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ANNUAL COMMUNITY SPARK AWARDS

By Ed and Bette Sharpe   -  In progress keep stopping in!

Awards were for the  following six categories:

·         Business Support & Community Involvement- This category is for businesses that consistently work with a Glendale neighborhood to assist in positive economic development and enhance the area’s quality of life.  

The winner - Texas Roadhouse

·         Community Partner - This category is for community partners such as non-profits, government agencies, schools, faith-based organizations and others who have worked with neighborhoods and the community in a positive way.  

The Winner: Faith Bible Church

·         HOA Leadership - This category is for any individual who lives in an HOA neighborhood and exemplifies positive leadership and decision-making abilities.  

The Winner: Kay Causer

·         Neighborhood Revitalization - This category is designed to recognize an individual or neighborhood group, or another organization, for taking the initiative to revitalize a neighborhood through volunteerism and/or donations.

The Winner: Christ's Church of the Valley

·         Traditional Neighborhood Leadership - This category is for a non-HOA leader who exemplifies positive leadership and decision-making skills while participating in a neighborhood group.  

The Winner: Marianne Kempton

·         Young Leaders on the Move -This category will honor young people who have exemplified positive leadership and decision-making in their school and/or community.

The Winner: Melia Coury

Video of the 'ANNUAL COMMUNITY SPARK AWARDS'

Part 1 - Introduction by Sharon Sprague, Chair - Citizens Advisory Commission on Neighborhoods and remarks by Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs  PART 1

Part 2 - Presentation of the Spark Awards Emcee Poly Baughman and Awardees congratulations and handshakes  with   the Glendale Mayor and council people PART 2

In progress keep stopping in!

2011 Community Leadership Forum & Spark Awards Ceremony

Saturday, June 25

Vineyard Church

Before the program began, residents attended a community information fair and food drive.  Matt Cohrs, Neighborhood Partnership Administrator welcomed everyone to Saturday's event.  Sharon Sprague, Neighborhood Commissioner Chairperson gave the program overview.

Bette Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no.3594.

Cheryl Kennedy, Library Manager, answers questions during the community information fair at Saturday's annual event.

Bette Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no.3606.

Donations of food are collected during the 2011 Community Leadership Forum & Spark Awards Ceremony held at the Vineyard Church in Glendale on Saturday morning June 25, 2011.

 L to R are :   Ms. Katrina Romijn (teacher) , Mrs. Melissa Hagen (teacher) , Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs Mr. Tyson Kelly (principal), Dr. Lynne Turner (school psychologist).

 
Bette Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no. 3711.

Principal and students of Desert Mirage Elementary School with their certificates.

Principle Susie Torrejos, Sehila Arvizo, Rita Arvizo, Gabby Villezcas, Ally White, Samantha Dominquez, Angel Scott, sixth grade teacher Mr. Edgar Martinez, and Justin Scott.  Desert Mirage Elementary School Student Leaders, hold their certificates.  They were among the  nominees for the Young Leaders on the Move category.  Other nominees in this category include: Connor Cerato, Natalie Hinau, Cristian Martinez, Victoria Pocknell, and Jamie Scharrer.

Ed Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no.2435.

Neighborhood Commissioner Chair, Sharon Sprague; Mayor Elaine Scruggs; Councilmember Manny Martinez; Councilmember Yvonne Knack; Councilmember Steve Frate; Councilmember Joyce Clark; and Young Leaders on the Move nominee, Connor Cerato.

Ed Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no.2447.

Neighborhood Commissioner Chair, Sharon Sprague; Mayor Elaine Scruggs; Councilmember Manny Martinez; Councilmember Yvonne Knack; Councilmember Steve Frate; Councilmember Joyce Clark; and Young Leaders on the Move nominee, Natalie Hinau.

Ed Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no. 2454.

Sharon Sprague, Young Leaders on the Move nominee Cristian Martinez, and Mayor Scruggs.

Ed Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no. 2460.

