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Karin’s Ward 3 News and Updates
Friday, June 18, 2021
News and Updates
Pet of the Week
Ward 3 Neighborhood Association/Coalition Meetings
Ward 3 Events
City Wide Events
Did You Know?
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Dear Tucsonans,
We managed to make it through a record-breaking week for heat. I’m pleased that the Donna Liggins Recreation Center in the Sugar Hill neighborhood is serving as a much-needed cooling center that is available to all.
Next Tuesday we have a packed Mayor and Council meeting. During our study session, slated to run from 2-5:30, we will discuss the American Rescue Plan and how the City of Tucson may choose to invest those dollars in an equitable way to drive transformative change. We will also discuss the Central Business District and the revision to the GPLET incentive application. Changes to the application include contractors for any GPLET-supported development support collective bargaining and pay prevailing wages, and that any project that receives this incentive will need to have a Community Benefits Agreement in place with the surrounding neighborhood(s).
During the Regular meeting in the evening, we will return again to the differential water rates and take action to adopt an EV-Ready ordinance for new one- and two-family residences. We will also hold a public hearing on the tentatively adopted budget and enter into a special meeting to vote on the budget for fiscal year 2022 (beginning July 1). You can find information for the meetings here.
I do want to take a moment to express my solidarity with the Jewish community and especially the members of two synagogues who were targeted by anti-Semitic attacks recently. Displays of hate and violence that seek to marginalize certain groups often requires a moment of reflection and then a turned toward our community. I have found inspiration in the multi-faith response to date. That kind of solidarity is necessary for us to address the underlying issues behind these acts of hate.
Finally, I want to wish you all a Happy Juneteenth, Father’s Day and Dia de San Juan!
-Karin
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Celebrate Juneteenth
It was an emotional, uplifting week for Joyce Green, a long-time Sugar Hill neighborhood resident. President Joe Biden on Thursday signed legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
“It’s long overdue,” she said excitedly. “This should have happened a long time ago. July 4 may be a day of freedom but on that day Blacks were still slaves,” said Joyce. “They were not free.”
While most states have recognized June 19th in some way or another, there had been a growing call to make that day a federal holiday to recognize Juneteenth as a day of emancipation for Confederate slaves and acknowledge slavery as a critical historical facet of our lives today. The U.S. Senate unanimously approved the holiday on Tuesday, followed Wednesday with nearly full approval by the House ending with Biden’s historic signing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.
“Great nations don’t ignore the most painful moments. They don’t ignore those moments in the past. They embrace them. Great nations don’t walk away,” said the president.
Joyce, 66, who worked for the Tucson Unified and Amphi school districts for a total of more than 20 years, said the new holiday gives us, in addition to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, more opportunity to recognize the role of Black Americans in our history.
While most states have recognized June 19th in some way or another, there was a growing call to make that day a federal holiday.
On June 19th, 1865, when the Union Army marched into Galveston, Texas, more than two months after the formal end of the Civil War, African-Americans still in bondage were freed. That was more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued his Proclamation of Emancipation to free the slaves but the Southern states had waged a war to secede in their destructive effort to preserve slavery.
“Of course I didn’t learn all about this in school because they don’t teach it in school,” said Joyce. With the new holiday, Joyce said it is important “to make sure our kids know what it’s about.”
For the past 40 years, Joyce and many other Tucsonans have celebrated Juneteenth, largely with outdoor festivals and backyard barbecues. This year the celebration will continue with an event at the Dunbar Pavilion and virtually.
Tomorrow, Saturday, the Tucson Juneteenth Committee and Pima Community College will present on YouTube three hours of Black culture in song, dance and history. In addition, the Dunbar Pavilion at 325 W. 2nd St., will host an in-person vendor and food event from 4-8 pm.
Joyce remembers first celebrating Juneteenth at San Marcos Park in the A Mountain Neighborhood. Subsequently the festivities moved to Kennedy Park and later Mansfield Park in Sugar Hill. Families, and neighbors would gather to embrace culture and history.
In 2016 the Arizona state legislature voted to make June 19th a state holiday, following most other states and the District of Columbia. But most workers are not give the day off. Now the federal holiday makes Juneteenth equal to the 4th of July and the other federally recognized holidays.
Proclaiming Juneteenth as a federal holiday takes on greater significance in the wake of the racial reckoning occurring throughout the country and the Black Lives Matter movement. While the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the holiday, 14 members of the House, including Arizona representatives Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs, voted against the holiday.
“We still have issues that were brought out because of George Floyd,” she said.
Juneteenth and the deep history of Black chattel slavery in this country will also clash with efforts by some states, including Arizona, to limit the teaching of slavery’s historical record and ramifications. A growing push to view U.S. history through the lens of race and racism is being pushed back by those who would prefer to minimize it or side step it all together.
But Black history is American history and all Americans need to learn the history of slavery in the United States, said Joyce.
“We’re not three-fifths,” she said referring to the “compromise” reached at the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention to determine how enslaved people were to be counted to determine the number of Congressional representatives in the House. “We’re 100 percent Americans."
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Oracle Corridor
Motorists tooling along West Miracle Mile and North Oracle Road may have noticed some work on the roadways since April. It’s all part of the preliminary work to repave West Miracle Mile and North Oracle, north past the City boundary. But if you haven’t seen workers on the road, it’s because the work is occuring at night.
The state Department of Transportation initiated a $34 million, plus change, repaving project of State Route 77. We all know it as Miracle Mile-Oracle but it’s a state road.
Joanna Bradley of ADOT said that the early work involves making improvements to curbs, sidewalks and driveways. Construction crews have completed the southside of Miracle Mile, heading east from Interstate 10 to Oracle, and are now working on the east side of Oracle heading north.
“We do not work on both sides of the at the same time,” she said.
Next week work will be redirected south on Oracle to Miracle, turn west and complete the north side of the road. “There’s so much of it,” she said.
As for the repaving, ADOT doesn’t have a set schedule yet. But motorists can expect most if not all of 2022 to be busy with repaving work. The SR77 project is slated to be completed in Spring 2023. The 10-mile project will extend to Calle Concordia in Oro Valley.
Monterey Court’s neon sign reflects the history of the Miracle Mile corridor.
The juncture of Miracle Mile and Oracle was once part of the historic Miracle Mile corridor. It was listed as a historic district in the National Register of Historic Places on December 11, 2017. Through much of the mid-20th century, the corridor functioned as the entryway to Tucson from the north. An array of businesses and motels, many of them with colorful neon signs catering to cross-country travelers, lined the corridor.
SR77 in Tucson is part of the longer route that heads north to Holbrook near the Navajo Reservation. A portion of SR77 was also part of the historic U.S. 80 Highway that stretched across Southern Arizona, connecting Tucson and Phoenix, and the small towns. The Arizona portion of U.S. 80 was part of the Coast-to-Coast highway from California to coastal Georgia.
When Interstate 10 was built in the mid-1950s, U.S. 80 fell out of use and designation was eventually erased.
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Getting around Ocotillo Oracle
If you live or work in the Ocotillo Oracle neighborhood, you may come across Mike Edmonds. You can’t miss him with his distinctive head of salt and pepper hair. And if you haven’t yet, we suspect you will.
Mike is serving as Ward 3’s volunteer ambassador to the neighborhood, which is hemmed in between Grant and Speedway, and Oracle to Stone. He recently began canvassing the small businesses, introducing himself to the managers and owners, saying hello and to chat them up about issues affecting the neighborhood.
“I really love making contact with the people,” said Mike, a gregarious resident of the ‘05 area. “I get to learn what’s going on, who’s there and what their needs are.”
This is not Mike’s first rodeo as a roving street ambassador. He previously was enlisted by the City’s Department of Transportation and Mobility as a Move Tucson Ambassador. Move Tucson is an initiative to create a master transportation and mobility plan. Mike was part of the public engagement component last summer. (Mike also serves on the City’s Commission on Equitable Housing and Development.)
With a new summer came a new role for Mike, who previously worked in commercial radio in Tucson. His on-air experience serves him well in talking to people.
"I love chatting with people,” said the 59-year-old Mike.
Mike said the early reaction from people whom he has talked to has been positive.
“They’re looking to be involved,” he said. “They want to be involved with the community and Ward 3.”
But this week hasn’t been easy for Mike or for anyone who has to work or be outdoors. The scorching temps (do we need to repeat them here?) were hard on Mike who gets around on an electric scooter.
“I’ve had to turn the hose on myself,” he said. But people have been caring, as well, he added. “People make sure I have water to drink.”
So if you see Mike scooting around Ocotillo Oracle, offer him some water and talk to him. He wants to listen.
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Ulyses
Here’s your chance to meet Ulyses through his autobiography!
