City News

On Wednesday, November 5, 2014, crews from Southern Arizona Paving and Construction Co., under contract with the City of Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT), will begin work to improve pavement conditions on Speedway Boulevard from Greasewood Road to Silverbell Road. Crews will begin the project by lowering manhole covers and water valve covers. Work hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This work is scheduled to be complete by Friday, November 7, 2014.

From November 6 through 10, the Miles Neighborhood Association will have three roll off bins at or near the following addresses:

1808 E. 12th Street 
1202 E. 12th Street 
404 S. Cherry 

Make a note and start collecting the stuff you want to trash today.

WATCH RESTORATION OF NEW 'POCKET PARK' NEAR TCC - An area between the Tucson Music Hall and the Leo Rich Theater has been renovated to its 1970s glory (watch Tucson 12 video of last week's dedication). The "pocket park" demonstration project is part of the Eckbo landscape, a nearly six-acre space that sits north of the Tucson Convention Center. Work on the park was funded by a private group called TCC Today, which hopes to restore the Eckbo area to what it was in its heyday, complete with running water and wooden benches. The full landscape restoration project, which includes now-empty fountains, is competing for a spot on a proposed 2015 Pima County bond election. Landscape architect Garrett Eckbo was considered one of the most influential landscape architects of the 20th century, and his work at the TCC was honored by the American Society of Landscape Architects shortly after its completion.
 
WALL STREET JOURNAL FEATURES AN ARTICLE ABOUT TUCSON WATER - The Wall Street Journal recently spotlighted the new Tucson-Phoenix water-sharing partnership, which could be a model for other cities. Through the program, both cities can continue reliable deliveries to customers even during times of shortage on the Colorado River. Read the article from the Wall Street Journal (HTML - requires login/subscription) or via a PDF of the complete story. Visit Tucson Water website.
 
FREE VIN ETCHING THIS WEEK - The Tucson Police Department (TPD), Arizona Automobile Theft Authority, and Regional Auto Theft Law Enforcement Response will offer free window etching of Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) for motorists this Friday. The event will be held from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. in front of the Pantano Branch of Sun West Federal Credit Union, 7725 E. Broadway Blvd. VIN etching is a permanent theft deterrent applied to all vehicle window glass. If a car is stolen with etching, thieves would have to replace every piece of glass before selling it. TPD says that costs the thieves extra time and money...enough to make them move on to easier targets. Some insurance companies also offer a discount for having the etching. Vehicle owners attending the event are asked to donate at least two non-perishable food items for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. Read more from TPD Facebook page.
 
LANDFILL AND RECYCLING FACILITY TOURS AVAILABLE - In celebration of America Recycles Day next week, the City of Tucson Environmental Services Department (ES) is offering a combined tour of the Los Reales Landfill and the ReCommunity, Inc. Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). Participants will get a behind the scenes view, learn how ES operates the landfill, and see how recyclables collected in the blue barrels are sorted and marketed at the MRF. To reserve a seat for the Nov. 14 tour, call ES at 791-3175 by next Monday, Nov. 10. Read the news release, and take a video tour of the MRF.
 
NEED HELP STARTING OR EXPANDING A BUSINESS IN TUCSON? CALL THE SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE LINE - The City of Tucson's Small Business Assistance Line, (520) 837-4100, is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Help is available in both English and Spanish. Staff from the City Manager's Office of Economic Initiatives answer the calls. The Small Business Assistance Line is one of a number of City initiatives, along with 21 new business incentives, streamlined permit processes and more, to make the City of Tucson more business-friendly.

VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT SHOULD BE RETURNED BY TOMORROW - If you have a vote-by-mail ballot and haven't filled it out and sent it back, time is running out. The Pima County Recorder's Office says your ballot should be dropped in the mail by tomorrow, to allow enough time for it to arrive by Tuesday's General Election. If you miss the mail deadline, you can bring your ballot to any polling place on Tuesday.
 
