City of Tempe Releases findings stating that the Tempe Town Lake dam was functional until it’s failure and no foul play was involved.

The City of Tempe released the following press release this morning about their investigation of the Tempe Town Lake dam failure:

Pressure readings show that Town Lake Bladder No. 2, the bladder that burst last Tuesday, was functioning properly until the minute of its failure.

City of Tempe staff monitors the pressure of each of the bladders every minute.

Records show the pressure record for the downstream dam bladders for the period of the break. The time the bladder burst was at 9:44 p.m., Tuesday, July 20.

Records show is a sudden, catastrophic failure. At 9:44 p.m., everything appears normal. At 9:45 p.m., the bladder has failed. There is no indication of a precursor event or gradual decline. There is also no indication of a control system failure, such as overfilling or excessive pressure build up.

The City of Tempe will continue to investigate what caused this bladder to break. Police have determined that criminal activity was not involved.

Video of the bladder bursting may be seen on the City of Tempe YouTube page, http://www.youtube.com/Tempe11Video, starting later this afternoon.

Those interested can get more information on the dam replacement project at www.tempe.gov/lake – click on the top link in Quick Links or visit http://www.tempe.gov/lake/DamReplacementUpdates.htm

As of press time, the City of Tempe has not released the video footage of the Tempe Town Lake dam bursting.

In the past few weeks, Facebook has quietly come out with some new additions and features that will change how you use this social network.  We sum up the top 4 that everyone should know about:

1) Facebook increases the amount of pictures you can put in a Photo Album from 60 to 200:

http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=87157517130

2) Starting at 9 PM tonight, you can give yourself a unique URL that corresponds to your username (no more long URL’s when sending your profile link to friends):

http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=90316352130

3) Facebook has quietly rolled out the ability for users to ignore polls, quizzes and other applications that generate posts on your home wall.  To ignore the given quiz/app post check out the photo below:

4) Finally, Facebook has announced that they are finally putting in a review process for applications, quizzes, and things like that before releasing said applications into the wild.  Hopefully, this will put a stop to the malicious applications that are designed to steal your personal information:

http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=85809257130

A friend suggested that we should have a list of places to go to beat the heat.

So we got to thinking (I do that sometimes).

We can just as easily come up with a list of the things that you can do to beat the heat like all the other publications in the area are doing right now. The list would probably consist of the things that everyone else is going to do like go to the air conditioned malls in the area and to the public pools that are more than likely a shade of yellow than blue with all the kids peeing in it.

Wouldn’t you rather do something else that might actually be fun?

Well here’s a brief list of things to do to beat the heat:

1a) Go see a Movie in a theater – Yeah, this may fall under the realm of ‘everyone else is doing it’ but it’s a great way to get out of the heat and get entertained in the process.

1b) Rent a Movie at home – There are so many options now for you to easily get a movie like Netflix, Red Box, and even Blockbuster why not stay in the comfort of your own home with some friends and have some fun.

1c) Watch a movie online – More and more websites are putting full length movies online for free.  Check out hulu.com and YouTube.com for the best selection of movies to watch online.

2) Gelato – Everyone is probably going to be heading to Baskin-Robbins, Cold Stone, Dairy Queen, etc why not go out and get Gelato?!?!  Check out the Gelato Spot for some of the best Gelato this side of italy.   Check out their website for the locations nearest you:  http://www.gelatospot.com/

3) Float down the Salt River – Now is the time to head over to the Salt River for some relaxing and refreshing intertube river floating.  For more information on one of the greatest ways to stay cool in the heat, check out the Salt River Tubing website:  http://www.saltrivertubing.com/

4) Take a Trip out of town for the weekend – Phoenix is pretty close to many major cities outside of Arizona and other destinations within Arizona it’s hard not to take advantage of so many options.  Places you could go can be San Diego, Los Angeles, Flagstaff, Taos, Las Vegas, Sedona, and so on….

