Marana News 03/29/2023

www.Maranaweeklynews.com

Threats force cancellation of Drag Story Hour

BY VERONICA KUFFEL

Tucson Local Media Staff

Bookmans stands against censorship.

President Sean Feeney said the company’s mission is to act as a public square, an inclusive space for everyone.

But when The Bridge Church in Marana and Tucson and extremist hate groups organized a threat campaign against Bookmans’ March 25 planned Drag Story Hour, Feeney said he felt a line was crossed.

“The line was to call to infiltrate the event ‘undercover’ in order to disrupt,” Feeney said. “That represents in my view a clear threat to the health and safety of everybody who’s at the event. To me, it’s unacceptable.”

The Bridge Church encouraged its congregation on its website and social media channels to contact Bookmans on Ina Road and tell the staff to cancel its event.

“As Christians, we need to stand against sin and this is a great chance for you to do so,” the post said on its website.

“We hope that you will join us in calling, every day all the numbers below. We are hoping that many churches will decide to get involved and help stand for our community, city and society. It is a time to stand for our children and their future. Stand for God and His truth. Our goal is to have this event canceled.”

The church staff refused to comment on the situation, saying, “We are going to not conduct any more interviews. We feel we have made our position against the sexualization of children clear.”

Feeney said Bookmans received unsigned information online that called for “undercover attendants,” particularly men posing as fathers and

BY VERONICA KUFFEL Tucson Local Media Staff

Fry’s is moving into the Gladden Farms Neighborhood in 2025 and it will bring a fuel center and additional spots for retail and food.

Marana Economic Development Director Curt Woody said it is a much-needed addition to the area.

“This area up here is not only underserved, but it’s unserved,” Woody said.

“There are no grocery amenities to speak of, no restaurants or retail. When you bring a major anchor into that corner… It’s going to have a big impact on the neighborhood.”

The Fry’s was originally set to open in 2008 but was delayed by the recession. Following the downturn and company restructuring, the store was approved for planning. Woody said they hope to break ground by the start of summer.

“The plans are in-house and being reviewed for permitting,” Woody said. “They should have the permits within the next month or two and they’ll break ground.”

The 123,000-square-foot store will be located east of the intersection of North Tangerine Farms and North Lon Adams roads. The plot neighbors the Gladden Farms

A drag queen reads a children’s story to families gathered at a Drag Story Hour. (Valerie Richarme/Submitted)

SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION

Camps are offered May 22 – July 28

ALL-DAY CAMPS (ages 6 – 13)*

Oro Valley Parks & Recreation

OPENS APRIL 3 AT 8 A.M.

• Camp Splash @ Oro Valley Aquatic Center

• Camp SPF (Swim, Play, Fun) @ the Community and Recreation Center

• STEM+ART=STEAM Camp @ Steam Pump Ranch

• Camp I Can Too! Fully inclusive adaptive recreation camp @ the Community and Recreation Center

Visit playov.com for more information and to register.

PARTIAL-DAY CAMPS (ages 5 – 14)*

• TGA Sports Camp

• Crazy for Horses Camp

• Lacrosse Camp

• Play-Well Teknologies LEGO Camp

*A youth scholarship fund is available to make recreation programs and activities more accessible to Oro Valley youth in financially constrained households. For more information, visit orovalleyaz.gov and search “YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP”

Interested in being a lifeguard?

Red Cross Lifeguard Certification Courses are offered in May and June! Registration is $100.

APRIL EVENTS For complete details on these and other events, visit orovalleyaz.gov.

Easter Eggstravaganza

Saturday, April 1

9 a.m. to noon

JDK Park

23 W. Calle Concordia

Friday Night Concerts at

Steam Pump Ranch

Friday, April 7

7 to 9:30 p.m.

Music by: Little House of Funk 10901 N. Oracle Road

Celebrate Oro Valley

Saturday, April 8

8 a.m. to noon

Steam Pump Ranch 10901 N. Oracle Road

OV Battle of the Bands

Friday, April 28

6:30 to 9 p.m.

CDO Riverfront Park

Amphitheatre 551 W. Lambert Lane

SATURDAY

APRIL 8

8 a.m. - noon

CELEBRATE ORO VALLEY

FREE EVENT AT STEAM PUMP RANCH, 10901 N. ORACLE RD.

Live music by OnesAll Band, ROH Band, and Black Cat Bones

Dance performance by Tucson Casineros

Heirloom Farmers Market

Petting zoo by Funny Foot Farm

Pusch House Tours by the Oro Valley Historical Society

Archaeology demonstrations by Archaeology Southwest

Food trucks!

Special Eats, Churros el Rey, HiFalutin, GG’s Mexican Peruvian Fusion, Kona Ice and Fruit Shack Smoothie

Kids crafts and activities like rocket launching, wood branding and more!

For full event details, scan the QR code or visit orovalleyaz.gov and search “Celebrate OV”

Chamber operating remotely after fire

BY VERONICA KUFFEL Tucson Local Media Staff

Afire destroyed the contents of the Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce on March 21.

Firefighters were summoned just before noon to the blaze, which reportedly began in a storage room at the chamber office, 7435 N. Oracle, Suite 107 in Oro Valley. It is within the Sun Center on the west side of Oracle Road, north of Ina Road.

Chamber President and CEO Kristen Sharp noted that although the fire was controlled quickly, the damage was severe.

“The flames were primarily contained to the storage room, from what I understand,” Sharp said. “But the heat that radiated out, the smoke and the water from putting out the fire pretty much totaled the rest of the office.”

No one was injured. Chamber operations director Leah Noreng first smelled the smoke, saw the flames and called 911. She and others fled the building and notified suite neighbors at Grote Income Tax Service, doing business as Your Income Tax Pros. That business, too, sustained smoke damage.

Units from the Golder Ranch and Northwest Fire districts responded to the fire. They cut a hole in the roof of the one-story building to ventilate and eventually extinguish the fire. Oro Valley Police Department officers managed heavy traffic on Oracle Road, diverting vehicles away from the section of Oracle between Suffolk and Ina. The Golder Ranch Fire District boundary extends to Ina in Oro Valley. The chamber office is located at the southern tip of the district, within a half-mile of Ina.

The cause of the fire has officially been listed as undetermined by Detective Wes Helvig of Oro Valley Police Department. As far as repair, Sharp stated the chamber has a lot to consider.

“We’re still figuring out what we need to do,” Sharp said. “We’ll be meeting with T&T Cleaning and Restoration to figure out if this is something we’ll be able to repair and move back into, or if we’ll have to find another space.”

Sharp assured the chamber will continue to operate, albeit not in its building for some time. The organization’s staff will work from

home with supplies and equipment from its information technology provider, AcaciaIT. Across the street from the Chamber office, The Post Workspaces has offered to let staff work in their space until the repairs are completed. The company provides private and community workspaces to its members and now the chamber, including meeting rooms for the staff to utilize. Sharp noted other than appointments, the Oro Valley Chamber will be able to continue its work and service to the community.

“Most of what we do can be done from home, in terms of making phone calls and sending emails,” Sharp said. “We won’t be able to function as a visitors center anytime soon so that part of our organization is currently disabled.”

All events outside of the chamber office will continue, including community meetings, ribbon cuttings and shows. This includes the upcoming The Buttes at Reflections Ribbon Cutting on Saturday, April 1.

On April 12, the Chamber will host its 2023 Economic Lookout Luncheon at El Conquistador-Tucson. This will feature guest speakers Rep. Juan Ciscomani and Arizona Commerce Authority Sandra Watson.

