Gilbert gave its first State of the Town address in digital form Thursday, incorporating town council members, community leaders and business owners in addition to Mayor John Lewis.

Chandler has once again earned the title of “Playful City USA” from KaBOOM!

In keeping with its designation as a Playful City USA community for the third consecutive year, Tempe will host a free day of play for kids of all ages to celebrate play and reap the benefits of being active. PlayDay will be 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 18, at Kiwanis Park at Mill Avenue and All-America Way.

To celebrate being named a KaBOOM Playful City USA award, Mesa will host a free “day of play” on Oct. 22 at Red Mountain Park. The event features a Halloween theme and candy for trick-or-treaters. Radio Disney will provide entertainment. And a free party will include bounce houses, rides, games, arts and crafts, police and fire vehicle displays, raffles, food and vendors. Also, residents can enter their costumes or carved/decorated pumpkins in contests. For rules, go to mesaaz.gov/parksrec/75thAnniversary.aspx.

For the fifth year in a row, Phoenix has been designated a "Playful City" because of its commitment to creating opportunities for kids to play throughout the city.

Eleven Arizona cities, including eight Valley-area cities received recognition as part of the 151 national Playful City USA.

LOS ANGELES - A momentous finale lies ahead for Hollywood this year. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” is the biggest screen farewell since the final “Star Wars” movie, closing out a decade of adventures for the young wizard.

Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa and Tempe were recognized as a Playful City USA community by KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit that promotes play in kids’ lives. The honor was the fourth year in a row for Chandler and Gilbert, and the second year for Mesa and Tempe.

A tear in a seam of an inflated rubber dam sent millions of gallons of water gushing from Tempe Town Lake, authorities said Wednesday.

The East Valley's man-made lake will likely lose two-thirds to three-fourths of its water after a rubberized dam burst and sent thousands of gallons of water gushing downstream into a dry river bed, authorities said.

The first two weeks of Chandler Recreation summer youth camps have been going great for all the participants and instructors at various city facilities, and the Chandler Aquatics staff is busy providing fun and safe activities and lessons at all six pools. There are five weeks left in the summer intersession for the Chandler Unified School District, but it's time to start planning for the big Fourth of July Weekend.

As far as park amenities go, you can’t find anything more basic than grass.

The big day is almost here! Saturday is the third annual Chandler Day of Play at Tumbleweed Park from 9 a.m. to noon.This free, all-ages community special event commemorates Chandler’s status as a “Playful City USA” for the third consecutive year.

Taylor Jones: At this point in the debate, I don't care what kind of single-payer system we devise. It could be public ... or private. We could copy the British national health care system, or we could all pay premiums to a single, private, mega-insurance monopoly. We need one health insurer. No more. No less.

There are a few certainties in Chandler in August: school is well under way, the temperatures are still 100-plus and the anticipation of many fun local fall activities looms on the cooler horizon along with the return of football season.

Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler are among a handful of Arizona municipalities distinguished as the nation's most "playful" cities.

Kaboom, a nonprofit parks and recreation organization in Washington, D.C., announced last week that Chandler is one of 93 communities across the country to receive the Playful City USA designation for its dedication to bringing play back into children’s lives.

Chandler has been designated "Playful City USA" for a third consecutive year by KaBOOM!, a nonprofit aimed at establishing parks and encouraging a healthy lifestyle for children.

We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on issues of interest to East Valley residents. Submissions should be no longer than 300 words, factually accurate and original thoughts of the writer. Please be brief and include name, address, city and phone number for verification. Letters and comments may be edited for clarity and length.

We encourage readers to submit letters to the editor on issues of interest to East Valley residents. Submissions should be no longer than 300 words, factually accurate and original thoughts of the writer. Please be brief and include name, address, city and phone number for verification. Letters and comments may be edited for clarity and length.

A sea of about 550 orange and khaki-clad volunteers from across the country and locally drilled holes, laid bricks and hauled giant pieces of equipment, turning part of a dull, brown piece of land into a playground within hours for a grateful west Mesa neighborhood.

Sixteen-year-old Sarah Love used to frequent Park of the Canals near her west Mesa home until “it just got a little creepy.” That may change very soon, thanks to the dogged efforts of a group of residents who banded together two years ago, determined to reinstall playground equipment and once again make the park an attraction for kids and families.