Dear Indio Neighbors:
Is it possible that we are entering into the Holiday Season again? Must be because I see the Indio holiday banners on the light poles. We wish each of your families a warm, safe and happy Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year. Between now and then, however, we have plenty of other activity going on in Indio.
City Hall was closed on Monday, November 12 to celebrate Veterans Day. We thank all those of you who have served. We are so grateful to you for the sacrifices you and your families have made in preserving and protecting our precious freedoms.
Thanksgiving is my favorite family day of the year. And Indio is a great place for families. Counting my own blessings, I am thankful for my association with this community and my dedicated colleagues at City Hall.
The Tamale Festival returns to Downtown Indio on Dec. 1 and 2. Approximately 100,000 people come see us that weekend, so please come out and enjoy the best tamales on the planet and help us greet the thousands of out-of-town visitors. Last year was my first Tamale Festival. Watching whole families take in the celebrations, it was easy for me to see why generations of Indio residents hold Indio near to their hearts.By the way, we have replaced the Tamale Festival parade this year with an official Opening Ceremony, starting at 10:30 AM. Come enjoy Indio bands and help us cut the opening ribbon on this year’s scrumptious festival, musical stages, craft booths and carnival rides.
And join us at 5 PM on Dec. 1 (end of the first day of the Tamale Festival) for the annual Family Christmas Tree Lighting. The one-hour ceremony will feature more endearing musical performances by Indio students, and the evening will end with an early season visit by a representative from the North Pole.
I want to end this column by asking every reader who loves Indio to do yourself a favor and watch a video we prepared for the recent Mayor’s State of the City luncheon. More than 350 people attended the event which concluded with this very special video titled “Why Indio?” The video features Indio residents who answer that question in ways that will, I promise, warm your heart and give you something else to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Watch the Indio Legacy video
here
.
Sincerely,
Mark Scott
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Indio's State of the City Highlights Strong Economy & Recognizes Business & Community Leaders
The question to "Why Indio" is answered at the Indio State of the City & Business Awards Luncheon held on October 26, 2018, at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. The Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Michael Wilson recognized the following business and community leaders and organizations for their contributions to the Indio community:
Business of the Year: Preferred Air Conditioning & Plumbing
Restaurant of the Year: Jackalope Ranch
Spirit of Indio Award: Rodney Chalmers, Seecon Management
Nonprofit of the Year: Desert Theatreworks at IPAC
Mayor's Award: Stanley Rothbart, Rothbart Development
Mayor Wilson moderated a panel of business industry leaders and experts on why Indio is growing and recently recognized as the 30th Fastest Growing City in America by WalletHub for 2018. Dr. Christopher Thornberg, Director of UC Riverside's School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development, highlighted Indio's strong industrial base and workforce. Susan Harvey, Principal of Desert Pacific Properties, stated Indio has a booming residential and commercial real estate market. And Moctesuma Esparza, CEO of Maya Cinemas, explained that the large and growing population of young people and families is why he chose to build his 12-screen movie theater in Indio.
A "Legacy" video concluded the event sharing the stories of Indio residents with deep roots in the community and are blazing the trail for Indio's prosperous future.
Videos:
Check it out:
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GCV Small Business Expo Kicks Off Small Business Week
In
support of all local merchants, the Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce will host the GCV Small Business Expo presented by the City of Indio on November 15, 2018, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino Special Event Center, 84245 Indio Springs Drive. Attendees will enjoy local flavors and food samples while learning about products and services, networking with other industry professionals, and connecting first-hand with merchants. See a large sample of our local economy including pop-up villages focusing on the building, medical and business networking industries. Enjoy activities, giveaways, and music. More than 1,200 people attended last year's event. Admission is $7.
To get your tickets and more
information, go to
http://gcvcc.org/event/gcv-small-business-expo/
. And remember, support our local Indio businesses when shopping during this holiday season!
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Public Opening Scheduled for House That Art Built Exhibit
The City of Indio's Public Art and Historic Preservation Commission invites the public to the official opening of the
House That Art Built
exhibit on November 17, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at in the vacant lot located at 45-190 Oasis Street adjacent to Casillas Bakeries. The temporary art installations are located throughout downtown Indio and features each artist’s concept of a “house.” The selected artists are Cathy Allen and Delos Van Earl from Joshua Tree, Marnie Navarro from the Coachella Valley, Chris Sanchez from Indio, and Tim Shockley from Palm Desert. The artwork can be viewed through April 29, 2019, at the following locations:
Delos Van Earl – Site 1: Near The Southeast Corner Of Jackson Street And Requa Avenue
Marnie Navarro – Site 2: Near The Southeast Corner Of Miles Avenue And Smurr Street
Tim Shockley – Site 3: East Side Of Oasis Street Approximately 330 Feet North Of Bliss Avenue
Cathy Allen – Site 4: East Side Of Oasis Street Approximately 250 Feet North Of Bliss Avenue
Chris Sanchez – Site 5: Located Near The Northwest Corner Of Towne Street And Bliss Avenue
Following the art exhibit opening, the Coachella Valley Art Center will host an open house featuring additional works by the featured artists. Coachella Valley Art Center is located at
45140 Towne St, Indio.
For a map to locate each art piece, click
here
.
