Explorer, Jan. 12, 2022

EXPLORER The Voice of Marana, Oro Valley and Northwest Tucson

Jan. 12, 2022

Volume 29 • Number 2

High Note Oct. 7, 2020

The Tucson Jazz Festival returns with indoor and outdoor performances | Page 15

INSIDE

Wheels for Kids, a local nonprofit affiliated with Vistoso Cycling, recently surpassed 4,000 refurbished bikes donated to local children in need. The group works with more than 30 Southern Arizona nonprofits to “put a smile on the face of a kid who might otherwise never experience the joy of riding a bike.” Read more below.

Border Patrol

Audit: Equipment outdated

| Page 8

Liven Up

Photo courtesy of Wheels for Kids

Art as a form of recovery | Page 14

Sports & Rec Basketball and Athlete of the Week | Page 17 $

Health workers plead with community as COVID cases skyrocket Alexandra Pere Tucson Local Media

Nonprofit celebrates 4,000 bikes donated to local children Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

T

ucson regularly ranks as one of the best cities in the nation for cycling, but some local children aren’t able to appreciate the joy of a bike. However, one local nonprofit has worked for

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more than a decade to refurbish and donate bikes to kids in need.

Last month, Wheels for Kids celebrated their 4,000th bike donated, and don’t see an end in sight to the deliveries.

“It would be hard to count all the thank yous and hugs we’ve received from kids and nonprof-

D

its,” said Tom Terfehr, president of Wheels for Kids. “Often there are tears, and sometimes there’s even tears from donors who are sad to see their bike go, but happy to make sure it’s going to a good cause.”

ue to the fast-spreading Omicron variant, Arizona saw more than 45,000 new COVID cases reported between Friday, Jan. 7, and Sunday, Jan. 9.

Here in Pima County, there were 6,003 new cases over the same time period, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Dr. Joe Gerald, the University of Arizona Zuckerman College of Public Health epidemiologist who has been tracking Arizona’s COVID outbreak since its earliest days,

See WHEELS FOR KIDS, P4

See COVID, P6

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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 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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Copyright:The entire contents of Explorer/Marana News are CopyrightTimes Media Group . No portion may be reproduced in whole or part by any means without the express written permission of the Publisher,Tucson Local Media, 7225 N. Mona Lisa Rd., Ste. 125,Tucson, AZ 85741.

Hot Picks

Rumors. This 1988 play by Neil Simon is a modern comedy classic, and Live Theatre Workshop is delivering it to Tucson to get us laughing this month. It’s the story of a farcical dinner party gone terribly wrong— starting with the host shooting himself (just a flesh wound, though!) As people gather for the anniversary dinner party, the man’s lawyer and wife try to get their story straight, but find themselves in a web of confusions and miscommunications that just keeps getting worse.

7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays through Feb. 12. On Feb. 12, there is a matinee in place of an evening show. Live Theatre Workshop, 3322 E. Fort Lowell Road. $23 GA, $21 military/senior/ student, $15 Thursdays and previews.

Licorice Pizza. The Loft Cinema is screening the new film by director Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights). It’s a humorous and sentimental homage to growing up in 1970s LA, a world of sideburns, waterbeds, ascots and The Doors. Although based around high schoolers, the film features some great performances by Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper, Tom Waits and more.

1 & 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. loftcinema.org Tucson International Jewish Film Festival. We love a film

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

fest! And we also love that the hosts of this festival have decided to keep things virtual for another year in order to protect the community. This fest lasts more than a month, and aims to inspire Jewish values, life and learning to honor the rich history and bright future of Judaism. Most films have a 72-hour window in which you must start watching. Then, once you start, you have 72 hours to complete the film (if you need to pause it and come back, for example). This week, they’re showing The Crossing, The Good Traitor and On Broadway. Both festival passes and individual film tickets are sold per household. A festival pass (12 feature length-films, a mini series, six shorts and all post-film program) is $120. Individual event tickets are $12. Visit tucsonfilm.eventive.org for more info.

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February is Heart Health Month. Let’s get moving!

Let’s take advantage of the fabulous southern Arizona weather, and get moving! Regardless of your age or athletic ability, here are a few suggestions that may help you to keep your heart healthy.

• Park your vehicle in a parking space that is further from your destination so that you are forced to walk a few steps further.

• Take your family out for a walk around your neighborhood.

• If you’re a pet lover but don’t have one of your own, see if you can walk your neighbor’s dog.

• Ride your bike instead of your car on a day when you don’t have to go an exceptional distance. Don’t forget your helmet!

• If you have children, try jump roping

or hop scotch. These classic games are sure to get your heart pumping and you can involve your kids.

• Turn on music and try to dance through two or three of your favorite songs.

With these easy and fun activities you can get moving and will surely feel the benefits from a little physical activity.

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

Wheels for Kids Continued from P1

Terfehr has volunteered with Wheels for Kids for seven years. As with many of their volunteers, Terfehr became involved when he was looking for ways to give back to the community during retirement.

He connected with the nonprofit’s founder, Dick Swain, and learned about bike repair.

“As the saying goes, one thing led to another,” Terfehr said. “I started as a mechanic. Next thing you know, I was picking up bikes, and then I was on the board of directors, and then I was the president…

Dick really had a vision, and we still do, and that’s to put a smile on the face of a kid who might otherwise never experience the joy of riding a bike.”

Wheels for Kids’ process begins with donors offering bikes to the nonprofit.

The bikes range from nearly new to well-worn, and come from anywhere between SaddleBrooke and Green Valley. Wheels for Kids’ pickup team collects the bikes and stores them on a property offered by Sun City. Then, the nonprofit’s 25 mechanics work out of their garages to refurbish the bikes.

“We have a 20-foot container that is filled

with bike parts and components. Everything from tubes to tires to spokes to rims to handlebars. And that inventory will rival any bike shop,” Terfehr said. “Our objective is to have that bike looking better than when it left the factory when we donate it to a kid.”

The refurbishing always ends with a fresh coat of wax for an extra shine.

Then, the Wheels for Kids outreach team (led by Tom’s wife, Lisa) works with more than 30 local nonprofits to find the right home for the bike. Wheels for Kids has donated bikes to Aviva Family and Children’s Services, Casa de los Niños, Boys & Girls Club, Refugee and Immigration Services and more. In total, Wheels for Kids has a

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network of roughly 40 volunteers, most of whom are also members of the Vistoso Cyclists.

“We consider ourselves to be in the recycling business as well as the business of giving bikes to kids,” Terfehr said.

Terfehr estimates the nonprofit spends roughly $15,000 per year on parts.

They also give away a helmet and lock with each bike, to promote safety for the kids.

“The children are absolutely thrilled to receive a ‘new’ bike,” said Grace Stocksdale, executive director of the nonprofit More Than a Bed, which receives dozens of bikes annually. “Every bike that we get from Wheels is absolutely great quality, looks like a new bike. Some are vintage, some are dirt bikes, and some appear to be racing bikes, just in beautiful condition.”

