Headlines: Flash Floods, Free Sandbags + A Tool Kit ?

Imagesfrom Sept 2014 azcentral.com

On September 16, 2015 the Newsroom for the City of Mesa announced:
Mesa honored for environmental excellence

Post Date:09/16/2015 1:27 PM

http://www.mesaaz.gov/Home/Components/News/News/492/

The City of Mesa’s plan to reduce stormwater runoff and pollution has received one of the top honors at an event known as the “Academy Awards” of the environmental community. Mesa’s Low Impact Development (LID) Toolkit has earned the coveted Crescordia Award for Public Policy/Plans . . .

Readers might wonder what this "toolkit" is - it's a document, a .pdf plan to promote the benefits of Low Impact Development.

The concept and beneficial outcomes of Low Impact Development will get highlighted and encouraged on a future post on this  blog . . . meanwhile, the infrastructure that the City of Mesa brags about has failed - millions of dollars are thrown at cleaning up the problems and damages created by years of bad high impact development for fast growth - the city is not limitless. It's time to recognize that to plan on Smart Growth + Low Impact Development.

Underwater in the Desert Sept 2014

O Yeah! More Pop-Ups > Community Cinema Changes to Indie Lens Pop-Up!

The City of Mesa Diversity Office has made an announcement:

A New Year Means a New Series of Films!

 We are excited to announce that there is a whole new Independent Film line-up for the coming months.  What used to be Community Cinema Series is now Indie Lens Pop-Up!  Though the name has changed, the series will still offer the same diversity, thought -provoking material that so many have come to love about this unique offering of documentaries.  

 

About Indie Lens Pop-Up!

 Indie Lens Pop-Up is a neighborhood series that brings people together for film screenings and community-driven conversations. Featuring documentaries seen on the PBS series Independent Lens, Indie Lens Pop-Up draws local residents, leaders, and organizations to discuss what matters most, from newsworthy topics to family and relationships. Make friends, share stories, and join the conversation. Can't attend in person? Find Independent Lens on Facebook for information on our online Pop-Up events.

Save the Date: Thursday, October 15, 2015 at 6:30 pm 

Stray Dog a film by Debra Granik

Winter's Bone director Debra Granik's searching, stereotype shattering documentary focuses on Ron "Stray Dog" Hall.  The movie follows Stray Dog, as he caravans on his Harley from his rural Missouri home to Washington, D.C. with his fellow vets to pay tribute to his fallen brothers at the Vietnam Memorial.  Back home, Ron and his Mexican wife, Alicia, assist her two newly arrived teenage sons, who, like Stray Dog, are striving to find their place in a country that has become foreign.  Stray Dog is at once a powerful look at the veteran experience, a surprising love story, and a fresh exploration of what it takes to survive in the hardscrabble heartland of America.

  

For a list of this season's films, please visit the City of Mesa Diversity Page!

MultipliCITY: Maricopa Association of Governments

This weblog is all about content > Re/Generating The New Urban Downtown Mesa that isn't such a square any more original One-Square Mile - we're outta that box.
Downtown? Where's Uptown? Urban/Sub-Urban?
. . . and what's a city?
Yes we are all connected:: worldwide and in the county
How many of us interact and participate in Governments?
Are you a registered voter or even bother to vote?
Are you staying informed with issues that impact you?
Do you care?

multiplicity [noun]

1. The quality of being made of many different elements, forms, kinds, or individuals:

diverseness, diversification, diversity, heterogeneity, heterogeneousness, miscellaneousness, multifariousness, multiformity, variegation, variety, variousness.

Biology: polymorphism.

2. An indeterminately great amount or number:

jillion, million (often used in plural), ream, trillion.

Informal: bushel, gob (often used in plural), heap (often used in plural), load (often used in plural), lot, oodles, passel, peck, scad (often used in plural), slew, wad, zillion.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

 

The Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) is a Council of Governments (COG) that serves as the regional planning and policy agency for the metropolitan Phoenix area.When MAG was formed in 1967, the elected officials recognized the need for data driven long-range planning and policy development on a regional scale. They realized that many issues such as transportation, air quality and human services affected residents beyond the borders of their individual jurisdictions.
MAG was founded in the spirit of cooperation. MAG members believe that by uniting, they can solve common problems, take an active role in long-range regional issues and address concerns that affect all of the communities. MAG conducts extensive applied research needed to accomplish its core mission of strengthening the Greater Phoenix region and State of Arizona
MAG is the regional air quality planning agency and metropolitan planning organization for transportation for all jurisdictions in Maricopa County, including the Phoenix urbanized area and the contiguous urbanized area in Pinal County, including the Town of Florence and City of Maricopa. MAG has also been designated by the Governor to serve as the principal planning agency for the region in a number of other areas, including water quality and solid waste management. In addition, through an Executive Order from the Governor, MAG develops population estimates and projections for the region. Extensive primary research aids in this work.
Link to homepage> http://www.azmag.gov/

