CITY CELEBRATES ARTS, PLANS DYNAMIC PERFORMANCES
Our city employees are working behind the scenes to raise the curtain on exciting, live performances in Glendale. They’re also helping our colleagues channel their inner artists!
The Office of Arts and Culture teamed up with the Glendale Arts Commission and the West Valley Arts Council to hold free watercolor and sculpture classes for city employees on Sept. 4 at the Foothills Recreation and Aquatics Center (FRAC). Nearly 40 city employees took the classes aimed at providing fun ways to unwind and engage in creative self-expression. Our Office of Arts and Culture wants to offer arts classes for city employees on a quarterly basis. The inaugural City of Glendale Employee Art Exhibit & Celebration will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the Civic Center. City employees are encouraged to create works of art with either their colleagues in their departments or their immediate family members to submit for the exhibit. Awards will be given in various categories. To learn more, visit this Office of Arts and Culture webpage.
Our Office of Arts and Culture is also keeping on its toes working with the Glendale Arts Commission to sponsor and host Ballet Under the Stars. Ballet Arizona will perform in this family-friendly, beautiful display of professional dance set at Sahuaro Ranch Historic Park on Sept. 25. There will be food trucks and live, acoustical music, as well as face-painting and balloon animal artists entertaining people starting at 5 p m , then Ballet Arizona will take the stage at 7 p.m. Our Economic Development, Field Operations and Parks and Recreation departments work together to make these performances possible. Learn more about Ballet Under the Stars here.
The LiVE! music concert series will start again on Oct. 18 at the northeast corner of 58th Avenue and Glenn Drive in the Courtyard. The shows, which will run from 6 to 10 p.m., will also be held Nov. 29, Dec. 20, Jan. 24, Feb. 21 and March 21. Our Economic Development Department is planning these FREE live performances, where there also will be food trucks and art installations. The bands that will play at the LiVE! concerts will be announced later here.
SPECIAL DAYS FOR SPECIAL COLLEAGUES
CO-WORKERS WILL BE HONORED WITH FUN CELEBRATIONS
Three of our city departments are planning fun ways to recognize their employees for their hard work and contributions to the city.
Our Human Resources & Risk Management Department got an early start on celebrating Human Resources Professionals Day, which falls on Sept. 26, when it hosted a retreat on Sept. 11 to talk about departmental goals and the focus for the year. Employees were celebrated for their accomplishments over the past fiscal year and they enjoyed lunch together and participated in team-building activities. Our Human Resources & Risk Management Department will host a professional development session on Sept. 25 with lunch and sweet treats for its employees.
Our Innovation and Technology Department will show its appreciation for its employees during National IT Professionals Day on Sept. 16. A “thank you” banner will hang in the office and employees will receive breakfast to start the day on a high note. A departmental email will be sent to employees thanking them.
Employees in our Budget and Finance Department will receive doughnuts and healthy snacks for Finance and Accounting Appreciation Week Sept. 23-27. These workers also were given fun “It’s Accrual World” coloring books for accountants.
MORE UPCOMING EVENTS
TURN IN TRAVEL REDUCTION SURVEY
It’s time to take the Travel Reduction Survey! By now you have received an email with the link to the survey, which must be completed by Sept. 30.
The Maricopa County Air Quality Department mandates this survey, which is a critical part of our city’s Travel Reduction Program. Any city employees who work three or more days a week for at least six months out of the year are required to take the survey. It measures our city’s efforts to try to reduce pollution by decreasing singleoccupancy vehicle travel to work via our Travel Green Program.
The survey only takes a few minutes to complete and doing so means your name will be entered into a drawing to win an Amazon gift card. After you finish the survey and hit the “submit” button, you will receive a message saying, “Your survey has been successfully submitted! Thank you.” You can find the survey here.
ACCESS HEALTH DATA, GET FLU SHOTS
You can gain valuable insight into your health and wellbeing during the “Know Your Numbers” Health Screenings & Flu Shots Onsite from Oct. 2 to Nov. 6.
Employees will be able to have their blood pressure taken, as well as their total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, height, weight and waist circumference measured. The confidential results will be available to participants at the screenings. Flu shots are being provided to all employees and for their family members who are covered on the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona medical plan. You will earn 10,000 wellness points for taking part in a screening and 2,500 points for obtaining a flu shot.
Details, including the times and locations of the screenings and flu shots, will be coming soon.
GOODIES IN GLENDALE
CELEBRATE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
The Inclusion Network’s Hispanic Heritage Month event will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 8 in our Main Library auditorium.
Jerry Garcia, PhD, a faculty member at Maricopa Community Colleges, will speak at this educational gathering. He has designed and delivered courses in U.S., Mexican American and Native American history and has written books. National Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration of Hispanic and Latino culture and history marked around the country from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Register for this event today through NEOGOV.
SCORE DISCOUNTED CARDINALS TICKETS
Want to cheer on the Arizona Cardinals?
City employees can buy discounted Cardinals tickets! Check out the deals on this website. As the season advances, there will be additional games where employes can buy more tickets at lower prices.