BIKE ALONG THE ATTURBURY TRAIL - The City of Tucson Parks and Recreation Department is renting bicycles to use on the Atturbury Wash Greenway Path on Tucson's southeast side. You can rent a bike at the William Clements Regional Center, 8155 E. Poinciana Dr., Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bikes are available in adult and youth sizes and can be rented for a fee of $2 per hour for Clement's pass holders, $5 per hour for others, and $10 per hour for a family. Youth 17 and younger need to be accompanied by an adult. Bike rentals include a helmet, which must be worn while riding. A driver license is required for checkout. The three-quarter-mile multi-use path runs through Lincoln Park, linking the Fred Enke Golf Course, Pima Community College East Campus, Clements Center, the Children's Outdoor Performance Area, the Lincoln Park softball complex, Lower Lincoln Park, and the Michael Lyman Atturbury Wash Animal and Bird Sanctuary. Watch Tucson 12 archived video about Atturbury Wash Greenway project.
 
LAST-MINUTE HALLOWEEN DECORATING IDEAS - Did time get away from you and your plans to decorate for Halloween? If you have some old milk cartons and cardboard paper towel and toilet paper rolls, you're in business. Do More Blue Tucson - the City's Environmental Services Facebook page - has a couple of photos to show you how to decorate for nothing but the cost of some glow sticks and markers, provided you have some recyclables on hand.
 
HOLIDAY ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR: CALL FOR VENDORS - Applications are available for artists who wish to participate in the Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair, Nov. 29-30. The event has been held for more than two decades, attracting vendors from all over the Southwest. The Tucson Parks and Recreation Department is seeking artists, crafters, photographers, painters, potters, jewelers, and more to sell their original artwork. All items must be handmade and are subject to approval. The Arts and Crafts Fair will be held in Reid Park, west of the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center. Registration is open through Nov. 14. Walk-in registration is underway at 900 S. Randolph Way, in the Registration Office. The fee is $90 for a 10 x 10 arts and craft vendor space for the two-day event.
 
DOWNLOAD APP TO REPORT GRAFFITI IN TUCSON - Graffiti Protective Coatings and the City of Tucson have a smartphone application for reporting graffiti. MyTucson is a free download on the iOS App Store and Google Play for Android.
City of Tucson apps
Watch a University of Arizona Athletics PSA about the app

NEW WEBSITE CONNECTS BUSINESSES IN ARIZONA, MEXICO, CANADA - ConnectBIEN.com is a website that uses an extensive database to link businesses in Arizona, Mexico, and Canada. The website was launched this month by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) and its partners, including the City of Tucson. When a business provides a profile about its products and services, other businesses can see what is offered and email the business a connection request. Users can search for a like business by distance, industry type, or name. The goal is for businesses to find ways to collaborate, such as supplying products and services, assisting in cross-border promotion, or sharing ideas and best practices. "This database is the first of its kind in Arizona and will be a key tool in connecting Tucson businesses with supply chain opportunities in Mexico, Canada, and throughout the United States," said Juan Francisco Padrés, Tucson's economic development specialist for international trade.
City of Tucson Office of Economic Initiatives

CYCLOVIA BICYCLE EVENT THIS WEEKEND - Living Streets Alliance, The City of Tucson, and other partners are getting ready for the fall Cyclovia event this Sunday. The bike route will connect the North 6th Avenue area with the North 4th Avenue- North Fontana Bike Boulevard. Anyone can bike, walk, skate, and participate in fun, free Cyclovia activities. Streets along the route will be closed to vehicular traffic so people can move about freely and feel safe. Cyclovia is not a race, parade, or competition. It's a chance for people to enjoy the outdoors from outside of a vehicle. Sunday's Cyclovia runs from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sun Link riders can roll their bikes onto the streetcar and meet up with this year's route at the intersection of 4th Avenue and University Boulevard.