Regional Council Executive Committee 9/21/2015 Meeting
Date: 9/21/2015 @ 12:00 PM
Location: Ironwood Room, 2nd Floor MAG Offices/Suite 200 302 North 1st Avenue Phx

Please see agenda for details http://www.azmag.gov/Events/Event.asp?CMSID=6971
 

 

 



Urban Mobility | Yes > Light Rail on Main Street > Here's What's Next

On October 14, 2015 the New Cities Foundation will host Cities on the Move, a one-day event exploring the multifaceted nature of urban mobility and its impact on our cities.

Cities on the Move will take place at the Google headquarters in London, following a successful first edition in Mountain View, California in 2014.
We will gather 150 of the most forward thinking researchers and practitioners from economics, sociology, architecture and design, policy, finance and technology to discuss the changing nature of urban mobility.

Paper Series: Re-imagining Urban Mobility

To complement Cities on the Move, we invited participants and other thought leaders to contribute short papers on the mobility needs facing cities globally. Find out more below. 
 Organized by the New Cities Foundation and hosted by Google, with support from Ericsson and Transdev

Re-Imagining Urban Mobility
Urban Mobility Article Series
Go to this link for all the articles to read and download: http://www.newcitiesfoundation.org/cities-on-the-move/

What Works: Highlights Film from New Cities
2015 Summit
https://youtu.be/JzHxpEOi8mw

Mesa-based Able Engineering & Aerospace Continues to Grow

From a press release dated 14 September:
Able Goes Big in Canada: Signs Rotor Link as In-Country Distributor
Source: Able Aerospace Services Sep 14, 2015
MESA, Arizona (September 14, 2015) – A new agreement between Able Aerospace and Vancouver based Rotor Link has established “in country” availability of Able’s comprehensive PMA offerings and full line of rotor wing components. Under the agreement, RotorLink will serve as Able’s distributor and logistics coordinator in Canada.
The Able-RotorLink agreement strengthens Able’s position in the Canadian market, where it already serves – and is focused on continuing to grow – a broad base of fixed-wing and rotor-wing clients.

Readers will note that Able is located at Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport, a hub of defense and aerospace industries that are some of the region's biggest employers of people who choose to live and buy homes in the multiplicity of Mesa, Queen Creek and San Tan Valley.

Mayors of these municipalities can be viewed in the image to the left at on occasion in December of last year from Able's account on Twitter.

CEO Lee Benson

Your MesaZona blogger was pleasantly surprised that a big enterprise like Able Engineering & Aerospace cares about the wellness of its staff - Wellness programs offer the opportunity for companies to improve their employees’ lives and reduce costs. 
Able Engineering is a shining example of this truth featured in an article in May 2015
http://hrlawinsider.com/2015/05/wellness-programs-in-the-workplace-able-engineering-shows-the-way/





Two years ago Lee Benson appeared on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/69515312

 

Recovery from The Great Recession? Mesa Ranked at #143

With a new Q3 Economic Report from the City of Mesa Office for Economic Development for July-September due to be published after the end of this month, the same organization Wallet Hub that rated Mesa #1 for retirement places now puts the city close to the bottom on the list for recovery.
For many Americans today, the Great Recession is nothing more than the distant shadow of a troubled economic past. The longest downturn since the Great Depression officially ended six years ago . . . To measure the progress of local economies since the financial crisis and how much work remains to be done in the name of recovery, WalletHub compared the 150 largest U.S. cities across 17 key economic indicators.
Rank for  Mesa = 143

Plan Ahead > Next Month 2nd Friday Night Out

 



Why is it, dear readers, that on certain days of the month Night Time + Nights Out make the streets of the New Urban Downtown Mesa come alive?

Whaddya mean - they're usually dead during the day?

Well, let's just say it's a different scene and cooler.

A Block Party that goes on for more than one block? Hmmm . . . it started like that.

A Pop-Up Event?

For sure, with ten bands and sixty artist/handmade crafts enterprises incubating right before your eyes - here for one night with maybe some other tangible benefits.

It's a strategy in the urban planner's toolbox that attracts people.

Some brick-and-mortar retail businesses say these nights are their biggest nights for customer traffic and sales. One estimate, that will no doubt have to get updated after Valley Metro Light Rail going into operation, is a figure of $19,000 in increased sales on event days.

See this link for 2nd Friday Night Out

http://www.2ndfridaynightout.com/index.html