5) Head to a Museum – Why not check out some of the best places that Phoenix has to offer in Museums.  For example, the Arizona Science Center is a great destination to get out of the heat.  http://www.azscience.org/

6a) Take in a Game – Baseball – Taking in an Arizona Diamondbacks game is the best way to beat the heat as the roof is closed when the temprature outside is unbearable.  http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com

6b) Taken in a tour of Chase Field – When the Diamondbacks are on the road, why not take in a tour of Chase Field?  Tickets are only $6 http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/ari/ballpark/ari_ballpark_tour.jsp

6c) Take in a Game – Basketball – A new season of Phoenix Mercury Basketball is just about underway and taking in a game is a great way to beat the heat.  http://www.wnba.com/mercury

7a) Indoors Activities – Rock Climbing – Want to beat the heat and exercise at the same time?  Try indoor Rock Climbing.  http://www.phoenixrockgym.com/PRG/main.html

7b) Indoors Activities – Cart Racing – Try racing Go-Karts indoors!  http://www.f1racefactory.com/

7c) Indoors Activities – Laser Tag – There are two places you can go to play indoor laser tag while beating the heat.  Laser Quest in Mesa and in Phoenix are the perfect places to go and have some fun out of the heat.  Phoenix Location: http://www.laserquest.com/Locations/USALocations.aspx?cntr=Phoenix Mesa Location:  http://www.laserquest.com/Locations/USALocations.aspx?cntr=Mesa

8) Ice in the Pool – Now this one is more fun than anything but have you ever thought about getting about 10 or 20 blocks of ice, throwing them in your pool and then jumping in when the water temperature cools down?

RDS Sports Network out of Montreal, Canada has reported that their sources have told them that the Phoenix Coyotes will be hosting the next NHL All-Star Game at the Jobing.com Arena in 2011.  The NHL All-Star Game will not be held next year due to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.

In the final installment of our look at attending a Phoenix Coyotes game (at the Westgate City Center and the Jobing.com Arena), we look at the goings on inside of the Jobing.com arena in advance of a Coyotes game.

Jobing.com Arena

The Jobing.com Arena is located at the 223 acre Westgate City Center in Glendale, Arizona. Quickly approaching its 5^th anniversary, Jobing.com Arena is a state of the art multi-use arena that is one of the premier multipurpose arenas in the nation.

Once inside the Jobing.com arena, one of the coolest features of the arena is that in the middle of the main concourse of the arena fans have the ability to view the action of a given game from the concourse on the main level. Not many other arenas in the United States offer this kind of up close look at the game experience.

View inside the main concourse of the Jobing.com Arena before a Coyotes game

The best way to equate this is to imagine what watching a game from the lower level concourses of Chase Field is like.  Just like watching an Arizona Diamondbacks game action up close and personal from the concourses, the builders of the Jobing.com arena incorporated the ability to have fans get unique perspective of the game experience so all fans can get a taste of what the up-close action like is at an NHL game. The views from this vantage point, make the Jobing.com arena unique from all of the other NHL arenas around North America. On top of that, the sight lines from every seat in the arena give fans excellent views of all of the game action.

View of the pre-game warm ups at Jobing.com Arena from the upper concourse a the south end of the arena

I personally have sat in or have seen games from numerous vantage points throughout the Jobing.com arena (including the Press Box) and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. All seats in the arena were designed to give fans the best views of the game action.

View of the pre-game warm ups at Jobing.com Arena from the upper concourse a center ice

Coyotes Pre-Game – Inside

The doors to the Jobing.com arena open up approximate one hour before game time. Once the doors open, one of the best things that fans can do is watch the Coyotes and their opponents warm up before the game. It’s a great time for fans of all ages to go down to ice level and watch their favorite Coyotes players getting ready for the game.

Fans watching the pre-game warm ups from ice level at Jobing.com Arena

One of the best things first time visitors can to do before the game is wander around the concourses of the Jobing.com arena to not only explore the arena but to take in some of the fun.

Food

One of the best things about eating at the Jobing.com arena is that there is LOTS of variety for food choices. From Pizza to wings to hot dogs, fans have a wide array of choices to satisfy any hungry appetite.

