Tempe
Arizona
City of Tempe This Week: January 23, 2023
Government and Politics
January 24, 2023
From: City of TempeTempe This Week: Jan. 23, 2023
Unity Walk, FanCon, Zero Waste Day, Farm Express Mobile Market and more
Tempe names Interim Police Chief, conducts national search for permanent Chief
An Interim Chief has been named for the Tempe Police Department and applications are now being taken for the permanent role of Police Chief.
Interim Assistant Chief Josie Montenegro will serve as Interim Chief after current Police Chief Jeff Glover serves his last day Feb. 13 and becomes Arizona Department of Public Safety Director under the administration of Governor Katie Hobbs.
City Manager Andrew Ching expressed the utmost confidence in Montenegro, a 22-year Tempe Police employee who has been serving as an Assistant Chief for more than a year. She will serve as Interim Police Chief from Feb. 14 until a permanent Police Chief is chosen and begins work in Tempe.
MLK Awards video now available
If you missed the annual MLK Diversity Awards you can watch them on YouTube now. Be inspired by this year’s award winners and the address by Dr. Lois Brown, Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at Arizona State University. Mayor Corey Woods also shared details of Tempe’s work in diversity, equity and inclusion.
Rio Salado College MLK Celebration
Celebrate the life and legacy of Civil Rights leader and social justice advocate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the fifth annual Rio Salado College celebration. The event takes place from noon-1:30 p.m. on Jan. 27. Watch the live stream.
Councilmember Berdetta Hodge is the keynote speaker. The theme: Honoring The Legacy: Love in Action. Read more.
Tempe makes changes to compost program
Tempe’s Solid Waste Services is changing the city’s compost buy-back program. Beginning in March 2023, the city will no longer sell compost at its Compost/Inert Yard located on Rio Salado; however, the city has contracted with a vendor that will continue to provide discounted composting services for Tempe residents.
Residents can visit Gro-Well Brands in Phoenix to purchase compost at a discounted rate starting in March 2023. Residents will need to provide proof of residency in the form of a current utility bill and ID.
Grab your capes and superpowers - it's time for Tempe FanCon!
We're just days away from the return of Tempe FanCon 2023 on Saturday, Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Tempe Public Library Plaza. Each year in January, Tempe FanCon brings together fans from across the Valley for a celebration of all things cosplay, comics and pop culture. Fans can enjoy a family event jam-packed with games and activities, including costume contests, artists, authors and nearly 100 vendors. Get all the details.
Out with the old, in with the new!
This Saturday, Jan. 28, stop by the Tempe Fire Training Center, 1340 E. University Drive, between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. to dispose of items for reuse, recycling and repurposing at Tempe’s Zero Waste Day.
Help out local furry friends! Donate your pet food and supplies to benefit local rescues and homeless pets in Tempe. Find a full list of accepted items and how they are repurposed in the Tempe community here.
Music, drinks and merriment
The Tempe Grassroots Festival is back Saturday, Jan. 28, from 6-10 p.m. at the event space at King of Glory Church, 2085 E. Southern Ave. Enjoy live music with the Optimystics, a live and silent auction, Hop Central beer and Atlas Wines and food from Rusty Taco. Proceeds benefit Tempe Leadership.
New local hangout
Hundred Mile Brewing Co is now open for business. The full service restaurant offers up locally themed brews such as “A Mountain Amber Ale” and “Pinetop Pils.” Grab a seat at the bar or enjoy the heated patio. Located just north of Tempe Town Lake at 690 N. Scottsdale Road. Find details here.
Regional Unity Walk: music, food, fun and new youth engagement fair
Join residents from Chandler, Gilbert, Guadalupe, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe at Tempe Town Lake to celebrate the annual Regional Unity Walk Saturday, Jan. 28. Enjoy a short, 1-mile walk that begins and ends at Tempe Beach Park. It's free!
A festival starts at 4:30 p.m. with music, food and fun. The walk starts at 6 p.m. Get a free T-shirt and walk for unity, mutual respect and understanding.
New this year: the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission (MYAC) is partnering with the Human Relations Commission to host a youth engagement fair at 4 p.m. MYAC will host booths to get community input on the group's priorities, including youth mental health and wellness, unhoused community members and environmental sustainability. There will also be a bouncy house and a few MYAC commissioners doing face paint.
Visit the Farm Express Mobile Market on Tempe Tuesdays
Have you shopped the Farm Express Mobile Market? Check it out every other Tuesday at four locations in Tempe. Stop by tomorrow, Jan. 24, starting at 9:30 a.m.
Farm Express is a ?eet of mobile produce markets that sell healthy, affordable fruit and veggies to shoppers throughout Tempe, Phoenix and other communities. In Tempe, the market is open:
- 9:30-10:30 a.m. at Encore on Farmer, 601 S. Farmer Ave
- 11 a.m. - noon at Mountain Park Health Center, 1840 E. Broadway Road
- 1-2 p.m. at Tempe Public LIbrary, 3500 S. Rural Road
- 2:30-3:30 p.m. at Apache Central Center, 1338 E. Apache Blvd.
Watch a video about Tempe Tuesdays here.
Marcos de Niza HS mariachi fundraiser
Teaming up with Avnet Cares and HOLA (Hispano/Latino Organization of Leaders at Avnet), Marcos de Niza's Mariachi Virtuoso, the school's advanced mariachi ensemble, will host a Fiesta de Carnaval on Friday, Jan. 27, 5 - 8 p.m., at the school at 6000 S. Lakeshore Drive.
Admission is free and there will be vendors, food, raffles and performances. Through their matching grants program, Avnet Cares will match any profit up to $10,000. MdN Mariachi Virtuoso has been invited to present and perform at the American String Teachers Association National Conference in Orlando and is raising funds for the trip.
Get involved: apply for a seat on a city board
Tempe’s many boards and commissions make policy recommendations that keep our city safe, beautiful and connected. We have several openings right now for people who want to be more involved.
Tempe's historic built landscape and rich cultural resources are important to our community. Members of the Historic Preservation Commission make recommendations about those resources. Apply now to be considered for a seat on this commission. There are vacancies for at-large members. Tempe residents who have demonstrated an interest in historic preservation should apply now.
There are still openings for the Neighborhood Advisory Commission. This commission helps keep Tempe's neighborhoods beautiful, connected and informed. Openings for this commission are available now in zip codes 85283 and 85284 - and applications for any Tempe zip code are always welcome for future vacancies.
We're also looking for professionals to help keep Tempe buildings safe for everyone. Electricians, engineers and plumbers are among the professions needed to serve on Tempe's Technical Code Advisory Board of Appeals.
Want to see some of the accomplishments of these groups? Each year, the appointed members of Tempe’s 28 Boards and Commissions produce a collective annual report. Read it now.
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