Notes for April 2008
You can help fight dust pollution
Surplus goods auction May 17
Web site boosts "green" purchasing
Seniors need companions
Hold on, you just might need a permit
Community award winners named
Young singers sought
Teachers can learn about water issues
Hazardous waste collection planned
Library features French buckaroos
Disposal facilities set weekend summer hours
Business workshops set
Fair housing celebrates 40th year
City hosts equal opportunity workshops
Desert rain can create hazards
Panel highlights cultural communications 
You can help fight dust pollution
Phoenix is turning up its fight again dust pollution.Those tiny particles of dirt kicked up by vehicle traffic, construction work, unpaved lots and other sources can cause significant health problems.
To combat the problem, the city, county and state have adopted a number of regulations aimed at protecting the health of their residents and visitors.
The following information can help you make sure your property or business meets those requirements.
- The Phoenix city code requires that parking areas be paved and prohibits parking on any surface that is not stabilized. Alternatives may be allowed, but only with city approval. Vehicles, including ATVs, are prohibited from being operated on vacant lots and washes and in city parks. More information is available by calling the Neighborhood Preservation Office at 602-262-7844.
- Dust from construction sites must be controlled by watering, covering haul trucks, preventing tracking dirt onto streets and assigning a trained dust control manager to sites larger than one acre. For more information, call the Maricopa County Air Quality Department at 602-372-2703.
- Commercial landscapers who use leaf blowers must complete a training course before Dec. 31. Online training will be available soon from the state Department of Environmental Quality at azdeq.gov/environ/air/index.html. Look for Quick Links. Also, people who use leaf blowers must not blow debris into the street. To report violations, call the Street Transportation Department at 602-256-3190.
- To learn of other ways to reduce air pollution, visit maricopa.gov/aq.
Surplus goods auction May 17
Surplus materials ranging from furniture to cars will be sold by the city at an auction Saturday, May 17. Gates to the city auction yard, 2820 S. 22nd Ave., south of Lower Buckeye Road, will open at 6:30 a.m. and the sale will begin at 8 a.m. The cashier will remain open until 1:30 p.m. and the gates will close at 3 p.m. People planning to attend the auction may register online and receive their bidder card when they arrive at the sale. Just go to phoenix.gov/invmgt, click on "Online Registration" and follow the instructions. Registration also is available at the auction.lInspection of the auction items will be allowed at the yard from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 15, and Friday, May 16. For more information, call 602-534-0828.
Web site boosts "green" purchasing
City residents interested in buying "green" now have a Web site to help them find the right products that can help improve the environment.The environmentally preferable purchasing site at phoenix.gov/epp contains recommendations on the types of products to purchase and other information for home, office, transportation, water and energy uses.
The Web site is one of several new environmental programs put in place by the city. Others include: adding green provisions to city vendor contracts; opening additional contract opportunities for manufacturers and vendors that offer green products and services; and encouraging city departments to adopt environmentally preferable purchasing plans.
Seniors need companions
If you're looking for a way to give back to the community, consider volunteering for the Senior Companion Program.Volunteers serve at community and senior centers and at medical and senior housing facilities where they assist seniors by accompanying them to appointments and special events, helping them obtain needed social services and providing them with companionship.
To join, you must live in Phoenix and be at least 60, in good health and willing to serve 15 hours a week For more information, call 602-256-3353 or visit phoenix.gov/seniorcompanion.
Hold on, you just might need a permit
Unless you're painting or installing new floor covering, every home improvement job should begin with a call to the Development Services Department to find out if you need a permit.That's the advice city inspectors have for homeowners who are considering a household project.
They said the most common violations for outdoor projects involve carport enclosures, patio covers and fences, while removing walls and updating electric systems top the list for inside jobs.
Frank Dancil, who supervises a team of inspectors answering calls related to permit violations, recently was called to a house where the owners removed a dining room wall and remodeled the kitchen without permits. "It wasn't up to code and it had to be redone, and the homeowner lost a lot of money," he says.
Permits can help protect the value of the home and not having them can trim thousands off the selling price. While people can let their contractor be their guide, it is always best to double check with the city, according to Dancil. "Ultimately the property owner is responsible," he adds.
For more information, call 602-262-7884 or visit phoenix.gov/devserv.
Community award winners named
Nine individuals and organizations that helped improve the quality of life of Phoenix residents have won Community Recognition Awards.Honored at the city's 36th annual awards breakfast were: Rosalinda Cavazos, Youth Services Award; Jorge Cruz, Oscar Douglass Award; David Gonzalez, Education Division Award; Capital Group Companies, Community Services Division Award; Enriqueta "Kati" Bates, Senior Services Division Award; Dennis Flynn, Carl Lightcap Award; Pastor Wesley and Gwen Relf, Religious Award; and Ginger Ward, Golden Heart Award.
Young singers sought
Young people who enjoy singing are invited to try out for the award-winning Phoenix Children's Chorus.Tryouts for youngsters in the second through 12th grades will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 3 and 6 p.m. May 20 at the Phoenix Center for the Arts, 1202 N. Third St.
The chorus, which is sponsored by the city's Parks and Recreation Department, has performed throughout Europe and Russia and won top honors at the World Choral Olympics.
To schedule an audition, call 602-534-3788 or complete an application at www.phoenixchildrenschorus .org.
