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Notes for September 2007
City fields record number of blight cases
City fields record number of blight cases
Primarily responding to complaints of residents, the Neighborhood Services Department opened a record 54,823 blight-related cases last fiscal year, and resolved more than 51,000 of them.The record number of new cases outpaced last year's case load by more than 2,000, a strong sign that residents are looking after their neighborhoods.
The new cases involved properties that were in violation of the city's neighborhood preservation regulations, zoning laws and other ordinances. The most common complaints involved inoperable vehicles, fences in disrepair, graffiti, outdoor storage, parking on areas not dust-proofed, over-height vegetation and unsafe vacant buildings.
The department activity for the fiscal year also included receiving more than 11,000 e-mails and 88,000 telephone calls and meeting with more than 1,200 individuals who visited City Hall on blight-related issues.
To learn more about property maintenance and zoning issues or to report blight in your area, call 602-262-7844 or e-mail NSD at blight@phoenix.gov.
PHX 11 offers call-in show
PHX 11, the city's award-winning news and information station, will host "Phoenix: Working for You" focusing on fire safety from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10.It will be the third in a series of live shows in which residents can call in and ask questions about city programs and services.
Mayor Phil Gordon, Fire Chief Bob Khan and firefighters will be interviewed as part of the program, while other firefighters take calls from viewers, who are encouraged to call the studio with questions related to show topics and other public safety issues.
PHX 11 can be seen on the Cox and Qwest cable systems and on the Web at phoenix.gov/streaming. For more information about programs on PHX11, visit phoenix.gov/11 or call 602-261-8937.
Library offers back to school resources
Are you and your kids ready for school? Phoenix Public Library offers many free resources to help children and their parents get back to school.Among them are;
- Project GOAL: Grade One At the Library
- Step into Reading
- Teen Read Month
- Free online access to research databases and virtual reference materials
- Links to free Internet homework help sites
- Online learning tools.
Stop by your neighborhood library and check out those and many other valuable resources. For more information, visit phxlib.org
Conference helps youth find success
Young people will have an opportunity next month to gather valuable information that could help them build a successful future.The Youth Leadership Conference from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at Phoenix College, 1202 W. Thomas Road, will feature a host of activities aimed directly at helping students.
Sponsored by the city's Latino Institute, Youth Development Office and Community and Economic Development Department, the conference will include interactive workshops, discussions by professionals in a variety of fields, networking opportunities and informational tables where students will be able to ask questions and obtain important information.
For more information, call the 602-534-6923 or visit phoenix.gov/phxlatin.
Household utility aid available
Low-income Phoenix homeowners may be eligible for special assistance with their household utilities.The Human Services Department utility repair and replacement program covers water heaters, cooking stoves, refrigerators, evaporative coolers and furnaces as well as minor repairs to air conditioners and plumbing systems.
The assistance will be offered as long as funding is available.
To be eligible, residents must meet federal poverty guidelines and not have received services from the program in the past 12 months. To obtain a list of documents needed to verify eligibility, schedule an appointment or learn more about the program, call 602-262-4520.
Book sale Oct. 25 - 28
More than 200,000 books, videos, books on tape, DVDs and CDs will be for sale at the annual Friends of the Phoenix Public Library Fall Sale Oct. 25 to 28 at the organization's warehouse, 1330 N. 29th Drive.Proceeds from the sale will benefit programs throughout the library system.
Members of the nonprofit organization will get an early shot at buying the merchandise from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, and Friday, Oct. 26. Instant memberships will be available at the door on those two days for $25.
The sale will be open to the general public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28, which will be half-price day.
For more information, call 602-534-5208.
Save your change
Got coins?You might be surprised to see how quickly they add up if you put them in your savings account.
That's the word from the city as it joins with Arizona Saves and launches a monthlong Phoenix Build Prosperity Campaign to promote money management and financial education to the economically disadvantaged and low- and moderate-income families.
The campaign will feature a series of classes and other activities that will offer information and opportunities for residents to help build sustainable self-sufficiency.
As part of the effort, residents are invited to participate in "Save Your Change Week," Oct. 22 to 27, which will draw attention to the amount of money people discard in pocket change and loose coins around homes and cars, and to increase awareness of saving money. Residents will be encouraged to use free coin-counting services at participating financial institutions and deposit the money into a new or existing savings account.
For more information, call 602-262-4520.
Health fairs set
Persons 60 years and older will be able to get health screenings, flu shots and health information at two health fairs hosted next month by the Human Services Department Senior Services Division.The fairs will be 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Oct. 9, at Pecos Community Center, 17010 S. 48th St., and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, at Desert West Community Center, 6501 W. Virginia Ave.
