Tucson’s New Public Safety Communications Facility

Last week I attended the opening of a long-awaited and improved home for our Public Safety Communications Department, designed to create a better work environment and reduce call waiting times. These folks handle 911 calls – nearly a million calls each year – for both the Police and Fire Departments and 12 regional partners. This state of the art, spacious facility replaces cramped quarters and outdated training equipment that made it hard to recruit and retain dispatchers. The newly completed remodel includes an expanded call-taking and dispatching floor, a designated training center, a redesign of the administration wing, a department fitness center, and even a sensory room to help employees reset after a tough call.

Cutting the ribbon to open the new communications center. From left to right: Public Safety Communications Director Sharon McDonough, Mayor Regina Romero, City Manager Mike Ortega, Council Member Kevin Dahl, and Council Member Nikki Lee

There is a critical need for more Tucson 911 dispatchers, the folks who answer the phone. We have 45 openings. If you, or anyone you know, would like to apply for this position (and you can start as a trainee), the link is here: https://jobapscloud.com/tucson/#EmpDiv1

- Kevin

Cemetery Wash Clean Up by Katie Bolger

Thursday was the third and final monthly Ward 3 clean up of cemetery wash near Fort Lowell and Oracle Rd. We picked up 20 bags of trash, and and we welcomed 2 new volunteers - Jenn and Cathy - to the effort. Jenn and Cathy both recently moved to Tucson and are getting to know the community by getting involved in local volunteer efforts. A special shout out to the newbies and Tom Knapp, who attended our clean ups in both November and December. 

From left to right: Council Aides Shannon Jenkins and CJ Boyd, volunteers Jennifer Melz, Catherine Casselberm, and Tom Knapp, and Council Aide Marlene Avelino 

Recently, we were told by a Ward 3 resident and member of the Tucson Crime Free Coalition that we are “wasting our time” doing our neighborhood clean ups - because locations like Cemetery Wash are just “gonna get trashed again.” We know that these events have value because every time we have been out, there are always a handful of neighbors and business owners who stop to thank us for caring about their neighborhood.

If you would like to spend 2 hours outside, on a beautiful Tucson morning, meeting new people and beautifying a small corner in the community, please join us at our next clean up on Friday, January 6th at the Amphi Neighborhood Park. We'll be cleaning the park, adjacent streets, and a nearby wash with support from Tucson Clean and Beautiful. RSVP today! 

La Fiesta de Guadalupe – Tucson Style! By Katie Bolger

Maybe you’ve seen her around town: on a mural, a candle or tattooed on someone’s arm. You can’t go far in the Southwest (or anywhere in Mexico) without coming across her – Our Lady of Guadalupe.

According to tradition, Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to the humble Juan Diego two times; on December 9th and again on December 12th in 1531. Juan Diego was an Aztec peasant who converted to Christianity after the conquest of Mexico. Attracted one morning by singing birds, Juan Diego climbed a near by hill, where she appeared to him to first time. She greeted him in his native tongue and requested that a shrine to her be built on the spot where Juan Diego saw her, Tepeyac Hill (now in a suburb of Mexico City). The bishop demanded a sign before he would approve construction of a church, however. When she appeared to Juan Diego a second time, she ordered him to gather roses (which were neither native to the area nor in season) that were growing on the hill and take them to the archbishop. In his second audience with the bishop, Juan Diego opened his cloak, letting the roses fall to the floor and revealing the image of Her imprinted on the inside of his cloak—the image that is now venerated in the Basilica of Guadalupe.

Today, the Basilica is one of the most famous Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world. In the cathedral on display is the original tilma of Juan Diego that still shows the miraculous Our Lady of Guadalupe image.

Her day is celebrated around the world on December 12th. Here in Tucson, an annual celebration open to the public is held at the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun with music, dancing and performances including mariachi bands, The DeGrazia Band, folklórico dancers, and Yaqui Deer Dancers. Local food and art vendors offer southwestern fare and souvenirs to guests.

 La Fiesta de Guadalupe’s essential details: Sunday December 11th, 10 am to 4 pm, DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Museum, 6300 N. Swan Road (85718). 

Tu Nidito by CJ Boyd

The Ward 3 office recently toured the facilities at Tu Nidito, a non-profit that helps children and their families cope with death and serious illness. The organization was incorporated in 1994 and began providing services in 1996 as a pediatric hospice. Over the years, Tu Nidito adjusted its mission to meet a wider array of community needs for those grieving a serious medical condition or death. Not only do they serve a unique function here in Pima County, but there are few organizations in the country that do what they do.

Tu Nidito has several programs that provide solace, hope, and support to children and families who have experienced a death or who have a child or adult caregiver with a serious medical condition, and participants are usually referred to Tu Nidito by hospitals or schools. The organization works with kids and family members individually and in groups to help people express their grief and learn coping skills to work through their grief.

Tu Nidito's facilities are located in a large house, and they are very deliberate about providing a comfortable, home-like environment for grieving. The different rooms of the house are dedicated to various activities and approaches to processing grief. For example, in the Art Room, children and young adults can channel their grief into a variety of artistic expressions. Another one of the many rooms is the Imagination Room, and it's filled with toys and costumes so children can play in ways that help them process their difficult experiences. There's also a lending library with a whole wall of books dedicated to death and grieving. On the other end of the spectrum is the Volcano Room, which is a padded room where those who are grieving can “explode”, i.e. scream, punch, kick, and rage without hurting themselves or anyone else - or just have fun. 

The Volcano Room was inspired by an organization in Portland called the The Dougy Center for Grieving Children & Families. While the services offered by Tu Nidito are more extensive than those offered at any other grieving center in the US, the inspiration for some of what they do comes from the Dougy Center, which was the first nonprofit of its kind when it was established in 1982. 

For group sessions, the participants are placed into age-appropriate groups comprised of “littles” (ages 3-7), “middles” (8-11), teens (12-18), and young adults (18-29). There are also separate adult groups. Tu Nidito provides individual support to families who have a child with a serious medical condition, and this support can last anywhere from weeks to years; if the child dies, Tu Nidito continues to work with the families for up to three additional years.  

Impressively, the Imagination Room contains a “telephone of the wind,” which has the ability to communicate with the deceased, allowing grieving children and adults to say what they need to those they have lost. Tu Nidito is currently working on installing a similar telephone in one of Tucson’s parks, in hopes of sharing this *technology* with more of Tucson’s residents.

All services can be rendered in English or Spanish and are free of charge to anyone. The organization serves around 650 children per year, which includes around 300 families. With just 10 staff members, Tu Nidito relies on the help of around 100 volunteers.You can learn more about Tu Nidito, volunteer, or support their mission by going to their website: https://tunidito.org/

Barrio Blue Moon Community Garden by Marlene Avelino

Just to the south of Tucson House, the city’s largest public housing complex, lies the Blue Moon Community Garden. It has 36 garden beds - 24 of which are raised to accommodate gardeners in wheelchairs or with limited mobility, and it was the first community garden in Tucson designed to be fully accessible. There's a 15,000 gallon cistern that collects rainwater and air conditioning condensate from Tucson House for irrigation of the garden's fruit trees and landscaping plants, and a second rainwater cistern can be used by gardeners to supplement the drip irrigation supplied to all garden plots. There is also a common tools shed, lockers for personal items, a shade ramada with solar powered lighting, a walking path, and game tables. 

Blue Moon Community Garden was completed in March of 2012 as part of the Oracle Area Revitalization Plan with the help of many community partners, including: Tucson Community Food Bank, City of Tucson Housing and Community Development, Community Gardens of Tucson, the Drachman Institute and School of Landscape Architecture and Planning - University of Arizona, Tucson Water, Blue Moon Neighborhood Association, and many more. This site was selected because this area is considered a "food desert" -  an area that has limited access to affordable and nutritious food. 

The garden is managed by the Community Gardens of Tucson and is open to the public - not just Tucson House or Barrio Blue Moon residents. It has both community and private plots available for $22 a month or $16 and $10 with fee assistance, and full scholarships are also available. Each garden plot has the capacity to grow $1,000 worth of fresh produce a year.

The garden recently received two major updates - one functional and one aesthetic. In a joint effort with the Watershed Management Group as part of the Thrive in the 05 initiative, a composting toilet has been installed at the Blue Moon Garden. This improvement will increase accessibility since gardeners won’t need to go home to use the bathroom, a hindrance particularly for the elderly and those with mobility challenges. An Ocotillo fence - often called a "living fence" - has also been added to the perimeter of the gardens as an infrastructure improvement. The ocotillo cuttings will root and grow in place, leafing out during monsoons and winter rains. 

Ten years after the first plants went in, the garden is a lush respite for humans, wildlife, and pollinators alike. What was once just another parking lot is now a permeable, green space providing beauty, fresh air, space to walk around, and fresh produce for those with green thumbs. 

Next Mayor and Council Meeting 

The next Mayor and Council Meeting is on Tuesday, December 20th.
The agenda is available here: Mayor and Council Meeting Agendas

Ward 3 Neighborhood Association and Coalition Meetings

Mountain First Neighborhood Association
Saturday, December 10th, 9:00- 10:00 am
Mitchell Park, 1100 E. Mitchell St. 

