Winter Sock Drive Receives Big Donation

Ellie Patterson and Linda Fugate brought a large donation from their Rotary Club to the Ward 3 office this week: 148 pairs of new socks for our Winter Sock Drive! Ellie is president of Rotary Club Tanque Verde (https://www.rotarytucsonverde.com/) and Linda led the club’s sock project. The club takes on “projects that will improve the ecological and sustainable environment of our community and planet” (full disclosure: I’m a proud member of the club).

As part of the Homeless Protocol initiative, staff from Tucson’s amazing Community Safety, Health and Wellness (CSHW) program are on the frontlines of the unsheltered crisis. They usually make the first contact with homeless individuals and camps, where they assess the situation and provide access to alternatives and services. The number one request from the campers is socks, which are especially needed as temperatures have plummeted! You may remember we have advertised this CSHW program in our newsletters (including toward the end of this one), and like every Tucson Ward office, we will accept donations of unused socks in all sizes now through the end of January.

-Kevin

Happy Lunar New Year! Year of the Rabbit! by Katie Bolger 

We have a new business in Ward 3, and the Lunar New Year is the perfect time to spotlight the Seven Cups Tea House at 2510 E. Fort Lowell Rd.

Austin Hodge and his wife Zhuping are the owners of Seven Cups Tea House. In addition to serving and selling tea varieties, Seven Cups is a Tucson-based tea company that supplies tea to cafes, coffee shops, restaurants, and businesses around the world. They specialize in sourcing high-quality teas directly from tea makers across China. In 2014, Travel and Leisure magazine declared Seven Cups one of the six best places to drink tea in the U.S.

They recently bought and renovated a building that had been sitting vacant and rundown for years at Fort Lowell near Tucson Boulevard in the La Madera neighborhood. Graphic Design artist Jodie Lewers Chertudi (Tucson native and Salpointe grad) designed and created the beautiful mural on the outside of the building. Jodie's vision of the mural was inspired by the dragons and clouds depicted in much of the art that fills Austin and Zhuping's house. She sketched out her design on the building and hired painters (including her mom and dad) to help finish the mural. 

Jodie said the building goes back to the 1940s (and was originally a Chinese market) with wood ceiling beams that were harvested from Mt. Lemmon. The building has been lovingly refurbished to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. To celebrate the New Year, Seven Cups will be serving nian gao, a sticky sweet cake made from rice flour, that is a must-have dessert for Lunar New Year festivities. It will be served all weekend from 11 am to 6 pm.

Living Streets Alliance and Old Pascua by Marlene Avelino

Living Streets Alliance (featured in previous newsletters) is a non-profit advocacy organization that is part of the worldwide “Open Streets” movement. They advocate for street accessibility for alternate modes of healthy, sustainable transportation - like walking and biking! Last Saturday, the LSA crew set out to beautify and transform another Ward 3 intersection, this time in Old Pascua on 15th Ave., just south of Grant, in front of the Richey Resource Center. 

This project is a “Quick Build” or “Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper” infrastructure improvement meant to slow down traffic and improve conditions for people walking, biking, rolling, or using any other non motorized form of travel, in a relatively short amount of time and typically less expensively. We have had several of these projects concentrated in the 05 zip code as part of the federally funded Thrive in the 05 program. Both Miracle Manor and Barrio Blue Moon had traffic circles installed and painted last year.

LSA engaged the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and surrounding neighbors to determine what they wanted in terms of traffic mitigation. In this case, it wasn’t a traffic circle but a crosswalk and “bump outs” on either side of the street. A bump out, also known as a curb extension, is a traffic calming measure which extends the width of the sidewalk and curb line at crosswalks and other locations. There was a small hiccup in the plans when the Department of Transportation and Mobility (DTM), who approves all street improvements, noted that the crosswalk would not be ADA accessible - either the sidewalk would need to be torn out and repoured with ramps or the crosswalk would need to be raised to sidewalk height. The community chose to raise the crosswalk into a speed table - adding another traffic calming element.

