Foothills News 04/19/2023

www.tucsonlocalmedia.com

INSIDE INSIDE

JA honors Foothills teen for her nonprofit

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Tucson Local Media Staff

TNonprofit opens a construction trades center | Page 8 Everything is fresh at the new Pasta Shop | Page 10 Homeless young adults get a boost with free hair services | Page 13

een Lily Messing is passionate about her peers and the work they can do to make the world a better place.

Messing is the founder of 100+ Teens Who Care, a giving circle made up of high school students dedicated to making changes in their community.

In its first year, the group gained 220 members and donated more than $30,000 to local nonprofits. She has expanded to 20 other chapters in cities around the world.

“I’m super passionate about the idea that you don’t have to be an adult to make a difference,” said Messing, a 17-year-old junior at The Gregory School. “That’s the thing we try to spread in our chapters. We donate to all local nonprofits. Those are two factors that I feel are important.”

Messing is among the 2023 18 under 18 winners, as chosen by Junior Achievement of Arizona. Like Messing, the other winners have started businesses and nonprofits, broken glass ceilings, volunteered, or advocated for a cause.

“Each year, we’re amazed by the next class of students,” said Katherine Cecala, chief executive officer of Junior Achievement of Arizona. “They advocate for causes, start nonprofits to help others in our community, work with their schools to bring new ideas and programs to their schools, care about the environment, or advocate for causes. They all have bright futures, and we’re honored to know them.”

Messing founded her nonprofit during the COVID-19 pandemic, in light of the crises around the world and online

See TEEN Page 2

BASIS Tucson North educators unionize

BY TUCSON LOCAL MEDIA

Educators at BASIS Tucson North Charter School voted by a 34-17 margin to unionize in a National Labor Relations Board election held April 12 on the school’s campus.

BASIS Tucson North is the first charter school in Arizona to unionize, according to a statement. The teachers at BASIS Tucson North will be represented by the AFTAZACTS; they join the nearly 12% of other

charter schools in this country that have unionized. The AFT represents more than 240 charter schools in 15 states and the District of Columbia.

“It’s high time for Arizona charter schools to stop manipulating the rightto-work laws and taking advantage of our teachers, parents and students. BASIS should be ashamed of their treatment of their teachers and eagerly welcome negotiating rights for their staff.

Si se puede,” said Ralph Quintana, AFTAZACTS president.

BASIS Tucson North educators will move to bargain a first contract with the school’s administration to ensure additional accountability, administrative transparency, and more resources and time to effectively identify and address student needs.

“As a BASIS alumni and second-gen-

See BASIS Page 2

Lily Messing founded 100+ Teens Who Care. (Lily Messing/Submitted)

TEEN from Page 1 schooling. She was inspired by her mother, grandmother and aunt, all of whom are members of the international organization 100+ Women Who Care Tucson. Desha Bymers-Davis, the founder of 100+ Women Who Care Tucson, served as Messing’s mentor in the creation of her nonprofit.

“We couldn’t see our friends, and that community and camaraderie was lost,” she said.

“I wanted to create an opportunity to reform these friendships and give teens a meaningful opportunity to give back to the community. Teens wanted a chance to impact their situation but weren’t given the coordination to do so.”

The first meeting was November 2021. Members of 100+ Teens Who Care meet four times a year and are asked to donate $25 per quarter. As a group, they decide which nonprofit will receive the collected funds. Scholarships are available for students who cannot afford to make a donation.

BASIS from Page 1

eration BASIS teacher, I am so proud to be a part of this community of teachers,” said Justine Sleator, eighth grade algebra teacher.

“Our union will allow us to reprioritize

For the first hour, they hear about nonprofits, and the second hour is dedicated to socializing.

“That’s one of my favorite parts of the meeting,” she said. “That’s something I really love. I wanted this to be an opportunity for teens. We have food and drinks. We had a DJ, but she graduated, unfortunately. It’s a really great opportunity to really impact the local community and have fun.

“I like to say we put the ‘fun’ back in fundraising. A lot of people think doing good and having fun are not mutually exclusive.”

Now there are 20 chapters around the world, including Islamabad, Pakistan. She shared the mission merely through “cold emailing” giving circle leaders, schools, nonprofits and community organizations.

