NE Valley Times

The Scottsdale 360 series will commence with a session titled "Water Wise" on April 28, from 11 a.m. to noon. The city is encouraging residents and businesses to voluntarily reduce water usage by at least 5% due to the ongoing Colorado River shortage. Gretchen Baumgardner, Scottsdale’s Water Policy Manager, will discuss the city's water resources portfolio, conservation efforts, and how residents and businesses can contribute.

Scottsdale360 is an online learning initiative that highlights various aspects of the community, including people, policies, and programs. Other topics in the series include short-term rentals, emergency preparedness, and capital projects in Scottsdale. Sessions are scheduled every other Thursday from April 28.

A collaboration between Keep Scottsdale Beautiful and Scottsdale Public Art aims to enhance water facilities through a beautification project involving public artists and university students. This project seeks to raise awareness about environmental issues in the desert and emphasize sustainability's importance locally and globally.

Residents can participate in Earth Week activities from April 22-29. Events include volunteer road cleanups, tree giveaways, a solar power presentation, and a green expo breakfast with Mayor David D. Ortega and City Council members.

On Friday, April 22nd:

- A Green Expo Breakfast with Mayor Ortega will take place at Pima Park.

- Tours of the Thomas Groundwater Treatment Facility will be available for pre-registered participants.

Saturday's events include:

- A booth at Old Town Farmers Market offering small trees.

- A guided walk exploring the lifecycle of Saguaros.

- A citywide Adopt-a-Road cleanup organized with Keep Scottsdale Beautiful.

Sunday features a guided walk titled "Nature as Therapy" at Brown's Ranch Trailhead.

Monday offers:

- An easy hike with natural resources coordinators at Pima-Dynamite Trailhead.

- A Trailside Naturalist station showcasing Sonoran Desert flora and fauna.

On Wednesday:

- Another hike with natural resources coordinators will occur at Brown's Ranch Trailhead.

Thursday includes:

- The virtual "Water Wise" session as part of Scottsdale 360.

Friday marks Arbor Day celebrations at Bell Road Sports Complex featuring guest speakers from local organizations like the Scottsdale Garden Club.

In addition to these events, a new exhibition titled “INTERWOVEN: Telaraña Fiber Arts Guild” is opening at Civic Center Library on April 22nd. It showcases various fiber arts forms such as weaving and knitting.

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games are approaching Tempe; volunteers are needed despite athlete registration being closed. Also available is the Vacation Watch program by the Scottsdale Police Department for residents planning trips during summer getaways.

Tickets for the inaugural Pac-12 Baseball Tournament starting May 25th are now on sale for events held at Scottsdale Stadium. Additionally, Maricopa County continues tracking COVID-19 cases since January 2020 for those interested in reviewing current statistics or accessing traffic restriction information via their map center online resource platform.