The lead artist on this project was Brandon Varela, and he worked with Old Pascua Youth Artists on the mural design and was on hand to help volunteers realize the vision. The mural incorporated the colors of the Pascua Yaqui flag as well as roses, butterflies, and other natural elements. Community members of all ages joined in the fun, and a sweet little chihuahua even contributed a few red paw prints.

Tucson Mesh by CJ Boyd 

Tucson Mesh is a community wireless network program based in Ward 3. They are a volunteer-run nonprofit that provides high speed internet access on a pay-what-you-can basis. 

Much like the corporations that sell internet access for profit, Tucson Mesh purchases bandwidth in bulk directly from an internet exchange point. But unlike those corporations, they distribute that bandwidth wirelessly through rooftop antennas regardless of whether people can pay for it. The payments they take are a donation to keep them doing what they do, but nobody is denied access for lack of funds. 

To distribute the signal, the antennas require a line of sight either to Tucson Mesh's main tower or to the antenna of another user. In this way, the more the network expands, the more new users can access the network. The primary tower used for distribution of the signal is at the Blacklidge Community Collective in the Sugar Hill Neighborhood. For this reason, the growth of the network has been relatively slow so far, since each home needed to have a direct line of sight to BCC or one of the other homes. 

Tucson Mesh reached out to the Ward 3 office recently to see about putting antennas on top of Tucson House, located in Barrio Blue Moon. Tucson House is a 17 story apartment building, the City’s largest public housing unit and by far the tallest building anywhere in Ward 3, and if Mesh can  get their antennas on the roof, they would have a direct line of sight to the entire ward, and most of the city as well. 

Tucson House is owned by the City of Tucson and operated by the Housing and Community Development Department (HCD). The Ward 3 office is currently working with HCD, as well as the City Manager’s Office, Planning and Development Services, the IT (Information Technology) Department, and various other departments to see how we can make this happen and bring more donation-based internet access to our community. 

It is important to note that, while the mission of Tucson Mesh is to bring free and affordable internet to those who might not be able to afford it otherwise, a crucial part of their vision is to also provide internet to those who are willing to make monthly donations of higher amounts. Connecting people across all income levels is vital to expanding the network because when people pay more for the service, they enable Tucson Mesh to expand the service to more households that are unable to to afford it. While Tucson Mesh began with a grant from Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, and they are seeking grants from other sources, their hope is to get to a place where the donations of some users are sufficient to run their operations.

Besides offering affordable internet, another aspect of what they do is educational. Taking the mutual aide mindset rather than a charity mindset, the service they provide is meant to, in the words of Mesh organizer Josh Dunlap, “change the underlying conditions that produce unequal digital access in the first place.” This means helping users feel empowered in knowing how the technology works, and having users help each other to stay connected.

As Josh continues, “For many, the internet and other emerging technologies are confusing, difficult to use, and increase social isolation. By pairing internet access with an in-person community dedicated to neighborhood organizing, Tucson Mesh acts to demystify the internet, connect neighbors, build digital literacy and confidence, and develop real-world skills and experience maintaining internet networking technology.”

At present, the neighborhoods that are within range for service are Sugar Hill, Barrio Blue Moon, El Cortez, Keeling, and Feldman’s. If you live in any of these neighborhoods and want to see if your home would work for a potential installation, contact Tucson Mesh via their website (https://www.tucsonmesh.net). Even if you aren’t in one of those neighborhoods, but want to be kept in mind as they expand their area of service, you can also get in touch and be placed on a list.

On a personal note, I recently moved to Keeling, and was very excited to have my home connected to the network. I can report first hand that I have had great internet speeds and I am paying a fraction of what I was paying for internet before I moved. And the volunteers who did the install were wonderful about explaining how everything works, and answering all of my questions.

I am hopeful that we will be able to get antennas on the roof of Tucson House and other tall buildings to help the mesh network expand. But even if that doesn’t happen, or even if that takes a while, for those who live within the neighborhoods where Tucson Mesh is already operational, this is a chance to help make that network larger, denser, and better by adding your home to the community and helping your neighbors access affordable internet.  

