MesaZona > Table of Contents : Here's The Menu. Enjoy

Tuesday, June 07, 2016

MRO for Able Aerospace

Able Aerospace signs MRO agreement for AgustaWestland products

Able Aerospace Services, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, has been named by Leonardo-Finmeccanica, through AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corporation, as an approved supplier for maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO) and testing for AgustaWestland products' components.

Under a newly signed agreement, Able becomes an official member of the Leonardo Helicopters’ worldwide service network and an approved supplier for maintenance, repair, overhaul and testing to AgustaWestland products’ dynamic components. Services under this agreement include a range of special processing and testing, of which Able completes 100 percent of all jobs in house.

“We have worked with Leonardo Helicopters for more than a decade, and applaud its commitment to strong aftermarket maintenance support,” said Able Aerospace Services vice president John Jackson. “This new agreement gives Able more efficient avenues to do what we do best, which is to support aircraft operators with safe, fast, cost-saving aftermarket MRO [maintenance, repair and overhaul].”

From its headquarters and maintenance facilities on the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa, Arizona, Able offers Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved component repair, overhaul and approved replacement parts solutions to commercial and military aviation fleets in more than 60 countries worldwide. This includes extensive in-house capabilities such as electroplating, chemical processing, machining, grinding, NDT testing, hydraulics, bearings services, and painting.

Able operates from a broad platform of airworthiness certifications from entities including the FAA, European Aviation Safety Agency, Civil Aviation Administration of China, Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, DCAT, National Civil Aviation Agency – Brazil, and the Brazilian Navy.

NEWS 06.06.2016 from Vertical News

Able recently became an official member of the Leonardo Helicopters’ worldwide service network and an approved supplier for maintenance, repair, overhaul and testing to AgustaWestland products’ dynamic components. Pictured here: Able Aerospace Services vice president John Jackson. Able Aerospace Photo

Monday, June 06, 2016

Scorching Excessive Heat + High Pollution Advisories > There Are Consequences

News about the weather recently started with words like 'Scorching heat' - completely omitting serious health consequences including death from dangerously high levels of ozone and particulate matter in the air, while advising people with respiratory issues to simply stay indoors and don't drive . . . the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality issues "alerts" for unhealthy air all the time and year-round while Maricopa County has consistently failed to meet federal requirements for clean air year-after-year. . . are we too dumb and happy living in Maricopa County?

Here are the conclusions from a somewhat detailed, technical, well-researched report from
2000-2008 by Environmental Health Perspectives, part of the National Institute for Health
Neighborhood Effects on Heat Deaths: Social and Environmental Predictors of Vulnerability in Maricopa County, Arizona
Research article volume 121 | Issue 2 | February 2013

Figure 1 – HVI scores (using a method modified from Reid et al. 2009) mapped for 2,081 census block groups (CGBs) in Maricopa County, Arizona. Higher scores represent higher vulnerability. The map inset in the lower right corner indicates the urbanized area of Maricopa County (red box) shown in the larger map. The county, which also contains a much larger area of uninhabited desert and sparse settlement, is outlined in blue. The urbanized area covers all the cities and all but one of the major towns in the county. Residences of only four people who died from heat exposure were located outside the urbanized area (green circles in inset).
View larger image (PNG File)

Figure 2 – Univariate analysis of the LISA-identified clusters of census block groups (CBGs) in Maricopa County, Arizona, with similar or dissimilar HVI scores (p-value ≤ 0.05). High/high areas in the map are clusters of neighboring CBGs with uniformly high vulnerability scores; low/low areas are clusters with low vulnerability scores; low/high areas represent a CBG with a low vulnerability score neighbored by high vulnerability CBGs; high/low areas represent a CBG with a high vulnerability score neighbored by low vulnerability CBGs. Entries in the legend (next to the colored boxes) also show the percentages of 2000–2008 heat-related decedents who were residents in each type of cluster.
View larger image (PNG File)
In the present study, we investigated neighborhood effects on heat exposure deaths in Maricopa County, Arizona, over a 9-year period (2000–2008). Extremely high temperatures occur almost daily for 6 months a year in this desert climate. The decedents were identified by the county health department using a surveillance system designed specifically to detect deaths caused by or related to environmental (weather-related) heat. Our question was “What characteristics of urban neighborhoods affect the risk of residents dying from extreme heat?”
Many studies on urban heat-related mortality examine individual-specific risk factors.
Commonly identified physiological risks include

advanced or young age,
underlying disease, disability, and pregnancy.
Cardiovascular disease and several other illnesses are risk factors for heat-related death
Deaths from heat exposure also occur among people who lack access to cool environments or are physically active in hot weather
Living in poverty is a key individual risk factor for death related to heat because it decreases the odds of access to medical care and protective resources

