The Scene

Tidbits of Good Stuff, Breaking News

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The "good stuff" below includes announcements made by causes supported by The Greater Pinnacle Peak Association (GPPA), local nonprofits, and businesses that support The Peak, GPPA, and/or Friends of the Scenic Drive.

Selected Recent Community Announcements

Scottsdale Adds 6,400 Acres to Preserve

    Be Award, Burglars Pose as City Workers

    Scottsdale Residents Have New Way to Speak Up

    Scottsdale Named "100 Best Communities for Young People"

Desert Living Means Being Aware and Respecting Wildlife

Community Emergency Response Training Available

Pinnacle Peak Park Seeking Volunteers

Add Scenic Drive to Scottsdale's Historic Register

Scottsdale Names Acting City Manager

Scottsdale Residents Invited to Serve on Boards and Commissions

Applications Available for Citizens Police Academy

Scottsdale Web Site Offers Water Conservation Tips

Scottsdale Adopt-A-Road Program Needs "Adopters"

Smartphone Users Can Access Online Events and Advertiser Information from The Peak

Scottsdale Provides Many Sources of Information

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Watch Video: Scenic Drive Mayor & City Council Breakfast. On May 2nd, guests enjoyed a free continental breakfast in a true western setting - at MacDonald's Ranch - as the City of Scottsdale paid tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive. Scottsdale's mayor, Jim Lane, served as emcee. Les Conklin, Jesus Murillo, and Virginia Korte made brief presentations about the past, present, and future of the Scenic Drive. Members of the city's planning staff were on-hand to provide information about upcoming enhancement projects, including creation of an interpretive roadside pullout.

Watch Scottsdale's video coverage as speakers share the history of the Scenic Drive and what its future holds. This Mayor and Council Breakfast program will play on CityCable 11 starting in June. But you don’t have to wait! Watch it online now at http://scottsdale.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=85&clip_id=5174

. For additional information about the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive, visit www.scenicdrive.org.

Source: City of Scottsdale
Scottsdale Adds 6,400 Acres to Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve. The city of Scottsdale recently acquired 6,400 acres of land for the Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve at three state land auctions in which the city was the only bidder. The city’s combined successful bids totaled $ 88.2 million – approximately $16 million of that will come from a Growing Smarter State Trust Land Acquisition Grant approved by the Arizona State Parks Board in September. The remainder of the purchase price will come from money generated by two dedicated sales taxes approved by Scottsdale voters in 1995 and 2004. The use of state grant funding frees additional dollars to be used on future purchases. Posted: December, 2012.

With these acquisition, Scottsdale’s mountain preserve encompasses approximately 27,800 contiguous acres – more than 43 square miles. That is over 81 percent of the long-range goal to preserve about 34,000 acres, nearly a third of the city’s land area. Preserving these lands achieves a primary goal to establish an important wildlife corridor connection to the nearly three million acres of Tonto National Forest.

The newly aquired land includes the majority of Cholla and Granite mountains and extensive areas of exposed bedrock, boulder outcrops, lush upper Sonoran Desert vegetation including Rawhide Wash and a number of other large washes housing abundant wildlife. The lands generally are located north of the Ashler Hills Drive alignment, south of the Stagecoach Pass alignment, east of the 100th street alignment and west of 136th street. It is within a “recommended study boundary” that includes all of the land targeted to be part of the preserve, permanently protecting the acreage from development. Learn more about the Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve at www.scottsdaleaz.gov/preserve.

Source: City of Scottsdale
Be Aware, Burglars Pose as City Workers. Stay alert and safe at home! Year round, burglars have been known to pose as utility or municipal employees in order to gain access to your home and steal your valuables. If someone claims to be from a utility or a city water employee and asks to enter your home, call the police. Scottsdale Water Resources Department employees will not enter your home, unless requested by you. Also, Water Resources employees will always wear a city identification badge and will provide a phone number for residents to call and verify their identity. If you have any concerns or questions, do not let them in and call the Police Department right away at (480) 312-5000 to report your concerns. Posted:

Source: City of Scottsdale
Scottsdale named “100 Best Communities for Young People”

For the sixth consecutive year, America's Promise Alliance has named Scottsdale one of the“100 Best Communities for Young People.”

