Queen Creek/Pinal County Blog

Queen Creek has posted the following traffic alerts for people driving in the area in the coming week:

Queen Creek Road - Crismon to Signal Butte roads
Queen Creek Road is scheduled to remain closed to through traffic until Dec. 1 so that the contractor of the new development on the north side of the street can complete required road widening work. During this time, Queen Creek Road will only be open for local traffic. Drivers are asked to follow the marked detour route along Crismon and Ocotillo roads.

Ellsworth Road - Cloud Road to north of Chandler Heights Road
The contractor will be working in the center of the intersection of Cloud and Chandler Heights roads over the next couple of weeks. During these activities, it will be necessary to restrict left turns at both of these intersections. Though the work will not occur in both intersections at the same time, restrictions will be in place at various times throughout the work day. A number of traffic shifts will occur over the next few weeks as crews continue paving and work in the median areas of Ellsworth Road. Drivers should expect flaggers and off-duty police officers controlling traffic in the area. Southbound traffic has been restored to the west side of the median on Ellsworth Road. Drivers are advised to pay close attention to the warning signs throughout the work area.

Rittenhouse Road/Village Loop Road North
Crews are continuing to work on a new traffic signal at this intersection. This work will require some lane closures as well as other restrictions, and off-duty police officers may be directing traffic at times. This work is expected to last through November.

Queen Creek is one step closer to having neighborhood trash and recycling pickup.

The town’s council approved a request Wednesday to find companies interested in providing services like curbside trash pickup, curbside recycling or community drop-off centers for recycling and collection of green waste, like lawn clippings and tree branches.

The request stating what types of services the town is looking for will be available on the town’s Web site, www.queencreek.org, starting Nov. 24.

Town Staff hopes to recommend one or more companies to provide waste collection to the town council March 18. There’s no set date yet for when services will start.

Middle school students are invited to Queen Creek’s Youth Jams Fall Ball for music, dancing and the chance to win prizes this Friday.

Queen Creek’s Parks and Recreation department puts on the periodic club night and supervises participants at all times. Proper attire must be worn, which means youth wearing tank tops, gang affiliated attire, mid drifts or daisy dukes will not be admitted.

There is an in/out policy that once a someone pays to enter, he or she is not allowed to return to the club if he or she leaves the building. Telephones are available to call for rides. The sheriff’s office will be contacted for all participants not picked up by 10 p.m.

The club runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Queen Creek Community Center, 22407 S. Ellsworth Road. Cost is $3.

For more information, contact Queen Creek’s Parks and Recreation Department at (480) 358-3700.

Drivers in Queen Creek should keep an eye out for restrictions at the intersection of Cloud and Ellsworth roads for the next week.

Left turns at Cloud and Ellsworth will be restricted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 18 through Nov. 26. This will affect traffic on both Cloud Road and Ellsworth Road.

Questions can be directed to the Queen Creek Traffic Hotline at (480) 358-3132 or traffic@queencreek.org.

Area Vestar shopping centers, including Queen Creek Marketplace and Gilbert Gateway Town Center/Crossroads Town Center, are selling gift cards to benefit Phoenix Children’s Hospital this holiday season.

Anyone buying a giftcard at one of the shopping centers can spend an extra $1 to purchase a special Phoenix Children’s Hospital gift card. The company will donate $3 to the hospital for every gift card sold.

Gift cards can be used at any location that accepts Visa. They can be purchased in-person at any Vestar shopping center or online at www.mall-giftcard.com/vestar.

UPS Store locations in Queen Creek are collecting care package items to send to troops overseas this holiday season.

The stores are looking for toiletry items, reading materials, decks of cards and a few other items to send to military men and women next month.

Items are being collected between Nov. 17 and Dec. 18 at the UPS Stores located at 23844 S. Power Road, Suite 102, Queen Creek, and 18521 E. Queen Creek Road, Suite 105, Queen Creek. Contact the Power Road store at (480) 776-1876 or the Queen Creek Road store at (480) 987-2297 for full lists of the items needed or more information.

Registration is still being accepted for teen printmaking workshops.

These four workshops through Queen Creek’s Teen Art program will let participants work with a professional artist who will provide hands-on projects of fine art monotype printmaking. Participants will be working with a variety of mediums and an etching press to create custom print materials.

Teens must register for all four workshops in advance through the Parks and Recreation front office, which is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Monday through Thursday. Registration is Nov. 17 through Dec. 18, and late registration is Dec. 22 through 30. The workshops are free.

The Teen Art Workshops will run from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays  Jan. 7 through 28.

For more information, contact Queen Creek’s Parks and Recreation office at (480) 358-3700.

The town of Queen Creek has put out the following traffic advisories for the next few weeks:

Queen Creek Road - Crismon to Signal Butte roads
Queen Creek Road is scheduled to remain closed to thru traffic through Monday, Dec. 1 so that the contractor of the new development on the north side of the street can complete required road widening work. During this time, Queen Creek Road will only be open for local traffic. Drivers are asked to follow the marked detour route along Crismon and Ocotillo roads.

Ellsworth Road - Cloud Road to north of Chandler Heights Road
A number of traffic shifts will occur over the next few weeks as crews continue paving and work in the median areas of Ellsworth Road. Drivers should expect flaggers and off-duty police officers controlling traffic in the area.

Rittenhouse Road/Village Loop Road North
Crews are continuing to work on a new traffic signal at this intersection. This work will require some lane closures as well as other restrictions, and off-duty police officers may be directing traffic at times. This work is expected to last through November.

The Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce will host a special member mixer and Family Fun Night next week at the Brunswick Zone in Gilbert.

All Queen Creek-area business owners and their families are welcome at the event, which is being combined with the chamber’s regularly scheduled member mixer.

Cost is $8 a person, which includes shoe rental, an hour of bowling and refreshments.

The event runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Brunswick Zone, 1160 S. Gilbert Road, Gilbert. For more information or to RSVP, call the chamber at (480) 888-1709.

Kids ages 6 to 12 who are interested in learning martial arts and defense basics are invited to sign up for a Kids Karate class.

Classes run from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday evenings Dec. 2 through Jan. 27. There is a $10 uniform fee for all class participants.

Regular registration runs through Nov. 13 with late registration Nov. 17 to 20. A $5 late fee applies to those registering after Nov. 13.

Registration for the program is taken 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the Parks and Recreation office, 22350 S. Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek.

For more information, contact Queen Creek’s Parks and Recreation office at (480) 358-3700.