Although the chamber was forced to close its physical office, Sharp and her staff will continue to provide their services to members and the Greater Oro Valley community.

“We’re not pausing or closing our doors. We’re still here and still willing to help,” Sharp said. “The chamber is not an office building or a location. The chamber is people, it’s our members. Our staff is still able to help our members, help the community and do our jobs.”

Dave Perry contributed to this story.

The Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce staff was forced to evacuate its building due to a fire. (Dave Perry/Contributor)

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 Claudine Sowards, Accounting claudine@tucsonlocalmedia.com

EDITORIAL

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski, Executive Editor christina@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Karen Schaffner, Staff Reporter kschaffner@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Veronica Kuffel, Staff Reporter vkuffel@tucsonlocalmedia.com

PRODUC TION

Shannon Mead, Production/Design Supervisor smead@timeslocalmedia.com

Arman Olivares, Graphic Designer aolivares@timeslocalmedia.com

CIRCULATION

Aaron Kolodny, Circulation Director, aaron@phoenix.org

Brian Juhl, Distribution Manager, brian@timeslocalmedia.com

ADVERTISING

TLMSales@TucsonLocalMedia.com

Laura Meehan, Associate Publisher, lmeehan@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Kristin Chester, Account Executive kristin@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Candace Murray, Account Executive candace@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Tyler Vondrak, Account Executive tyler@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Leah Pittman, Account Executive lpittman@tucsonlocalmedia.com

NATIONAL ADVERTISING

Zac Reynolds, Director of National Advertising Zac@TimesPublications.com

EDITORIAL &

Fire district seeks to fill board seat

BY TUCSON LOCAL MEDIA STAFF

The Golder Ranch Fire District is recruiting individuals to serve as a governing board member to fill a vacant seat for the remainder of the term.

The term will expire on Dec. 1, 2024, at which time, the candidate may be re-elected. Potential candidates must be, and during incumbency must remain, qualified electors of the fire district and a resident of the district for at least one year immediately preceding the date of ap -

pointment.

Interested parties should submit a letter of interest and résumé to:

Golder Ranch Fire District

Attn: Board Services Supervisor Shannon Ortiz 3885 E. Golder Ranch Drive Tucson, AZ 85739

Email: sortiz@grfdaz. gov Applications will be accepted through 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, 2023.

WARNING!

PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY AND CHRONIC PAIN TREATMENTS NOT WORKING!!

The governing board will review all applications, interview candidates and appoint the successful individual to the Governing Board as required by state statute. This is a noncompensated, voluntary position.

For more information, call Ortiz at 520-825-5943.

Oro Valley, AZ – When it comes to chronic pain and/ or neuropathy, the most common doctor-prescribed treatment is drugs like Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin. The problem with antidepressants or anti-seizure medications like these is that they offer purely symptomatic relief, as opposed to targeting and treating the root of the problem. Worse, these drugs often trigger an onset of uncomfortable, painful, and sometimes harmful side effects.

The only way to effectively treat chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is by targeting the source, which is the result of nerve damage owing to inadequate blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet. This often causes weakness, numbness, tingling, pain, and balance problems. A lack of nutrients causes the nerves to degenerate – an insidious and often painful process.

As displayed in figure 1 above, the nerves are surrounded by diseased, withered blood vessels. A lack of sufficient nutrients means the nerves

cannot survive, and thus, slowly die. This leads to those painful and frustrating consequences we were talking about earlier, like weakness, numbness, tingling, balance issues, and perhaps even a burning sensation.

The drugs your doctor might prescribe will temporarily conceal the problems, putting a “BandAid” over a situation that will only continue to deteriorate without further action.

Thankfully, Oro Valley is the birthplace of a brandnew facility that sheds new light on this pressing problem of peripheral neuropathy and chronic pain. The company is trailblazing the medical industry by replacing outdated drugs and symptomatic reprieves with an advanced machine that targets the root of the problem at hand.

Effective neuropathy treatment relies on the following three factors:

1. Finding the underlying cause

2. Determining the extent of the nerve damage (above 95% nerve loss is rarely treatable)

3. The amount of treatment required for the patient’s unique condition

Arrowhead Physical Medicine in Oro Valley, AZ uses a state-of-the-art electric cell signaling systems worth $100,000.00. Th is ground-breaking treatment is engineered to achieve the following, accompanied by advanced diagnostics and a basic skin biopsy to accurately analyze results:

1. Increases blood flow

2. Stimulates and strengthens small fiber nerves

3. Improves brain-based pain

The treatment works by delivering energy to the affected area(s) at varying wavelengths, from low- to middle-frequency signals, while also using Amplitude Modulated (AM) and Frequency Modulated (FM) signaling

It’s completely painless!

THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT THIS TREATMENT IS COVERED BY MEDICARE, MEDICAID, AND MOST INSURANCES!!

Depending on your coverage, your peripheral neuropathy treatment could cost almost nothing – or be absolutely free.

The number of treatments required varies from patient to patient, and can only be determined following an in-depth neurological and vascular examination. As long as you have less than 95% nerve damage, there is hope!

Arrowhead Physical Medicine begins by analyzing the extent of the nerve damage – a complimentary service for comprises a detailed your friends and family.sensoryEach exam evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and comprehensive analysis of neuropathy findings.

Arrowhead Physical Medicine begins by analyzing the extent of the nerve damage –a complimentary service for comprises a detailed your friends and family. Each sensory exam evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and comprehensive analysis of neuropathy findings.

Arrowhead Physical Medicine will be offering this free chronic pain and neuropathy severity evaluation will be available until December 31st 2022 Call (520) 934-0130 to make an appointment

Arrowhead Physical Medicine will be offering this free chronic pain and neuropathy severity evaluation will be available until April 30, 2023. Call (520) 934-0130 to make an appointment

Due to our very busy office schedule, we are limiting this offer to the first 10 c allers YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER ANOTHER MINUTE, CALL (520) 934-0130 NOW!!

We are extremely busy, so we are unavailable, please leave a voice message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Arrowhead Physical Medicine 10425 N. Oracle Rd., Suite 125 Oro Valley, AZ, 85737

934-0130*

FEATURES

Chevy Showdown features classic GM cars

BY KAREN SCHAFFNER Tucson Local Media Staff

When Judy Pella cannot find her husband, Frank, she knows where to look.

Downstairs in the couple’s Oro Valley home is a rather large garage with three bays. One of them houses what is possibly the most notorious line of cars GM ever manufactured: a Corvair.

This model, a late-generation 1968 Monza, has a soft top, white leather interior and four on the floor. With a sky blue, smoothas-silk paint job, the car is a beauty. It’s a good bet Judy will find Frank there.

“I nicknamed (the car) Chevy-Ann,” she said. “I said, ‘Are you cheating on me with Chevy-Ann?’”

Frank, however, has a reason to be spending time with his metal baby. He is readying it for this year’s classic car beauty pageant season, and as president of the Classic Chevy Club of Tucson, he better be ready.

What’s up next this year for the Pellas and car is the 35th annual Chevy Showdown, planned for Saturday, April 1, at the Desert Diamond Casino in Sahuarita.

The show is no joke. Sponsored by the Classic Chevy Club of Tucson, the event will feature more than 75 classic GM cars that were manufactured no later than 1993. (They know the name, Chevy, is misleading, but the show is for any GM vehicle.)

