Bicycle prices have been slashed by 75 percent through Dec. 22, all items marked with a red dot are 25 percent off and all desktop computers prices have been reduced $20.

A wide variety of merchandise is offered at the surplus sales, including clothing and office furniture. The merchandise consists of surplus items from various City departments and unclaimed police evidence. Payment can be made by cash, credit card or check/debit card with photo identification. All sales are final without warranty or guarantee of any kind and there are no refunds. There are some City items also available for sale on eBay that are not part of the surplus sales.

Proceeds from the surplus sales and eBay sales benefit the City of Mesa General Fund. During the 10/11 fiscal year, those sales generated approximately $178,900 for that fund.

For more information, visit www.mesaaz.gov/surplussales or call (480) 644-2663.

“The Building Strong Neighborhoods program has a track record of more than four years of getting neighbors to help neighbors to make a difference in the area where they live. I am confident residents living in this area will do the same,” Councilwoman Dina Higgins said.

During the orientation meeting, residents will hear results of a survey the City of Mesa Neighborhood Outreach Office has been conducting in the neighborhood. Action teams will be formed to address public safety, traffic and neighborhood issues. Residents attending the meeting will have the opportunity to meet staff from various City departments, such as Police, Code Compliance and Transportation. There will also be representatives from nonprofit agencies, including United Food Bank, Community Bridges and The Leadership Centre. Pancho’s Mexican Buffet is donating food for the meeting and free child care will be provided. There will also be a raffle for prizes donated by local businesses.

“One goal of our latest Building Strong Neighborhoods Initiative is to make connections between the City and residents and to engage neighborhood leaders to build a strong network in their community,” District 5 Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator Lindsey Balinkie said.

The goal of the Building Strong Neighborhoods Initiative is to concentrate on neighborhood areas to familiarize residents with City and community services to enhance the quality of life for residents and businesses within these selected areas. For more information, contact Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator Lindsey Balinkie at (480) 644-5434.

One can never make enough compost. That’s the mantra of Master Gardener Pam Perry who will describe her adventures in composting in the desert where things do not putrefy, they petrify. Backyard Composting: Breaking it Down to Basics will teach participants how to recycle garden and kitchen debris, tricks to keep the compost moist and bacteria working and beneficial uses of compost for gardens and landscapes. You will also learn how to get a compost bin from the City for a five dollar refundable fee.

The aim of the “Living Green” series is to inform the community about why and how to increase the sustainability of our community, and is part of a larger effort by the City to develop and implement innovative programs to address environmental issues and concerns.

If you can’t make it to the workshop, the City has posted a monthly Sustainability Savings Tip on its Web site, http://www.mesaaz.gov/sustainability. October’s tip discusses how making and using your own organic mulch in your backyard can reduce plant water needs by as much as 30 percent while also making safe use of waste that would otherwise end up producing greenhouse gasses in a landfill.

The series will continue on the second Saturday of each month with new topics and guest speakers. For more information on the “Living Green” workshop series or the City’s sustainability efforts, visit http://www.mesaaz.gov/sustainability or call (480) 644-4400.

Building and Renovating Principles for Your Home, presented by Donna DiFrancesco and Steve Priebe, will demonstrate how to build or renovate your home using green principles that will help save water and energy and improve indoor air quality. This personal home builder’s journey will also review green rating systems, benefits to the environmental and your wallet, as well as incentives and rebates available.

DiFrancesco and Priebe are both horticulturists who embarked on an adventure of building a green home. Knowing very little about home construction, they educated themselves on green building techniques and technologies. Because they learned so much from others who opened their homes, they enjoy sharing what they have learned and have been on the solar and sustainable building tour since 2006.

The aim of the “Living Green” series is to inform the community about why and how to increase the sustainability of our community, and is part of a larger effort by the City to develop and implement innovative programs to address environmental issues and concerns. If you can’t make it to the workshop, the City has posted a monthly Sustainability Savings Tip on its new Web site, mesaaz.gov/sustainability.

The series will continue on the second Saturday of each month with new topics and guest speakers. For more information on the “Living Green” workshop series or the City’s sustainability efforts, visit www.mesaaz.gov/sustainability or call (480) 644-4400.

Doors open at 1 p.m. with a raffle and dessert hour provided by BJ’s Brewery. The fashion show begins promptly at 3 p.m. Tickets are $17 can be purchased through the Mesa Arts Center at: http://www.mesaartscenter.com or by calling Collette Prather at the City of Chandler Parks and Recreation Department (480) 782-2709.

