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Cities across the West Valley are canceling public events and gatherings in response to precautions over spreading of the COVID-19 virus.
Arizona schools in all communities remain closed, per Gov. Doug Ducey and State Superintendent Kathy Hoffman.
The CDC is the best source of information about the virus at cdc.gov/covid19.
As the situation continues to evolve daily, or in some cases within the same day, here are the latest event updates throughout the West Valley.
GLENDALE
On Tuesday, March 17, the city of Glendale announced “out of an abundance of caution and to support other preventative measures underway,” the following closures:
City Libraries
All city libraries are closed including: Glendale Main Library, Heroes Regional Park Library, Velma Teague Library, Foothills Library
All library programs and classes are canceled
Physical materials can still be returned at drop-off locations
All the library’s digital collections remain available through glendaleazlibrary.com
Indoor Parks & Recreation Centers
Parks & Recreation facilities including the Adult Center, Foothills Recreation & Aquatic Center, O’Neil Recreation Center, Rose Lane Recreation Center, Heroes Regional Parks Recreation Building will all be closed.
All classes and programs at recreation and community centers are suspended, This includes Youth and Adult Sports Leagues, Summer Camps, After School Programs, Special Programs.
Gatherings
The city is suspending upcoming large events and mass gatherings, managed by the city of Glendale, through the end of April. This includes suspending the Live @Murphy Park Concert Series. This is consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations and Governor Doug Ducey’s recent announcement.
Entertainment
The Arizona Winds’ April 5 concert in Glendale has been canceled.
PEORIA
The city of Peoria will postpone city events, programs and sports leagues into the month of April, in compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance about large gatherings and the benefits of social distancing in minimizing community spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), said a city news release, which announced that the postponements are effective Monday, March 16.
“Public safety is the city of Peoria’s number one priority,” Mayor Cathy Carlat stated in a news release. “As we continue to understand the impact of COVID-19, limiting community engagement is intended to support slowing the spread of this virus. I want to ensure Peoria residents that our core services, including police, fire-medical, water, solid waste, etc. will continue without interruption.”
In an attempt to reduce exposure and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, all Peoria events and youth and adult sports leagues will be suspended, postponed or canceled per the following:
Peoria Community Center: The Peoria Community Center will remain open; however, all active adult and adaptive programs will be suspended until April 12. Small private group meetings with less than eight people can continue. The Community Center hours will be adjusted to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during this time. The Resource Center will continue to operate and accept appointments.
Peoria Public Libraries: All city classes and programs at the Peoria Main and Sunrise Mountain Libraries will be suspended until April 12. However, the libraries will remain open during normal business hours.
Special Events: All city special event programs will be canceled until April 12. This will include Second Saturdays, Parkfests, the Peoria Arts and Cultural Festival, Shakespeare in the Park and the Dolly Sanchez Memorial Easter Egg Hunt. A list of canceled events will be posted at peoriaaz.gov/specialevents.
City Parks: All city parks will remain open; however, ramada reservations will be limited to 20 or fewer people through April 12.
Rio Vista Recreation Center: The Rio Vista Recreation Center will remain open; however, all city special interest classes and programs will be canceed through April 12. Gym activities (e.g., work out equipment, basketball courts, etc.) will still continue.
Peoria Center for the Performing Arts: All public programming will be suspended until March 27, whereupon it will be re-assessed. This includes all city functions at the venue such as the Music Series and those produced by TheaterWorks. Classes and rehearsals fewer than 30 people may continue. TheaterWorks will continue their normal operating hours (box office and general office).
Youth and Adult Sports Leagues: All city youth and adult sports practices and league games will be suspended until April 4.
As this situation progresses, the city will continue to evaluate upcoming events, programs and policies and will share the information with the public on peoriaaz.gov as well as its social media pages.
SURPRISE
The city of Surprise is canceling or postponing all city-sponsored events, programs, and sports effective March 16 and continuing through May 10.
“The decision comes as COVID-19 (coronavirus) has reached pandemic levels and is in an effort to protect the health, safety and well-being of our residents and visitors,” the city stated in a news release. “We have not had any confirmed cases of COVID-19 within our city, but are acting out of an abundance of caution and under guidelines developed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to reduce the spread of the virus.”
To minimize the potential spread of illness, the following events, programs and sports have been canceled or postponed. Decisions as to when, or if, an event will be rescheduled have not yet been made. Email recreation@surpriseaz.gov or call 623-222-2000:
Spring Break Camp
Spring Break Camp, scheduled for March 16-20, is canceled.
Youth & Adult Sports
This includes all competitive and recreational leagues and camps, as well as aquatic programs.
Special Interest Classes
Includes dance, fitness, music, martial arts, etc.
Special Events
All special events, including Egg-stravaganza, Sunday in the Park Food Truck Festivals, Surprise Talent Show, Level 4 Youth Event, Public Art Bus Tours, the Surprise Pops Band show, and AZ Humanities Lectures, etc. To see a full list of cancellations, visit surpriseaz.gov/calendar.
