My name is Danielle Polverari and I have the pleasure of working for the Phoenix
Parks and Recreation Department as the Deputy Director for the Northeast
Division. I love my job. I love parks. It brings me joy to see all of you here
today because it has such meaning about what it means to be engaged with our
communities and that it's not one small thing, it's not one person, it's all of
us together collaborating, partnering, keeping eyes on the parks, telling us
what's going on, where we're missing something, and where we need something.
And that is how we ended up here today with these amazing sports court
additions, improvements to Pierce Park. So, it's a wonderful day to be here.
Um, you know, coming together today has been a long road from doing community
engagement surveys, engaging with Griffith Elementary, the 44th Alliance.
Yes, I know you promoted the survey. Thank you.
Thank you. For those of you who took the survey, we had over 700 responses just
directly that are in the Pierce Park zip code and that's meaningful to us because
we want to make sure that the improvements that happen in our parks
represent our local community. Today we have six pickleball courts, two
new tennis courts, a resurfaced basketball,
and volleyball, but the most important thing that I know was really critical
for the community was the newly paved parking lot. So,
the big reds are gone. So, thank you for your support. Um today
we have uh with us our esteemed Mayor Kate Gallego, and I'd like to welcome
her. Please give her a warm round of applause.
» Thank you so much, Danielle, and to the entire Parks team. Working with the
community, we have delivered some incredible upgrades for Pierce Park.
I want to see who's louder, the tennis folks or the pickleball folks.
All right, WHO'S EXCITED ABOUT PICKLEBALL?
WHO'S EXCITED ABOUT TENNIS?
ALL RIGHT, so in Phoenix we love both, and across the country there there's a
real debate, but we are investing in both park uh both uh pickleball and
tennis here cuz we just want people outside enjoying our wonderful parks.
Uh I send greetings from our Vice Mayor of the City of Phoenix, Kate Gallego
Washington, who worked so hard on these upgrades and so wanted to be here, but
unfortunately has a family medical emergency. So, those of you who know her
well, if if you could send her some love, but we
uh are well represented on the City Council and have Councilman Kevin
Robinson, who is here.
And and and it's not just the city, this is multiple branches of government. So,
we have our state representative Jennifer Connolly is here
with the great hat. She wins the elected official hat game. And then
we have uh Superintendent Barnes from the Balsu School District, Jacob George,
Gail Knight, so many of our great partners, the school district. We work
so well between the city parks and making sure that we have safe places for
our kids at every hour of the day. We're also joined
by uh the leaders of our Parks and Recreation Department and
so many leaders from neighborhood organizations including the
44th Street Community Alliance. So, the great folks in green and white. We
were here together for a gain event last November and talking about today. So,
it's exciting that it is finally come with so many new amenities, six new
pickleball courts with lighting, two new tennis courts, basketball court
resurfacing, new drinking fountains, new benches, new picnic tables, and then the
beloved parking lot upgrades that
we heard a lot about. And and this is possible because of all of you.
Those Those at the bottom of the ballot, there's often city funding items and a
really important one is the Parks and Preserve Initiative. Our residents in
Phoenix overwhelmingly voted to support our park system and because of that
Parks and Preserve Initiative, we're able to fund really important upgrades
like the one you see here today. So, thank you to those of you who make it to
the bottom of the ballot and help us fund these great investments. I've often
said that parks are one of the clearest reflections of a city's values. When we
invest in parks, we invest in people and we in the city of Phoenix have made
parks a priority. We have one of the largest park systems anywhere in the
country and and one of those one of the most successful. And now I
get to introduce the the man who's leading that
department, uh Parks and Recreation Director Marty Whitfield to the podium.
» Thank you, Mayor Gallego, and good morning to everyone. Um I know it's
going to be a scorching day today, but it's not bad so far, right? So,
uh today marks a wonderful milestone for this community and and Pierce Park. Uh
like the mayor and Danielle mentioned, a lot of new amenities here.
This cannot happen without our community partners and residents that work
hand-in-hand. I would like to thank Chase Builders.
They do a lot of great work for the Parks Department across our system and
you will see the great amenities that they did today. The design firm of
Hewitt and Zollars also participated in this wonderful project and then my team
Danielle who's the deputy director over the Northeast division. Jake Johnson
who's our park supervisor. He's there in the back hiding. But this this cannot be
done without them. Our Parks Development team Lance Gray. I know he is here
somewhere. There he is right in front of me. He leads our capital improvement
program. So I just want to thank them and then of
course our city engineer staff. I would also like to recognize Jenny Ann
Summers. She's right in front of me. She doesn't
Yes, please give her a round of applause. So so when I started in the
Parks Department in November of 2021, I kept hearing this name Jenny Ann
Summers. Jenny Ann Summers. I was like who is this Jenny Ann Summers? I finally
got a chance to meet her. She's very engaged in what goes on in her
community. Not only this park but old cross
country canal. So I just want to thank you for your
partnership and just give me a call whenever you want to, right? Okay, thank
you. I know she will, right?
I earlier I met uh Dr. George Barnes from the Balls Elementary School
District. So I like to thank him. And then the mayor did mention
Gail Knight. She's over there right to the left there. Thank you for for your
partnership and Gail and I go way back. She's like a
mentor to me and it's always great to to see you. So thank you.
Um I'd also like to highlight the efforts
and leadership of Mayor Gallego. I know Vice Mayor Keisha Hodge Washington
cannot be here today, but without them and of course Councilman Robinson, their
support for the Parks Department, none of this would be possible. Um
I also do want to mention, I do not see her, but my former boss and assistant
city manager, oh there she is right there,
uh Inger Erickson, and I'm sure she'll be ripping up the pickleball courts here
in a minute. My my current boss is right next to her,
Deputy City Manager Dave Matthews, so thanks for to your support.
One of my assistant directors is over there standing next to my wife, Brandy
Barrett. I cannot do this without her. We laugh on a daily basis, we also cry
on a daily basis running this running this department, but without you I
cannot do that. Um and then finally, she might get me
for this, but I'd like to thank my wife who joined me today, my wife Julie
Wickfield of over 30 years. This morning she said, "Honey, I'll go with you if
you go to the grocery store with me after." So, I I've been falling for this
trick for over 30 years. She said, "We won't even get a cart." I said, "Yeah,
right." So, thank you for that. The refreshed amenities you will see
today build on the legacy of this park and as a welcoming destination where
families can relax, connect, and enjoy time. So, thank you again for all being
here part of this celebration and without further ado, let's cut the
ribbon and officially open the new sports courts. Thank you.
» Five. >> Four.
Three. Two.
One. Yay!