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Back to School
The new school year is upon us. In Ward 3, students in our three school districts, Amphi, Flowing Wells, and TUSD, all return to classrooms on Thursday, August 5th. Please be patient while commuting as buses and school zones return. Below are links to each of the three schools district calendars for reference.
Amphi
Flowing Wells
TUSD
A big thank you to our educators and school support staff. This is now the third school year impacted by COVID-19 all the while our schools faced and met tremendous challenges while keeping the focus on student success.
We are also aware the Governor Ducey has made illegal the most effective COVID-19 preventative measure for the unvaccinated—masks. While the youngest children are not yet eligible for the vaccine, and both the Center for Disease Control and the Arizona Department of Public Health Director Dr. Cara Christ recommends everyone on a school campus mask up, the governor remains unmoved and stands by the prohibition. As a note, the day after Dr. Christ made that recommendation it was announced she is leaving her position as Director.
City Facilities and Masks
Due to the ongoing spread of the Delta Variant of COVID-19, on Wednesday, Mayor Regina Romero announced that masks will be required to enter City facilities regardless of vaccination status. The Mayor’s full statement:
“Following [recent] changes to CDC guidelines, I have directed our City Manager to require all members of the public, including those who are fully vaccinated, to wear a mask inside of City of Tucson facilities. According to the CDC, Pima County is an area of ‘substantial transmission,’ with COVID-19 cases increasing locally and statewide. I strongly encourage all Tucsonans to continue to follow CDC guidelines and wear a mask whenever indoors in public, regardless of whether you are vaccinated.”
On Thursday of this week the Pima County Health Department published a health advisory that included this recommendation:
“PCHD strongly recommends that all Pima County residents 5 and older (including fully vaccinated individuals) wear masks in public indoor settings if six feet of physical distancing can’t be maintained.”
You can read the full advisory here. Please stay safe out there.
Ward 3 Gem
Did you know that Tucson’s professional baseball team is in Ward 3? The Tucson Saguaros are a member of the independent Pecos League. The leagues plays primarily in the southwestern part of the United States and is not affiliated with any Major League Club.
The Saguaros play at the Amphi High School baseball field, 125 W. Yavapai Rd., The team are the 2016 and 2020 league champions. If you are interested in checking out the last home stand of the year next week please visit their website, http://www.saguarosbaseball.com/
Jacobs Park Master Plan
The City’s Parks and Recreation Department is moving forward with creating a new layout for Jacobs Park and the Ochoa Soccer Complex on North Fairview Avenue. And you still have an opportunity to shape the plan.
Wednesday two virtual sessions were held to discuss what the park’s designers, and Parks and Recreation have in mind. You can watch the sessions in English and in Spanish. You’ll see and hear what amenities will be included, such as playgrounds, sports fields, pool and splash pad, in addition to pedestrian and bike pathways.
But the Parks Department would like to hear from users of Jacobs Park what your priorities are for how the park will be used and what amenities are more important to your family. Residents are encouraged to complete a short survey, which you can find here, where you’ll list your priorities and answer a few questions. It’s easy and important. The survey ends Aug. 11.
Before that, however, please join your park neighbors at an in-person visit to Jacobs Park on Saturday, Aug. 7, from 9-10:30 am to learn about the improvements and master plan.
The improvements to Jacobs Park and the soccer fields will be paid for by $3.6 million in bond funds, part of the $225 million when Tucson voters approved Prop 407 in 2018. The park master plan will move on for Mayor and Council review.
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