More Than a Bed provides essential items to foster, kinship and adoptive families. Since 2014, More Than a Bed has helped more than 2,000 foster children receive necessary items in their goal of giving every child a safe place to call home.

“Wheels has been such a blessing to [More Than a Bed] and the children we serve,” Stocksdale said. “Nothing but praises and gratitude for the organization.”

Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson has also received dozens of bikes from Wheels for Kids, which are then distributed between all six of their area clubhouses.

“It’s always super exciting when the kids get their

Photo courtesy of Wheels for Kids

bikes,” said Melissa Hanson Royer, director of marketing and communications for Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson. “Sometimes it will be during special times of the year, like during the holidays… Some of them may have had a bike that was too small for them, so it’s always nice to see them with a new bike that actually fits them. Some of the kids even learn how to ride bikes and about bike safety thanks to the donations.”

In addition to celebrating their 4,000th bike, Wheels for Kids is also using the milestone as a thank you to the hard work and dedication of their volunteers.

Terfehr even recalls some creative ways volunteers continued to help during the pandemic. In one instance, a senior citizen at a retirement com-

munity wanted to help but wasn’t able to interact with visitors. To circumvent this, Terfehr says they organized a “clandestine” drop-off and pick-up process where the volunteer was still able to repair the bikes without getting too close to others.

“The point being, that’s the kind of dedication our mechanics and volunteers have. They’re all retirees who can do any number of things, and they choose to do this. We couldn’t do what we do without the support of the community,” Terfehr said. “It’s wonderful to donate 4,000 bikes. That’s 4,000 smiles that weren’t there before.”

For more information, and to donate your own bike to Wheels for Kids, visit VistosoCyclists.

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

Supreme Court to lawmakers: Non-budget laws can’t be in the budget Jeremy Duda Arizona Mirror

A

s lawmakers and Gov. Doug Ducey prepared for the start of the 2022 legislative session last week, the Arizona Supreme Court provided a simple blueprint for how not to craft their budgets.

The lesson is simple: Don’t include laws in the state budget that don’t actually have anything to do with the funding in the state budget.

On Thursday, Jan. 6, the court issued its full opinion on its unanimous ruling from November that struck down substantial portions of last year’s state budget on the grounds that the bills violated a provision of the Arizona Constitution known as the single-subject rule. That provision requires the bills that the legislature passes to encompass a single subject, and for the bill’s title to provide adequate notice about what subjects it pertains to. The provision is intended to prevent a practice known as “logrolling,” in which lawmakers are forced to vote for something they oppose in order to pass another law they support.

Four budget bills were struck down in whole or in part, which

scrapped dozens of new laws covering a wide variety of disparate subjects, including banning public schools from requiring face masks or vaccinations to combat COVID-19, prohibiting the teaching of “critical race theory” in K-12 schools, imposing new requirements for security measures in ballots, changing to dog racing and harness racing permitting requirements, stripping the secretary of state of authority over the state Capitol museum and of her ability to defend the state election laws in court, and changing the state’s definition of what constitutes a newspaper so more publications can publish public notices.

Three of the budget bills that the Arizona School Boards Association challenged will stand, sans the provisions that failed to comply with the title requirement in the single-subject rule.

One of the bills, described only as a budget reconciliation bill for “budget procedures,” was struck down in its entirety.

Justice John Lopez noted in the court’s opinion that the bill, Senate Bill 1819, contains 52 sections that cover 30 distinct subjects. De-

spite the state’s claim that “budget procedures” is a broad concept that covers a wide variety of topics, Lopez wrote that the challenged laws have no relation to the state budget and that they’re “devoid of any reference or significant to budget procedure.”

“Our conclusion is inescapable: SB 1819 contains an array of discordant subjects that are not reasonably connected to one general idea, and certainly not to budget procedures,” Lopez wrote.

The ruling will force lawmakers and governors to dramatically change the way they craft state budgets. For nearly 20 years, budgets have consisted of a primary funding bill, known as a feed bill, and 10-12 budget reconciliation bills.

The intent of those bills, known by the acronym BRBs, is to create laws needed to implement the funding that’s included in the feed bill.

But the provisions that the court struck down have absolutely no relation to any of the funding from the 2021 feed bill, wrote Lopez, who noted that none of the funding from that bill is affected by the laws the justices rejected.

See Budget, P23

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

BRIEFLY BANK OF AMERICA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR STUDENT LEADERS PROGRAM Bank of America is bringing back its Student Leaders summer internship program, where students can support local nonprofits while gaining real-world work experience. Applications for the program are currently open, and the deadline is Friday, Jan. 28.

The Student Leader program is an eight-week paid internship at a local nonprofit organization where students will learn first-hand about “the needs of your community and the critical role nonprofits play.”

Student leaders must

be a junior or senior in high school, legally authorized to work in the US without sponsorship, be a student in good academic standing, and able to participate in a week-long Student Leaders Summit in Washington DC (all expenses paid).

Students also need to obtain a letter of recommendation from a teacher, guidance counselor, or school administrator. Bank of America employees or members of their family are not eligible for nomination.

According to Bank of America, during last summer’s program, two Tucson-based Student Leaders worked with the Boys and Girls Club of Tucson on special projects and learned firsthand how to work in local organizations.

For more information, visit about.bankofamerica. com/en/making-an-impact/ student-leaders

COVID: 45,000 new Arizona cases last week Continued from P1

noted a total of 53,207 Arizonans tested positive for COVID in the week ending Jan. 2, which was more than twice as many as the previous week.

Along with that 120% increase, cases are being diagnosed at 731 per 100,000.

COVID was spreading especially fast among those 15 to 24 years of age, who are seeing rates of 1,005 cases per 100,000, and lowest among those 65 and older, at 407 cases per 100,000. People younger than 15 are averaging 409

cases per 100,000. Those high numbers likely undercount the total number of positive cases because not everyone who gets COVID will get a test, and not everyone who takes an at-home test reports their diagnosis.

The positivity of those getting tested, which dipped down to the 8% range last summer, jumped to 50% and “remains inadequate for public health practice and many cases are going undiagnosed,” according to Gerald in his latest weekly report.

While vaccinated people tend to have less severe bouts with Omicron, hospitals are still facing huge pressure, particularly thanks to unvaccinated patients who make up the majority of those who end up hospitalized with COVID. “While peak occupancy will not reach prior levels, the Delta, and now Omicron, waves have placed much higher levels of chronic stress on our health system,” Gerald wrote. “We have so far seen 146 consecutive days with a combined occupancy >2000 patients whereas the summer 2020 and winter 2021 waves saw 57 and 98 days, respectively. Until last week, we had experienced 37 consecutive days with >3000 combined occupancy whereas the summer 2020 and

winter 2021 waves saw 35 and 78 days, respectively. After a 10-day respite over Christmas-New Years, we are once again >3000 combined occupancy (last 4 days).”

Gerald criticized elected leaders for pursuing business-as-usual policies in the face of the wave. He said “the outcome will be more death and disability than necessary, more death and disability than others in similar circumstances will experience.”

Gerald’s comments were echoed in an open letter signed by more than 1,100 healthcare workers who urged Arizonans to get vaccinated or boosted and called on elected officials and hospital administrators to act to slow the spread.

The healthcare workers, including physicians, nurses, allied healthcare workers, public healthcare professionals and other clinical support staff from across the state of Arizona signed onto the open letter last week demanding more mitigation measures to rapidly reduce the spread of COVID-19 and prevent unnecessary deaths.

They said they were worried about the stress healthcare workers are experiencing as hospitals continue to operate on the edge of capacity and medical professionals face contracting the more transmissible Omi-

cron in their workplace.

“But we’re also suffering as healthcare workers from moral injury after watching our patients, our families, community members suffer despite knowing the suffering is preventable and completely unnecessary,” Dr. Cadey Harrel said. “We are here to say enough is enough. We demand action. It is not too late at this point in time to change course.”

In their letter, the healthcare workers called on hospital administrators to establish stricter statewide visitation policies, including requiring masks, as well as increased testing capacity and new efforts to educate the public about the importance of wearing masks and other mitigation measures to slow COVID’s spread across the state.

“Gov. Doug Ducey’s continued blocking of mitigation strategies in the state has led us to the precipice that we are standing on right now,” Dr. Elizabeth Jacobs said.

In other recent COVID news: • Pima County Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Cullen said last week that the next several weeks will be crucial but she hopes to see case numbers decline later in January.

Thus far, health officials say the Omicron variant is highly

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

transmissible but causes fewer hospitalizations.

“Our new hospital admissions seem to be stabilizing, though our ICU beds continue to be strained and constrained, the same as for our adult medical surgical beds,” Cullen said last week.

Pediatric hospital beds were available for use and Cullen reported that hospitals are seeing more pediatric hospitalizations for seasonal illnesses like RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and influenza than COVID. Although health officials say hospital admissions have stabilized, the healthcare system in Arizona is being pushed to its limit.

• Oro Valley hospital is once again allowing ambulances to bring

cardiac patients to the ER. Due to a staffing shortage, Oro Valley had previously asked ambulances to take cardiac patients to other hospitals, but spokesperson Veronica Apodaca said that was no longer the case.

• A new report published by the Arizona Department of Health Services shows vaccinated Arizonans are at less risk of succumbing to severe symptoms. In November, unvaccinated Arizonans were 4.9 times more likely to test positive for COVID-19 and were 31.1 times more likely to die from COVID-19.

Pfizer released data in early December showing a booster shot can help neutralize the omicron variant.

People are eligible to

receive a booster shot if they completed a twodose COVID-19 vaccination series at least six months prior.

• Following approval from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control, Pima County is now offering Pfizer booster shots to ages 12 and up. The Pfizer vaccine is the only shot approved for those younger than 18.

Two dose COVID-19 vaccination series of Pfizer and Moderna are available at county sites, along with the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine.

Those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are eligible for a booster two months after receiving the shot.

All of these vaccines and the Pfizer booster shots

ORO VALLEY POLICE DOING MAJOR TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT Slow down, speeders! Put away your phone and stop at the next red light.

The Oro Valley Police

Department is launching High Visibility Enforcement (HiVE) deployments to make everyone’s drive safer.

Police will be in the area of Oracle Road and Magee Road from 3 to 6 p.m.

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• As of Monday, Jan. 10, a total of 24,773 Arizonans have died after contracting COVID-19, including 3,242 in Pima County, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

BRIEFLY LOCAL WALMART SUPERCENTERS GET MAKEOVER

Both Marana and Tucson Walmart Supercenters have remodeled several departments to accommodate Tucson residents amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Walmart locations at 8280 N. Cortaro Road and 1650 W. Valencia Road have upgraded departments to help customers save time and money, while also keeping customers and associates of Walmart protected from the COVID-19 virus.

“These upgrades add even greater convenience while also keeping safety top of mind,” Marana store manager Vicente Verdugo said.

Improvements at the Marana Supercenter in-

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clude a new building signage, a Vision Center 2.0, a newly added Mother’s Room, a new register layout with a Grab and Go option, expanded Pickup and Delivery, an updated Auto Care Center, updated lighting and an updated and expanded electronics department.

Improvements at the Tucson Supercenter includes a new building signage, remodeled restrooms, a new register layout with a Grab and Go option, expanded Pickup and Delivery, an updated Auto Care Center, updated apparel department, an updated Auto Care Center, updated lighting and flooring, and an updated and expanded electronics, home, deli and tools department.

Walmart Supercenter offers pickup, delivery, and express delivery services.

You can access these services through Walmart.com or via the Walmart app. Walmart also offers Walmart Pay, a touch free way to pay.

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

Audit: Border Patrol hampered by outdated technology, flawed evaluation of new equipment Miriam Ordoñez Cronkite News

U

.S. Customs and Border Protection is lagging in updated technology and staff needed to secure the 1,954-mile Southwest border with Mexico, according to a February inspector general’s audit by the Department of Homeland Security.

Customs and Border Protection has acquired just 28% of the new technology planned for border detections, despite receiving $743 million for such upgrades since 2017.

The audit said CBP lacks tools, technologies and manpower, as well as a reliable way to assess the effectiveness of the equipment in use.

“Shifting priorities, construction delays, a lack of available technology solutions, and funding constraints hindered CBP’s planned deployments,” the audit said.

“Consequently, most

Southwest Border Patrol sectors still rely predominantly on obsolete systems and infrastructure with limited capabilities.”

But the Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector of Arizona, one of the busiest for apprehending undocumented migrants and contraband, seems to be in better shape than many of the other stations.

The February audit shows the 262-mile Tucson Sector has deployed 84 of 97 planned tower and surveillance upgrades since 2014, while Big Bend, Del Rio, and El Paso sections have completed none. This leaves border sectors vulnerable to criminal activities, the report said.

Kevin Hecht, a CBP agent in Nogales, said his station is the busiest in the Tucson Sector, which runs from the New Mexico-Arizona border to the Yuma County line, and operates well with the equipment it has. That includes integrated towers that detect people in

rural areas with sensors, remote video surveillance and mobile surveillance systems, such as laser illuminators to see during the night.

“So we are a little bit more advanced since we were the first to receive all this, and then we get the updates based on those advancements,” Hecht said. “We’re not based on whatever report you read.

I think we’re a little bit beyond that because we were one of the first stations to receive the newer technologies.”

Since fiscal 2017, CBP has received nearly $7 billion in appropriations for procurements, construction, and improvements along the Southern border, the vast majority for border wall construction.

The Department of Home Security called the use of technology “an invaluable force multiplier” for keeping the border secure.

The February audit also said CBP lacks technology for detecting tun-

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nels and tunneling. And vacant positions in the agency make it difficult to fully use surveillance technology, as well as maintain IT systems and infrastructure. The report shows 1,324 hiring vacancies along the Southwest border, including 167 vacancies out of 3,658 assigned agents for the Tucson Sector.

“Overall, these deficiencies have limited CBP’s ability to detect and prevent the illegal entry of noncitizens who may pose threats to national security,” the audit said.

