Bear Essential News July 2019, Phoenix Edition by Bear Essential News

40 YEARS!

Bear

essential news

July 2018 2019 • Phoenix Edition • www.bearessentialnews.com November

To the MOON! Celebrating 50 Years

In This Picture: Find a popsicle, a sun hat, a racquet, a bag of popcorn, a slice of pizza, a pair of sunglasses, the sun, a bottle of water, NASA and the word HOT!

FEATURE

NEWS

FAMILIES

CONTEST

Moon L andin g at 50

US W ins World Cup!

Titanic Exhibit

Spacefest

Enter to W in !

Celebrating an historical step pages 8, 9 & 10

Spotlight on meeting Buzz Aldrin News Highlights page 3

& more news kids can use Scoops pages 5, 11, 13 & 14

Science & Astronomy Back Cover

Detective Pikachu Page 4

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July 2019

Ready for a Cool Indoor Adventure? Explore the Wildlife World Aquarium!

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Enjoy four aquarium buildings: The Diversity 75 76 74 of Life in Water, The Wild and Wonderful, START Predators and River Monsters as you wander through more than 80 exhibits.

Connect the dots to ﬁnd the turtle.

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Zoo

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Safari Park

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Dragon World

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Adventure Land

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Aquarium

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Mining Experience

Black Jaguar Cub Takes the Spotlight! After making international headlines, Sara the jaguar is back in the spotlight! Sara gave birth to a healthy cub earlier this month, and Wildlife World’s newest member shares in Sara’s same beautiful black melanistic coloration. When Sara first made headlines, she was into her second trimester. Thereafter, Wildlife World’s animal care team decided to move Sara off exhibit, where her and her unborn cub’s health, comfort and well-being could be better monitored by staff. Sara’s cub is receiving around-the-clock care by Wildlife World’s hand raising team and veterinarians. The youngster enjoys bottles of formula several times a day and will soon transition to having meat in her diet. Sara will continue to spend 15 hours a day in her two-story habitat at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park and will return to full time once modifications are complete. The exhibit’s climbing wall, perches, waterfall, pool and foliage were constructed specifically to duplicate the natural habitat for jaguars. The exhibit features an enclosed ledge that allows the cats to climb up and over zoo visitors, giving guests and animals a truly unique view of each other! Jaguars have an extensive range throughout

For more information: 623-935-WILD (9453) or visit us on facebook, Instagram or Twitter @zoowildlife, and wildlifeworld.com

n 8 acre additio . ark to our Safari P ! s u in Come jo

Central and South America and were once found throughout the Southwest, including Arizona. Male jaguars can reach up to about 200 pounds and are known to have the strongest bite of any feline species. Their stocky build allows them to climb with ease in their preferred rainforest habitat to stalk and ambush prey. While most jaguars are yellow with black spots, a sizable fraction of the population is black with black spots (melanistic). Similar to many large predators across the globe, jaguars face an uncertain future due to poaching and deforestation resulting in habitat loss and fragmentation. Many are killed as a result of increasing human-animal conﬂicts over space and resources. Wildlife World’s keepers and veterinarians have raised dozens of species of wild and endangered animals over the past 34 years, maximizing genetic diversity in the zoological population with their breeding programs. With more than 600 species and 6,000 animals on display, there are always new arrivals at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park. Other babies you can see include warthogs, black-backed jackals, colobus monkey, spider monkey, young capybara and several hoofed animals like baby goats in the petting zoo and other youngsters throughout the 100-acre park. Last month, Wildlife World was honored to be named “the Best Zoo in Arizona” by Reader’s Digest Magazine.

Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park is located at 16501 W. Northern Ave., Litchﬁeld Park, AZ (SE corner of State Route 303 and Northern Ave.) We’re open seven days a week, 365 days a year, including all holidays. Zoo exhibits are open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (last zoo admission is at 4:30 p.m.) Aquarium exhibits are open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Daytime admission includes access to the zoo, aquarium and safari park.

e l i m S

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News Highlights

From the Archives!