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Mall-O-Ween Event at Indio Grand Marketplace Draws Massive Crowds
The inaugural Mall-O-Ween event at the Indio Grand Marketplace (formerly Indio Fashion Mall) drew thousands of costumed kids and families looking for a safe and festive way to trick or treat on October 31, 2018. The parking lot was completely full and children and families enjoyed a free petting zoo, haunted house, and endless candy distributed by the great businesses inside the building. If you haven't been to the Indio Grand Marketplace lately, check out the stagecoach display and bring your family to support local Indio businesses! The Haagen Company, which purchased the mall in February 2018, has surely brought the beloved shopping center back to life. For more information and to see upcoming events, go to
https://indiograndmarketplace.com/
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Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Breaks Ground in Indio
On October 19, 2018, the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton broke ground in north Indio. The new hotel will have 93 rooms and is estimated to be completed by April 2019. Parth Bhakta of CSP Hospitality LLC, which owns the hotel, served as Master of Ceremonies and thanked the Indio City Council, city staff, the Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce, and community for welcoming his company and new hotel to the City of Festivals. He also thanked Stan Rothbart for developing The Palms Shopping Center, which will soon include a new 12-screen Maya Cinemas theater, 30,000 sq. ft. EOS Fitness center, and new restaurants and retailers. The Hampton Inn & Suites site is located on Spectrum Street just south of Showcase Parkway. A new Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott located just west of the former SuperTarget building is scheduled to open within the next few weeks.
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Road Improvement Update
The City of Indio continues to slurry seal various roads throughout the city including Avenue 43 between the Indio Towne Center and Terra Lago, Calhoun Street between Avenue 42 and Avenue 43, Golf Center Parkway between Avenue 42 and Avenue 44, and the Bella Tierra and Villa Estates neighborhoods. Slurry seals are a mixture of asphalt and fine aggregate to repair cracks and surface defects on roads. Crack sealing will be performed over the next few weeks on Avenue 38 between Dune Palms Road and Madison Street, Avenue 39, Jefferson Street between Avenue 38 and Avenue 39, Calhoun Street between Highway 111 and Avenue 48, Dune Palms Road between Avenue 38 and Avenue 37, and Avenue 37. Traffic lanes will be closed between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Residents and other motorists are urged to use alternate routes due to localized delays. These projects are funded by Measure X, which was a voter-approved 1% sales tax increase measure passed by Indio voters in 2016 for infrastructure improvements and public safety. Any questions or concerns should be directed to Charlie Hoffman with PMI, Inc. at 619-778-1921 or City of Indio Street Maintenance at 760-625-1802.
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Indio "Four-Peats" as Nine Cities Blood Drive Champion
For the fourth consecutive year, the City of Indio took first place in this year's Nine Cities Blood Drive Challenge by collecting 145 units of blood. In total, the Coachella Valley-wide effort produced a new record of 904 units to replenish the supplies of local and regional hospitals. Mayor Pro Tem Troy Strange accepted the award on behalf of the city from Kevin Moore, LifeStream's Vice President at the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP) Board Meeting on September 19, 2018. Formed by CVEP, the Nine Cities Blood Drive Challenge brings attention to the drop-off in blood donations during the summer months and is a friendly competition among the nine Coachella Valley cities. Thank you to all who participated to save lives! For more information and to donate blood, go to
https://9citieschallenge.com/
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We Need Your Feedback for Indio's Complete Streets Project
The City of Indio is continuing its commitment towards a better connected and more sustainable roadway system by developing a Complete Streets & Drainage Master Plan funded through Caltrans’ Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program. The “Indio Complete Streets” project will look to provide a comprehensive framework to enhance connectivity for all roadway users, improve the City’s drainage system, implement the “green streets” concept, and provide more sustainable storm water management practices. The Plan will help the City be positioned to apply for grants in the future to design and construct the recommended citywide improvements.
The City needs your participation and is seeking input through a
short survey
to better understand needs and overall walking, biking, and transit experiences within Indio. An
interactive webmap
is also available to help document more location-specific feedback by allowing individuals to pinpoint concerns, record comments, and upload photos for the Indio Complete Streets team to evaluate for recommendations. For more information, visit the project’s
webpage
.
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Jurassic Wild West Art Exhibit Comes to Indio Grand Marketplace
The Jurassic Wild West Art Exhibition will be on display at the Indio Grand Marketplace (formerly Indio Fashion Mall) from November 23, 2018 through January 31, 2019. Life-sized metal sculptures created by artist Ricardo Breceda will populate the shopping center, inspire imaginations and create an experience like no other. Breceda’s collection includes diverse gigantic dinosaur sculptures, vividly dramatic wild horses, a variety of classic desert creatures, gritty cowboys and iconic characters from the American West. Many of his artwork can be seen in Aguanga and Borrego Springs. The exhibit grand opening takes place on December 1st at the mall from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. where the public can meet Ricardo Breceda. The show will be open to the public and admission is FREE. For more information, go to
https://indiograndmarketplace.com/
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City of Indio Survey for City Program and Facility Users
The City of Indio, in keeping with its ongoing efforts to serve all members of the community, is updating its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transition plan and self-evaluation. The accessibility plan provides a comprehensive plan for access for individuals with disabilities to City facilities, parks, programs, services, activities and events, and helps to address and prioritize current and future needs. Complete the online survey
here
. If you have questions or comments or would like to request a survey in an alternate format, please contact Juan Raya, ADA Coordinator, at
jraya@indio.org
or (760) 541-4225.
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The City of Indio is the 30th Fastest Growing City in America with more than
with more than 89,000 residents. Nearly 1.4 million people visit Indio every year to attend its world famous arts, food, and music festivals. With nationally recognized public safety services, exceptional schools, great parks and senior and teen centers, no wonder more than 3,000 new housing units are in construction or being planned throughout the city in addition to new hotels, restaurants and retailers. Indio was the first city incorporated in the Coachella Valley on May 16, 1930, and is governed by an elected City Council that employs a City Manager. The City of Indio embraces its diversity and provides outstanding municipal services to enhance the quality of life for its residents, visitors and business community.
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City of Indio |100 Civic Center Drive | (760) 391-4000
information@indio.org | www.indio.org
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