Victoria Pocknell, was receives her certificate from Mayor Scruggs.  Victoria was a nominee in the Young Leaders on the Move category.

Ed Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no. 2465.

Young Leaders on the Move nominee, Jamie Scharrer receives her certificate from Glendale City Mayor, Elaine Scruggs.

Melia Coury, 2011 Spark Young Leaders on the Move Award Recipient

Ed Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no. 2479.

Young Leaders on the Move Spark recipient, Melia Coury, Mayor Elaine Scruggs, Councilmember Manny Martinez, and Councilmember Yvonne Knack.

Ed Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no.2526.

Sharon Sprague, Neighborhood Commissioner Chair Person, Gayle Myers, Traditional Neighborhood Leadership nominee, Mayor Elaine Scruggs, and Councilmember Manny Martinez.

Thank you, Sharon.  Good morning.  I’m pleased to join you today, especially given my part in the program – announcing the 2011 Spark Award nominees and winners.  Each has made an impressive contribution to our community.  And we have an impressive receiving line – the Mayor and Councilmembers – waiting to both congratulate and thank each one. 

As we get started, I’ll call the name of the nominees and winners.  When you hear your name, please jump right up and make your way to the stage as I tell the audience about your community work.  You can come on stage from the left, receive your certificate or award, and stop for a photo at the end. 

So again, don’t be shy. Pretend this is the Price is Right and when you hear your name, COME ON DOWN. 

We’ll start with the newest Spark Award category --  I’m very “Young Leaders on the Move. ” This category recognizes the efforts of an individual or a group that have made a difference in their schools and/or community.

The nominees are:

Conner Cerato please come forward to receive your certificate. Conner is a student from Ironwood High School. Connor volunteers as an athletic trainer at Ironwood; assists with tournaments, treats & helps with rehabilitation programs at the school; volunteers at Arrowhead Hospital; and is a member of the Spanish Honor Society.

Natalie Hinau please come forward to accept your certificate. Natalie is Senior at Cactus High School. She is involved in the culinary program and has dedicated over 50 volunteer hours to promote the Career & Technical education programs. She will attend NAU this fall.

Cristian Martinez please come forward to receive your certificate. Cristian has volunteered at the Glendale Main Library for more than 3 years and has volunteered more than 250 hours. He has served as a Book Buddy, a youth services volunteer, a Homework Lab Tutor, and a member of the Teen Library Council.

Victoria Pocknell please come forward to receive your certificate. Victoria had volunteered at the Glendale Foothills Library every Friday for the past year. She helps with book sales and various library activities. She is also a peer counselor at her school. This summer she is putting together a program to help teens read more.

Jamie Scharrer please come forward to receive your certificate. Jamie joined the Glendale Police Department’s Explorer program in 2009. In the very short time she has been with the Explorer program, she has been promoted to the rank of Sergeant and then to the rank of Lieutenant. Jamie volunteered 1,477 hours last year and did this while she maintained a 4.0 GPA at Estrella Community College.

The Desert Mirage Elementary School Student Leaders please come forward to receive your certificates. These young leaders are a group of students who serve on various clubs and organizations on campus working on food drives, adopting families, fundraising for earthquake survivors in Japan, and much more. They also participate in the new “Partners in Parks” program every first Saturday of the month, which you will hear about later in our program.

Each of these nominees have committed numerous hours to their school and/or community. And we greatly appreciate their dedication and commitment to the Glendale community.

(After the group leaves the stage)

This young leader is a true “Spark” in the Glendale Community and exemplifies positive leadership and decision-making in her school and community.

She is truly a “Young Leader On the Move.”  Congratulations Melia Coury!

 (After Melia leaves the stage)

Now I’d like to introduce the nominees for the “Neighborhood Revitalization” category.  This category recognizes the efforts of an individual or a group that has revitalized a neighborhood through volunteerism and/or donations.