US Women Win 2nd Straight World Cup

STADE DE LYON, France—Some of the press, soccer weaved through defenders and kicked a powerful fans and even their competition called them arrogant, left-footed goal. The U.S. team ended up winning the provocative and unapologetic, but the U.S. Women’s World Cup 2-0. National Team captured the glory it was after by winThis World Cup win is one for the record books. ning the FIFA World Cup for a second straight time on This is their fourth World Cup, more than any other July 7. country. This team Playing for the also scored 26 championship, the goals this World U.S. women faced Cup, more than a young and tough any women’s team Netherlands team, has since its start which had made in 1991. And this it to a World Cup is only the second finals and is the time a country has reigning European won back-to-back champ. The World World Cups, GerCup is held every many being the four years and is other in 2003-07. a huge draw for “We are such a soccer fans. A dozproud and strong en to two dozen and defiant group qualifying national of women. We've photo courtesy of Fox teams compete done exactly what U.S. Women’s Team players show off their World Cup trophy! in the month-long we've set out to tourney. do, what we wanted to do,” Rapinoe said after the win. Going into the championship, the United States Her six goals and three assists over the month earned had never trailed any of its opponents throughout the her the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball MVP award. World Cup and had scored 24 goals. The team likes to The success of the women’s team compared to the score fast, putting a lot of pressure on the other team. U.S. men’s team has put focus on the subject of equal But the Netherlands played tough defense, and the pay and accommodation. The women’s team is suing teams were scoreless at the half. But at 61 minutes, the U.S. Soccer Federation and is beginning mediaU.S. player Alex Morgan was high-kicked, and her tion to resolve the issues. teammate Megan Rapinoe made the penalty kick for On July 10, the women’s team was honored with a the lead. Seven minutes later, teammate Rose Lavelle rowdy ticker tape parade in New York City.

2,700-mile Arctic Fox Trot Wows Scientists! started her incredible journey, crossing sea ice and continents. Over four months, the arctic fox trotted 2,737 miles, all the way to Canada’s Ellesmere Island, averaging 29 miles a day. Her longest travel day was 96 miles across the sea ice of Greenland! Arctic foxes are known to travel vast distances, but this one did it in such a short time! Researchers from the Polar Institute think she may have left home because of scarce food there and to find better breeding grounds. Unfortunately, scientists lost the signal when the fox reached Canada and haven’t been able to locate her.

photo courtesy of Elise Stroemseng

A young arctic fox that was fitted with a GPS collar amazed scientists by trotting from Norway all the way to an island in Canada! Arctic foxes are small, with the largest ones standing a foot high at the shoulder. Adults can weigh from 3 pounds for a small female up to 21 pounds for a large male. But they are hardy mammals, using their thick fur and long, fluffy tail to help them withstand freezing temperatures down to -58°F. Their habitat is often treeless and extremely cold. These predators rely on their keen hearing and sense of smell to pounce on prey beneath the snow. They also are bold enough to follow polar bears in hopes of feeding on their scraps. Scientists from the Polar Institute fitted the female pup back in July 2017 near her den by a glacier on Norway’s Spitsbergen island. For months she stayed close to home, but on March 26, 2018, the young fox

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Aldrin Gives Kids the Buzz on Space! Originally printed in June 1996

by Valarie Potell & Erin Machac Desert Valley Elementary Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, recently met with Arizona schoolchildren at Phoenix Symphony Hall. His presentation was sponsored by the Arizona Science Center. Aldrin, who inspired the character Buzz Lightyear in the movie “Toy Story,” began an interest in space at age 3. His mother’s maiden name, Moon, also encouraged him.

Aldrin graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at age 21. One year later, he completed pilot training and flew 66 combat missions in Korea, shooting down two enemy aircraft. In 1963, at age 33, he received his doctorate degree in astronautics. In 1966, Aldrin flew the Gemini 12 spaceflight with Jim Lovell. During his flight, he conducted a spacewalk for 5 ½ hours! Three years later, he was on an expedition with Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins on the Apollo 11 moon mission. Aldrin said of walking on the moon, “it was radical!” He said he wished he had a room in his house where he could just go in and float around. To train for the moon mission, he mostly had to train in what to do if something went wrong. When asked if he was envious of Neil Armstrong for being the first man on the moon, Aldrin replied, “somebody has to go first.” He explained that it would be awkward if the commander did not go first and said that the decision was made months before the mission blasted off. In more recent times, Aldrin has been in charge of a space program for children. He is also the co-director of an upcoming TV series called “The Cape.” As you can see, Aldrin has accomplished much in his life. Adviser: Cheryl Machac

