The Town of Fountain Hills is mourning the passing of Fire Chief Scott LaGreca.

A memorial will be held at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, El Lago and Fountain Hills Boulevards, at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 6, 2013. A reception will follow at the Eagle Mountain Golf Club.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Fountain Hills CARE, Fountain Hills Fire Station No. 1, 16426 E. Palisades Blvd. Fountain Hills, AZ 85268.

Fire Departments that wish to bring fire apparatus, please call 480-415-8897. 

Click here for map of upcoming traffic restrictions.

Please note we are transitioning to a new online registration system at www.fh.az.gov/recreation.  Search by course name to find the activity you would like to register for.  Unless you currently have registered for a program since the first of the year OR have a Senior Services Membership, you will also need to create a new account profile.

Click here to download

- Communities Recognized for Prioritizing Play for Children -

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With research proving play is critical to the overall well-being of children, 217 cities and towns, including Fountain Hills, earned recognition from national non-profit KaBOOM! as 2013 Playful City USA communities for their efforts to give children the childhood they deserve by providing ample opportunities for play.

Today’s generation of children play less than any previous generation despite the vast benefits of play. The Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics reports that play is essential to the social, emotional, cognitive and physical well-being of children.

Sponsored by the Humana Foundation, Playful City USA is a national program from KaBOOM! that celebrates and promotes local policies that increase play opportunities for children and is a key platform in combating the lack of play among children.

"Fountain Hills continues to be an active and playful family community that encourages a healthy lifestyle." stated Mayor Linda Kavanagh.  “We are honored to be recognized for the fourth consecutive year as a Playful City.”

KaBOOM!, the national non-profit organization dedicated to giving kids the childhood they deserve by bringing play to those who need it most, created Playful City USA in 2007 to help local governments address the lack of play and it is through mayors, city council members, parks and recreation departments, school districts and community leaders that the program succeeds in benefitting children.

“Kids need to play actively, every day, at home, in school and in their communities, yet play is disappearing,” said Darell Hammond, Founder and CEO of KaBOOM! and author of The New York Times Best Seller KaBOOM!: A Movement to Save Play. “Children spend nearly eight hours a day in front of a screen; almost half of all poor students are deprived of recess; and to make matters worse, only one in five children live within walking distance of a park. Playful City USA communities like Fountain Hills are creating innovative programs and initiatives and deserve recognition because of their efforts to give kids the childhood they deserve and best prepare them for their future.”

Hailing from 43 states, the 217 Playful City USA honorees range in size from seven-time honorees such as San Francisco and Spartanburg, S.C., to first-time recipient Ellsworth, Kan. (population: 3,100). These Playful City USA communities are making a commitment to play and physical activity by developing unique local action plans to increase the quantity and quality of play in their community.

In the seventh year of the annual program, 16 Playful City USA communities received recognition for the seventh consecutive year, while 23 earned honors for the sixth time, 25 for the fifth time, 29 for the fourth time, 41 for the third time, 46 for the second time. KaBOOM! recognized 37 communities with their first Playful City USA designation.

For the sixth consecutive year, Florida paced the nation with 32 Playful City USA communities. California earned second-place with 26 communities, while Texas finished third with 15 Playful City USA communities.

Each of the 2013 Playful City USA communities demonstrated creative commitments to addressing the lack of play among children. Playful City USA celebrates and highlights these unique initiatives developed by communities across the country. A primary goal of Playful City USA is to encourage cities and towns to share ideas, concepts and programs in an effort to increase play opportunities for children. City initiatives include:

• Chicago (Ill.) – The city has committed to rebuilding 300 playgrounds during the next five years beginning in 2013 with 50 rebuilt playgrounds, five new parks, two new field houses and major rehabilitation of recreational buildings in 15 different communities. Once the enhancement projects are completed, every child in Chicago will live within a 10-minute walk of a new park or playground.

• Milwaukee (Wis.) – The city recently passed legislation requiring any organization using its facility as an elementary school to have an outdoor playspace for children. The legislation ensures both Milwaukee Public Schools and local charter schools are providing adequate and safe outdoor playspaces for all elementary students.