The nominees are:

Gary Gorman, CEO of Gorman & Company, please come forward to accept your certificate.  Gorman & Company partnered with the City of Glendale, Arizona Bridge to Independent Living, and the Orchard Glen Neighborhood Association to construct Glendale Lofts, a 28-unit affordable living multi-family rental housing development for low income families and persons with disabilities.

Representatives of The Vanguard Group please come forward to receive your certificate. More than 150 Vanguard employees and their family members volunteered their time for the company’s annual Make A Difference Day. This group helped revitalize the “Heart of Glendale” neighborhood by painting homes, revitalizing the two neighborhood parks, re-striping the community center parking lot, cleaning up several empty lots and the neighborhood right-of-ways. The group volunteered more than 600 hours ALL in one morning!

(After the group leaves the stage)

Now that we’ve recognized our nominees, we’d like to call forward the recipients of the “Neighborhood Revitalization” category. Members of Christ’s Church of the Valley please come forward.

More than 1,000 volunteers from CCV gave their time, talents and energy to the Glendale Community in 2011 by volunteering at libraries, parks & in various neighborhoods in Glendale.

CCV worked with the City of Glendale Neighborhood Partnership Office on several projects last year including the Adopt-a-Neighborhood program at the Blue Sky Mobile Home park, Season For Sharing and MLK Day, and neighborhood group outreach.

Steve Sutton is the Ministry Coordinator for CCV and is instrumental in getting the CCV “Community Care Team” involved in numerous community volunteer projects in Glendale. The purpose of the “Care Team” is to mobilize volunteers to help valley residents with needs that are beyond their physical or financial abilities to care for themselves during tough times.

Each team consists of skilled & unskilled general labor, prayer support, emotional support, administration, and a purchaser. Their philosophy is…."People helping people" in a time of need is always rewarding.

In addition to the “Community Care Team” CCV has also formed “neighborhood groups” throughout the Valley. Beginning this year, CCV partnered with the City of Glendale Neighborhood Partnership Office to provide volunteer assistance to help with the city’s efforts to revitalize neighborhoods. These groups have started helping homeowners (located in their specific neighborhoods) with other smaller projects that the homeowners are unable to complete due to physical or financials constraints. Projects include mowing the front yard, trimming trees, minor exterior home repairs.

Bob Fesmire, CCV Neighborhood Pastor, approached the City of Glendale in the Fall of 2010 to discuss partnering with the City on the “Season of Sharing” & MLK Day event in January 2011. More than 675 volunteers from CCV contributed their time on the Martin Luther King Day holiday to give back and revitalize the Glendale community. The group volunteered more than 2,000 hours, ALL in one morning!

They helped shelve books at the library, pick up trash at local parks and paint Ramadas and park walls. They also picked 40 TONS of grapefruit at Sahuaro Ranch Park that was donated to the local food bank to help feed the hungry in Arizona and throughout the United States.

The work that the amazing volunteers from CCV have completed over the past 12 months demonstrates a truly a wonderful partnership between the City of Glendale, CCV, and the Glendale Community!

 (After CCV leaves the stage)

Now I’d like to introduce the nominees for the category of “Traditional Neighborhood Leadership.”

This category recognizes a non-HOA resident who exhibits leadership skills within their neighborhood.

The nominees are:

John Kolodziej please come up and accept your certificate. John is the neighborhood leader of the La Buena Vida neighborhood. John was nominated twice in this category. In addition to being the neighborhood leader, John is serving as a board member for Commander Christine DeSanti on the Gateway Police department Advisory Board, and as the Chairperson for the Planning Commission.  John has also served 4 years on the Commission on Neighborhoods, been on the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee and served 2 years on the Mega Events Ad-Hoc Committee. He is also very involved with his neighborhood in Desert Mirage Park as part of the in the newly formed “Adopt-a-Park” program.  Thank you John.

Gayle Myers, please come forward to accept your certificate. Gayle has been involved in her community by organizing the annual “Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods” event; establishing her neighborhood Block Watch; working on zoning & code issues, and other neighborhood projects. Gayle is a retired high school teacher who continues to stay very involved in her community.

