Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke was about to make the big announcement in his city address on Friday. A very perfect Chandler, while being a target.”
But before he can reveal his big secret, he is approached by two men dressed in all black. They emerged from across the stage, grabbed Hartke and swept him off before he could finish his words.
Surprisingly, no one rushed to his rescue or called for help.
Rather, the kidnapping was met with laughter from the crowd and several gasps from those not participating in the joke.
Hartke was not actually kidnapped. Rather, an interruption was planned, and as Hartke left the stage, a satirical video began playing depicting what was happening while he waited in the wings.
Ostrich released to the public
On-screen, communications director Matthew Burdick and Chandler resident and local business owner Lachey Marks both drive Hartke in a minivan embossed with the logo of Chandler Flex, the city’s on-demand rideshare service. I took him. Inside, he met the mayor’s assistant, Stephen Turner, who solemnly told him he was from the future.
Turner and Hartke travel back in time to 2126, where Hartke discovers that Chandler has taken over the entire valley. Phoenix’s Sky His Harbor International Airport became Chandler’s, and Cardinals Stadium became the home of Chandler’s Ostrich.
But that wasn’t what Turner was worried about. He took his Hartke to Ostrich World. Ostrich World is his park, a fictional theme that genetically engineered giant birds for the masses to enjoy.
Unfortunately for Chandler’s future residents, as well as the rest of the Valley people who were absorbed into it, the ostrich was no longer under control and was on the verge of destroying all of central Arizona civilization. , Hartke honked the horn of his minivan and ordered Turner to start driving towards Tucson, time traveling to the present before the birds could catch up.
In doing so, he could have saved the beloved future city and destroyed most of Pima County.
The history of jokes in mayoral speeches
The idea of joking during the annual city state is not new, city officials said. Every year something interesting happens during the speech.
“We always try to be very creative and have fun with our city state,” Burdick said.
For example, in 2020, Hartke launched a speech in a video in which he was shrunk to a few inches in height after being left alone in a science lab and accidentally activating a machine.
City officials usually make an exciting announcement at the end of their speech. This is often related to economic development. For example, a new business is coming to town.
But this time, nothing really fit the bill. So a city official came up with the idea for the video and produced it. Burdick said the idea fits well with the event’s theme, “Through the Decades.”
“We wanted to do something that was futuristic but still tied to our heritage,” Burdick said. “Ostrich grazing is a very important part[of the city’s history]and we wanted to show what the future might look like, with the[current]technology, as well as the biological sciences incorporated into it.”
The skit was a hit with Friday’s crowd. The audience cheered as Hartke reappeared in his Ostrich World swag.
And it put a hopeful end to Hartke’s speech, which focused largely on the city’s performance last year. advertised.
As Alderman Christine Ellis left the auditorium, she quipped to The Republic.
Sasha Hupka covers Chandler and community issues in the Republic of Arizona. Do you have a chandler chip?contact her sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.comFollow her on Twitter. @SashaHupka.
