Explorer, Dec. 29, 2021

Dec. 29, 2021

EXPLORER The Voice of Marana, Oro Valley and Northwest Tucson

Volume  • Number 

Tucson Tech

down Tucson’s biggest science, space and technology Oct. Counting 7, 2020 stories of the year | Page 10

County enacts new COVID mask mandate as Omicron spreads

INSIDE

Our Town

Environmental impacts of new homes | Page 5

Alexandra Pere

Voices

Reader photo and letters to the editor

| Page 9

Sports & Rec

Tucson part of college bowl fun | Page 16

Tucson Local Media

Rounding up the biggest stories of the year!

Staff Report Tucson Local Media

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holiday tradition at the Tucson Local Media offices, this week we’re taking a look back at the 10 biggest stories for Tucson and Arizona over the past year.

Of course, the enduring pandemic filled a lot of headlines (as

much as we’d like to leave it in the past). In the spirit of moving forward, only one of the 10 stories has to do with the pandemic and all the local impacts it has caused.

The rest of the wrap up covers everything from our incredible summer monsoon, to new laws and taxes in Arizona, to our state gaining national attention on multiple fronts. Throughout the

paper you’ll also see round ups of our favorite music of the year, as well as the biggest science stories out of Tucson this year.

Although it hasn’t been easy, we’re happy you stuck with us and continued reading throughout 2021. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Happy holidays!

HAVE A SAFE, HEALTHY AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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ith the arrival of the new COVID variant Omicron in Pima County, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 last week to enact a new mandate requiring people to mask up while indoors in public spaces when they cannot maintain a physical distance of six feet from people outside their household.

Pima County Supervisors Matt Heinz, Sharon Bronson and Adelita Grijalva voted in favor of the mask mandate at the board’s Dec. 21 meeting, while Democrat Rex Scott and Republican Steve Christy voted against it.

See STORIES OF THE YEAR, P4

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Co m i n g u p i n 2 0 2 2 !

ACTIVE LIVING Show our readers how your business can help them achieve a healthy and active lifestyle in any stage of life.

Coming January 2022

Spring Arts Preview Join us as we highlight the upcoming arts events in Tucson.

This is our annual spring preview of the must-see performances of the season.

Coming February 2022 Our reader poll is designed to let YOU tell us about your favorite people, places, shops, restaurants and things to do in Tucson.

COMING MARCH 2022 FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO ADVERTISE IN OUR UPCOMING SPECIAL SECTIONS: Call (520) 797-4384 or email TLMSales@Tucsonlocalmedia.com

EXPLORER The Explorer and Marana News is published every Wednesday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout the Northwest Tucson. To find out where you can pick up a free copy of the Explorer and Marana News, go to www.TucsonLocalMedia.com

STAFF ADMINISTRATION Steve T. Strickbine, Publisher Michael Hiatt, Vice President Jaime Hood, General Manager jaime@tucsonlocalmedia.com Claudine Sowards, Accounting claudine@tucsonlocalmedia.com Sheryl Kocher, Receptionist sheryl@tucsonlocalmedia.com EDITORIAL Jim Nintzel, Executive Editor jimn@tucsonlocalmedia.com Jeff Gardner, Managing Editor jeff@tucsonlocalmedia.com Alexandra Pere, Staff Reporter apere@tucsonlocalmedia.com Nicole Feltman, Staff Reporter nfeltman@tucsonlocalmedia.com PRODUCTION Courtney Oldham, Production Manager, tucsonproduction@timespublications.com Ryan Dyson Graphic Designer ryand@tucsonlocalmedia.com Emily Filener, Graphic Designer emilyf@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Explorer and Marana News, Dec ,  CIRCULATION Alex Carrasco, Circulation alexc@tucsonlocalmedia.com ADVERTISING TLMSales@TucsonLocalMedia.com Kristin Chester, Account Executive kristin@tucsonlocalmedia.com Candace Murray, Account Executive candace@tucsonlocalmedia.com Tyler Vondrak, Account Executive tyler@tucsonlocalmedia.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING Zac Reynolds, Director of National Advertising Zac@TimesPublications.com EDITORIAL & AD CONTENT The Explorer and Marana News expresses its opinion in the editorial. Opinions expressed in guest commentaries, perspectives, cartoons or letters to the editor are those of the author. The content and claims of any advertisement are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. Tucson Local Media assumes no responsibility for the claims or content of any advertisement. Publisher has the right to edit for size or refuse any advertisement at his or her discretion.

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Explorer and Marana News, Dec 29, 2021

Stories of the Year: Election audit, park bond, COVID persists Continued from P1 COVID Persists The biggest story of the year remains the local, national and global struggle against COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that continues to plague the world. The year began with the roll out of three vaccines to protect adults from the virus, but many people have declined to get a shot; as of mid-December, an estimated 74% of eligible Pima County residents had been vaccinated.

Over the course of 2021, schools resumed in-person instruction, although various districts established different rules in regard to mask requirements. A study that included Pima County and the Centers for Disease Control showed that districts without mask mandates were 3.5 times more likely to have COVID outbreaks among students or staff than districts that did require masks.

Before the arrival of the Delta variant, cases dropped in Pima County, reaching a low of 243 new cases reported in the

last week of May. But by the end of third week in November, the county saw 4,234 new cases reported. By mid-December, the county was seeing 310 cases per 100,000 population, according to Pima County Acting County Administrator Jan Lesher.

That rise in cases has had a corresponding rise in hospital admissions.

Pima County hospitals reported that on Dec. 19, 117 COVID patients—mostly unvaccinated—were occupying 39% of ICU beds.

As a result, only 13 staffed ICU beds were available in the county.

The logjam in local hospitals comes as a new variant, Omicron, is sweeping across the country.

Although most Omicron cases appear mild, the new variant is highly transmissible and responsible for many breakthrough cases among vaccinated people.

Earlier this month, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted to require masks in indoor spaces where people cannot physically distance, but a new state law allows businesses to ignore the mandate.

As of Dec. 23, a total of 23,841 Arizonans had died

after contracting COVID, including 3,099 Pima County residents, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

More than 800,000 people had died after contracting COVID in the United States since the start of the pandemic.

2020 Election Audit The Arizona Senate approved spending $150,000 on an audit of the 2020 presidential and U.S. Senate elections in Maricopa County. The Senate hired Cyber Ninjas, a firm with no experience in election work. After a hand count that went on for months longer than originally planned, the Cyber Ninjas count showed Biden winning by a larger margin than the original machine count. The Cyber Ninjas also reported that they found numerous anomalies, but election experts said the Florida-based firm simply didn’t understand election procedures and debunked the various claims. Nonetheless, numerous Republican lawmakers plan to offer new laws to limit early voting and various other voting

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restrictions in the upcom- him while he was riding ing legislative session. his bike downtown. The 72-year-old Huckelberry, Oro Valley Town Council who was wearing a helmet, suffered bleeding on the Passes Park Bond brain and other injuries.

The Oro Valley Town As of the mid-December, Council voted 5-2 in Sep- he was out of the hospital tember to issue $25 million and undergoing rehabilitain bonds for parks and rec- tion, with his family saying reation improvements. he was making slow but The bonds, which will steady progress. County be paid back over 20 years officials say they hope he with a portion of a half- will be able to return to his cent-per-dollar sales tax job but have appointed one passed by the council in of his deputies, Jan Lesher, 2014, will pay for improve- as acting county adminisments for the Communi- trator. ty Center, Naranja Park and new multi-use paths.

Arizona Sen. Sinema Roughly half of the $25 in the National Spotlight million will go to improvements at Naranja Park, Arizona Sen. Kyrsten where the town will build Sinema was a key negotitwo new multi-use fields ator on a $1.2 trillion bias well as pickleball courts partisan bill that includes and basketball courts. The funding to rebuild roads plan also calls for a splash and bridges; improve airpad and a new skate park ports, train service and and pump track. (Pump ports; replace water lines; tracks, used by bikers and expand broadband serskateboarders, are de- vice; invest in clean ensigned to allow riders to ergy alternatives; and generate momentum with- make numerous other out pedaling or pushing.) investments in the naThe bonds will also tion’s aging infrastructure. support new paths for The bill was signed in community walking, bik- November. ing, and hiking. New paths But Sinema, who was will be placed on: La Can- the first Democrat to win ada Drive between Lam- a Senate seat in Arizona in bert and Naranja; Naranja more than three decades Drive between La Canada when she defeated Reand park entrance; and publican Martha McSally from Cañada del Oro wash in 2018, was criticized by to James D. Kriegh Park.

Democrats for her refusal to support a second part of Pima County the Biden administration’s Administrator Injured agenda, the Build Back During Bike Ride Better Act that would expand support for childcare, Pima County Admin- reduce prescription drug istrator Chuck Huckel- prices, make investments berry, who has been atop to reduce greenhouse gases county government since and various other Demo1993, was severely injured cratic priorities. While the after a car collided with bill had an original price

tag of $3.5 trillion, the White House later released a $1.75 trillion framework.

But that effort stalled earlier this month when West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin said he wouldn’t provide the necessary 50th vote for the package.

Sinema’s failure to support the legislation has cost her among Democratic voters. A poll released by left-leaning group Data for Progress showed that only 25% of Democrats approved of Simena’s job performance, compared to 85% who approved of fellow Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly. Asked if they would support Sinema or another Democratic challenger in various head-to-head primary matchups, Sinema drew support from roughly 25% of Democrats who were surveyed, with wide margins preferring another candidate.

2021 Ranks as Third Rainiest Monsoon on Record The Tucson area bloomed under historic downpours this summer, receiving nearly 13 inches of rain from June to September. This resulted in 2021 being the third rainiest monsoon ever recorded by the National Weather Service, and July being the rainiest month in Tucson history. Only 1964 and 1955’s monsoons were rainier, and this year was only about an inch from beating them.

The major rains resulted in lush mountains and an increase in wildlife. However, they also invariably See Stories of the year, P6

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Explorer and Marana News, Dec , 

Oro Valley resident upset by trash near construction site Alexandra Pere Tucson Local Media

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hen Amy Eisenberg walked through conservation land near her home in Oro Valley and surveyed the trail ahead, she was surprised by its state. “I’ve never seen it this clean,” she said.

Eisenberg, a biologist and faculty member at the University of Arizona Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, has been monitoring an area of land reserved for conservation near the Villages at SilverHawke by Meritage Homes. Since Meritage

Homes broke ground a few years ago, Eisenberg said there is a recurring issue with trash in the surrounding area. Eisenberg said this trash looked like construction site materials.

“It’s lunch, it’s food, it’s broken blocks, they pour cement out there, construction materials, insulation material, plastics, styrofoam, you name it— cardboard, everything in anything,” Eisenberg said.

“It is like the dumping ground, very frustrating.”

Eisenberg is particularly worried that animals such as Sonoran Desert tortoises may consume trash by accident.