“I’m really just looking for teens who are passionate about their community and making a meaningful difference in their area. Luckily, I found some,” she said.

“Islamabad, Pakistan, is the one I’m most proud of. It was an interesting chal-

the needs of our students. We will be able to protect new teachers from burnout and retain high-quality educators, as BASIS has been known for.”

Duncan Hasman, eighth to 10th grade Spanish teacher, said, “Teachers and teach

NURSE

lenge. We pay $25 quarterly, which isn’t a lot for us, but it is for a developing nation. We had to adapt the giving circle model there. They donate what they can, and we supplement for the different community service projects.”

Messing has traveled to a variety of chapters and is proud that each puts its own spin on it. For example, Florida teens perform monthly beach cleanups. Others host canned food drives.

At The Gregory School, Messing is the captain of the varsity tennis team, the French club co-president, and president of the Junior State of America and the president of Junior Classical League. She serves as the managing editor of her school newspaper, The Gregorian Chant.

She is the daughter of Andrew and Claudine Messing and sister to Drew Messing, 19.

“I definitely want this to be an opportunity for kids to make a difference for years to come,” she said about 100+ Teens Who Care.

“I want this to be a long-term thing.”

ing fellows at BASIS Tucson North are demanding their needs and students’ educations be prioritized. The entirety of the organizing committee and I are so proud

Foothills News

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HOURS

8:30 a.m.–3 p.m.

Drop off 8–8:30 a.m.

Aftercare available 3–5 p.m.

PRICES (per week)

$250 Members

$275 Nonmembers

$40 Aftercare

More information available online at: tucsonmuseumofart.org/summer-art-camp

Alice Chaiten Baker Center for Art Education 166 W. Alameda, Tucson, AZ 85701

education@tucsonmuseumofart.org

TucsonMuseumofArt.org / 520-624-2333

Hot Picks

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Tucson Local Media Staff

ARTS

African American Museum of Southern Arizona ONGOING

The African American Museum of Southern Arizona has opened its doors at the UA. Co-founded by Beverly and Bob Elliott, the museum presents a cultural and educational experience through items of significance and intentional storytelling to preserve African American and Black life, culture and history in Southern Arizona to benefit the community. Admission is free to the museum in room 244 of the Student Union Memorial Center. Until regular hours are established, interested visitors can schedule an appointment by emailing aamuseumofsouthernaz@gmail.com.

African American Museum of Southern Arizona, 4511 N. Campbell Avenue, Suite 255-2, Tucson, free, by appointment only, aamsaz.org

Juried Student Art Exhibit TO MAY 5

The Spring 2023 Annual Juried Student Award Art Exhibition, hosted by the Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery, brings together the best student artwork for the summer, fall and spring semesters from any student taught at the five campuses at Pima Community College. The 237 entries were received from 104 students, and 77 entries were accepted by the jurors for this exhibition. This year, the Bernal Gallery has Tucson Art Museum staff as jurors who choose the students and award winners. The jurors were Dr. Julie Sasse, chief curator of modern and contemporary art,

Tucson Museum of Art (TMA); Olivia Miller, interim director and curator, University of Arizona Museum of Art (UAMA); and Harrison Orr, education director, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA-Tucson). The reception is 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 20; award ceremony at 4 p.m.

Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery, Center for the Arts -West Campus, 2202 W. Anklam Road, free, various times, 520-2066942, pima.edu/cfa-gallery

“Woman-Ochre” TO MAY 20

Willem de Koonig’s “Woman-Ochre” was stolen in 1985 from the University of Arizona Museum of Art. It’s returned home and on display through May. Tickets for “Restored: The Return of Woman-Ochre” are $8 general admission; $6 seniors 65-plus and groups of 10 or more; and free for students with ID, museum members, UA faculty, staff, military personnel, AAM members, visitors with a SNAP card or Tribal ID, and children.

The University of Arizona Museum

of Art, 1031 N. Olive Road, Tucson, various pricing, artmuseum.arizona.edu

Linda McCartney Retrospective TO AUGUST 4

The North American premiere of the Linda McCartney Retrospective comes to the University of Arizona Center for Creative Photography, now through Friday, Aug. 4. Spanning McCartney’s entire career from 1965 to 1997, this exhibition features 176 photographs and archival materials, including Polaroid images and presents three sections such as family life, photographic experimentation and artists. The exhibit will recur weekly from Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The exhibition will also feature various community events inspired by the collection.

