Tempe Town Lake soon will be transformed into a watery skatepark of sorts for a new competition to be held in conjunction with the Circle K Tempe Music Festival April 3 and 4.

Red Bull Wake Lab made its debut in Orlando, Fla., in September as an experiment to stretch the boundaries of the sport of wakeboarding, organizers say. Rather than having boats to tow wakeboarders, the lab or wakepark uses a system of overhead pulleys and features a mix of hand and transfer rails, sliders, an elevated pool and a 16-foot wall quarterpipe.

“Red Bull Wake Lab is pretty much a skatepark on water - something that’s never really been built before,” said Red Bull Wake Lab co-creator and wakeboard champ Parks Bonifay in a statement. “We wanted to do an experiment in wakeboarding with multiple water levels, several rails, various transfer lines and a huge wall ride, so you could do pretty much whatever you want. The event in Orlando was amazing - truly the next level in wakeboarding, and I’m excited to take it even further in Arizona.”

Construction on the Wake Lab is expected to start a few weeks before the event off-site and finish up at Tempe Town Lake the week of the event, said Scott Houston of Red Bull North America.

For more on this please go to Phoenix Business Journal and Tempe Music Festival dot Com.

. . .  So far this spring, though, the Saturday sellout is the exception, rather than the norm. Through Thursday, average game attendance was down at every stadium in Arizona.While the average game attendance for a Cactus League game last year was 7,436 fans, the average this spring has been 4,700 people.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, for example, drew an average of 7,387 fans last year for each game at their spring training stadium in Tempe. Through five games this year, they had drawn only an average of 2,421 fans.

Brinton believes the decrease is partially due to the economy. He also points out, though, that attendance tends to increase deeper into spring training, as more of the team’s regular players play.  Because of that, Brinton remains hopeful that the attendance numbers will rebound.

“We know it’s not recession-proof, but it seems to be recession-resistant,”  Brinton said.  There is also an oddity during this year’s spring training that may help cushion the economic blow to the Cactus League.

Read the entire story at CBS 5 KPHO.com, Phoenix, AZ

Hundreds of volunteers soaked up a little sun and contributed some hard work to helping improve the Tempe community Saturday. Organizers expected more than 300 people to help plant 151 trees, paint an iron fence at a local school and paint a handful of homes, during the annual Tempe Cares work day event.

Salt River Project contributed to the event by donating to the Trees for Tempe program, enabling the city to purchase the trees.

Read the complete story at ABC 15 KNXV - TV, Phoenix, AZ.

Enjoy the sun, suds and sounds at the 21st Annual Great Arizona Beer Festival. With more than 100 specialty and microbrewed beers available for tasting, you’re sure to find the brew for you!

It’s fun and all for a good cause. The event benefits Sun Sounds of Arizona, a reading and information access service for people who are blind, or who cannot read because of a disabling condition which prevents reading.

The event will be held at the Tempe Beach Park March 7 and 8. Gates open at 1 p.m. for VIP admission and 2 p.m. for general admission.

For complete details go to ABC 15, KNXV - TV Phoenix, AZ

You don’t have to be rich to experience Broadway.

RENT is coming to ASU Gammage March 17th through March 22nd.

The musical is about being young, learning to survive, falling in love, and living for today. It’s the winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize and Smart Shoppers will have a chance to see the show for free.

For the complete story go to ABC News Channel 15, KNXV-TV in Phoenix, AZ.

“Police On Horseback Chase Wanted Man In Tempe”

The recent arrest of a 24-year-old California man in Tempe has some calling the city’s mounted patrol unit a necessity.

“They (mounted patrol officers) provide a vital service in basically keeping the community safe,” said Tempe Police Sergeant Scott Smith.

Last week, Smith says officers on horseback spotted a man in an alley near Mill Avenue and felt something wasn’t right.

Read the entire news story at ABC News Channel 15 - KNXV-TV in Phoenix, AZ.

Looking to dine at a restaurant that exudes Southwestern warmth that dates back more than 100 years? Well, there’s a nice eatery on Mill Avenue in Tempe that will fulfill your desire.

Monti’s La Casa Vieja is a well-known icon that is recognized for its tantalizing food and display of Arizona history. Monti’s is home to 14 dining rooms and five banquet rooms and prepares more than half a million meals annually.

Preparing meals for a large crowd is a long cry from the original purpose of La Casa Vieja (Spanish for “The Old House”). When built in 1871, it was occupied as living quarters for the city of Tempe founder, Charles Trumbull Hayden and his family.

Even though the Hayden family no longer resides in the home, there is still a vast amount of history that is preserved and exhibited in each of the dining rooms.

In addition to having the skill to produce an intimate dinner for two, Monti’s has the flair to cater to the needs of a corporate party of 500. With over 45 years of hospitality experience, from theme planning to the clean-up, Monti’s prides itself in creating an event that leaves its guests speechless.

The restaurant is conveniently located a few miles away from Arizona State University and within a short distance of great shopping.