Next Mayor and Council Meeting 

The next Mayor and Council Meeting is on Tuesday, January 24th.
The agenda is available here: Mayor and Council Meeting Agendas

Ward 3 Neighborhood Association and Coalition Meetings

Keeling Neighborhood Association 
Monday, January 23rd, 7:00- 8:00 pm 
Cornerstone Fellowship Church, 2902 N. Geronimo Ave.

Central Segments Safety Coaltion    
Tuesday, January 24th, 6:00- 7:00 pm
Ward 3 Community Room, 1510 E. Grant Rd. 

Jefferon Park Neighborhood Association 
Wednesday, January 25th, 6:00- 7:00 pm
Ward 3 Community Room, 1510 E. Grant Rd. 

Limberlost Neighborhood Association 
Saturday, January 28th, 10:00- 11:00 am 
on Zoom (email [email protected] for link)

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

Call to Artists for Thrive in the 05 Projects 

The Arts Foundation is accepting applications through January 24th. To find out more and apply, click here

Food4Life at New Life Community Church of the Nazarene on January 21st

Food distribution is Saturday, January 21st, at New Life Community Church of the Nazarene (3367 N. Geronimo). Sign-up begins at 8 a.m. and continues as long as they have food. Food is usually distributed beginning around 10 a.m., and they finish by 11 or 11:30 a.m. There will be vegetables, fruit, packaged food, desserts, dairy, and some meat. You get to select your own food, and there are no income, residency, or other requirements. 

Tree Planting in Keeling Neighborhood on Saturday, January 21st 

Join Tucson Clean and Beautiful for a neighborhood tree planting in Keeling Neighborhood on Saturday, January 21st from 9am-11am! Our team will be meeting at 402 E Laguna St. just North of Keeling Elementary.

Please wear close-toed shoes, a hat, sunscreen, and bring along a refillable water bottle (to reduce plastic waste). You can register here. We supply all necessary tools, gloves, and filtered drinking water.

Tree Planting in Sugar Hill Neighborhood on Saturday, January 28th

Join Tucson Clean and Beautiful for a neighborhood tree planting in Sugar Hill Neighborhood on Saturday, January 28th from 9am-11am! Our team will be meeting at Mansfield Park Pool Parking Lot, 2275 N 4th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85705.

Please wear close-toed shoes, a hat, sunscreen, and bring along a refillable water bottle (to reduce plastic waste). You can register here. We supply all necessary tools, gloves, and filtered drinking water.

Join The Drawing Studio to Celebrate Their Expansion on Sunday, January 29th

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

The Community Food Bank will collect extra citrus from backyard trees
on three upcoming Super Citrus Saturday events in Tucson. Anyone with extra oranges, lemons, grapefruits, or other citrus is invited to drop them off in the monthly Saturday collections beginning in January. 

On Saturday, January 28th, citrus will be collected from 11am – 2pm at:
• Ashley Home Furnishings at Broadway and Pantano
• Rillito Garden Nursery at 6303 N. La Cholla

Get Paid to Get Lifeguard Certified! 

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. 

Tucson CSHW Winter Sock Drive now through January 30th

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 at 1510 E. Grant Rd. 

Tucson Veterans Serving Veterans Clothing and Hygiene Drive at Ward 3 Office

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. 

Bronx Park Rain Garden Planting Party on Sunday, February 5th

Bronx Park neighbors are celebrating the completion of two new community raingardens! Join us for a sunny Sunday morning of playing in the dirt as we plant trees and pollinator plants with the neighborhood. A buffelgrass pull will also be taking place in the nearby Bronx Wash for those wanting an urban jungle adventure! Come learn with us, grow with us, and be part of building a more resilient Tucson.

This heat vulnerable neighborhood is harvesting the rain to grow a pollinator pocket park and tree-lined greenway for walkers and bikers. THANKS to these amazing partners: Bronx Park Neighborhood, One Big Yard, Thrive in the 05, Tucson Water, Ward 3, and Dryland Design.

Weeducate Yourself on Saturday, February 11th at 9 am!  At McCormick Park 

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. 