Center for Creative Photography 1030 N. Olive Road, Tucson, various times and pricing, ccp.arizona.edu

See HOT PICKS Page 5

Mini Time Museum: Steve Farley’s “Dowdytown” TO AUG. 20

Pandemic isolation inspired artist, graphic designer and former Arizona State Sen. Steve Farley explores childhood memories through a series of miniatures. They’re artifacts of his Ontario, California home, but their resonance with childhood reveries is universal. Farley’s youth included a fondness for building miniature models. As an adult, he’s an artist and graphic designer renowned for public murals. He found that creating these tiny structures helped to ground him in the social and emotional upheaval that accompanied our months in lockdown. An artist reception and talk take place from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 22.

space are explored in a new work by visual storyteller Wolfe Bowart. An ensemble of five multigenerational actors — including Bowart — will explore community via visual poems drawn from notebooks filled with abstract sketches, dreams and theatrical images by Bowart. For scoundrels and scamps ages 5 to 105. Various times and days with school matinees available.

Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, 4455 E. Camp Lowell Drive, tickets start at $8, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays to Thursdays, theminitimemachine.org

THEATER

Borderlands Theater: “Barrio Stories” TO APRIL 30

The evening starts with family fun: an interactive game show, shadow box installations, an augmented reality installation and a heritage talk circle where anyone can tell personal histories of Tucson’s west side barrios. At 8 p.m. a theatrical presentation of curated barrio stories carries the audience back in time. This event continues the tradition that Borderlands established with the stories of Barrio Viejo, which historically covered the heart of Downtown.

Borderlands Theater, 20 N. Bonita Avenue, pay what you will, 6 p.m. interactive family fun and picnic time, 7:45 main stage show, borderlandstheater.org

“One Twig at a Time” TO APRIL 30

Found object puppetry, poetic visual theater, humor, pathos, drought, flood, overabundance and the vacuum of

Scoundrel and Scamp Theater, 738 N. Fifth Avenue, various times and pricing, 520-448-3300, scoundrelandscamp.org

SPECIAL EVENTS

Western Experience TO MAY 7

Journey into a Western Experience at Old Tucson Studios, through Sunday, May 7, and witness the spirit of the Old West come alive. Get a glimpse of a historic town in Arizona territory during the 1800s and enjoy live action cowboy gun fights, death defying stunts, rides and attractions.

Old Tucson Studios, 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, $34 adults, $17 children ages 5 to 11, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays to Sundays, oldtucson.com

High in the Desert Music + Cannabis + Food 420 Festival

APRIL 20

Brought to you by Bl_nk Media, Tucson Doobie and Tucson Foodie, High in the Desert features Los Angeles-based reggae band Iya Terra, Seattle-based hip-hop artist Grieves, Phoenix hiphop artists Mouse Powell, Sacramento’s Chuuwee, the Tucson reggae act Desert Fish and hip-hop artist Marley

WARNING!

PERIPHERAL

NEUROPATHY AND CHRONIC PAIN TREATMENTS NOT WORKING!!

Oro Valley, AZ – When it comes to chronic pain and/ or neuropathy, the most common doctor-prescribed treatment is drugs like Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin. The problem with antidepressants or anti-seizure medications like these is that they offer purely symptomatic relief, as opposed to targeting and treating the root of the problem. Worse, these drugs often trigger an onset of uncomfortable, painful, and sometimes harmful side effects.

The only way to effectively treat chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is by targeting the source, which is the result of nerve damage owing to inadequate blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet. This often causes weakness, numbness, tingling, pain, and balance problems. A lack of nutrients causes the nerves to degenerate – an insidious and often painful process.

As displayed in figure 1 above, the nerves are surrounded by diseased, withered blood vessels. A lack of sufficient nutrients means the nerves

cannot survive, and thus, slowly die. This leads to those painful and frustrating consequences we were talking about earlier, like weakness, numbness, tingling, balance issues, and perhaps even a burning sensation.