“Deploying adequate technologies is essential for CBP to ensure complete operational control of the southern border.”

Numerous audit reports during the past few years have highlighted concerns with CBP’s ability to make sure that its information technology is supporting border missions, the audit said.

A September 2020 audit said the CBP lacks a comprehensive strategy for acquiring and assessing what it calls “non-intrusive inspection” technology, which includes

large-scale X-ray and gamma ray imaging systems, and portable and handheld technologies that are used to inspect cars, buses, trucks, sea containers and rail cars.

The audit said the purchase and oversight for this crucial equipment were fragmented, leading to a lack in test plans for the equipment and the staff necessary to operate it. Homeland Security and CBP disagreed that their plan was fragmented.

The February audit recommended that

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

CBP update its previous technology plan, form a process to measure the technology’s effectiveness and communicate with the Homeland Security office to ensure all technology is in compliance with requirements.

Assistant inspector general Kristen Bernard said the CBP responded to the February report with a new plan, which is to assess capability needs, cost and technologies annually.

CBP this fall gave Cronkite News a tour of its equipment and technology in Tucson and Nogales. Hecht said agents in his sector are confident the current technology—including some improvised systems not originally designed for border protec-

tion—does the job.

Unconventional technology includes robots controlled by agents to explore the many tunnels beneath the border for drugs and other contraband. The robots were originally designed to inspect vehicles for bombs and other devices.

“Anytime we can send a robot in a tunnel instead of an agent, that’s ideal, especially when it’s sewage and dirt and nasty,” Hecht said.

In Nogales, there’s a control room where each agent is assigned a monitor to track and report from.

“We have those cameras there monitoring to see if there’s any type of incursion because years back, we didn’t have that technology in there,”

CBP Agent Alan Regalado said.

Regalado explains that technology helps agents respond to activity in the desert and alongside the border “in a timely manner.”

The Sonoran Desert is a dangerous place, with wildlife, forbidding terrain and unbearable temperatures, but many migrants ignore those risks and attempt to cross the border miles away from ports of entry. Hundreds die there each year.

CBP also uses small drones to survey the border, as well as support search and rescue operations. Tucson Sector officials told auditors they have been used to search for undocumented migrants who get lost in the vast desert.

“When there’s a medical emergency, immgiration is the last thing in our head. What we’re trying to do is save that person,” said CBP Agent Jesus Vasavilbaso, adding that more than 230 agents also are certified emergency medical technicians.

Technology is a big part of apprehensions and rescues of migrants.

“Both the smugglers and migrants will wear camouflage from head to toe. They’ll wear carpet on the bottom of their shoes, so you can’t see their footprints,” said Keith Kincannon, a supervisory air and marine agent for the CBP. Alexander Zamora, another air and marine supervisor, said planes and helicopters give

agents “this eye in the sky” when activity is detected in the desert.

“Basically,” Kincannon said, “when you’re looking at a natural landscape, you’re just looking for something that looks out of place. You know, right angles or colors that you wouldn’t see out in a natural environment. It takes a lot of practice to get good at it, even with all this technology.”

The Border Patrol and the Tucson air and marine branch work closely together to target illegal activity and seize or arrest, depending on the situation. Communication devices are the greatest help to them while being miles away from each other.

“We’re just constantly flying to the desert, able

to see all this activity, lock in the coordinates and come back to it as we have agents going to support that particular activity in that area,” Zamora said.

Bernard said technology “notifies the real time of illegal crossings or any activities along the border, and that goes a long way for tactical response.”

CBP hasn’t answered how much of the $743 million was allocated to the Tucson Sector.

Bernard says CBP will continue to revise its technology needs, available funds, and priorities for the southern border each year.

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

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

SATURDAY, JAN. 15

• Take a comedic look at the thin line between magic and juggling in the Tucson Fringe Festival Almost Magic Show! to benefit the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern AZ. Details: 2 and 5 p.m.; Temple of Music and Art Cabaret Theater, 330 S. Scott Ave.; $10; 585278-7770 or tucsonfringe.org.

Sonora Borealis Band performs music of the 60s and 70s during the Rock Rewind dance party at Gaslight Music Hall.

THEATER

THURSDAY TO SUNDAY THROUGH FEB. 12

• Catch a performance of one of Neil 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 p.m.

Sunday; Live Theatre Workshop, 3322 E. Fort Lowell Road; $23; 520-3274242 or livetheatreworkshop.org.

FRIDAY, JAN. 14

• Bring the entire family to Marana

Laughs featuring Christian comedian Chris Wineland, Dan Durney who started his clean comedy journey at 50 and Johnnie Fry taking his act solo after performing with an improve troupe. Details: 7:30 p.m.; Coyote Trail Stage, 8000 N. Silverbell Road; $10 or $30/family; maranalaughs.com.

TUESDAY TO SUNDAY, JAN. 15FEB. 5

• Catch a performance of the hilarious comedy Women in Jeopardy! about the value of friendship and the potential value of trading in wine glasses for spy glasses when the midlife crisis just isn’t your speed. Details: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday (additional matinee performances on select dates), 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday; Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave.; $40-$73; arizonatheatre.org.

SATURDAY, JAN. 16

• Take a comedic journey through ‘love at first sight’‘til death do us part’ and all of the funny stuff in between with Mark Cordes’ The Spouse Whisperer and a hilarious peek into the real world of relationships.

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

THURSDAY TO MONDAY THROUGH JAN. 23

• Bring the kids and grandma to the Zoppe Family Circus at their return to the Big Top with a unique blend of acrobatics, humor and family entertainment. Details: 7 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday; 1, 4 and 7 p.m.

Saturday; 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday-Monday; Mercado District, 221 S. Avenida del Convento; $25-$50; 520-4711106 or mercadodistrict.com.

TUESDAY TO SUNDAY THROUGH MARCH 27

• Don’t miss the Gaslight’s favorite hero

returning with more thrills in the musical adventure Arizona Smith and the Relic of Doom. Details: 7 p.m.

Tuesday-Thursday, 6 and 8:30 p.m.

Friday-Saturday, 3 and 6 p.m. Sunday; Gaslight Theatre, 7010 E. Broadway Blvd.; $27; $15 children; 520-886-9428 or thegaslighttheatre.com.

MUSIC THURSDAY, JAN. 13

• Bring a lawn chair and listen to a mix of classic and contemporary songs by CS & M Trio presented by the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance. Details: 6 p.m.; Oro Valley Marketplace, Oracle and Tangerine Roads; free; 520-797-3959.

• Enjoy a night of live music and dancing at the Dance Party with The Rillito River Band to benefit the Hearth Foundation providing affordable housing for low income families.

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

FRIDAY, JAN. 14

• Relive the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s with Vinyl Tap at the Rock & Roll All Nite Dance Party. Details: 7 p.m.; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road; $20; 520-529-1000 or gaslightmusichall.com.

• Don’t miss the Dave Stryker Quartet and the Eric Alexander Quintet featuring the TJF String Orchestra performing world-class jazz at the Tucson Jazz Festival. Details: 7:30 p.m.; Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.; $37-$60; foxtucson.com.

