New Development at Old Pascua

Congratulations to Chairman Peter S. Yucupicio and members of the Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council for “breaking ground” for a new casino with the demolition of the old Century Theatre near I-10 and Grant Road, which began last Monday.

Recent passage of national legislation adding the Old Pascua area to the tribe’s federal trust lands enabled them to go forward with plans to build a casino, new hotel, and other businesses the tribe has purchased over the past few years.

I was there, with Mayor Regina Romero and others, for the ceremony early Monday morning.

Mayor Regina Romero, Chairman Peter S. Yucupicio, and Council Member Kevin Dahl

I brought up concerns that I have heard that the new development will make it even harder at times to enter I-10 from Grant – a location that really backs up during rush hour. The Mayor assured me that all parties – state, federal, Tucson, and the tribe – will help with improvements to this intersection before the casino begins operation.

-Kevin

Pascua Yaqui Lenten Ceremonies and ODW (Operations Division West)  
by Katie Bolger 

For those who observe the Christian tradition of Lent that leads to Easter Sunday, you know the season starts on Ash Wednesday (February 22nd this year). It is also the start of the most important religious season for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.

The chapel at the west end of Pascua Cultural Plaza in Tucson. Photo by Ammodramus

The Lenten ceremonies incorporate ancient Yaqui beliefs along with Catholicism brought by Jesuits in the 17th and 18th century. Members of the Yaqui community take active part in the ceremonies which culminate in a battle in which Good defeats Evil and the world is renewed again on Easter Sunday.

About six weeks before the season begins, Tucson Police Officers from ODW (Operation Division West) begin cleaning up the ceremony route and adjoining streets and alleyways. So far this season, they have hauled 22 tons of trash, cleaned up graffiti, and pruned landscape. According to Officer Preston Hould, the annual clean up has been happening since 2007. Officer Hould says he really enjoys working in Old Pascua during the ceremonies. He points out how unique it is and that the families in Old Pascua have been there for generations. “They have always been there” he says.

Before and after the clean up efforts

A big thank you to ODW, Officer Preston Hould, Officers Bradway, Bachtel, Dimas and everyone else who gave time and effort to assist in the pre-ceremony clean up.

If you are interested in observing the Lenten Ceremonies, please note that the Pascua Yaqui Tribe welcomes all visitors who come in a spirit of reverence appropriate for any religious ceremony. All communities are protected by tribal, town or city ordinances. Please note that audio recording devices, cameras, cellular phones, sketching, and drinking of alcoholic beverages are not allowed at any ceremonial site.

North Dodge by CJ Boyd 

The North Dodge neighborhood covers the area from Alvernon Way west to Palo Verde Avenue and from Fort Lowell Road south to Glenn Street.

Like most Tucson neighborhoods north of Grant, this area saw a gradual increase in European-descended settlement during the first half of the twentieth century; but that population increased dramatically after World War II, and most of the residential areas we have today were planned and built in the early 1950s. These were suburbs at the time, since they were well outside the Tucson city limits - they were only incorporated into the City later through annexation.

According to Fran Garcia, former President of the North Dodge neighborhood association, this area was initially settled by Mormons in an attempt to be close enough to trade with people in the city proper, but far enough away to avoid religious persecution. As such, North Dodge includes a Church of the Latter-Day Saints on Fort Lowell Road near Winstel Blvd., which began construction in 1927 and remains a functioning church to this day.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Fort Lowell Rd between Chapel Ave and Winstel Blvd. 

Incidentally, the Church of LDS is the only church located in the North Dodge neighborhood. The only school in its limits is Academy Adventures Midtown, an elementary school on Winstel Blvd between Blacklidge Dr. and Presidio Rd.

Just north of the North Dodge neighborhood is a small area that happens to be the only place south of the Rillito River and east of Oracle Road that is not part of the City. Most of the City’s northern border follows the Rillito River, occasionally going beyond it to include some of the north shore. This is true from Fairview Avenue all the way to Craycroft Road, where the Rillito splits into the Tanque Verde Creek and Pantano Wash. But there is an area of just 12 square blocks or so that sits between Kleindale Road and Fort Lowell Road, from Richey Blvd. to Alvernon Way that is not actually part of the City, though any passerby would assume it was.

This area happens to include OK Feed and Supply (which has been there since 1936), Tucson Hop Shop, Ciao Down Pizza Studio, Tucson Clay Co-Op, Dah Rock Shop, and a small handful of other local businesses. While the North Dodge neighborhood proper doesn’t really include many restaurants, cafes, or bars - the only restaurant in its limits is the French restaurant Le Rendez-vous - having these other nearby options for food and drink is a boon to the neighborhood.

While single family homes still make up the majority of the North Dodge neighborhood, many apartment buildings have been added to the housing landscape over the last few decades.

Mural at Catalina Gardens Apartments on Alvernon Way near Blacklidge Dr.

North Dodge doesn’t have any parks in its boundaries either, but McCormick Park is about a 15 minute walk to the east, La Madera Park is about a 20 minute walk to the west, and the Brandi Fenton Memorial Park on the north side of the Rillito is a 20 minute walk to the north.

The fence around The Village Blacksmith on Alvernon Way at the corner of Blacklidge Dr.

Robin Quinn, who has lived in the neighborhood since 2007 and currently serves as the North Dodge Neighborhood Association President said, "What I love about North Dodge is the diversity that it reflects. The neighborhood is truly a representation of what midtown Tucson looks like. Additionally, the neighborhood has accessibility to areas like the metal arts village, multiple nearby bike paths, public transportation and various schools (both public and private)."

Wrapping Up Our Neighborhood Series by Marlene Avelino

There are 148 registered Neighborhood Associations in the City listed on the City of Tucson website. During the last year, this newsletter profiled 30 associations located in Ward 3, along with a few HOAs and Old Pascua.

In our Ward 3 office, CJ Boyd and I are liaisons to all Ward 3 neighborhoods. We split the ward along First Avenue. I work with the westside neighborhoods, and the eastside neighborhoods are under CJ’s care. We spent the last year attending neighborhood meetings and getting to know the people and places that make each one special. To write these newsletter profiles, we sifted through online sites, drove and walked each neighborhood, and engaged in conversations with residents. It was a truly beautiful way to get to know the parts of Tucson we represent.

My favorite detail of the mural “The River Returns, Regenerates, Restores” in the Limberlost neighborhood.

Neighborhood associations are an official extension of the City and are provided with services such as free roll offs for clean-up events, postcards or newsletters once a year, and additional support from Ward offices and Neighborhood Resources within the Planning Department. New development efforts, such as re-zonings, are required to inform neighborhood associations of their plans. But joining a or starting up a neighborhood association is more than getting these services – it allows you to meet your neighbors, share concerns and visions for the future, and tackle projects such as Little Free Libraries, tree plantings, and community gardens.

Newly elected board members for Keeling Neighborhood Association

If you are interested in looking up your neighborhood association, click here: https://associations-and-neighborhood-maps.tucsonaz.gov/

If your neighborhood doesn’t have one and you are interested in starting one up, click here: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/pdsd/neighborhood-association-registration

A big thank you to all the neighborhoods that have shared their spaces and stories with us!

Next Mayor and Council Meeting 

The next Mayor and Council Meeting is on Tuesday, March 7th.
Once available, the agenda will be posted here: Mayor and Council Meeting Agendas

Ward 3 Neighborhood Association and Coalition Meetings

Cabrini Neighborhood Association 
Thursday, March 2nd 6:00- 7:00 pm 
Vineyard City Church, 3150 E Fort Lowell Rd.

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].

Ward 3 Events

VITA at Ward 3 Saturdays through April 15th

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. 

BICAS Art Mart on Sunday, March 26th! 

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] 

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. 

Ready, Set, REC! in Ward 3 in February

Digital Storytelling Training Series in April

City Wide Events

Peace Fair and Music Festival on Saturday, February 25th

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

Registration is open for FREE Citizenship Classes. Classes begin March 27^th

The City of Tucson is starting a two-year process to update the City’s General and Sustainability Plan from 2013, known as Plan Tucson. During the first phase, in Spring 2023, Tucson residents will be asked to share their priorities and vision for the future of Tucson. This information will help us identify visions and goals for initial refinement by the Plan Tucson Working Groups that are in development. The Plan Tucson Update Team is grateful for your contributions to assess the city’s challenges and needs and guiding Tucson’s long-term direction. Take the survey here

Sign up to donate your citrus to the Iskashitaa Refugee Network! using this link: https://www.iskashitaa.org/donate-your-fruit

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