Neighborhoods are “ecological units nested within successively larger communities” and neighborhood effects on human development and life cycle events, individual behavior, social outcomes, and health risks have long been studied in the social and health sciences

Many indicators of poor health, such as low birth weight, obesity, and coronary heart disease are spatially clustered within neighborhoods.
Socioeconomic context is important because many poor neighborhoods lack institutional capacities for education, health care, and employment and have poor quality housing.
Many minorities live in low-income areas with high levels of social isolation and concentrated disadvantage

We estimated the neighborhood effects of population characteristics and features of the built and natural environments on deaths due to heat exposure in Maricopa County, Arizona (2000–2008).
Spatial patterns showed substantial variability between neighborhoods in vulnerability to heat, odds of residents dying from heat exposure, and locations of vulnerable neighborhood clusters.
Many inner-city neighborhoods had higher vulnerability scores and more deaths, whereas higher neighborhood income and education, younger white populations, greener landscapes, AC, and cooler microclimates in suburban neighborhoods were associated with reduced heat vulnerability and fewer deaths.
Heat deaths of homeless persons were reported primarily in the inner city. Many decedents, however, lived in neighborhoods with lower vulnerability scores and, therefore, place-based indicators of vulnerability are complements and not substitutes for person-level risk variables.
Surface temperature [from highways and "heat islands" like parking lots and unvegetated lands] might be used as a single indicator in Maricopa County to identify the most heat-vulnerable neighborhoods.
However, more attention to the socioecological complexities of climate mitigation and adaptation is a high public health priority.
There are major local challenges ahead in preventing heat-related deaths under global regimes of climate change and urbanization.

Wake-Up Mesa! Three Fails for Higher Education Initiatives

Ever since X-Mayor Scott Smith, who resigned from office here and lost his quest to become governor to Doug Ducey, brought the idea to attract educational institutions to downtown Mesa as part of H.E.A.T. initiative, there's been mixed results to say the least with the five lured here - sure they filled vacant or under-used buildings and were given the rave-treatment, Over-Hype and Hoop-La by both city officials and the mainstream media with exaggerated claims [wishful thinking] for the transformation of downtown, economic development, a big boost in retail sales with the word 're-vitalizing playing out nowhere.

Some might say disappointing, with overblown claims that Mr. Smith wanted to use for higher office. He didn't get there. The plans he had are just not delivering the hyped promises . . . now that he's the temporary CEO of Valley Metro he's trying take us all on "other ride" --- it'll be the gravy train for commercial real estate developers hitching a free ride on the back of taxpayers who - everyone - thanks to City Hall have a debt to pay off.

BETTER GET OUT THAT URBAN DEVELOPMENT TOOL-BOX and just stop repeating what doesn't work - for your information that's the clinical definition of insanity.

Two out of five have re-located elsewhere and two are simply under-delivering results here in Mesa . . . do taxpayers want more?

Starting June 1, 2106 - right in the midst of the Mesa City Council looking at multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded proposals by City Manager Chris Brady for an ASU Downtown Mesa "campus" - news was made by Xavier University in Gilbert that it would be "closing its doors".
Way to go, Xavier University! [shutting down in Gilbert]
Closing its doors on what?