Accepting Applications for Housing Programs including Section 8! 

The pre-application period for families and individuals seeking to be placed on a waitlist for public housing, and Section 8 vouchers for the City of Tucson and Pima County will be open from Tuesday, Jan. 3, through Tuesday, Jan. 24. All applications received in this three-week window will be placed in a lottery. Applicants in the lottery will be selected randomly by computer to be placed on the waitlist in the order they were selected. Applications will be available in English, Arabic, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Swahili, and Vietnamese. In addition, assistance will be provided in alternative formats. Public sites with computers will be open during the application period. A list of those sites, the online application, and more information are available here

Beware of scams! The City of Tucson is seeing an increase in scams and false links. Do not fill out any application before Jan. 3 or on any site except waitlist.tucsonaz.gov. The City of Tucson will not ask for your social security number, any form of payment (credit card number, cash, bank transfer, etc.), or legal status to apply.

Public Housing Waitlist Video in English here: https://app.frame.io/reviews/64a50619-06b3-49b1-9705-04a96956deb5/49b4a02a-7dc3-40cc-b6ab-85756dc39152 

y video en español aquí: https://app.frame.io/reviews/aa5c81ba-1fd0-459f-8c70-4337cff5f4d3/32dcffb5-7d07-4d19-9f4c-6a45f1f11234 

Se Acceptan Solicitudes para los Programas de Vivienda Incluyendo Sección 8 

Ready, Set, REC! in Ward 3 in January

City Wide Events

Participate in the 2023 Point in Time Count! 

The Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness and the City of Tucson's Housing and Community Development department invite you to help end homelessness in Pima County during the "2023 Everyone Counts! Point In Time Street Count" on Wednesday, January 25th. To complete a successful count, more than 300 volunteers are needed. Teams throughout Pima County will visit camps in washes and the desert, bus stops, meal sites, abandoned buildings, and other areas where people without housing find shelter. Individuals will be interviewed to collect data that helps our community provide services to people in need. Volunteers do not need to be experienced, but they should have a desire to contribute to a communitywide effort to help reduce homelessness in our region and be comfortable using an application on a smartphone. Register to volunteer here

Read Tucson's Draft Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) !

Throughout 2022, the City worked to develop a climate action and adaptation plan that will provide a strategic pathway to reduce the City’s emissions to net zero by 2030, explain the anticipated impacts of climate change across the City, identify the communities that will be most vulnerable to those impacts, and provide strategies that will assure that Tucson can adapt and be resilient to the impacts of climate change – now and in the future. The City has posted the draft climate action and adaptation plan, "Tucson Resilient Together," on the Climate Action Hub website here. The plan is open for public review and comments until Tuesday, February 21st. Use the link on that site to add your comments on the plan.

Which Water Management Strategies are Most Important to You? 

The One Water 2100 master planning process, through public feedback, identified water supply and conservation as the top two areas of concern. Now, Tucson Water needs your help to guide long-range decisions about Tucson's water management practices and its Capital Improvement Program. Follow the One Water 2100 website link below and take the water management strategy survey. Share the survey with friends, family, and neighbors because community input is important to our water future. This interactive tool provides an overview of what the One Water approach is, information about Tucson’s water resources, and highlights some of the conservation program achievements. The survey will be online through January 31st. Take it and learn more here

Sustainable Tucson applauds the City’s efforts to reach out to the community. To aid in that effort, members of the water committee have reviewed the survey and developed an INFORMATION SHEET clarifying and sharing some considerations for the different strategies - while pointing out the options that the city is already undertaking.

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

Home Heating Tips from the Tucson Fire Department 

With cold temperatures upon us, Tucson Fire Department (TFD) Deputy Chief Barrett Baker has some tips on keeping you warm and safe during our cooler months. Watch the video here for safety tips, such as keeping potentially flammable objects at least 3 feet away from a space heater and turning it off when you leave the room or go to sleep, keeping your furnace room clear of anything flammable and having it inspected at least once a year, and making sure the flue is open when using your fireplace and not using too much wood.

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