A Note from Karin
Hello Tucson,
Thanks to everyone who joined us last Thursday evening for our Meet and Greet event honoring Ann Charles, long-time Chief of Staff and advocate for Ward 6. Ann will continue serving the community in new and no doubt impactful ways, and you can be sure we’ll stay in touch with her.
We appreciated Steve Kozachik’s attendance at the event, and his ongoing support of the work at hand serving you. In fact, our newsletter this week offers an important note from Steve regarding assistance for migrants:
For well over a decade the ward 6 team has been heavily involved with support for migrant guests who arrive in our community through the southwest border. That support continues under council person Uhlich. The people we're supporting are legally processed asylum seekers coming to our local shelters after having been processed by Border Patrol. The community has an amazing history of supporting the needs of the migrants as they transition through onto their final destination.
Many of you will remember the great work done at the Benedictine monastery. Working with Catholic Community Services (CCS) and hundreds of volunteers we transitioned tens of thousands of migrants through to their next of kin. When the Benedictine operation had to shut down the county stepped up and offered to host the operation at what is now the Casa Alitas Welcome Center on Ajo. As the number of migrants increased the county opened up a second shelter on Drexel Road. Between those shelters the Tucson and Pima County community has assisted over 500,000 people who have been processed into our community by the federal agencies, and onto their sponsors in another part of the country. It has been an amazingly compassionate effort.
Recently CCS made an internal decision to step towards a more well defined group of migrants (families) and decrease their footprint in the larger migrant processing effort. As Pima County is the fiscal agent allocating the federal funds that are paying for this work, the county is working to fill the existing operations management gap created as CCS steps towards a lighter role. Fortunately the partners to help manage the operation are in place.
When the migrant numbers surged throughout 2023 the county brought on AMI (www.ami.health) to assist managing primarily at the Drexel shelter. AMI is a company that brings international experience in crisis management to the table. Working in collaboration with AMI, CCS, Pima County and the many community volunteers who are so invested in this effort, we as a region have successfully avoided a single street release of a migrant family and have assisted all who we have received onto their next destination.
The CCS transition will be in place on Monday, July 1st. At that time CCS will be focused on the Ajo shelter and AMI will be focused on the Drexel shelter. Our valued volunteers, all of whom have been through the CCS background check process will work from the Ajo shelter. Over the next couple of weeks, AMI will assess where or if they'll need volunteers to step back in at Drexel. During a meeting I hosted with county emergency management, AMI, CCS and volunteer leadership on Thursday we agreed to 'let the dust settle' on this change and to give AMI an opportunity to get settled in with their expanded role at Drexel. Throughout all of this the goal is humane and compassionate treatment of our guests, assisting them through the community.
The volunteers will continue their important role in helping CCS manage the Ajo shelter, helping with airport transportation services, and in helping to collect and manage donations. During our meeting on Thursday some very specific donation needs were highlighted. Those include:
a) shoelaces - lots of them. We need shoelaces
b) sweat pants with draw strings - best if they also have a zipper pant leg, but the draw strings are important so we can fit more people
The ward 6 office continues to be a donation site for this work. CCS and AMI are in direct contact, sharing the donations between shelters so what you give will go to someone in need. I continue to be grateful to each of our partners in this important work. Until there is federal legislation that addresses the wider border issue, as a border community we will likely play a role in helping to manage the migrant population processed by federal agencies. We have succeeded in compassionately avoided street releases. Maintaining that mutual focus is what has kept this public/private/volunteer partnership together and effective. Thanks for your continued support of this work.
A Note on Pride
Pride Month here held some low points and high points. The Zoo ended up cancelling a drag show due to a few disappointed, dismayed, and in some cases vitriolic patrons, offended by the very notion that part of the program would include drag performers. I reached out to leadership at the Zoo as soon as I saw the pushback, and understand that the Board felt they made the right decision in cancelling. I just kept thinking to myself that, of course, parents do need to make important decisions as we raise our kids. I used to take mine to Old Tucson Studios; they loved panning for gold and driving the antique cars and riding the trains and mine cart ride. I used to avoid the gun shootout re-enactments…no need to glorify the violence and death from my perspective. So why didn’t parents offended by the drag show take their kids to see the giraffes? Instead they voiced harsh judgements about what drag represents (to them) and asserted their view that their concerns oughta rule the day. I’m no expert about drag; I can only share what it represents to me and perhaps many others in the community. Performers offer talent and joy and entertainment; they take the stage in a world that still pressures them to cram themselves back in the closet. They inspire pride and courage and permission to love, no matter the waves of disappointment and dismay and vitriol aimed their way. They don’t weave adult content into their shows when children are the audience…maybe Old Tucson will substitute squirt guns and water balloons into their shows in the future with similar sensitivity and understanding. So thank you drag performers, for carrying on and shining bright way beyond the confines of any particular venue and year-round beyond Pride occasions.
The highlight of Pride Month for me came yesterday at a youth panel co-sponsored by the LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, the ACLU, and the Alliance Fund. Four youth facing plenty of disappointment, and dismay, and vitriol voiced their hopes and their courage. Such wise observations, about how ignorance drives hatred and how visibility and vulnerability…their leadership…has and will continue to change hearts and minds. For all the parents out there seeking to silence and erase queer existence, please remember that harsh judgements and discrimination haven’t rid the world of any form of queer expression yet. It does, however, do damage and cause harm to plenty of people young and old. Raise your kids and live your life as you choose. Believe me, me and my community will keep doing so as well. As the Alliance Fund would say, we’re here for good and queer for good. For good.