SATURDAY, JAN. 15

• Rock the night away with the progressive hard rock band YYNOT - Rush Tribute. Details: 2 and 6 p.m.; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road; $27; 520-529-1000 or gaslightmusichall.com.

• Enjoy a special night of jazz Petite Fleur with Adonis Rose & New Orleans Jazz Orchestra’s NOJO 7

featuring Cyrille Aimée with opener Kendrick Scott and Tucson Jazz Institute Ellington Big Band at the Tucson Jazz Festival. Details: 7:30 p.m.; Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.; $37-$60; foxtucson.com.

• The Starlets will knock your socks off with their modern and classic doo-wop inspired by iconic groups of the 50’s and 60’s laced with great choreography and witty banter. Details: 7:30 p.m.; DesertView Performing Arts Center, 39900 S. Clubhouse Drive; $30; 520-825-2818.

SATURDAY TO SUNDAY, JAN. 1516

• Listen to Music for Brass featuring the TSO Brass Ensemble. Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; Tucson Symphony Center, 2175 N. 6th Ave.; $16; ticketmaster.com.

SUNDAY, JAN. 16

• Enjoy a concert by renowned long-time musicians Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin presented by the Tucson Jazz Festival. Details: 7 p.m.; Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.; $37-$65; foxtucson.com.

MONDAY, JAN. 17

• Take a chronological journey of greatest hits at Backwoods Barbie, A Tribute to Dolly Parton featuring Erin and Todd Thompson. Details: 6 p.m.; Gaslight Theatre, 7010 E. Broadway Blvd.; $27, $15 children; 520-8869428 or thegaslighttheatre.com.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 19

• Don’t miss tribute artist and Las Vegas impersonator Corrie Sachs as Reba McEntire in an award-winning show. Details: 7:30 p.m.; DesertView Performing Arts Center, 39900 S. Clubhouse Drive; $30; 520-825-2818.

FRIDAY, JAN. 21

• Get a Pink Floyd experience at Shine On Floyd with all their classics. Details: 7 p.m.; Berger Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Speedway Blvd.; $30; 602-750-7268 or shineonfloyd.com

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

SPECIAL EVENTS

of Tucson, 3617 N. Camino Blanco; $20 or $100/series; 808-754-7894.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 26

• Join Past President of the Rose Society of Tucson and Consulting Rosarian Terry Swartz demonstrating how to effectively prune your roses, fertilize and control insects at the in-person class Roses: Winter Pruning for Spring Blooms. Details: 10-11 a.m.; Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way; $30 (proof of vaccination and masks required); 520-326-9686.

• Join the Oro Valley Neighborhood Group for January Happy Hour with live music, Puttin’ for Prizes, collection of new clothing and hygiene items for local homeless veterans by the American Legion Oro Valley Post 132 and guest mayoral candidate retired OV police chief Danny Sharp.

Details: 5 p.m.; The Landing, 8195 N. Oracle Road; $15, $10 online; eventbrite.com.

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS THURSDAYS, JAN. 13FEB. 17

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 19

transportation. Details: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Children’s Museum Tucson, 200 S. Sixth Ave.; free admission; 520-7929985 or childrensmuseumtucson.org.

FRIDAY, JAN. 21

• Take a Hike with siblings Jamie and Dylan who embark on a journey to find their way back to their moms and begin to understand what it truly means to call a place home.

Details: 1 p.m.; Live Theatre Workshop Children’s Theatre, 3322 E. Fort Lowell Road; $12, $10 children; 520-3274242.

• Create your own bird oasis with tips for AZ Plant Lady Noelle Johnson at the online Tucson Botanical Gardens class Gardening for Birds in the Desert. Details: 10 a.m.-noon; Zoom link provided; $30, discount for members; 520-326-9686.

CHILDREN

• Acquire meditation and mindfulness skills at the Stress Management SATURDAY, JAN. 15 Workshop Series with Dr. Christina • Bring the kids to Zoom...Zoom!!

Gilman. Details: 10-11:30 a.m.; Unity a free community event all about

SUNDAYS, JAN. 16FEB. 20

FILM TUESDAY TO SUNDAY THROUGH FEB. 20

• Calling all film lovers to screen fulllength, mini-series and short films online at the Tucson International Jewish Film Festival and vote for your favorites. Details: various times, $12 or $120 for festival pass; tucsonjcc.org/film.

Coming January 2022

Reserve your Advertising Space (520)797-4384

TLMSales@TucsonLocalMedia.com

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Location Location Location!

Our location is just far enough removed from daily traffic and noise while still being conveniently located. Situated in the peaceful Harold Bell Wright Neighborhood, our residents enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings and the green spaces provided at the Harold Bell Wright Park. The centerpiece of our inner courtyard is our signature gazebo. Large enough to accommodate gatherings for morning coffee with friends and family or a tranquil place to sit and reflect.

Near by amenities

Also, we are nearby to amenities and services such as restaurants, shops, banks, and the medical facilities. Shepherd Hill’s location blends the quiet surroundings of a rural neighborhood with all the convenience of living in the city.

Destination

Tucson

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PERSONALIZED SERVICES AND AMENITIES CALL Edward 520-358-0643 or Martina 520-543-2947 6447-6451 East Shepherd Hills Tucson, AZ 85710

shepherdhillsseniorcare.com

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

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LIVEN UP

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

Rising from the Fall: Artist explores her recovery from domestic violence in a show of paintings at &gallery Alexandra Pere Tucson Local Media

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ai Trask was amazed that she lived through it.

Trask had earned an undergraduate degree in cultural anthropology and political science from the University of Arizona before heading to Los Angeles to pursue her dream. She wanted to write about music and own a record label.

“I was into a lot of hip hop, a lot of prog-rock, very unorthodox, fringe underground experimental, electronic Lo-Fi types,” Trask said.

Trask finds beauty in the darkest of places, inspiration among the broken, the wrecked and the wasted. Along the way, she met the wrong romantic partner.

“I found myself, you know, in a very violent domestic partnership,” Trask said.

Five years ago, her abuser pushed her out of a five-story window, putting her in a coma. It was a surprise she survived.

The same could not be said for her unborn baby.

Trask lost her pregnancy in the assault.

Her fall was five years ago and she continues to

undergo reconstructive surgeries here in Tucson, where she moved to recover with the help of her mother.

Trask is giving the world a glimpse into her experience as a domestic violence survivor through her art exhibition (UN) DEAD, a five-year retrospective of the murdered woman, which will be on display at &gallery, 419 N. Fourth Ave, from Jan. 8 to Jan. 24.

“It is an experience, it is intense because it is honest,” she said. “Beauty out of chaos.”

Trask found herself drawn to painting and mixed media, taking inspiration from Frida Kahlo, the Mexican painter known for her autobiographical work that incorporates surrealist elements. Many of Kahlo’s paintings explore her own experience of chronic pain caused by a bus accident when she was 18.

“I really do feel as if I had an opportunity to step into one of Frida’s shoes during her recovery using painting as a tool for evolution, for healing, for a reckoning, for self conservation, preservation,” Trask said. “And as my art progressed, so did my healing.”

