Happy Labor Day weekend, Chandler! I hope you are finding some time to relax with family and friends, swim, bike, go to the gym or prepare for another exciting football season.

Best bet: Everybody wins: The Beat the Heat Knight 5-kilometer Run/Walk fundraiser that benefits the Gilbert Higley High School girls and boys cross country programs is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24 at the school’s football field (4068 E. Pecos Road).

In the spotlight - Something for nothing: The Arizona Cardinals will host a youth football coaches clinic at the team’s training facility in Tempe, 8701 S. Hardy Drive, from

Best bets: Something for everyone: July 29 — “CFC Triathlon” at the Kiwanis Recreational Center. Benefitting the Chances for Children Foundation.

For newcomers it might seem a bit incongruous that Arizona, which generally conjures desert images, is becoming a haven for water sports.

For newcomers it might seem a bit incongruous that Arizona, which generally conjures desert images, is becoming a haven for water sports.

The following is a list of various athletic leagues, clubs and organizations located in the East Valley. If you'd like your group added to the below list, please e-mail us your contact information. Please do not include any attachments with your submission or it will not be considered. Thank you.

The Butcher Jones Recreation Site, on the Mesa Ranger District in the Tonto National Forest, is reopening 8 a.m. Friday. The site was closed while repairs were made by the Maricopa County Department of Transportation to surrounding roads after summer flooding.

Registration for the recreation classes, camps and activities offered by the City of Chandler this fall opens at 10 a.m. on Saturday for residents. Nonresidents can sign up beginning 10 a.m. Aug. 10.

How did the holiday season creep up on us so fast? Halloween always gets the celebratory circuit started and hopefully ushers in the better permanent temperatures that we all look forward to for the winter. There are a variety of free all-ages weekend events on the horizon in Chandler, so there is no shortage of options to get out and enjoy the cooler autumn air while participating in entertainment and wellness activities. The outdoor events schedule commences with some Halloween fun this weekend and continues through the popular dog-friendly Woofstock event on Nov. 19 before culminating with the 55th annual Tumbleweed Tree Lighting and Parade of Lights on Dec. 3. An outline of upcoming Chandler Recreation events and activities follows. For more information, visit www.chandleraz.gov/recreation.

With the youth summer camps complete and the Chandler Unified School District back in session this week, things started to quiet down at Chandler's Recreation facilities. That won't last too long, however, as afterschool activities, drop-in programs and fall classes are approaching around the corner.

Can you believe that July is upon us already and 2011 is half-over? The tough news ahead of course is our long stretch of 110-degree days, but the good news is that Friday marks the start of National Parks & Recreation Month for July. At the June 20 City of Chandler Council Meeting, Mayor Jay Tibshraeny read a proclamation stating Chandler's participation in Parks & Recreation Month and presented it to Chandler Parks & Recreation Board Chairman Dean Visser.

Is spring break really just around the corner? It's hard to believe that March has arrived so quickly, but the City of Chandler Recreation Division has many activities, classes and spring intersession youth camps during the two-week school break to keep everyone active and excited about spring.

Now that we are into May and closing in on the feared century mark on the thermometer, it is time to start thinking about summer activities in Chandler. This weekend marks the beginning of the resident registration period for all youth camps, swim lessons and adult classes outlined in the summer issue of the Break Time magazine, which covers all programs in June, July and August.

Four day-use areas and campgrounds on the Tonto National Forest, along with the Salt River Recreation Parking lot, will close beginning April 12 for construction projects this spring.

On-the-go Gilbert residents at the Freestone Recreation Center can eliminate one more thing from their list of errands - making dinner.

As Wing Mountain opens in Flagstaff Saturday officials are requesting that visitors stick to the appropriate slops.