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See Titanic Artifacts at OdySea by Reporter Aiden Molony Homeschool

Right now at OdySea in the Desert in Scottsdale, kids have a once in a lifetime chance to see real artifacts from the famous, unsinkable ship of 1912. The Titanic was the largest ship in the world at that time. One terrible night, the unthinkable happened and the ship sunk to the bottom of the ocean. When you see Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, you will be amazed. When you first walk in, you will be handed a ticket to board with the name of a real passenger. At the end of the exhibit, a list of survivors will either confirm your passenger’s rescue or ultimate despair. The suspense is part of the experience. A recreation of one of the luxury cabins on the Titanic Tickets are about $25. You can buy them online at www.titanicaz.com or in person and models of the ship from early construction to at the door. Plan to be there for an hour. completion, as well as a model of what it looks like Kids ages 10 and up will appreciate the exhibit, and now, underwater. get through it comfortably. But kids who are younger There are replicas of a first and second-class or struggle with reading might need an audio tour to cabin, a boiler room, and an interactive lifeboat assist them. You will want to make sure to read all the stories on the display because they help bring the activity. The best part of the exhibit that you won’t want to emotions of this event to life. miss is feeling the example iceberg near the end of Some of the artifacts that have been collected the exhibit. See just how long you can hold your hand from deep beneath the sea include fine china from on it before you have to let go and warm up! the ship’s restaurant, silverware, articles of clothing,

Woodbury Fire Is Burning Its Way into AZ History by Reporter Devon Ristuccia, Fountain Hills Charter School The wildfires have been numerous and extreme in Arizona this summer. Some of the main fires were the Coldwater, Woodbury, Hoyle, Badger Springs and Mountain Fires. The most widespread fire is the Woodbury Fire, which is burning in the Superstition Wilderness area of the Tonto National Forest east of Phoenix. The Woodbury Fire is the fifth largest fire in Arizona history. The Woodbury Fire started on June 8 and, as of July 2, has burnt over 123,000 acres and is still

burning with about 80% containment. The fire is believed to be human-caused, possibly from a campfire that was not properly put out, but the cause is still under investigation. Over 900 firefighters, hotshot fire crews and personnel were tasked to contain the fire. The hot temperatures and strong, unpredictable winds made the fire spread quickly. The remote wilderness area made it even more difficult to get the fire under control. The Superstition Wilderness area is steep, rugged land that has areas that are inaccessible by vehicle, so it made getting ground crews there difficult and dangerous. The record amount of rain this past winter enabled more grass to grow, which gave the fire more fuel to spread and burn the desert landscape. The fire has burnt thousands of acres of pristine wilderness areas and hiking trails. Firefighters are using techniques such as back burning to box the fire in to protect historical sites, ranches, structures, and populated areas. MORE WOODBURY, page 13 ➧

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News Stories Written by Kids— for Kids Apollo 11 Celebrated at 50th Anniversary Gala by Reporter Brett Eymann Transitions Delta Center This summer will be full of space themed events as our nation celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. The celebration commemorates history being made on July 20, 1969, when American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to step on the moon. A week prior to this, Aldrin, 89, will host the Official Apollo XI 5oth Anniversary Gala at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library’s Air Force One Pavilion in Simi Valley, CA. Aldrin was the second man to stand on the moon. He stood on the moon’s surface 19 minutes after Armstrong. Armstrong passed away in 2012. Joining Aldrin at the black-tie/whitespacesuit event will be Apollo astronauts Walt Cunningham, Charlie Duke and Dave Scott. There will be several other astronauts and celebrities. Guests at the gala will be treated to a dinner underneath the retired Air Force One. This aircraft served seven presidents and the Apollo XI crew toured around the world on Air Force One when they returned from the moon. A limited amount of tickets are still available for the gala. Visit www.buzzaldrin.com for more information. MORE SCOOPS, page 11 ➧