Trask’s recovery is evident in the show. The 30 paintings on display show how her technique and subject matter progresses with each piece. In earlier works, her color choices are very dark with abstract subject matter. But as she recovers, color returns to her work.

“Color was the most ambitious because color represented my outlook on life,” Trask said.

Trask jokes that the opening reception is her fifth birthday party; the fall from five stories killed her old self, but she has been reborn in a new life filled with exciting opportunities.

“I’ve been so blessed meeting people,” Trask says, “and what I say to myself now is like, ‘You’re fucking dope.’ I am good enough.”

The reception will include a live musical performance by Tommy Will, scheduled to start around 9 p.m.

“He’s bringing in the music and that’s initially why I got into all of this,” Trask says. “I moved to Los Angeles, I could write about music, I could tell you about it, I could tell you what I think of it, but I didn’t make it so to be able to have him as an agent for this other di-

“Trophy” by Vai Trask.

mension of my artwork is more than a blessing.”

Cynthia Naugle, who will take ownership of the gallery in late January, said in a culture that obsesses over true crime, there isn’t enough light shed on survivors or victims. On a recent afternoon at the gallery, she told Trask that her story was “very important.”

“I think it’s important to acknowledge honesty

in the art world,” Naugle said. “Your art is beautiful but it’s not safe.”

In fact, Naugle said she would be putting a trigger warning on the show due to its subject matter, drawing an excited “Yes!” from Trask. Naugle responded with cheerful laughter.

Although she doesn’t view herself as a role model, Trask hopes telling her story will give

others the tools she never had. She wants anyone who may be in a similar situation to know there is always someone there for you.

“We need you and I know you feel like you got nothing, but trust, you got an army,” Trask said. &gallery is located at 419 N. 4th Ave. Visit andgallery.art for more information.

LIVEN UP

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

Tucson Jazz Festival returns with a renewed focus on collaboration

Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

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fter narrowly making it into the early days of 2020, and being cancelled last year, the Tucson Jazz Festival is scheduled across multiple venues from Friday, Jan. 14, to Sunday, Jan. 23.

The festival returns with an expanded variety of styles, both indoor and outdoor

shows, and a special jam day that gets to the heart of jazz.

Of course, this occurs as infection cases are spiking throughout the state and two headliners, Herb Alpert and Jon Batiste, have rescheduled. But many events and performers are still planned to continue throughout town, at venues like the Fox Theatre, Hotel Congress, and the Rialto.

“Anybody on our lineup, I’m super excited about,

to be honest. We have some of the best performers. Unfortunately a couple have had to postpone their performances, but we still have fantastic musicians coming,” said Khris Dodge, executive director of the Tucson Jazz Festival. “I think the festival has been pretty consistent at offering a wide array of different styles within the jazz idiom, and this year is no exception. We work hard to offer options for different

tastes.”

Highlights include Grammy-winning artists like singer Dianne Reeves, guitarist Lee Ritenour and composer Dave Grusin. Beyond individual performers, the Tucson Jazz Festival has also scheduled full bands and orchestras, such as the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra and Tucson’s own Orkesta Mendoza.

Dodge says a goal of the

Tucson Jazz Festival is to bring in some of the best performers from around the country, but also feature our city’s own jazz community.

“We have some of the best in the country right here in our own city, and we need to highlight and celebrate our wonderful local musicians, in addition to those we bring in from out of town,” Dodge said. “Both are definitely of value.”

New to the festival this

year is the Tucson Jazz Festival Jam, scheduled for five hours midday on Saturday, Jan. 15, on the Hotel Congress plaza.

“I’m really excited about the outdoor jam, which features performers booked for the Fox Theatre intermingling with some of our top performers here in town, creating different groups on three different stages See Jazz Fest, P16

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Jazz Festival Continued from P15

throughout the day,” Dodge said.

The lengthy collaborative jam will give people a chance to listen to new combinations of performers. Because of its time, the audience can even listen for a bit, leave, come back, and there will still be new music performed.

“It’s something that happens in other jazz festivals. From an artist’s perspective, it’s really cool because you play with your own group all the time, and suddenly you have the chance to play with other great musicians that you normally wouldn’t get a

chance to,” Dodge said.

On Monday, Jan. 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the outdoor Downtown Jazz Fiesta will be free to the public. The Jazz Fiesta features drummer and composer Kendrick Scott performing along with the University of Arizona’s Fred Fox Jazz Ensemble.

While there are both indoor and outdoor events planned, Dodge says there are currently no virtual components planned, which goes in line with the lively and improvisational nature of jazz.

“Over the last two years, we’ve done a lot of virtual.

And it was wonderful and

we needed it, but I also feel, as a community, we need that live connection,” Dodge said.

Due to the seemingly endless nightmare that is COVID, Dodge admits scheduling changes may be necessary as the Jazz Festival draws nearer. However, participating venues are working with safety recommendations and mandates by the City of Tucson and Pima County.

“The biggest part is that we believe in our community, and we want to uplift our community. The arts and music does that,” Dodge said. “Of course, they don’t solve everything, but it’s a small piece of the pie that makes Tucson great. And if we can play a small part in making our community better, we’ll try

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to engage in as many ways as we can.”

SELECT LINEUP Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin. Two jazz legends are teaming up for a special performance at the Fox Theatre on Sunday, Jan. 16. During a career spanning five decades, guitarist Lee Ritenour has amassed 16 Grammy nominations thanks to his technical fusion of jazz, pop, rock ’n’ roll and world music. Dave Grusin has worked as a composer, record producer and pianist, and has produced multiple film scores. In an effort to spread the love of jazz, Grusin is also co-founder of the National Foundation for Jazz Education, a philanthropic group dedicated to helping young jazz musicians.

Dianne Reeves. Singer Dianne Reeves is known for wielding her voice as an instrument, offering a rich tone as well as improvisation between jazz and R&B. Her work has won her five Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album, as well as an honorary doctorate of music from Juilliard music school.

Reeves will be performing at the Tucson Convention Center’s Leo Rich Theatre on Sunday, Jan. 23.

The Dave Stryker Quartet & The Eric Alexander Quintet. This ensemble performance pairs two musicians collaborating, each with their own group. Uplifting guitarist Dave Stryker pairs

Courtesy photo

Tucson’s Orkesta Mendoza, which combines mambo, indie rock and psychedelic musc, perform at Hotel Congress on Jan. 22.

his quartet with tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander’s quintet for a unique show filling the Fox Theatre stage on Friday, Jan 14.

Kendrick Scott. Drummer, composer and band leader Kendrick Scott has been named one of the most noteworthy rising stars in jazz, performing on multiple Grammy-winning records. He has released multiple albums, both avant-garde and more traditional, and currently works on faculty at the Manhattan School Of Music. Scott will be performing with the UA Fred Fox Jazz Ensemble to headline the Downtown Jazz Fiesta on Monday, Jan. 17.

Orkesta Mendoza.

