Associate Broker Sunland Village Bob Marsh, CRS, GRI, RECS, Sunland Kid

Here's a last minute reminder!!

The 2009 Valley of the Sun Solar and Sustainable Buildings Tour will take place on Oct. 24 & 25 (Sat./Sun.) where you can see how you can use solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies to reduce monthly utility bills and help tackle climate change. There are a lot of homes featured on this tour. Four Mesa homes are being featured. It's free and self-guided. Learn more at

www.arizonasolarenergy.org/tour.html

For more information about Arizona real estate contact rmarsh@sjfowler.com or www.sunlandkid.com

or call Bob 480-529-2936

The Arizona Fall League gives baseball fans a chance to see the up and coming stars of the MLB. The season begins on Oct. 13 and runs through Nov. 21.

Mesa's home team, the Solar Sox are made up of the top minor league players from the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Minnesota Twins and Florida Marlins. See the Solar Sox play their first home game against the Phoenix Desert Dogs on Wed., Oct. 14 at 6:35 p.m. at Hohokam Stadium, 1235 N. Center St.

Tickets are $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and children 17 and under. Group tickets of twenty or more people are discounted at $3 per person. Tickets can be purchased on game day one hour prior to game time at the box office. For group tickets please call (602) 681-9362.

Arizona Fall League is made up of 6 teams and each team play a 32 game schedule 6 days per week, Monday through Saturday. See below for a list of Mesa Solar Sox home games. Gates open one hour before game time. All times are subject to change.

Wed., Oct. 14 Desert Dogs at 6:35 p.m.

Fri., Oct. 16 Rafters at 12:35 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 17 Saguaros at 6:35 p.m.

Mon., Oct. 19 Javelinas at 12:35 p.m.

Thurs., Oct. 22 Scorpions at 12:35 p.m.

Wed., Oct. 28 Scorpions at 12:35 p.m.

Thurs., Oct. 29 Javelinas at 12:35 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 31 Desert Dogs at 12:35 p.m.

Mon., Nov. 2 Saguaros at 12:35 p.m.

Thurs., Nov. 5 Javelinas at 12:35 p.m.

Mon., Nov. 9 Scorpions at 12:35 p.m.

Wed., Nov. 11 Rafters at 12:35 p.m.

Thurs., Nov. 12 Desert Dogs at 6:35 p.m.

Mon., Nov. 16 Desert Dogs at 12:35 p.m.

Tues., Nov. 17 Rafters at 12:35 p.m.

Thurs., Nov. 19 Saguaros at 12:35 p.m.

To view a complete list of schedule, players and additional information, visit http://www.mlbfallball.com . You can also follow them on Twitter, http://twitter.com/MLBazFallLeague.

For more information about Arizona real estate, email rmarsh@sjfowler.com or call Bob 480-529-2936.

A good neighbor is one of the most effective crime prevention tools ever invented. That is the purpose for the City of Mesa hosting a Neighborhood Awareness Seminar Saturday, Oct. 10 from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the City of Mesa Utility Building, 640 N. Mesa Drive.

The seminar will include such topics as identifying gangs and graffiti, understanding the 911 system and how to be a good neighbor and a good witness. Mesa Police Commander Steve Stahl will update residents on crime prevention techniques and host a question and answer session. District 2 Councilmember Alex Finter will welcome residents to the seminar.

Breakfast snacks have been donated by Fry's Food Stores.

The primary focus of the seminar is on the current Building Strong Neighborhoods Initiative and surrounding neighborhoods. The current initiative lies within the boundaries of Gilbert Road to Harris Drive, Main Street to University Drive. However, the program is open to all Mesa residents.

The Neighborhood Awareness Seminar is a partnership involving the Mesa Police Department Red Mountain Division, City Prosecutor's Office and the Neighborhood Outreach Office.

For more information, contact Mesa Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator Susan Frabotta at (480) 644-5432 or susan.frabotta@mesaaz.gov.

For more information about Mesa real estate, email rmarsh@sjfowler.com or call Bob Marsh 480-529-2936

With more families opting to vacation closer to home this year due to a sluggish economy, the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department is inviting the public to enjoy a night of free camping at a County park. Beginning Thursday, October 1, visitors who pay the camping fee for one night at a desert mountain County park will receive the next night of equal value for free.
Participating parks include:

1. Cave Creek Regional Park. Located north of Phoenix, this park offers the illusion of being miles away from civilization. The campground has 38 individual developed campsites.