50/50 Raffles

50/50 Raffles are a tradition in all levels of hockey from the Minor Leagues to the National Hockey League. The Coyotes give charities or other organizations that need to raise funds (a good example would be youth Hockey teams) the opportunity to raise funds via the 50/50 raffle. How the 50/50 Raffles work is that fans pay $2 per raffle ticket. The money is then all collected and a raffle ticket is drawn. The winning raffle ticket is drawn and the winner gets 50% of the total amount collected from the game. The other 50% is split in half. One half goes to Coyotes Charities and the other half go to the organization that is trying to raise funds

Two of the many 50/50 raffle vendors wandering the arena

Mystery Pucks/Charity Table

The Mystery Puck sales are put on by Coyotes charities throughout the season. The Mystery Puck table is normally right inside the main entrance to Jobing.com arena and can be identified by the table full of pucks wrapped like Christmas presents.

For $20 (all money goes to Coyotes Charities) you can select any puck from the table. Every puck is autographed by a Coyotes player. However, there are Coyote player autographed pucks signed in gold pen. This means that in addition to the signed puck, they win an additional prize.

When I first got into the arena, there was a table setup with representatives from the Salvation Army looking for Volunteers to help them on Christmas morning feeding the needy. (Editor’s note: By the time I called to offer assistance all their volunteer slots were full).  To the left of the Salvation Army table was the Mystery Puck table (see photo below).

The Mystery Puck Table (Left, Back) along with the Salvation Army Table

Silent Auction

At every home game, again right by the main entrance of the Jobing.com arena, there is a table full of sports memorabilia from across all sports that are available for bidding through the third period.

Other offerings

During the first intermission, before the Zamboni’s came out and laid a fresh sheet of ice, two teams of Pee-wee hockey teams played a quick scrimmage on the entire ice surface.

The Mystery Puck Table (Left, Back) along with the Salvation Army Table

Fan Experiences – During one of the breaks in the action, members of ‘The Pack Entertainment Squad’ were launching T-shirts and other prizes to fans around the arena.

Fan Experiences – Wii shootout battles – This was a really cool addition to the game experience (as I’ve never seen this before the last game I went to) as there were two kids just off the concourse doing a NHL game shootout on a Nintendo Wii that was broadcast on the center ice video screen. The winner of the shootout got a prize from the Coyotes.

The Nintendo Wii Shootout battle in progress

Contests in between periods – In the second intermission there was a contest to see who could eat the most pizza amongst 4 contestants. It was pretty funny watching four high school to college aged guys stuff their faces in front of the Jobing.com crowd. The winner of this contest got a signed hockey stick

The Pizza eating contest, in progress

Closing

I could go on and on about how fun it is to go to a game but you have to experience a Coyotes game for yourself. Only when you attend a Coyotes game can you fully experience the fun, the action, the excitement of the fast pace of the game, of the hits, and when the Coyotes score a goal and win the game. Furthermore, the Westgate City Center, the City of Glendale and the Phoenix Coyotes have really done a world class job in giving fans  the best experience possible when attending a Coyotes game.

This is the perfect time to become not only an NHL fan but a Coyotes fan as they have finally turned the corner in their franchise and are beginning to display all the characteristics of a winning franchise. Furthermore, this is also the perfect time to become familiar with all the new faces on their roster as they are many of them are going to be with the team for a long time.

So get your family or friends together and plan an evening to the Jobing.com Arena and the Westgate City Center. Tickets to Coyotes games (see below) are extremely reasonable and they always have some sort of special or sale going on. If you have a large group, contact the Coyotes (Link below) and I’m sure they can set you up with a great package for you and your group.

Coyotes Tickets

Starting at $15, tickets for Coyotes games are very reasonable and are amongst the most affordable in the National Hockey League. According to the Coyotes, they have the following ticket packages available to fans:

All You Can Eat Pack

The All-You-Can-Eat Pack is available at all Saturday Coyotes home games. All-You-Can-Eat Packs include an upper-level game ticket and unlimited hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, peanuts and fountain sodas for only $25.

Family Pack

The Family Pack is available for all Friday, Saturday and Sunday Coyotes home games. Family Packs include four game tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas starting at only $79.

XTRA Value Thursday Pack

The XTRA Value Thursday Pack is available at all Thursday Coyotes home games. XTRA Value Thursday Packs include a game ticket, hamburger and bottled beer or soda starting at just $30.

