Scottsdale Update - Feb. 6, 2023

HEADLINE NEWS

Scottsdale community survey available for all residents. The National Community Survey allows residents to rate their overall quality of life and provide specific feedback about municipal services, public safety, customer service and their level of participation in community events and activities. 

In January, the survey went to 5,500 randomly selected Scottsdale households. This random sample will provide results that are representative of the entire community within a known margin of error. The city is now making the online survey available to every resident. Feedback provided through these surveys will help the city and City Council prioritize initiatives, services and programs. 

Participating is easy - visit these links on Polco, the city's online survey platform: 

Once you have answered the questions, you will be asked to provide your email and zip code. This lets us be sure we are hearing from each person only once. Your response will remain confidential - no individual responses or data will be shared with the city. All responses are reported in group form only. 

Participating in this online survey will also allow residents to opt-in to future feedback opportunities from the city of Scottsdale, which plans to ask for input about other topics, ideas, initiatives and issues in the future. 

Share your thoughts on Old Town Scottsdale’s growth and development by Wednesday, Feb. 8. The call for public participation coincides with proposed updates to the city’s Old Town Scottsdale Area Plan, as well as downtown sections of the city’s Zoning Ordinance. Last updated in 2018, the Old Town Scottsdale Character Area Plan serves as the comprehensive policy document that guides growth and development decisions for downtown Scottsdale.

The self-guided tour facilitates feedback on various topics. Each session includes a presentation and questions for participants to answer that are specific to each topic. Participate and learn more

Get the scoop on Scottsdale Super Season. Scottsdale Super Season is jam-packed with special events you won’t want to miss. Find all the details so you can join the fun! Watch this.

Highlights: 

  • Known as "The Greatest Show on Grass," the WM Phoenix Open is one of the PGA Tour’s most exciting stops. The event has gained legendary status for combining great golf, great weather and a festive atmosphere, unlike any other tournament. The open runs Feb. 6-12, at Scottsdale’s TPC. Get parking information and directions. Statewide real-time highway condition information is available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov or by calling 511.

  • Super Bowl: Learn about various Big Game activities and information:

    • Join the city of Scottsdale weekday mornings for the Historic Old Town ESPN Main Street Tailgate. The countdown is on to Super Bowl LVII, and Scottsdale is excited to host ESPN’s live broadcast leading up to the game. Starting Feb. 8, ESPN will begin broadcasting bright and early from Old Town Scottsdale with First Take, followed later in the day with NFL Live and SportsCenter. Beat the crowds by heading to the Historic Old Town ESPN Main Street Tailgate from 8-10 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday that week. Though festivities will continue through 8 p.m. each day, you’ll have a better chance of appearing on national television weekday mornings. In doing so, you’ll help Old Town Scottsdale shine on a national stage, support area businesses and inspire future travel to the destination. Get a preview. While there, snap a Super Bowl LVII selfie in Old Town Scottsdale. Tag @AZSuperBowl on your Instagram photos for a chance to win cool prizes and share it with #ScottsdaleSuperSeason too.

    • Scottsdale Arts is joining with the NFL Professional Athletes Foundation and local arts collaborative COLE/LAB to host “Arts & Athletics” from 3-5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at Scottsdale Civic Center. It will showcase artwork by professional athletes from the NFL, NBA, MLB and other organizations. More than a dozen large-scale works will be on display in the outdoor setting near the recently reinstalled “Windows to the West” sculpture by Louise Nevelson. NFL pros — including former and current Arizona Cardinals stars Larry Fitzgerald and Kelvin Beachum — will be in attendance along with other athlete artists. The event is free; learn more.

    • Super Bowl – Know Before You Go. Looking forward to participating in the Super Bowl LVII festivities across the Valley in the coming weeks? Take 10 minutes to watch this video, full of important information to know before you go!

