HEADLINE NEWS
Attend tomorrow’s Arbor Day Celebration, our final Earth Week event. The program takes place at 8 a.m. Friday, April 29, at the Bell Road Sports Complex, 9390 E. Bell Road. Mayor Ortega will read the Arbor Day proclamation and participate in a tree planting ceremony. Guest speakers include representatives from the Scottsdale Garden Club and Scottsdale Environmental Advisory Commission. Scottsdale is proud to be recognized as a Tree City USA community for the 40th year, more times than any other Arizona community. Read more about the Arbor Day Foundation and the criteria to be a Tree City.
The Scottsdale City Council approved the 2022 Transportation Plan at its April 26 meeting. The plan is focused on flexible transportation planning, implementing new technology and investing in existing infrastructure. TAP 2022 is divided into five elements: Streets, Transit, Bikeways, Pedestrian Use and Trails.
TAP 2022 was developed alongside the city’s 2035 General Plan and replaces the 2016 Transportation Master Plan. Approval by the City Council was preceded by a year-long public involvement process including stakeholder meetings, input from the Scottsdale Transportation Commission and a work study session with City Council members. Learn more about the plan.
Scottsdale Water Administrator Kevin Rose captures Arizona’s “Operation Leader of the Year.” Rose, who started with the city in 2017, oversees 180 employees and directs all utility operating departments including water, wastewater and recycled water. Scottsdale Water also was recognized for its outstanding safety performance with eight facilities receiving awards. Read more.
Enjoy free concerts at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, Sundays, May 1-29. Rock and roll at the railroad park is back on track! Enjoy free concerts, from 7:30-9 p.m., showcasing a variety of local bands. Bring a blanket or chair and relax in the park. Pack a picnic, or enjoy something tasteful from Hartley’s General Store or one of the food trucks that will be onsite. The park’s iconic steam engines pull the Paradise & Pacific Railroad. Train and Carousel rides are $3. Children two and younger ride free with a paying adult.
New theatrical work, “DANCING WITH THE UNIVERSE | Native Style,” debuts May 7, at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. This production, created by Derrick Suwaima Davis, tells the story of seasons and cycles and the value of respecting the natural order of the universe. It combines individual numbers focusing on music and dance to tell a story of universe, this planet and the living creatures who dwell here, including human beings. Some of the performances draw on traditions of specific Southwest tribes, from the Tohono O’odham to the Apache, while others refer to common powwow performances, most often linked to the traditions of Great Plains cultures. Learn more and buy tickets.
Ongoing Events and Activities:
Prescription Drug Take Back available at two Scottsdale locations Saturday. The collections – which take place 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 30 – are part of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s 17th Annual National Prescription Drug Take-Back. Bring your pills for disposal to the Granite Reef Senior Center, 1700 N. Granite Reef Road, or Foothills District Police Station in the Market Street Plaza at DC Ranch, 20363 N. Pima Road. Please do not bring liquids of any kind. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 6 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that many abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
Scottsdale Senior Services adds new food program for adults 60 and older. Granite Reef Senior Center recently started participating in the “Commodity Supplemental Food Program.” This program, in partnership with St. Mary’s Food Bank and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides food items to the 60 and older community in Scottsdale. There is a limited supply of boxes given each month. This service is provided in addition to the 200 seniors served in the Brown Bag Program. Call the Granite Reef Senior Center at 480-312-1700 to find out how you can help or get help.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has issued a high ozone pollution advisory for Friday-Monday, April 29-May 2. Those with respiratory sensitivities are advised to take precautions during outdoor activities.
Please reduce ozone by doing one or more of the following:
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Use gas or electric instead of burning wood
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Ride transit, carpool or telework
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Eliminate unnecessary driving and/or combine trips
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Avoid dirt roads
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Avoid using leaf blowers
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If burning wood for heat or food preparation, use dry wood (burning wet wood releases more particulate matter)
Thanks to you, the Adopt-a-Road program achieves record-breaking cleanup. Seventy-one volunteer groups participated in the Adopt-a-Road citywide cleanup April 23 to celebrate Earth Day. Just more than 500 people cleaned 142 miles of roadway and removed more than two tons of trash during the event. That’s a 14% increase in participation over the fall 2021 event. Learn more about the program.
Pima Park Butterfly Garden is ready for residents and pollinators to enjoy. The garden includes a new pedestrian path, more than 125 plants, 15 trees, four benches and metal art. More than 40 volunteers from PHX Architecture, First Christian Church and HonorHealth Ambassadors provided about 240 volunteer hours at a value worth over $5,000 that resulted in significant enhancements to Pima Park at 86th Street and Thomas Road.
Ross Aviation, a fixed-base operator at Scottsdale Airport, achieves certification as a Green Aviation Business. The certification is in accordance with the National Air Transportation Association’s new sustainability standard for aviation businesses, which provides a certification process for pursuing cost-effective options to lower their carbon footprints. The company plans to play a role in crafting new sustainability standards with its carbon offset programs, offer customers sustainably obtained aviation fuel and pursue other key initiatives.
View Scottsdale traffic restrictions. Access information in our map center.
