May 2016

City of Phoenix, District 7

Happy May!

The month of May is an exciting month for my office, with a lot going in my district and citywide. The City of Phoenix 2016—2017 budget is currently being evaluated based on residents’ feedback and sugges-tions. My office is also gearing up to celebrate Memorial Day by hosting our Annual Star Spangled Celebration Event!

I am pleased to announce that there was a great turn out for the Bike Safety Events that were hosted throughout District 7. I want to thank Don Cross with the Street Transportation Department, without him and his enthusiasm for bike safety our events would not be such a success. I also want to send a special thank you to Food City for gra-ciously donating the food and refreshments for all three events.

This month we will be celebrating Memorial Day by hosting the An-nual Star Spangled Celebration on Friday, May 27th. This FREE community event honors Phoenix fallen heroes who died in the line of duty. It is a great event featuring activities for children, bike ro-deo, free bike helmet give away, informational booths, interactive demonstrations, a floating candle memorial, capped off with a spec-tacular fireworks display.

In addition to the celebration, our office created Heroes Lane as a way to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Banners with the picture of each of the 48 fallen Phoenix Police Officers and Firefighters have been placed along Baseline Road from 35th Ave to 51st. Ave and Washington Street and from 7th Street to 15th Avenue.

Make sure to stay in touch through social media to learn about all the events we are planning in your community and issues affecting our residents. If you have any questions or feedback please feel free to email my office council.district.7@phoenix.gov or call 602-262-7492.

Best Regards,

Michael Nowakowski Councilmember, District 7

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Library Summer Activities…….2

South Central Light Rail….…….3

National Preservation …………..3

PHX Fire Career Day.……………4

Bike Safety Event .. ………………5

Section 8 Housing Program…..5

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST

Citizen Forester Volunteer

Gallery at City Hall

Cell Block Tours

Star Spangled Celebration

602.262.7492

MRNowakowski

CouncilmanNowakowski

Cityofphoenixaz

CouncilmanNowakowski

City of Phoenix Office of the City Council

Councilman, Michael Nowakowski, District 7 200 W. Washington ST.

11th Fl.

Volunteer Phoenix

My Phoenix My Park

Citizen Forester

Citizen Foresters serve the

community by helping to

properly plant and care for

urban trees and spread the

news about their value. You

may help lead planting, while

teaching other volunteers

how to plant and maintain

trees as well.

Contact Information

Emmett Boyd

Recreation Coordinator

602 534-8222

http://phoenix.gov/parks/

volunteer.html

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Summer Activities

The summer means fun, free and fascinating things to do at all 17

Phoenix Public Library locations. Participate in the annual Summer

Reading Program, June 1 – August 1. Kids, teens and adults can read

at least 20 minutes a day and track reading success to earn prizes

and avoid summer learning loss. For more information and to register

please visit, www.maricopacountyreads.org.

Staying in town this summer? Download a favorite book or movie,

check out a Culture Pass to local attractions like the Arizona Science

Center, Desert Botanical Gardens or Phoenix Art Museum, or come to

the library to take a class. Plus, have fun with a “Wild Rumpus” to cel-

ebrate 50 years of Maurice Sendak: Where the Wild Things Are. For

more information, visit phoenixpubliclibrary.org or call 602-262-4636.

Swimming Lessons Swimming lessons cost $15 for a two-week session. Semi-private les-sons also are available on weekends at select pools for $45. Lessons are offered for all ages. Options also include swim, dive and water bas-ketball teams.

Phoenix city pools will open Memorial Day Weekend (May 28 to 30, 2016) and will be open for the swim season from June 4-July 31, 2016.*

*The following pools also will be open on weekends in August through

Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 5): Cortez, El Prado, Encanto, Falcon,

Hermoso, Maryvale, Paradise Valley, Pecos, Perry, Sunnyslope

and Washington.

Blight Violations

There are multiple ways to report blight to the City of Phoenix.

Encouraging neighbors, friends and family to re-port blight is one way to ensure that neighbor-hoods are maintained.

Download our smartphone app “MyPhxAz” to report blight in your neighbor-hood! You also may report blight by emailing blight@phoenix.gov or calling 602-534-4444.

Illegal signs illegal.signs@phoenix.gov

602-534-4444

Shopping carts retrieval shop-

ping.carts.nsd@phoenix.gov 602-534-4444

Illegal dumping pwserve@phoenix.gov

602-262-7251

Common Blight Violations

Vegetation

Inoperable Vehicles Junk, Litter Debris

Outside Storage Fences in disrepair

Non-dust proof parking Graffiti

Illegal Signs

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National Preservation Month

Everyone has places that are important to them. Places they care about. Places that matter. This Place Matters is a national campaign that encourages people to celebrate the places that are meaningful to them and to their com-munities.

