Karin's Note: Friday, April 30, 2021

City of Tucson sent this bulletin at 04/30/2021 03:25 PM MST

Karin’s Ward 3 News and Updates

Friday, April 23, 2021

News and Updates
Pet of the Week
Ward 3 Neighborhood Association/Coalition Meetings
Ward 3 Events
City Wide Events
Did You Know?

Dear Tucsonans,

We had a wonderful Meet and Greet event at Amphi Park on Monday evening. My thanks to the residents who took the time to drop by, as well as City staff who really made the gathering a success by sharing information, engaging with attendees, and providing the children with Ready Set Rec! activities. Thanks as well to Los Panchos for serving Sonoran Dogs and to St. Francis Shelter for providing water.

On Tuesday the Mayor and Council will be determining the best path forward for the zoo expansion and the immediate surrounding areas in Reid Park. My hope is that we can minimize impacts to existing green space, an invaluable community resource for all residents, while continuing to work in good faith with our zoo partners. Also at the meeting we will be addressing an agreement that was presented at our last meeting involving a potential annexation on the east tied to the provision of water service to a parcel on the west side. I can only support the agreement if it is in-keeping with Tucson Water Service Policy and Map, as those have effectively guided our water stewardship and should continue to do so. Mayor and Council will also continue discussion on the Budget and Compensation Plan.

More on the Mayor and Council meeting May 4 and all associated materials can be found here.

Earlier this month, I let you know of my commitment to honor former Council Member Paul Durham and his husband, Philippe Waterinckx for their continued contributions to our beautiful city. I’m donating $3,000 of my City Council take-home pay to the LGBTQ+ Alliance Fund of the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona. I hope you’ll consider pitching in to raise a collective $5,000! We are almost at our goal! Since 1999, the Alliance Fund has invested in key organizations and programs addressing there needs and inequities experiences by LBGTQ+ people of all ages, origins and backgrounds across southern Arizona. Your donation is one way to thank Paul and Philippe for their many contributions to our community. Thanks for considering my request! Donate at AllianceFund.org.

Sincerely,

Karin

Amphi Meet & Greet

Thank you everyone who came out to Amphi Park on Monday. It was good to be able to meet with constituents and City staff and discuss all of the good things that are going on in Ward 3.

Teresa Noon from Pima Community College and the Thrive in the 05, and Barbra Coffee, director of Tucson’s Office of Economic Initiatives

Director of Transportation and Mobility Diana Alarcon

Council Member Karin Uhlich, Faye Goodspeed from the Limberlost Neighborhood Association and Captain Chris Dennison from Operations Division West

Council Member Karin Uhlich, Council Aide Matt Kopec and Sumaya Frick, Internship Coordinator for Amphi Public Schools.

Council Member Karin Uhlich with the Ward 3 Parks and Recrecation Ready, Set, Rec! van

Restaurant Revitalization Fund

For our restaurant owners in Ward 3, we have some exciting news and information. Beginning today, Friday, April 30, you can apply for financial assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Established under the American Rescue Plan, and signed into law by President Biden on March 11, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund provides $28.6 billion in relief funds to restaurants and other hard-hit food establishments that have experienced economic distress and significant operational losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said a press release from the SBA. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Funds must be used for allowable expenses by March 11, 2023.

We urge you to begin the application process now by registering. Applications will be open Monday, May 3, at noon EDT for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The online application will remain open to any eligible establishment until all funds are exhausted.

For the first 21 days that the program is open, the SBA will prioritize funding applications from businesses owned and controlled by women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. All eligible applicants are encouraged to submit applications as soon as the portal opens. Following the 21 days, all eligible applications will be funded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tucson restaurants are more than places where we eat our favorite meals. Many Tucson restaurants are at the core of our identity as a city, gastronomic extensions of our diverse cultural history.

“One of the reasons why Tucson is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy is because of our local restaurants,” said J. Felipe Garcia, executive vice president of Visit Tucson.

Through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a segment of Tucson’s hospitality industry that has struggled during the pandemic will receive critical help, he added.

“Tucson stands out as one of the cities with the largest percentage of locally owned restaurants. We need to help our local businesses get back on its feet. We appreciate the many restaurant owners who not only provide jobs to many in our community, but make Tucson a great and unique destination.”

Even if you are not a restaurant owner but you have a fave restaurant or two or more, share this information. Spread the word.

