Happy Birthday to our Chief of Staff Katie Bolger!!!

March 3rd, 1969 was a good day. Ward 3 is lucky to have her!!! 

New Energy at Drawing Studio thanks to Solar United Neighbors

The Drawing Studio is a wonderful nonprofit located at Glenn and Tucson that offers education and fellowship to artists and art students outside traditional institutions. Solar United Neighbors (SUN), a national group working to bring lower-cost solar to nonprofits and residents recently awarded the Studio a grant to go solar. This week we celebrated the project, which incidentally will be built by Solar Gain, one of Tucson’s many fine solar companies, and the one that installed the panels that power the Ward 3 council office.

At a media conference in the school’s native plant rain-garden area I spoke briefly, thanking the Biden administration and Arizona’s Congressional Delegation for prioritizing solar and climate change actions by passing the Inflation Reduction Act. 

New federal dollars will bolster Tucson’s already robust efforts to become a solar-powered city. It will support production of the batteries we need to expand solar energy opportunities. It also provides new solar incentives that include a 30% tax credit off the cost of installation, and another 30% for stand-alone battery installation for private residents. This will be transformative for all Tucson homeowners and nonprofits, especially those previously priced out.

Solar United Neighbors also puts together groups of residents to make cooperative solar purchases for home solar systems.

In addition to the Drawing Studio (https://thedrawingstudiotds.org), six other nonprofits in Pima County received SUN grants, including BICAS, Coyote TaskForce, The Edge School, Emerge! Center Against Domestic Violence, Sonoran Glass School, and Youth on Their Own (more info: here).

-Kevin

Cleaning Up Our Rivers – Kevin Dahl

Last Saturday, a Sonoran Institute organized clean-up of the Santa Cruz River underneath the Grant Road bridge collected 7,000 pounds of garbage! 

I was one of about 100 volunteers who gathering everything you can imagine, from cigarette butts and plastic water bottles to sleeping bags and old odd pieces of metal. Members of the Old Pueblo Rugby League weighed every bag, so we know we far exceeded the goal of 2,000 lbs. of trash in 2 hours goal. 

Each piece of litter will be categorized as part of the three-year-old trash study being conducted by the Institute. We hope what we learn can help develop new strategies for keeping garbage out of the river bottom.

There was a big clean-up of the Rillito planned for tomorrow morning (March 4th), but it has been cancelled because the Rillito is swollen from the recent rains and snow. It will be rescheduled.

-Kevin 

Welcome Back Jim DeGrood! – Katie Bolger

Jim DeGrood has come full circle. He was recently hired by City Manager Mike Ortega as an Executive Management Advisor to oversee the implementation of prop 411 (the recently passed half cent sales tax for neighborhood street improvements). Jim is an Arizona native who grew up four blocks from Ft. Lowell park (where his parents still live) and is a proud University of Arizona Wildcat.

The start of his long career began as an intern at the City of Tucson, which led to his first job as a civil engineer. From there he went on to work in every municipality in the Greater Tucson area with the exception of South Tucson. His breadth of knowledge in the transportation arena runs deep. He has done everything from investigating complaints in the field to programming millions of dollars for Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) related projects. He retired from Pima Association of Governments (PAG) after 15 years this past November. After the long Thanksgiving Holiday he promptly joined the City.

From left to right: Jim Degrood, Council Aide Marlene Avelino, Council Member Kevin Dahl, Council Aide CJ Boyd, and Chief of Staff Katie Bolger

We are lucky to have someone with the depth and breadth of knowledge that Jim brings. Welcome Back Jim!

Pima Community College Board Member Theresa Riel by Marlene Avelino

We recently me with newly elected Pima Community College (PCC) Board Member Theresa Riel. She reached out to meet with Council Member Dahl to introduce herself, share her goals for PCC, and discuss how their visions for the institution can complement each other. Theresa was a teacher for over 33 years with the last 23 years at PCC as a math teacher. She has taught at all five campuses and has taken classes at three. Although retired, she holds onto one teaching commitment - a weekly knitting class at Sister Jose Women’s Shelter. She has two adult sons and is the President of the Rosemont West Neighborhood Association. Since they're both active members of the community, Council Member Dahl had already run into her at several conservation-focused events in the last couple of weeks.

Theresa ran for the District 2 seat on four pillars: increase student enrollment, support college employees, ensure transparency and accountability, and advance an independent and effective board. The position is a six year unpaid term, and the board meets monthly with occasional special meetings. A self-described "life-long learner," Theresa shared that she is learning a lot in her new position and is very grateful to the voters for this opportunity.

We appreciated the opportunity to meet with Theresa. Pima Community College is a valuable asset to the greater Tucson Community. We wish her and all the board members well and thank them for their service.

Groundworks by CJ Boyd

While Tucson has some wonderful places to hear live music, it might not occur to many adults that nearly all of those places are bars, which have age restrictions all or most of the time. Given that few people are as passionate about music as teenagers, this pairing of live music with drinking has always seemed like a shame.

