The City of Avondale is once again proud to partner with the West Valley View in serving as a drop-off site for food donations in the Third Annual Summer Food Drive. The food drive, which runs through May 30, aims to collect non-perishable food items for the Buckeye Food Bank and the Agua Fria Food Bank.

Last year, generous donations from the residents of Avondale and the Southwest Valley helped send 12 tons of food to local families in need. Food banks experience their lowest levels of the year during the summer, when many children are not in school and in need of meals. The public’s support is needed now more than ever. To help, bring non-perishable food items to Avondale City Hall between 8 am and 5 pm Monday – Friday.

Items in need include:

- Canned goods (peanut butter, soups, etc.)
- Boxed foods (rice, beans, macaroni & cheese, etc.)
- Bottled water and juices
- Baby food and baby care items
- Toothpaste
- Powdered laundry detergents
- Bath tissue

For more information, call (623) 333-1611.

The City of Avondale, in partnership with United Blood Services, is hosting a blood drive on May 20 from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Avondale City Hall. Only 55 percent of the population is eligible to give blood, and of that, only a small percentage - approximately five percent, actually donate.

Donating blood is simple. The process, which begins with a brief interview, takes a total of 45 – 60 minutes. Donors will be asked about their medical history and current health. Next, the donor’s temperature, blood pressure, pulse and blood iron level will be checked. Donors relax in a comfortable chair while a technician collects the donation. After donating, donors are invited to rest and enjoy a light refreshment and then can resume their usual routine.

If you are 17 years or older, weigh at least 110 pounds and would like to make a life-saving donation, please join the blood drive at the Avondale Civic Center.

Donating blood is safe, it’s simple, and it saves lives.

Blood Drive
Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Time: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Where: Avondale City Hall, 11465 West Civic Center Dr., Avondale

Contact: For more information, or to make a donation appointment call Avondale’s Human Resources Department at (623) 333-2212. To donate at another time or location, visit the United Blood Services website at the link below.
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The City of Avondale, in partnership with the American Legion Crandall Palmer Post 61 and the VFW Pat Tillman Memorial Post 40, will hold a sunset Memorial Day Service to commemorate the lives of those who have perished serving our great nation.

“Avondale is honored to be joined by the members of our local veterans organizations to remember the lives of those lost in service of our country,” said Avondale Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers.

The event will take place on Monday, May 26 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Avondale Civic Center, 11465 W. Civic Center Drive, in front of City Hall at the reflection pool. The public is invited to attend the candlelit program that will feature posting of the colors by the Luke Air Force Base Color Guard and “TAPS.” The Scottish-American Military Society will perform a solemn POW/MIA Table Ceremony as part of the program. Music will be provided by the West Valley Youth Symphony Quartet. Joining Avondale Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers are guest speakers Colonel Henry M. Reed III, Vice Commander of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, and Brigadier General Richard Gregg Maxon, Director of Arizona Department of Veterans Services.

Highlights of the service will also include the lighting of floating candles in the reflection pool and a 21-gun salute. A wreath will be on display to honor the memory of fallen members of the Armed Forces. After the ceremony, visitors will have an opportunity to view the newest installment of engraved bricks in Avondale’s “Walk of Honor” Veterans Memorial – a tree-lined path featuring bricks engraved with names of veterans and flags representing each of the six branches of the Armed Forces.

The City wishes to express its thanks to Village Inn of Avondale, for sponsoring the refreshments after the ceremony, and to the VFW District 3 Ladies Auxiliary for their assistance during the event.

City of Avondale’s Sunset Memorial Day Service
DATE: Monday, May 26, 2008
TIME: 7 - 8 pm
PLACE: Avondale Civic Center, Reflection Pool, 11465 W. Civic Center Drive
COST: No cost to attend. Seating may be limited.

For more information, please call the Parks, Recreation and Library Department, at (623) 333-2400 or click the link below.

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The City of Avondale will test a new schedule aimed at enhancing customer service by extending City Hall hours four days a week, and promoting air quality by closing on Fridays.

Avondale will launch its Green Friday schedule beginning June 2, 2008. City Hall will be open for business Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. to provide two extra hours of customer service to residents and those doing business with the city. City Hall will be closed on Fridays.

However, many city services will continue to be offered on Fridays, including curbside recycling pickup, graffiti abatement, code enforcement, as well as senior and social service programs at Avondale’s community centers. The Avondale City Court will be open Monday through Friday, and the city’s two libraries will remain open six days a week. Essential police and fire services will be offered seven days a week, as will calls for emergency services such as water line breaks. Customers will also be able to take advantage of on-line services such as paying their utility bill on-line. On-line registration for recreation classes will be offered later this summer.

The city will test the new schedule throughout the summer months, and provide feedback to the City Council sometime in September. The new schedule will be evaluated on its benefits to residents and employees; cost savings in energy consumption, and its effectiveness in meeting county-mandated trip reduction goals.

“Extending our customer hours beyond the traditional 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. workday will make government more accessible to our residents,” said Avondale City Manager Charlie McClendon. “This change will be especially beneficial to our working residents, who will now be able to take care of business at City Hall without having to take time off during their busy work days.”

McClendon pointed out that city employees will continue to work 40 hours a week, many of whom will work four 10-hour days to provide extended service Monday through Thursday.

Assuring seamless customer service is a top priority for the city. A majority of the residents and business customers surveyed last month stated they would take advantage of extended hours offered by the City Monday through Thursday. Most also said that they would be able to conduct business on any other day if City Hall were to close on Friday.