Marge Johnson (who is unable to attend today) and Carlos Santa Cruz, both of the Bethany Heights Neighborhood Association.  Carlos, please come forward to accept your Spark Award certificate. These two neighborhood leaders have been very involved in their neighborhood for many years. They organize their annual “Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods” events each year. Carlos goes out in his neighborhood daily to remove any graffiti in the neighborhood.

Both have worked with volunteer groups who have helped revitalize their neighborhood with various clean-up projects. ▀

All of these individuals have volunteered more hours than we can count to help improve their neighborhoods and the Glendale Community. We appreciate your commitment and volunteer time as neighborhood leaders.

(After the group leaves the stage)

The recipient of the “Traditional Neighborhood Leadership” award is Marianne Kempton of the La Fontana Neighborhood. Please come forward to accept your award.

Marianne has worked hard to organize neighbors for the betterment of the La Fontana Heights traditional neighborhood for the past several years.

In March 2009 she held the first neighborhood meeting at Bicentennial North School. People were able to become acquainted and discuss common concerns. A “Community Connection” event was then held on May 2, 2009 at the school. Several residents from the 144 homes attended and many expressed interest in becoming involved in the neighborhood. Several felt that improving the aesthetics of the area would be beneficial and Marianne completed the application for a grant from the Neighborhood Partnerships Office. They were awarded almost $2,500 for granite to be installed along 75th Ave, between Oregon and Denton avenues. Neighborhood volunteers completed the project in November 2009 and held a picnic afterwards to celebrate this huge accomplishment.

In March 2010, Marianne again organized neighbors for a wall painting project along 75th avenue.

Since funding was no longer available for projects of this type, she worked with city staff and Rebuilding Together, a local nonprofit, to acquire donations of paint and supplies. With Marianne’s encouragement, neighbors worked over several weekends to paint the entire wall along 75th Ave. She does her best to maintain this wall by providing paint to the city’s graffiti busters so that graffiti can be removed quickly using matching paint.  Marianne also worked with volunteers from the Thunderbird School of Global Management to paint house numbers on the curbs of all 144 homes.

Marianne also knows that individual homeowner’s have a responsibility in keeping the neighborhood looking nice. She works with Code Compliance to address properties which need attention.

She encouraged the department to designate the neighborhood as a focus area and requested information be presented in both English and Spanish to improve communication. She has also shared with the Commission on Neighborhoods much of this information to help them understand the efforts going on in her neighborhood.

Marianne has been the catalyst for improvement in the La Fontana neighborhood. Neighbors are now involved in the community and know each other better. The wall along 75th Ave. is painted and the right of way has new gravel. Numbers have been painted on curbs which allows for a safer community. Those living in the neighborhood are now proud of its appearance. Individual property owners are also encouraged to maintain their own properties, which impacts everyone.

(After Marianne leaves the stage)

Now I’d like to announce the nominees in the “HOA Leadership” category. This category recognizes leaders who live in a community governed by an HOA. The nominees are:

Pat Sanders & Cristy Cannon, of the West Plaza 3&4 neighborhood. Please come forward to accept your Spark Award Certificates. Cristy is the HOA treasurer and has served on the board for 4 years. Pat has attended both Glendale University 101 and the HOA academy. She has been involved in various community events. We truly appreciate all of the volunteer hours both of you have committed to making your HOA communities a safe and healthy place to live.

(After the Pat & Cristy leaves the stage)

Now we’d like to call forward the recipient of the “HOA Leadership” Spark Award. Kay Causer), of the Casa Campana neighborhood, please come forward to receive your award.

Kay is the “Spark” in the Casa Campana HOA neighborhood! Kay has been very active in the neighborhood for many years. She organized a day of gathering 600 books for their clubhouse library. Some of the books were also donated to the Glendale Public Library. Kay organized a group of volunteers who picked fruit from the citrus trees in the neighborhood that was donated to the St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance to help feed the hungry in Arizona. In the past, she has worked with the City of Glendale Neighborhood Partnership Office to request grants to beautify the neighborhood.