PEDESTRIAN, BIKE SAFETY TIPS TAUGHT
Our city’s Transportation and Police departments taught students about pedestrian and bicycle safety after a 13-year-old boy was hit by a vehicle while biking to school.
Employees with our Traffic Education Division, part of the Transportation Department, along with our Police Department, gave two presentations late last month at Mountain Ridge High School. Our Police Department, as well as Traffic Engineers Tony Abbo and Rebecca Fastje, created a 30-minute presentation on pedestrian and bicycle safety that included advice on e-bikes. Our Traffic Education Program Manager Cassandra Johnston and Police Officer Brian Schlingman delivered the information to freshmen at the school. Cassandra devised and coordinated this event with the goal of providing this safety information to all nine high schools in Glendale.
CONNECTING WITH THE COMMUNITY
KIDS CAN DELVE INTO DINO FUN
Little ones can enjoy a “prehistoric” adventure at a special Parks and Recreation Department event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 27 at the Glendale Community Center.
During this Fun-size Prehistoric Explorers gathering, children will engage in dinosaur-themed craft projects, dig for “fossils,” play Jurassic-style games and snack on dinosaur-inspired treats. The activities are geared towards kids ages 3 to 8.
To learn more and register your child for this event, visit the Parks and Recreation Department catalog webpage.
CITY GETTING INTO HALLOWEEN SPIRIT
Our employees are helping to plan some fun “spooktacular” events for Halloween next month.
A Halloween Pumpkin Paint Night will give children and adults a chance to use their creativity from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 17 at the Foothills Recreation and Aquatics Center (FRAC). It costs $5 per person for those ages 3 and older and it’s free for anyone 2 and younger. Participants should bring their own pumpkin. You may register for it here. There will also be festivities at FRAC when the Halloween Arts & Crafts Night is held there from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 23. Dress in costumes and enjoy arts and crafts projects, along with a fall-themed treat It’s open to children ages 3 to 15 and the cost is $5 per child. Registration is available on this page.
Our Velma Teague Library is carving out time for fun with Drawn to Comics store for another Halloween ComicFest from 5 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 25 at the library and the bookstore at 5801 W. Glendale Ave. Expect FREE comic books and you can meet local comic book artists, shop from vendors and pose with cosplay characters, as well as engage in games and crafts. Learn more on the library webpage.
GREAT NEWS IN GLENDALE
GRAFFITI BUSTERS CLEAN UP SITE BEFORE IN PROGRESS AFTER
A hardworking Transportation Department team is responsible for helping to beautify the city and eliminate blight.
Recently the two-person group covered graffiti along walls in an area that had repeatedly been targeted in a vacant lot off 65 Avenue between Maryland Avenue and Ocotillo Road Our city has a Graffiti Busters team - Michael Siebert and Albert Morales - who help keep our city clean and beautiful. Michael and Albert use either spraypaint or rollers dipped in paint to cover the graffiti. Power washers are utilized to wash off graffiti that is on sidewalks or asphalt parking lots.
Our city is able to find graffiti when employees, City Councilmembers, residents and anyone else reports it through GlendaleOne or by calling the Graffiti Hotline at 623-930-3080.
EXPLORE FIRE DEPARTMENT’S WORK
It’s easy to see the great impact our Fire Department has on the community when reviewing the Glendale Fire Department Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report that was recently shared online.
This report offers a comprehensive look at the department, providing transparency, highlighting major achievements and explaining continued progress it has made in serving residents. Check out the annual report here. Also, employees and the public may sign up for the Glendale Fire Citizen’s Academy, which will take place on Oct. 8, 15, 22 and 29 and Nov. 8 at our Glendale Regional Public Safety Training Center (GRPSTC). The October sessions will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. and the Nov. 8 event will take place from 8 a.m. to noon. Register by Sept. 24 for the academy here.
EMPLOYEE CELEBRATIONS
HAPPY WORK ANNIVERSARY
Your hard work, dedication and loyalty are appreciated!
HAPPY 40 YEARS
Corley McClungPolice
HAPPY 30 YEARS
Laura Beeler - Police
Patricia Lopez - City Court
HAPPY 25 YEARS
Judith CoonCommunity Services
Kristin Fletcher-Spear - Community Services
Ryan Horrall - Police
Ruben Ortega - Police
Alexis Waldron - Police
Wade Williams - Fire
HAPPY 20 YEARS
Linda Andrews - Water Services
Regina VeatchBudget and Finance
HAPPY 10 YEARS
Daniel Alonzo - Transportation
Eliseo Aranda - Transportation
Jeff Ashley - Fire
Ryan Glover - City Attorney’s Office
Michele Kern - Field Operations
Michael Masson - Water Services
Karen Mofford - Community Services
Roman Valdez - Transportation
HAPPY 5 YEARS
Celeste Brown - City Court
Kaitlyn Hall - Police
Cassandra Jarles - Community Services
Jacob Mayhew - Police
Brian O’Dell - Innovation and Technology
Jonathan Pollack - Innovation and Technology
Eric Santa Maria - Field Operations