McClendon also noted the environmentally-friendly aspects of Green Friday. “Avondale prides itself as a steward of the environment,” he said. “Maricopa County mandates that all cities develop a Trip Reduction Program to reduce traffic impacts on air pollution and emissions in our communities. With Green Fridays, Avondale employees will be driving to and from work one day less each week, avoiding rush hour traffic and doing their part to decrease current levels of congestion and pollution.”
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The City of Avondale is offering a “Grandparent Camp” From June 2 – June 6 at the Avondale Civic Center. The camp, which runs from 8 am until noon, is designed as a fun way for grandparents who are watching little ones to enjoy pre-planned activities together.

Participants will enjoy guest speakers, games, activities and field trips. The cost for the week long camp is $10 for one grandparent and one grandchild and $5 for each additional participant. Snacks will be provided. Due to limited space, pre-registration is required. Call (623) 333-2401 to register. Funding provided by the Area Agency on Aging.

This summer recreation program is provided as a partnership between the City of Avondale Parks, Recreation and Libraries Department with funding and support from the Area Agency on Aging. For more information, call (623) 333-2401.

The City of Avondale is pleased to announce that the 2007 Water Quality Report is now available. Avondale residents will receive a copy of the City of Avondale’s Annual Water Quality Report in the mail at the end of May.

The report, which covers all testing completed from January through December 2007, assures residents that Avondale’s drinking water is safe and in full compliance with all state and federal requirements.

The 2007 Water Quality Report also doubles as a mid year calendar, covering July 2008 through June 2009. This year’s calendar features well-known movies and stars real City of Avondale employees. Each month highlights a different and interesting fact about how Avondale’s water system.

The Annual Water Quality Report is also available electronically on the City’s website by using the link below.

Spanish-language copies of the Annual Water Quality Report are available upon request. Please contact Esmie Avila from the Water Resources Department at (623) 333-4400 for more information.

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About Water in Avondale
The City of Avondale is proud to consistently deliver the best quality drinking water to its residents, business and visitors. In 2007, the City of Avondale:
- Delivered 4.7 billion gallons of water to our customers (4,765,896,726 gallons)
- Treated 1.7 billions gallons of wastewater (1,786,315,182 gallons)
- Recharged 6.7 billion galls back into the ground (6,743,812,296 gallons) Replacing the 4.7 billion gallons pumped from the ground and adding another 2 billion gallons back into the ground.

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Attention Parents: Keep the kids occupied this summer by enrolling them in the City of Avondale’s popular day camp program. “CAMP P.L.A.Y,” (Providing Leisure Activities for Youth), offers a fun, interactive experience for kids in grades K – 7 in a safe, supervised environment.

Camp P.L.A.Y. is open from 7 am to 6 pm on weekdays from Monday, June 2 through Thursday July 3, 2008* and operates at two different sites: Country Place Elementary, located at 10207 W Country Place Rd. in Tolleson and Quentin Elementary, located at 11050 W Whyman Ave. in Avondale. *NOTE: There is no camp offered July 4. The program ends July 3, 2008.

In addition to sports, arts and crafts, games and guest speakers, campers can participate in field trips that include swimming, movies and more. Breakfast and lunch are provided each day. Space is limited to 100 students per site, per week. Pre- registration and pre-payment are required.

There are three registration and cost options:
 Morning Program: 7 am – Noon; Cost is $75 per week per child and includes breakfast, lunch and field trips.
 Afternoon Program: 12:45 pm – 6 pm; Cost is $85 per week per child and includes lunch, field trips and a full day of camp from 7 am to 6 pm on Fridays only.
 All Day Program: 7 am – 6 pm; Cost is $115 per week per child and includes breakfast, lunch and field trips.

Week-to-week participation is offered on a first come, first serve basis and spots cannot be guaranteed. Registration begins April 21. Register at Avondale City Hall, 11465 W. Civic Center Drive. Scholarships are available to those who qualify.

Leaders in Training
Students ages 14 – 16 are invited to get involved with Camp P.L.A.Y. by becoming a volunteer “Leader in Training.” Under the supervision of adult camp staff, Leaders in Training will have the opportunity to mentor younger students at one of the summer camp program sites. This is a great opportunity for teens to gain pre-employment experience in a nurturing environment while keeping busy this summer. The Leaders in Training program is offered at no cost. Teens wishing to participate must submit an application and pass a standard background check to qualify.

For more information on these and other exciting programs offered by the City of Avondale Parks, Recreation and Library Department, visit Avondale City Hall, 11465 W. Civic Center Dr., call (623) 333-2400 or click the link below.
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In its efforts to continually provide the best possible customer service, the City of Avondale now accepts electronic, online payments of water bills.

Avondale water customers can access the online payment system 24 hours a day, seven days a week at www.avondale.org and selecting “Pay My Utility Bill” from the left hand menu. (Link below) In addition to basic contact information, anyone paying a water bill using this new online method will need the account number. Once the payment is processed, customers will receive an instant confirmation number and a receipt to the email address provided.

Payments can also be made 24 hours a day by telephone. Simply call (623) 333-2005 and select option 3. Whether its by telephone or online, payments can be made by Visa or MasterCard. There is a $1.50 convenience fee to use either payment service. For more information, call the Customer Service Billing Division of Avondale’s Water Resources Department at (623) 333-2005.
Pay My Water Bill