In 2019, Logan Greene, Nirantha Balagopal, and Tim Milner sought to change that by founding Groundworks, a 501c3 non-profit, youth-driven community arts space in Tucson. Of course 2020 turned out not to be the best time for live music, but in 2021, Groundworks opened its doors, and since then it's been thriving as a place for youth to see shows and engage their own creativity. 

Groundworks is located at 2919 E. Grant Road in Ward 3, near Country Club Road. It's in a small shopping center alongside Jun Dynasty Chinese Restaurant, and a passersby during the day would have no reason to think that wonderful and inspiring things are happening there all the time. Every Friday and Saturday night, the place comes alive with concerts, and throughout the week the space is used for music lessons, classes, and rehearsals. 

This space is specifically aimed at hosting concerts for those under 21. The venue is a drug and alcohol-free zone, which brings people just for the music. This doesn’t mean that those of drinking age are discouraged from attending; I myself am 43 and have both seen and played shows at Groundworks because it's a great venue. It does mean that most shows feature one or more bands whose members are younger, and the programing is youth-focused. 

One band that I got to know by seeing and booking shows at Groundworks is New Misphoria. They are a rock duo playing fun, upbeat, emotive, and beautiful music. They self-describe as a “spunky girl group trying to signal aliens.” Their drummer Bella is a 18, and their singer Lee is 22. Their next show is Wednesday, March 8th at Groundworks. And if you can't make it to see them live, you can also see them rocking out at Groundworks in this YouTube clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=T4zBDoKhxmo

As a non-profit, Groundworks depends on the dedication of volunteers. Nico Esparza is an 18 year old freshman at the U of A who loves music. He grew up in Tucson and has been volunteering at Groundworks for over a year, primarily running sound for musicians. This means helping bands set up, mic’ing them properly, and making sure the balance of instruments is good in the room and on stage for the musicians. In the last 6 months, he has also started helping out with booking.

I asked Nico what is special about Groundworks, and he said, “There's kinda nothing else like it in town. I mean you have other DIY spots here and there but typically they're always missing something like a stable staff or a sound system, etc. Groundworks to me has been reliable and just great for building community, making friends, and finding a lot of new local music.”

Nico’s point about reliability highlights the fact that most venues in the US either include alcohol sales as a major revenue stream, or if they don’t, they are financially unstable. Compared to our counterparts in many other countries, the US government puts very little money into supporting music and arts at the community level. Groundworks has managed to thrive the way it does because of donations of money, time, and equipment. If you want to make a donation of money or equipment, sign up to volunteer, or receive their newsletter, you can do so at their website: https://www.groundworkstucson.com

Groundworks also provides affordable music lessons. They have music instructors who charge $20-30 per hour for lessons on guitar, bass, drums, other percussion, piano, ukulele, violin, viola, cello, and voice. You can also sign up for lessons on the website.

Besides all they do for music, Groundworks also features an art gallery where youth artists can display and even sell their work. Every time I've gone, there is different art up from a wide array of young wonderful artists. 

When asked what he loves about Groundworks, co-founder Logan Greene said, "Being able to provide a safe space for artistic exploration and expression is something that Tucson has needed for a long while. I’m so proud to be part of an organization that can do that for Tucson’s young creatives."

Tellingly, when I asked Lee from New Misphoria their favorite thing about Groundworks, they said "our favorite experience was getting to watch the space reflect who Logan Greene is. He’s a kind, gentle, caring soul who dedicated himself to providing a safe space for the youth. That’s so important."

Next Mayor and Council Meeting 

The next Mayor and Council Meeting is on Tuesday, March 7th.
The agenda is available here: Mayor and Council Meeting Agendas

Ward 3 Neighborhood Association and Coalition Meetings

Sugar Hill Neighborhood Association

Wednesday, March 8th 6:00- 7:00 pm

Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center, 2160 N. 6th Ave. 

Mountain First Neighborhood Association

Saturday, March 11th 10:00- 11:00 am

Habitat for Humanity, 3501 N. Mountain Ave

The Ward 3 office is open open at 1510 E. Grant Rd. from 9 am - 1 pm, Monday through Friday. Staff will answer phone messages, emails and requests for meetings by the next business day. Leave your message at 520-791-4711 or email [email protected].

Please note that our office is closed the first Friday of each month for staff training and development, including today, March 3rd. 

Tucson Food Share Seeking Community Support by Jaqueline Woolcott

In the past two years, Tucson Food Share was grateful to receive a grant that covered well over half of our operating expenses. This week, we learned that we did not receive this key grant for 2023. We are working hard to locate other funds in order to continue purchasing wholesale food and supplies which we provide our communities, in addition to the food grown by, found by, and donated to the Tucson Food Share.

We are humbly requesting to continue to serve the Keeling, Amphitheater, and surrounding communities of Ward 3 through our services which include distribution of food through “distro” events, home delivery services (up to six-mile radius of our physical location of 2500 N. Stone Ave), and a community fridge. 

Please reach out to us at  [email protected] if you have information, contacts, or resources that might help prevent food waste and provide nourishing food to our communities. 

