Tempe, Arizona

Here in Phoenix, Arizona, there are countless causes to which you can volunteer your time and talents.  In my humble opinion, perhaps some of the most rewarding are those that directly impact our local community, whether it be through a school fund raiser, a soup kitchen, or...Tempe Cares!  Tempe Cares is an annual one-day work event, inspired by former Tempe City Councilwoman, Carol E. Smith, who suggested the Tempe Leadership Program sponsor Tempe's equivalent of Christmas in April.  That suggestion resulted in the foundation of the Tempe Cares Project in 1991.

By gathering citizen volunteers together into teams of skilled contractors and unskilled laborers (like me), the project aims "to reduce blight and improve the appearance of Tempe's neighborhoods and community spaces," and thereby enhance the lives of all of Tempe's residents and visitors.  Oh, and it's also a lot of fun!  This is apparent in the turnout the event draws, which has increased each year since its inception.  The Hill Group will be there, so if you plan to come too, let us know!

What: Tempe Cares Project, Where: Various locations throughout Tempe, When: Saturday, March 7, 2010, How: Call 480-736-4281, email Info@TempeLeadership.org, or visit the Tempe Cares fan page on Facebook

So you're eligible for one of the two 2009 - 2010 home buyer tax credits, now what?  The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued new guidance last week on the two tax credit programs - the $6,500 credit for repeat buyers, and the $8,000 first-time home buyer credit.  Filing for the tax credits isn't as simple as telling your accountant that you bought a house recently, but it's also not as hard as you might think the government could have made it.  The Washington Post filed this report about the new guidelines, and did an excellent job outlining them for you.  As the article says, the large number of repeat buyers and first-time buyers expected to file for these tax credits coupled with the IRS's increased monitoring and need for documentation will slow down the processing time.  Don't expect your $6,500 or $8,000 overnight; it should, instead, come to you approximately four to eight weeks after filing.  Still, not bad for a sizable stack of free money in the mail!

If this is the first time you're hearing about the tax credits available to home buyers this year, or if you need help getting under contract on a home before the tax credits expire on April 30, 2010, give us a call or visit The Hill Group's website here.

The Circle K Tempe Music Festival, one of Arizona's largest music festivals, is postponing its planned 2010 event, originally scheduled April 9 and 10 at Tempe Beach Park in Tempe, Arizona.

"The decision is based on artist availability.  Due to artist touring and recording schedules, our timing just isn't a fit with them this year," said Ken Koziol, the event co-founder.  "And, after working to elevate the level of talent we bring to Tempe Beach Park year after year, we didn't want to compromise that."

Circle K, the event's title sponsor since 2004, supports the decision and looks forward to continuing to bring Arizona's largest music festival back to Tempe Beach Park very soon, but possibly not until 2011.

"We are proud to partner on events like this that help us to share our love of music with the community while doing some good at the same time," said Circle K Business Manager Terry Brown, who has worked with the festival to help raise more than $1 million for community non-profits over the years.  "We support the decision and agree the quality of the event should not have to suffer based on artist availability."

Live Nation, a festival partner since 2008, echoed support as well and noted their continued outreach to the top artists in the world on behalf of the event.

"The Circle K Tempe Music Festival has grown into a premiere Arizona event over the years," said Danny Zelisko, chairman of Live Nation Southwest.  "And, when we can book the level of acts our guests have come to expect, it will continue to be a premiere event."

Since its inception in 2003, the Circle K Tempe Music Festival has featured performances by such diverse acts as Kid Rock, John Mayer, Fergie, Jeff Beck, 3 Doors Down, All American Rejects, The Fray, B-52's, Sugar Ray, Train, My Chemical Romance, Blues Traveler, Collective Soul, Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, Lifehouse, Everclear, and valley favorites the Gin Blossoms and Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers.  This is an unfortunate loss for the Tempe area in 2010, as events as popular as this one always draw large crowds.  I am sure Tempe area businesses could have really used the additional foot traffic, revenue, and attention at a time such as this.