“We are excited to be partnering with new businesses this year,” City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Commercial Facilities Recreation Specialist, Jacquie Gallo said. “Last year our raffle raised more than $8,000. We were able to provide scholarships for summer camps, sports trainings and equipment for over 1,300 individuals with developmental disabilities from Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert, Fountain Hills, Scottsdale and Queen Creek.”

Sponsors include: City of Mesa, City of Chandler, Kohl’s Department Stores, BJ’s Brewery and Avalon School of Cosmetology.

Donations for the raffle prizes are still being accepted. If you or your business is interested please contact Jacquie Gallo at (480) 644-4948 or email Jacquie.Gallo@mesaaz.gov.

Recent data from the National Fire Protection Association indicates that annually more than 53,000 electrical home fires result in the loss of life, injuries and more than $1.4 billion in property damage. Electric hazards in the workplace are estimated to cause more than 4,000 injuries every year.

“Electric safety is everyone’s responsibility,” Energy Resources Electric Division Director Frank McRae said. “Education and awareness of electrical safety can help save lives, prevent injuries and prevent property damage in the home and the workplace.”

ESFI will focus on one key electrical safety issue during each week in May:
• Staying Safe at Work, May 9-15 Effective electrical work safety programs increase safety awareness, provide established safety guidelines and mitigate the risks associated with electrical safety hazards.
• Educating Your Children, May 16-22 Help keep your children safe from indoor and outdoor electrical dangers by making sure they learn how to use electricity safely.
• Remembering Electrical Safety in the Field, May 23-29 Electrical hazards cause more than 300 electrocutions and 4,000 injuries in the workplace each year.

For more information on National Electrical Safety Month and other energy related safety tips, visit www.mesaaz.gov/energy.

For more information, call City of Mesa Customer Service at (480) 644-2221 or visit

Over the past twenty years, Special Olympic Arizona has gathered 913 athletes, 40 delegations and 88 coaches, making participation levels to be over 1,200 athletes, coaches and volunteers to SOAZ State Basketball and Cheerleading competition. It is one of the fastest growing sports in Arizona. Basketball teams are grouped in competition divisions according to the athlete’s ability, age and gender. Arizona is also one of the few states to offer Special Olympics Cheerleading competition. Athletes can compete in team competition, unified team competition or individual skills. All athletes learn teamwork while improving their own athletic ability during competition.

The City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Commercial Facilities along with the Mesa Public Schools, Mesa Association of Disabled Sports, the Boeing Company, and the Salt River Indian Community are proud supporters of Special Olympics Arizona. They have volunteered their time and energy to make this experience memorable for the athletes, coaches and parents.

For more information about Special Olympics Arizona visit them at, http://specialolympicsarizona.org. For more information about the State Basketball and Cheerleading competition, call Gail Gilmartin (602) 230-1200 or Jackie Gallo (480) 644-4948.

• Event is intended for Mesa residential customers only
• Five box limit on documents to be shredded per household (Max. box size: 10”x12”x15”)
• Material will not be accepted from commercial businesses

Once shredded, collected material will be recycled and kept out of the landfill. For more information, call City of Mesa Customer Service at (480) 644-2221 or visit www.mesarecycles.org

Home Energy Efficiency: Getting the Most Impact for the Money, presented by Juan Marcano and Luis Henrique Martinez, will provide energy efficiency strategies to make your home more comfortable while saving energy, reducing the impact on the environment, and saving money. Information on rebates and tax credits for energy upgrades will also be discussed. Participants will leave with an action plan and an understanding of the trade-offs and implementation costs from no-cost options to major equipment changes.

Marcano, a LEED Accredited Professional and a BPI Building Analyst Professional, is a principal at Carbon Neutral Solutions, LLC. His expertise is in energy conservation, energy efficiency, renewable energy and overall green building practices. He brings a systematic and comprehensive approach to reducing our carbon footprint with a focus on energy audits and cost effective solutions for energy conservation and efficiency.

Martinez, a Certified Energy Manager, Certified Energy Auditor and LEED Accredited Professional with a Doctorate from Purdue University specializing in Construction Management, is also a principal at Carbon Neutral Solutions, LLC. With a passion for sustainability, energy efficiency, and project turnarounds, Martinez has performed project management for the construction and evaluation of large infrastructure projects and has directed the completion of many successful projects.

The aim of the “Living Green” series is to inform the community about why and how to increase the sustainability of our community, and is part of a larger effort by the City to develop and implement innovative programs to address environmental issues and concerns. If you can’t make it to the workshop, the City has posted a monthly Sustainability Savings Tip on its new Web site, http://www.mesaaz.gov/sustainability.

The series will continue on the second Saturday of each month with new topics and guest speakers. For more information on the “Living Green” workshop series or the City’s sustainability efforts, visit www.mesaaz.gov/sustainability or call (480) 644-4400.