Plastic Townhall Update
We have collected and complied questions from all of you who came to the Town Hall on Tuesday, June 11th and from folks who sent us emails. Below is the link to the Q&A:
Q and A.pdf
Thank you to Cristina Polsgrove and her team for their work on this and they also have updated Q&A on the Environmental and General Services website, to see the update please go to their website:
Frequently Asked Questions
CJ Boyd, Ward 3 Council Aide wrote an awesome piece highlighting the Hard to Recycle Plastic Program on last week Ward 3 newsletter, we appreciate the work he put to provide additional context to better educate people on this program. We recommend you all to check his piece:
Ward 3 Newsletter, June 28.
We are currently providing a free starter kit which includes one orange bag and an informative flyer about the program, to help you all get started with the new changes; and to get the starter kit, you can come and pick it up at the Ward 6 office (3202 E 1st Street) from 9am to 1pm. The orange bag is available to purchase at nearby Walmart and Fry's. In case it is out of stock, you can also order it online from Target.
Please remember to only place acceptable plastics in the program into the orange bag (see the flyer below), and make sure to place all plastics numbered 1, 2, and 5 into the blue recycling bin.
KUDOS
Ward 6 would like to give a big shout out to Department of Transportation and Mobility (DTM) initiating Operation Splash. DTM is Protecting the traveling public on city streets during Tucson’s summer thunderstorm season. As weather patterns shift to bring moisture into Tucson, crews from DTM’s Streets Maintenance Division will deliver and stage barricades at hundreds of dip crossings throughout the city. If you see the barricades, please DO NOT Enter. If you encounter traffic signals that are out due to a power outage, known as dark signals, treat the intersection as a four-way stop and come to a complete stop before entering the intersection. Follow DTM on social media for up to date information on the sand bag station going into place as well as road closures that occur during monsoon.
Community Events and Resources
SteveK Music Events
Don't forget to come to Tohono Chul (7366 N Paseo Del Norte, Tucson, AZ 85704) this Saturday, on July 6th from 6pm to 9pm to see Steve Kozachik live in action playing his music. He also has some upcoming music performances at Corbett's (340 N 6th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85705) from 5pm until 8pm on these following Sundays: July 14th, August 4th, and September 8th. Invite friends and family to enjoy the music on those Saturday and Sundays! |
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Palo Verde 61st Annual 4th of July Parade
Palo Verde Neighborhood Association invites you to their 61st Annual 4th of July Parade. Walk in the parade, participate in the costume contest, or bring family and friends to watch the parade go by. Find music, activities, treats, and fun at the Catalina High School Park on Dodge Blvd. Prizes for best floats and costumes! Find details and more information at paloverdeneighborhood.org/4thofjuly
Celebrating A Decade of Sun Link Streetcar
Join City of Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, the Tucson Department of Transportation, Sun Tran and Sun Link on Saturday, July 20 to celebrate this significant milestone for the City of Tucson with a day full of festivities across the historic districts along the streetcar route.
Since its launch to the public on July 25, 2014, the streetcar has become a symbol of progress and connectivity to key destinations in the City of Tucson plus fostering economic growth. The 3.9-mile route has provided service to more than nine million riders since the start of its service in 2014.
Kick off the morning with a press conference at Sun Link featuring Mayor Romero and special guest speakers.
9 AM – 11 AM – Sun Link Celebration
Head over to the streetcar on 8th Street and 4th Avenue for a morning of music, giveaways and more! The community fair will feature City of Tucson, Pima County, and Ready, Set, Rec. Enjoy live broadcast by Beef Vegan from 102.2 KFMA and Gaby Pardini from 92.1 La Caliente.
10:30 AM – 2:30 PM – Main Gate Festivities at Geronimo Plaza
Hop off at University Boulevard/ Tyndall Avenue for more games, prizes and discounts.
2 PM – 3:30 PM – University of Arizona Campus Story Time
Enjoy a special Moana story time at the University of Arizona Student Union (KIVA Room). Alight at 2nd Street/ Highland Avenue and follow the signs to the KIVA room.
7 PM – Desert Haze Vintage Market at Hotel Congress Plaza
Experience the Summer Night edition of the Desert Haze Vintage Market with live performances by The Charities and The McCharmlys. Tickets are $5 for all ages.
7 PM – 11 PM – Flow for the Soul Train: Streetcar Jubilee at Mercado Annex
For updates on Sun Link’s 10-year celebration and events, visit Suntran.com/sunlink10year. For more information about Sun Link or trip planning assistance, visit Suntran.com or call Customer Service at (520) 792-9222.
Ward 5 Council Office Backpack Event
Ward 5 Council Office will be hosting the Back to School Backpack event on Saturday, July 20th at El Pueblo Activity Center, the event is free for school-age children ages five and up. Please see flyer below for more details.
Aquatics Survey
Tucson Parks and Recreation seeks pool user input to better serve the public. The department is committed to providing high-quality amenities that meet the needs of the Tucson community. A survey is underway to better understand how residents use the City's pools and splash pads and what they value most about having access to those facilities. Feedback received will help improve services and ensure that City pools remain a valuable resource for everyone. If you use City pools, take the survey linked below. The survey will close Thursday, July 18, at 11:45 p.m.
Survey link: https://tucsonparks.info/aquaticssurvey
Pools and splash pads: https://tucsonparks.info/pools
Ready, Set, Rec Ward 6 Van
City of Tucson Resources
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