That means that besides Frank’s Corvair and other Chevys, there could be restored and babied Cadillacs, Pontiacs and Buicks

to moon over. There could even be a 1958 GMC Greyhound bus. The owner intends to make it into an RV, Frank said.

“This show, we don’t accept new cars,” Frank said. “We only accept 30 years out, so ’93 seems like a new car to us, and it’s not. It’s 30 years old.”

It’s $25 to enter a vehicle, which can be done the morning of the show. The public can view for free. The club also sponsors raffles with big-ticket items such as televisions, lawn furniture and two Stoner car care kits.

Proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Southern Arizona, Aviva Children’s Services, Southern Arizona Children’s Advocacy Center and Therapeutic Riding of

Tucson.

Frank’s Corvair is unusual in that he did nearly all the work himself. Clearly, he likes being busy; his car is testament to that. It took him six years to restore.

“(The car) was sitting in (the former owner's) backyard for 13 years, so it was trashed,” Frank said. “Rust was everywhere. It was pretty bad, but I said, ‘Yeah, that’s what I want.’”

The Corvair came on a trailer, and when Frank got his first good look at the car, he got worried. He asked himself, “Did I just waste $3,300?”

“He brought it on his trailer, and it was up,” Frank said. “When I saw the rust by the

rocker panels — the convertibles, they drain through the rocker panels — and I thought, ‘Oh, no,’ but we brought it home, and there was oil all over the motor. Something was leaking.”

Frank began the daunting task of fixing the car, getting it ready to use as a daily driver.

Unfortunately, the rust eventually took over, pieces of the body started falling off, and Frank knew it was time for restoration work.

“I was getting embarrassed to drive it,” he said.

He replaced the all the rubber, the seat padding and the convertible top. The car has new wires, spark plugs and points, everything that makes a car run safely.

“Even including the motor (which he replaced) I have maybe $22,000 in it,” Frank said.

As anyone who has a classic car will tell you, that’s a reasonably priced car.

The 35th Annual Chevy Showdown

WHEN: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 1

WHERE: The Desert Diamond Casino, 1100 W. Pima Mine Road, Sahuarita COST: $25 to enter a car, free to visit the cars. Food will be available for purchase and there will be a shaded area to sit.

INFO: classicchevycluboftucson. shutterfly.com

Tucson student receives $10K from Barro’s

BY TUCSON LOCAL MEDIA STAFF

Barro’s Pizza, local, family-owned and -operated pizzeria with two locations in Tucson, awarded

$10,000 to 19-year-old Carlos Borunda as the 2022 Arizona Barro’s Pizza Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway winner.

The prize money was available to one local Arizona resident to help pay for college tuition or any related educational expenses. Borunda works as a marketing assistant at Simply Bookkeeping & Taxes. He took time off school to pick up a second job and

then learned about Barro’s Pizza offering the prize money to a local student and decided to enter the contest.

As a result of winning the $10,000, he will be able to go back to school at Pima Community College where he is studying marketing and computer information systems.

“I can’t believe I won,” Borunda said.

“I am looking forward to going back to school as hopefully this will allow me to get the resources and education I need to further my knowledge in web development. After gaining experience in marketing, I’ve

decided after college, I would like to open a digital marketing agency in Tucson.”

With 47 restaurants throughout Arizona and more than 40 years in business, the Barro family prides itself on finding ways to support and improve the communities they serve.

“We love being able to help students find their passion and offer hope for a bright future,” said Bruce Barro, co-owner of Barro’s Pizza. “Just knowing we are helping young adults get an education and pursue a career is what it’s all about for us. We are happy that

through our continued partnership with Dr Pepper, we have been able to help many students throughout Arizona.”

The Barro’s Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway has awarded $95,000 to students in Arizona since 2012. Submissions were open to all Arizona residents 18 years or older, and a winner was chosen at random out of over 13,000 entries. The winner can use the money to pay for current expenses such as tuition and books or to pay off outstanding student loans.

Info: drpeppertuition.com

Frank and Judy Pella enjoy driving around town and to car shows in their restored 1968 Corvair Monza. (Karen Schaffner/Staff)

HIRING NURSES

NEWS

Council discusses short-term rentals

BY VERONICA KUFFEL

Tucson Local Media Staff

The Marana Town Council discussed future regulations on vacation and short-term rentals during its March 21 regular session.

Town Attorney Jane Fairall outlined the ordinance proposal with new requirements, prohibitions and penalties for short-term rentals, moving for possible council adoption next month.

State law limits the power of municipalities to regulate short-term rentals. But, according to Fairall, the government added more local authority in 2022 after municipalities complained about party houses. The proposed ordinance will add a new section to Marana Town Code: Chapter 9-14 “Short Term and Vacation Rentals.”

“We’ve only gone as far as the state will allow us to go in this proposal,” Fairall said. “All of these are strictly in compliance with what the state law says we can do because it’s very restrictive.”

Under the new ordinance, short-term rental owners will require a Marana business license, with a suggested increase of $60 for an initial license and $40 for annual renewal. They will also need to provide notice to neighbors and publish emergency and none-

mergency points of contact. Owners will require proof of liability insurance of at least $500,000 or advertise through an online lodging marketplace like Airbnb and VRBO that provides equal or greater coverage.

Fairall will bring the proposal up for adoption on April 4, and if approved, owners will have to register their short-term rentals within 30 days.

“If the council approves the ordinance, then we would notify any of our known vacation/short-term rentals in the town,” Fairall noted. “They have a 30-day window of time to come in and apply for a license to get in compliance with the new ordinance.”

Owners are subject to 12-month license suspensions and associated fees of at least $1,000 for failure to comply with requirements and prohibitions. Short-term rentals are restricted from using their property for any nonresidential use outlined in the Marana Town Code. This includes special events, businesses, adult-oriented entities and sober living homes, among others.

Councilmember Roxanne Ziegler took interest in the mention of sober living homes, as it’s been a point of discussion in recent years. While state law allows local bodies to “limit or prohibit” the use of these rentals for sober living, Ziegler confirmed the language

in the Marana ordinance only includes “prohibit.”

“I’m so glad to see this update, especially in lieu of what’s going on in some of our subdivisions, of late is Saguaro Bloom,” Ziegler said.

The councilmember addressed the meeting of Dec. 1, 2021, when council denied a conditional use permit for an adult behavioral health home in the Saguaro Bloom Specific Plan.

Ziegler suggested the town change the code’s language to prohibit all sober living and drug rehabilitation homes. She mistook the state law guidelines for Marana town law, Fairall noted.

“That’s a completely different issue,” Fairall said. "All this is saying is you can’t use a short-term rental or vacation rental as a sober living home. This isn’t prohibiting sober living homes in the town nor can we do that.”

Under the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, no governing body can omit sober living homes from their region. Ziegler addressed her contention with these care homes spreading in Dove Mountain and Continental Ranch.

The town of Marana has sober living regulations listed in its land development code,

but according to Fairall, the state of Arizona limits local ability to regulate the homes as well as short-term rentals. When Ziegler questioned the effectiveness of the proposed ordinance in that regard, the town attorney specified its purpose for overall rental regulation.

“It’s not addressing sober living homes,” Fairall said. “I think it does us good in terms of addressing short-term rentals, but it’s not intended as a vehicle for addressing sober living homes.”

Although Ziegler’s debate swayed from the short-term rental ordinance, it invoked council’s judgment of sober living homes in Marana. It coincidentally came right before their executive session regarding the town’s position on the One Arizona Opioid Settlement.