The university is closing its campus in Gilbert that was built with taxpayer money.
Gilbert officials took out revenue bonds totaling $37 million to design and construct the campus .
Its seems oddly strange that both mayor of the respective towns have chosen religious imagery to refer to the university campuses - John Giles saying "it's a perfect marriage" and John Lewis saying "it's a blessing".
Come hell or high water - or unforeseen circumstances - we shall see how this goes
In this report from 2014 the news then for Gilbert has an eerie resonance with the same spin on the news here in Mesa in 2016
". . . in 2015, downtown Gilbert will be welcoming a new type of business that will further invigorate the local economy while adding to the vibrant success of the Heritage district. . .
. . . a Catholic university based out of Chicago has signed off on the establishment of a satellite campus in Gilbert. The four-story building, which boasts more than 80,000 square feet of space and is projected to accommodate upwards of 1,000 students . . . Scott Powell, an economic development administrator for the town of Gilbert, said that the student demographic will provide a new marketing base for businesses downtown while adding to the success of popular establishments . . .
“When it comes to businesses directly around the university, they’ll see more foot traffic,” Willman said. “Directly overall, the positive impacts that a small university has really depends on what town that is. The university seems to be a way for Gilbert to flesh out its identity, in a sense. It’s definitely a good thing.”
In addition to the continuation of economic success downtown, the students at St. Xavier have the potential to spark a wave of small-scale shops and retail boutiques catered directly to the college lifestyle.
“I think [St. Xavier] will attract a new crowd of college-aged people that will really diversify the community down here,” said Gilbert resident Taylor Bergholz. “I’m downtown all the time, so it’ll be interesting to see what new restaurants or shops come out of the university . . . “The hope is that these students will drive the demand to put in space for new developments to come in,” Powell said. “The university and any new development that will come with it is definitely going to have an invigorating impact on the downtown economy . . ."

Spicing Up Arizona Elections: Here's Cara Nicole Trujillo

...and you thought it was all the guys running for election to the Arizona State House having' so much fun!
Hold onto your seats fellas, there's a blonde bombshell cosplay costume artist who's shaking' up politics like we used to know it.
All sorts of characters run for seats in the Arizona Legislature. [You might remember Russell Pearce as just one]
Who could possibly want more in the world of entertainment we live in?
It's ripe > Comics/Cosplay + Art + Politics - O Yeah!

...but can we get serious for just one minute?
Cara Nicole Trujillo is staging a campaign for the seat in AZ Legislative District 26 that includes parts of Mesa and Tempe.
Cara Nicole Trujillo might be a new face on the Arizona political scene, but in the comic book world, she's a legend.
Phoenix New Times five days ago had this to say:
Faster than a spinning lobbyist, more powerful than a strike-all amendment — it's AZ Powergirl, celebrity cosplay model, swooping in to save the Arizona Legislature! . . .
On the heels of a successful signature drive and filing two weeks ago with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office, Trujillo's name will appear on the November ballot as a Green Party candidate in the district, . .

Via Facebook

"I am serious about this," Trujillo says of her candidacy.
"I felt it was a good time to run.
I'm glad people are deciding they want to get more involved, and I want to give people the opportunity to choose something more outside the red-and-blue party system. . .

The Mesa resident also volunteers with Arizona Family Rights, a nonprofit activist group that helps people with divorce and custody issues. Trujillo says she has spoken at legislative hearings over the past few years, lobbying for laws that would give divorced parents equal time with their kids. (Both she and her husband were previously married.) Trujillo's experience also includes talking with the "everyday Joe" in her cross-country travels, she says.

AZ Powergirl presents herself as an outsider who may vote with Democrats or Republicans but won't feel beholden to either party. Environmental issues are important to the Green Party candidate — she's a big believer in reusing gray water, for example. She describes herself as "very pro-limited government." Her father is a gunsmith, she says, and she's pro-gun rights for the most part.
She wants to help local businesses, decentralize government power throughout the state, reform asset-forfeiture laws, and improve education. She's not running as a Clean Elections candidate, because she thinks doling out public money to candidates is a "scam." She has knocked on hundreds of doors in recent months and "talked to people personally."
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/state-house-candidate-and-az-powergirl-cara-nicole-trujillo-brings-politics-to-phoenix-comicon-2016-8338950

Just like nearly all candidates who are residents of Mesa and in the run for office, she has also worked with numerous hospitals and charitable foundations to hold events for children and promote fundraisers.
In an election year that’s been full of surprises, controversy and a reality star's campaign for president, it’s not unusual to see a candidate work to turn popularity into votes.

She knows how to use social media

Az Powergirl Cara Nicole - Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/AZPowergirl/

Az Powergirl Cara Nicole, Glendale, Arizona. 42584 likes · 4046 ... Welcome to the official page for Cara Nicole/AZ Powergirl! Here... ... Alfred Trujillo Artist

Cara Nicole (@AzPowergirl) | Twitter

https://twitter.com/azpowergirl?lang=en

9 hours ago - Cara Nicole Retweeted · Sara Moni ⭐ @KrayolaKid 1h1 hour ago. Love this shot of @AzPowergirl # @gglindsayelyse and I at the @azcentral booth

Sunday, June 05, 2016

Samantha Nutt >>The Real Harm of the Global Arms Trade.