Celebrate National Public Lands Day
The Parks and Recreation Department will host the Phoenix Outdoor Recreation Festival celebrating National Public Lands Day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28, at the South Mountain Preserve Activity Complex, 10919 S. Central Ave.The free event will feature workshops, animals, hiking, a climbing wall and displays by more than 50 outdoor recreation and public land agencies.
For more information, send e-mail to outdoorfestival@phoenix.gov or call 602-495-5458.
KidsCare offers health insurance
Did you know that your children might qualify for low-cost health insurance?The state-sponsored KidsCare program provides medical, dental and vision coverage for children of working parents who either are unable to obtain insurance from their employers or who can't afford the monthly premiums.
The city's Human Services Department joins with the Children's Action Alliance in urging parents to check out the program to see if their children qualify for participation.
To qualify, children must be18 years or younger, be residents of Arizona and be either United States citizens or legal immigrants, regardless of the legal status of the parents. Also, the family's monthly income must not exceed $1,702 for one child, $2,282 for two, $2,862 for three and $3,442 for four.
Under the program, parents pay monthly premiums of no more than $25 for one child and no more than $35 a month for two or more children. Some children could be covered for free.
To see if your family qualifies or to sign up, call 602-417 KIDS (5437) or download an application from the Web site KidsCare.state.az.us.
Ability Counts luncheon Oct. 25
Paralympics gold medalist, author and motivational speaker Mike Schlappi will deliver the keynote address at this year's Ability Counts Awards luncheon.The luncheon, 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, at the Phoenix Convention Center South Ballroom, Third and Jefferson streets, raises community awareness of disability issues and recognizes individuals and organizations that have enhanced the quality of life for people with disabilities.
Schlappi, a two-time world champion in wheelchair basketball, was a member of the board of trustees of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Tickets for the event are $50 for individuals and $35 for students and seniors and must be purchased by Oct. 12. To buy a seat or a corporate table, call 602-261-8242 or 602-534-1557/TTY.
Proceeds benefit the Mayor's Commission on Disability Issues Scholarship Fund, which recognizes outstanding Phoenix students for their personal and academic achievements.
Nominations sought for human rights awards
The Phoenix Human Relations Commission is seeking nominations for awards it gives each year to residents who contribute significantly to creating a compassionate and socially just community.The Calvin C. Goode Lifetime Achievement and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Living the Dream awards will be presented in January at the Arizona Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Breakfast.
The achievement award recognizes an individual who has made Phoenix a better place by promoting social and economic justice, while the dream award honors six individuals who embody the ideas of Dr. King through a personal commitment to human relations and justice.
For applications, call 602-261-8242 or 602-534-1557/TTY or visit phoenix.gov/calendar/awardwin.html. The nomination deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12.
Enjoy an evening of opera
Phoenix Sister Cities and the Teatro Massimo Vincenzo Bellini of Catania, Italy, will host performances of Vincenzo Bellini and other arias of Italian operatic composers next month.The program, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, at the Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams St., will showcase three soloists featured frequently with the Teatro Massimo Vincenzo Bellini, accompanied by 20 musicians from the theatre and the Phoenix area.
They include Greek soprano Dimitra Theodossiou, Italian mezzo-soprano Nidia Palacios and Italian tenor Giorgio Casciarri.
Tickets range from $25 to $85 for general admission and $250 for premium seating and can be obtained by calling 602-262-7272 or 480-784-4444 or by visiting ticketmaster.com.
For more information, visit phoenixsistercities.org.
Hazardous waste collections planned
Phoenix residents can dispose of common hazardous wastes and other items at Household Hazardous Waste collections from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 11 - 13 at Paradise Valley Community Center, 17648 N. 40th St., and Nov. 15 - 17 at North Phoenix Baptist Church, 5757 N. Central Ave.In addition to batteries, oil, paint, antifreeze, pesticides and pool chemicals, the events will accept five road tires per household, computers and household appliances that use refrigerants, including refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and heat pumps. Commercial loads will not be accepted.
The city also will pick up household appliances at your home for a fee. Call for a collection appointment.
For information, call 602-262-7251, send an e-mail to pwserve@phoenix.gov or visit phoenix.gov/publicworks.
Disposal transfer stations change hours
The North Gateway and 27th Avenue Transfer stations will switch to winter hours next month.From Oct. 6 through May 2, the weekend and holiday hours for disposal of trash at the two facilities will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Weekday hours remain unchanged at 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 27th Avenue Transfer Station is closed Sundays and both locations will be closed Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22; Christmas Day, Dec. 25; and New Year's Day, Jan. 1.
For disposal facility information, call 602-262-7251 or visit phoenix.gov/publicworks.
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