Student, Teacher and Military Rush

The Student, Teacher and Military Rush discount offer is available for all Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday Coyotes home games. Specially-priced lower-level tickets in select areas will cost just $20 and upper-level tickets will be available for $10. Tickets must be purchased at the Jobing.com Arena Box Office beginning at 6 p.m. the day of the game and each must be accompanied by a valid school or military ID at the time of purchase.

For more information about the Phoenix Coyotes or to purchase tickets, please refer to their website:

http://coyotes.nhl.com

For more information about the Westgate City Center please refer to their website:

http://www.westgateaz.com

We continue our look at the going on at a Phoenix Coyotes game by examining some of the ways to occupy your time before a Coyotes game.  In this segment, we explore the Westgate City Center.

Westgate City Center

The Westgate City Center is a sprawling complex nestled right at the entrance to the Jobing.com arena. Located at Loop 101 and Glendale Avenue, the Westgate City Center is considered one of North America’s best sports and entertainment complexes as this facility prides itself on being a practically an all inclusive entertainment complex. Since it’s opening in 2006, the Westgate City Center is becoming one of the premier attractions in the greater Phoenix area.  The Westgate City Center offers its visitors a wide array of activities including a variety of restaurants, retail stores, movies, and even many options to spend the night.

The Westgate City Center

Below are some of the examples of some of the stores that are on the grounds of the Westgate City Center:

Stores

- Tahitian Noni

- McFarlane Stores

Food

The majority of the foods available to eat at the Westgate City Center are, for the most part, unique to Arizona. With a few exceptions, you won’t find your normal chain restaurants but a wide array of places to eat that you can’t find anywhere else in the State of Arizona. Here’s a list of some of these places to eat that you won’t find tons of other locations in the Greater Phoenix Area:

-Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville

- Motu’s Tahitian Noni Island Grill

- Saddle Ranch Chop House

- Moe’s Southwest Grill

- Bar Louie

- Shane’s Rib Shack

- Which Which?

- Fox Sports Grill

- Kabuki

- The Shout! House

View of the Saddle Ranch Chop House

Hotels

There are two hotels on the Westgate City Center complex that offers visitors an option to stay overnight at the Westgate City Center. Eventually, the Westgate City Center will contain five hotels that will have 1,100 total rooms.

Renaissance Glendale Hotel & Spa – A Four Star 320 room hotel that offers upscale accommodations

Hampton Inn & Suites – a 149 room hotel located in close proximity to the Jobing.com arena.

Movies

Within the Westgate City Center complex is the AMC Westgate 20 movie theater which is the Arizona’s largest movie theater. This state of the art theater is within a very brief walking distance of the entire Westgate City Center complex and Jobing.com arena.

So, as you can see there’s something for everyone at the Westgate City Center. When it comes to attending Coyotes games in the middle of the week, you can easily fill your time up if you decide to come early to the game. But, as the classic salesman’s pitch goes, that’s not all! Once game time nears, the Phoenix Coyotes have many activities setup outside for kids of all ages.

Coyotes Pre-Game – Outside

Once game time rolls around, the Coyotes (and depending on the day of the week, the Westgate City Center) have a bunch of activities outside the Jobing.com arena for fans to check out. Each game is different but they seem to have (from the 6 or so Coyotes games I have been to) the same inflatable games that fans of all ages can check out.

Coyotes inflatable games for fans of all ages to check out

On weekend day games, the Westgate City Center has entertainment setup outside the main entrance to the arena. The weekend that I was there a Dance team was setup and doing some great routines.

A Dance Team entertains the audience outside the Jobing.com Arena

Every once in a while, there is a couple of vendors out front that have some great giveaways and raffles like this one below:

One of the Giveaway tables outside of Jobing.com arena

On Monday we will publish the final part of this feature about what goes on inside of Jobing.com arena at a Coyotes game.

With the current state of the economy, finding something to do with your free time isn’t as easy or as cheap as it used to be.  People want to know that they are going to get the best bang for their buck before they go out.  This is one of reasons why this site was created.  So from time to time we’re going to cover places to go, and things to do around town that you may have heard of but know nothing about.