This agreement will allocate money to Marana and other Arizona municipalities from the recent string of national opioid settlements. They included major medical distributors Cardinal, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, and Johnson & Johnson. After legal fees, the money will be allocated for opioid treatment and prevention programs. It is the second largest multistate agreement in U.S. history, next to the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.

Training brings military, law enforcement to Marana

BY JACK WU Cronkite News

In 2021, the U.S. Bomb Data Center recorded 1,876 bomb threats and 860 explosions in the United States, including 381 bombings, 12 of which were reported in Arizona.

That’s one reason Tucson Police Lt. Thomas Hawke and his team were at Raven’s Challenge, a live-fire and classroom training program organized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) at Pinal County Airpark in Marana earlier this month.

“In the event of a critical incident, getting this training in now and getting those relationships will be beneficial in the event of a major critical incident where these teams all have to come together,” said Hawke, special operations section commander for the Tuc-

son Police Department.

ATF hosts improvised explosive device exercises between public safety bomb squads and military explosive ordnance disposal units in the program.

Brendan Iber, special agent in charge of Phoenix’s ATF field division, led the exercises throughout the week. He attributed a large portion of the program’s success to collabo-

rative efforts during training.

“Not only are they sharing information there, they’re sharing information after hours as well, which is huge. When they leave here they have those connections. They have people they can call and say, ‘Hey have you seen this before?’” he said.

While observer controllers made sure everyone was safe, the 18 teams were unassisted

when they ran through the scenarios. Greg Smith, Raven’s Challenge program manager for ATF, emphasized the importance of allowing participants to try different methods.

“We let them experiment,” Smith said. “We let them try new things to see what works and what doesn’t work. This is a great place to do it. It’s the whole sharing of information. If it doesn’t work, it’s better they learn that here than out on the streets somewhere.”

The explosives and arson training is meant for public safety explosives handlers, bomb technicians and explosive ordnance disposal units. They are given challenging scenarios and realistic targets on live-fire ranges that require them to work with military explosive ordnance disposal teams to unarm or destroy devices.

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

As part of Raven’s Challenge at Pinal County Airpark, experts demonstrate a type of explosion commonly used in Hollywood films. Three pounds of explosive make up the charge. (Jack Wu/Cronkite News)

Athlete of the Week: Mady Stutzman

BY TOM DANEHY

Tucson Local Media Columnist

Two of the girls who played on the high-school tennis team that I coached last year are now freshmen in college. Both were hard-charging, no-nonsense, straight-A kids and both had done a great job in negotiating the blind curve of adolescence. Each of them had her life figured out and knew exactly where she was going.

Right now, about a semester-and-ahalf into college, they have both changed their respective majors.

That came to mind when I was talking to Madyson (Mady) Stutzman, the senior outfielder for the Mountain View High School softball team. Self-assured and light-hearted, she’s answering questions in a breezy manner.

Slap hitter or power? “I bat right-hand -

THREATS

from page 1

grandfathers, to show up and occupy seats to block children and parents from attending. After coordinating with Marana PD, the company determined the pushback had become a safety threat.

“We knew these things were happening,” Feeney said. “We felt, perhaps naively, that in Tucson, this would not be an issue. There might be some people who don’t agree, but it would not be an issue from a safety or a security perspective.”

The campaign sparked protest and counterprotest on social media, and due to the Ina Road bookstore’s small size, Feeney and his staff could not ensure safety. Bookmans announced on March 20 that it would postpone the event until further notice.

Despite the national debate over Drag Story Hour, the company had not seen severe pushback in almost 10 years of hosting the event. Bookmans has partnered with Drag Story Hour-AZ since 2019, but its own events date further back. Feeney noted whenever there was dissent, no more than a dozen protesters would show up in front of their stores. In fact, community support would overwhelm the opposition.

“We have had very small protests at past Drag Story Hour events,” Feeney said. “When there is public pushback, the sup-

ed. I always have. I never learned how to bat left. Plus, I really wouldn’t want to slap.”

Grade-point average? “I have a 3.84, unweighted, and 4.4, weighted.”

Weirdest class? “I’m taking AP statistics. I usually like math, but…”

So, what do you want to be? “An anesthesiologist.”

Yes, after graduating in May, she plans to attend the University of Arizona (exact major wisely still undecided), then attend medical school, and then become an anesthesiologist.

But right now, she’s got challenges and goals right in front of her that she wants to address. Her Mountain Lion team is off to a torrid start of the season, sitting at 4-1, having (at press time) just beaten 6A power Tucson High. They have seven more games in March (including a fortu -

port completely overwhelms the detractors. We start receiving an outpouring of positive messages, and we usually see a huge uptick in attendance.”

In the past, pushback has created more interest in Drag Story Hour events, increasing the number of attendants. The Bookmans on Ina Road is its smallest store in Arizona, and Feeney indicated another major reason for rescheduling was to find a larger venue for the growing interest.

Along with support from individuals, many organizations and community leaders, both faith-based and secular, have reached out to the company to assist in rescheduling. Feeney mentioned the Jewish Community Resource Council as one of the associations they’re working with for the new event.

“Our intention is to absolutely bring this event back to the Tucson metro area,” Feeney said. “Given what has happened in the past week, our objective is to make this more of a communitywide event, where Tucson can express holistically that this kind of hate and exclusion is not what we’re about.”

Bookmans will look for a new location in the Tucson metro area to support the increase in attendance. To organize the new event, Bookmans will also have to restructure its security plan, Feeney said.

He noted the company has hired security

itous six in a row at home) and there’s a good chance that they can win them all.

“I want our season to have a better end than last year,” she says.

Last year, the Mountain Lions had an up-and-down season. They got hot at the right time and won their last four regular-season games, earning a spot in postseason play. Their reward was a trip across the state to face Desert Ridge…in Yuma…in May.

“That was awful,” she recalls. “It was ridiculously hot.”

Desert Ridge prevailed, 5-3, and the Mountain View season was over.

A multisport athlete, she spends the first few months of each school year competing in cross country in the blazing Tucson late-summer sun. Why not volleyball or basketball? she is asked, “I’m 5 feet tall.”

or off-duty police officers for minor crowd control in the past. But beyond minor safety efforts, Bookmans has never assessed a need for more complex security measures.

The upcoming event will be a community celebration with a larger and more robust Drag Story Hour. Feeney said he and his staff hope to bring the event back to its proper context, and he understands it will take a team of community members to do it with safety in mind.

“We’re a bookstore. We’re not a security company,” Feeney said. “We want to bring in people with expertise in this area to contribute to the conversation. One of the reasons we postponed was so they would have an opportunity to properly assess the security situation.”

In the face of organized dissent, Feeney and his staff were touched by the overwhelming support from the community.

Feeney has lived in the city for more than 30 years, and although shocked by the threats, he addressed the encouragement as the Tucson he knew and loved.

“Bookmans, as part of our mission, has always first and foremost stood for inclusion,” Feeney said. “We feel it’s particularly important at this moment to be inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community, to present it as a representation of our broader inclusiveness for the whole community.

All right, then. Cross country it is. Somehow, with carrying that monster GPA and playing two sports, she also finds time to hold down a part-time job. When it is learned that she works at a local Chipotle’s, we just have to ask the question: Exactly how disgusting is sour cream?

B eing loyal to her employer and her customers, she demurs.

Her Mountain Lions have a big rivalry game with Marana on March 29th, but it’s a non-conference game, so it’s more about bragging rights in the District than a way to get to State. Mountain View’s postseason fate will be determined in April. Four of the final six games in the regular season are with conference rivals Catalina Foothills and Ironwood Ridge. “We want to win them all,” she said.