She organized numerous Block Watch events and the annual Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods events. Kay is always willing to go above and beyond to get the job done in the Casa Campana neighborhood.

Kay is always volunteering to help compile information for various HOA requests. It could be as simple as a telephone list, or as complicated at creating information and documentation for the HOA attorney. She is currently working on the HOA Manual for her community making sure it is up to date.

Kay is truly the “Spark” in the Casa Campana HOA neighborhood.

(After Kay leaves the stage)

Now I’m very pleased to announce the nominees and recipients of the “Business Support and Involvement with Neighborhoods” category. This year’s nominees are:

Michael Stull of Cox Communications.  Please come forward to accept your Spark Award. Cox Communications has been a sponsor of the Glendale University 101 program for more than 8 years. GU 101 is a program designed for Glendale residents & businesses owners to learn about and understand local government and the services, program and volunteer opportunities it provides. For the past 2 years, Cox has also sponsored the Glendale University graduate courses and is currently reviewing expanded partnerships and sponsorships with the City of Glendale.

Mike Kuzmin, Vice President of Rossmar & Graham, please come up and receiveyour Spark Award. For several years now, Mike has volunteered his time to teach the class “Managing HOA’s During Tough Economic Times” as part of Glendale’s HOA Academy. He also taught stand alone sessions, such as “Community Harmony” through the years.

 Bill Toops & Carolyn Dryer of The Glendale Star, please come up and accept your Spark Award certificate. Bill & Carolyn, along with the rest of the staff at The Glendale Star, are excellent journalists who cover Glendale. They provide visible support for public safety programs, charity events, educational programs and so much more in Glendale.

Yolanda Schmitt of Village Inn Restaurants, please come forward to accept your Spark Award certificate. Village Inn was a sponsor of the GAIN -- “Getting Arizona Involved In Neighborhoods” -- kick-off event in Glendale.  They not only donated pies for the event, but sent staff to deliver and serve them to attendees. They also sweetened the 2011 Citizen Safety Forum and Expo with more donated pies.

Now we’d like to call forward the recipient of the “Business Support and Community Involvement” award.

The staff from Texas Roadhouse Restaurant, please come forward to receive your award. 

Every month during the school year, Texas Roadhouse visits the campus of Copperwood Elementary School to deliver a bicycle, helmet and bicycle lock, as a surprise, to a student who has been nominated for demonstrating outstanding character on campus. Texas Roadhouse not only recognizes the selected student but also serves a barbeque lunch in the student’s classroom, making the all winners.

Texas Roadhouse has made a tremendous impact on the Copperwood Elementary campus and serves as a champion and motivator for the students!

Texas Roadhouse has formed a solid relationship with the school and community. Students at Copperwood are consistently demonstrating outstanding character as they strive to earn this award. Through this campus-wide initiative, Texas Roadhouse has helped students focus on six pillars of character -- Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship.

And there’s a nice footnote to this story. The student who received a bicycle “paid it forward” by giving his bike to his father. As a result of this student’s selfless act, a staff member wanted to purchase another bicycle for him. When she went to buy the bicycle, she wasn’t allowed to. The store insisted on donating a bike to her to deliver to the student. This is the difference and impact that Texas Roadhouse has made on this community! They’ve set a standard that makes others want to do better and be better!

The staff at Texas Roadhouse  are true “Sparks” at Copperwood Elementary School and in the Glendale community!

 (Texas Roadhouse and staff leave the stage)

And last, but certainly not least, I am very honored to announce the nominees and recipient for the Community Partner Award. This award recognizes a partner such as a school, faith-based organization, government agency, individuals, or non-profit that has made a positive difference in the Glendale Community.

The nominees are:

Sherry Stevens.  Sherry is a volunteer for the City of Glendale Fire Department and has volunteered more than 1,626 hours of service with the Crisis Response program. Please come up and receive your Spark Award Certificate.