According to Town re-

5th Now in our 3

cords, Eisenberg reached out to the Town in February to inquire about the parties responsible for trash cleanup. Constituent Services Coordinator Jessica Hynd told Eisenberg the area behind Villages had multiple owners and the location of the trash would indicate who was responsible for cleanup. She also told Eisenberg that the 45 acres of conservation easement behind the Villages will be managed by the Villages of Silverhawk Homeowners Association towards the end of the construction project. The Town of Oro Valley maintains the public trail and Capri Company owns the

cell tower near the trail.

Eisenberg wasn’t satisfied with this answer and continued to send emails.

She also went to Meritage Homes employees directly for answers.

“We recognize that construction can create a lot of debris and unfortunately it can be hard to contain,” Meritage Homes President Jeff Grobstein said. “We’re very cognizant of this. We always try to make an effort to keep the debris contained to where it needs to be.”

Grobstein said the construction company has a weekly cleaning schedule crews normally follow and has hired additional labor to monitor the area

for trash.

After multiple complaints from Eisenberg, the Town of Oro Valley sent city employees to inspect the area.

“We’ve been working with Jeff Grobstein from Meritage before Thanksgiving,” Oro Valley Community and Economic Development Director Paul Melcher said. “They’ve got a very specific cleanup schedule they’ve already developed. We do follow-up inspections just to make sure that everything’s moving forward.”

Melcher said Oro Valley set up an inspection program to coincide with Meritage Homes’ cleaning

schedule. Melcher also told Grobstein that Meritage Homes needed to be more consistent with its cleaning schedule.

When Eisenberg returned to the same area a few weeks ago, she was happy with the state of the area. Eisenberg picked up several pieces of trash on the trail behind the Villages construction site, but it was a minor hassle compared to the trash she was finding in recent months.

“We are concerned about the preservation of life,” Eisenberg said. “This is my objective and this is the most important thing: their (the animals’) lives.”

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Explorer and Marana News, Dec 29, 2021

Stories of the Year: Preserve Vistoso, Gambling Expansion

Continued from P4 led to flooding, swiftwater rescues and some property damage.

This summer definitely made up for last year’s, which ranked as the second driest monsoon on record.

Last year only saw 1.62 inches of rain from June to September. According to National Weather Service data, never before have a top-five rainiest year and a top-five driest monsoon year fallen back-to-back.

However, don’t let the green trails and thunderstorms make you forget about the other weather records broken this year.

Mid June, Tucson swel-

tered under a heat wave (one of many for the Western United States this year) that broke multiple daily heat records. While we never quite beat the alltime high of 117 degrees measured in 1990, parts of Tucson saw upwards of 113 and 115 in June.

“Last year was horrible, we all know that. And statistically speaking, we also knew we would have a better season this year.

When you look back at the historical record, you don’t see two really bad years back-to-back. But I don’t think there’s anyone out there who could have said we’d have this strong of a monsoon,” said John Glueck, senior forecaster for the National Weather

Service in Tucson.

Roche Tissue Diagnostics Expands Marana Location In June, international healthcare company Roche broke ground on a building expansion that will eventually double their footprint in Southern Marana. The facility is operated by Roche Tissue Diagnostics, formerly Ventana Medical Systems, which is headquartered in Oro Valley, and is expected to complete construction in mid-2022.

The 60,000-foot expansion will focus on diagnostic tests and associated instruments for cancer, including specialized stains

for tissue samples that allow researchers to detect various biomarkers for cancers.

“With this new expanded facility, our goal is to move some instrument manufacturing production over here, so this becomes a one-stop-shop,” said Himanshu Parikh, vice president of global operations at Roche Tissue Diagnostics. “When we do that, it will allow us to expand our instrument manufacturing footprint in the Oro Valley campus and this is where the major growth of business is taking place. So we can continue to meet the growing demand of business over the years.”

Roche announced they

plan to move some of their manufacturing and employees from their Oro Valley campus to their expanded Marana facility upon completion. This can include moving up to 150 existing employees to the new location, and expanding the employee base at both facilities. In total, Roche employs more than 1,700 workers in the greater Tucson area.

“This further solidifies Roche’s commitment to this area,” said Jill German, head of Roche Tissue Diagnostics. “Last year, cancer patients along with many other types of diseases suffered because getting to a hospital and having testing was very difficult during COVID,

and yet we still touched the lives of 27 million patients around the world.

And that’s something this site helps us continue to do.”

Group Raises Funds To Transform Defunct Golf Course into Nature Preserve Preserve Vistoso and The Conservation Fund successfully reached their $1.8 million fundraising goal to purchase the defunct Vistoso Golf Course from Romspen Vistoso LLC, a Canadian nonbank mortgage lender.

“We are thrilled to share that we’ve accomplished our fundraising goal of $1.8 million, with

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Explorer and Marana News, Dec , 

more than 400 donors contributing,” President of Preserve Vistoso Gayle Mateer said in a press release. “We could not have accomplished this so quickly without the involvement and generosity of so many people.”

The deal is the result of a collaborative effort by The Conservation Fund, Preserve Vistoso and the Town of Oro Valley.

The Conservation Fund will place a conservation easement on the property after purchase. A conservation easement is a legal agreement that permanently protects property from development.

After the Vistoso Golf Course closed in 2018, community members formed the nonprofit Preserve Vistoso in 2019 to acquire the neglected property and transform it into a nature preserve to protect it from development.

The Town of Oro Valley is expected to take ownership of the property and add it to its park space once the deal is completed.

Gambling Expansion The Arizona Legislature approved a deal brokered between Gov. Doug Ducey and Arizona’s Native American tribes to

both expand wagering at casinos to include new table games such as craps, roulette and baccarat as well as allowing gambling on sports. As part of the deal, major-league sports owners were also allowed to open sports betting operations at their stadiums and Arizonans are now allowed to gamble on sports online and via phone apps.

Local casinos such as Desert Diamond and Casino of the Sun moved rapidly to expand their offerings and open sportsbooks.

Casino Del Sol added craps, a new roulette table and two mini-baccarat tables to their gaming floor.

Yucupicio said he did not know off-hand what the estimated yearly revenue gaming tables could generate for his tribe, but said he believes the new games will benefit not only the Pascua Yaqui community but other tribes in the state and the nation trying to expand gaming operations.

“We are hoping this is very successful and helps our tribe and all of the other tribes throughout the country who are doing this now or are trying to. We fought for our right to have table games,” Pascua Yaqui Chairman Peter Yucupicio told Tuc-

Egg Nog Jog, Hot Cocoa Run coming up in Marana, Oro Valley

son Local Media earlier this year. “I think people don’t understand a lot of this benefits our people.

We can educate more and help seniors who suffered through the pandemic. I think it’s a blessing how we can provide more.”

Nicole Feltman Desert Diamond Ca- Tucson Local Media sinos also expanded its offerings with the addiro Valley and Mation of more than 200 new rana have partgaming machines as well as craps, roulette and minered to create ni-baccarat tables at its the Run Through Tucson and Sahaurita lo- the New Year Run Chalcations. lenge with a pair of runs

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Recreational marijuana dispensaries open Following the passage of Prop 207 in 2020, Arizona’s medical marijuana dispensaries opened their doors to recreational cannabis users over 21 years old. The Arizona Department of Health Services gave the green light to recreational sales in January. Two dispensaries in Marana, Nature Med and Botanica, welcome recreational users. By the end of October, Arizonans had spent more than $1.1 billion on marijuana between medical and recreational sales, generating more than $175 million in state sales taxes.

to help northwest residents close out 2021 and welcome 2022.

Scramble on over to Crossroads at Silverbell District Park on Friday Dec. 31, for Marana’s Egg Nog Jog. This event will host both 5K and a 10K runs as well as a Free Kid’s Fun Run along the Santa Cruz River path.

Beat the deadline and register through a computer or a mobile device before the race date for a cost of $30. Paper admission will not be offered for same-day registration and the price for admission will increase to $40.

Check-in at 7 a.m.

will be over, easy, if pre-registered.

After registering for the event, your name will be entered into a raffle to win a fitness themed prize pack. Two prizes will be raffled off for each distance in the Egg Nog Jog. The 10K race will start at 8 a.m. and the 5K race will start at 8:10 a.m. The kid’s run will begin at 8:15 a.m. Results of the race will be posted live on the event website.

Use the hashtag #RUNMARANA when posting photos of the event on social media.

If you aren’t fried from the Egg Nog Jog and are 13 or older, you can get hot and steamy at Steam Pump Ranch with Oro Valley’s eighth annual 5K Hot Cocoa Run on Saturday, Jan. 1.

Entry fee is $25 when you sign up before Jan. 1 and $30 if you sign up the day of the race.

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On Wednesday, Dec. 29, you can register and pick up your number at the Oro Valley Community Center from 5-7 p.m. On the day of the race, you can register and pick up your number starting at 9:30 a.m.

This event will be professionally timed and prizes will be given out.

Snacks, water, and hot cocoa will be provided to all participants, along with gloves and a race logo.

Proceeds from the Hot Cocoa run will benefit Oro Valley’s Round Up for Youth Recreation Scholarship Program.

Know Us Know Your Community

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Explorer and Marana News, Dec , 

COVID: Board of Supervisors vote 3-2 in favor of mask mandate Continued from P1

Heinz, who put the proposal on the board’s agenda, said it was important to bring back the mask mandate because area hospitals are stretched to the limit with unvaccinated COVID patients and Omicron is a more contagious coronavirus variant.

“Due to the increase of COVID cases and as you have heard from TMC healthcare, and the Banner system, the hospitals are really to

the point of bursting,” said Heinz, who wanted the mandate to be reinstituted ahead of the holiday season.

Acting County Administrator Jan Lesher sent a memo to the Pima County Board of Supervisors ahead of their Dec. 21 meeting recommending a mask mandate.

“Given the global surge of the exceptionally more transmissible omicron variant, it is appropriate to reconsider the tools that are available to mitigate its impact on Pima County

particularly during this winter holiday season,” she wrote.

The Centers for Disease Control released new data showing the Omicron variant surpassed the Delta variant in national COVID cases. According to their estimates, the Omicron variant already made up 73% of COVID cases in the United States last week.

There is speculation the Omicron variant causes less severe symptoms than the original virus and the Delta variant, but more research

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is needed to accurately determine the variant’s severity.

High transmissibility gives Omicron more opportunities to infect people, leading health officials to expect an increased need for community health care. Lesher expressed concern for available hospital resources in the memo.

“We are now experiencing the highest COVID-19 ICU occupancy since last winter.

On December 19, hospitals reported 117 COVID-19 positive individuals occupying 39 percent of ICU beds,” Lesher wrote.

Lesher noted extremely low intensive care unit capacity in Pima County. For the past two months, Pima County had only 13 staffed ICU beds.

Hospital resources are strained all over the state of Arizona, as well.

President Biden’s administration announced on Dec. 21 they would send COVID emergency response teams to six states, including Arizona. Response teams include clinical personnel and paramedics.

According to Lesher’s memo, Pima County reported 15,851 cases in November 2021 compared to 13,933 in Nov. 2020.

Supervisor Steve Christy raised concerns

over the enforcement of the mask mandate. A new law passed earlier this year allows businesses to ignore enforcement of mask mandates passed by the state, city, county or any other jurisdiction of Arizona.

Lesher conceded that the county has little ability to require residents to wear masks.

“While admittedly there is no practical enforcement option, it has been shown in this community and elsewhere in the country that the mere existence of a mask mandate increases the likelihood of mask use by the public,” Lesher wrote in a memo to the the board. “A county-imposed mask mandate would be a call-toarms for everyone in the county to step up and do their part to help prevent the spread of a deadly virus, especially during the holidays.”

Supervisor Rex Scott was unsure that Pima County residents would follow the mandate.

“Unfortunately, ever since the pandemic began, there has been an ugly bevy of falsehoods, fears, and resentments about masks fed to our citizens by some in leadership positions who should be forever ashamed of their ignorance and selfishness.

As a result, although I firmly believed each of us should be wearing

masks when we are in group settings, I’m certain that a sizable number of Pima County residents will defy or ignore any mandate we may enact today,” Scott said.

Scott added to his argument that enforcement of the previous mask mandate fell onto workers in the public space. Scott worried misinformation around masks had increased since the last mandate and workers would be subject to abuse by the public.

Wearing masks traps respiratory droplets that travel from one person to another. Respiratory droplets can carry viral loads which can infect people that inhale them. The most effective masks on the market are N95 masks.

The CDC released a study co-authored with Pima County in early Oct. showing that K-12 schools without mask requirements were 3.5 times more likely to experience a COVID outbreak. The study used data from 999 public schools in Pima and Maricopa County.

“I voted in favor of the mandate because of the recommendation of county administration and the recommendation of TMC and Banner Health,” Supervisor Sharon Bronson said.

VOICES

Explorer and Marana News, Dec , 

Regionalism vital for THANKFUL FOR Pima County’s future SINEMA Supervisor Sharon Bronson Special to Tucson Local Media

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n Southern Arizona, we like to follow a different path.

While other parts of the state have continued to expand into sensitive desert environments, we have looked to manage growth and protect the uniqueness of the desert through innovative conservation plans.

When other parts of the state were still wasting precious water resources on manicured lawns, our community adopted xeriscaping and other water-sparing practices that brought our average daily consumption down to about 80 gallons compared to the 150-gallon state average.

And when ruthless annexation wars raged in

some parts of the state, we looked to partnerships and regionalism to address the collective needs of the community.

We definitely go our own way. That’s especially true when it comes to our shared commitments to wastewater, roadway improvements, infrastructure, and libraries.

Since the 1970s, Pima County has been the primary operator of the regional sewer system. The arrangement makes sense for residents and businesses that don’t have to navigate a patchwork of publicly and privately operated wastewater systems. The unified wastewater service also establishes an equitable and uniform system of fees and regulations without regard for jurisdiction.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

already massive. The BBB ing responsible with her am thankful that she is Arbill will just put us that positions along with Sen. izona’s senator, and also for much closer to bankruptcy. Joe Manchin of West Vir- Sen. Manchin.

It’s a very serious issue. ginia. They are doing what I didn’t vote for Sena- is right for America and Jim Richardson egarding Lois Ber- tor Sinema but she is be- their respective states. I Oro Valley kowitz’s letter to the editor (“Sinema Disappoints,” Dec. 15): Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has made it very clear for a long time that she is not voting for any significant spending bills that do not have bipartisan support. That’s why she will not support eliminating the filibuster.

In addition, the voting rights act is very likely unconstitutional. The federal constitution in Article 1, Section 4 clearly provides that the state legislatures control the “Time, Place and Manner” of voting for Senators and Representatives.

Finally, the Build Back Better act is not going build anything back better.

The infrastructure bill has already been passed. We Reader Gordon Blanz got a photo of this wild turkey standing on a car in Oro Valley. Send your photos to don’t need the BBB bill. readerphotos@tucsonlocalmedia.com. Include your name, contact information and details about the America is broke with a photo, including who took it, where it was taken and the subject. Not all photos can be printed. See other photos capital B. The federal defionline at www.tucsonlocalmedia.com. cit for the United States is

New Patient $

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Tech Talk: Top 10 Tucson Science Stories of the Year Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

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n “optics valley,” defense contractors, environmental centers, strong ties to NASA: there’s always more science going on in Tucson than what you might expect at first glance. It should come as no surprise that many of this year’s most exciting science stories were based around the University of Arizona.

However, the Tucson area is also home to multiple independent businesses and scientists concocting their own newsworthy stories. So here is a list, in no particular order, of some of our favorite science stories to come out of Tucson this year.

Robots on campus. In late November, the University of Arizona began using a fleet of autonomous rovers that deliver food to students from on-campus dining locations. In a partnership between the UA and food delivery service GrubHub, Wildcat students can use the GrubHub app for the robots to navigate campus on their own and deliver food. UA is the second campus to offer this delivery option, following Ohio State University.

The rovers were developed by Yandex, a Russian multinational technology company that develops a variety of internet-related products, including self-driving cars. The rovers weigh roughly 100 pounds and are a bit larger than a microwave.

With six wheels and several cameras, the robots drive between three and five miles per hour.

Once an order comes into one of the participating dining locations, staff will prepare the order for takeout as they normally would, place it inside a rover’s cargo compartment and send the rover on its way. Students who order the food will also receive a unique “retrieval code” meaning only they can access the food.

“We know that our students are very interested in forward-thinking tech applications such as smart vending machines, and we hope that with this new delivery option, we can offer quicker deliveries, especially during rush times, across campus,” said Christine Carlson, director of dining and nutrition for UA’s Arizona Student Unions.

fer public space tourism via passenger balloons. For years, World View has developed high-tech balloons that can rise high into the atmosphere and travel multiple miles, but now they have announced their “Explorer Stratospheric Capsule.” The passenger capsules are expected to carry people into the stratosphere (more than 15 miles up) for flights lasting from six to 12 hours. While this altitude isn’t quite what NASA considers “space,” World View promises “space-like” views from this high. Eight passengers are expected to fit into each capsule.

The flights are expected to begin in Page near the Grand Canyon. However, the company says they will eventually offer services around the world, from near the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, to the pyramids in Egypt, to Norway to see the northern lights.

The passenger capsules will be fitted with on-board video cameras and telescopes for a better view of the world below and stars above. In addition, the flights will have dining options and a full bar. Of course, this balloon-ride-of-the-future comes with an equally soaring Tourism afloat. In Octo- price, estimated near $50,000. ber, Tucson-based aerospace The flights are expected to beengineering company World gin in 2024.

View announced plans to of-

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Calcified Computers. A new type of computer developed by researchers at the University of Arizona can monitor bone health while remaining attached to the body, beneath the skin, over long periods of time.

The so-called “osseosurface electronics” are ultra-thin devices that are wireless and do not require batteries. The devices use a calcium adhesive with an atomic structure similar to bone cells to stay attached.

Although not yet approved for human use, researchers hope the devices can eventually be used to monitor health and healing associated with bone fractures and breaks.

This may be of particular importance to individuals with diseases like osteoporosis; rather than tracking bone health via trips to the hospital, the small devices could continually provide information to the user and doctor wherever they are. The devices have so far been used on lab rats, and collected information including temperature and bone strain during exercise. The devices can even deliver optical stimulation to the bone and surrounding tissues, to potentially induce bone regeneration.

“As a surgeon, I am most excited about using measurements collected with osseosurface electronics to someday provide my patients with individualized orthopedic care— with the goal of accelerating rehabilitation and maximizing function after traumatic injuries,” said Dr. David Margolis, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the UA College of Medicine.

Saguaro Side Blooms.

Tucsonans saw unique flowers blooming out of the sides of saguaros this spring, causing many questions. The

phenomenon, observed both in and out of Tucson, involved more buds dispersed along saguaros’ trunks, with smaller flowers and fruits.

Researchers blamed last year’s pitiful monsoon on the strange flowers.

Researchers at Saguaro National Park, which is home to more than 21,000 saguaros, track irregularities such as these side blooms. Generally speaking, blooming or flowering occurs on the “crown” (or top) of the cactus, where new tissue growth has occurred. These side blooms may signify a lack of growth, suggesting that old tissue has simply been reactivated, allowing the cacti to slough off what was supposed to bloom and grow last year.

While some columnar cacti such as organ pipes, silver torches or cardones are known to have side blooms, this recent widespread occurrence is unusual for the saguaro cacti and may be related to other conditions that haven’t been fully understood yet.

Eyes in the Sky. A husband and wife team of University of Arizona professors and their research group are part of an international group of scientists working on NASA’s new James Webb Space Telescope. The JWST is planned to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope as NASA’s flagship astrophysics mission, and will be able to observe some of the oldest and most remote objects in the universe. George Rieke, UA Regents Professor of Astronomy, describes the mission as “perhaps the most ambitious astronomy project human beings have done.”

George and Marcia Rieke, both UA Regents Professors of Astronomy, have worked with infrared astronomy and

NASA missions for decades.

For the JWST, each will work with high-tech infrared imaging devices: Marcia on the telescope’s near-infrared camera, and George on the telescope’s mid-infrared camera. Both instruments observe infrared radiation to collect data on planets in distant solar systems.

The telescope’s massive 21-foot diameter presents a unique problem for space launch, as it is too wide to fit into the nose cone of a rocket. To account for this, the JWST will fold up like an umbrella to fit inside the rocket. According to UA, once in space, the telescope will unfold and its instruments will be checked and calibrated, with the telescope’s mirror adjusted to optical perfection. This will happen during a six-month period, after which the telescope will be a million miles from Earth. This point in space will allow the JWST to fly effortlessly with the Earth around the sun, making it possible for the telescope to radio its huge amount of data back to Earth.

“The history of real scientific discoveries is that you can’t predict what they’ll be,” George said. “So I hope the astronomical community uses JWST to discover things we’ve never dreamt of.”

The future of space missions. The first-ever spaceflight with only private citizens launched into space in September with an Arizona science teacher on board.

SpaceX’s Inspiration4 flight launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with four aboard: businessman Jared Isaacman, physician assistant Hayley Arceneaux, Air Force veteran Christopher Sembroski, and science teacher Sian Proctor, who teaches at a Phoenix community college.

See Tech Talk, P23

Tucson lagging Phoenix in pandemic job recovery Alexandra Pere Tucson Local Media

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eorge Hammond, the director of the UA’s Eller Economic and Business Research Center, said that while the Arizona economy is bouncing back from the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Tucson’s job recovery has been slower than Phoenix and Flagstaff.

Hammond presented his newest compilation of economic data virtually at the Arizona Economic Outlook event on Nov. 30. Hammond advised attendees to keep their eyes on Arizona’s labor and housing markets.

Tucson is behind Flagstaff and Phoenix in replacing jobs lost in the beginning months of the pandemic. Tucson had a 77.5% job replacement rate, while Flagstaff had 85% and Phoenix had 105.8%. Hammond found hospitality and leisure jobs were significantly affected by the pandemic, leading him to believe this may be one of the reasons Tucson is falling behind in job replacement rates.

“Government jobs, leisure, and hospitality jobs are way below where they were before the pandemic began while trade, transportation, and utilities jobs are way above,” Hammond said.

Another element Hammond presented to explain Tucson’s job replacement lag is the region’s population demographics. According to United States census data, 14.3% of Tucson’s population is 65 and older.

“That demographic is a little bit slower to go back to the kinds of in-person activities that we were enjoying

before the pandemic began,” Hammond said.

With fewer customers from older demographics using hospitality or leisure services, there is less need for staff. However, the pandemic has significantly impacted the labor market in multiple ways. People 65 and older are less likely to leave the house and many Americans across the nation are rethinking what they want from jobs.

“Employers are struggling to hire while employees or at least some employees, are sitting on the sidelines and kind of rethinking their lives, what they want to do with their lives, what they want their career and occupation to look like going forward,” Hammond said.

Hammond described the labor market as being in “turmoil” but forecasted widely available COVID-19 vaccines will promote job growth and population growth in the future.

This point was also made by former Chief Economist at Chase Anthony Chan, who also presented at the Nov. 30 Economic Outlook virtual event.

“I think everybody should make up their own minds, but I just don’t want people to die because when they die that’s when you get nervous about spending, you get nervous about economic growth,” Chan said.

Population growth is essential to Arizona’s economy.

More people leads to more workers, more spending, and more contributions to the local economy. Arizona’s population growth of 12% is well above the national average of 7.4%. Tucson’s population growth is below the national average at 6.4%.

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Migration and natural increase play an important role in Arizona’s population growth. Arizona’s natural population increase is the difference between birth and deaths. As the Baby Boomer generations grow older, deaths are expected to outweigh births in Arizona. Hammond reported that Arizona has had a declining natural increase since 2007 and Arizona’s natural increase rate was negative for the first time last year.

“That means our population growth is going to be completely driven by net migration,” Hammond said.

“Since net migration is relatively volatile, that means our overall population growth is going to be more volatile in the future than it has been in the past.”

With Arizona’s rapid population increase, the housing market skyrocketed in the last year. Tucson’s median housing prices increased 20.4%. This can be attributed to high demand and low supply.

But Hammond reported Tucson housing permits had a stronger increase than Phoenix. Total housing permits in Tucson rose by 30%, while Phoenix permits rose by 11.9%. More housing supply should assist with demand and slow the stark increase in housing costs.

“Overall I think we’re in good shape to continue to be one of the fastest growing states in the nation,” Hammond said. “Phoenix is going to continue to be the engine of state growth, Tucson will participate as well, we’ll see the Tucson economy continue to add jobs, population and income, but at a somewhat slower pace than we’ll see in Phoenix.”

BUSINESS CALENDAR EMAIL DETAILS FOR YOUR BIZ EVENTS TO SHERYL@TUCSONLOCALMEDIA.COM

Monday, Jan. 3

• Oro Valley Toastmasters meets. Details: 6:15 p.m. (on Zoom); https://2854329.toastmastersclubs.org or 314-8008.

Tuesday, Jan. 4

• The Rotary Club of Marana meets (weekly).

Details: 7 a.m.; Northwest Fire Dept., 5125 W. Camino de Fuego (in person first 3 Tuesdays of the month); via Zoom (first 4 Tuesdays of the month);

maranarotary.org or text 520-909-9162 for virtual meeting information.

• The Arizona Commerce Authority holds Small Business Bootcamp & Resource Collective SMART Goal Setting for a Successful 2022 webinar.

Details: 9 a.m.; free; azcommerce.com.

breakfast. Details: 7:309 a.m.; The Highlands at Dove Mountain, 4949 W. Heritage Club Blvd.; $35, $30 members; maranachamber.com.

Thursday, Jan. 6

• The Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce holds a Business Summit with guest speakers Mayor Joe Winfield and David Aaker and breakout sessions on employee recruitment, retention and marketing.

Details: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Westward Look Wyndham Wednesday, Jan. 5 Grand Resort and Spa, 245 • The Marana Chamber E. Ina Road; $10 members; of Commerce holds Mara- orovalleychamber.com. na Mornings networking

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

2022: A New Year, A New Beginning!

Mia Smitt

Special to Tucson Local Media

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esolutions will be made with every good intention on Jan. 1. Many of these will be broken before the weekend following New Year’s Day. This has happened to us all in years past because we too often declare lofty goals but are unrealistic in our approaches and plans to make those goals happen. The resolutions which looked promising on Jan. 1 can be-

come frustrating, tiring, and burdensome within days to weeks. But we CAN and SHOULD all promise ourselves to get healthier in the coming year! It really is easy if we take just one small step at a time, and resolve to not crumple at every seeming setback.

For most of us, the “resolution biggies” are improved fitness, weight loss, smoking cessation and moderation in alcohol intake. We all have weathered the restrictions imposed by the COVID pandemic, but in coping we have perhaps become lax

and eaten too much, exercised less, limited socializing, and binged watched more TV this past year Exercise doesn’t have to mean preparing for a triathlon! There are so many ways to get the body moving.

A brisk 30-minute walk, a bike ride, a hike around the mall on rainy days and activities that take you outside will make you feel better.

“Sweating to the oldies” with Richard Simmons on DVD, chair aerobics and dancing around the house to music can be ways to get vigorous exercise in the comfort of

ACTIVE LIVING Coming January 2022 Show our readers how your business can help them achieve a healthy and active lifestyle in any stage of life.

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your own home. Add a few weight-bearing routines on a daily basis. All of these activities will build strength and sculpt the body in a slow, gradual manner.

The maxim “no pain, no gain” is NOT true. Increased activity through the day should become second nature, and you will notice increased tolerance and strength do more as time passes, usually in a just a few weeks. TURN OFF THE TELEVISION! Regular exercise is also an excellent and effective prescription for stress relief.

Losing weight should not be the battle of the bulge, seen as punishment or hardship. Think of it as rethinking your intake to better your appearance, endurance, and self esteem.

It’s easier than you might think. We need calories high enough to supply fuel needs and low enough to promote shedding the excess pounds.

For average Americans, this will mean between 1,2001,700 calories a day and weight loss will be a slam dunk.

Do NOT look for overnight changes—this is what frustrates the effort and makes a person fall off the wagon. It is a lifestyle change we need to pursue. Eat cake on your birthday; just don’t eat the whole cake! Have a chocolate bunny on Easter; don’t finish the entire basket in a day. A little Milky Way on Halloween is OK, an entire bag is not. Add about six to eight glasses of water every day. Feeling physically well (and fit) soon becomes

more pleasurable than junk food. (Really!)

Cigarettes are poison.

Nicotine itself, and all the carcinogens present in cigarettes cause cancers of various organs (lung, stomach, throat, mouth, esophagus, and the list goes on as research unfolds).

E cigarettes are NOT a good idea. They too can cause serious illness. The sooner you can quit, the better. There are many aids to cessation, from nicotine replacement gum and patches to medications. There are counseling services. Acupuncture and hypnotism may help a smoker to stop.

The Arizona Smokers’ Helpline is a free telephone counseling service that helps people quit and offers continued encouragement. 1-800-5566222 is available 24/7.

Many insurance companies will pay for the aids when a cessation program is completed. Quitting is good for you and those who love you!

Alcohol, in moderation, can have health benefits. Red wines are high in resveratrol, known for its antioxidant properties. An eight-ounce glass of beer, a four-ounce glass of wine, or one ounce of whiskey may relax you just enough to improve a good meal or maybe to rest and unwind after a hard day.

But alcoholism is insidious and can become a problem in a very short time.

Dependence on alcohol is an illness with far-reaching impact on individuals and families.

It can be an inherited

tendency, so careful observation of one’s own and family habits is important. Be aware of how much you or a loved one is drinking on a regular basis. If you have any concerns, there is likely a problem brewing. Seek help through your PCP, AA, or a trusted friend.

Social isolation and loneliness can be devastating.

Without human connection, studies have shown that depression and anxiety can result. (Depression and anxiety can also cause social isolation.)

Sometimes people shut themselves away after the death of a spouse or significant other. Physical limitations can inhibit social interaction. Toxic relationships can breed a fear of interaction with others.

If this is an issue, we need to recognize the loneliness or self isolation in ourselves.

Phone calls, texting, email, face time and zoom calls can be ways to keep in touch when physical distancing is necessary. Healthy habits such as adequate sleep and regular physical and mental exercise can promote better mental health.

And a wonderful new year’s resolution might be to seek out others who are lonely and in need of positive human contact. (More on this subject in the weeks to come.)

So come on, 2022. We are ready to embrace good health!

Mia Smitt is a family nurse practitioner who recently moved to Tucson.

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EN INGS HAPP EN Visit www.tucsonlocalmedia.com/livenup/calendar to submit your free calendar listing.

For event advertising, contact us (520) 797-4384 or tlmsales@tucsonlocalmedia.com

THEATER

THURSDAY TO MONDAY, JAN. 723

DEC. 3031 • Step into a “Midnight Masquerade” themed event with entertainment by trumpeter extraordinaire joined by other world-class musicians at Rick Braun’s New Year’s Eve Getaway.

Details: 7 p.m.; JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort, 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd.; rickbraunnewyearseve.com.

WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY, DEC. 2931

• Bring the kids and grandma to the Zoppe Family Circus at their return to the Big Top with a unique • Spend A Holiday Evening with Cher, Bocelli, Streisand and more blend of acrobatics, humor and re-created by popular impersonators family entertainment. Details: 7 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

The Edwards Twins in the style of the holiday variety shows of the 70’s Friday; 1, 4 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday-Monday; and 80’s. Details: 6 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday; 7 p.m. Friday (includes Mercado District, 221 S. Avenida del NYE toast); Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 Convento; $25-$50; 520-471-1106 N. Oracle Road; $45-$100; 520-529- or mercadodistrict.com.

1000 or gaslightmusichall.com.

SATURDAY, JAN. 8

SUNDAY, JAN. 2 • Create life-long memories for the entire family at Presto! Magic, Comedy, Illusions with the award-winning illusionists John Shryock and Mari Lynn. Details: 6 p.m.; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road; $27; 520-529-1000 or gaslightmusichall.com.

• Laugh out loud at the Tom Papa Family Reunion Tour with his hilarious look at life in modern America.

Details: 7:30 p.m.; Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.; $23-$43; foxtucson.com.

SATURDAY, JAN. 89

• You’ll be wiping tears of laughter from your eyes at From Brooklyn To Broadway In Only 50 Years WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY, starring Steve Solomon presented JAN. 59 by the Invisible Theatre. Details: 7:30 • Catch a performance of the beloved Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; Berger classic musical My Fair Lady present- Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Speedway Blvd.; $45; 520-882-9721 ed by Broadway in Tucson. Details: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. or invisibletheatre.com.

Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m.

Saturday, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday; UA SUNDAY, JAN. 9 Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd.; $25-$100; broadwayintucson. • Join award-winning photographer Steve Winter - On the Trail of Big com or ticketmaster.com.

Cats chronicling the activities of endangered wild felines sharing their THURSDAY TO SUNDAY, beauty and the work to save them.

JAN. 6FEB. 12 Details: 6:30 p.m.; Fox Theatre, 17 W. • Catch a performance of one of Neil Congress St.; $25-$53; foxtucson.com.

Simon’s most celebrated comedies Rumors about a dinner party gone topsy-turvy and the confusions and miscommunications that ensue.

Details: 7:30 Thursday-Friday, 3 THURSDAY, DEC. 30 p.m. Sunday; Live Theatre Workshop, 3322 E. Fort Lowell Road; $23; 520-327-4242 or livetheatre- • You should be dancin’ at Bee Gees Gold featuring John Acosta and the workshop.org.

Bee Gees Tribute Band recreating the look and sound of the brothers

MUSIC

The Zoppe Family outdoor circus is in town Jan. 7 to 23.

Gibb with the unique falsettos that made them legends. Details: 8 p.m.; Casino del Sol Event Center, 5655 W. Valencia Road; $25 (over age 21 only); casinodelsol.com.

FRIDAY, DEC. 31 • Ring in the new year at the Kevin Krentz Delightful Perfection New Year’s Eve Celebration featuring an optimistic and energetic concert with haiku and limericks competition during intermission.

Details: 7 p.m.; Tubac Center for the Arts, #9 Plaza Road, Tubac; $35; 520-398-2371 or tubacarts.org.

SATURDAY, JAN. 1 • Tap your toes to the celebration of New Orleans music at the Bourbon Street Bash with the famous Dutch piano master Mr. Boogie Woogie.

Details: 2 and 6 p.m.; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road; $27; 520529-1000 or gaslightmusichall.com.

SUNDAY, JAN. 2 • Listen to the Oracle Piano Society Signature Series featuring the cello and piano of Greg Hamilton and Jay Hershberger. Details: 3 p.m.; Oracle Center for the Arts, 700 E. Kingston St., Oracle; $30; oraclepianosociety.org.

THURSDAY, JAN. 6 • Don’t miss the internationally

Courtesy Photo

renowned jazz pianist at the Visiting Artist Series: Lenore Raphael, Jazz Trio with Scott Black and Pete Swan.

Details: 6 p.m.; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road; $20; 520-5291000 or gaslightmusichall.com.

SATURDAY, JAN. 8 • Enjoy an ancient art form transcending borders through the healing power of sounds and music at A Taiko Drumming Performance featuring Ken Koshio. Details: 4-6 p.m.; Yume Japanese Gardens, 2130 N. Alvernon Way; $25, $10 children; 520-303-3945.

• Listen to the Black Market Trust presented by Rhythm & Roots.

Details: 7:30 p.m.; Hotel Congress Outdoor Plaza, 311 E. Congress St.; $20-$30; rhythmandroots.org.

SATURDAY TO SUNDAY, JAN. 89 • Enjoy a concert of fresh music that deserves to be better known at Mendelssohn’s Radiance featuring conductor José Luis Gomez. Details: 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; Catalina Foothills High School, 4300 E. Sunrise Drive; $47-$101; ticketmaster.com.

SPECIAL EVENTS THURSDAY TO FRIDAY,

FRIDAY, DEC. 31 • Finish out 2021 with one final run/ walk and some egg nog to celebrate the start of a brand new year at the #RunMarana Egg Nog Jog and Kid’s Free Fun Run. Details: 7 a.m. check-in; Crossroads at Silverbell District Park, 7548 N. Silverbell Road; $30, kids free; maranaaz.gov/ recreation.

• Celebrate 101 Years of New Year’s Eve at the Hotel Congress NYE Party with live entertainment, a complimentary champagne toast, cocktails and a treat from the Seafood Truck.

Details: 8 p.m.; 311 E. Congress St.; $75; 520-622-8848, hotelcongress. com or eventbrite.com.

• Dress in your favorite Roaring 20’s look for the Great Gatsby New Year’s Eve Ball with food, drink, live jazz and a prize for the best-dressed couple. Details: 9 p.m.; House of Bards, 4915 E. Speedway Blvd.; $20$35; 520-327-2011 or eventbrite.com.

• Ring in the New Year at the New Year’s Eve Dance Party with Gigi and The Glow followed by a live DJ. Details: 10 p.m.; Casino del Sol Event Center, 5655 W. Valencia Road; free admission (over age 21 only); casinodelsol.com.

Ranch, 10901 N. Oracle Road; $30, $25 in advance (under 12 free with paying adult); orovalleyaz.gov.

SATURDAY TO SUNDAY, JAN. 12 • Bring the entire family to the annual favorite Holiday Laser Show full of Christmas and seasonal songs.

Details: 3:30 p.m.; Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, 1601 E. University Blvd.; $9, $7 youth/students; 520-621-7827 or flandrau.org.

WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY THROUGH JAN. 2 • Enjoy a lighted holiday stroll among thousands of luminarias, lanterns and poinsettias with festive holiday music playing at Wanderland. Details: 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way; $15, $4 children; 520-326-9686 or tucsonbotanical.org.

TUESDAY TO SUNDAY THROUGH JAN. 9 • Enjoy the Wee Winter Wonderland at the seasonal exhibition Holidays Around the World and Through Time at the Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures. Details: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, noon4 p.m. Sunday (closed Jan. 1); 4455 E. Camp Lowell Drive; $9.50-$11.50, $8 youth/students; 520-881-0606 or theminitimemachine.org.

CHILDREN

SATURDAY, JAN. 1

THURSDAY, JUNE 24 FRIDAY, DEC. 31

• Start your New Year’s resolutions with the entire family at the Eighth Annual Hot Cocoa 5K Run/Walk with proceeds to benefit Oro Valley’s Round Up for Youth Recreation Scholarship Program.

Details: 11:22 a.m.; Steam Pump

• Welcome in the new year before bedtime with arts and crafts and a ball drop at Happy Noon Year!

Details: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Children’s Museum Tucson, 200 S. Sixth Ave.; $9; 520-797-9987 or childrensmuseumtucson.org.

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Listening Log: Our favorite music from 2021 Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

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arlier this month, we counted down our favorite local albums of the year. But in the interest of fairness (we realize not all cities can produce as much great music as Tucson), we’re now listing our very favorite albums from 2021, regardless of where they came from. Although basically everything else this year was gummed up

Area duo Sweet Trip released their first album in more than a decade this year, but sound fresh as ever. “A Tiny House” is a beautiful, technical blend of pop and electronic music, with every guitar strum and glitchy freakout scrutinized. Songs like “Surviving a Smile,” “Chapters,” and “Walkers Sweet Trip A Tiny House, In Secret Beware!” are some of the most lush and harmoniSpeeches, Polar Equals ous tracks we heard all One of the most de- year, thanks to excellent serving cult bands re- production and their vived by the internet, Bay combination of male and or descending into chaos, one bright light was just how much great music came out. There were debuts, comebacks, and continuations of great careers. Let’s hope 2022 resets a lot of things, but keeps the great music coming.

if you missed him, this new album (especially that title track!) is a fine substitute for that live energy.

Low HEY WHAT female singing. Their gorgeous music is a bit tough to capture, but very easy to take in. The album cover, with the musicians beside a sprawling mandala and ankle-deep flowers, is a fitting image.

Mdou Moctar Afrique Victime Take a young man from the deserts of Niger, add a passion for rock ’n’ roll, a bit of ingenuity, and a whole lot of perseverance, and you have one of the most exciting guitarists alive today. In a totally self-trained playing style, Moctar captures the African sands with warm, psychedelic guitar tones, nimble playing, and hypnotic jams. As far as African music goes—and I admit I’m talking out of my ass here—this is easily digestible to the Western listener, especially those who have a penchant for Hendrix or Clapton. For an album about the plundering of a continent, it’s quite groovy. Moctar actually played in Tucson before the pandemic, but

er, who records under about two dozen aliases, can seemingly conquer any music genre he puts his mind to, and his latest album shows off this talent in spades. Songs on this weird and wonderful collection jump from alternative rock to dreamy pop to outright Dixieland, but often center around deadpan delivery over tight, trip-hop drums. This has drawn comparisons everywhere from Beck to Ween to Tom Waits. Really, the unifying factor is Miller’s personality teetering between depressed barfly and cartoon villain.

Former indie rock band Low continue the noisy, experimental trajectory of their past two albums, reaching new creative (and sonic) peaks. For the first time, the band consists of only Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, but they’ve never sounded larger. The songs here jump between blasts of noise and haunting isolated vocals, resulting in an intense yet spiritual listening journey. Songs like “Days Like These” and “More” are a kind of industrial-meets-gospel, with massive walls of guitar dominating every register. The fact a pretty Natalia Lafourcade underground band like Un Canto por México, Low received a GramVol. 2 my nomination for this album’s production just Mexico City singer shows how large a musical achievement HEY Natalia Lafourcade continues telling the stories WHAT is. of her home country with poise and passion. A Lil Ugly Mane Volcanic Bird Enemy and singer/songwriter album on the surface, Un Canto the Voiced Concern por México stretches furDon’t let the “Lil” de- ther than the individual ceive you; this is not a thanks to a large roster rap album. Travis Mill- of guest musicians, lush

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Explorer and Marana News, Dec 29, 2021

Bronson

Sufjan Stevens & Angelo de Augustine A Beginner’s Mind

instrumentals and a variety of folktales. But the core remains Lafourcade.

Whether she’s performing ranchera, flamenco, bolero or mariachi music, she sings with a calm determination as if obligated to tell the stories of Mexico (both volumes are over an hour). This rich collection of acoustic, borderlands ballads shows why Lafourcade has had enduring success in the Latin music sphere.

Magdalena Bay Mercurial World The debut album from electronic duo Magdalena Bay is a celebration of all things digital. The songs are packed with detailed synthesizers; the music videos appropriate internet design; and the band’s entire aesthetic is based around a sleek, futuristic look. The music even sounds chrome, for cryin’ out loud. But none of this results in a lack of humanity. Mica Tenenbaum’s vocals are passionate and gripping, even while being swallowed up by Matthew Lewin multi-layered production. Songs like “Secrets,” “Chaeri” and “You Lose” show us we’ll never be divorced from this new, technological world, but manage to get us dancing anyway.

If you know who Sufjan Stevens is, then you already know what to expect. But for the uninitiated, this album is a worthy entry in the career of one of the most celebrated modern indie musicians. For “A Beginner’s Mind,” Stevens and Augustine watched a variety of movies as inspiration, resulting in delicate folk and pop songs based on everything from “Mad Max” to “Silence of the Lambs.” But you’d never know that just by listening to the music. The songs are inline with Stevens’ soft, sublime folk tunes. The songs do have some diversity, such as the soaring chorus in “Back to Oz” or the unexpectedly electronic outro to “Lady Macbeth in Chains,” but the majority is a pleasant, melodic blend of two musicians making a perfect collaboration.

Emile Mosseri Minari While the movie “Minari” technically came out last year, the movie’s soundtrack was officially released in 2021 so we’re including it here.

While there are a lot of things to praise about “Minari” (the story of a Korean family working to survive in rural America in the 1980s), the soundtrack is an obvious highlight. Emile Mosseri is turning out to

Continued from P9

be a promising film composer, creating here an uplifting soundtrack that merges layers of piano and strings into warm, ambient layers. I haven’t spent too much time out on the plains, and I still want to set up the family homestead after listening to this optimistic opus.

Ka A Martyr’s Reward New York rapper Ka continues to show why he’s one of the most thought-provoking and unique MCs in the game.

Continuing an excellent streak of albums inspired by (among other things) Greek mythology, Samurai codes, and Bible stories, A Martyr’s Reward hones in on the dark street scenes from Ka’s earlier work. In his signature deadpan singing style over typically drumless instrumentals, Ka maintains his role as one of the greatest lyricists in modern hiphop. Lines like “If this art ain’t churning from your heart, you shouldn’t murmur it / You fittin’ to freeze if you ain’t committing the deeds that’s earning it” show Ka’s great mix of pen game and street smarts.

Having one main regional provider also makes sense from a water conservation standpoint.

Through our long-standing agreement with the city of Tucson, we’ve been able to maximize water reusage for irrigation and landscaping purposes. Treated water that isn’t immediately reused is released into the Santa Cruz River supporting an aquatic ecosystem and replenishing our groundwater resources.

Our sense of regional cooperation also expends to how we fund roadway expansions and improvements.

Beginning in the mid1990s, we saw the need for improvements and capacity enhancements.

Because the need was shared by everyone in the county, we sought ways to address the issue regionally. This was important because so many people regularly drive on roads that transcend political jurisdictions.

After long discussions with the other governments in the county, we settled on what ultimately became the 1997 HURF Bond package. In that plan, the County borrowed against our future shares of gas taxes to fund roadway improvements across the County. Because the bond debt was paid using a Countywide secondary property tax, we worked with our partners to create a plan that spread the asphalt and

concrete to all the jurisdictions in the county.

Our innovative regional approach to bond financing, along with our greater capacity and superior bond rating, was so successful that voters approved three more packages to fund parks, public safety, sewer improvements, open space protections, and more, all to the benefit of everyone in Pima County.

Even the state was forced to take note of our successful regional approach to infrastructure funding. A 2012 Legislature-mandated audit pronounced our shared-obligation approach a model for the rest of the state.

Another major roadway funding plan also could never have been possible without cooperation across jurisdictions.

The Regional Transportation Authority Plan, narrowly passed in 2006, required support from all the cities and towns in Pima County to be a success. Knowing how important this transportation improvement plan was for the region, we and our partners in the city of Tucson, in an effort to get all the jurisdictions on board, voluntarily relinquished our right to have weighted representation on the RTA Board in favor of a one-vote-per-jurisdiction system.

We did this because we knew that funding desperately needed roadway projects would benefit everyone in the region. For us, this was more important than exerting political control over the RTA governing board.

We also extended

the spirit of regionalism into supporting human infrastructure.

In 2006, we took over operations of the library from the city. This made financial sense at the time and has proven in many ways to have been the right decision.

Libraries are much more than books on shelves, although that is an important function.

Libraries create community building opportunities for people. From hosting child-focused activities, to offering meeting spaces for clubs and organizations, to providing a free resource for the public to conduct research, libraires offer something for the entire community.

What’s more, sharing this burden across the entire county has allowed for the construction of additional libraries, improved facilities, and expanded services creating a better and more cost-effective system.

In the past year, there has been a move in some quarters to abandon regionalism for a more goalone approach. Given the successes of regionalism the past 30 years, this move away from cooperative governments doesn’t make a lot of sense.

At every turn it has been more regionalism and more cooperation that has made us stronger and moved our community forward. Allowing ourselves to descend into parochial squabbles and territorial feuds with our neighbors over roads or water will only divide us and tear down the collective accomplishments of our communities.

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SPORTS EXTRA POINT WITH TOM DANEHY &RECREATION Tucson is part of the fun for this year’s college bowl season Tom Danehy

Special to Tucson Local Media

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ollege football bowl season is in full swing and even though games have been going on since Dec. 17, almost two weeks ago, we still have 19 bowl games to go, nearly half of the ridiculous total of 43(!) games. Tucson’s very own bowl is just a couple days away. Before we get to that, here’s a look at some other bowl stuff.

Every year, sponsors for bowl games come and go. We’ve had Tostitos and Weedeaters, Bitcoin to Beef O’ Brady’s. We understand that these businesses pay big bucks for the naming rights to bowl games and are essential to the games even happening, but gee whiz!

In just the past 10 years, we’ve had the Duck Commander Independence Bowl, the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl, the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl, the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl, the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, and our very own Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl.

This year’s hands-down

winner for most-interesting name is the Union Home Loan Gasparilla Bowl. The game is named for the mythical pirate Jose Gaspar, who may or may not have operated out of the Tampa area.

Tampa holds a Gasparilla Pirate Festival every year.

From 2017-19, the game was called the Bad Boy Mower Gasparilla Bowl.

Obviously, there are 86 teams playing in bowl games this year. That’s far more than half of the number of teams in the top Division in NCAA football. All a team has to do is finish at .500 or better to be bowl-eligible. (In the past, there have been a handful of 6-7 or even 5-7 teams make it to bowls because the slots had to be filled somehow.)

While it seems pretty easy to make a bowl game, the Arizona Wildcats would have needed five more wins to have become bowl eligible. It’s going to be a couple (or more) years before Wildcat fans can start dreaming about going bowling.

Here’s a weird Tucson tie-in for one of the bowls: The Jimmy Kimmel L.A. Bowl was held on Dec. 18, pitting Oregon State against Utah State. Ap-

parently, it’s the first-ever bowl game named for a living person. (There was a game in Oklahoma back in the late 1940s named for Will Rogers, who had died in a plane crash in the 1930s.)

It’s a truly weird showbiz marriage between a game played in L.A. and one of the better-known Angelenos. But Jimmy wasn’t always an L.A. guy. For a time, he was partnered with legendary deejay Mike Elliott on KRQ here in Tucson.

The three of us used to do the radio show together and then, since the workday was done at 9 a.m., we would play a lot of golf. Jimmy almost killed my son one time. Alexander was 4 at the time. He was holding onto an upright bar on the backside of Jimmy’s golf cart when Jimmy floored it and roared down the cart path at Tucson National. Somehow, Alexander maintained his grip on the bar and, for a time, was horizontal like a flag blowing in the wind at Wrigley Field.

There’s another golf story that I promised Jimmy I would tell on his show someday. At first he thought it would be cool, but then changed his

The Arizona Wildcats would have needed five more wins to have become bowl eligible.

mind. He said if I ever tell the story, he knows people who are like real-life Sopranos.

We’re a couple days away from the Arizona Bowl, presented by Barstool Sports. There will be festivities aplenty.

There’s a press conference today which I will not be attending because it would mean having to wear long pants. Plus, they’re usually really boring. But tomorrow the fun stuff starts. There will be a pep rally for the two teams in front of the downtown library beginning at 5 p.m.

Then, on Friday morning, bright and early at 8, there will be the Barstool Sportsbook Tailgate Festival. Yes, tailgating at 8 a.m. on New Year’s Eve Day, when you know that you’re going to be up well past midnight, ushering in the New Year. There will be food vendors, purveyors of beer, a car show, and live entertainment.

The actual game, pitting Boise State against Central Michigan, will start around noon. Pregame highlights will include a flyover by A-10 jets from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and sky-

Courtesy Photo

divers descending onto the field in Arizona Stadium. The game will be streamed live by Barstool, but will not be on any television or cable station.

Finally, after the game, you head downtown for the Taco Bell New Year’s Eve Bowl Bash. There will be food trucks and beverages of all strengths available. At midnight, they will have the famous Taco Drop, followed by fireworks from the roof of Hotel Congress. The Bowl Bash is free and open to all ages.

Sounds like fun.

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Athlete of the Week: Ironwood Ridge’s Emilee DeGrood Tom Danehy

Special to Tucson Local Media

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few years back, Emilee DeGrood (and her parents) had a decision to make. The all-around athlete had led her Immaculate Heart volleyball and basketball teams to great finishes in the Catholic middle-school league and her club softball team was also doing quite well.

Would she stay put and move up to the high school at Immaculate Heart, where she would play volleyball for the 1A-South Coach of the Year and basketball in one of the top smallschool programs in the entire state or enroll at her local public school and take her chances there? In the end, for a variety of reasons, she chose the latter.

“One thing that was important,” she explains, “is that Immaculate Heart had great volleyball and basketball programs, with really great coaches, but there was no softball program and I really liked softball.”

In her first year at Ironwood Ridge, she was a starter on the freshman (now known as JV/B)

volleyball, basketball and softball teams. But, as often happens to athletes at the bigger schools, pressure is applied— sometimes by peers, sometimes by coaches, sometime by family members—to narrow things down to one sport.

“I really enjoyed playing (multiple) sports, but it gets hard to compete for a spot on a team when everybody else is just doing that sport yearround. Volleyball players play during the season, then they play club, then they play beach in the spring. Softball players do ASA all summer…”

Her voice trails off.

Emilee chose basketball, not necessarily her favorite sport, but certainly what she is best at. “It was hard giving the other sports up, but Ironwood Ridge is a big school and a lot of people want to play on the sports teams. (Nighthawk) softball wins state championships, volleyball goes to state every year, and a lot of those girls are year-rounders. I had to make a choice.”

But this is not necessarily a happily-ever-after story. At maybe 5’ 4”, genetics assigned her to the point guard po-

sition a long time ago.

Ironwood Ridge Coach Daron Cross decided on a different kid as his point and Emilee is buried deep on the Nighthawk bench. In fact, as a junior, she’s still playing JV. (The Arizona Interscholastic Association allows players to play up to six quarters of basketball in one day. A player could do two quarters in the freshman/sophomore game, two in the JV game, and two in the varsity game.)

Emilee plays all four quarters in the JV game and then is available for two quarters in the varsity game.

It’s certainly not what she had hoped would happen, but she’s still playing ball and really likes her teammates.

She sometimes wonders what would have happened if she had chosen one of the other sports.

She doesn’t wonder what would have happened if she had stayed at her old school. Due to low numbers and interest, Immaculate Heart doesn’t have a girls’ basketball team this year.

She’s certain that she got that decision right.

Oro Valley Photography Competition Now Open Nicole Feltman Tucson Local Media

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he Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance and the town of Oro Valley have partnered up to capture the unique beauty Oro Valley through a lens with another round of the Oro Valley Photography Competition.

This competition, which launched in 2020, has attracted more than 300 entries from photographers of all ages.

The three main categories for the 2022 competition will be People, Places

Two honorable mention ribbons will be handed out for each category. There will be a special youth award for photographers under 18 years of age, including a cash prize.

Submit your entries before 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022.

& Nature, and Animal & Wildlife.

You can submit up to three photos in each category through the orovalleyphotos.com website.

Cash prizes will be handed out to the first, second and third place winners in each category.

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WWII veteran and COVID survivor Col. Richard Bushong recently celebrated his 98th birthday at the Pima Air and Space Museum, where he has volunteered for 29 years. A veteran of both WWII and the Vietnam War, Bushong is seen here sitting beneath the B-17 bomber he flew multiple missions in. Read more on page 12.

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Ducey lifts COVID restrictions but health officials warn it is too early to let guard down

mask mandates, while events of more than 50 people would no longer require permission from local governments. ov. Doug Ducey lifted all Ducey also said requirements coronavirus restrictions for businesses to limit occupancy last week regarding local and take other steps to reduce the ordinances, businesses and spread of COVID would shift to events. recommendations and bars could Ducey said he would block now operate at full capacity. local jurisdictions from enacting Ducey noted the state’s on-

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going vaccination efforts—as of Monday, March 29, at least 2 million Arizonans had been given COVID-19 vaccines and 1.2 million were fully vaccinated. In addition, hospitalizations had decreased considerably since the January peak during the winter wave.

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Kara Riley reflects on one year as Oro Valley Police Chief J G Tucson Local Media

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aking charge of a police department with more than 100 officers is no easy feat even during a good year.

But Oro Valley Police Chief Kara Riley’s first year on the job included a pandemic, nationwide protests, natural disasters and shifting regulations.

In the law enforcement profession for nearly 30 years, Riley says 2020 turned out to be the most rewarding of her profession.

“We were really put to task and had some difficult, difficult times,” Riley said. “These challenges were things that haven’t been experienced in the law enforcement profession in many years, and the pandemic was just one of them.”

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ore than a hundred shelter animals awaiting adoption are now a little more comfortable — and stylish — thanks to a donation from Cathey’s Sewing & Vacuum to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona.

The donations are part of Cathey’s annual Christmas-In-July sewing event, where customers and staff create specialized items

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O. After ,  weeks of stalling, Gov. Ducey agrees to allow Pima County to

for local nonprofits. In addition, Cathey’s also raises funds for the selected nonprofit from raffles and events. This year, the Humane Society of Southern Arizona received 165 pet bandanas, 85 cat beds and $3,250.

“Every year we try to choose a different nonprofit, as locally oriented as possible, with a sewing challenge we can connect them to,” said owner Donny Cathey. “Often it’s not too difficult to come up with

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something for a charity… Animals touch everyone’s lives, so to support a charity that helps house and support animals is always worthwhile.” The sewing takes place during Cathey’s Saturday classes, and culminates in awards given to the volunteers who are most artistic and go above-and-beyond. During the finale, attendees vote on their favorites and the best use of embroidery to decide the winners.

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or more than nine weeks Arizona has seen an exponential increase in COVID-19 cases and public health experts predict the surge would likely exceed cases and hospitalizations seen last summer 2020.

In his latest COVID-19 forecast updated Aug. 14, Dr. Joe Gerald, an epidemiologist with the UA Zuckerman School of Public Health, reported Arizona has a rate of transmission of 255 cases per 100,000 individuals per week as of Aug. 8 and would likely soon exceed the rates seen during the summer of 2020, of 409 cases per 100,000 residents.

“While I am hopeful we will not reach the levels seen in the winter of 2021, the experience of other states (e.g., Louisiana) combined with inaction of our local and state officials suggests this may be wishful thinking,” said Gerald.

“Another wave of cases and hospitalizations caused by the Delta variant is now certain; the only question remaining is just how big.”

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Lawsuit: Fertility doctor fathered his patients’ children | Page 4 • UA assistant professor’s book becoming a movie | Page 9

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As you were

A new startup business out of the University of Arizona is getting to the science behind bad dog breath, and how to cure it with specialized bacteria.

Pictured are co-founders Eric Lyons and Scott Zentack. Read more on page 6.

Experts say vaccinated people can resume most activities | Page 4

Past the worst of it

UA researcher ends COVID reports | Page 5

2020 in the rearview Looking back at the biggest local stories from an unprecedented year| Page 2

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Desert Heart, Mountain Soul | Page 9

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Lawmaker threatens to sue recall proponents C D Tucson Local Media

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tate Rep. Mark Finchem sent a “cease and desist” order to the group petitioning for his recall, threatening to sue the group for defamation.

The Republican, who represents District 11, faces a recall by Rural Arizonans for Accountability, a group of his district’s constituents, for spreading voter fraud conspiracy theories and his ties to the “Stop the Steal” rioters at the Jan. 6 Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Natali Fierros, co-executive

Director of Rural Arizona Action, said they were approached by Finchem’s constituents to help organize the recall. “We exist to empower people, regular folks who are involved in the democratic system and really recalling an elected official is a power reserved for the people of Arizona by our state’s constitution,” said Fierros.

“If enough registered voters sign that petition and they agree that Finchem does lack integrity, that he is dangerous and an ineffective legislator, then it goes to the voters in that district to get a chance to vote on whether or not they

should fire him.”

On May 5, the group received a letter from Finchem’s lawyers, which according to the Recall Finchem website, “demands Rural Arizonans for Accountability destroy all campaign materials Finchem incorrectly deems ‘defamatory’ and publish retractions in local newspapers. If not, Finchem’s lawyers promise to sue.”

Rural Arizonans’ lawyers rejected Finchem’s demand and stated they would seek sanctions against him should he sue.

See FINCHEM, P10

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arana High School Salutatorian Diya Patel didn’t sugarcoat the challenges of the last year in her graduation speech last month.

“I think most people would agree with me when I say that this has been a dreadful year,” Patel said. “Graduation speeches in the past have included stories of proms, formals and football games. However, this year we had to adjust to a brand new way of life full of Zoom calls, masks and COVID tests, which consisted of massive Q-tips being shoved up our noses. Instead of reminiscing on a joyful high school experience, we are all sitting here today, collectively taking a deep breath and just being grateful that we’re finally here.”

Patel, like so many other students, longed for a year of normalcy, but instead lived through a pandemic. Patel and fellow Marana Unified School District graduates expressed the woes of trying to graduate while juggling a series of changes beyond their control caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

“This past year, the Class of 2021 proved that we were some of the most adaptable See MARANA, P8

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HOROSCOPE By Holiday Mathis

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ACROSS Blacksmith’s waste 5 More than right … or seldom correct?

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14 “Easy to Be Hard” musical of the late 1960s 15 Bad record to set 16 Original “Veronica Mars” airer 17 Absolute power [chopped] 19 “Annabel Lee” poet 20 Writer Joyce Carol ___ 21 1990s Indian prime minister 22 Ending with ecto- or pachy23 Phrase on many No Trespassing signs [chopped] 27 Including an unlisted number?

28 Brain parts 29 Comic cry of dismay 32 Concerns for golfers 35 Game with scrums 37 Waste minimizers [chopped]

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Member of the British Commonwealth in the Mediterranean 42 Work hard 43 ___ soda 44 Fiery passions 46 Jamaican exports 49 Self-deprecate, then pause to get a reaction [squeezed] 55 Detail-oriented and then some 56 Cartoon cry of dismay 57 Nonsubmerging W.W. II menace 58 Lead-in to an ext.

59 Topping made with this puzzle’s chopped and squeezed ingredients 62 ___ reminder 63 Chump 64 Place 65 Drug in the 1980 film “Altered States” 41

Know Us, Know Your Community

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You command yourself to pay attention to others. Do you also expect them to pay attention to you? Reciprocity is required for balance. Balance is required for sustainability. Relationships last when they are good for everyone. Be direct and clear. Be sure that your needs are, if not served, at least noted.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). “Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense,” said Gertrude Stein, who died before the internet was invented. You’ll limit your exposure to the world of everything this week in order to better know your own natural motivations and inclinations.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’ll do your best work after waking up from uninterrupted sleep. The alarm counts as an interruption in this case. To let your body do what comes naturally shouldn’t be considered a luxury.

Optimal well-being involves getting all the rest and recuperation your body needs, without an ounce of guilt.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Practice never quite makes perfect, though it will move you in a

Crossword Puzzle Answers

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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’re trying to build something beautiful. Whether it’s a relationship, a piece of art or simply a mighty fine lunch, the mere intention to put loveliness in the world makes everyone’s experience better.

Whether you succeed by your own standards is beside the point. Just by attempting, you’ve already won.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). There’s no reason to fear commitment. Oddly enough, restrictions will give you freedom. The same rules and routines that disallow you to go wild and do whatever you want will keep you productively, meaningfully focused. It’s counterintuitive, but you’ll actually feel liberated by your limitations.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’ll make a promise without using the words “I promise.”

Your action will set up a rhythm and an expectation. Before you know it, people are counting on you. It will feel good to be needed.

A strong sense of purpose takes hold. Other benefits include new opportunities and greater self-esteem.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Developments include a shift in your self-concept. Well-aware that your physical form is only part of who you are, you’ll get a strong sense of the evolving landscape of your perceptions and consciousness. You’ll get comfortable with the idea that your identity is in flux as you learn and adapt to a changing world.

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GEMINI (May 21-June 21). There’s only one way to ensure that you’re getting the best deal, the highest quality and in the most abundant quantity available: ask. Those who don’t ask don’t get. And you would be surprised how few actually do ask. It takes boldness. You have courage to burn this week, so use it well.

A I N T I

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SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). How things happen is important but how you remember them is equally important, if not more so. Your story only happens once but it replays numerous times in your head, each run imbued with meanings, associations and clues to your identity. As you look back, work on framing things in a way that empowers you.

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Happiness is a fun thing to experience but a tricky thing to strive for. The pursuit of happiness often backfires.

Most of the happiness you’ll have will be an unexpected find. You’re better off applying yourself to work you find meaningful or making a contribution to something you believe in.

S U P E R E G O S

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1993 Salt-N-Pepa hit 2 2019 N.F.L. M.V.P. Jackson 3 “___ a stinker?”: Bugs Bunny 4 Be in mourning 5 1981 Grammy co-winner for “Double Fantasy” 6 Omaha stake?

7 Little pest 8 Opposite of radial 9 “Neat!”

10 One in a cote with a coat 11 Id checkers 12 Lululemon purchase 13 “Them” 18 Exam for many jrs.

22 World premiere 24 Barbershop supply 25 Rosewater of Kurt Vonnegut’s “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater” 26 Boeuf alternative 29 Skimmer’s target, often 30 Tomfoolery 31 Dark green side dish 33 Brooding style in music or fashion 34 Vice president between Hubert and Gerald 36 Big inits. in handbags 38 Longtime CBS journalist Lesley 39 ___-truths 40 One who may endow a scholarship, informally 45 Concern for one with hypertension 47 Digital video format 48 Real dirtbag 49 Like some flaws 50 Boxer Marciano’s given name 51 Epic mess-up at a critical moment 52 “Seriously!”