The drugs your doctor might prescribe will temporarily conceal the problems, putting a “BandAid” over a situation that will only continue to deteriorate without further action.

Thankfully, Oro Valley is the birthplace of a brandnew facility that sheds new light on this pressing problem of peripheral neuropathy and chronic pain. The company is trailblazing the medical industry by replacing outdated drugs and symptomatic reprieves with an advanced machine that targets the root of the problem at hand.

Effective neuropathy treatment relies on the following three factors:

1. Finding the underlying cause

2. Determining the extent of the nerve damage (above 95% nerve loss is rarely treatable)

3. The amount of treatment required for the patient’s unique condition

Arrowhead Physical Medicine in Oro Valley, AZ uses a state-of-the-art electric cell signaling systems worth $100,000.00. Th is ground-breaking treatment is engineered to achieve the following, accompanied by advanced diagnostics and a basic skin biopsy to accurately analyze results:

1. Increases blood flow

2. Stimulates and strengthens small fiber nerves

3. Improves brain-based pain

The treatment works by delivering energy to the affected area(s) at varying wavelengths, from low- to middle-frequency signals, while also using Amplitude Modulated (AM) and Frequency Modulated (FM) signaling

It’s completely painless!

THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT THIS TREATMENT IS COVERED BY MEDICARE, MEDICAID, AND MOST INSURANCES!!

Depending on your coverage, your peripheral neuropathy treatment could cost almost nothing – or be absolutely free.

The number of treatments required varies from patient to patient, and can only be determined following an in-depth neurological and vascular examination. As long as you have less than 95% nerve damage, there is hope!

Arrowhead Physical Medicine begins by analyzing the extent of the nerve damage – a complimentary service for comprises a detailed your friends and family.sensoryEach exam evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and comprehensive analysis of neuropathy findings.

Arrowhead Physical Medicine begins by analyzing the extent of the nerve damage –a complimentary service for comprises a detailed your friends and family. Each sensory exam evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and comprehensive analysis of neuropathy findings.

Arrowhead Physical Medicine will be offering this free chronic pain and neuropathy severity evaluation will be available until December 31st, 2022 Call (520) 934-0130 to make an appointment

Arrowhead Physical Medicine will be offering this free chronic pain and neuropathy severity evaluation will be available until April 30, 2023. Call (520) 934-0130 to make an appointment

Due to our very busy office schedule, we are limiting this offer to the first 10 c allers Y OU DO NOT HAVE TO SUFFER ANOTHER MINUTE, CALL (520) 934-0130 NOW!!

We are extremely busy, so we are unavailable, please leave a voice message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Physical Medicine 10425 N Oracle Rd., Suite 125 Oro Valley, AZ, 85737

B. DJ EVOL will spin between sets and the show is emceed by YoungMe. A cannabis expo and marketplace will feature local growers and more than 40 cannabis industry brands. Food from local restaurants and food trucks will be available. Hand-washing and hydration stations will be provided throughout the festival grounds.

MSA Annex, 267 S. Avenida del Covento, Tucson, tickets start at $40, 2:30 to 10 p.m., highinthedesert.com

The Tucson Mariachi Conference

More than a dozen workshops, competitions and showcases include several especially for young performers. The signature performance event is Noche de Garibaldi, a colorful spectacle of mariachi and folklorico at the MSA Annex. There’s also a mariachi Mass on Sunday and the Espectacular concert, featuring international favorites, Mariachi Vargas De Tecalitlan, at Linda Ronstadt Music Hall. Ronstadt sang with Los Changuitos Feos, a youth mariachi ensemble that inspired the conference’s founding in 1984. Various times and locations, prices vary, tucsonmariachi.org

Networkaoke Sing or Socialize APRIL 26

This Oro Valley Social & Business Club mixer features a nacho bar, karaoke, cheap cocktails, dancing, prizes and the chance to promote businesses on the mic. The group says it’s fun, “whether you need friends or business.”