I know you’re thinking this place is full of history and offers great food so it must be extremely expensive. This could not be further from the truth. On Valentine’s Day, you and your sweetheart can enjoy a dinner that consists of Filet Mignon with Jumbo Shrimp or Chicken Marsala, freshly baked roman bread, your choice of two sides, a bottle of champagne and a scrumptious chocolate dessert for ONLY $47.95 per couple.

While visiting Monti’s, don’t forget to ask how you can take part in the “Patio Party”, an event sponsored by the restaurant that raises money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a global movement that educates about breast cancer and searches for a cure.

The Greater Phoenix area is one of the largest metropolitans in the country and until recently was missing a mode of transportation that you’d expect to see in an area of such magnitude. It is the light rail system. Tempe is one of the first Arizona cities to utilize the new system.

There are several stations in Tempe, one on Mill Avenue/Third Street and another on University Drive/Rural Road, to name a couple. These as well as all other stations are located next to major attractions such as Mill Avenue District, Tempe Town Lake and The Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University (ASU).

With this transportation method being relatively new, there are still many who are unclear about the features of the light rail. Here are some of its highlights:

• Oversized air conditioning units
• Tinted windows
• Four hanging bike racks in each vehicle
• Accommodates up to four wheelchairs on each vehicle. more than requiremed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Door entries are the same heights as the vehicle platform
• Security cameras on the inside and outside of each vehicle
• Passenger-to-operator emergency intercom
• Audible and visual passenger announcements

If this is not enough to convince you to hop aboard, then consider the fact that it is cost-effective. You can buy an all day pass for only $2.50. There are even reduced fares for senior citizens, youth and those with disabilities.

Not only can riding the light rail be good for you, it can help resolve the crisis of global warming. Using the light rail system is one component of the city’s Tempe in Motion (TIM) program, a program that encourages the use of mass transportation as a way of “providing a balanced transportation system that is environmentally sustainable, accessible, preserves neighborhoods, promotes transit-oriented development and involves citizens in the process.”

After a long day, many want to relax and temporarily forget the troubles of the world. The city of Tempe offers many outlets that allow you to do just that. Four Peaks Brewing Company is one of these outlets. Four Peaks is a brewery that began in Tempe in 1997, and due to its great success, later expanded to Scottsdale, AZ.

Kilt Lifter® Scottish-Style Ale, 8th Street Ale® and Hop Knot IPA® are a few of Four Peaks’ drinks that are not only famous with a couple of local patrons, but widely celebrated enough to help the company win the following awards in 2008:

• 2008 Best Brewery - New Times (Readers’ Choice
• 2008 Best Bar Food - New Times
• 2008 Best Beer for Wine Snobs (Hopsquatch) - New Times
• 2008 Best Brew Pub - Phoenix Magazine (Reader’s Choice)
• 2008 Best Bar Food - Phoenix Magazine (Reader’s Choice)
• 2008 Best Brewery - AZ Central.com
• 2008 World Beer Cup - 3 Silver Medals!!

Maybe you’ve already consumed some of the company’s beverages and express the same sentiment as the voters who helped Four Peaks achieve the title of award winning, or you are thinking about stopping by after work today. In either case, you too can voice your opinion about your experience by visiting web sites such as Beer Advocate, Rate Beer or Pub Crawler.

Not only has the brewery been commended for its various beers but also for its involvement in the community. In 2008, Four Peaks hosted its 3rd Annual Four Peaks Charity Golf Classic. They raised $20,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
This year’s proceeds will go toward the Arizona Chapter of the ALS Association, an organization whose mission is “To lead the fight to cure and treat ALS through global, cutting edge research, and to empower people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support.”

You don’t have to travel too far or be extremely wealthy to enjoy the comfort of a luxury hotel. The Buttes, A Marriott Resort right here on Westcourt Way in Tempe, Arizona is situated on a 25-acre landmark and is conveniently located next to Phoenix and Scottsdale.

This smoke-free hotel with 4 floors and 345 rooms and 9 suites is a place of extravagance, but still reasonably priced. It presents a selection of discounts that allow the average Joe to indulge in the offerings of the hotel.

You can reserve your room online using accumulated Marriott Reward points. You may also qualify for a price cut as a member of AAA, senior citizen or affiliate of the government or military.

Once you have secured your stay at The Buttes, you can engage in the many recreational interests.

Water Activity

• Two Mountain Side Swimming Pools and Water Slide

• Outdoor Children’s Pool

• Whirlpool

Golf

While there are no golf courses right on the premises of the hotel, there are several nearby.

• Raven Golf Club at South Mountain

• Camelback Golf Club – Indian Bend Course

• Camelback Golf Club – Padre Course

• Wildfire Golf Club – Palmer Signature Course

Spa

Narande is an on-site spa that offers many services.

• Body Scrub

• Body Wrap

• Facial Treatments

• Manicures and Pedicures

• Massaging

• Waxing

Fitness

This fitness center is on-site and has something for the weight lifter as well as the aerobic exerciser.

• Cardiovascular equipment

• Free weights

• Treadmills, stair steppers, stationary bikes and machines

When you are ready to take a break from all of this fun, munch on food at one of the hotel’s lounges or explore the town by visiting one of the restaurants close by.