These are some of the businesses eligible to apply for financial assistance:

Restaurants
Food stands, food trucks, food carts
Caterers
Bars, saloons, lounges, taverns
Snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars
Bakeries (onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)
Brewpubs, tasting rooms, taprooms (onsite sales to the public comprise at least 33% of gross receipts)

The SBA recommends applicants familiarize themselves with the application process in advance to ensure a smooth and efficient application experience by taking these steps:

Register for an account at restaurants.sba.gov.
Review the official guidance, including program guide, frequently asked questions, and application sample.
Prepare the required documentation.
Work with a point-of-sale vendor or visit restaurants.sba.gov to submit an application when the application portal opens. [Note: If an applicant is working with a point-of-sale vendor, they do not need to register beforehand on the site.]

Covid-19 Reopening

Head out to a local park with a ball field some evening and you’re likely to hear the sounds of bats striking balls, cheers of encouragement and applause for a well-timed play at home plate. Or visit Amphi Middle School and you’ll see students running, jumping and stretching, all in preparation for an upcoming track meet.

These are not mere signs of spring but the signals that slowly, piece by piece, our community is re-opening and inching toward what our daily lives looked like more than a year ago when the COVID-19 pandemic shut us down.

“It’s going well for us,” said Manny Padilla, a teacher and athletic director at Amphi Middle School where some 75 student athletes are engaged in baseball, volleyball, softball and track. “Our community, parents have been very supportive,” he said.

These steps toward resumption of our activities are occurring while we continue to practice safe COVID measures. People, for the most part, are maintaining safe distances and wearing their masks.

“All in all everything has gone well out there,” said Carl Thompson, administrator for Arizona District 5 Little League which incorporates 11 leagues in Tucson, involving about 2,600 boys and girls, from ages 4 to 14.

When the teams resumed playing in late March, the District 5 staff had already in place COVID-19 protocols to protect the kids, their coaches and their families. Mask usage and physical distancing is emphasized and enforced. And everyone has responded positively, Carl said.

“For the most part parents and the community have been respectful,” he said. “Everything has gone well out there.”

Justina Trejo, a mother of two teen boys and a front-line health worker, said the district and the various leagues did an effective job in communicating the health and safety guidelines to players, families and coaches. In turn people trusted the league and each other to do the right thing.

“We gave them places to play that are really safe,” said Justina, president of the Flowing Wells-Amphi Little League which has about 165 kids on 14 baseball and softball teams.

It was important for the kids and their families to return to the sports and activities they enjoyed before the lockdown as public health took priority.

“The kids need to have that interaction,” said Justina.

At Amphi Middle School there is another benefit to restoring sports activities for the students. Being in sports again has upped their game in the classroom, Manny said. Because the students have to perform well in class to participate on a team, Manny added: “Now we’re having those conversations about grades and classroom attendance.”

It’s not just at the schools and parks where activities have resumed. In the City’s recreation centers some of the pools have been open for weeks for adult lap swimming and recently the centers opened their doors to seniors who engage in several hours of activities.

“Everybody’s happy to be back,” said Dawnee Moreno, activities and recreation manager for the City’s Parks and Recreation Department. “Everyday it’s getting better.”

The parks’ reopening has been incremental as the threat of the virus has eased and more people have been vaccinated. Still precautions remain. Virus infections could climb back up if we are careless and vaccinations slow down.

But beginning next week residents will be able to again reserve ramadas at City parks. And within weeks, if not sooner, the recreation centers will open to more activities and participants, likely the kids as schools come to a close, Dawnee said.

“That’s only to get better as we lift restrictions,” she said.

Housing and Community Development office reopens

The Department of Housing and Community Development has reopened some of its main office to the public. HCD will continue to do business online and over the phone. We encourage the public and our customers to save a trip to the office by calling, emailing, or completing a contact form, when possible.

Go to this link for contact information.

However, sometimes it helps to talk face-to-face with staff. Here is what you need to know before visiting the office:

Wear a face mask
Maintain 6-feet of social distancing
Answer questions to screen for COVID-19 or the flu

The HCD main office is located at 310 N. Commerce Park Loop, Santa Rita Building. The Santa Rita building open for walk-in assistance Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am to 12 noon.

But the blue drop-off bin for paperwork outside the main office is available Monday-Friday, from 8 am-4 pm.

Thrive in the 05

It’s been a little while since our last progress update on the Thrive in the 05 effort. The Thrive in the 05 is comprised of three approaches to neighborhood revitalization: 1) the HUD Choice planning grant aimed at redeveloping the Tucson House and increasing affordable housing stock; 2) the Community Based Crime Reduction grant aimed at transforming historical crime hot spots by investing in the community and building community resiliency; and 3) the Rose Fellowship focuses on small business support, workforce development and adaptive reuse.

HUD Choice Planning Grant

City staff is preparing to implement community-driven action activities that will bring needed gathering spaces in local parks, add tree canopy to pedestrian and bicycle corridors along with rainwater basins, restore additional historic neon signs and invest in community storytelling and placemaking. Stay tuned and expect to see good things happening in the near future.