Barnfire Mesquite Grill, 8310 N. Thornydale Road, Tucson, $20, 5 to 8

p.m., 520-355-7127, dplanetbeach@ gmail.com, https://fb.me/e/HQz7QdOm, eventbrite.com/e/578091847277

Israel at 75

APRIL 30

Weintraub Israel Center, a joint partnership between Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona and the Tucson Jewish Community Center, is celebrating 75 years of Israeli statehood with a free, all-ages, communitywide festival. Among the attractions and activities are the Humans of Israel photo gallery; bounce houses; Dunk Tank Trivia, an Israeli-style birthday party; Israeli games (Taki, Makot, Sheshbesh); arts and crafts; and Ya’akov’s Tent in the Desert. Performers include the Israeli band Yemen Blues. Featured food are Israeli dishes prepared by chef Asher Amar, the Kosher Pizza truck, Lahaina’s Shave Ice and Bella’s Gelato. UA assistant professor Daniel Arnon will lecture about current events in Israeli politics. A 12-torches ceremony will honor individuals from the Tucson community who exemplify the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam.

Weintraub Israel Center, 3800 E. River Road, Tucson, free but reservations required, tickets available for wine and whiskey sampling, noon to 4 p.m., 520299-3000, tucsonjcc.org/israel75 HOT PICKS from Page 4

AGING WELL

Hike to Elevate Your Heart Rate & Mood

Why work out in a fitness center when you can get a great cardio workout while exploring the beauty of the Sonoran Desert? Of all the opportunities for outdoor exercise in the Tucson area, hiking may be the most versatile—and one of the most beneficial. It’s free, can be adjusted to your fitness level, and has a surprising variety of health benefits.

Colette Gramm, a retired biochemist who lives with her husband Herbert at Splendido, a Life Plan Community for those 55 and better in Oro Valley, takes full advantage of her proximity to hiking trails: “I hike with a friend every morning for about two and a half hours,” she says. “I’d say we hike for four and a half or five miles. We’ll take any kind of trail.”

She enjoys the proximity of Sabino Canyon

Recreation Area and Catalina State Park. “I know them both well,” she says.

Born in Switzerland, Colette has hiked for her entire life, including in New Hampshire, where she and her husband had land, and on trips to Bhutan, New Zealand, and South America. “I love to be outdoors,” she says. “I enjoy the views and the surroundings—this year, the wildflowers are so magnificent.”

In addition to her daily hike, Colette swims a kilometer a day in Splendido’s pool, and spends 40 minutes stretching before her hike. “I guess I’m always exercising—I always have,” she says.

A Walking Workout

Hiking—even on flat land—will exercise muscles including your quadriceps, hamstrings, lower leg and hip muscles. Hiking on an unpaved, slightly uneven trail will

also engage the core muscles in your torso. Like any other cardio workout, hiking is good for your cardiorespiratory fitness, as well as sleep quality and weight loss. (A brisk hike can burn up to 550 calories per hour.) And because walking is a weight-bearing exercise, it also helps build bone density.

Hit the Trail, Not the Treadmill

Research shows that taking your exercise outdoors compared to working out in a gym offers unique benefits for physical, cognitive, and emotional health:

• Simply being outdoors has a positive effect on your mood. Multiple studies have shown that regular exposure to “green areas” can cause our bodies to relax and let go of stress, as well as ease anxiety. One study found that people in nature had slower heart rates

and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than those who spent time in the city.

• Walking or exercising outdoors has also been proven to strengthen short-term memory. Of two groups that walked in a natural or urban setting, the nature walkers performed nearly 20% better on a brief memory test. Simply spending time in nature is also associated with improved concentration and attention spans.

• Studies have linked time spent in nature with lower levels of inflammation, reduced hypertension, and even a stronger immune system.

• Research comparing outdoor runners with those on treadmills found that people who run outside exert more energy than the treadmill runners; they

also enjoy it more and therefore will run for longer periods of time.

If you’re a hiker, try stepping up the difficulty or length of your hikes to reap more health benefits from them. And if you’ve never hiked, give it a try! Start slow and easy, be safe, and go with

other people. . . and you may find a lifelong passion, just as Colette has.

Interested in learning more about Splendido? For floor plans, photos, and information on upcoming events, visit splendidotucson.com.

Splendido resident Colette Gramm is an avid hiker who enjoys the proximity of trails in Sabino Canyon Recreation Area and Catalina State Park.

