Home Tour - 2009

By

Denice Blake

U of A Leads Mission to Mars

The University of Arizona is the first public university to lead a mission to Mars.  The Phoenix Mars Mission landed on May 25, 2008.  Events were held from 3:00 to 7:00 PM at Kuiper Space Sciences Building, Sonett Space Sciences Building, and Flandrau UA Science Center on the U of A Mall.  For more information visit http://mars.arizona.edu .  Follow the Phoenix mission at http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu .

Military Community Relations Committee

by Carolyn Classen

The Sam Hughes Neighborhood Association board voted on 9/18/07 to be a member of the newly established Military Community Relations Committee (MCRC), created with the following purpose: "The Military Community Relations Committee (MCRC) is established as an advisory committee to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, the City of Tucson and Pima County for the purpose of providing a forum for dialogue, raising and discussing concerns, monitoring MC3 recommendations, joint problem solving, and education focusing on military and community related issues.  The MCRC may provide consensus recommendations to DM AFB, the City of Tucson, Pima County, the State of Arizona and other entities as appropriate."

The first meeting of this group, composed of representatives of DMAFB, the City of Tucson, Pima County, DM50 and other businesses, and impacted neighborhoods was held on 9/19/07 at the Randolph Golf Course Copper Room.

By-laws were approved at the October 23rd meeting at the Randolph Golf Course Copper Room, 600 S. Alvernon Way. DMAFB commander Colonel Laughbaum spoke before the group at the meeting on November 28.

For information see DM website: 335fw.cit@dm.af.mil (link to "Community Initiatives" on the right column, then to "MCRC" link). DM Contact is former Colonel Scott Hines at: 228-5060, or 335fw.cit@dm.af.mil. The 2006 MC3 report & recommendations can also be found on this website.

DM public affairs phone numbers to call if you have a concern/complaint are: 228-3204 (days), 228-5091 (after hours).  You can also call the City of Tucson Information Line at 792-2489.

Carolyn Classen, SHNA Secretary and former Chair of the Zoning Committee has been appointed to be the board’s representative to the MCRC, with President John O’Dowd as the alternate.

Questions: call Carolyn at 327-7609, pololu@hotmail.com , or John at 882-8222, JSO-office@flash.net. MCRC.  Meetings are open to the public, so please attend to voice your concerns at the Call to the Audience, or to your SHNA representatives.

PINES FLOAT OVER THE UA CAMPUS MALL 

By Frank Soltys

Four large Aleppo Pines literally floated over the UA Mall on Saturday, May 5 of 2007. The move - to make room for the new intercollegiate athletics (ICA) basketball/volleyball practice facility now under construction - is said to be the second-largest tree removal by size of trees in U.S. history.

The trees once graced a front yard or yards in the 700 block of North Martin Avenue before the University expanded East to Campbell Ave. in the 1960s. The trees weighed about 90,000 pounds each in 13-foot square containers, 5 1/2 feet deep, and Civano Nursery conducted the daylong move.

Thanks to involvement by your neighborhood association, ICA, and the UA Campus Arboretum, the landmark pines were only moved about a dozen yards to preserve their historic and landscape properties and to form an entry plaza to the UA ICA offices. Updated project information can be found at: http://www.fdc.Arizona.edu. If all goes as planned, the trees will continue to provide shade for band practice and other activities and construction is scheduled to be completed by August 2008. There are more than 500 individual tree species on the UA campus, many of them the largest of their kind in Arizona. To check out these and other beautiful and unique plant specimens, go to the Arboretum web site: http://arboretum.arizona.edu for maps and more information.

Reorganization of Sam Hughes Cares for Seniors Program... Read the whole story!

Transit reimbursement for Sam Hughes Cares for Seniors project
by Carolyn Classen

Since January 2007, Pima Council on Aging (through the Regional Transportation Authority plan passed by voters in May, 2006) has been reimbursing Neighbors Care Alliance volunteers for mileage at 48.5 cents per mile.  Mileage reimbursement has increased to 50.5 cents a mile in January 2008.  These are volunteers helping transport seniors to medical/dental appointments and other errands, including picking up food boxes.  Our Sam Hughes Cares for Seniors project has been providing such services and others (grocery shopping, light housekeeping, dog walking) to Seniors in our neighborhood since November 1, 2006.

If you would like to receive services please call 561-0113.  Any questions about the SHCFS program can be directed to SHNA board member & Interim Program Coordinator Carolyn Classen at 327-7609, or volunteer Edward Schevill at 326-6690.  More info here.