2. Estrella Mountain Regional Park. Located near the meeting of the Gila and Agua Fria Rivers in the southwest Valley, the park includes a large wetland area. The park also offers seven developed campsites.

3. McDowell Mountain Regional Park. Nestled in the lower Verde River basin, this park is a desert jewel in the northeast Valley. This park has 76 developed campsites that are perfect for RV or tent camping.

4. Usery Mountain Regional Park. Located on the Valley's east side, this park is located at the western end of the Goldfield Mountains, adjacent to the Tonto National Forest. The park offers 74 individual developed campsites which can accommodate either an RV or tent camping.

5. White Tank Mountain Regional Park. At nearly 30,000 acres, this is the largest regional park in Maricopa County. Most of the park is made up of the rugged and beautiful White Tank Mountains on the Valleys west side. The park offers 40 individual semi-developed campsites.

At approximately 120,000 acres, Maricopa County is home to one of the largest regional park system in the United States. The parks are located throughout the county and are all within a 45-minute drive from downtown Phoenix. Some restrictions do apply.

Restrictions:

1. Guests who arrive after the entry station has closed must write "buy one, get one free" on the front of the envelope to receive the free night offer. Refunds will not be given to individuals who do not mention the promotional offer on their envelopes or at the entry station.

2. All campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis and reservations are not accepted.

3. Offer not valid for group campground reservations or unit fees.

4. Limit of one free night per family, household and/or group in a seven day period (Monday through Sunday).

5. Rain checks will not be issued if space is not available.

6. Offer not valid at Lake Pleasant Regional Park.

7. Offer valid Thursday, October 1, through Thursday, November 12, 2009.

To learn more about this offer or a County park, visit www.maricopa.gov/parks or phone (602) 506-2930.

For more information about Arizona real estate, email rmarsh@sjfowler.com or call Bob 480-529-2936

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, located in Mesa, Arizona, has been awarded $8.9 million by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to expand the airport's commercial passenger terminal. Mesa Mayor Scott Smith and Queen Creek Mayor Art Sanders, who also serves as the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority Board Chair, made the announcement this morning during a news conference at the airport.

"We were excited earlier in the year when we learned Gateway was once again accepted in the FAA program," Congressman Harry Mitchell said. "Now, I am very pleased that Gateway was able to secure nearly $9 million for this critical project. Gateway continues to have a significant economic impact on our region, and this funding will allow the airport to expand its terminal to aid in those efforts."

Gateway will receive funds for an additional three years to complete terminal area projects designed to meet the needs due to the rapid growth of the airport, which is the third busiest airport in Arizona, and the busiest contract tower airport in the country.

"Mesa once again scored with major federal funding that will allow the airport to expand its terminal to handle the ever increasing passenger loads from the incredibly successful Allegiant Air, who has made the dream of Gateway becoming a viable reliever airport a reality," Mesa Mayor Scott Smith said.

"Congressman Mitchell has been a strong advocate for Gateway," Queen Creek Mayor and Board Chair Art Sanders said. "He has fought to secure funding for the airport over the last few years including $1.75 million in 2008 and another $950,000 in 2009. These funds helped support runway expansion and improvement projects. It is significant that these funds are coming to us from the FAA as discretionary and not earmark funding. The importance of this airport is recognized nationally."

The funds will be made available through the FAA's 2009 Military Airport Program (MAP), which uses federal funds to convert former military airports to civilian or joint-use airports. Gateway joins 11 other airports participating in this year's program.

"This is fantastic news," Mesa Councilmember Scott Somers said. "With Allegiant Air's expanding passenger service, we need to move quickly to expand our capacity at this airport. This expansion will also support the growing aerospace industry in the region including international businesses such as Embraer (One of the world's largest aircraft manufacturers from Brazil)." The Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is located in Councilmember Somers district.

This morning's news conference was attended by representatives from Congressman Mitchell's office and the FAA Western Region office, numerous elected officials including Gilbert Mayor John Lewis and State Representative Lauren Hendrix, representatives from several state agencies as well as various city and airport staff members.

For more information on Arizona real estate email rmarsh@sjfowler.com or call Bob Marsh 480-529-2936