While the City of Globe devotes most of its resources to providing services, from water to sewer to public safety, the city also works to improve the quality of life for its citizens.
To enhance the lives of residents of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, city services include the cooling effect of the Community Center Pool, community connections at the library, and food and entertainment for elderly residents at the Active Adult Center.
“We have a lot of good things going on, and it's bringing jobs to the community,” says Melissa Steele, the city’s economic development manager. “We've hired 40 lifeguards, local youths that are learning skills, and getting training to do bigger things.”
The pool is entering its fourth year of service to the community after a nine-year hiatus after its closure in 2014.
Thanks to a concerted effort by Globe leaders, and large contributions from the community, the facility reopened in the summer of 2023 with a refurbished pool, new splash pad and a footprint nearly double its previous size.
The 2026 season kicked off in June, as Kat Vega, the city’s special events and recreation manager, begins her second year at the helm.
Vega, who has worked in multiple roles for the city since 2017, including at Besh Ba Gowah and the Globe Police Department, says 2,500 people entered the gates the first week of operation this year, but returning staff were prepared for what to expect.
“The people in Globe should be really proud of their children,” she says. “The 40 kids I have on staff are amazing. They're such good kids. They have good hearts, and they have good work ethics.”
The pool has become home to local swim team the Piranhas, and the calendar is filled with activities for adults and kids throughout the summer.
From water aerobics, to Toddler Time, to open swimming hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, the facility offers plenty of low-cost opportunities to beat the heat.
“Anybody can reserve the pool for a private party on Saturdays and Sundays from 6 to 8 p.m., so we're trying to make the best use we can with one pool,” Vega says. “There's so many people that have great ideas about what we should be doing and we hear them all. We just have to figure out how to schedule them and an appropriate way of doing that.”
New for 2026 is swim lessons, beginning in late-June, taught by lifeguards who earned instructor certification through Starfish Swimming in the Valley. The course consists of three half-hour classes per week with four different levels. Each class is limited to eight participants.
“If we can fill those three blocks, that would be 96 children that we would end up training or giving swim lessons to by the end of the season,” Vega says.
For information on swim lessons, program costs, scheduling or rental fees, call the pool directly at 449-5402, or go to www.globeaz.gov or the City of Globe Community Center Pool Facebook page.
For those who prefer indoor activities, the Globe Public Library has plenty to offer. In addition to traditional material such as books, movies and magazines, the library provides community activities like reading groups, game nights, cooking classes for kids and seniors, and a walking group that has been meeting twice a week since 2018. There is even a monthly karaoke night for those brave enough to sing in front of their friends and neighbors without the aid of alcohol.
The library also provides food for anyone under the age of 18 throughout the summer, health supplies for those in need, including Narcan, and, depending on the season, is also a cooling and warming center during regular business hours.
“We have a bazillion programs going on right now, but that's because it's summer,” says Rayel Starling, the library’s director. “We also have our normal programming that happens year round and that doesn't go away.”
Among the summer programs happening are Jurassic Journeys, a hands-on class that teaches kids about dinosaurs, and Curio Curators, a summer reading program that teaches anthropology and archeology.
A new program coming this summer is the American Conversation Project, a series of “conversations” designed to bring community members together across the country as part of the America 250 celebration. Starling expects the project to start in late-June or early July.
For more information, go to www.globe.gov or the Globe Public Library Facebook page.
In addition to the pool and library, older Globe residents can find food and community at the Globe Active Adult Center.
After briefly closing in the fall of 2025 due to flood and storm damage, the center is fully functioning again with its mission to “enhance the quality of life of the seniors in Globe and the surrounding community.”
“We were closed for a couple of weeks to clean up and get a new roof, but we're back to providing all of our services for local seniors again,” says the center’s director Tamara Guerin. “We're serving 56 people with our Meals on Wheels program and offering everything from art classes to Bingo for our members.”
While the center's main mission is to provide a safe gathering place for locals over the age of 60, there are plenty of other reasons for seniors to stop by, including legal and tax services, as well as blood pressure checks and birthday parties the third Thursday of each month.
There is also a tool and medical equipment lending library for those doing light projects around the house or dealing with the health issues associated with aging.
“People might be surprised at some of the stuff we have,” Guerin says. “We have medical equipment such as wheelchairs and walkers, and that has become a very popular service.”
For those who can’t drive, the center offers transportation to and from the facility. Lunch is served daily beginning at 11:45 a.m. Monday through Friday.
There are also plenty of volunteer opportunities for anyone interested in serving the senior community.
More information can be found at www.globeaz.gov, or by calling the center at 425-9030.
The City of Globe and its council, administration and each of its departments work hard to provide basic necessary services for citizens of Globe, but also want to provide cultural settings that create an identity for those that call the Copper Corridor home.
“There's a lot going on in the city that's positive, but sometimes it gets forgotten,” Steele says. “We don't just provide infrastructure: We invest in the things that help make a city a vibrant community.”
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