By Aly Cline
On Saturday, October 8, Councilmember Winters, Councilmember Remley and I attended Fiesta Grande 2022 in the Original Town Site on Hollyhock Street! Thank you to all who participated in making this event a success. See you next year!
Surprise bringing Library Services in-house
Libraries have always held a very special place in the Surprise community; so much more than just a place to check out books, Surprise libraries have been a place to engage and get involved in our community, a place to learn, grow and innovate. After very careful consideration, the Surprise City Council and City staff decided that the next steps for our City’s growth is to bring our library services in-house, effective July 1, 2023. The City has been paying 100% of the cost of the libraries, so there will be no impact on the City cost or resident taxes as a result of this conversion. While this is an exciting time, marked with new opportunities and ideas, many of the services you’ve grown to love will stay in place. If you have other questions or want to provide feedback, please visit surpriseaz.gov/library or email Kelsey Lamphier, Acting Director of the Arts, Culture & Library Department at Kelsey.Lamphier@surpriseaz.gov.
Veterans Day Parade
Join us in honoring our service men and women at the 8th annual City of Surprise Veterans Day Parade on Friday, November 11. The parade begins at 10 a.m. and will be routed along Bullard Avenue between Paradise and Tierra Buena lanes. It will feature community floats, bands, dancers and more! There’s also an option to purchase breakfast and coffee from 7:30 - 9:30 a.m.
In preparation, on the morning of the parade, the following roads will be closed at 9:30 a.m. and will reopen shortly after the conclusion of the festivities:
- Paradise Lane between Bullard Avenue and Buck O’Neil Way
- Bullard Avenue between Paradise Lane and Tierra Buena Lane
Surprise Founder’s Day Party
This year’s Surprise Party will pay tribute to one of our original festivals – Founder’s Day! Join us on Saturday, December 3 from 2 - 9 p.m. as we honor our history with a carnival, car show, photo opportunities with Santa in Santa’s Workshop, the traditional tree lighting ceremony, a drone light show and more! The carnival portion of the event is also available to enjoy on Sunday, December 4 from 12 - 5 p.m. For full event details, visit surpriseaz.gov/surpriseparty.
SciTech Festival
Attention Exhibitors and sponsors! Join us on December 10 as we celebrate science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics efforts in the community! This FREE, fun-filled educational event features interactive demonstrations and exhibits. To get involved or for more information, go to surpriseaz.gov/SciTech.
Free health services at Surprise Resource Center
The Adelante Healthcare Community Health Team is offering free health services at the Surprise Resource Center - 12425 W. Bell Rd. Every Tuesday, from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., residents of all ages can take advantage of services like blood pressure and glucose screenings; health education; assistance applying for Medicaid and food assistance; and more! No appointment necessary. For questions regarding these services, please call 623.222.1600. To learn more about the Human Service Community Vitality Department, go to surpriseaz.gov/HSCV.
Multigenerational Community Resource Center survey
The City is gathering feedback from residents about the programs and services they would like to see in the future Multigenerational Community Resource Center! Now through November 17, take the survey and share your thoughts.
The vision for the center is to relocate and expand programs and services currently limited by space in the Surprise Resource Center, Hollyhock Library and Surprise Senior Center and move them into this new centralized location, close to the Villanueva Recreation Center. The new center is scheduled to be completed by 2025. Learn more at surpriseaz.gov/MCRC.
Fitch upgrades Surprise credit rating to ‘AAA’
Fitch Ratings, one of the “Big Three” nationally-recognized credit rating agencies, has upgraded the City’s Excise Tax Revenue Obligations and Issuer Default Rating to ‘AAA’ from ‘AA+.’ A city’s credit rating is important due to its impact on interest rates in the bond market. A better rating means the City can sell bonds to finance capital projects and pay a lower interest rate to the buyer. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3Se3Xiz
WaFd Bank ribbon cutting
On Tuesday, October 18, Councilmember Patrick Duffy and I joined Branch Manager Mia Brooks and her team in celebrating the grand opening of their new WaFd Bank in Surprise. WaFd Bank is located at 13641 N. Prasada Pkwy., Suite 140. Thank you for choosing Surprise!
Sunday in the Park
The City of Surprise presents Sunday in the Park events this fall! The next event in the series is happening on November 6 and will feature live music by Blaine Long & Rosas del Rey, various food trucks, an assortment of beers and wines, entertainment and more! Event admission is free; food and drink will be available for purchase. Don’t forget a blanket or lawn chair! Dogs must be leashed.
This event will be held at Mark Coronado Park, 15850 N. Bullard Ave. from 3 - 7 p.m. For more information or to view the list of upcoming events, visit surpriseaz.gov/specialevents.
Visionworks ribbon cutting
On Thursday, October 20, Mayor Hall, Councilmember Winters and I joined General Manager Tommy Libed and his team in celebrating the grand opening of Visionworks in Surprise. Visionworks is located at 13641 N. Prasada Pkwy., Suite 100. Welcome to Surprise!
Tap House Sports Grill ribbon cutting
On Friday, October 21, Mayor Hall, Councilmember Chris Judd, Councilmember Winters and I joined Tap House Sports Grill for a Ribbon Cutting event! Sargis Gewargis, owner of Tap House Sports Grill, hosted the ceremony in honor of the opening of their restaurant, located at 13699 N. Litchfield Rd. Congratulations!
Community Meeting
My monthly Community Meeting will be at 6 p.m. on November 22 at Sun City Grand in the Pima Room. I look forward to discussing the latest City news and answering any questions you have.
City Council Meetings
The next regularly scheduled Council meeting is November 15 at 6 p.m. You can also watch live on surpriseaz.gov/surprisetv, the Surprise City Gov Facebook page at facebook.com/cityofsurprise or on Cox channel 11.