The first three part feature in this series revolves around going to a Phoenix Coyotes game at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale.  This feature will also include the many activities that go on at the Westgate City Center Complex before, during and after a Coyotes game.

When it comes to going to Coyotes games at the Jobing.com arena in Glendale, people around the Phoenix area want to know that if they come from Mesa or Gilbert (no matter what day of the week) will they get the best bang for their buck?

The answer is yes!  Fans can indeed get the most out of their money when it comes to going to a Coyotes game and when they visit the Westgate City Center before a Coyotes game.

Buying a ticket to a Coyotes game does not only involve just the 60 minutes (three twenty minute periods with intermissions in between) that make up the hockey game.  There is so much more that goes on at a Coyotes game then just hockey, that your investment for gas, food and tickets goes a lot farther than you probably realize.  In addition, the Westgate City Center provides the residents of the greater Phoenix area a bonified entertainment destination for all.

One of the characteristics that makes an NHL Arena great is not just the team that plays under its roof but the things to do around the arena before and after the game.  I personally have been to just about every single NHL arena on the West Coast (the exception being the Staples Center in Los Angeles) and have extensively explored the areas around a 5 mile radius of said NHL Arenas.  There simply isn’t that much for fans to do before or after a game that is within close proximity (less than a mile to five miles) of their respective arenas.

The Jobing.com arena and the grounds of the Westgate City Center is a completely different story.

The Westgate City Center an all inclusive, state of the art, entertainment destination for residents of Phoenix to come and enjoy.   Hockey fans can come to the Westgate City Center in advance of a Coyotes game and find a plethora of activities that can fill up any of the extra time they may have before a game.  The great thing about this is that Coyotes fans don’t have to worry about wandering too far from the Jobing.com arena because the arena is right on the grounds of the Westgate City Center.

Now when I say the arena is ‘right on the grounds of the Westgate City Center’, I mean that it’s less than 30 feet from the closest Westgate City Center restaurant to the main entrance of the Jobing.com Arena.

Look for your self….

Westgate City Center from the second level of the Jobing.com arena

The Westgate City Center stands out amongst the other mega malls in the Greater Phoenix area (like Desert Ridge, Tempe Market Place, Mesa Riverview, etc) in that they offer its customers the most unique shopping and entertainment experience in the area.  In the case of many of the Westgate City Center tenants, there are some destinations that are unique to Arizona.

Very few if any NHL, let alone any other professional sports teams, can make the claim that they can provide pre and post game entertainment for their fans literally right outside the door of their arenas.  I’ve been to many different professional sport arenas/complexes all across North American and Europe and I have to say what the Phoenix Coyotes have in the Jobing.com Arena and the Westgate City Center is unlike any other sporting/entertainment complex I have ever seen.  Can you honestly think of another arena in North America that has an all-inclusive complex not only for sporting events but for entertainment as well?

What the Jobing.com arena and the Westgate City Center can offer a resident of Phoenix is an all inclusive entertainment destination for residents of Phoenix of all ages.

What does that mean to you, the consumer?

This means that when you come to a Coyotes game, you can come many hours in advance of the start of the Coyotes game, park your car for free and find many things to do to occupy your time until said game starts.  Even if you don’t go to a Coyotes game, the Westgate City Center is quickly becoming a popular destination for residents all across the valley.

Click here for Part 2 of this Feature about the Westgate City Center and the Coyotes.

One of the really great things about my job is that I get some great, heartwarming stories that you just need to tell everyone about.  The Phoenix Coyotes and Jobing.com arena have formed a Partnership with the Phoenix Children’s Hospital (PCH) in marketing their PCH Handprints campaign.

PCH Handprints is an aggressive marketing campaign tied in with a Documentary short film “Hand prints of Hope”.  The marketing aspect involves hand prints of children from PCH with eight different slogans.

The Image below shows a sample of one of the many signs that will hang around the Jobing.com arena this season for Coyotes games and ALL Jobing.com events.  There are eight phrases in all.  The next time you are wandering the halls of the Jobing.com arena, make sure you stop and see these wonderful displays.