FRY'S

from page 1

Baseball Fields and the newly planned dog park.

“Our neighbors in the Gladden Farms community will experience a modern, friendly shopping experience,” said Pam Giannonatti, Fry’s corporate affairs manager. “It caters to their busy, health-conscious lifestyle, and we’re grateful to provide that to them.”

The Barclay Group is the real estate development company supervising the build of the Fry’s and the businesses around it. The Gladden Farms Commercial Center will have five business pads.

Woody said the town has prioritized the neighborhood’s needs.

“We’ve already expressed to them what the neighbors would like to see, and to try and push toward that direction,” Woody said. “We have enough fast food at the Marana exit, so a couple of nice restaurants and retail services would be great in that area.”

Like most of Marana, the Gladden Farms Neighborhood is a fast-growing community.

“Once you get that momentum going with a big anchor like Fry’s, it turns on other retail properties,” Woody said. “The momentum builds momentum and just keeps right on going.”

Imagine everything you need to flourish. And, everything you’d need to flourish for years to come. It’s all here, in one very captivating place. The wealth of activities. The stylish setting. Fabulous cuisine. Attentive service.

And expert healthcare support should the need arise. It’s everything you need to live your life, your way.

Teen bicyclists heading to Old Tucson for ‘Throwdown’

BY VERONICA KUFFEL Tucson Local Media Staff

The National Interscholastic Cycling Association will partner with Old Tucson for the Saturday, April 1, “Throwdown at Old Town,” and it’s relying on the historic movie studio to add its flair to it.

“Old Tucson will have one of their cowboys come out and kick off our Throwdown western style,” said Jen Harrelson, executive league director. “We’ll have that kind of western flair to it.”

This is the NICA Arizona league’s third race in its 2023 spring series. After taking on mountain courses in Waddell and Fountain Hills, the young cyclists head to Old Tucson Studios on April 1. After their series ends, NICA hopes to continue its “Throwdown at Old Town” and to encourage more students to try mountain biking.

NICA is a nonprofit organization that creates interscholastic mountain biking

programs for students all over the country. Their mission is to “build strong minds, bodies, character and communities through cycling.” Leagues like the one in Arizona recruit students to compete on teams in annual series races.

“What’s so cool about mountain biking and NICA in itself is the involvement and the inclusion of kids,” Harrelson said. “It doesn’t matter your skills or your capability. You show up to practice and you’re a part of the team.”

Part of NICA’s commitment to student-athletes is to incite interest in cycling and not necessarily the competition. During each competition, the league has a Party Lap free for kids of all levels to ride. Cyclists can bike the race at their own pace to get them used to the course and involved in the experience.

For this year’s Arizona series, NICA teams have finished the first two races in

see THROWDOWN page 13

To learn more, call us today and schedule your free, no-commitment demonstration! 520-219-1151

Hear better and live better with Augmented Xperience (AX). Look for it in full range of Signia hearing aid styles, models and price points.

AZ technology delivers speech that sounds clearer and closer to you - speech as it was always meant to heard.

It’s speech clarity your ears will notice, and it’s only available in Signia Hearing aids with AX technology.

Coaches of the AZ NICA league scout Old Tucson for their 2023 Spring Race Series (Jen Harrelson/ Submitted)

THROWDOWN

from page 12

the White Tank Mountain and McDowell Mountain regional parks. According to Harrelson, their state league strategically picks who they work with, emphasizing what she calls “the fun factor.”

“With any partnership, we’re always looking for someone who sees and values our vision,” Harrelson said. “Our vision is to have total family involvement, and to make it a fun and memorable experience for everyone involved.”

AZ NICA usually builds a festival around its races, but with Old Tucson Studios, they’ve developed an all-new western experience for participating families. On Friday, the athletes will bike their pre-ride and attend the evening “Party in the Pits.” Old Tucson will provide wristbands for kids and their families to use the park’s restaurants and other amenities.

On Saturday, the Throwdown will kick off, and after each wave of athletes, the program will end with awards and a closing ceremony. Harrelson noted wristbands also allow participants to ex -

plore Old Tucson after the races. Families are encouraged to lodge at Gilbert Ray Camping or hotels within the Tucson area.

The growing league races all over Arizona, and Harrelson plans to continue recruiting cyclists across the state. She indicated Tucson and its surrounding mountains are an ample opportunity for student cycling.

“I think there are a ton of kids in Tucson that just don’t know about interscholastic cycling,” Harrelson said. “We’re focused on recruiting, getting the word out with the local bike shops and talking to families to let them know about the opportunities.”

AZ NICA will work with Trek Bicycle to visit schools in Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley and throughout Southern Arizona. There, the league will promote the association’s initiatives like the Adventure Program, GRIT and the Teen Trail Corps. Harrelson mentioned their Teen Trail Corps allows student-athletes to work with their cities to develop trail systems for races and recreation. The races and programs not only get

kids outside and exercising but teach leadership skills and foster community. With three of her kids involved in mountain biking, Harrelson has seen the benefits of the inclusive sport and hopes to get more students involved in NICA.

“It’s more than just getting them on a bike and having them ride,” Harrelson said. “It’s teaching them leadership skills, that they can show up and ask for something, and then see the follow through and help make it happen.”

WHEN: 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 1

WHERE: Old Tucson Studios, 201 Kinney Road, Tucson

COST: $60 individuals; $10 AZ NICA membership; party lap and viewing free INFO: arizonamtb.org/event/az-nicarace-3/

NICA Race No. 3: Throwdown at Old Town

AZ NICA encourages young bicyclists to exercise in the fresh air and fosters leadership skills as well as communiy. (Jen Harrelson/Submitted)

SPORTS & RECREATION | EXTRA POINT WITH TOM DANEHY

With baseball, the new rules are a good thing

BY TOM DANEHY Tucson Local Media Columnist

Iam so old that when I was young, baseball was actually cool. We all played baseball back then, although for many of us, it was something of a filler between the end of basketball season and the start of football practice. But we played the game and we knew all the stars. Of course, that was before steroids and player strikes and the cancellation of the World Series. Nowadays, baseball is just kinda there.

Coming to a realization of the betterlate-than-never variety, Major League Baseball is making some radical changes to the way its games are contested in the hope of attracting new (and younger) viewers. The sad truth is that the median age of the average fan of Major League Baseball is dead, followed by really old.

The game faces many huge problems, including:

The games are interminable. Twenty-five years ago, the games lasted way too long and now, they’re almost a half-hour longer, on average. The pitcher steps off the rubber. He looks at the runner on first base. He steps on, then off, then throws to first base. Meanwhile, the batter is stepping in and out of the box, adjusting his batting gloves. Fixing his helmet, pulling his wedgie. It takes forever!

There are almost no Black Americans in the major league. The sport is just way uncool. A stunningly low 7% of players in major league baseball are Black Americans. In the National Football League, that number is 58% and in the National Basketball Association, it’s 73%.

Unless you’re a fan of watching people strike out, the game has become much less exciting. A generation ago, the 100

mph fastball was a novelty, almost a freakshow thing. Now, every team has multiple pitchers who can throw that hard and, until recently, MLB rules allowed managers to bring in a string of fireballers to shut down the opposing offense. And, as strikeouts have increased, the number of hits per game has gone down. That’s not good.