53 Yarns 54 Dark beer 59 Nonprofit spot, in brief 60 Secretary of the Interior Haaland 61 #MeToo ___

D E B U T

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DOWN

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Just in case

S

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LIME

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66 Tiny creature on a slide

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S T O U T

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T A L E S

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N O L I E

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B A L L

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U S E L O W N C E A O R O P L O S R P A C I L R U M O M P E D E G E R B A

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O B T N E W P O T E S R A T E P T A L L I E H C O M A T O L S F O R C D O H P I C O S U C K A M O E

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K A L E S A L A D

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A C T R M A Z I N E S S

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good direction. The best part won’t be the progress you make or any result in particular. It’s the enjoyment you get from engaging and striving that makes an effort worthwhile. Bonus: You also develop the most marvelous gut instinct in the process.

F A T A L

1

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Creativity is your quest. Setting up a safe environment for personal expression will be an important step in ramping up your vitality. And remember that this isn’t necessarily about singing, dancing or painting. Any action at all can be creative, especially when approached with a sense of play.

19

Explorer and Marana News, Dec , 

Worship Guide 520.797.4384 BAPTIST

METHODIST

RESURRECTION LUTHERAN CHURCH AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Classifieds@TucsonLocalmedia.com LUTHERAN

LUTHERAN

Changing the world through Christ, by caring for all people

Worship with us!

SUNDAY

8:30 & 10 a.m. in person 10 a.m. online umcstmarks.org/live-worship 1431 W. Magee Rd. (520-297-2062) www.umcstmarks.org

METHODIST

Methodist

VISTA DE LA MONTAÑA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Get the word out!

Please joinWorship us for for In-Person Vista Church Sunday at 10 amand Please join us LIVE! Online service Children’s Sunday School Live Streamed Worship Service Sunday @ 10am @ 10:00am at 10:15 am after the children’s www.vistaumc.org www.vistaumc.org time in the church service or watch anytime using the the previor watch anytime using ous broadcast button! previous broadcast Adult Sunday School –button!

11:15 am Please visit our website and/ 3001 E. Miravista Catalina or VistaUMC onLane, Facebook for Facebookfor viewing and daily updates updates on our our viewing on Locatedand on daily Oracle Rd. between Sunday services. services.

Sunday

Reserve Ad space in your local Worship Directory Call 520-797-4384

LUTHERAN

Wilds Rd. & Golder Ranch Rd.

(520) 825-1985 www.vistaumc.org

11575 N. 1st Ave. Oro Valley, AZ 85737 (520) 575-9901 Welcome to Resurrection Lutheran!

Come join us every Saturday evening or on Sunday for worship!

Oro Valley Location 5:00 pm Saturday evening Worship

7:45 am and 9:15 am Traditional Worship and our 10:45 am Contemporary Worship SaddleBrooke Location

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Online worship available anytime to fit your schedule.

Check our website for more information

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OUR DOORS ARE OPEN!

CATHOLIC

CATHOLIC ST. MARK THE EVANGELIST CATHOLIC CHURCH

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Reconciliation: T-F at 7:30 am, Sat at 3:15 pm and by appointment.

SATURDAY: 4:00 PM Vigil Mass SUNDAY: 7:00 AM 8:30 AM Masks required 10:00 AM 11:30 AM

May the miracle of Christmas fill your heart with joy and peace.

Pray with us.

Newear, Y sed Increa th Fai

Lord God Most High, give us true faith, and help that faith grow daily this new year.

Give us hope and love, so that we may serve our neighbors according to Your Will.

We ask this through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

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Christmas Eve Services

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

Christmas Services or onlin Please join Eve us in-person

Casas Adobes Congregational Church Church An Open and Affirming Congregation of the UCC UCC

Please join usyouin-person No matter who are or whereor youonline are

Dec. 24 journey, at 3:30you pm 7:00 pm on life’s areand welcome here!

Dec. 24 at 3:30 pm and 7:00 pmEve Services Casas Adobes Christmas

Casas Adobes Congregational Church

Join Congregational UsPlease forjoin Church Casas Adobes Congregational Church us in-person or online United Church of Christ United Church of Christ In-Person Dec. 24 and at 3:30 pm and 7:00 pm United Church of Christ6801 North Oracle Rd., Tucson Casas Adobes Congregational Church 6801 North Oracle Rd., Tucson Online Worship Services 6801 North Oracle Rd.,www.caucc.org/christmas Tucson United Church of Christ 6801 North Oracle Rd., Tucson www.caucc.org/christmas www.caucc.org/christmas www.caucc.org/christmas www.caucc.org/welcome/worship Oracle Road Road 520.297.1181 | info@caucc.org | 6801 N. Oracle

20

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Service Directory 520.797.4384

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Explorer and Marana News, Dec , 

Service Directory 520.797.4384

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LANDSCAPE/MAINTENANCE

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Explorer and Marana News, Dec , 

Service Directory Classifieds 520.797.4384

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23

Explorer and Marana News, Dec , 

Tech Talk: Top 10

EXPLORER MARANA NEWS

Continued from P10

versity’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab. “By the time we finish polishing, it will be accurate to better than 25 nanometers. said co-senior author Julie That’s how smooth the surface Miller, an assistant professor has to be in order to make the of neuroscience and speech, sharpest possible images.” language and hearing sciences at UA. Exploration Drones. A team of researchers at the UniTelescope Mirror. The versity of Arizona received a University of Arizona contrib- $3 million grant from NASA uted to the upcoming Giant to develop and test drones Magellan Telescope by casting that may one day explore the a mirror that will be used as surface of Mars. The team is part of the telescope’s prima- led by Christopher Hamilton, ry viewer. In Mach, a giant associate professor at UA’s Lufurnace underneath UA’s Ar- nar and Planetary Laboratory. izona Stadium converted 20 The Rover–Aerial Vehicle Extons of borosilicate glass into ploration Networks (RAVEN) a “honeycomb mirror” mea- drones will be tested in Icesuring 27.6 feet in diameter. land to explore volcanic terThe UA furnace began heat- rains that are similar to those ing the glass on March 1 and observed on Mars. NASA’s reached more than 2,000 de- process for planetary explogrees Fahrenheit on March 6. ration traditionally involved The furnace also rotated at five four steps: flyby, orbit, land revolutions per minute, so as and rove. Now, the RAVEN the glass melted, it was forced team is adding fly to that list. outward and up the sides of According to UA, a major the mold to form a curved sur- challenge in exploring young face. At peak temperature, the volcanic terrains on Mars is glass took on the consistency that the surfaces are too rough of honey and flowed into the for a traditional rover to tramold to form the honeycomb verse. RAVEN will open new structure. The mirror then opportunities for exploration entered a monthlong “anneal- by enabling a rover and drone ing” process where the molten to work together. The drone glass cooled while the furnace will provide reconnaissance spun at a slower rate in order to scout the best path forward, to “remove internal stresses and even be able to collect and and toughen the glass.” The return remote samples that Giant Magellan Telescope is are inaccessible to the rover. currently under construction RAVEN will also serve as a in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Six platform for new technologies off-axis pieces and a central such as 3D terrain imaging. on-axis segment will form the In addition, the drones will final 80-foot mirror, and con- be equipped with a prototype tribute to the GMT’s power grabbing device that can pick being 10 times greater than the up rocks and return samples to Hubble Space Telescope. Ac- the associated rover. cording to UA, once the GMT “It is a testament to the Unibecomes fully operational, it versity of Arizona’s long-standwill have a light collecting area ing track record in planetary of 3,961 square feet, enough exploration that NASA conto see the torch engraved on tinues to trust our experts with a dime from nearly 100 miles finding solutions to some of away. Commissioning of the our biggest challenges,” said telescope is scheduled to begin UA President Robert Robbins in 2029. in a press release. “RAVEN is “The polishing and con- no exception, as this project is stant measuring are what turn part of the bold vision to land this amazing piece of glass into humans on Mars in the nota mirror,” said Buddy Martin, too-distant future.” polishing scientist at the uni-

520.797.4384

“The fact that NASA tasked Dr. Mainzer and her group with the scientific leadership of this mission is a direct testament to her incredible leadership and expertise, as well as our university’s strong foundation in infrared astronomy,” said UA President Robert C. Robbins. “With NEO Surveyor, we are embarking on a project that transcends basic research and directly tackles one of humankind’s grand challenges: keeping our planet safe from devastating asteroid impacts.”

Classifieds@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Proctor is a geology professor at South Mountain Community College, a science communicator who has appeared on multiple TV shows, and on Sept. 16, became the first Black woman to ever pilot a spacecraft. Proctor earned her role as mission pilot by winning an entrepreneur competition.

As the second-in-command, Proctor was “responsible for calling up checklists, monitoring systems and executing commands.”

Attack Asteroids. Furthering their partnership with NASA, the University of Arizona was selected to lead a mission to “find, track and characterize” asteroids and comets that may pose a threat to Earth. UA professor of lunar and planetary science Amy Mainzer is leading the Near-Earth Object Surveyor mission, which uses an infrared space telescope to identify potentially hazardous asteroids and comets that come within 30 million miles of Earth’s orbit. Asteroids and comets in this range are classified as near-earth objects, or NEOs. NASA has previously identified an estimated 90% of all NEOs larger than 1,000 meters. This new mission aims to identify 90% of NEOs larger than 140 meters within a decade. There are currently more than 25,000 near-Earth asteroids and comets identified.

These types of celestial bodies are widely considered to have had major impacts on Earth’s history, both geologically and biologically. The mission will use infrared sensors to detect asteroids and comets that have been warmed up by the sun. Searching for asteroids by sensing their heat emission allows astronomers to not only detect their location and speed, but also to compute their size.

Aviary Autotune. Scientists at the University of Arizona demonstrated they could use a tiny, wireless device attached to a bird’s head to rapidly change the pitch of their songs, which may lead to better understanding of speech in the human brain. Based out of the UA’s College of Engineering, the science team is studying songbirds because they are one of the few species that “share humans’ ability to learn new vocalizations.” The devices, created in assistant professor of biomedical engineering Philipp Gutruf’s lab, modulate neuron groups in the bird’s brain, changing song pitch. UA says the team’s next goal is to expand device capabilities to also record neuron activity. This could allow researchers to visualize brain activity during song learning and performance to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying brain mechanisms.

The paper “Wireless battery free fully implantable multimodal recording and neuromodulation tools for songbirds” was published in Nature Communications.

“Because of the small size and lightweight, the birds can move freely and live permanently with the implant without affecting their behavior or health, which opens up many possibilities to study the basis for vocal communication,”

24

Explorer and Marana News, Dec 29, 2021