    • Participate in the Scottsdale Dumpster Dive Scavenger Hunt. Art is everywhere in Old Town Scottsdale, including on trash bins. Local artist Jon Arvizu designed and painted three new trash bins in collaboration with the community for Canal Convergence in November 2022. Find all three trash bins, located in the area bounded by Camelback Road, 75th Street, Osborn Road and Goldwater Boulevard. Snap a selfie with each bin and upload it to our website to win prizes, then tag your photos on social media #ScottsdaleDumpsterDive for an extra entry into the prize drawing. All participants who find a bin and upload photos with all three will receive a water bottle sticker of these unique and functional works of art.  Participants will also be entered in weekly drawings for gift certificates to Old Town restaurants and businesses.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Get a head start learning about city issues, projects and activities by attending or listening in on the many public meetings we host. Here’s what’s coming up: 

Learn about the responsibilities of city Boards and Commissions and how you can serve. 


THINGS TO DO

Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West presents “Meet the Authors – Jana Bommersbach and Bob Boze Bell: Hellraisers & Trailblazers – The Real Women of The Wild West.” Both authors will discuss their latest collaboration, followed by a brief, moderated Q&A. Two sessions take place: 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9; and 2 p.m. Thursday, April 27. Attendance is limited. Email [email protected] to register.

Scottsdale Public Library hosts entertaining, insightful and informative history classes. They include:  

  • Arizona Goes to the Movies, 5-6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 13, Mustang Library Auditorium, 10101 N. 90th St. Featuring the plots, players and behind-the-scenes info about movies made in our area.  

  • The History of Golf in Scottsdale, 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 13, Mustang Library, 10101 N. 90th St. Scottsdale has been a golf destination since its first course debuted in 1910.  

Visit Scottsdale Public Library and select the online calendar for more information.  

The Scottsdale community is celebrating and acknowledging Black History Month in a variety of ways. Join these community events:

  • Scottsdale Bahá’í Faith Community Center presents Black History Month Film Festival (pdf) over four weekends with 13 films to watch followed by discussions on themes, topics, and issues presented in the films.

  • Scottsdale Community College will host a variety of programs beginning Saturday, Feb. 11, following the theme of Black Resistance (pdf) set by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, founders of Black History Month.

  • Dear Martin, A Jazz Tribute to MLK is a live immersive experience hosted by the city of Scottsdale’s Human Relations Commission and Jazz Day Arizona at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Community Design Studio.

  • Join us for a presentation on the history of the Underground Railroad, which helped enslaved people escape to freedom, and the Overground Railroad, which allowed work and travel under Jim Crow laws. The free program is at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, at Civic Center Library.

  • Missed the January MLK Community Celebration? No worries, you can watch a video of the event, featuring keynote speaker is Dr. Benjamin Chavis, CEO & President of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. It airs 3 and 8 a.m., and noon, and 4, 7 and 10 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; and 2, 7 and 11 a.m., and 3, 6 and 9 p.m. Saturdays. In addition to Cox Cable channel 11 and our live stream, Scottsdale Video Network is available on Roku, Fire, Apple TV, Android TV, mobile phone and laptop through the LocalBTV app. Be sure to check out our other videos on YouTube.

Love is in the air – grab your sweetheart for Granite Reef Senior Center’s Valentine’s Day Dance. Enjoy delicious food and fun games, and dance to all your favorite love songs. The event takes place at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14. Cost is $7 for residents; $10 for nonresidents. Space is limited; learn more and register.

Scottsdale Sister Cities hosts “The Influence/Impact of Alamos, Sonora, Mexico on the Southwestern United States.” The free presentation takes place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, 3830 N. Marshall Way. Scottsdale and Alamos established its Sister City relationship in 1969. Historically an important center of silver mining, the town's economy is now dominated by the tourist sector. Designated a pueblo mágico due to its architecture, the town is host to several arts festivals. It also hosts the Alamos Alliance, a yearly summit of economic policy makers, academics and business leaders. Seating is limited; register at [email protected].

February’s Civil War Roundtable features historian Dr. Fay Yarbrough, discussing her book Choctaw Confederates: The American Civil War in Indian Country.” Her talk will focus on why the Choctaw Nation aligned with the Confederacy. The Scottsdale Civil War Roundtable meets Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd. The lecture starts at 5 p.m.; doors open at 4 p.m. for book sales and speaker meet and greet. The meeting also will be available on Zoom.