The gap between the haves and havenots is huge and it continues to widen. Back in the old days, I used to root for my hometown Dodgers. They would win (sometimes) through pitching and hustle. Now, they win all the time (except in the playoffs), but they do so by buying division titles. They’re boring.

While it may be a case of too little, way too late, Major League Baseball is at least going to make an effort to fix the game and appeal to new fans. The new rules include:

A pitch clock. This is probably the most controversial of all of the new rules. From the time they receive the ball back from the catcher, a pitcher will have 15 seconds to throw a pitch (20 seconds if there is a runner on base). Batters will have 8 seconds to get in the box and stay there or be charged with a strike. It sounds like heaven.

Back in the day, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson would get the ball back from the catcher, rock back and throw the next pitch in one motion. Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray said that Gibson pitched like “he had a taxi

waiting for him with the meter running.” I once saw a batter step out while Gibson was in his pitching motion. Instead of stopping, Gibson just threw the ball at the batter, hitting him in the back. (Gibson was a large, athletic man; nobody charged the mound when he was pitching.)

There will also be a 30-second clock between batters and time for 2-minute media commercials between innings. In Spring Training, these rules have already cut nearly 30 minutes off game times.

Defensive shifts have been banned. This actually started back when Ted Williams was playing. He was one of the greatest hitters of all time, but the shift that was employed against him might have cost him another 20 points on his lifetime batting average.

When the computer geeks got hold of the strategy, it exploded. Now, there must be two infielders on either side of second base and they must have both feet on the infield dirt when the pitch is thrown. This isn’t going to lower the number of strikeouts, but it should lead to more hits and more offense.

They also increased the size of the bases, hoping that it will cut down the number of collisions at first base and may even lead to more stolen bases (since the bases are now 4.5 inches closer to each other). It is a game of inches.

There will always be the old timers who feel that the game was perfect just as it was. It wasn’t, and this may not be any better, but at least they’re trying.

YOUTH

Student Chronicles

Know of a student doing something remarkable? Tell us about it! Email christina@tucsonlocalmedia.com

More than 5,100 Baylor University students in Waco, Texas, have been named to the fall 2022 dean’s academic honor list, which recognizes undergraduates for their outstanding academic work during each semester.

Students honored on the dean’s list earned a minimum semester grade-point average of 3.70 with no grade lower than a “C” while enrolled in at least 12 graded semester hours.

Tucson students included on the list are: Kelsi Bridgewater, College of Arts & Sciences

Braeden Cole, Hankamer School of Business

Callie Gooding, Hankamer School of Business

Kirsten Johnsen, College of Arts & Sciences

Jillian Thomas, College of Arts & Sciences

Julian Valenzuela, Hankamer School of Business

Baylor University is a private Christian university and a Research 1 institution. The university provides a campus community for more than 20,000 students. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

Pamela Galindo, a sophomore in the University of Minnesota Twin Cities’ College of Liberal Arts, has been named to the 2022 fall semester dean’s list. To qualify for the dean’s list, a student must complete 12 or more letter-graded credits while attaining a 3.66 grade point average. Galindo lives in Tucson.

Rachel Hallock of Marana, and Paige Fernety and Cami Marquart of Tucson were named to the dean’s list at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. To be eligible for the dean’s list, students must have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher during the fall 2022

semester at Drake. Drake University is a midsize, private university, enrolling nearly 3,000 undergraduate and more than 1,800 graduate students. Students choose from over 70 majors, minors, and concentrations and 20 graduate degrees offered through six colleges and schools.

Shane Erickson and Hanna Hunter, both of Oro Valley, were named to the dean’s list at Minnesota North College in Hibbing, Minnesota. Students on the list must have completed 12 or more credits while earning a grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 or higher.

St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, named Lucia Iurino, John Iurino and Joni Wallace, all of Tucson, to its dean’s list for the fall 2022 semester. The dean’s list recognizes students with a semester grade point average of 3.75 or higher on a 4-point scale.

Allison Wallace, who’s studying education, made the dean’s list for the 2022 fall term at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, Oregon. Qualifying students achieve and maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale while completing a minimum of 12 hours of graded EOU coursework. She lives in Tucson.

Kaitlyn Blair of Tucson made the dean’s list for the fall 2022 semester at Lincoln University of Missouri. The dean’s list comprises full-time undergraduate students earning a minimum term GPA of 3.00, excluding grades in courses that do not carry credit toward graduation. Lincoln University of Missouri is a historically Black, 1890 land-grant, public university that provides educational opportunities to a diverse population within a nurturing, student-centered environment. Lincoln is known for its undergraduate and graduate programs in agriculture, business administration, criminal justice, elementary education, nursing, business administration, guidance and counseling, and natural science.

Cat Alvarado, Zach Bates and Kerrigan Miranda, all of Tucson, made the fall 2022 dean’s list at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. The dean’s list recognizes undergraduate students who earn a grade-

John Joseph Ramirez of Marana and

Adriana M. Drossos of Tucson were named to the fall semester 2022 dean’s list at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. Students named to the dean’s list must have earned a grade point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.00 scale while carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours of graded course work. Ramirez is studying agricultural business, while Drossos is in communication studies.

Malnutrition is a serious problem among seniors

BY MIA SMITT Tucson Local Media Columnist

Sadly, in our country there are still people who suffer from malnutrition or who simply do not get enough to eat daily.

Malnutrition happens when a person does not eat enough of the proper nutrients to maintain good health. There is often an imbalance of daily protein, vitamins, minerals and calories in the diet.

It is easy to identify some economically disadvantaged groups such as children who qualify for the free school lunch programs, people who are unhoused, and refugees emigrating from war-torn or brutal environments.

A group less visible and more difficult to identify are our senior citizens. The malnutrition many experience may not be solely related to income but be due to a variety of factors.

Adequate nourishment is critical to good health across the age spectrum, yet many older adults are at risk of inadequate nutrition. Poor nutrition in older adults can lead to many health problems including anemia, fatigue, a weakened immune system, problems with digestion, muscle weakness and falls, and depression.

Many bodily changes that occur with advancing age can affect appetite, taste and how food is absorbed. Approximately 25% of older adults living in their communities will experience some level of malnutrition.

The numbers range from 23% to 85% for those in extended care facilities. Malnutrition impacts the health and quality of life at any age but is especially harmful for older adults

with less resilience. They can become more vulnerable to falls and hospitalizations. This is a challenging health concern associated with physical decline, illness and increased earlier death.

Age alone increases the risk for malnutrition. Chronic illnesses contribute to poor eating habits and poor absorption of nutrients. Aging leads to an increase in body fat and a decrease in muscle mass. This will decrease the metabolic rate which in turns tends to lead to less food intake, even though the nutrient needs remain the same.

Age affects the entire gastrointestinal system. The mouth lining becomes thinner and produces less saliva. Certain medications can make the mouth dryness worse. Tooth decay and loose teeth become more common. We have fewer taste buds as we get older, and the sense of smell becomes less acute so food may become less appealing.

Some medications can cause a decrease in the production of hydrochloric acid in the

stomach and this, too, will lead to a poorer absorption of nutrients.

The leading cause of malnutrition in the elderly population is the loss of appetite. Pulmonary (lung) diseases and cardiac problems also lead to a loss of appetite and decrease intake while the illnesses themselves require more, not fewer, calories and nutrients.

Food intake must become more nutrient dense (more bang for the buck!) to meet the increasing metabolic demands of chronic illnesses.

Functional limitations such as an inability to shop or cook can lead to poor eating habits. Dementia may impair everything from cognition and remembering to eat to even a poor ability to swallow.