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Let’s Go... VALLEY METRO! July 1969: Man On the Moon—Air Conditioned City Buses a Must! July 2019 marks 50 years since we ﬁrst set foot on the moon, yes the one that shines bright in the evening sky. Here in the Phoenix area, people were stepping aboard modern air-conditioned buses. In 1969, like today, people were looking for affordable transportation to travel through the city to school & work and more. At the time, American Transit Corporation, a private transit bus company owned and operated the public

Did you know…? The Moon is about 238,855 miles from Earth, and it would take a bus about 130 days to travel that distance. Valley Metro only takes you on trips around the Valley but you can aim for the Moon!

Transit Education Does Not Take a Summer Break Do some summertime traveling on Valley Metro! Valley Metro’s School Outreach Program makes learning fun. We provide the knowledge to learn about your transit system. We offer free classroom presentations and assistance for trip planning on Valley Metro bus and light rail. Preschool and elementary groups can get a free Group Field Trip pass to ride Valley Metro. For more information, visit valleymetro.org/transit_education.

A 1960’s “Modern” GMC air-conditioned transit bus, one of the ﬁrst in our desert city. transit system called Phoenix Transit System (PTS). They wanted to make transit buses more attractive for people to use, more enviA 2019 New Flyer transit bus is 40 ft. long and runs on compressed natural gas ronmentally friendly, and to keep up with improving bus technology. (CNG). It is air-conditioned with the best technology for our desert heat. Air-conditioned buses in Valley were somewhat of a new thing, although other transit systems around the country had air-conditioned buses in their ﬂeets. Many people thought a city bus could never be air-conditioned because the doors were opening and closing all the time. In 1969, PTS operated just over 100 city buses but, not all of them were air-conditioned. Once transit riders in our desert city experienced air-conditioned buses, they let the For more information bus company know they were a must-have. There have been many changes to our transit system over the past 50 years. Today with about 900 buses, all are air-conditioned so passengers can travel the entire 523 square miles of bus service in cool refreshing enjoyment! That includes the 28 miles of light rail service, which helps people get around town in cool comfort too!

602.253.5000 valleymetro.org

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To The Moon!Years

elebrating

magine surviving as a fighter pilot and you’ve already orbited the planet. Now you’re in a 180-lb. spacesuit and getting sealed into the cramped command module atop a 363-foot-tall rocket for the most important NASA mission ever!

Fifty years ago, the United States faced an uncertain and at times a frightening future. Locked in the Cold War with the Soviet Union, the U.S. had fallen behind in the Space Race. But the Apollo 11 mission, watched by millions worldwide, was a giant leap forward for us. It’s time to celebrate the 50th year of our ﬁrst steps on the moon!

The Space Race… Sending humans into space is a daunting challenge. It takes strong, Collins Arm uts na tro As 11 ollo Ap imagination, innovation, and Aldrin determination, teamwork and don’t forget money—a whole lot of it! Tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union remained high in the 1960s, with each country trying to gain the upper hand. So shows of superior technology were important. The Soviets had sent the ﬁrst satellite, Sputnik 1, into space on Oct. 4, 1957, and Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the ﬁrst person to orbit the Earth on April 12, 1961. The following month, President John F. Kennedy unveiled a big, seemingly impossible plan, one that would top the Soviets. “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth,” he proposed to a joint session of Congress. “We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard!”

Why the Moon? For thousands of years, people have gazed at, made stories about and studied the moon. Its phases affect Earth, and the Earth affects the moon, points out Dr. Tim Swindle, director of the University of Arizona’s highly respected Lunar and Planetary Lab. Dr. Swindle grew up following NASA. He remembers his principal interrupting his kindergarten classroom to announce that Alan Shepard had become the ﬁrst American in space. “All through the 1960s, I knew who all the astronauts were and followed the Mercury, Gemini and the Apollo missions,” he shares. In grad school, he jumped at the chance to analyze samples the astronauts had brought back from the moon! “That’s what I ended up spending a lot of my career doing—analyzing samples from the moon and meteorites. The Apollo Program set me up for that. One of the things that has always appealed to me about studying extraterrestrial material is the chance to hold a piece of the moon or Mars or an asteroid,” he says.