Who's the biggest supplier of weapons for wars?
From her personal perspective Samantha Nutt tells about the deaths and disfigurements of hundreds of children resulting from the multi-billion dollars global weapons manufacture.

Improving the Way City Government Works

"Cities are drivers of progress and innovation, and hold solutions to many of the world’s most pressing issues. That is why cities are at the center of so much of what Bloomberg Philanthropies does. Bloomberg Philanthropies convenes mayors at global events and runs innovation competitions. With expertise built during Michael Bloomberg’s tenure as New York City’s mayor, Bloomberg Philanthropies helps cities use data to improve city services. And to promote experimentation, Bloomberg Philanthropies funds dedicated innovation teams to work directly for mayors in city halls around the world. Through its philanthropic consultancy, Bloomberg Associates, in-depth advice is provided to mayors on issues ranging from marketing to municipal integrity. By supporting cities, Bloomberg Philanthropies is able to capitalize on the unique and essential role mayors and city leaders play in leading global progress.
Using data sounds great until you start to see that what you’re doing doesn’t work, that what you’re paying for isn’t making a difference. But of course that’s where the real value comes in . . . "

The Mayors Challenge: Using Competitions to Create Opportunities for Cities to Boldly Experiment

In the United States and Europe, the Mayors Challenge offered city leaders powerful incentives that encouraged them to develop creative new approaches to their cities’ most pressing problems. With our assistance, the winning cities have since been working to bring their ideas to life—testing and adapting them along the way.

[Mesa not cited]

What Works Cities

Helping Cities Use Data and Evidence to Improve People's Lives
Our What Works Cities program is helping mayors enhance their use of data and evidence to engage residents; improve services and government efficiency; and strengthen communities. At the same time, the program is creating a standard for what data-driven decision-making in the public sector looks like and, importantly, what it can achieve for residents. Twenty seven cities were admitted to the What Works Cities program in 2015. The program will reach 100 cities by the end of 2018. Through technical support and peer-to-peer learning, Bloomberg Philanthropies is helping city managers better address issues like homelessness, job growth, and public safety.
So let's a look back to the press release here in Mesa

Mesa selected as one of first cities to participate in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ “What Works Cities” initiative

Post Date:08/05/2015 8:32 AM

Mayor John Giles announced today that Mesa is one of the first cities selected to participate in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ What Works Cities, a $42 million initiative to help 100 mid-sized American cities enhance their use of data and evidence to improve the lives of residents.

Mesa is one of eight cities that will receive expert on-the-ground support and peer-to-peer learning opportunities to make local government more effective. Since the launch of the What Works Cities initiative in April 2015, mayors from every region of the country have expressed their desire for assistance to address local challenges using data and evidence and within the first six weeks alone, 112 U.S. cities across 41 states applied.

"Making better use of data is one of the best opportunities cities have to solve problems and deliver better results for their citizens. The first group of cities in the What Works Cities program represent the range of local leaders across the country who are committed to using data and evidence to improve people's everyday lives," said Michael R. Bloomberg.
What Works Cities collaborates with participating municipalities to review their current use of data and evidence, understand where they are utilizing best practices and identify areas for growth. Through its expert partners, What Works Cities then designs a customized approach to help mayors apply tools to address a variety of local issues including economic development, public health, job creation, and blight.
“In today’s technologically driven world, data and evidence are the fuel that powers the innovation and efficiency of our city services,” Mesa Mayor John Giles said. “Mesa is excited to be one of the first cities in the country to partner with What Works Cities to create data driven outcomes that make Mesa an even better place to live.”
OK - What exactly are your data-driven outcomes?
Working with the What Works Cities world-class partners, Mesa will implement open data practices for the first time.
The City will also define desired results and share progress towards key city functions with residents.
OK e.g...please share what progress
In addition to Mesa, the other inaugural cities selected to participate are Chattanooga, Tennessee; Jackson, Mississippi; Kansas City, Missouri; Louisville, Kentucky; New Orleans, Louisiana; Seattle, Washington; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
One hundred cities will be admitted to the program on a rolling basis through 2017, adding momentum to the national movement among cities to use data and evidence to improve the delivery of government services and advance cities’ strategic goals. The What Works Cities initiative capitalizes on Bloomberg Philanthropies’ belief in the importance of data and evidence to improve people’s lives and make government more effective.
The consortium of leading organizations that has been assembled by Bloomberg Philanthropies to provide a program of support, includes Results for America, the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University, the Government Performance Lab at the Harvard Kennedy School, Sunlight Foundation and The Behavioral Insights Team.
Partners will inspire, challenge, and support cities to:

Create sustainable open data programs and policies that deliver results, increase resident engagement, and promote transparency;
Better incorporate data into budget, operational and policy decision making;
Conduct low-cost rapid evaluations that allow cities to continually improve programs; and/ or
Focus funding on effective approaches that deliver results for citizens.
Source:

http://annualreport.bloomberg.org/government/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2015annualreport

City of Mesa: Living Green [No Mention of High Ozone Pollution]

June Living Green Events The party's over... the heat is on!
Post Date: 06/03/2016 6:03 PM
That's the subject line from the City of Mesa Office of Sustainability
What party are they talkin' about??
EXCESSIVE HIGH HEAT about fifteen degrees more than "normal" at the same time as High Ozone Pollution Advisories issued by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality [ADEQ] for air contamination that exceeds federal standards.

$$$ JUNE $ustainability $avings Tip $$$

INVESTMENTS & SIMPLE CHANGES THAT PAY OFF! Saving energy when it’s hot, hot, hot!

Read our June Sustainability Savings Tip
Are you wondering what Tax Credits and Rebates are available?
Purchase only Energy Star labeled products
How to Keep Your Cool When the Season Heats Up (Infographic)
Get two FREE SHADE TREES! See “Mark Your Calendar” below.
Save With SRP. Find rebates, advice and do-it-yourself ideas.

++ MESA URBAN GARDEN (MUG) NEWS! ++

Sat. June 25, 6 p.m. Garden Lecture Series: Sow? 105 Degrees? Yes! (that’s the title). It's free!! Register. Details below.
Wed. July 6, 7 p.m. Sunset Yoga with Ainsley. Bring your mat, your breath and comfortable clothing, then ahhhhh… relax.
Have you seen the Little Free Library at MUG? Take a book – Return a book. Actually we NEED books. Ready to recycle some at home?
Beds Rentals are Available! Now renting at 50% off. Contact Laurie.

Located at 212 E. 1st Ave. Learn more at www.facebook.com/MesaUrbanGarden

~ SUSTAINABILITY NEWS ~

Meetings scheduled to get input for major downtown development- The City of Mesa is hosting two public meetings to solicit input regarding a proposed development of approximately two and a half acres at the northwest corner of Country Club Drive and Main Street. The meetings will be held June 9 and June 16...
Mesa water quality report now available - How well do you know your H2O? Learn about the quality of your Mesa drinking water by reading the new City of Mesa Water Quality Consumer Confidence Report.
Mesa pools open for the summer: All nine Mesa pools are now open for public swim. Hours are from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on most days, closed on Sundays. Use our pools so you don’t have to install your own.

# # PROGRAMS BY OUR CLOSE NEIGHBORS # #

June 16: Birds ‘n Beer. This popular, award winning, after-work series runs all year long. It’s sponsored by the Arizona Lottery, so you can feel better about buying tickets and not winning. Located at the amazing Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center. This month will feature Global Birding Adventures with Dr. David Pearson, ASU Biologist.
Summer is a great time to take classes to learn more about gardening. Boyce Thompson Arboretum offers a Learn Your Lizards on June 11, Tree Tour on June 19, a Guided Butterfly Walk on June 25 and more! Oh, and who needs to go to those Summer Movie Blockbusters when you can see pics of Gila Monster VS. Rock Squirrel?
Desert Botanical Garden has great classes offered through June with topics like Companion Planting, Sustainable Edible Gardens, Pollinator Gardens, and my personal favorite, After the Lawn is Gone and more.
Visit Green Living Magazine’s Events Calendar to see more fun events taking place around the state, such as the 2016 Lavender Festival and more.

Learn more about our sustainability programs!
Follow me on Twitter, https://twitter.com/LivingGreenMesa
Learn more about our water conservation and recycling programs
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