Teachers can learn about water issues
School teachers interested in showing their students more about water conservation and other important water issues can attend free monthly workshops offered by the city's water conservation office.The Arizona Project W.E.T. (Water Education of Teachers) classes are Arizona specific and correlated to state standards in all curricular areas, including science, language arts, math and social studies.
Teachers of all grade levels are welcome to attend the classes, which can go toward advanced training credits in most school districts.
For details, visit cals.arizona.edu/arizonawet or call 602-470-8086, extension 331.
Hazardous waste collection planned
Phoenix residents can dispose of common hazardous wastes and other items at Household Hazardous Waste collections from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 15 - 17 at Los Olivos Park, 2802 E. Devonshire Ave., and 7 a.m. to noon June 12 - 14 at Desert West Sports Complex, 6602 W. Encanto Blvd.In addition to batteries, oil, paint, antifreeze, pesticides and pool chemicals, the events will accept five road tires per household, computers and household appliances that use refrigerants, including refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and heat pumps. Commercial loads will not be accepted.
The city also will pick up household appliances at your home for a fee. Call for a collection appointment. For information, send e-mail to pwserve@phoenix.gov, visit phoenix.gov/publicworks or call 602-262-7251.
Library features French buckaroos
Visitors to the Burton Barr Central Library during the next three months will get an inside look at a centuries-old cowboy culture in France."Gardians of the Camargue: The French Buckaroo Tradition," a traveling exhibit featuring 69 framed photographs and artifacts depicting the culture of the Gardians of the Camargue, will be on display May 9 to July 31 at the library, 1221 North Central Ave.
The Camargue is a small area in southern France occupied by cowboys or gardians. Their culture, which dates back to 1512, was revived in 1905 by a French writer and rancher after he saw a Buffalo Bill Cody Wild West show in Paris. For more information, call 602-262-4636 or visit phoenixpubliclibrary.org.
Disposal facilities set weekend summer hours
The weekend summer hours for the North Gateway Transfer Station and the 27th Avenue Solid Waste Management Facility are 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. from May 3 through Oct. 3. The 27th Avenue Facility is open on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. The North Gateway Facility is open both Saturdays and Sundays. Weekday hours remain unchanged at both facilities: 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For trash disposal facility information, call 602-262-7251 or visit phoenix.gov/publicworks.
Business workshops set
Minority, woman and small business owners in Maricopa County can learn about the city's business certification programs and how they can lead to business opportunities by attending free workshops held throughout the year.The Equal Opportunity Department offers the series of monthly educational workshops to help business owners complete the application process for certification with the city as a minority-, woman-owned or small or disadvantaged business enterprise.
Upcoming workshops will be: May 13, Paradise Valley Community Center, 17402 N. 40th St., 6 p.m.; June 21, Deer Valley Community Center, 2001 W. Wahalla Lane, 11 a.m.; and July 9, Phoenix City Hall, assembly room A, 200 W. Washington St., 2 p.m.
Call 602-262-6790 or 602/534-1557/TTY for more information or to reserve a seat at one of the workshops.
Fair housing celebrates 40th year
April marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the federal Fair Housing Act into law.You can learn about fair housing practices by attending one of a series of free workshops that cover how the practices apply to individual houses, apartments, condominiums and mobile home parks.
Upcoming sessions are 1 p.m. May 14 at Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave., and 1 p.m. June 18 at Mesquite Branch Library, 4525 E. Paradise Village Parkway.
For more information or to register for a workshop, call the city's Equal Opportunity Department at 602-262-7486 or 602-534-1557/TTY.
City hosts equal opportunity workshops
City residents can learn how to protect themselves from sexual harassment by attending workshops in May and June.The two-hour sessions will be at 1 p.m. May 21 at Deer Valley Community Center, 2001 W. Wahalla Lane, and 9 a.m. June 19 at Pecos Community Center, 17010 S. 48th St.
To register or to obtain additional information, call 602-262-7486 or 602-534-1557/TTY.
Desert rain can create hazards
Although rain usually is a welcome sight in the Phoenix desert, it can create some dangerous hazards.Dry stream beds, gullies, creeks, culverts, shallow streams, washes and even low-lying ground that appear harmless in dry Weather can flood quickly, according to the Floodplain Management Section of the Street Transportation Department.
People are urged to exercise great care when walking or driving near potential flood areas.
In addition, residents whose homes are located in areas that are subject to flooding should consider purchasing flood insurance, which is available from the National Flood Insurance Program through local insurance agents. Regular homeowners' insurance policies do not cover flood losses.
To find out whether you are in a special flood hazard area call 602-262-4960 or visit or write Phoenix City Hall, Street Transportation Department, Floodplain Management, fifth floor, 200 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85003.
Panel highlights cultural communications
Panelists representing the Asian, African, Hispanic, Middle Eastern and Native American cultures will discuss communicating with people of different cultures at the free Faces of Diversity Brown Bag luncheon series at noon May 16 at the City Council Chambers, 200 W. Jefferson St.The discussion will include the top three things you should avoid doing and the three things you should know to interact respectfully with others who have a different cultural background.
For more information, call 602-261-8242 or 602-534-1557/TTY or visit phoenix.gov/eod/bbag.html.