The Alliance applauded Scottsdale for developing programs that support youth education, employment and community service. To address dropout issues, the Boys & Girls Club’s Be Great Graduate initiative teaches youth academic, emotional and social skills to encourage participation in school. Scottsdale also offers several reading programs at the public library to engage parents in child literacy activities. To help youth prepare for successful careers, the Scottsdale Teen Employment Program (STEP) provides job readiness training, resume assistance, mock interviews and job referrals. Similarly, the Scottsdale Unified School District offers a Career and Technical Education program to prepare young people for possible careers in a variety of employment sectors.

Programs that engage youth in community activities include the Mayor’s Youth Council, which provides a youth perspective on local government issues, and Scottsdale Unified School District’s Service Learning Program, which engages more than 400 youth in more than 50,000 hours of community service.

This year, more than 320 communities from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were nominated for the “100 Best” distinction. The winners are a diverse group, ranging from small communities like Lamoni, Iowa, to large cities like New York City. A list of all 2012 winners can be found at www.americaspromise.org/100best.

America’s Promise will formally announce the winners at 9 a.m. (Arizona time), Wednesday, Sept. 12, at a ceremony in Washington, DC. Residents are invited to tune into the live webcast at
www.americaspromise.org/100bestwebcast. Posted: September 13, 2012.

Source: City of Scottsdale
Desert Living Means Being Aware and Respecting Wildlife. Great scenery and open space not only attract people. Desert living means residents need to be aware of native urban wildlife such as bobcats, coyotes, javelina, raccoons and skunks. Some of these desert dwellers may view house pets as prey. Neither the city nor the Arizona Game & Fish Department trap or relocate native wildlife. But you can help to discourage urban wildlife from living in your neighborhood by removing essentials of wildlife habitat such as water, food and shelter. Learn more by visiting www.azgfd.gov/urbanwildlife

Source: City of Scottsdale
Pinnacle Peak Park is Accepting Volunteer Applications. Training will begin in October. Training includes learning about the flora, fauna and geology of the area; trail etiquette; birding; and trail maintenance. Volunteers are asked to provide at least 50 hours of service each year. The park is located at 26802 N. 102nd Way. For more information, call 480-312-0990, or email John Loleit at jloleit@scottsdaleaz.gov. To learn more about the park, visit: www.scottsdaleaz.gov/parks/pinnacle.

Source: Friends of the Scenic Drive
Add Scenic Drive to Scottsdale Historic Register

Friends of the Scenic Drive, a division of the Greater Pinnacle Peak Association, has submitted a request to the City of Scottsdale that the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive be added to the city's register of historic buildings and landmarks. Residents will celebrate the Scenic Drive's 50th birthday in 2013.

Les Conklin, on behalf of the board of directors of the Greater Pinnacle Peak Association, submitted the request to the historic preservation commission for their consideration. The contents of the letter we incorporated into the article, "Add Scenic Drive to Historic Register," that has been published in the July-August issue of A Peek at the Peak (The Peak) magazine. Les also submitted a brief history, of the Scenic Drive, entitled "50 Years (Almost) Down the Road," to the commission. GPPA urges residents to support this proposal to preserve our local heritage and give a boost to local tourism and business. Posted: June 30, 2012.

Scottsdale City Council selects public works executive director as acting city manager
Dan Worth, Scottsdale's public works executive director, was unanimously selected by the City Council on Tuesday, July 10, to serve as acting city manager until a new city manager is recruited. The appointment was made with the condition that Worth will not pursue the position on a permanent basis. For more information on the selection, visit http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/News/07-10-2012-News.

Source: City of Scottsdale.
Low-water use shrubs pay off: Water . . . Use it Wisely! The next time you add or replace a flower or shrub, choose a low-water use plant for year-round landscape color. By doing so, you can save up to 550 gallons of water each year. For more ways to save water, visit www.wateruseitwisely.com/arizona.

Source: City of Scottsdale.
Protect your home from wild fires. As the temperatures heat up, the desert grasses that grew with spring rains are drying out, creating a fire danger. Protect your home from wild land fires by creating a 30-foot defensible space around your home. Remove perennial grasses and thin overgrown bushes. Remove dead branches from living trees and all dead vegetation from the ground. Lastly, keep a rolled up garden hose with a nozzle attached to an outside hose valve connection. For more fire prevention information, visit www.ScottsdaleFD.com.

The City of Scottsdale has a Neighborhood Notification Program. Are you a neighborhood leader or an HOA member? Did you know that you can register to receive information about projects and issues affecting your neighborhood? The Neighborhood Notification Program enhances communication between your neighborhood and the city and more importantly, between you and your neighbors! Get more information and a registration form by calling (480) 312-3111 or visiting www.ScottsdaleAZ.gov. Posted: March 17, 2012.