Alvernon Grant Initiative 
Tuesday, December 13th, 6:00- 7:00 pm
Emmanuel Baptist Church, 1825 N. Alvernon Way

Sugar Hill Neighborhood Association
Wednesday, December 14th, 6:00- 7:30 pm
Parkside Terrace Apartments, 2150 N. 4th Ave. 

Jefferson Park Neighborhood Association
Wednesday, December 14th, 6:00- 7:00 pm
Ward 3 Community Room, 1510 E. Grant Rd. 
and on Zoom

Richland Heights East Neighborhood Association
Wednesday, December 14th, 6:00- 7:00 pm
2001 E. Greenlee Rd

Flowing Wells Neighborhood Association
Thursday, December 15th, 6:00- 7:00 pm
Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center
1660 W. Ruthrauff Rd. 

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 [email protected].

The 25th Annual BICAS Art Auction will feature a huge variety of practical and fanciful handmade bicycle-themed art, most of which is created using upcycled bicycle parts. All the art is donated by some of Tucson’s best artists who support the mission of promoting education, art, a healthy environment & making transportation more accessible to our community.

The Art Auction is for all ages & will have food, drinks, and entertainment with bidding closing Dec.10th at 8pm. As a 501(c)(3), this is our biggest fundraising event of the year with all proceeds going toward our various community programs that help people learn how to fix a bicycle, earn a bicycle, create unique art from recycled materials, and provide programs specifically targeted towards youth. 

Buffelgrass pulling in Country-Glenn on Saturday, December 10th 

Tucson CSHW Winter Sock Drive now through January 30^th

As part of the Homeless Protocol initiative, the Community Safety, Health and Wellness program has recently increased outreach to our unsheltered neighbors. The weather is only going to get colder, and the number one request from the campers is socks! The CSHW program is reaching out to the community for donations of unused socks in all sizes now through the end of January. Donations can be dropped in the collection box at the Ward 3 office.  

Ready, Set, REC! in Ward 3 this Month

Cookies with Santa at the Marty Birdman Center on Friday, December 23^rd

Join Your Local Community Garden!

Plots are available at locations across town through the Community Gardens of Tucson. You can rent a 3 ft X 20 ft garden plot with automatic drip irrigation to grow your own food! Garden tools and supplies are provided on-site. Contact [email protected] or call 520-795-8823 for more information.

These Ward 3 gardens currently have available plots: 
- Mansfield Garden - 2000 N. 4th Ave.
- Blue Moon Garden - 1510 N. Oracle Rd
- Keeling Garden - 2919 N. Los Altos
- Homer Davis Garden - 4250 N. Romero Rd.
- Presidio Garden - Near Fort Lowell and Country Club

City Wide Events

Streetcar Rides and Service Impacts for the 4th Avenue Winter Street Fair

TUCSON – The Sun Link streetcar is providing convenient access and free rides to the 4th Avenue Winter Street Fair. Riders onboard the streetcar with other travel plans should be aware of service impacts due to road closures while the event takes place. Two streetcar stops will not be in service beginning Thursday, December 8 at approximately noon. Normal service will resume Monday, December 12 at 7 a.m.

Closed Streetcar Stops: 

-4th Avenue/4th Street

-4th Avenue/6th Street

Streetcar riders have two options to bypass these closures. The public can choose to enjoy a leisurely 15-minute walk with the opportunity to shop along the half-mile street fair. Open streetcar stops are located at the fair’s north and south entrances. Instead of walking, riders can choose to ride a special event Sun Tran bus with service around the road closure.

Passengers can board the special event bus at:

-University Boulevard/3rd Avenue

-5th Avenue/6th Street

-4th Avenue/9th Street

Please note the bus boarding locations are a few hundred feet from the streetcar platforms. Signs will mark the bus boarding area.

Passengers choosing to ride the special event bus can re-board the Sun Link streetcar at the University Boulevard/3rd Avenue platform to continue traveling east toward the University of Arizona. To continue traveling west to downtown and the Mercado district, passengers can board the Sun Link streetcar at the 4th Avenue/9th Street platform. The bus stop on 5th Avenue/6th Street is conveniently located near the center of the fair to offer visitors a closer location to catch a ride.

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

Help shape Arizona’s transportation future. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is currently updating its Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), which outlines ADOT’s priorities and vision for Arizona’s transportation system over the next 25 years. ADOT is asking for the public’s input to help develop the plan. 

ADOT has launched the LRTP website - ADOT2050plan.com - to gather input on the plan goals, vision and priorities through an online survey, which is available in English and Spanish. Your input is a vital part of the process.

The online survey is available through December 21, and can be taken HERE / aquí

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