Community Based Crime Reduction

The Community Based Crime Reduction efforts were certainly slowed down because of the pandemic. Now, with vaccinations increasing the community programs aimed at crime prevention derived from conversations with Thrive residents are picking up.

Notably, this summer the YES! Youth Empowerment Solutions program will take place at Nash Elementary school and will work with 4^th and 5^th graders. We are excited to learn with the youth in this first year of YES! Additionally, recent “train the trainer” sessions in the Community Resiliency Model have been offered for Tucson House residents. The Ward 3 office is looking forward to partnering with the ASU School of Social Work to expand this important offering.

Small Business Support

The City’s Connect Tucson team has been working with local businesses in the Thrive area to help them navigate the pandemic. While their much enjoyed business forums had to be put on hold last spring, they pivoted quickly to provide virtual information and business kits to businesses in the 05. As part of the HUD action activities, they will soon bring on a line a business façade improvement program and a district branding effort for the Oracle and Miracle Mile corridors.

CPTED

Community leaders, neighbors, and agencies! Join us Monday, May 3, from 2:30-5 pm for Thrive in the 05's Community Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Training, covering the Safe, Healthy, and Inclusive Places module. Register here: https://bit.ly/32WcDmG

Vax Challenge

Do you know a young person who has mad video-making skills? Are you a young aspiring filmmakers? If yes here's an opportunity to work on your ideas and expand your abilities. Pima County is sponsoring a friendly opportunity for young people to create videos about the importance of getting vaccinated. Put your own spin on it --not disinformation--and share your story with the public. Make a video and get a chance at winning a prize.

What’s the truth about COVID-19 and getting the vaccine?

Why does the vaccine matter?

What do people need to know so they can get their shot?

Participants must be residents of Pima County and not older than 24 years.

Go to this site for the details then go out and make a video: http://vaxchallenge.com/

Upcoming 14-hour Water Outage (Sunday-Monday)

There will be a 14-hour water outage affecting over 1700 customers, from 8 pm on Sunday to 10 am Monday. The affected area is primarily east of Oracle Road between River Road and Orange Grove. The utility has made every effort to minimize the disruption to customers and to ensure that affected customers have been notified. You can view the news release that just went out at this link.

The outage is associated with the rehabilitation of Devine Reservoir. Devine Reservoir is located on North First Avenue near Rudasill Road and is an integral water delivery feature in zones located within the Catalina Foothills area that extend from Ina, Craycroft, River and Oracle roads. The reservoir has been completely rehabilitated to include new interior structural elements, a new roof and upgraded electrical and electronics systems. Funds for the improvements come from the Tucson Water Capital Improvement budget. This outage represents the final task in the process of upgrading this reservoir site.

Pet of the Week

Axel

Take a look at this good boy. Axel is quite the catch, don’t miss your chance to bring him home with you! He is 2-years-old and housebroken. But wait that’s not all! He is a quick learner, knows lots of tricks and is great with kiddos.

Pima Animal Care Center staff have this to say about Axel:

Axel is a super handsome young dude who is looking for someone to relive his glory days with, jamming out to Paradise City and wearing rose print leggings. The 80s may be over (long over), but Axel knows that rock and roll never dies, and Guns n' Roses is still cool. Right…? Axel's former owner said that he has done well around kids of all ages, and that he is housebroken, though he was largely an outdoor pet. Partying outside is cool when you're young, but Axel is looking to move indoors in his next home. The other thing Axel's former person told us was how sweet he is, and that's definitely what he's shown us at the shelter! When meeting other dogs in PACC playgroup, Axel was a bit nervous and generally kept to himself, so he'd like to meet any resident doggos before heading home together. What if his potential roomie thinks Motley Crue is the superior 80s band?!?

You can find Axel and many other animals up for adoption at the Pima Animal Care Center.

If you are interested in browsing the kennels, please submit an adoption survey and schedule an appointment using the link found in the survey confirmation email. Please email pacc.adopt@pima.gov with questions.

Ward 3 Neighborhood Association/Coalition Meetings

Barrio Blue Moon

Sunday

May 2

2-3 pm

Esquer Park

1415 N 14th Ave

Sugar Hill

Sunday

May 5

5:30-7 pm

SE corner of Mansfield Park

2000 N 4th Ave

Alvernon Grant Initiative

Tuesday

May 11

6 pm

ZOOM Meeting

If you would like to attend the January Zoom AGI meeting, send an email to paloverdena@gmail.com by Tuesday, May 11 at 12 pm. You will be sent the link to the meeting and the agenda.

