Jack Hastings: District 5 Newsletter — December 2022
Posted
By Jack Hastings
The City of Surprise came out to honor our Veterans at the 8th Annual Veterans Day Parade on Friday, November 11. Thank you to the Parks and Recreation team for putting together such an amazing event that has become a family tradition. And a big thank you to all who have selflessly served and continue to serve our country.
Key to the City
During the City Council Meeting on Tuesday, November 15, Mayor Hall presented a key to the city to Senator Rick Gray. The mayor expressed his appreciation for the Senator’s support of policies and initiatives that have advanced health, safety and quality of life in Surprise. Congratulations to Senator Gray!
Purple Heart proclamation
At the November 1 City Council Meeting, Mayor Skip Hall officially proclaimed November 11, 2022, as the “240th Anniversary of the Purple Heart Award” in the City of Surprise. As part of the proclamation, the City took part in the national initiative “Light to Unite” and lit City Hall purple on November 11. This show of appreciation was meant to honor the sacrifices all Purple Heart Medal recipients made while defending our freedoms. The City of Surprise has been a Purple Heart City since 2017. To learn more about the initiative, please visit mclnational.org.
Surprise SciTech Festival
Join us in celebrating STEAM efforts in Surprise on December 10 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the Mark Coronado Park Parking Lot. Come interact with hands-on exhibits! Admission is free! For more information, visit surpriseaz.gov/SciTech
Winter Adult Sports registration
The Parks & Recreation Department is now accepting team registration for Winter Adult Co-Ed and Men’s Softball; Co-Ed and Women’s Kickball; Adult Basketball; Co-Ed Indoor Volleyball; and Adult Flag Football leagues.
Returning teams from Surprise Fall 2022 Adult Sports Leagues may register December 5 and 6 by contacting the Parks & Recreation office in person between 8 a.m. - 5 p.m, by calling 623.222.2000 or by emailing ian.wallace@surpriseaz.gov.
Registration will open to non-returning and new teams starting December 7 online, over the phone or at the Parks and Recreation office - 15960 N. Bullard Ave. Must register as a team (minimum number of players listed on registration page). Registration available online at surpriseaz.gov/surpriserec
Join us for our Deck the Hock holiday event! This free, family-friendly celebration will be held on December 8, from 5 - 7 p.m. at the Surprise Senior Center. Help bring holiday cheer to local families in need by bringing a new, unwrapped gift and a handmade or new ornament to the celebration. We are sponsoring two families this year. Click here to see their wish lists and more information about the event. If you are unable to make it, but would still like to donate, you can drop items off at the Surprise Senior Center, Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., between November 30 and December 8.
Day of Celebration and Service
The City of Surprise is excited to announce the 7th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Celebration and Service, to be held Saturday, January 14 at The Vista Center for the Arts. In preparation for the celebration, the City is seeking sponsors, performers, art contest submissions and community service volunteers. For more information, please contact Lord Garcillano at lord.garcillano@surpriseaz.gov or visit surpriseaz.gov/MLK.
Spring Training schedule & ticket information
Spring Training single game tickets are now on sale! Opening day is Friday, February 24 with the Kansas City Royals taking on the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium.
Surprise Stadium will host 30 games this season, including matchups against every team in the Cactus League. Additionally, the Royals have been selected to host a World Baseball Classic exhibition game at Surprise Stadium against Great Britain.
For questions or more information about Spring Training, please visit SurpriseStadium.com or call 623.222.2222.
Registration open for Spring Training 5k & 1k
Friday, March 3 is the 5th Annual Surprise Spring Training 5K and 1K Fun Run presented by Palm Valley Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics. Register now at SurpriseStadium.com/events to take advantage of the discounted rates; 5K: $30 and 1K: $15. Early registration ends March 2 and then prices increase to 5K: $40 and 1K: $20.
Special promotional and vendor opportunities are available. For vendor information, contact Cecilia at 623.222.2253 or cecilia.covarrubio@surpriseaz.gov.
Poetry, art and more!
As temperatures cool, the arts scene in Surprise is heating up. You can find amazing arts and cultural events – from theater performances, gallery tours, poetry readings and more. Check out what’s coming up and mark your calendar to attend!
DECEMBER EVENTS:
December 8 ● 10 - 11 a.m. Public Art Tour of City Hall
December 15 ● Noon Lunchtime Theater – West Valley Chorale | Arts HQ, $15
December 16 ● 6 - 8 p.m. Poetry Slam at WHAM
JANUARY EVENTS:
January 19 ● 9 a.m. - Noon Public Art Tour of local art galleries
January 21 ● 10 a.m. - Noon Tour of artist Joe Tyler’s Home & Studio
January 24 ● 11 a.m. - Noon AZ Speaks at Council Chambers
“Deconstructing the Taco: The History and Lore of a Beloved Food” by Gregory McNamee
January 26 ● Noon Lunchtime Theater –Phoenix Opera | Arts HQ, $15
All dates and times are subject to change. All events are free unless otherwise stated. To register for Public Art Tours and AZ Speaks presented by Arizona Humanities, head to surpriseaz.gov/artssignup. For Lunchtime Theater, contact Arts HQ at 623.584.2626 or visit westvalleyarts.org/theater. To learn more about Poetry Slam, contact WHAM at 623.584.8311 or visit wham-art.org/poetry. Want to see what else is on the 2022-2023 arts & culture calendar? All events are listed online at surpriseaz.gov/arts.
Meet and Greet
Please join me for my next Meet and Greet on Wednesday, January 18, at 6 p.m. at State 48 Brewery, 13823 W. Bell Rd. I look forward to discussing the latest City issues and answering any questions you might have.
City Council Meetings
The next regularly scheduled Council meetings are on December 6 and 20 at 6 p.m. in the City of Surprise Council Chambers, located at 16000 N. Civic Center Plz. City Council meetings are open to in-person attendance, or you may tune in on surpriseaz.gov/surprisetv, the Surprise City Gov Facebook page at facebook.com/cityofsurprise or on Cox channel 11 to watch the meetings live.