Hola! My name is Ulyses. I lived on the streets of Mazatlan. A local rescue organization found me and drove me to Tucson in the hope that I would find my forever home up here. I speak Spanish, but I am picking up my English commands pretty quickly. I am somewhat shy but warm up with patience and love.
I was told my beautiful green eyes are irresistible. I am polite and mellow and get along with well-behaved dogs.I also enjoy crawling into my people’s lap for a cuddle, but this does take some time and trust gained. I have no history with cats or children. Because of my small size (I’m just 28 pounds!), it is recommended I be introduced to children and dog siblings before joining your family. Don’t be deterred if I do not warm up quickly, for I am selective of my company. I’ve never had a stable family, so I am still learning how to dog. I am excited to find my forever home and learn what it truly means to be spoiled.
If you are interested in meeting Ulyses, please call 520 327 6088 ext. 173 or visit the Humane Society of Southern Arizona at the HSSA Main Campus at 635 West Roger Road.
You'll also find a large selection of dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, and pocket pets of all types there
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Ward 3 Neighborhood Association/Coalition Meetings |
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Jefferson Park Safety Meeting
Tuesday
June 29
6 – 7 pm
Join
Next Safety meeting, September 28
JPNA June Neighborhood Meeting
Wednesday
June 30
6 – 7 pm
Join
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Ward 3 Events
City Council Meeting
Tuesday
June 23
Click here and go to "Mayor & Council Meeting Live" to watch! (To watch past meetings, visit the City of Tucson YouTube page. This is also where future meetings will be live streamed
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Produce On Wheels
Saturday
June 19
6-9 am
St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
1145 E. Ft. Lowell Rd |
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Juneteenth Festival at Dunbar Pavilion
Saturday
June 19
4-8 pm
Dunbar Pavilion
325 W 2nd St |
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Eviction Prevention/Emergency Rent and Utility Assistance Funds Still Available
The federal eviction moratorium is set to expire on June 30. Applications are still being accepted for the Eviction Prevention Program in Tucson. The Mayor and Tucson City Council approved spending $27.1 million ($19.1 million from the City of Tucson and $8 million from Pima County) for the Tucson and Pima County Eviction Prevention/Emergency Rent and Utility Relief Program. Through the coordinated efforts of the City, County, and the Community Investment Corporation, both tenants and landlords/property managers (acting on behalf of tenants) can now apply for funds. Dual enrollment of tenants and landlords is accepted. Funding requests for unpaid rent and utilities are available for up to 12 months in arrears and three months in advance. For information, eligibility requirements, and to apply online, visit the Tucson and Pima County Eviction Prevention Program website linked below. Those without internet access can call (831) 292-4308 to apply, and bilingual case managers are available.
Tucson and Pima County Eviction Prevention Program From the Arizona Daily Star
In addition, The Arizona Department of Economic Security is now administering utilities assistance to Arizona renters across the state.
If you are a renter and have been impacted by COVID-19, you may be eligible for past-due and future utilities assistance. To learn more about the program and how to apply, please visit here.
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2021 Summer Sun Cooling Stations
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Transit Rides Will Remain Free Through December 31
Los viajes en tránsito seguirán siendo GRATUITOS hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2021.
According to a Sun Tran press release, fares will remain free through December 31, 2021 on Sun Tran, Sun Link, Sun Van, Sun On Demand and Sun Shuttle.
The City of Tucson pulled ride fees in March of 2020, with the onset of the pandemic. The move was an effort to avoid crowding at the farebox and to provide some fiscal relief to riders during a challenging economic environment. Federal grant money was used to cover the loss in revenue up to this point. While budget planning for fiscal year 2022, the Mayor and City Council members affirmed free transit service is a priority.
Las tarifas seguirán siendo gratuitas hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2021 en Sun Tran, Sun Link, Sun Van, Sun On Demand y Sun Shuttle.
La ciudad de Tucson retiró las tarifas de transporte en marzo de 2020, con el inicio de la pandemia. La medida fue un esfuerzo para evitar la congestion en la caja de tarifas y brindar algún alivio fiscal a los pasajeros durante un entorno económico desafiante. El dinero de la subvención federal se utilizó para cubrir la pérdida de ingresos hasta este momento. Si bien la planificación presupuestaria para el año fiscal 2022, el alcalde y los miembros del Concejo Municipal afirmaron que el servicio de transporte gratuito es una prioridad.
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