Good morning, Gilbert. Summer heat is locked in, so the early Agritopia tour and the air-conditioned library schedule are your friends this week.
- 🚲 Gilbert's new e-bike ordinance is in effect. Speed limits, riding rules, helmet requirements, and parental liability, with no grace period.
- 🎓 The EVIT transportation fight is still unresolved. EVIT says it will help cover student rides while the funding dispute drags on.
- 🌾 Agritopia opens its seasonal farm tour Tuesday. Plus dueling pianos and brewery movie nights around the Heritage District.
- 🏛️ Town council meets June 23. The agenda for the regular meeting is posted.
- 📚 Library week is loaded. Storytimes, a book club, a job fair, and Food Truck Thursday at Finley Mesquite Park.
- ⚾ Around the Valley. The D-backs, the Mercury, and a stacked indie-rock bill at Arizona Financial Theatre.
The e-bike ordinance is live
Gilbert's new e-bike ordinance is in effect now. The town council passed it with immediate effect, so the rules apply to riders today, with no grace period.
Key facts:
- What it covers: speed restrictions and riding restrictions for e-bikes on town roads.
- Helmets: a helmet requirement for riders covered by the rule.
- Parents: a parental liability provision, meaning parents can be held responsible for a minor's violations.
- Timing: in force immediately, not phased in.
This follows the spring enforcement push in Power Ranch, where Gilbert PD ran a wave of citations, tows, and arrests against reckless riders. The ordinance turns that one-off crackdown into standing town law, and the immediate-effect clause means families with teenage riders should read the specifics before the next ride.
The full text of the restrictions and how the town plans to enforce them is in the Sun News writeup. Details.
Around Gilbert
🏠 Property beat. Gilbert's median sale price is about $579,000, down 1% from a year ago. Details.
🏛️ Town council, June 23. The regular meeting is set for 6:30 PM and the agenda is already available to read ahead. Details.
🌾 Heritage District & Agritopia
Downtown Gilbert and the farm at Higley and Ray, plus what is on this week.
🚜 Agritopia seasonal farm tour, Tuesday at noon. A staff-led walk through the working 11-acre urban farm at the heart of the Johnston family agrihood, covering the land's history and how the seasons drive what gets planted. A good reset before the heat peaks. Details.
🎹 High Key Wednesdays at Backyard Gilbert. Cactus Keys runs a dueling-pianos night downtown. Details.
🎬 Movie nights at Arizona Wilderness, Wednesdays at 7 PM. Free films in the tasting room at the Gilbert brewhub. Details.
🎟️ Beer Barn Bingo, Wednesdays at 7 PM. Bingo with Leslie, every week. Details.
The week ahead
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
- 🚚 Gilbert Food Truck Thursday at Finley Mesquite Park. Dinner and dessert trucks for the whole family. Details.
- 💼 Job Fair, 11 AM at Southeast Regional Library. Open to adults looking for work. Details.
- 🧸 Playdates at Perry and Southeast Regional, 10:15 AM. Free play for toddlers and pre-walkers. Details.
From the schools
🎓 The EVIT funding fight is unresolved. East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT, the regional career and technical school that Gilbert students from both districts attend) is still locked in a dispute with member districts over who pays for student transportation, a question tied up with an Arizona Auditor General review. A hoped-for resolution fell through. EVIT board member Chad Wilson said the institute will step in to help cover rides so students are not cut off from their programs. Details.
🏀 Higley HS girls basketball camp this week. Higley Unified (HUSD, the district covering southeast Gilbert) is running its girls camp for grades 7 through 12 at Higley High. Players must be registered to take part, with no refunds after June 26. Details.
Around the Valley
A few picks worth leaving Gilbert for this week.
🏀 Phoenix Mercury vs. Las Vegas Aces, Wednesday at 7 PM. Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. A title-contender rematch and one of the marquee draws on the Mercury schedule. Tickets.
⚾ Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Angels, Monday at 6:40 PM. Chase Field in Phoenix. An easy weeknight game with the roof closed and the AC on. Tickets.
🎸 Metric, Broken Social Scene & Stars, Wednesday at 7 PM. Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix. Three pillars of Canadian indie rock on one bill, an unusual co-headline you will not see packaged together often. Tickets.
🎶 Searows, Tuesday at 8 PM. The Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix. A quiet, words-first songwriter in a small room that suits him. Tickets.