The Mission In January 1969, NASA announced that three astronauts would go up in Apollo 11—commander Neil Armstrong from Ohio, lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin from New Jersey, and command module pilot Michael Collins, born in Rome, Italy. Their target was to land on the moon some 239,000 miles The Eagle has lande d! away! On July 15, the three were sealed into the command module atop a super powerful Saturn V rocket at around 11 p.m. The countdown went surprisingly smoothly, and at 9:32 the next morning, Apollo 11 roared toward space from Pad A of Launch Complex 39 at the Kennedy Space Center with about a million spectators nearby to experience liftoff. Millions more watched on TV. For the astronauts and the thousands of team members behind

July 2019

them, “I understand why people want to explore—there’s an excitement about going someplace where people have never been before,” Dr. Swindle points out. “I also understand why people want to see people exploring. I think it’s part of human nature.” The command module/service module, Columbia, and lunar module, Eagle, traveled three days before they began orbiting the moon. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin climbed into the lunar module and separated from the command module, leaving Collins orbiting in Columbia as the Eagle descended toward its landing spot in the Sea of Tranquility. With TV cameras on board, over 53 million U.S. households and more than 530 million worldwide watched. “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed,” Armstrong announced. It was a very soft landing, but with help from Aldrin, Armstrong had to do some of the flying manually after the onboard computer ran into data trouble. It took the astronauts several hours to get ready for their moonwalk—which would be the first time that a human had set foot on another celestial body. But at 10:56 p.m., Armstrong climbed down the ladder. “That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind,” Armstrong famously says before stepping onto the moon! Armstrong also guided Aldrin down the ladder. Together they explored the surface, took breathtaking still photos and TV footage, planted the American flag, and collected almost 50 pounds of moon rocks and soil samples.

Big Benefits! Not only did Apollo 11 win the Space Race, the rocks and soil samples the crew collected are still being studied. The Earth and moon share their start about 4 1/2 billion years ago, and Dr. Swindle has used moon rocks to try and date lunar events and to even study particles from the sun. “Scientiﬁcally it’s been a treasure trove because the moon has not had running water or plate tectonics and things like that (which break down rocks here on Earth). The rocks preserved are much older,” he explains. Perhaps even more beneﬁcial to us are innovations to computer technology from Apollo 11, something that people might miss, he points out. Computers were massive in the How BIG is Saturn V? 1960s, but the command and lunar modules needed onboard computers, which A scale required something much model of smaller. To shrink things, the Saturn V rocket NASA looked to new (and expensive) integrated circuits. These electronics enabled much smaller yet powerful essentials like home and notebook computers, tablets, and smart phones and watches! 305.1 feet tall 363 feet tall

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To The Moon!Years

elebrating

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To The Moon! ars e Y g n i t a r 0 b e l 5 Ce

A Brief History of Rockets & Spaceflight! Did you know that the history of spaceflight can be traced all of the way back to the IIth century? The Chinese combined sulfur, charcoal and saltpeter to make gunpowder for fuel in rockets for warfare. Over the next 800 years, scientists began experimenting with metal and different types of fuel while also looking upwards toward the sky. In the 1920s, Robert Goddard, sometimes known as the “Father of Modern Rocketry,” made significant strides in spaceflight. In 1926, he launched the first successful liquid-fueled rocket. Three years later, he launched another rocket carrying the first set of scientific tools, a barometer and a camera. However, it was Oct. 4, 1957, that marked the start of the space age in the United States. The Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik 1, which was the world’s first artificial satellite. The 183.9-pound satellite brought on a flurry of political, military and scientific developments. Following lots of continued pressure from the Soviet Union, the United States responded on Oct. 1, 1958, with the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It was built on the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and other government organizations to further several objectives, including “the expansion of human knowledge of phenomena in the atmosphere and space.” Four years later, in May 1961, President John F. Kennedy stood before Congress and announced his goal that “this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.” It was a lofty and ambitious goal and many people worried it couldn’t be done. But that didn’t stop the scientists at NASA. In 1962, John Glenn made the first U.S. manned orbital flight. In 1965, Ed White became the first American to walk in space. And on July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 crew landed on the Moon, fulfilling President Kennedy’s promise when they successfully returned home to Earth. Over the next 60 years, NASA continued to push boundaries and dramatically changed our understanding of the universe in which we live. NASA has completed reconnaissance of our solar system, employed the Hubble Space Telescope, sent 149 people to the International Space Station, and explored Mars—a planet that is, on average, 140 million miles from Earth!