Habitat Tucson opens construction hub

BY VERONICA KUFFEL Tucson Local Media Staff

With the dramatic increase in housing prices, organizations are stepping up to create solutions for Southern Arizona. Habitat for Humanity

Tucson recently showcased its new CHUCK Center, a project CEO Charlie Buchanan called a crucial answer to the growing problem.

“This is a crisis we haven’t experienced in generations,” Buchanan said. “It’s not a low-income challenge anymore, it’s an everybody challenge. It’s redefined housing affordability.”

we weren’t able to procure doors or windows, even lumber. It’s beneficial to have a safe, dry indoor spot for all of these sensitive materials.”

The CHUCK Center was primarily funded by the Connie Hillman Family Foundation, along with other organizations and nonprofits like The Stonewall Foundation, Bank of America and the City of Tucson. Its partners contribute to the facility with donations of money but also labor, as is the case with AmeriCorps.

The purpose of the new Connie Hillman Urban Construction Knowledge Center is to address the lack of affordable housing in Greater Tucson and to address the need for a skilled workforce in the trades. Habitat Tucson will be able to prefabricate homes and store materials in a temperature-controlled warehouse. The center will not only accelerate housing production

BUILD, MAINTAIN & PROTECT WEALTH

AmeriCorps contributes workers to volunteer with Habitat Tucson projects, one of the options for their member commitment to one year of intensive service. According to Lundberg, most organizations and nonprofits offer housing, but in past years, Habitat Tucson didn’t have the budget for it.

but the education of schools, colleges and other programs in the area.

It’s a development for the nonprofit, and Buchanan noted its potential for increasing work quality within Habitat Tucson.

“We build homes, community and hope,” Buchanan said. “This isn’t anything new to us, but it’s certainly a different scale. The ultimate goal is to provide more housing solutions in a challenging environment.”

The CHUCK Center holds offices, a classroom and a large warehouse. Habitat Tucson will use the space to store tools and materials for projects across the community, including prefabricated panels made in the facility.

A one-story home under 1,500 square feet takes 18 to 26 panels to build, while a two-story of the same size requires 24 to 32. Habitat Tucson plans to build at least 10 panels per day and store up to 144 panels, enough for around five to eight homes, in the CHUCK Center.

Tony Lundberg is an AmeriCorps member with Habitat Tucson, and addressed challenges in the past associated with building these panels and procuring materials.

“It would lag our construction progress,” Lundberg said. “At some point during the builds we had in Marana,

The CHUCK Center is building a duplex house in its backyard to meet the needs of out-of-state AmeriCorps members. Lundberg expressed his relief for future members and their access to this housing.

“The AmeriCorps members receive only a small stipend for their service, making living in Tucson hard for most,” Lundberg said. “It’s very difficult to pay rent and groceries on the stipend, so it’s a necessary means to find affordable or provided living for nonprofits like Habitat.”

Another key part of Habitat Tucson’s commitment with the CHUCK Center is to provide educational resources to assist trade students. The nonprofit has started this by partnering with the Building & Construction Technologies program at Pima Community College. Lundberg of Tucson’s AmeriCorps team was one of the program’s past students. Due to current space constraints on campus, BCT Discipline Coordinator Himat Khalsa visits Habitat Tucson with his classes weekly. Pima Community College works to increase its facilities for the program, but for now, the CHUCK Center allows students to gain real-world experience and make an impact on the community.

A large tool bench stocked with equipment for groups of workers, students and volunteers in the CHUCK Center warehouse space. (Veronica Kuffel/Staff)

Tucson student receives $10K from Barro’s

BY TUCSON LOCAL MEDIA STAFF

Barro’s Pizza, local, family-owned and -operated pizzeria with two locations in Tucson, awarded $10,000 to 19-year-old Carlos Borunda as the 2022 Arizona Barro’s Pizza Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway winner.

The prize money was available to one local Arizona resident to help pay for college tuition or any related educational expenses.

Borunda works as a marketing assistant at Simply Bookkeeping & Taxes. He took time off school to pick up a second job and then learned about Barro’s Pizza offering the prize money to a local student and decided to enter the contest.

As a result of winning the $10,000, he will be able to go back to school at Pima Community College where he is studying marketing and computer information systems.