Tucson’s own Orkesta Mendoza performs a special style of percussive fusion that could really only come out of the Old Pueblo. Dubbed “indie mambo,” Orkesta Mendoza’s

large sonic offerings take influence from ranchera, cumbia, psychedelic music and more. Their unique music includes drums, accordion, keyboard, clarinet, guitar, saxophone, piano, and multiple singers.

Orkesta Mendoza perform at Hotel Congress on Saturday, Jan. 22.

Sammy Rae & The Friends. Eight strong, this collective comes complete with a rhythm section, horn section and multiple singers. Band leader Sammy Rae traces her influences everywhere from classic rock to folk to jazz.

This all combines into a sweet yet energetic performance with multiple interweaving melodies that stays danceable. Sammy Rae & The Friends take the stage at 191 Toole on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

For more information, a full line-up, and to purchase tickets, visit TucsonJazz Festival.org

SPORTS &RECREATION

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

EXTRA POINT WITH TOM DANEHY

These movies are not just about basketball, Athlete of the but about life’s challenges Tom Danehy

Tucson Local Media

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s I might have mentioned once or a hundred times in the past, I coach high-school girls’ basketball. It’s a great way to remain competitive, plus my players are great people.

They help me learn what’s going on these days, helping to keep me from degenerating into stereotypical oldness.

For example, Doja Cat is not a Saturday morning cartoon character, but rather a female rapper-singer. The latest dance, The Jerk, doesn’t use a dancer’s arms at all, not like the spasmodic gyrations from the 1960s.

We were going out of town for a game recently and were hoping to get a charter bus, one with non-plastic seats, a bathroom (sorta) and an entertainment system on which we could watch movies. I told them that we could watch a couple basketball movies on the way to and from the game. (I pretty much own them all.)

I asked them what their

favorite basketball movie was, expecting answers ranging from the classic “Hoosiers” to the socially conscious “Glory Road.”

Instead, in unison, almost unanimously, they shouted “Space Jam 2.”

That’s really sad, especially since “Space Jam 2” isn’t even the best “Space Jam” movie.

So, I went through a list with them, basketball movies that they need to see if they are going to consider themselves legitimate ballers. These are movies that are entertaining but also contain valuable life lessons.

• First on the list is the aforementioned “Hoosiers.” Considered by many (including me) to be the greatest sports movie of all time, the film is based on the real-life exploits of the team from tiny Milan (pronounced MY-lun), Indiana. For decades, every high school in Indiana (from the tiniest to the largest) would enter the State tournament.

After the first few rounds of regional play, the small schools were inevitably weeded out. But that one time, David beat Goliath

and a legend was born.

Gene Hackman gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Coach Norman Dale and Dennis Hopper, as an alcoholic father of one of the players, actually was nominated for an acting Oscar (although the rumor has always persisted that Academy voters were afraid to nominate him for his ultra-creepy role in “Blue Velvet” so they gave him a nod for “Hoosiers” instead).

“Hoosiers” is sappy and sentimental and yet is absolutely one of the best sports movies of all time.

• “Glory Road” is another true story, this one chronicling the historic run of Texas Western (now University of Texas-El Paso) to the NCAA championship. UCLA had a run on nine national championships in a 10year period, but that one year—1966—Texas Western, with an upstart coach and an all-Black lineup, made it all the way to the NCAA championship game, where it would face powerhouse Kentucky, with it openly racist coach and an all-white lineup.

It was a story too crazy

to be true in the middle of the tumultuous Civil Rights era.

If you watch the movie, stick around for the credits, featuring an interview with NBA legend Pat Riley, who was a star on the all-white Kentucky squad.

He recounts how Texas Western center David “Big Daddy” Lattin rose up and dunked on him to start the championship game, throwing some serious intimidation Kentucky’s way.

(I was a young teenager, growing up in an inner-city neighborhood in Los Angeles. The park director, an African-American gentleman, was almost in tears as he gathered us in the gym to watch that game on a small, blackand-white TV. He knew that it really didn’t matter who won the game. The mere fact that it was happening was enough. We all went nuts when Texas Western won. I’m sorry… spoiler alert, retroactive.)

• “Coach Carter,” with Samuel L. Jackson in the title role, is about a guy who takes the basketball coaching job at his alma mater, a school that has

Week: Wes Ball

plummeted beyond the level of inner-city into something much more daunting. He quickly turns the team into a win- Tom Danehy ner on the court, but puts Tucson Local Media everything in hold when the grades come out and he learns that his players es Ball has the are not putting the same ultimate hoop name, like Jack (or any, really) effort into Shooter or their academics.

He suspends their sea- Nick Presser. He’s also got son until the players un- the ultimate hoop lineage.

He is the grandson derstand what is really of Kenny Ball, who was important and faces ridica starter on the greatest ulous pushback from the high-school boys’ basketparents, the school board, and the community over ball team in the history of his STUDENT-athlete Southern Arizona—the 1969 Tucson High Badapproach. gers. Ball teamed with Sadly, this is a true Delano Price, Chuco Mistory, one that has many randa, and playground echoes even today. The legend Hoegie Simmons fact that it fell to his play- to steamroll through the ers, and not the supposed competition and grab the adults in the equation, to State big-school title. He get the message is tragic then later played at Pima and uplifting at the same College. time.

The 6’ 7” Wes Ball is a I have those three senior for the Marana TiDVDs with me whenever gers and is lighting up the we go out of town, just in competition. Last week case we ever get a charter against Flowing Wells, bus. I want my players to Ball got in early foul trouknow that there is more to ble, but his coach decided life than basketball, even to stick with him. when basketball is the main theme.

See Athlete of the Week, P23

W

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HOROSCOPE By Holiday Mathis

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Automaker that went bankrupt in 2011 20 What intellectual rivals engage in 23 Oktoberfest quaff 24 Munch Museum locale 25 Election-influencing grp.

28 Like the Tower of Babel, in two ways 31 Arrogant 33 What chess has that bridge doesn’t 36 God of passion

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“Theodore Roosevelt” or “Robert Louis Stevenson” 43 Lot calculation 44 Classic gas brand 45 Fancy drinking glass 48 Percussion instrument that’s also the name of a popular ringtone 53 End of a dean’s address 54 Sign of inactivity 57 Untrustworthy sort 58 Mid-19th-century Russian ruler described as “autocracy personified” 62 Initial stake 64 Get into some hot water?

65 Work without ___ 66 See 68-Across 67 Edmonton athlete 68 With 66-Across, director’s cry … or hint to 20-, 37- and 58-Across 69 Word after rock, sea or table 70 Tons and tons 37

Know Us, Know Your Community

cube-shaped droppings 3 Italian alpine cheese 4 “That’s more like it” 5 Comet feature 6 Rioja, for one 7 “Star Wars” droid, familiarly 8 Spongy balls 9 Speaks brusquely 10 It’s right on the map 11 Population beyond the homeland 12 Journalist Wells or Tarbell 13 Coke’s first diet soda 21 What many a U.S. state is named after 22 It comes with a charge 26 Yours, in Arles 27 Dermatological sac 29 Long time 30 “The world’s most valuable resource,” per The Economist 32 ’Neath’s opposite 34 Record speed, for short 35 Send to oblivion 37 “Scarborough Fair” herb 38 J.Lo’s onetime beau 39 Counterargument 40 Actress Gadot 41 Record label for D’Angelo or Doja Cat 42 Midsection 46 Long time 47 Engines with oomph 49 Like some decorative wooden floors 50 Will, given a chance 51 Most despicable 52 Dogs that were once samurai companions 55 ___ mail 56 Line on a spine 59 Last month in the U.S. government’s fiscal year: Abbr.