Social isolation is a major contributor to malnutrition in older adults. Loneliness and a sedentary lifestyle may lead to depression and fatigue, which in turn lead to a reduction in appetite and subsequent poor nutritional status. These lead to increasing weakness, a greater risk for falls, and a decline in mental acuity.

Alcoholism is a problem for many people across the age spectrum but can hit seniors particularly hard. Alcoholism leads to malnutrition by decreasing appetite and frequently becoming a substitute for a meal.

Economic hardship is certainly a cause of malnutrition or under nutrition in any population, including seniors. Food banks and the Commodity Senior Food Program (SCFP) offer surplus foods to those in economic need and the Food Stamps program augments the food budgets of many households.

Mobile Wheels offers low-cost meals delivered to homebound seniors. Supplements

such as Ensure and Boost, though excellent, may be cost prohibitive but powdered breakfast drinks added to whole milk can be a flavorful, and less expensive, substitute. Sharing the costs of bulk products, using store coupons, shopping on senior discount days also will help to lower the costs of groceries.

Family members should assess for weight loss in their elderly relatives. Offer healthy and nutrient dense snacks between meals, such as nut butters on crackers, toast, fruits, and raw vegetables. Whole milk or Greek yogurt with finely chopped nuts, wheat germ, fruit, and granola will boost protein, calcium, and caloric intake.

Making meals more visually appealing and tasty may boost appetite. Restricted diets, such as low salt, do not have to be bland and boring. Experiment with various herbs and spices to make foods tastier and more appealing.

Eating with others, making mealtime a social event, also may stimulate appetite and increase intake. Daily exercise, even if just chair aerobics or a 20-minute walk will boost appetite and increase strength.

A multivitamin and calcium supplement may improve overall nutritional status. Regular physical exams should include height and weight measurements, appropriate blood tests, and diet history.

The golden years should not be a time of poor nutrition. Follow up with your health care provider to further explore strategies for optimum nutrition.

Mia Smitt is a longtime nurse practitioner who writes a column for Tucson Local Media.

Sponsored content

AGING WELL

Hitting All the Right Notes

If you’re going to enjoy a lifelong hobby, you can’t beat the benefits of playing a musical instrument. In addition to bringing joy to yourself and your audience, you’re doing positive things for your brain!

This should come as good news to Jim and Shirley O’Brien, retired University of Arizona professors who live at Splendido, a Life Plan Community for those 55 and better in Oro Valley.

“Music has been a part of our married life since we met 53 years ago,” says Shirley. “Jim and I were ministers of music at several churches after we moved to Tucson in the 1970s. He directed choirs and I accompanied on the organ. However, once he started practicing the accordion, I knew

I’d be left behind unless I learned how to play that instrument too.”

Flash Forward

Today, they perform together, singing and playing Roland digital accordions. “There is no other instrument quite like it. This is not your grandfather’s accordion!” says Shirley. Jim explains, “These have all the sounds of an acoustic accordion, as well as those of other instruments— plus the ability to play accompanying tracks.”

The modern instruments can replicate sounds of Russian, Mexican, French, and many other accordion styles. “I love the technology and the variety of sounds one can use,” says Jim. “Performing together is great fun and we meet lots of fun people.”

The O’Briens have memorized a repertoire of more than 150 songs spanning multiple genres, including jazz, country western, pop, soft rock, and, of course, polkas.

Noteworthy Brain Benefits

Playing an instrument on a regular basis offers multiple benefits for your brain. That’s because it simultaneously works different sensory systems in the brain along with your motor skills. This coordination of efforts provides a workout for your brain—the kind of workout that strengthens connections within the brain and keeps you mentally sharp. In turn, this can improve your memory and cognition—one study showed that musicians perform better on

cognitive tests than those who don’t play an instrument.

In fact, musical training has been proven to increase gray matter volume in specific brain regions and strengthen the connections between them. Other research has shown that such training can improve long-term memory, verbal memory, and spatial reasoning. And multiple studies have shown that playing music helps improve concentration—not just when playing, but in all areas of daily life. It should come as no surprise that playing music can reduce stress—but it can also lower blood pressure, decrease heart rate, and reduce anxiety and depression.

Playing Around

The couple spends

six months out of the year at their home on the Oregon coast, where they are, if anything, even more musically active than in Tucson, performing at summer festivals and in parades in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

Closer to home, Jim and Shirley also play for their neighbors at Splendido. “We have served up some accordion music to add variety to residents’ musical diet at First Friday gatherings and

sing-along events,” says Shirley. Whether playing here or on the west coast, raising the roof at an Oktoberfest celebration or serenading neighbors at happy hour, the O’Briens are hitting all the right notes when it comes to creating joy and boosting their brain health!

Interested in learning more about Splendido? For floor plans, photos, and information on upcoming events, visit splendidotucson.com.

Jim and Shirley O’Brien have been sharing their joy of music with others for more than 50 years.

Church

GF and Son Contractor

GF and Son Contractor

Fascia Boards, Remodeling & Additions, Permit plans.

Family Business 25 yrs. BBB

Now Accepting Credit cards

Gary or Chase 520-742-1953

Family Business 25 yrs. BBB Member & licensed. Specialize in all types of(New/Old) Roof repairs, Coating, Rotten Wood, Fascia Boards, Remodeling & Additions, Permit plans.

Member & licensed. Specialize in all types of(New/Old) Roof repairs, Coating, Rotten Wood, Fascia Boards, Remodeling & Additions, Permit plans. Now Accepting Credit cards Gary or Chase 520-742-1953

Now Accepting Credit cards

Gary or Chase 520-742-1953

Crossword

Plywood, in Dutch ... or theater with several screens, English

Smidgen

Spend a lot of time in front of mirror, say

Engrave with an acid

Queens stadium eponym

Inflame acation, in Swedish ... half of an academic year, in English

Boosted

Light punch

So-called “wisdomkeepers”

Savory South Asian pastry

DOWN ays “Hah!,” say Place for some bills

Flying a commercial airline, often all’s partner in

Grade school subj. who played Don in “Mad n” name in hardware stores

omething to pass, legally

Exhausts

Kick off

Something grown lab

Across

12 “Because that’s what I want!”

34 Scarfed down

Edited by WIll Shortz

Horoscopes ✴

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

By Holiday Mathis

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

1 Iconic sportswear logo that was commissioned for $35 in 1971

34 Do something

14 Twilled suit fabric

17 Reina’s chess “mate”

35 Competition, in French ... or agreement, in English

35 It might say

7 Stories that can get pretty hot

38 Tooth holder

45 Vegas casino with bars named Dublin Up, Lucky and Blarney

39 Unspecified amount

46 Tibetan ethnic group

40 Certain real estate purchase

21 Glasses annoyance

13 Northernmost capital in continental South America

Kid

41 Verizon sale of 2021

H.S. exam org.

1 Says “Hah!,” say

2 Place for some bills

3 Flying a commercial airline, often

4 Hall’s partner in pop

5 Grade school subj.

6 Jon who played Don in “Mad Men”

7 Big name in hardware stores

8 Something to pass, legally

9 Exhausts

10 Kick off

11 Something grown in a lab

12 “Because that ’s what I want!”

14 Twilled suit fabric

17 Reina’s chess “mate”

21 Glasses annoyance

24 An identical one isn’t 100% identical

26 That is to say

29 Set up a temporary base

32 Amaze

33 Overheat, as a circuit

34 Do something

35 It might say “Scam Likely”

Should you take on the established order? It will consume more energy than it's worth. However, there's luck this week for ducking under the radar to handle things your own way, if you're quick and decisive. The other option is to accept things, focus on the advantages in this situation and know that your moment is coming.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Boredom feels bad but is good for your big picture. It motivates change. If you were never bored, you wouldn't set out on adventures, seek new knowledge or find deeper meanings. This week, you'll move through ennui to fantastic, fresh circumstances. The company of fire signs will be particularly lucky (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius).

GEMINI (May 21-June 21)

This version of yourself has its own set of rituals, some of which you don't really think about. Being more conscious of the patterns involved in suppor ting your current lifestyle will be an important step in adding meaning and relevance to your scene. As your awareness grows, so will your options.

CANCER (June 22-July 22)

There are parts of your experience you prefer to keep to yourself, not because these events or feelings are shameful but because they are precious. They are too sacred to put into words or subject to the opinions of others. There's a dignity in preserving your own mystery now.

LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22)

There will be a lull. The dimming of external stimuli is an opportunity to turn your attention inward. Instead of your usual problem-solving in service to others, you'll brainstorm about how to resolve what's been troubling you. Your intellect is bright. You'll start with a dream and follow it to a practical solution.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21)

None of us can totally control what happens to us. What happens inside us can be similarly challenging to manage. But at least you'll have a good deal of say over where you show up this week. Put yourself in the best places -- happy, warm places of your choosing where the company is kind and inclusive.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Feelings are neither true nor false, they simply are. Accept how you feel for what it is, a tone of the moment that could intensify or fade, change or evaporate. Know that what you've experienced doesn't make you any more or less of a person, but what you can accept and assimilate definitely broadens you and gives you something to build on.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

A lot is happening at once this week, but don't worry about it all. You don't even have to worry about any of it if you don't want to. You know where you're headed. You have the map. You're taking the steps. Be content with small gains. Trust the process.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

24 An identical one isn’t 100% identical

15 ___ Achebe, “Things Fall Apart” author

26 That is to say

16 Vintage car, in German ... or veteran, in English

42 Hummer maker

43 Regard

44 ___ Gatos, Calif.

Casey in the National Radio Hall of Fame

Some med. plans

29 Set up a temporary base

18 In a spooky way

32 Amaze

19 Get out fast

47 Plywood, in Dutch ... or theater with several screens, in English

20 G.I. food packs

33 Overheat, as a circuit

22 Six-time M.L.B. All-Star Mookie

50 Smidgen

Was defeated by

Sheeran and Sullivan 59 Little ___, who sang “The LocoMotion”

52 Spend a lot of time in front of the mirror, say

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

23 Famine’s counterpart

53 Engrave with an acid

25 High school, in Danish ... or building for indoor sports, in English

27 The Cards, on scoreboards

28 Teeny

30 One hearing things?

31 “___ you serious?”

32 When doubled, like a good situation

33 Relatives, slangily

55 Queens stadium eponym

Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay

56 Inflame

58 Vacation, in Swedish ... or half of an academic year, in English

60 Boosted

61 Light punch

62 So-called “wisdom-keepers”

63 Savory South Asian pastry Down

36 Scrooge McDuck vis-à-vis Donald 37 Rejections 38 Blog, perhaps 41 Current unit 42 Ingredient in some holiday cookies

43 Get all A’s, say 44 Was defeated by 45 Vegas casino with bars named Dublin Up, Lucky and Blarney

46 Tibetan ethnic group 48 Kid 49 H.S.

People throw up barriers for their own reasons. Maybe they don't want to be known, or maybe they are trying to get out of the work involved in serving or relating to others. When met with resistance, don't back down so easily. It gives power to lesser human instincts. Stand with the better angels.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Nervous anticipation is uncomfortable, but for many high achievers, it comes with the territory. The week sees you feeling responsible and invested in an outcome. Don't worry, after you've done what you set out to do enough times to trust your own competence, the nerves will disappear.

You'll take a stand when you're ready, but there's something to iron out first. You want confirmation that you're right. Test the ethics and legalities out on friends and experts. When you're convinced you have a case, it will be much easier to assert yourself.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

There's nothing to do, only something to stop doing. Technically, (SET ITAL) not (END ITAL) acting takes less energy than an action would, but anyone who's tried to quit an unwanted habit knows it doesn't work like that. Stopping can be hard. Take heart. Once you reorient your mindset, inaction will indeed be the easier route.

PUZZLE BY KAREN STEINBERG

"SHE SAVED MY LIFE"

Oro Valley resident Dawn R. had been experiencing the painful side effects of Peripheral Neuropathy. "My feet and legs were extremely painful and my doctor told me there was nothing they could do, and that I would have to take Gabapentin for the rest of my life.” Then she met Oro Valley's very own Kari Hahn, L.Ac.

Peripheral Neuropathy is the pain, discomfort and numbness caused by nerve damage of the peripheral nervous system. Dawn explained that daily tasks like opening doors and using the bathroom were overwhelmingly painful. “How can you live for the next 30 years when you don’t even want to get out of bed to do simple things?”

She was experiencing the burning, numbness, tingling and sharp pains that those suffering with neuropathy often describe. “The way that I would describe it, it’s equivalent to walking on glass.” Dawn hadn’t worn socks in five years and was wearing shoes two sizes too big so that nothing would ‘touch’ her feet.

Unfortunately Dawn’s story is all too familiar for the over 20 million people in the U.S. suffering from Peripheral Neuropathy.

If you’re unfortunate enough to be facing the same disheartening prognosis, perhaps you’re not sleeping at night because of the burning in your feet. You may have difficulty walking, shopping or doing any activity for more than 30 minutes because of the pain. You’re possibly struggling with balance and living in fear that you might fall. Your doctor may have told you to ‘just live with the pain’ and you may be taking medications that aren’t working or have uncomfortable side effects.

Fortunately, four months ago, Dawn read an article about Kari Hahn and the work she was doing to treat those suffering from Peripheral Neuropathy, without invasive surgeries or medications.

Kari Hahn, founder of Oro Valley Acupuncture, is using the time tested science of Acupuncture along with other modern therapies to assist in increasing blood flow and expediting recovery and healing to treat this debilitating disease.

“Now when I go to bed at night I don’t have those shooting pains. I don’t have that burning sensation. I don’t have pain coming up my legs,” Dawn enthusiastically describes life after receiving Kari’s treatments. “I can wear socks and shoes!”

Dawn and her sister now operate a successful dog walking business, sometimes covering up to 5 miles a day.

“It’s life altering. As far as I’m concerned Kari saved my life!”

Kari Hahn has been helping the senior community for over 19 years using the most cutting edge and innovative integrative medicine. Specializing in chronic pain cases, specifically those that have been deemed ‘hopeless’ or ‘untreatable’, she consistently generates unparalleled results. What was once a missing link in senior healthcare is now easily accessible to the residents of Oro Valley.

If you’ve missed too many tee times because of pain or you’ve passed on activities with the grandkids because you’re afraid of falling, it’s time to call Kari and the staff at Oro Valley Acupuncture.

It’s time you let your golden years BE GOLDEN!

Oro Valley Acupuncture is now accepting new patients but only for a limited time. In an effort to protect her patients, both current and future, she has made the difficult decision to limit the number of patients seen in her clinic. Only 20 new neuropathy patients will be accepted before summer, so call (520) 532-2012 now to schedule a consultation. Mention this ad for a consult fee of $30 for our New Patient Offer.