Ongoing events:

  • Scottsdale ArtWalk: Scottsdale is home to more than 100 galleries, dedicated to exhibiting the finest visual art from around the world and locally. Stroll at your own pace. 7-9 p.m. Thursdays. Specialty-themed Gold Palette ArtWalks are held 6:30-9 p.m. about once a month. 

Get more events information


PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

Scottsdale 101 offers an inside look on how the wheels of government work. Scottsdale 101 Citizen Academy is open to Scottsdale residents and Scottsdale business owners. The 10-week program will be limited to 40 participants. Sessions run 9 a.m.-noon beginning Tuesday, March 7, and will take place in various locations around the city. Learn more and apply by Monday, Feb. 20. 

Free vaccines are available at Scottsdale’s Paiute Neighborhood Center. Available vaccines include COVID-19, flu, hepatitis A and B, tetanus, shingles for 50 and older and pneumococcal for 65 and older. Two events run 3-6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, and Monday, March 20, at Paiute Neighborhood Center, 6535 E. Osborn Road. Bring your insurance information. Those without insurance are still welcome. Call 602-506-6767 for questions. 

Enjoy “Parents Night Out.” Follow Cupid's arrow and drop off the kids at Horizon Community Center for the annual Valentine's Day celebration from 6:15-10 p.m., Friday, Feb. 10. Recreation staff will provide supervised activities including a scavenger hunt, arts and crafts, pizza, ice cream sundaes and much more. Cost is $18 for residents; $24 for nonresidents. Learn more and register.

Protect your identity by bringing your personal and/or commercial documents to the shredding event Saturday. It runs from 7-10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, in the Walmart parking lot, 15355 N. Northsight Blvd. Cost is $5 per box. Learn more.    

Neighborhood College registration is open for the spring series. We offer four tracks: HOA\Condo, Scottsdale 360, Good Neighbor and History. Register for one or all

Remaining February classes:   

  • Water Wise 11 a.m.-noon Thursday, Feb. 16, on Zoom. With the Colorado River water shortage, we have been asked to reduce use by five percent or more. Scottsdale's Water Policy Manager will talk about the city's water resources portfolio, the efforts the city is undergoing to conserve, and ways residents and businesses can help. Instructor: Scottsdale Water Policy Manager Gretchen Baumgardner.  

  • Behind the Scenes: Scottsdale Volunteer Opportunities. 1-3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, Community Design Studio, 7506 E. Indian School Road. Libraries, Parks & Recreation, Police, Fire and so much more! The number of volunteer opportunities with the city of Scottsdale can be overwhelming. Learn about the process to become a volunteer and the steps you can take to be a great candidate. Instructors: City staff.  


FYI

Investing in Our Scottsdale: Scottsdale Ranch Park and Tennis Center. The city resurfaced six of the 18 tennis courts and the basketball courts. Check out the park.

Scottsdale’s Brick by Brick program collaborates with two universities. More than 25 Arizona State University and University of Washington architecture students teamed to make compressed earth blocks for the Brick by Brick program. The city's Human Services department developed and coordinates the program to assist people experiencing homelessness. Learn more about the program. Learn more about the Brick by Brick program

Job of the Week: Administrative Assistant. Are you organized, creative and outgoing … or do you know someone who is? Scottsdale’s Office of Communication and Citizen Service is looking for an administrative assistant. The job includes performing a broad range of administrative functions and assignments including outreach and public programs, employee events, budget and financial coordination and more. Apply to be part of our fun and hardworking team

McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park’s Holiday Lights welcomed more than 33,000 guests. The five-week event ran from Nov. 25-Dec. 30, and welcomed visitors from around the Valley who enjoyed Paradise & Pacific Railroad rides, Hartley’s General Store hot cocoa and a visit with Santa. Learn about the park.


QUICK LINKS:

  • City Call Center – 480-312-3111    

  • Report things that need to be fixed, or submit other requests via Scottsdale EZ

Scottsdale What Works Cities 2023 Gold certification

Subscribe to Scottsdale Update

 

Get the latest Scottsdale news & events in your inbox each week -- just enter your email above.

The Scottsdale Update printed newsletter is included in utility bills six times each year. Download recent issues below (PDF)

Scottsdale Video Network