Sherry is involved with the American Cancer Society and is a yearly team captain for the “Relay For Life” event. She is a member of the Local Arizona Support Team, a specialized team for Line-of-Duty Deaths in the Public Safety arena. After losing her close family member, Glendale Police Officer Anthony Holly, in the line of duty, she helped form the “Anthony Holly Foundation” to raise funds for what is known as “Tony’s Kids.”

Tyson Kelly, Principal of Barcelona Middle School, please come up and receive your Spark Award certificate. Mr. Kelly has guided the staff & students at the school to assess the needs of the community & develop programs to address those needs including: the CAT program, First Steps Men’s Outreach, We Can! Program, Take Your Parent to School Day, and the Clothing Closet.

Members of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #12, please come forward and accept your Spark Award Certificate. This lodge has been very active in community projects in Glendale. They volunteer their time for the annual Rock & Roll Paint-a-Thon, the annual “Shop With a Cop” event, the Salvation Army and the Arizona 100 Club.  They also donate their time to assist with the Glendale Public Safety Memorial dedication.

Members of the Deer Valley High School Special Education Program, please come forward and accept your Spark Award certificate.

As part of this special education program, students volunteer five times a week to develop work skills while learning about and helping their community.

One of the program’s volunteer locations is Glendale’s Sahuaro Ranch Park Historic area. Volunteers help maintain the beauty of this very special park by picking up trash, sweeping sidewalks & porches, and cleaning up after special events.

Gary Serago, a volunteer from Christ’s Church of the Valley, please come forward to accept your Spark Award certificate. Gary has volunteered his time to help people move in and out the community, has helped elderly residents with yard work, and leads a Bible Study within his community. He displays a “servant’s heart” to help others within his church and community.

Peter Rohlfer from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, please come up to receive your Spark Award certificate.

Thunderbird School of Global Management expressed interest in being more involved with their community by volunteering their time to offer FREE educational classes on personal financial management for Glendale residents. The classes provided sound guidance for residents and empowered them to take better control of their personal financial situations.

We greatly appreciate your support to the Glendale Community and you are all truly “Community Partners!”

(Group leaves the stage)

This year’s recipient of the “Community Partner” award is Faith Bible Church. Pastor Dan Lind & Sherie Collins, please come forward to accept the award.

Faith Bible Church has become a very active community partner in Glendale. About 9 months ago, Pastor Dan Lind contacted the City of Glendale and began a partnership which has led the way to outreach in the Granada Estates neighborhood. The church not only partnered with the City of Glendale, they formed a collaboration with the YMCA, the Glendale Police department, Cactus High School and the two surrounding elementary schools, Foothills and Pioneer. More than 250 volunteers from Faith Bible Church participated in their first annual “Serve Day” event in February 2011.

They painted homes, cleaned up lots, painted house numbers on the curbs, cleaned up front yards, and hosted a BBQ picnic and games for the kids in the Granada Estates neighborhood park. They have continued to “keep in touch” with the residents of Granada Estates neighborhood and have helped other residents with projects on their property.

They also hosted a turkey & holiday drive that served more than 100 families. They are currently sponsoring 40 students for summer programs at Faith Bible Church, the YMCA and various Glendale Parks & Recreation programs. They are also funding the Cactus High School Bridges program and sponsoring “family movie night” at the local elementary school. Volunteers from the church are spending their summer shelving books at the library & schools, tutoring students, offering free music lessons, and holding vacation bible study at the church.

Pastor Dan Lind and the members of Faith Bible Church are true “Sparks” in Glendale!

(After Dan & Sherie leave the stage)

Thank you again to all of the nominees for their continued support and commitment to the Glendale community. Let’s give all of our nominees a big round of applause.  Everyone here today is a SPARK in their community.

Now I’d like to invite Dan Kallber the Vice President of The Glendale Civic Pride Ambassadors, the sponsors of today’s event, to come up on stage. Dan will talk to us about the mission of The Glendale Civic Pride Ambassadors and how they “Take Pride in their Community.”