Kevin's Ward 3 News and Updates

Friday, May 13, 2022

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

We Should Have Done Better

During the early stages of Covid-19, the City of Tucson attempted to bridge the digital divide and bring high-speed internet to students and workers who might not otherwise be able to afford this vital connection. That effort during the last two years was not very effective, as described in detail by reporter Sam Kmack in last Sunday’s Arizona Daily Star (https://tinyurl.com/2p86sxrw ).

Without a deep dive into the details, the choice to create a new broadband system worked for only a few households. School districts started providing internet service to students and private companies provided discounts – reducing the number of applicants for the Tucson system (while the price tag stayed the same). Mayor and Council needs an in-depth briefing to learn how this went wrong, and to discuss options moving forward. I think this is best accomplished after we have hired a new IT Director.

As you are likely reading this newsletter online, you know the internet connects us to essential services, and to the world. I strongly support efforts to make access equitable. But there are better ways to do this than what Tucson did.

Recently, the federal government has started to make available $14.2 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to provide subsidized broadband internet connections. The Affordable Connectivity Program is available to households whose income is 200% or less than federal poverty guidelines or for those that qualify for a government assistance program such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or federal Pell Grants. Details at https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit, or see the graphic below.

- Kevin

Habitat for Humanity by Katie Bolger

Located in Ward 3 at 3501 N Mountain ave is the Tucson office of Habitat for Humanity. On Monday the Ward 3 team met with Chief Executive Officer, Charlie Buchanan and Director of Community Development, Ann Vargas. Habitat has 1000’s of affiliates across the U.S. Here in Tucson they build about 10-15 homes per year and have completed 500 since 1980. Habitat will originate, carry and service the loans for buyers at 40%-80% of AMI (Area Median Income).

Most homes are constructed by volunteers with an average of 3,000 volunteers per year. In addition to building energy efficient, high quality homes, Habitat offers a variety of programs that offer assistance from home repair for veterans and exterior touch ups for seniors through their “Brush of Kindness” program. For more information on Habitat for Humanity including programs offered and how to volunteer please visit https://www.habitattucson.org/

Limberlost Neighborhood by Marlene Avelino

Limberlost neighborhood is contained within a neat rectangle, Wetmore to the North, Roger to the South, Oracle to the West, and First Ave to the East. Commercial development and big box stores line the western border on Oracle. The majority of the neighborhood is residential with a few larger multi housing apartments and the majority single family homes built beginning in the mid 60s with further housing developments in the 70s and 80s. There is a high homeownership rate according to niche.com with 79% of residents owning their home. 

Limberlost got its name thanks to Harry Behn, who lived at 411 E. Old Wetmore Road and loved the book “A Girl of the Limberlost” written in 1909 by Gene Stratton-Porter about an impoverished teenager living on the edge of Limberlost Swamp in eastern Indiana. In 1941 there were two Wetmore Roads and he successfully petitioned the city to change the name of the Wetmore he lived on to Limberlost Drive in honor of the book. Harry Behn founded the University of Arizona Press in 1960 and died in 1973. Limberlost Family Park with a Little Free Library in the middle, basketball court and playground to the left, and mature Mesquite bosque and walking path on the right.

A point of pride is Limberlost Family Park, 6.55 acres of mature mesquite bosque, walking paths, kids play area, benches and tables. Previously named Don Hummel Park in honor of the old mayor, it was changed to its current name in 2009.

The Stone Ave mural is another point of pride for the neighborhood. “The River Returns, Regenerates, Restores” is the name of the 630 foot long and 6 foot high multimedia mural on a sound barrier wall on the east side of Stone Ave between Roger Road and Limberlost Drive. Muralist Pasqualina Azzarello led the efforts along with artists Kim Young and Christine Devine, funded by a $45,000 grant from the Tucson Pima Arts Council, which is now the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona. Neighborhood leaders raised an additional 45k from the city bringing the total cost of the project to 90k. Community engagement and youth leadership development were essential in the initial creation of the project; they engaged in six months of community meetings and recruited and hired 10 Amphi high school students to help. Work began in 1999 and was completed in 2001. This impressive story doesn’t end there. Twenty years later these same neighborhood leaders raised another 25k and commissioned a reunion to restore the sun faded mural, bringing back Azzarello and at least one of the then high school artists, Adam Cooper-Teran, “it completely changed the course of my life, giving me the confidence and self-assurance to pursue a career in the arts.”