60 Mull, with “on” 61 Gendered pronoun 62 Reactions to adorableness 63 Food industry lobby, in brief

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’re clever and will figure out what needs to happen to get what you want. That’s the easy part. The hard part is figuring out the best thing to want. Pose this question inwardly. Ask your better angels to chime in. Ask for a vision. Watch the movie of your most hopeful future in your mind.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You really don’t care what a certain person does or doesn’t do regarding you, which is precisely how you maintain your power. To worry about your status in other people’s minds takes too much energy and would only steal focus from the very goals and intentions that make you so attractive.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). The people around you were taught differently from the way you were. They’ll try to solve the problem with methods foreign to you while you watch in agitation, suspecting your way would have worked much better. Your restraint is the stuff of saints and scientists, lifelong learners and unconditional lovers.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Just because a thing has no intrinsic value doesn’t mean it’s without great value entirely. You have your eye on an emblem of prestige or symbol of status, and there’s no need to feel the least bit silly about this aim. It matters in some way beyond what you can put into words, and not only to you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Those who use bad manners to get what they want may not be bad people, rather just ill-informed or wrongly taught. Good manners are easy to learn and will bond people much more quickly. You’ll learn how to ingratiate yourself, get what you want out of a situation and simultaneously grow your social equity.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You have a good sense for choosing people and should trust your natural leanings this week. When you’re not having any, try posing questions to yourself as prompts. For instance: If love were medicine, whose do you think would hold the best healing potential for you?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Long ago, you set yourself up for good fortune then forgot about it. Now it’s like you’re finding money at the bottom of your sock drawer -- a fun gift from your past self that you can really use now.

Pay it forward by doing something that will be helpful, delightful or whimsical to your future self.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You are an artist even when you don’t mean to be. You’ve a certain way of seeing things, and as you move toward that vision, others will see what you do whether you intend them to or not. Knowing your vision will be shared makes you want to bring more hope and happiness to your experience.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’ll take social risks in the name of fun, novelty, art and adventure. If rejected, you’ll quickly move on.

This is why you succeed with people; you find the right ones for your brand of daring. Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Trust is not a legality -- it’s a feeling. And like most feelings, it’s not always based on logic. Regardless of what the contract says or what arrangement was originally made, people are deciding moment to moment what to trust in the situation.

Ever-aware of this, you’ll build something very special.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’re very persuasive when you apply yourself. Of course, asking for

Crossword Puzzle Answers

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what you want is a risk, and often an awkward one. This week, the awkwardness can work for you. Your vulnerability shows courage and makes you relatable. So, just ask. You’ll either learn from it or you’ll get exactly what you ask for.

S A R G A R E A G O B L E D U T S A N T E W R A P S A L T

1

ARIES (March 21-April 19). All animals have territorial zones, and you’re an animal, too.

If someone comes unexpectedly into your territory, it’s only natural to bristle. You’ll try not to cross the boundary lines of others, and you’ll be assertive when it comes to defending your own. Some won’t understand where the lines are until you tell them.

19

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

Worship Guide 520.797.4384 BAPTIST

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

Worship Guide

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

Service Directory 520.797.4384

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022

Service Directory Classifieds 520.797.4384

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Continued from P17 Ball responded with a 31-point, 13-rebound performance, lifting the Tigers to a crucial 70-66 win in the Conference opener. (He fouled out with 12 seconds left.)

Ball has been in the starting lineup for Marana since his sophomore year. He was long and lean back then, but has added some weight and he’s got some serious bass in his voice now.

I spoke to him on the phone as he was on a bus headed for Casa Grande.

We started with the basic questions: • Favorite class? “I’d say government.” (The correct answer is math, but, you know, kids these days.)

“I just started taking it this semester, but it seems interesting.”

• Favorite thing to do in basketball? “I like everything about the game—scoring, passing, and rebounding, but I really like blocking shots or altering shots at the rim. The intimidation is fun.”

• So, do you have a girlfriend? “I’ve got several.”

(We’re sure that they will all be happy to learn that.)

At press time, the Tigers were sitting atop the 5A Sonoran Region with a perfect 3-0 mark. But it’s going to

be a dogfight with defending State champion Catalina Foothills and powerful Ironwood Ridge. Ball seems ready for the challenge.

“Two years ago, we just missed going to State and I felt bad for the Seniors. I don’t want that the happen this year.”

(Last year was even worse. The Tigers had several games canceled due to COVID. Under the arcane Power Points system used by the AIA, the Tigers would have made it to State if they had played—and lost!—the canceled games, but failed to make it without those potential losses.)

Ball is focused on this season, but says that he wants to play basketball in college. He is currently in the process of narrowing down his choices.

They range in everywhere from LaVerne in Southern California to Westminster in Salt Lake City to Elmira in upstate New York.

He wants to major in sports medicine and perhaps be a team trainer in the future. But right now, his eyes are on the prize in front of him. “We want to go to State.”

Ball has high words of praise for his coach, Sean Roebuck. “I love Coach, but sometimes his head is super shiny. It’s distracting.”

Focus!

Budget Continued from P5

Government photo

budget by including new laws sought by the legislators whose votes they need. Those laws sometimes include provisions that failed to pass earlier in the session or that might not have enough votes to pass if they were introduced. The Republican majorities in both legislative chambers are as slim as possible, with the GOP holding a 31-29 advantage in the House of Representatives and a 16-14 edge in the Senate. That means House Speaker Rusty Bowers, Senate President Karen Fann and Gov. Doug Ducey can’t afford to lose a single Republican vote on any piece of legislation that doesn’t have any support from the Democrats, which their budgets rarely do.

Spokespeople for Bowers, Fann and Ducey did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the court’s opinion. The 2022 legislative session began this week.

The disputed laws don’t involve the setting aside of public monies or establish how state funding will be used, Lopez wrote. In fact, he said, the bills “have no expression of fiscal significance and fail to even identify a funding source.”

“Instead, the challenged sections are more aptly described as various substantive legislative enactments concerning COVID-19-related directives; an expansion of Attorney General authority; election-related requirements; and the formation of a Senate election committee,” Lopez said.

The ruling is likely to create new challenges in crafting and passing the state’s budget.

Since the inception of BRBs following a 2003 Supreme Court opinion that questioned the use of broader “omnibus reconciliation” budget bills, legislative leadership and governors have This article originalrelied increasingly on ly ran online on Arizona the reconciliation bills Mirror, a nonprofit news to garner support for the agency.

24

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 12, 2022