Topics in This Issue:

- Women’s Self Defense / Emerge
- Plastic Program
- Los Reales Sustainability Campus Tour
- Urban Wildlife
- Community Home Repair Projects of Arizona (CHRPA)
- Rodeo and Electric Prods
- Road Diet
- Heat Resiliency
- Neighborhood Association Database
- Green Stormwater Infrastructure Maintenance Program
- Aphasia Center of Tucson Burglary
- Peace Fair & Music Festival
- Refugee Donations
- Tucson Veterans Serving Veterans
- COVID
I’m opening with this simply as a way of clearing the lunacy out of my mind. In Congress the MAGA Republican group has replaced their American Flag lapel pins with pins in the shape of AR15’s.

And you recognize this shining light – the guy who has openly lied about everything from his heritage to his education, athletic involvement, and even fund raising for medical expenses related to a dog that he never actually took care of. Now he’s advertising the weapon responsible for the murder of thousands of civilians on the streets of this country.

One wonders what message is attempted to be delivered. The one that is being delivered isn’t something I can print in the newsletter.

Women’s Self Defense/ Emerge

Thank you to all of you who reached out and registered for the upcoming women’s self-defense class we’re hosting at the ward 6 office. The slots are all full – it took about 3 hours after last week’s newsletter went out. We’re going to have a real variety of participants; a mom/daughter couple, women ranging in age from under 20 to over 60, one who has had significant back surgery, one who is in a motorized wheelchair – all are welcome, and the combination will make for a very interesting session.

DimondBack Shooting Sports Logo       
The proceeds are all going to Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse. We’ll have Danielle Blackwell from Emerge here on the morning of the event to greet and thank the participants for their support.

The guy giving the instruction is Grimm from Diamondback Shooting Sports. This is the first 2-hour block of an 8 hour block he offers in 4 different sections. He’s being generous enough to donate his time as a way of both supporting the work being done at Emerge, and in giving each of the participants some valuable lessons on how to take care of yourself.

The event will run from noon until around 2pm on Saturday, February 25th here at the ward office. If you’re one of the women registered, please show up a little early so we can get started on time.

Plastic Program
A bit over a month ago Jaimie Galayda began compiling the application material we needed to join a statewide competition for Environmental Excellence Awards. Jaimie is a lead planner in our water department who has been a strong supporter of both the glass and plastic programs we’ve initiated from the ward 6 office. She got the entry material submitted and last week was informed that we’ve been nominated as a finalist.

Arizona Forward Logo
The competition is in its 41st year. It’s put on by Arizona Forward. They’ve got chapters scattered throughout the state – the awards ceremony will take place at the Scottsdale Camelback Inn in late April. Arizona Forward is a group of both business and public sector leaders who work together to advance the state both economically and from an environmental standpoint. With ByFusion now coming to Tucson, and the glass program already established reusing crushed glass in a secondary market, our program is well-suited for consideration.

The entire ward 6 staff is grateful to Jaimie for doing the heavy lifting of submitting the nomination. By April we’ll have identified a home site for ByFusion, the blocker will be in fabrication and the expansion of the program will be well established.

One of our new partners is Roadhouse Cinema. When ByFusion gets established on the ground here there will be conversations with Roadhouse’s entire shopping center management about gathering their plastic and using it in the program. Roadhouse was the first to reach out – and they’re all-in on the program. The next time you visit the theater go a bit early and you’ll see this Public Service Announcement highlighting their involvement in and support of the program.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lcjg8sp2264hp3i/RoadHouse-City%20of%20Tucson-ByFusion%20PSA.mp4?dl=0

Last week was the highest tonnage donation week we’ve had since the program began last August. You brought over 2 and a quarter ton of plastic, filling the roll off so we had to schedule a 4th pick up just to keep up with you. It’s a good problem to have and demonstrates why ByFusion is committed to a Tucson operation. I’ve been in several hours of conversation/email with city management and ByFusion management working on the deal points. In the next couple of weeks, we’ll be in a position to announce the location of new drop off sites, and the location of the ByFusion operation will be nailed down.  It’ll of course take a few months to fabricate the blocker and get it up and running, but the site prep will start as soon as we agree on the deal terms.

The community has now provided 46.29 tons of plastic to this effort. That’s closing in on 100,000 pounds of plastic that you’ve diverted from the landfill, and that is now going to be used productively. We have participants from all over the county – and yes, I’ve had conversations with county leadership about standing up some drop sites outside of Tucson city limits. It’s all starting to come together.

Cut trees        
Each week I add an informational piece about what this program is addressing. The blocks are construction grade. They do not require concrete or mortar in the building process. To the extent the blocks replace wood in building structures, this program is having a positive effect on reducing deforestation.

And look at this picture – it shows what used to be Twin Peaks out by Marana.

Click Here to view the City Of Tucson A Message From Steve K Newsletter - February 6, 2023