Pasqualina reflects, “The original North Stone Avenue Mural Project of 1999-2001 was a remarkable, intergenerational demonstration of empathetic community engagement and of what it means to lead with care––on the part of everyone involved. By investing the time, space, energy, and resources to create a safe and supportive space for community members to share their authentic stories, and by honoring these stories within the mural itself, a profound experience of trust and belonging was generated through our process.”

The neighborhood association is still active with well organized, quarterly meetings. To connect with the association please contact President Michael Ray at [email protected]

El Rio by CJ Boyd

On Wednesday May 4th, Councilmember Dahl and Mayor Romero cut the ribbon on the new El Rio Health Center on Grant Road -making it the 13th El Rio Health Center in the Tucson area. The center features a full pharmacy, pediatric care, midwifery, women’s care, radiology, transgender care, behavioral health, dentists and dental hygienists, and on-cite laboratories.

While they are still in the process of recruiting more staff, the Grant Road Health Center currently has around 50 employees. When at full capacity, the center hopes to employ 120 people and serve 3,000-4,000 patients annually.

With 20 dedicated behavioral health staff, El Rio will provide comprehensive outpatient behavioral health services which are in great demand. This is in keeping with El Rio’s mission to respond to the health care needs of the community, as the surrounding neighborhoods of Dodge Flower, Doolen-Fruitvale, Oak Flower, and Palo Verde have a serious need for services to address mental health and substance abuse disorder.

In her speech, Mayor Romero stated that “by serving the residents of the Grant rd corridor, El Rio is filling a critical need for integrated primary health services, especially for those experiencing high poverty and unemployment.”  This area has seen disproportionate disinvestment of resources, systemic poverty and high levels of crime. Just a few blocks from the new Health Center is the location of a new TPD operation called Place Network Investigations (PNI) in which the police attempt to interrupt crime by looking at factors that contribute to criminal behavior, factors that historically have been ignored or underestimated. In this context, it is all the more appropriate to have the newest addition of the El Rio family of Health Centers open at this location.

Across the city, El Rio serves 125,000 patients, 48% of whom live at or below the Federal Poverty Line. Their Health Centers take patients with private insurance, no insurance, AHCCCS, or Medicare and offer several programs specifically aimed at helping those in poverty access health services. Some of these offerings include sliding scale fees to those who qualify based on income levels, WIC (the federal supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children), free classes centered around health and well-being, and a discount program for their pharmacy. With these pharmaceutical discounts, most prescriptions are less than $5, which is a remarkable difference from most commercial pharmacies. By using in-house laboratory technicians, El Rio is able to shorten wait times for test results. This also keeps costs for patients down by not needing to outsource lab work.

We at Ward 3 look forward to working with El Rio Health as they serve this vital community that has been underserved for too long.

Ward 3 Neighborhood and Coalition Meetings

Mountain First
Saturday
May 14
9-10
Mitchell Park

Samos
Tuesday
May 17
6:30-7:30 pm

virtual

Flowing Wells
Thursday
May 19
6-7 pm
Ellie Towne Center

Miracle Manor
Thursday
May 19
6-7 pm
Good News Church

Balboa Heights

RillitoBend Quarterly Meeting
Saturday May 21
1pm via ZOOM
Click HERE for agenda and ZOOM link

The Ward 3 office is open. Staff will answer phone messages, emails and requests for meetings by the next business day. Leave your message at 520-791-4711 or email at [email protected].

Ward 3 Events

Donna Liggins Center Senior Meal Program

Donna Liggins Center senior meal program is provided by Pima Council on Aging (PCOA). It’s open to all individuals 60 years and older and their spouse and/or caregiver regardless of age. Lunch is served Monday through Friday from 12:00 – 1:00pm with a suggested donation of $2.00. Come and join us for a hot, tasty, and nutritious meal and reconnect with old friends or meet new people! The Grab & Go meals will NOT be continuing, however if you would like to find out on how to qualify for Home Delivered Meals, please call the PCOA Helpline at 520-790-7262. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to DLC staff at 520-791-3247. Have lunch and make a friend!

Lend A Hand Shred It Event

Literacy Connects Street Clean Up

Food4Life Food distribution

Saturday, May 21st, at New Life Community Church of the Nazarene (3367 N. Geronimo). Sign-up begins at 8 a.m. There will be vegetables, fruit, packaged food, desserts, dairy, and some meat. You get to select your own food. There are no income, residency, or other requirements.