• Providence (R.I.) – The city originally created the “Playful Providence” program to showcase the importance of play for children. An overwhelming success, in 2013 the city will expand the programming to the entire summer by adding training opportunities and workshops on play and hosting a summer concert series where children are encouraged to play.

• Redwood City (Calif.) – The city has several initiatives through the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department that are intended to increase play opportunities for children. After physical education cuts in local schools, the city applied and received a grant to provide physical education for 5,000 K-5th grade children during the school day.

• Tamarac (Fla.) – The city’s parks and recreation department partnered with a local elementary school to create the CATCH Kids Club. The program increases access for play and physical recreation for children and resulted in the school receiving additional funding support for physical education.

KaBOOM! also selected Fountain Hills for its outstanding dedication to play. The Fountain Hills Unified School District’s recess policy currently requires that children in grades K – 12 have 30 minutes of recess. The Town of Fountain Hills’ Community Services Department would like to work with the District to increase the amount of time to 60 minutes of activity with both structured and unstructured activities available for the youngest students.

The 217 Playful City USA communities are now eligible for $15,000, $20,000 and $30,000 grants via Let’s Play, a community partnership led by Dr Pepper Snapple Group to get kids and families active nationwide. Grant recipients will be announced in the fall.

For more information on the KaBOOM! Playful City USA program, including Let’s Play grants and applications for 2014, visit www.playfulcityusa.org.   

2013 Playful City USA Communities

$Alamo, Texas

&Albany, Ga.

&Albemarle, N.C.

^Allentown, Pa.

$Alvin, Texas

+Amory, Miss.

*Ankeny, Iowa

#Arlington, Texas

*Atlanta, Ga.

^Auburn, Wash.

+Austin, Texas

+Azusa, Calif.

+Balch Springs, Texas

^Baldwin Park, Calif.

+Baltimore, Md.

Baton Rouge, La.

+Beattyville, Ky.

Bellevue, Wis.

&Bethlehem, Pa.

$Birmingham, Ala.

&Bismarck, N.D.

#Bloomington, Ind.

#Brentwood, Calif.

+Brisbane, Calif.

+Broomfield, Colo.

Brownsville, Texas

+Buckeye, Ariz.

$Camden, S.C.

$Campbellsville, Ky.

+Capitol Heights, Md.

+Carson, Calif.

^Casa Grande, Ariz.

#Cerritos, Calif.

*Chandler, Ariz.

Chicago, Ill.

Chicopee, Mass.

+China Spring, Texas

+Clayton, Ga.

+Cocoa, Fla.

+Coconut Creek, Fla.

&College Park, Ga.

^Columbia, Ill.

^Columbus, Ohio

^Commerce City, Colo.

#Coolidge, Ariz.

^Coral Gables, Fla.

$Coventry, Conn.

*Creedmoor, N.C.

#Danville, Va.

&Davenport, Iowa

$Derby, Kan.

#DeRidder, La.

+Dolton, Ill.

&Doral, Fla.

*Dothan, Ala.

^Durham, N.C.

&East Point, Ga.

Ellsworth, Kan.

#Encinitas, Calif.

Etowah, Tenn.

^Evans, Colo.

Factoryville, Pa.

Fairfax, Calif.

+Fall River, Mass.

$Fargo, N.D.

$Ferguson, Mo.

^Fishers, Ind.

Forest Heights, Md.

+Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

+Fort Myers, Fla.

&Fort Wayne, Ind.

&Fountain Hills, Ariz.

&Franklin, Ind.

+Geneva, N.Y.

*Gilbert, Ariz.

$Glendora, Calif.

#Grand Prairie, Texas

$Grand Rapids, Mich.

*Greenbelt, Md.

+Greenfield, Mass.

$Greenville, S.C.

Hallandale Beach, Fla.

^Hamilton, N.J.

+Hammond, La.

+Hampton, Ga.

#Henderson, Nevada

#Hernando, Miss.

$Holly, Mich.

$Hopewell, Va.

&Horn Lake, Miss.

^Huntsville, Ala.

Independence, Mo.

Indiana, Pa.

Jackson, Miss.

&Kenmore, Wash.

*Kerman, Calif.

+Keyser, W.V.

^Killeen, Texas

$Kissimmee, Fla.

#La Mesa, Calif.

*Lake Worth, Fla.

&Lakewood, Calif.

+Lanesboro, Minn.

&Laramie, Wyo.

^Las Cruces, N.M.

&Lauderhill, Fla.

^Laurel, Md.

+Lawrence, Kan.

Lexington, Ky.

Liberal, Kan.

Live Oak, Calif.

+Margate, Fla.

Maricopa, Ariz.

Marion, N.C.

$Marion, S.C.

$McAllen, Texas

McKeesport, Pa.

#Mercer Island, Wash.

$Meriden, Conn.

^Mesa, Ariz.

Mesquite, Texas

^Miami Lakes, Fla.

Milton, Wis.

Milwaukee, Wis.

^Missoula, Mont.

$Moorhead, Minn.

$Moraine, Ohio

&Mt. Juliet, Tenn.

#Murray, Ky.

Navasota, Texas

+New Orleans, La.

^New Port Richey, Fla.

*New Roads, La.

*Norfolk, Va.

$North Charleston, S.C.

+North Liberty, Iowa

+North Miami, Fla.

&North Port, Fla.

#Northglenn, Colo.

&Oak Park Heights, Minn.

+Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Oakland Park, Fla.

Okolona, Miss.

&Oldsmar, Fla.

#Orlando, Fla.

+Ormond Beach, Fla.

$Oro Valley, Ariz.

&Ottawa, Kan.

#Palm Bay, Fla.

&Palmetto Bay, Fla.

#Parkland, Fla.

+Parkland, Wash.

$Parsons, Kan.

+Payette, Idaho

Peabody, Mass.

Pelham, N.H.

$Pico Rivera, Calif.

+Pierre, S.D.

$Pikeville, Ky.

+Pinecrest, Fla.

Piqua, Ohio

$Pittsburgh, Pa.

+Providence, R.I.

+Raleigh, N.C.

$Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

+Reading, Pa.

&Redwood City, Calif.

&Richmond Hill, Ga.

+Riverdale, Ga.

#Riverside, Calif.

$Rock Hill, S.C.

$Rockledge, Fla.

Roseville, Calif.

&Rowlett, Texas

$Saco, Maine

#Safety Harbor, Fla.

+Saluda, N.C.

^San Antonio, Texas

&San Bernardino, Calif.

*San Francisco, Calif.

+Santa Fe Springs, Calif.

+Santee, Calif.

&Savannah, Ga.

Seabrook, N.H.

$Senatobia, Miss.

$Shinnston, W.V.

*Shirley, Mass.

South Miami, Fla.

*Spartanburg, S.C.

#Springdale, Ark.

$Starkville, Miss.

Strum, Wis.

&Sunrise, Fla.

$Sweetwater, Tenn.

^Takoma Park, Md.

&Tamarac, Fla.

+Tampa, Fla.

Temecula, Calif.

^Tempe, Ariz.

$The Colony, Texas

^Thornton, Colo.

Three Rivers, Texas

+Troy, Kan.

*Tucson, Ariz.

$Waterloo, Ill.

West Covina, Calif.

$West Fargo, N.D.

^West Palm Beach, Fla.

$West Park, Fla.

+Whittier, Calif.

$Williamstown, Ky.

$Winona, Minn.

$Winter Park, Fla.

#York, Pa.

#Yorkville, Ill.

Yukon, Okla.

*Yuma, Ariz.

* Seven-time honoree

# Six-time honoree

^ Five-time honoree

& Four-time honoree

$ Three-time honoree

+ Two-time honoree

2013 Playful City USA Communities by State:

32: Florida

26: California

15: Texas

12: Arizona

9: Georgia

8: Pennsylvania

7: Kansas, Mississippi

6: Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina

5: Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts

4: Indiana, Minnesota, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin

3: Alabama, Iowa, North Dakota, Ohio, Virginia

2: Connecticut, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, West Virginia

1: Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Wyoming

About KaBOOM!

KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to giving kids the childhood they deserve by bringing play to those who need it most. Children today spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation, a fact that is having disastrous consequences on their health, achievement levels, and overall well-being. Social entrepreneur Darell Hammond founded non-profit KaBOOM! in 1996 in Washington, D.C. with a vision of creating a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America because children need to play actively every day at home, in school and in their communities. Since then, KaBOOM! has mapped over 90,000 places to play, built more than 2,200 playgrounds, and successfully advocated for play policies in hundreds of cities across the country. KaBOOM! also provides communities with online tools to self-organize and take action to support play on both a local and national level. Hammond chronicles the founding of the organization and the importance of the cause of play in his The New York Times Best Seller KaBOOM!: A Movement to Save Play, now out in paperback. The book details how businesses and communities can work together to save play for children across the country. All author proceeds support KaBOOM!. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has an office in San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.

About the Humana Foundation

The Humana Foundation was established in 1981 as the philanthropic arm of Humana Inc., one of the nation’s leading health care companies. Located in Louisville, Ky., the site of Humana’s corporate headquarters, the Foundation’s mission is to promote healthy lives and healthy communities. The Foundation’s key funding priorities are childhood health, intergenerational health, and active lifestyles. For more information, visit www.humanafoundation.org.

Humana and the Humana Foundation are dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility. Our goal is to ensure that every business decision we make reflects our commitment to improving the health and well-being of our members, our associates, the communities we serve, and our planet.

Please note we are transitioning to a new online registration system at www.fh.az.gov/recreation.  Search by course name to find the activity you would like to register for.  Unless you currently have registered for a program since the first of the year OR have a Senior Services Membership, you will also need to create a new account profile.

Click here to download

Click here for a map of the vicinity.

A water main broke early Tuesday morning on Palisades Blvd. south of Palomino.  Southbound traffic on Palisades Blvd. is closed at Palomino and residents are urged to use Fountain Hills Blvd. as an alternate route.  Chaparral City Water is assessing the extent of the damage and repairs required. 

The Splash Park, located at Fountain Park, is opening for the summer season. Here’s what you need to know before heading to enjoy the cool water.

What: Opening of the Rotary Centennial Splash Park

When: Saturday, April 13, 2013 - Sunday, September 29, 2013

Times: 9 a.m. - sunset, every day

Where: Rotary Centennial Splash Park, at Fountain Park

Cost: Free!

What to bring: Swimsuit and towels

Friendly reminder: No pets allowed

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day which will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity for those who missed the previous events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications.

Americans that participated in the DEA's third National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on October 29, 2011, turned in more than 377,086 pounds (188.5 tons) of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at the 5,327 take-back sites that were available in all 50 states and U.S. territories. When the results of the three prior Take-Back Days are combined, the DEA, and its state, local, and tribal law-enforcement and community partners have removed 995,185 pounds (498.5 tons) of medication from circulation in the past 13 months.

"The amount of prescription drugs turned in by the American public during the past three Take-Back Day events speaks volumes about the need to develop a convenient way to rid homes of unwanted or expired prescription drugs," said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. "DEA remains hard at work to establish just such a drug disposal process, and will continue to offer take-back opportunities until the proper regulations are in place."

"With the continued support and hard work of our more than 3,945 state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners, these three events have dramatically reduced the risk of prescription drug diversion and abuse, and increased awareness of this critical public health issue," said Leonhart.

The Fountain Hills collection site will be at Town Hall, 16705 E. Avenue of the Fountains, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268.

Source - http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/

• Transit services that may connect to the regional system
• Transit ridership market in Fountain Hills
• Potential transit mode alternatives

Public input will help Town officials make informed decisions on how to invest in efficient and effective transit service for the local community. The survey must be completed by March 31 and can be found at ValleyMetro.org. Incorporating the survey results, service options will be developed including:

• Review of transit service options: neighborhood circulator, local and express bus, Dial-a-Ride services, and vanpools
• Recommendations for hours of operation and amount of service
• Cost estimates for service options
• Potential funding sources

As part of the final planning study, Valley Metro will provide the Town with service recommendations, potential funding options and phasing. The planning study will present transit recommendations as long-term and short-term investments.

Click here to take the survey.

Please note we are transiting to a new online registration system at www.fh.az.gov/recreation.  Search by course name to find the activity you would like to register for.  Unless you currently have registered for a program since the first of the year OR have a Senior Services Membership, you will also need to create a new account profile.

Click here to download

The roads will remain closed throughout the event until Monday, February 25, at 7 a.m.

The Town of Fountain Hills and the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce want thank the residents and businesses for your support of Fountain Hills special events.