EACH HANDPRINT IS ITS OWN STAMP OF COURAGE, REVEALING INCREDIBLE STORIES OF SERIOUSLY ILL CHILDREN WHO RELIED ON HOPE, DETERMINATION AND A TEAM OF PEDIATRIC SPECIALISTS WHO WOULDN’T GIVE UP.

That’s one of the first things you see when you go to the PCH Handprints website.  This phrase basically sums up this incredible effort that PCH does on a daily basis.  This phrase also sums up the passion and desire the Phoenix Coyotes, and Jobing.com arena have put into this campaign to make it a success.

To help out with this marketing effort, the Phoenix Coyotes players have placed their own hand prints on an art canvas which will be donated to PCH.  The Canvas is currently on display at Jobing.com arena for the duration of the PCH Handprints Campaign.   The images below are of two coyotes players lending their hands to the PCH Handprints Campaign.

Coyotes forward Olli Jokinen places his handprint on the PCH canvas

Photo credit: Norm Hall/NHLI

Coyotes forward Peter Muller lends his hand to the PCH canvas

Photo credit: Norm Hall/NHLI

If you would like to make a donation to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital, please follow the information contained here:

http://www.phoenixchildrens.com/ways-of-giving/

I was able to find three of the four “Handprints of Hope” shorts on YouTube so you can see for yourselves what an incredible place the Phoenix Children’s Hospital really is.  These shorts are very well crafted and are powerful documentaries about the wonderful work the Phoenix Children’s Hospital have done and the power of the Human Spirit to overcome ANY obstacle.

You can view the entire documentary short on the PCH Handprints website

http://www.pchhandprints.org/

Natalie:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZGCrzTUp40

Sean:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6344MGxc2s

Keston:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDWrSONzYcg

Well it’s almost that time of year folks.  Halloween is fast approaching and with Halloween comes the tradition of going to Haunted Houses.  Marking the first event of the season is the ‘Twisted Big Top’  billed as the ‘Most horrifying Show on Earth’!  With over $350,000 worth of Special effects crammed under one roof, the ‘Twisted Big Top’ is determined to be the biggest and best Haunted Houses in the state.

So here’s the story of how the Twisted Bigtop Came to be:

Jenny was just a young girl of 14.  She had always wanted to visit a circus but her parents thought it was frivolous.  While all her friends had been to shows like Ringling Brothers and Cirque du Soleil, the only circus that Jenny was able to experience was in her mind.  Originally things started out quite tame, with simple basic circus acts. But over time Jenny got obsessed with everything circus like especially clowns.  What started as something fun and cute evolved into something much more macabre and sinister.

We invite you to experience Jenny’s recurring nightmare.  From the seemingly nice clown that offered her balloons but eventually took her away to the world of “The Twisted Big Top”.  In this world you will see and experience how nice clowns were taken, tortured and changed.  Once the transformation took place clowns were used for all things evil.  You may have wondered how people could be afraid of clowns.  One visit to the Twisted Big Top and you will never wonder again.

There is nothing traditional about this haunted house.  Every sense will be attacked, sight, sound, touch, smell and the taste of fear.  With scenes so horrifying we will either cure your phobia or haunt you forever.  You are dared to experience Jenny’s nightmare, “The Twisted Big Top”.

The ‘Twisted Big Top’ consists of three separate attractions all included in the price of admission:

1. The Twisted Big Top – 20 difference scenes of sick carnival terror where you experience all of Jenny’s nightmares in a format you have never experienced and probably never will again
2. Mirror Mayhem – A new twist on the classic house of mirrors where you will have to navigate yourself through a twisted path of madness while evil clowns challenge you along your path
3. Six Feet Blunder – According to the ‘Twisted Big Top’ website “As Arizona’s only sit down 4D attraction, you are immersed in a funeral home gone bad.  Experience a unique mortuary adventure utilizing “Disney” type effects.  You wont know whether to laugh, cry or scream.”

Still not scared off by what I just described? Do you dare enter the ‘Twisted Big Top’?

Well, head on over to the Westgate City Center in Glendale (Where the Phoenix Coyotes and the Arizona Cardinals play) and face your fears!!!  Loop 101 and Glendale Ave.

