Gov. Doug Ducey issued a new Executive Order on August 16th regarding COVID-19 and vaccine mandates.

The new order says:

"Any county, city, town or political subdivision official that implements a vaccine mandate contrary to the authorities outline in this order is in violation of A.R.S. §§ 36-114 and 36-184 and such actions are punishable by a class 3 misdemeanor and subject to legal action by individuals for violation of their rights under Arizona law."

In other local COVID-related news, the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) voted 4-1 on August 17th to require mandatory mask wearing for students and staff while indoors on school property. SUSD includes students who live in Paradise Valley. You can read more on YourValley.net (PV Independent) or on the SUSD website.

Progress marches on at Five Star Development's Ritz-Carlton project. Here's the latest updates:

Resorts have long played a major role in shaping our wonderful Town. This week, the Paradise Valley Independent featured a story--submitted by the Town's Historical Advisory Committee--on how our many resorts helped shape PV.

This article is part of an on-going series to celebrate the Town's 60th Anniversary. A celebration will be held at Camelback Inn's Western Village on October 17th from 2-4 pm. For health safety reasons, the event is limited to 300 participants and will require registration. Registration information will be available beginning in September. Keep watching this newsletter!

This week the Valley experienced powerful storms and flash flooding as a strong monsoon storm moved through the Arizona.

Although Paradise Valley did not experience excessive flooding, the high winds wreaked havoc downing trees in over 20 locations and leaving branches and debris on many streets and sidewalks. The winds were so powerful, they blew over street signs or turned them in the wrong direction.

Our intrepid Public Works team has been working all week to remove downed trees, clear streets and sidewalks, and repair signs and traffic signals. To report potential hazards created by storm damage, please call the PVPD non-emergency line (480-948-7418) or the Public Works 24-hour on-call number (480-797-2573).

The PVPD is always on top of the latest policing developments so they can provide the best service to our community. That's why on Wednesday, Paradise Valley Officers received BolaWrap training.

A BolaWrap is remote restraint device that officers can use in lieu of a hands-on detention. The device has strong cords that wrap around non-compliant individuals and can reduce the need for pain compliance tools like a Taser. AZFamily.com did a news story on this device in use on Mill Avenue this summer which you can watch here.

PVPD officers will begin carrying these devices to provide another non-lethal tool. You can learn more about this tool on the company's website.

I love technology. I love that there is a wealth of information at my fingertips 24/7/365. You can always visit paradisevalleyaz.gov for everything you need to know about Town services, but sometimes it's just easier to have a list of numbers hanging on your refrigerator, right?

That's why we've created this convenient, downloadable list of common Town numbers you might need to call.

Looking to have building plans submitted? Call the Planning number. Need to report a vacant lot overrun with weeds and garbage? Call Code Violations. Have a question for the police, but it's not an emergency? The PVPD non-emergency number is listed.

If you don't know who to call, the Town Hall main line of 480-948-7411 is the best place to start. That line is most often answered by our own Kristi Hillebert who knows the Town inside and out, and can get you to the right person.

On Thursday Night, Officer Raja Karim was honored as the Paradise Valley Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) Officer of the Year!

Officer Karim has been in law enforcement for almost twenty years, five of which have been with Paradise Valley. Over the last year, Officer Karim is the first to help out on a scene and takes Driving Under the Influence (DUI) investigations incredibly seriously. If another officer is investigating a similar incident, he is the first to offer assistance, not only to be a team player, but to gather even more experience. Officer Karim is eager to learn as much as he can about drugs, alcohol, and the affects it has on the body, and shows a clear interest and passion for patrol and DUI apprehension. Officer Karim regularly volunteers to participate in the Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety STEP grant and shows great initiative in everything he does.

The last year in law enforcement has been unlike anything this world has seen and has tested every single one of us - from a pandemic that seemed to stop time, to social movements throughout the country. During this year, Officer Karim kept it his mission to investigate crimes of drugs as well as alcohol impaired driving and has been identified as one of the leading officers in the department for investigations; In one work week alone, Officer Karim had conducted 4 separate investigations and arrests.

Officer Karim understands and is committed to DUI prevention and apprehension because he knows the potentially fatal outcome. Congratulations, Officer Karim for this well deserved honor!

Emergency reports don't conveniently wait their turn in line so as not to overwhelm our hardworking dispatchers. It's not at all uncommon for multiple calls to come in simultaneously. On August 1st, that's exactly what happen while Dispatcher Chris Pistorio was working.

Within seconds, Chris received three 911 calls all reporting an unknown injury collision. Two of the callers were passers-by and were unable to provide adequate information on the injury status of the passengers in the vehicles. Thinking quickly, Chris took their names and phone numbers in the event the officers would need them and went to the next call.

As if juggling the three calls was not enough, after dispatching units to the scene, the On-Duty Supervisor requested that Chris send out an AlertPV notification for the road closure at the intersection. Chris quickly sent this out between answering other radio traffic, fulfilling the officer’s requests, documenting the officer’s updates and contacting the needed resources.

Dispatching is a hard job that takes a cool head and the ability to multitask under extreme pressure. Chris Pistorio did exactly that and we thank him for it!

To sign up for AlertPV notifications, you can sign up here.

August 26th - Town Council Special Meeting re: Liquor License Hearing

September 1st - Coffee with a Cop, 7:30 am via Zoom

September 1st - Board of Adjustment, 5:30 pm via Zoom

September 6th - Labor Day (Town Offices and Post Office Closed)

September 7th - Planning Commission, 6:00 pm via Zoom

September 8th - Hillside Building Committee, 8:00 am via Zoom

September 9th - Town Council Meeting, 6:00 pm via Zoom

October 17th - 60th Anniversary Celebration, 2:00 pm, Western Village at Camelback Inn

November 13th - PV Veterans Day Car Show, Town Hall

December 10th - PV Volunteer/Staff Appreciation Event