Trumpeter Jesse McGuire and Pipe and Drum bands from public safety agencies across the Valley will be among those paying tribute to former Surprise Mayor Joan Shafer May 9, according to a program released by the city today.

The Surprise Community and Recreation Services Department will offer its nine-week Tot Time Summer Program, for ages 3 – 5, beginning June 2.

The Surprise Community and Recreation Services Department is gearing up for another season of Summer Youth Basketball for boys and girls ages 5 -15.

The Summer Season, which will begin in July, is a condensed version of the winter season where teams will play two games a week. Participants will learn the basic fundamentals and skills associated with the game of basketball in an atmosphere where participation and fun are top priority.

Resident registration is May 19 – May 31. Late and non-resident registration will be June 2 – 6. Special Saturday registration will be available only to Surprise residents on Saturday, May 31 from 8 a.m. – 11a.m. at the Community and Recreation Services Office.

You may also register online at www.surpriseaz.com/recreation. In order to register or make a payment online, you must establish a customer account which can be done at the Community and Recreation Services Office located at 15960 N. Bullard Avenue. Once an account is set up, a client ID and pin number will be provided which will allow you to register online. Please contact 623.222.2000 for a list of items you will need to provide for online registration access.

Surprise is also looking for youth basketball coaches. If you are interested, please fill out a volunteer application and get fingerprinted at the Community and Recreation Services Office. For more information, please contact the Sports Division at 623.222.2000.

Surprise Senior Center is recruiting volunteers to drive seniors from their homes to the Senior Center for lunch and activities. Vehicles, training, uniform shirt and lunch are provided.

Volunteer van drivers are required to have a valid Arizona license. Shifts are four-to-six hours, one or two days per week, depending on availability.

For further information or to receive an application, call 623-222-1500 or visit the Surprise Senior Center at 15832 N. Hollyhock Street.

In July work will begin on the second and third phases of the Bell Road Reconstruction Project and the public is invited to attend an Open House to get all the details.

Surprise will celebrate Building Safety Week, May 5 – 11, recognizing the men and women who work diligently to ensure that our homes and places of work are safe.

The theme for this year’s Building Safety Week is “Building Safety: Where You Live, Work and Play,” and Surprise Building Official Forrest Fielder says the employees within the Surprise Building Safety Division take great pride in their building safety and fire prevention services.

"The Building Safety industry is ever-evolving,” says Fielder. “While public safety and fire prevention remain our top priority, the industry as a whole is seeing more building codes related to sustainability, including new national standards related to energy conservation."

A marquee recognizing Building Safety Week will be placed in front of the Community Development offices on the City Hall Campus.

Building Safety Week is sponsored by the International Code Council, a membership organization dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, of which Surprise is an active member. The International Code Council develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings.