The Voice of Marana since 2007
Volume 29 • Number 47 November 16, 2022
www.Maranaweeklynews.com
Williams remembered for his humor, musicianship
INSIDE HoliDaze
Events aplenty this holiday season
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Tucson Local Media
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| Inside
Entertainment Joe Bonamassa is back on stage | Page 12
Although Saguaro National Park is a Tucson gem, it does have a complicated relationship with the Tohono O'Odham Nation. A new program is working to uncomplicate it. (Noelle Haro-Gomez/ Contributor)
Health
Smitt: Psychedelics aren’t all bad | Page 33
Breaking the mold at Saguaro National Park BY KAREN SCHAFFNER
Tucson Local Media
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isit Saguaro National Park and, besides taking in the stunning beauty of the Sonoran Desert, partake of many of its programs. Learn about tarantulas from Ranger Jordan Camp or the petroglyphs of the people who once walked this way from Raeshaun Ramon. It’s a true diamond in the town. Not everyone feels that way, however. The relationship the park has with the Tohono
O’Odham nation is complicated. The land the west side park encompasses was once theirs and was appropriated by the federal government. This is the same land where members of that nation and their ancestors once lived and hunted, once gathered the fruit of the saguaro cactus, once cared for the land and its occupants — all the occupants, including the fourlegged, feathered and rooted varieties. Members of the Tohono O’Odham Nation still have a shaky relationship with the National Park Service.
“For me, growing up I’ve always heard how the National Park Service and indigenous nations, there was a very complicated history because the National Park Service claimed these spots,” Raeshaun Ramon said about Saguaro National Park. He is an enrolled member of the Tohono O’Odham Nation. “They kind of kicked us out of these areas. A lot of the national park places in the country are within indigenous lands and See SAGUARO Page 4
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anessa Strollo remembers her father, well-known Tucson musician Richard “Ricky” Williams, for his sense of humor and vivid storytelling talents. “He was hilarious,” Strollo said. “He was the best storyteller. He could make anyone laugh. He was a performer. He was most known as the lead singer of Backroads. He was very extroverted. He loved making people smile.” He parlayed that into live performances with his band Backroads, which was quieted when Williams was killed in a Sept. 24 one-vehicle motorcycle crash in the 2000 block of North Kinney Road. “Me and my mother came to visit me in the morning. They were visiting their grandbaby. My dad’s life revolved around my daughter, Bella,” Strollo said. “They left and normally they go through what we call the ‘monument.’ I live out in Picture Rocks. I told them to text me when they got home. I do not like motorcycles. Over an hour went by and I didn’t really worry until my mom’s friend texted me and said, ‘Your mom stood me up.’ I called my mom, and it went straight to voicemail. I called my dad, and it went straight to voice See WILLIAMS Page 10
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