Please refer to the Twisted Big Top website and our calendar for exact dates and hours of operation.

More information including, Group Sales, Online Sales, Coupons for a discounted admission, Location and anything else you could ask for can be found here:

http://www.twistedbigtop.com/information.html

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.0004556aa2b0020fe77a7&ll=33.538998,-112.254353&spn=0.016025,0.03356&z=15

That’s right, on Saturday November 8th starting at 7 AM you get a chance to Outrun the FBI and have your money go to a great cause!  The Phoenix FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association (FBICAAA) is sponsoring the first ever ‘Outrun the FBI’ race benefiting Educational programs for schools and parents on the safety of the internet.  I have been told that all money raised for this event will stay in state so all the money raised will help kids and adults around the state.

So why is the event called ‘Outrun the FBI’?

Well it’s a 3.1 mile/5K race where runners and walkers will get a head start.  Sometime after the racers/walkers are into the race the FBI runners will start and will try to outrun the field.  All of those runners who beat the FBI will get a special “I outran the FBI” T-shirt. The race is open to individual runners and teams (must have at least 5 to a team and no more than 10 to a team).

Once runners cross the finish line, there will be a wide array of food, music, demonstrations by the FBI and other cool things to do.  You don’t have to participate in the run to enjoy the family friendly fun, food, and music.

Check-in for the race begins at 7 AM and the Race starts promptly at 8:00 AM.

There will be awards handed out in many age categories and for teams as well.

Race Fees:

Before Oct. 31, 2008: $25/individual, $20/team member (teams must be 5-10 people); After Oct. 31, 2008: $30/individual, $25/team member

If don’t plan to participate in the run but want to donate to this worthy cause you can submit your donations online here:

http://www.active.com/donate/outrunthefbi5k

To register for the event and more detailed information, please refer to this page:

http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1602407&assetId=b3310c36-e349-44b2-963f-8b46e4d18322

Ok this is the first of my reviews of Gluten Free places to eat around the Valley.  If you have read the ‘How it works’ page on this site you will have noticed that I am not going to do restauraunt reviews as I’m allergic to the majority of the places (95% ++) in the Greater Phoenix Area.  The only exception to this rule will be Gluten-Free places to eat.  The first place I’m going to review that offers Gluten-Free food is the Gelato Spot (or the G-Spot).  The Gelato Spot is probably the closest version of true European Gelato you’re going to find on the West Coast (trust me on this).

So what is Gelato?  According to the Gelato Wikipedia page:

Gelato, or the plural Gelati, is Italian ice cream made from milk and sugar, combined with other flavorings. The gelato ingredients (after an optional pasteurization) are frozen while stirring to break up ice crystals as they form. Like high-end ice cream, gelato generally has less than 35% air, resulting in a denser and more flavorful product.

So basically you’re getting great tasting, quality ice cream with great ingredients.

Ok enough with the lesson.

The Gelato Spot is probably the best place not only to get a great snack but it’s a great place to take a date or just to hang out to do work.  According to the Gelato Spot website they have been voted ‘Best Ice Cream’ and ‘Best Place to be Seen in Arizona’.  They have free wi-fi so those of you with those mobile computer type thingys can get some work done.

The Gelato Spot offers 36 different flavors per day and have 150 total flavors that are rotated in and out at various intervals.  You can get gelato for two for under $10 but sometimes it may go over $10.  Once you see all the flavors they have you’ll see why it’s often commonplace to spend over $10 for two people…there’s just too many killer flavors to choose from.

Now if you are someone who has to eat Gluten Free food make sure you ask the Manager which flavors are gluten free as the Gelato Spot is not 100% gluten free (More like 90-97% Gluten-Free).

For those of you who can eat gluten don’t get turned off by this review.  A sign of a Gluten Free restaurant is that they more often than not will serve as close to 100% natural foods as possible.  So if you want something that is sinful, delicious, and (for the most part) good for you, check out the Gelato Spot.  You won’t be disappointed.

For more information, locations, hours, and things like that check out the Gelato Spot website:

http://www.gelatospot.com/