Ward 3 Events

Grant Road Improvement Plan RTA PHASE 5&6 VIRTUAL MEETING

In 2006 the voters approved the RTA sales tax ballot measure. One of the projects contained in the $1.2B roadway portion is widening Grant Rd. Phases 1 and 2 were the west end. They’re done. Phases 3 and 4 are the east end. They’re about to begin. Phases 5 and 6 are the middle leg of the project, from approximately Campbell to Dodge. Attend a virtual meeting, Monday, May 3rd from 5:30 to 7pm.

Amphi Neighborhood Clean Up
Sunday
May 16th
8-9:30 am
Meet at Literacy Connects
200 E Yavapai Rd

The next scheduled trash pickup in Amphi will be Sunday, May 16th from 8-9:30 am. Family and friends are welcome. Meet at Literacy Connects at 7:45 am to get vests, gloves, grabbers, and trash bags. Groups will be split into 2 or 3 people. Wear masks and stay socially distant. Those who want to work on Prince Road can drive and park on a side street. All others will work on Yavapai starting in front of the LC campus. When it’s done, meet back at Literacy Connects to return your vests, etc. Trash bags will go into the Literacy Connects dumpster. Also, bring water, dress appropriately, wear a hat and put on sunscreen.

Welcome back inside BICAS!

Bicycle Inter-Community Art & Salvage, better known as BICAS, has begun a public reopening, welcoming a limited number of customers into the warehouse to allow for adequate social spacing. Customers may enter the building to shop and browse. In this current phase BICAS will continue to offer gate service and a sliding scale for repair services. BICAS is located at 2001 N 7^th Ave. Call 520-628-7950 for hours of operation.

What will be available

Inside shopping and browsing.
Small-sized in-person bike repair classes.
In-person Art programing events.
Continuation of
- Gate service
- Sliding scale repair services
- Bicycle sales and test rides

Live Theater Workshop

Friday and Saturday

April 30 & May 1

7:30pm

3322 E Fort Lowell Rd

Buy Tickets Online

Enjoy these outdoor performances at the new location for Live Theater Workshop. Tune into the LTW radio station to hear the story from the comfort of your own car. You can also bring your mask and lawn chairs and sit outside of your car or in the tailgate.

Jefferson Park Plant Sale

May 7-9

8 am-2 pm

1641 E Waverly St

This is a fundraiser for the historic Jefferson Park neighborhood. Come out to get your plants, pots, tools, yard art and more!

Proposition 102 Tucson Delivers Better Streets Improvements in Flowing Wells

Milling and paving work is scheduled to begin in early June. Neighbors will begin to see crews in the area before that date to construct ADA compliant curb ramps, lower the water valves and manhole covers along with tree trimming.

City Wide Events

Park Ramada Reservations Now Open

The City plans to reopen all ramadas for reservations, in accordance with Pima County guidelines, beginning Monday, May 3. Reservations will be accepted for any size ramada for groups under 75 people. In addition, reservations will now be able to get amusement equipment permits.

New reservations and beer and wine permits can be made by calling 520-791-4873 or through the online reservation system at EZEEreg.com. Ramadas that are not reserved will be available on a first-come basis.

For more information to reserve a ramada visit the Parks and Recreation website here

Buffalo Soldiers Memorial Celebration

Monday
May 3
10 am
Quincie Douglas Center
1575 E 36th St

Join City of Tucson Ward 5 Council Member Richard Fimbres, the Greater Southern Arizona Area Chapter (GSAAC) of the Buffalo Soldiers, and Tucson Parks and Recreation for the unveiling of the Buffalo Soldiers Memorial honoring the contributions of Black Americans in defense of the nation and settling Southern Arizona. The neighborhood surrounding the Quincie Douglas Center, where the memorial will be located, is one of the oldest historically Black neighborhoods in Tucson. We hope that the addition of this historic memorial will continue the conversation about contributions made by Black Americans in the settling of Southern Arizona and the Western United States.

Reid Park Zoo Senior Celebration

Reid Park Zoo will be celebrating seniors both human and animal on May 3^rd with discount admission of $5 for guests ages 62+, plus music by the Ronstadt Duo, animal chats and more.

Tucson Food Share New Hours & Location

Beginning Saturday, May 1

2500 N Stone Ave

Mondays 6–8 pm

Thursdays 6–8 pm

Saturdays 8–10 am

Did You Know?

FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance

FEMA is providing financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses – up to $9,000 per funeral.

To apply, call FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line: 844-684-6333.

For more information, visit COVID-19 Funeral Assistance | FEMA.gov.

In addition, City of Tucson splash pads will also open on Monday, April 19. Splash pads are open daily from 8 a.m.-sunset.

GSI Maintenance Trainings

Register for Green Stormwater Infrastructure Maintenance trainings offered by the City of Tucson via the Smartscape Program. Trainings are free, online, and hosted by expert instructors from across the community.