WHAT PLACES MATTER TO YOU?

1. Take photos at the places that matter most to you. 2. Share your photos online with the hashtag #ThisPlaceMatters. 3. Stay tuned to @SavingPlaces on Instagram/savingplaces and Twitter @Savingplaces as we spotlight our favorites.

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

This notice is to advise the public of the availability of an Environmental Assessment

(EA) for the South Central Light Rail Extension and provide notice of a public meeting.

Valley Metro, in cooperation with the City of Phoenix, is proposing to construct a light

rail extension to travel south on Central Avenue for approximately 5-miles from the ex-

isting light rail in downtown Phoenix to Baseline Road. An EA has been prepared for the

South Central Light Rail Extension, per the requirements of National Environmental

Policy Act (NEPA).

Valley Metro and the City of Phoenix will host an open house to update the public on the

South Central project and to receive input on the EA. The meeting is “open house” for-

mat; attendees can stop by anytime during the hours listed below. Comments on the EA

and Section 4(f) evaluation may be submitted at the meeting.

Wednesday, May 25th | 6 - 7:30 p.m.

Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center

3131 S. Central Avenue, Phoenix

Comments on the EA will be accepted through June 13th, 2016.

Mail or email comments to Valley Metro:

Attention: Sonya Pastor La Sota

101 N. 1st Avenue, Suite 1300, Phoenix AZ 85003

spastor@valleymetro.org

PHOENIX FIRE

Career Day

The Phoenix Fire Depart-

ment is holding a Career

Day in anticipation of a

firefighter recruit test in

the fall.

A diverse group of individ-

uals from the public sector

is invited to come experi-

ence what it’s like to be a

Phoenix Firefighter.

When:

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Sign in: 7:30 a.m.

Event: 8:30—2 p.m.

Where:

PHX Fire Training Academy

2425 W. Lower Buckeye Road

To Secure a spot:

www.phoenix.gov/firesite/pages/pfd_recruit.aspx.

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Cellblock Tours

Maricopa County Justice Museum and Learning Center

This unique museum opened in 2012 and

is centered around a restored cellblock

on the sixth floor of Maricopa County's

Historic old Courthouse -renovated to its

original 1929 grandeur. While visiting

the museum you will get a sense of Mari-

copa County's legal history, its court cas-

es and important elements of the Rule of Law, including individual

rights and liberties guaranteed in the United States and Arizona con-

stitutions. To our knowledge, it is the only such museum in an active

courthouse in the country. Take the tour at your own pace from 12

pm to 1:30 pm. Free.

125 W. Jefferson St.

The Gallery at City Hall

“The Gallery @ City Hall” is dedicated to displaying rotating exhibi-

tions of art from the City's historic municipal Art Collection of approxi-

mately 1,000 portable works, and highlighting exemplary projects

commissioned by the award-winning Phoenix Public Art Program.

Opened in May 2012 to celebrate Arizona's Centennial (click here for

the youtube video), it offers Phoenix residents and visitors alike a mu-

seum-like setting to view and enjoy the legacy of art that Phoenicians

began building nearly a century ago, in 1915. The Gallery @ City Hall

is supported by private contributions from businesses and residents

throughout the city and region, and operated by volunteers. Admis-

sion is free and the gallery is open to the public.

To become a gallery volunteer:

To learn more about how to volunteer and to apply online, visit

phoenix.gov/arts.arts . Selected volunteers will participate in a two-

hour training program to learn about the gallery exhibit and the Phoe-

nix Municipal Art Collection.

For more information visit phoenix.gov/arts.arts or call 602-262-4637

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DISTRICT 7 BIKE SAFETY EVENTS

District 7 hosted three Bike Safety Events in April. There was a great turn out at each event and over 400 bike helmets were given away to children.

If you missed the events don’t be upset. There is another chance to learn about bike safety and receive a bike helmet at the Star Spangled Celebration on Friday, May 27th.

Section 8 Housing Program Waiting List Opens after 11 Years The city of Phoenix Housing Department will accept applications for the Section 8/Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) pro-

gram beginning Monday, May 23 through Friday, May 27, or until 10,000 applications are received.

The city's HCV program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is available for low-

income individuals and families to provide safe and decent affordable housing. Program participants pay at least 30

percent of their adjusted gross monthly income toward their rent to a private landlord of their choice and the program

will pay the landlord the remaining balance of the rent.

Once 10,000 applications have been received and the waiting list closes, the Housing Department will select families

from the waiting list in accordance with HUD requirements and local preferences. Residents are required to complete

their applications online athttps://www.phoenix.gov/housing. Public facilities such as libraries may provide computer

access at no cost.

For more information about the Section 8/HCV program, visit https://www.phoenix.gov/housing/section-8-resources.

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