fallen Heroes Memorial honoring the Arizona fallen heroes from the war on terrorism and much more.

There is a new way to get there now that light rail travels through downtown Mesa! Passengers can exit at the Center and Main Street stop and travel north just two blocks on Center Street to reach the event.

The 2016 Republic Services Arizona Celebration of Freedom is presented by KOOL-FM, Downtown Mesa Association, Visit Mesa and the City of Mesa. Other sponsors are Sertoma Club, Entertainment Solutions Inc., American Traffic Solutions, Wal-Mart, Boeing, FCI Constructors, Haydon Building Company, Hilton Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona Republic, Crescent Crown Distributing, CORE Construction, Valley Metro Rail, Century Graphics, Mesa Recycles, Mesa Water, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, Phoenix-Mesa Marriott, Mesa Energy Resources and Special Devices Inc.

Heavy Equipment Operator
City of Mesa

Josh Wolfgramm has worked for the City of Mesa Transportation Department for 11 years.  He started as a street maintenance worker and has worked himself up to heavy equipment operator on the slurry crew.  A slurry seal is a process where a mat of asphalt emulsion, water, and aggregate is applied to the street to create a new surface.  A slurry seal is used to extend the life of the existing pavement when it starts to show signs of deterioration.  On the slurry crew, Josh operates a heavy piece of equipment called a sand conveyor but is nicknamed a “salad shooter.”  Josh also gets called on to help with many other different tasks, like cleaning up trees after a storm.  His supervisor describes Josh as clever, helpful, and eager – a perfect combination of traits when you are on a transportation field crew and get called on to do many things!

Josh is unique in that he works with and operates heavy equipment during the day, but away from work he is a Polynesian dancer.  Yes, a dancer!  He performs every weekend with a group called the Royal Islanders for special events all around the Valley.  The dance that Josh performs is part of the grand finale and is called the Samoan Fire Knife dance.  During this dance he twirls a heavy baton-like knife that is on fire on both ends.  Josh learned Polynesian dance as a young boy growing up in New Zealand.

Josh moved to the United States 15 years ago after he saw a stunningly beautiful woman performing a Polynesian dance while he was visiting.  It was love at first sight and Josh moved to the US to marry the beautiful dancer, whose name is Sadie.  Together Josh and Sadie have four sons who range in age from five to 12.  The boys are following in their parent’s footsteps and perform Polynesian dance, too.

Aside from working full-time, dancing on the weekends, and attending his sons’ sporting events, Josh is taking college courses, as well.  Somehow he finds time to do it all!

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. 241 cities nationwide have been recognized this year, 14 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 nine-time honorees like Chandler, Gilbert, and Tucson, to first-time recipients like Avondale, Florence, and Queen Creek.

Tempe is once again recognized by KaBOOM! as a Playful City USA 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. Listed below are the Arizona cities that were given the “playful” title and the number of years they have won:

Avondale: 1

Buckeye: 4

Casa Grande: 7

Chandler: 9

Coolidge: 8

Florence: 1

Fountain Hills: 5

Gilbert: 9

Mesa: 7

Oro Valley: 5

Prescott Valley: 2

Queen Creek: 1

Tempe: 7

Tucson: 9

Playful City USA Honorees in Arizona: 

To see the full list of the 241 communities named 2015 Playful City USA honorees, or for more information on the Playful City USA program, visit www.playfulcityusa.org.

New Year’s Resolution – Get Outside!
This is the time of year that we relish after those long, hot, tortuous days of summer. Why not make a New Year’s resolution to get outdoors and enjoy your city or town?

If you’ve got sunshine in southern Arizona, a hike up a mountain trail is the perfect way to spend your winter afternoon. The Town of Marana has numerous outdoor recreation opportunities, including more than 30 miles of trails in the Tortolia Mountains. The Town offers free Saturday morning guided hikes for individuals to get exercise, have fun and meet fellow hikers. Put it on your list to breathe in the fresh air and join them for one of these events!

City of Mesa has a way to get outdoors and support a great cause! Their sixth annual Run, Walk & Roll 5K/10K is being held on Saturday, Jan. 10 at Mesa Riverview Park. Participants of all ages and ability levels are encouraged to sign up. The race will bring together the entire community to support sports and recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities. For more info or to register, visit www.RunWalkRollAz.com. Be sure to check our Mesa Parks & Recreation for even more outdoor opportunities to start 2015 off right!