Blue Origin. SpaceX. Virgin Galactic. NASA has made a lot of headlines in the last 60 years, but private companies have also been making headlines in the last few years and are expected to continue doing so. With the competition between private companies, some people see the dawn of a new space race. In January 2016, Blue Origin, founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, became the first to re-launch and re-land a previously used rocket. In February 2018, the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launched the SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk’s Tesla into orbit around the sun. Just last month, NASA announced that the International Space Station will open for tourist visitors and private astronauts starting in 2020—with a hefty price tag of $35,000 per night to stay there, plus the nearly $60 million cost of the trip to reach the space station. So what does it mean for space travel with private companies getting into the new space race? Many have expressed hope that private companies will focus on short-range missions, like returning to the moon, while NASA can focus on ambitious, longer-term projects that are not Buzz Aldrin’s moonwalk likely to be immediately profitable. One thing is certain: only time will tell where the newest space race will take us!

Fabulously Fun Space Facts! Moon Trivia Twelve men have walked on the moon. Neil Armstrong was the ﬁrst in 1969 on the Apollo 11 mission. The last man to walk on the moon was Gene Cernan in 1972 on the Apollo 17 mission. Project A119 was a top-secret plan developed by the U.S. Air Force in 1958. It was going to detonate a nuclear bomb on the moon. The project was never carried out and was revealed in 2000 by a NASA executive, Leonard Reiffel, who was the leader of the project in 1958. Carl Sagan was also part of the team. ,000 lbs.— tal weight was 36 to s e’ ul od m r The luna ird school bus eight as a Blueb w e m sa e th t abou students! fully loaded with

Apollo 11 astronauts had a variety of 70 different dehydrated food items to eat in space. The ﬁrst meal eaten on the moon was peaches, bacon, sugar cookie cubes, juice and coffee.

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Continued from page 6

Meet Artist Behind Colorful Designs by Reporter Athena O’Brien, Cocopah Middle School Have you ever walked into As You Wish Pottery and spent way too long staring at the amazing samples? Have you ever modeled your art after one? Have you ever wondered who paints these amazing samples? Lulu Villanueva is the person behind the remarkable and breathtaking artwork exhibited in As You Wish Pottery. On the day we met, Villanueva was dressed in bright colors and smiling warmly. She is full of energy and happiest when she is messy and painting. Villanueva is the Custom Artist at As You Wish Pottery. She says that one of her favorite things to do is paint. She paints for all of As You Wish Pottery’s 10 stores. Before Villanueva was a custom artist, she drew storyboards and did comics and animations. She says she wanted to become an artist because “When I was little, I grew up with a lisp, and it was really, really nerveracking for me to talk to people… so I started illustrating how I was feeling

MORE ARTIST, page 13 ➧

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The Girl Scout Difference At Girl Scouts, girls practice important life skills and develop the confidence they need to create their own success—whatever that looks like to them. They receive support and mentorship from our inclusive network of girls and women who champion every girl’s potential to do amazing things. Find a GS Information Event Near You Information Events are a great way to connect with the Girl Scout community for the first time during the back to school season. From a simple meet and greet or troop match up, to ice cream socials and activities

to earn the first badge – we host all types of events for girls and their families to try Girl Scouting. At a GS Information Event you can: • Meet Girl Scout staff and volunteers. Register your daughter, become a volunteer, or both! • Get membership questions answered. • Connect with other Girl Scout members in your neighborhood and register on-site.