Clothing distribution from 8:30 to 9:30.

City Wide Events

Mobile Vaccination Clinics

Get answers to your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. Check our FAQ's to find up-to-date information on distribution, safety and much more.

The variety of locations to get a COVID-19 vaccine makes it easier than ever to get a shot, but we know there are a lot of people still making up their minds.

To register someone who qualifies as an In-Home Long-Term Care Recipient, use this link.

PUBLIC WORKSHOP THIS MONTH ON CLIMATE RESILIENCY

Tucsonans are invited to participate in the "Envisioning a Climate-Resilient Tucson" workshop on Tuesday, May 24, from 8:30-11:30 a.m., at the Tucson Convention Center Copper Ballroom, 260 S. Church Ave. The workshop will allow participants to share their stories and ideas to help envision and create a more climate-resilient Tucson. Experiences and perspectives from those in attendance will help create the path to not only make sure that the City of Tucson will equitably reduce carbon emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change, but also ensure that our city is resilient and thrives in the face of that change. As part of the workshop, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero will speak about the City’s climate action and adaptation efforts to date. Register by following the link below, and send any questions to [email protected]. Register for the workshop Read the news release

Did You Know?

VOTING DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR MAY 17 SPECIAL ELECTION

The last day to drop your ballot in the mail, to ensure it is received by the City Clerk’s Office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, was Wednesday, May 11. If you've already completed your early ballot for the Proposition 411 Special Election (extension of the existing half-cent sales tax for neighborhood street and safety improvements) and would like to drop it off, you can do that now at four locations, through Election Day, May 17. The drop-off sites are at the Tucson City Clerk Election Center, 800 E. 12th St.; the Pima County Recorder's Downtown Office, 240 N. Stone Ave.; the Pima County Recorder's Eastside Office, 6920 E. Broadway Blvd.; and the Pima County Recorder's Election Department, 6550 S. Country Club Road. The drop-off hours at all locations are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays. On Election Day, the sites will be open from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. All vote-by-mail ballots must be received by the City Clerk’s Office either by mail or dropped off at any one of these locations by 7 p.m. on Election Day in order for your ballot to be counted. Proposition 411 "The Choice is Yours" (PDF) City Clerk's Office - Elections Pima County Recorder's Office

GENE C. REID PARK MASTER PLANNING INFO EVENTS

If you had a magic wand, what would you change about Gene C. Reid Park? What do you love about the park today? In what ways would you like to see it grow, adapt, or change?

If you are interested in talking with someone about what's happening with the park, the planning process, or need help with the survey, you can find members of the planning team set up at a few events this weekend.

Tanque Verde Swap Meet 4100 S Palo Verde Road Friday, May 13, 6-9 p.m. (Aisle 5 Space 18)

Second Saturday Downtown Downtown Tucson Saturday, May 14, 5-9 p.m.

Music Under the Stars Gene C. Reid Park Georges DeMeester Performance Center 800 S. Concert Place Sunday, May 15, 5-8 p.m.

Take the Gene C. Reid Park map-based survey, now open to gather input about how the community uses the park and its priorities for the future. Input will in?uence the design ideas that are generated. The survey will close on Tuesday, May 31, at 11:59 p.m.

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Returns Saturday, May 14

The biggest food drive of the year returns Saturday, May 14, 2022 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic. The public is invited to fill a bag of food and leave it by their mailbox for letter carriers to pick up in this year’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. The food drive comes at a critical time of year just before the summer months when the number of food drives and volunteers dwindles, although the need for food remains strong. Letter carriers are a vital part of this food drive as they pick up food donations while driving their regular mail routes.

Period Poverty Donation Drive

Donation drive website: www.adelitasgrijalva.com/endperiodpoverty

Information sheet: https://allianceforperiodsupplies.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Arizona.pdf

Tucson Water Discounts

Call 520-791-5443 to make an appointment or visit this site for more information: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/water/low-income-assistance-program

COVID-19 Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance

Funding requests for unpaid rent and utilities are available for up to 12 months in arrears and three months in advance. Those without internet access can call (520) 447-4423 to apply, and bilingual case managers are available. Go to this site for more information.

We welcome your feedback !

Please feel free to email us at [email protected]

To subscribe to this newsletter please go to https://www.tucsonaz.gov/ward-3