Mayor Elaine Scruggs’
2006 State of the City Business Address
February 9, 2006
Glendale Civic Center
(Find a specific section of the speech by clicking the links below:
Introduction | Downtown | Jobing.com Arena | Westgate & Zanjero
Stadium | Annexation | Jobs | City Council Goals)
AS EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM KNOWS, 2005 ALSO BROUGHT A WHIRLWIND OF ACTIVITY IN WESTERN GLENDALE.
IT WON’T COME AS ANY SURPRISE TO YOU THAT I WANT TO BRAG FIRST ABOUT OUR Jobing.com Arena.
WHILE THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE WAS TAKING A LITTLE BREAK TO DISCUSS ‘BUSINESS MATTERS’, NEARLY 400,000 PEOPLE ATTENDED TICKETED EVENTS AT OUR ARENA LAST YEAR. THESE EVENTS INCLUDED THE COUNTRY’S TOP FIVE CONCERT TOURS OF 2005.
WHO DO YOU THINK THE TOP FIVE WERE?
IF YOU ANSWERED THE ROLLING STONES . . .U2 . . . PAUL MCCARTNEY . . . THE EAGLES . . . AND ELTON JOHN, THEN YOU KNOW YOUR MUSIC!
AND, COMING IN CLOSE AT SIXTH PLACE WAS “COME BACK BUDDY” . . . FEATURING OUR OWN GLENDALE CHAMBER PRESIDENT DON RINEHART ON DRUMS.
WE ARE DEFINITELY BIASED ABOUT THE Jobing.com Arena, BUT WE ARE NOT ALONE IN RECOGNIZING JUST HOW GREAT IT IS.
IN 2005 OUR CITY-OWNED ARENA WAS SELECTED BY POLLSTAR AS THE BEST NEW MAJOR CONCERT VENUE IN NORTH AMERICA BASED ON NOMINATIONS FROM PROMOTERS, MANAGERS, AND AGENTS… THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY KNOW THE CONCERT INDUSTRY.
THE Jobing.com Arena IS ALSO HOME TO THE ARIZONA STING,
AND IN 2005 THEY BROUGHT US THE FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP BANNER TO PROUDLY HANG FROM THE ARENA RAFTERS.
THE ARIZONA STING LACROSSE TEAM ENDED THEIR TREMENDOUS SEASON AS THE NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE WESTERN DIVISION CHAMPIONS… A TRULY OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENT.
OUR GLENDALE AIRPORT HAS BENEFITTED GREATLY FROM OUR BUSY ARENA. CORPORATE JET TRAFFIC WAS UP SIGNFICANTLY, WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR A 45 PERCENT INCREASE IN FUEL SALES IN 2005. ALSO, TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS INCREASED BY 15,000.
MANY ARENA PERFORMERS ARE NOW USING OUR AIRPORT WHEN THEY FLY INTO THE VALLEY. SO, IF IT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, DON HENLEY AND SIR ELTON JOHN, YOU MIGHT WANT VISIT THE GLENDALE AIRPORT TOO . .YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOU MIGHT RUN INTO THERE!
LAST YEAR I REPORTED TO YOU THAT THE CITY AND THE Jobing.com Arena HAD JUST ENTERED INTO AN A FIVE-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH THE ARIZONA INTERSCHOLASTIC ASSOCIATION… WHICH MADE OUR ARENA THE HOST SITE FOR ALL ARIZONA HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL, WRESTLING AND SPIRITLINE CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENTS.
THESE TOURNAMENTS DREW RECORD ATTENDANCE IN EXCESS OF 80,000 SPECTACTORS.
FAMILIES FROM THROUGHOUT ARIZONA TRAVELED TO GLENDALE TO WATCH THOUSANDS OF STUDENT ATHLETES PARTICIPATE IN WHAT IS DUBBED “FEBRUARY FRENZY.”
THIS YEAR’S STATE HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS BEGIN TOMORROW AND THE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENTS ARE
LATER THIS MONTH. SO, IF YOU WANT TO WATCH THE STATE’S BEST HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES – AND POSSIBLY SOME FUTURE COLLEGE AND PROFESSIONAL SPORTS STARS – STOP BY THE Jobing.com Arena DURING FEBRUARY.
IN ADDITION TO OUR LOCAL EFFORTS, GLENDALE’S DEDICATION TO YOUTH WAS RECOGNIZED AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL LAST YEAR BY SPORTS ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE.
IN THEIR DECEMBER 12, 2005 ISSUE, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED FEATURED EIGHT COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE AS BEING ROLE MODELS IN DEVELOPING YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAMS.
WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD TO BE ONE OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED’S EIGHT GOOD SPORTS COMMUNITIES” AND WE THANK OUR OWN GLENDALE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT STAFF FOR ALL THEY DO TO HELP OUR YOUTH DEVELOP SKILLS AND LEARN SPORTSMANSHIP WHILE THEY HAVE FUN.
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