Classes and Workshops
All classes and workshops, including the AZ TechCelerator Lunch & Learn, Fair Housing Workshop, HOA Connection Workshop, City Academy, etc. Visit surpriseaz.gov/calendar.
Recreation Centers / Open Gym
All programming and open gym time is suspended at Countryside Recreation Center, Sierra Montana Recreation Center and Villanueva Recreation Center.
Tennis & Racquet Complex
All classes, tournaments, and drop-in or scheduled court time is suspended.
Surprise Senior Center
The Senior Center is temporarily closed until further notice. Meals are still being provided. Visit surpriseaz.gov/seniorservices or call 623-222-1500.
Surprise Libraries
Maricopa County Library District (MCLD) operates the Surprise libraries, including Northwest Regional, Asante, and Hollyhock. MCLD has announced they are closed until further notice. Their digital collection is available 24/7 at mcldaz.org/emedia.
State of the City Event
In lieu of a public gathering, the State of the City video will now be premiered online at surpriseaz.gov/surprisetv. The exact date and time will be announced at a later date.
Please be assured that core services will not be affected, including fire-medical, police, trash, water and other essential city services.
Additionally, the following buildings remain open to the public: City Hall, Surprise Resource Center, City Court, Police and Fire-Medical lobbies, AZ TechCelerator, and the Parks & Recreation office. However, the city is taking additional measures to minimize the risk of spreading respiratory illness. Some of those measures include encouraging ill people to come back when they are well and encouraging interactions online, by phone, or by email, when possible; and increased sanitizing efforts of buildings, with special focus on high traffic spaces, including handrails, elevator buttons, restrooms, etc.
Visit the city’s COVID-19 Info webpage at surpriseaz.gov/COVID-19. The page is also linked off the homepage of surpriseaz.gov and includes connections to reputable sources of information about COVID-19.
SUN CITY
Effective Tuesday, March 17 all Recreation Centers and Facilities, including Marinette Center, Bell Center, Sundial Center, Lakeview Center, Oakmont Center, Fairway Center and Mountain View Center, will close until further notice.
Sun Bowl facilities, softball facilities and Duffeeland Dog Park will close until further notice effective 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 17
Sun City Visitors Center is closed until further notice
Bowling centers and amenities: Bell Lanes and Lakeview Lanes will be closed until further notice effective Tuesday, March 17. Bowling leagues will be canceled for the remainder of this season.
Golf Courses
All tee times will be made online or via the telephone effective Tuesday, March 17, 2020 until further notice. Until further notice all golf courses as of Sunday, March 22 will be converted to straight sheets in order to have the least number of golfers together at the same time. The 3-cart rule will temporarily be eliminated until further notice. No shotgun tournaments are allowed until further notice. The remaining Saturday Golf Clinics in March are canceled.
Snack shops
Snack shops will be open for “to go” orders only and no one will be allowed to congregate or sit on the patios or in the snack shops effective at close of business Tuesday, March 17 until further notice.
Until further notice only canned or bottled drinks and pre-packaged foods/snacks will be available for sale.
No fountain drinks or ice will be available until further notice.
Events and entertainment
Ticketed concerts -- Blood Sweat & Tears on March 18 and Motown Miracles March 25 -- will be canceled and rescheduled.
Sun Bowl shows will be canceled through the rest of this season ending April 26.
Easter Egg Hunt, Sunrise Services and Farmers Market will be canceled.
Board and Committee Meetings
Board meetings and committee meetings (excluding Mountain View Ad-Hoc Committee) will be canceled until further notice.
SUN CITY WEST
The Recreation Centers of Sun City West this past week announced that all facilities will remain closed for a two-week period, tentatively reopening Monday, March 30.
In addition, the AARP announced that its Tax-Aide services will be suspended “until further notice,” because of COVID-19 concerns. Call 888-OUR-AARP (888-687-2277).
The 5K race Saturday, March 28 is canceled.
Golf
Golf courses will remain open to golfers, with limited person-to-person contact. No concessions or beverages will be sold, and golfers are asked to limit their time in the pro shop. Golfers should check in at the pro shop and go to their carts before being called to the tee. To reduce congestion, golfers should not socialize in the pro shop or on the patio.
All other outdoor venues and events are closed. This includes:
Softball field and clubhouse
All pickleball courts
All tennis courts
Both mini golf courses
Bocce courts
Lawn bowling
Beardsley Park
All courtyards
Both dog parks
All walking tracks
These closures will remain in effect until March 30.
LITCHFIELD PARK
All city of Litchfield Park events are canceled until April 1. Recreational league seasons will be postponed until April 1, unless conditions worsen, according to a March 16 city news release.
GOODYEAR
The city of Goodyear has announced the following cancellations:
Steve Stockmar has been with the Independent Newsmedia team since 2017. An NAU alum and Peoria resident, Steve’s community journalism pursuits focus mostly on arts & culture, education, and profiles of neighbors making a difference. In his spare time Steve plays in a vintage baseball league using uniforms and rules from the 1860s, and also acts (badly) in community theater. In addition, he has an unhealthy obsession with baseball and the Chicago Cubs.