Additionally consider making a donation to Tucson Food Share today or contacting us to get involved.

https://tucsonfoodshare.org/donate/
Venmo: @FNBTucson
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/tucsonfoodshare

Ward 3 Events

Yard Sale Fundraiser for Tucson Food Share on Saturday, March 4th!

At 1030 N 4th Avenue, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. All proceeds go to Tucson Food Share & Food Not Bombs. 

Grocery Sharing at Tucson Food Share - 2500 N. Stone Ave. 

Groceries are shared Mondays and Thursdays from 6pm-8pm and Saturdays from 8am-10am. https://tucsonfoodshare.org/ has more information about volunteering, donating, or requesting delivery. 

Diamonds in the Desert Car Show at the Tucson Mall on Saturday, March 4th 

Sustainable Landscapes Expo on Saturday, March 11th 

From 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the UA Cooperative Extension: 4210 N. Campbell Ave.
Entrance is off east Roger Road.  Follow the signs!

This free, family-friendly event will include over 40 exhibits to increase knowledge on efficient water usage and sustainable landscaping in the Southern Arizona desert.  Event attendance registration requested (this will also enable quick/easy raffle entry at the Expo)!  For more information, click here

Plan Tucson Community Workshops in Ward 3 and Citywide

The City of Tucson is updating Plan Tucson, the General Plan adopted by Tucson voters in 2013. This update will result in a growth plan that reflects our community's shared goals and diverse aspirations for the next 20 years. The Plan, required by Arizona State Law to be updated every 10 years, will guide various areas such as land use, housing, transportation, economic development, parks and recreation, the natural environment, and more. 

Please join us for a Plan Tucson Community Workshop 
on March 14th, 2023 from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at the Donna Liggins Center.
Please RSVP here.

For a list of all Community Workshops, click here.

If you are unable to attend a Community Workshop, you can still Plan With Us by taking the Phase 1 Online Survey: https://bit.ly/PlanTucsonPhase1Survey

Scholarship Opportunity: Master Gardening Training for Spanish Speakers

VITA at Ward 3 Saturdays through April 15^th

Once again, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) will be available at Ward 3 on Saturdays beginning this Saturday, January 28th, from 9am to 1pm. Appointments are required and can be made online here: unitedwaytucson.org/vita. If you have questions about the program at Ward 3, please call 520-837-4231 and leave a message so one of the Ward 3 VITA volunteers can return your call. 

United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona’s VITA program trains hundreds of volunteers each year to provide FREE tax preparation to thousands of households throughout Arizona. Taxpayers who use our service have the opportunity to work with IRS-certified VITA volunteer tax preparers, and every return is quality reviewed for accuracy and to ensure you receive the largest refund possible! Let us ease the financial and mental burden of tax season. Visit us at a VITA tax site this tax season – we can’t wait to see you! Tax sites and online preparation begin the week of January 23rd - visit unitedwaytucson.org/vita to learn more about our program and the variety of ways you can access our services! VITA tax preparation services are available to households earning less than $73,000. AARP Foundation is a sponsor of The United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona’s 2023 VITA Program. 

The Ward 3 office will be collecting donations to Tucson Veterans Serving Veterans through March 15th. New hygiene items and new and gently used clothing are requested. 

EGGstravaganza 2023 on Saturday, March 25th at Mansfield Park! 

From metal work to graphic design, pottery, and everything in between, BICAS is hosting an artisan market! It's a great opportunity to show your support for local artists and the BICAS non-profit organization. This event is becoming a new BICAS tradition, and BICAS is excited to host local talent and emerging artists once more in the socially diverse and inclusive artistic space that is BICAS! Free upcycled bike art activities for kids and families will be available. Artists' applications are open until March 5th (https://bicas.org/art/artmart/). For more information about the BICAS Art Mart, please contact BICAS Art: [email protected] 

Ready, Set, REC! in Ward 3 in March 

Digital Storytelling Training Series in April

City Wide Events

Introduction to Kingian Nonviolence and Conflict Reconciliation Workshop beginning March 7^th

Allyship and Housing Justice Courses beginning March 13th and 14^th

As part of the Tucson Alliance for Housing Justice's (TAHJ) multi-pronged approach to addressing evictions and homelessness, Justice Movement is offering another four-week Housing Justice course online.

Join Justice Movement founders Nat and Danya as they guide you through a deep dive into allyship and accountability: Register Here

"Stop the Hate" March and Rally on Saturday, March 18^th

Are you or someone you know looking for a part-time job? Tucson Parks and Recreation is hiring lifeguards to operate and maintain the safety at City pools year-round. The minimum age to be a lifeguard is 15 years old. Pay starts at $16.75/hour.

The City will pay applicants to get their Lifeguard Certification through the City’s certification path. The lifeguard class is an intense, fast-paced course, and strong swim skills are required. All applicants must pass a swim test to qualify. For more information on becoming a lifeguard or to register for the swim test, visit the website. 

Sign Up for Tucson's Climate Action Report!   

You can use this link to subscribe to the Climate Action Report through the City Manager's Office:https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/AZTUCSON/subscriber/new

Did You Know?

Connect Arizona Affordable Connectivity Program

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