If a relaxing afternoon in the park is more your speed, look no further than the City of Surprise’s 2nd Sunday in the Park. Enjoy an afternoon at the park with live musical entertainment on the second Sunday of each month. The free family event is fun for all ages. Upcoming shows will be held on Januray 11, February 8 and March 8. Click here to find events happening in Surprise all year long!

And don’t forget about SNOW! Northern Arizona and the White Mountains have plenty of opportunities to ski, snowboard and build snowmen. Check out the Great Arizona Road Trip for more ideas for cold weather adventures and year-round activities!

This week is Arizona’s 13th Annual Cities & Towns Week. It’s a week to celebrate and appreciate the work of Arizona’s 91 municipalities. Cities and towns work everyday to ensure safety, protection, well-being, convenience and enrichment for all  those who live, work and play in their communities.

Check out these awesome posters celebrating Arizona Cities & Towns Week!

Lake Havasu City: 

Glendale: 

 Mesa: 

Cottonwood: 

Arizona’s cities and towns are constantly working to ensure the safety of their citizens. To continue their focus on safety, especially for those younger citizens, many cities and towns in Arizona will be participating in the nationwide Child Passenger Safety Week.

Child Passenger Safety Week will be held September 14-20 in an effort to inform parents and caregivers of the proper safety measures that need to be taken when transporting children.

Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1-13. These incidents can many times be prevented with the proper use of car seats, booster seats and seat belts. Saturday, Sept. 14 is “Seat Check Saturday,” a national day devoted to ensuring children’s car seats are properly installed.

The Surprise Police and Fire-Medical Departments will be hosting two child safety seat clinics to provide information on the different types of child passenger safety seats and educate the public on proper installation of the seats. The city’s clinics will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 16 and Saturday, Sept. 20 from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. at Surprise Fire Station #305. For more information, visit www.surpriseaz.gov/carseat.

Other cities and towns host regular car seat checks. The City of Chandler will be holding a car seat clinic each Saturday in September. The City of Buckeye, City of Mesa , City of Scottsdale and City of Sierra Vista are just a few others who regularly hold free car seat checks.

To find an upcoming seat check event near you, visit www.azgohs.gov or contact your local city or town.

Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center – Photo Courtesy City of Chandler

Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center 

It’s as if a part of one of the bigger water parks resides within the Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center. Included in the center is a lazy river, water vortex, two water slides, family pool with zero-depth entry, toddler slides, and a 752-gallon “big blue bucket.”

http://www.chandleraz.gov/default.aspx?pageid=733 

Gilbert Aquatics 

Gilbert Aquatics encompasses four public pools: Greenfield pool, Mesquite Aquatic Center, Perry Pool and Williams Field Pool. Visitors of anyone of these locations will be kept busy with the many amenities offered. Between the four pools are water slides, a kiddie slide, a zero depth area, splash pads, tumble buckets, a water sprinkler, geysers, diving boards and shade ramadas. Events like a Family Pirate Party and Dive-in-Movies help to further enhance visitors’ experience.

http://www.gilbertaz.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/aquatics

Rhodes Aquatic Center

The Rhodes Aquatics Center is a place for those who miss the California tides. Aside from its beach-like entry, a splash pad, tumble buckets, and eight lap lanes, the Rhodes Aquatics Complex is also home to the famous FlowRider. The FlowRider crosses snowboarding, skateboarding and wakeboarding into an exciting ride as it simulates real waves that guests of the center can surf. The best part is that anyone can take on the FlowRider. Someone with no experience can jump on a boogie board and almost instantly start doing tricks.

http://www.mesaaz.gov/parksrec/Aquatics/pools/Rhodes.aspx

Kiwanis Wave Pool 

Kiwanis Wave Pool has brought the ocean to Arizona. With its pool that generates three-foot waves, guests can escape to Arizona’s indoor water haven. Kiwanis wave pool also offers a lap pool with six lanes, a 15 ft. tall double spiral water slide along with raft and tube rentals so guests can fully experience those waves.

http://www.tempe.gov/kiwanis 

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.