Scottsdale's “Water …Use It Wisely” Web Site Offers Conservation Tips. As the weather heats up, so does your outdoor water use, which can almost double in the summer. Since up to 70 percent of residential water use is for outdoor watering, make sure you’re watering your landscape efficiently and thoroughly. Bermuda grass should get watered about once every four days. Also, remember to irrigate long enough to reach the roots, about three- quarters of an inch. Visit www.wateruseitwisely.com/arizona or call (480) 312-5650 for more water conservation tips.

Scottsdale's Adopt-a-Road Program Helps Keep Scottsdale Clean and Scenic. Did you know that more than 100 miles of city roadways are kept litter free through the efforts of volunteer groups? Help keep Scottsdale clean and scenic by adopting a one-mile segment of roadway through the Adopt-A-Road program. By doing so, it gives you a great way to keep Scottsdale beautiful while giving back to the community. We’ll provide the supplies! Groups need to commit to cleaning their segment a minimum of three times a year, for at least two years. Call (480) 312-3111 or visit www.scottsdaleaz.gov and search by “Adopt A Road” for more details.

Scenic Drive 50th Birthday

North Scottsdale Landmark Linked to Preserve

Today, the Desert Foothills Scenic Drive is an important Valley landmark. Created in 1963 by residents of Carefree and Cave Creek, and later annexed into Scottsdale, it was one of the first preservation efforts in the Valley of the Sun. Its far-sighted founders sought to obtain scenic setbacks, showcase desert flora, preserve desert vistas, and to attract tourism. It was the first example of people "in the north" taking community action to preserve the natural environment. Remarkably, the drive has been maintained for much of its life by residents without government assistance. A forerunner of scenic corridors in Phoenix and Scottsdale, the drive's early leaders advocated successfully for the creation of scenic corridors. The drive's plant identification signs and exhibits are maintained by Friends of the Scenic Drive. Plans call for the drive's exhibit area and adjacent acreage to be included in Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

Read Article About January 28, 2012 Cleanup
Read 1996 Scottsdale Magazine Article
Read 1966 Maricopa County Report

Photos, Here & There

By Our Readers

We live in a beautiful place, filled with interesting sites and scenes. The Peak receives many wonderful photographs taken by our readers and we'd like to share a few of them with you. Don't be shy. Send us your favorite photos of our area. You never know, they might be showcased in one of GPPA's publications.

View Photographs

Marilyn Schletzer, The Peak magazine's proofreader and author of the column "Peak Fitness," writes a blog that healthy eaters or wannabe healthy eaters will enjoy. Recently, Marilyn e-mailed her readers and invited them to "Check out all the new stuff at www.eatstreetusa.blogspot.com. 1) Smaller Portions, Bigger World, 2) My Favorite Healthy Things: Spaghetti Squash, 3) My Favorite Healthy Things: Greek Yogurt, 4) My Favorite Naughty Things. Plus, read the comments and leave one of your own -- it's fun and easy, and instructions are included."

The City of Scottsdale offers a variety of sources that provide information about the city, its operations, and events.

Scottsdale Update - a weekly e-newsletter chock-full of Scottsdale info and events. Subscribe and you will automatically receive this publication each Thursday: https://eservices.scottsdaleaz.gov/listserve.

City of Scottsdale website – From news stories and official meeting minutes to localized information about neighborhoods, the city’s website offers a wealth of valuable information about the community. Check it out at www.ScottsdaleAZ.gov.
Channel 11 news channels: All the city of Scottsdale videos in one accessible site. You can watch CityCable Channel 11 via cable television or the city’s website. You can also select specific programs, meetings, forums and features to replay at your convenience at this website: http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/citycable11/channels.
Nixle – The Scottsdale Police and Fire departments use Nixle to keep citizens informed of important crime, traffic and safety information. Alerts go to cell phone or email. To sign up, visit: http://local.nixle.com/city/az/scottsdale.
Facebook – Connect with the city on Facebook to get up-to-the-minute news and information on city projects, programs and services:

http://www.facebook.com/scottsdaleazgov.

Twitter – Get brief news items delivered directly to your computer or mobile phone. Sign up for city “tweets” at http://www.twitter.com/scottsdaleazgov.
YouTube – Scottsdale has its own YouTube channel. You can check out all the videos posted there by visiting http://www.youtube.com/scottsdaleazgov.

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