JAN. 8 MEMORIAL EXHIBIT OPENED TODAY - A new exhibit commemorating the Jan. 8, 2011 shootings at a "Congress on Your Corner" event in Tucson opened today at The Arizona History Museum (949 E. 2nd St.) and runs through Jan. 9, 2015. "Dia De Los Muertos: Remembering January 8th" is presented by the museum and the January 8th Memorial Foundation, which lent artifacts to the exhibit from the memorials created in the wake of the shootings. One room of the exhibit focuses on the six people who were killed. Another section of the exhibit displays all the flowers, photos, candles and other items that were left the days and weeks after the shooting. The January 8th Memorial Foundation is working on establishing a permanent memorial in Downtown Tucson. Sixty design firms and artists have submitted applications to design the memorial. Read more from Tucson News Now.

TUCSON'S LINCOLN PARK TO HOST JENNIE FINCH SOFTBALL CAMP NEXT MONTH - The City of Tucson Parks and Recreation Department, Visit Tucson, and Pima Community College will host the Jennie Finch Softball Camp at the Lincoln Park Softball Complex, 8116 E. Escalante Road, Nov. 8-9. The camp is open to all girls in the third grade and up. Former UA Softball standout Jennie Finch and her Olympic and professional softball teammates will offer two full days of personal instruction covering all aspects of softball. Advanced registration is required, and participation is limited for the fee-based camp. Read the news release.

SAFETY TIPS FOR HALLOWEEN - With Halloween just two days away, the Tucson Fire Department is offering tips on how to keep your little trick-or-treaters safe. TFD Captain Barrett Baker and his colleagues have some "spooktacular" tips about costumes, walking the streets, cell phones, flashlights, and more.

SWAP HALLOWEEN CANDY FOR ZOO ADMISSION - Halloween is Friday, and you can trade your bounty Saturday for free admission to the Reid Park Zoo. Tucson Medical Center is handling the swap at The Loop, the river path system for biking, running, and walking. The first 100 children to trade their treats will get free admission to the Zoo for one child and one adult. The Halloween candy swap is part of a day of festivities to mark the opening of the Julian Wash segment of The Loop. You can make the swap from 10 a.m. until noon Saturday at the Mulcahy YMCA, located at the Kino Community Center, 2805 E. Ajo Way. The candy will be donated to the Salvation Army for its youth programs and to the Barney Figueroa VFW Post 6271 to support military heroes. Read more from Tucson News Now.

DOWNTOWN LECTURE SERIES ON FOOD CONTINUES - The University of Arizona's College of Social and Behavioral Sciences' Downtown Lecture Series returns to the historic Fox Theatre tomorrow. The 2014 lecture series is exploring food and its relationships with health, culture, and the environment. This week's lecture by Maribel Alvarez is called "We Eat What We Are." Tickets for the free, public lecture will be available at the Fox Theatre box office beginning Wednesday at 4 p.m. Attendees can ride the Sun Link Tucson Streetcar to the event and enjoy the dining and retail opportunities along the route at Main Gate Square, Fourth Avenue, Downtown Tucson, or the Mercado District.

HOCKEY HOMESTAND BEGINS THURSDAY - Arizona Wildcat Hockey takes to the ice Thursday night at the Tucson Convention Center (TCC) Arena for the first of three consecutive home games. All games begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday's matchup is against Colorado State University, while Colorado comes to Tucson to play the Wildcats on Friday and Saturday. Tickets are available at the TCC Ticket Office and Ticketmaster.

TUCSON FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS INFECTIOUS DISEASE PROTOCOLS IN PLACE - The Tucson Fire Department (TFD) is always prepared to deal with an emergency response involving infectious disease. When someone calls 911 about illness, the dispatcher asks questions about a fever, flu-like symptoms, and communicable disease, said TFD Captain Barrett Baker. Fire departments are trained to deal with infectious diseases, like hepatitis, tuberculosis, and measles. If a serious infectious disease is suspected, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) would coordinate with the hospital to put the patient in an isolation room while more information is gathered, he said. Read more from Tucson News Now.

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