Hiking trails built in South Mountain won’t be destroyed by the South Mountain Freeway but many hikers fear they will never be the same.

The Village Preschool • 2156 E. Liberty Lane

1. On May 9 police took a report of criminal damage in the 13600 block of south 44th Street. The victim told police he had a 2001 two-door Honda that his son usually drives parked on the street overnight. When his son went to go to work in the morning he noticed a scratch down the side of the car.

What do United States Congressman David Schweikert, State Senate Majority Leader John McComish, Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCicco, Kedrick Ellison of the Phoenix Community and Economic Development Department, Kyrene Superintendent Dr. David Shauer, Tempe Union High School Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Baca, and Pangea Development have in common?

The Phoenix City Council will vote on the final draft of the city’s 2013-14 budget, which includes new efficiencies in the city’s public information office, parks and public transit, on May 21 but Councilman Sal DiCiccio says the city could have increased even more services if staff didn’t get any raises or bonuses.

Keystone Montessori • 1025 E. Liberty Lane

In the United States the average kid (age 8-18) spends 7.5 hours a day in front of a screen or on the phone. To counter sedentary living patterns, national physical activity guidelines for youth have been developed. The guidelines call for at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day for children and teens. The guidelines are based on the amount of physical activity necessary to promote good fitness, health, and wellness. Only 29 percent of high school students meet the 60-minute daily guideline and 14 percent don’t do any physical activity that causes them to breathe hard or that increases heart rate on any day during the week.

Several freeway-improvement projects in the Phoenix area will require closures this weekend (May 3-5), according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead and consider alternate routes while the following freeway closures are in place this weekend:

With graduation just around the corner, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton emphasized the importance of college and answered questions about city issues as he spoke to a classroom of seniors on Wednesday at Mountain Pointe High School.

Just after the school bell rang last Friday morning, Kyrene de la Sierra Elementary Principal Dave Maloney headed straight for his school’s media center to do live morning announcements.

If you’re just a casual swimmer, you probably don’t have to adjust your diet before jumping in. But that’s not the case with competitive swimmers, who must constantly watch what they eat and drink. You can learn a lot from swimmers’ consumption patterns — particularly if you’re an investor.

We were married on St. Patrick’s Day at the Foothills Golf Club. The wedding was beautiful, everyone had a wonderful time, the pictures came out great — best wedding a couple could ask for. If it wasn’t for the Ahwatukee community; however, our day would have been a disaster.

Arizona State University’s Project Humanities is presenting “An Evening with Riva Yares” April 24 as part of the Project Humanities spring kick-off series, “Heroes, Superheroes, and Superhumans.”

• Police took a report of a single vehicle car accident around 8 a.m. on April 9 near the 2500 block of East Thunderhill Place. A 16-year-old driver lost control of her vehicle and crashed into a large saguaro cactus, demolishing the cactus. There were no injuries but the driver was cited for failure to control speed to avoid collision. The saguaro was on the side of the road and was valued at more than $6,000. The driver’s car, a 2008 Ford Mustang, was totaled.
• At 9 p.m. on April 9 near the 9600 block of South 46th Street an adult female was arrested, accused of knowingly striking her mother.
• Police responded to a call of an abandoned motorcycle on April 10 at 5:30 a.m. in the desert near Pecos and 40th Street. The 2011 Honda Sport motorcycle was stolen and abandoned.
• On April 12 at 8:45 p.m. police took a report of an identity theft in the 4600 block of East Lavender Lane. The victim claimed someone had gotten a hold of their Social Security number and information and used their credit cards. At 9:40 p.m. on April 12 police responded to a shoplifting call near the 4600 block of East Chandler Boulevard. An adult female was arrested. Police were called back to the area at 10:52 p.m. for a shoplifter in custody. When police made contact with the suspect they found he was also in possession of dangerous drugs. He was arrested.
• At 11:20 p.m. on April 12 police responded to a hit and run accident. A man is accused of driving eastbound in the westbound lanes on Ray Road near the 3100 block of East Ray Road. His car side swiped by another car. The person in that vehicle followed the driver who went to a home in the Equestrian Estates area. Police responded to the home and arrested the man for suspicion of driving impaired.
• At 12:45 p.m. on April 13 police got a call of a theft in the 5100 block of East Guadalupe Road. The victim said a person had taken furniture they had for sale without paying. Two suspects were identified. Between 1 and 2 p.m. police responded to a call of a theft from a residence near the 13800 block of South 44th Street on April 13. A suspect accused of stealing jewelry from the home has been identified.
• Around 4:30 p.m. on April 13 police responded to a burglary from vehicle near the 5000 block of East Ray Road. A house key and a package of cigarettes were taken.
• Police responded to a shoplifting incident at 8:30 p.m. on April 13 near the 4000 block of East Chandler Boulevard. The suspects exited the store without paying for two bottles of vodka. The suspects were not located.
• Police responded to a call of a runaway 16-year-old around 8:30 p.m. on April 14. The teen lived near the 5100 block of East La Puente Drive.
• Police responded to a domestic violence incident around 11:10 p.m. on April 14 near the 3400 block of East Chandler Boulevard. The incident was between an adult brother and sister. There were no arrests, but an order of protection will be issued.
• Police arrested an 18-year-old man for impaired driving around 2:47 a.m. on April 14 near the 1400 block of East Chandler Boulevard. Police received a report of a vehicle broken into on April 6 at the Pima Mountain Trailhead, 9400 South 48th Street. A 2012 Chevy Malibu was broken into and a wedding ring, purse, wallet and various tools were taken. Police estimate a loss of $1,600. Another vehicle was broken into at the same location on April 17 around 1 p.m. A diaper bag was taken from that vehicle.

The Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies is hosting a teacher training program in Ahwatukee, and applications for interested teaching students are being accepted.

In recent national news, three major car crashes claimed the lives of 15 teenagers in Ohio, Illinois and Texas. Unfortunately, that is more of a common occurrence than we realize, and those are just the ones that made national news. The Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA) recently reported that teenage driver fatalities were up in 2012 from previous years. Until now, the numbers were beginning to trend downwards and many attributed it to Graduated Drivers License (GDL) Laws that were being enacted around the country.

After 24 years in the trenches, I’d like to think that I’ve mastered many of the hurdles of parenting. Four kids have been shepherded through almost all their rites of passage: kindergarten, eighth-grade graduation, and first dates.

The Arizona Department of Transportation cautions drivers to be prepared for blowing dust today.

Kyrene Akimel A-al Middle School in Ahwatukee attracted local government officials and representatives on Friday morning for its 20th Annual Patriotic Day honoring veterans and service members.

A walk through the Rose Garden at Mesa Community College (MCC) with its curator includes stops at roses named Chihuly, Julia Childs and Day Breaker. This decades-old garden continues to grow and bloom each year through the work of hundreds of volunteers — and they’re ready to share their expertise.