Find an upcoming information event near you at

girlscoutsaz.org/info-events

Research shows that girls learn best in an all-girl environment where they practice different skills, explore their potential, and take on leadership positions. At Girl Scouts, they’ll always feel encouraged to get up and try again. As a Girl Scout, your girl will participate in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience—a proven, one-of-a-kind leadership development program (the largest in the world!) where she will: • Engage in healthy activities

• Find her entrepreneurial spirit and learn financial literacy • Explore the great outdoors

• Take part in hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skill building

• Connect with girls around the world

• Carry out community service projects • Take the lead in her life and in the world

• Earn badges and pursue the Girl Scout Gold Award • Discover her future potential

Every step of the way, she’ll lead her experience and learn by doing in a collaborative environment created by and for every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader™). With the support of her peers and caring adults, she’ll have so many opportunities to jump in and make amazing things happen!

Join Girl Scouts today! Visit www.girlscoutsaz.org/join, Text joinGS to 31996, email join@girlscoutsaz.org, or call 602-452-7040.

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and using my own life as a way to doodle and draw cartoons.” Villanueva used art as a way to boost her confidence, and she used her original job as a studio manager at As You Wish Pottery as an opportunity to learn about pottery. She says her favorite thing about her job is getting to help people paint things that they can be proud of. It takes Villanueva one to two hours to create a piece. Her inspiration comes from the other custom artists and previous projects, as well as hours of scrolling on Pinterest and other photo sites to gain inspiration. When she has trouble coming up with an idea, she paints. Villanueva paints even if she doesn’t feel like it and often comes up with something fun. She says that she loves getting messy with her paint and will never get bored painting. Recently, Villanueva was painting

180 pieces for summer camps! She especially loves the color combinations and pottery pieces that Halloween brings, but her favorite piece is a large plate with blue flowers and the words, “Live with Passion” painted in old fashioned lettering. So, the next time you walk into As You Wish, you can thank Villanueva for her inspirational artwork!

More Woodbury Continued from page 5 The fire has burned areas that are important to wildlife, like deer, javelina, coyote, bobcats, foxes, bighorn sheep, black bears, squirrels, owls, snakes, lizards, rabbits and more. According to Amy Burnett, information and education program manager for the Arizona Game & Fish Department, much of the fire is burning in a mosaic pattern—rather than a straight fire—and is burning slow enough for some animals to escape. Some reptiles, amphibians, rodents and rabbits might have been able to survive by going into underground burrows until the fire passed. (Burnett was quoted in a June 26, 2019 article “Rabbits, bears and bobcats: How has the Woodbury Fire affected Arizona wildlife habitat?” published on azcentral.com.) Fire crews were able to protect and save the Reavis Ranch area, including a critical habitat for the federally protected Mexican spotted owls. The Reavis Ranch area is also home to an apple orchard that was planted in the 1800s by Elisha Reavis, known as “The Hermit of the Superstition Mountains.” The famous ancient Medusa Mother Tree (an alligator juniper that is estimated to be between 600–1,000 years old) was also saved. We are very thankful to the numerous firefighters who battled the Woodbury and other fires. MORE SCOOPS, page 14 ➧

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Pillows Give Young Patients Comfort by Reporter Melanie Maravilla Arizona Desert Elementary When you don’t feel well, is your pillow sometimes your best friend? Preston was 9 months old when he got sick. He was in the in the hospital with Croup. After many breathing treatments and being sent home, he returned to the hospital. Pillows that were made for Preston when he was born were taken to the hospital to help reposition him as he got well. The nurses liked them. I met Preston when he was 5. He is now 6 years old and still doing amazing things with pillows for sick kids. “I thought my story was like Flash,” says Preston. He thought he had been struck by lightning and that’s why he was in the hospital. The Flash is Preston’s favorite superhero. Pillows from Preston is a non-profit charity to help sick kids. It was established to help provide comfort to infants, toddlers, and children who are

hospitalized. Hospital staff can use a pillow instead of sheets and towels to position a child in bed and something soft to snuggle on. Every stitch is a kiss and every ounce of fluff is a hug for your child as they recover from an illness or injury. Preston says he is “never going to stop giving pillows.” Pillows go to sick kids, hospitals and even to kids outside of Arizona. One pillow went to England. They have given around 6,000 pillows to sick kids. The goal for the charity is to help kids feel better. One of Preston’s memories includes “Papa Grassy.” Preston gave him a pillow when he got sick and told him it was full of magic. For more information, look for Pillows from Preston on Facebook.

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