“I can’t believe I won,” Borunda said. “I am looking forward to going back to school as hopefully this will allow me to get the resources and education I need to further my knowledge in web development. After gaining experi-

from Page 8

“A lot of this has been facilitated through the CHUCK Center because there’s a real training focus,” Khalsa explained. “Here, there are potentially other people from different trades that will interact with the students as we’re building. Those are features that are hard to simulate in a lab environment.”

Khalsa and his students utilize the CHUCK Center to complete varied curriculums, building homes and designing plans which Habitat Tucson puts to use throughout the region. Between the college and nonprofit, their collective goal is to engage 100 student learners in construction trades in 2023. The partnerships between programs, organizations and the nonprofit will

ence in marketing, I’ve decided after college, I would like to open a digital marketing agency in Tucson.”

With 47 restaurants throughout Arizona and more than 40 years in business, the Barro family prides itself on finding ways to support and improve the communities they serve.

“We love being able to help students find their passion and offer hope for a bright future,” said Bruce Barro, co-owner of Barro’s Pizza. “Just knowing we are helping young adults get an education and pursue a career is what it’s all about for us. We are happy that through our continued partnership with Dr Pepper, we have been able to help many students throughout Arizona.”

The Barro’s Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway has awarded $95,000 to students in Arizona since 2012. Submissions were open to all Arizona residents 18 years or older, and a winner was chosen at random out of over 13,000 entries. The winner can use the money to pay for current expenses such as tuition and books or to pay off outstanding student loans.

Info: drpeppertuition.com

not only create hands-on learning experiences but contribute to Habitat’s goal for universal housing. Here in Southern Arizona, Buchanan and Habitat for Humanity will continue to combat the housing crisis, developing new and innovative solutions to support Tucson.

“The CHUCK Center was our acknowledgment that the status quo wasn’t meeting the need to support the affordable housing crisis,” Buchanan said. “The potential and the partnerships are going to create opportunities for not only trade students and their careers but opportunities for families to have stability.”

April 27 - 30

STATE OF SONORA

HABITAT

The Pasta Shop serves quick food, impacts community

BY VERONICA KUFFEL Tucson Local Media Staff

When Luz and Ben Platt married, he insisted on catering their wedding. Brian worked in an Italian restaurant and discovered a love for the cuisine. Both dreamed of the day they could manage their own pasta shop.

“He’s always catered different friends’ events and Christmas parties,” Luz said. “We knew he could do it, but we never had the funds to make it happen. In 2022, we sold our franchises and decided to go for it.”

After years of managing restaurants and franchises, the Platts opened The Pasta Shop, a build-your-own Italian restaurant with fresh sandwiches and salads, in 2022.

They figured it was the perfect project. Platt said they saw a need for quick service in a family-friendly environment. They enjoyed the cuisine, but

with two toddlers, fancy pasta restaurants felt inaccessible.

“We didn’t really see that anywhere,” Luz said. “We have two young kids, and it’s so important for us to have those quick meals. We wanted to be able to grab spaghetti and go, to have it at your table within 10 minutes.”

At The Pasta Shop, customers can choose between different types of pasta, like bow tie or fettuccine, and add any homemade sauce from marinara to alfredo. The Pasta Shop also offers gluten-free or vegetable noodles as dietary alternatives. From there, customers may add protein and vegetable options at an additional price.

The Platts also offer a list of savory sandwiches and salads, along with classic Italian desserts and variants of garlic bread. The couple sources their food from Shamrock Farms and Brian makes almost everything homemade. Luz noted that although they’re not a

fully scratch kitchen, they cook a lot of their cuisine with fresh ingredients.

“Most of our sauces are made in-house, only our pesto is ordered out,” Luz said. “Everything is made fresh, so our chicken for example is breaded in the restaurant. We don’t do frozen meatballs, either. Brian makes them in the restaurant.”

In addition to quality fast food, The Pasta Shop also has a play area for children with books, blocks and other toys. Luz ensured the corner is sanitized regularly and safe for kids to play while their parents watch and eat.

Every choice on the business side reflects the Platts’ vast experience in the industry. For the past 12 years, the couple worked in restaurants and local

franchising. It took time for the Platts to open The Pasta Shop, but according to Luz, gaining their present knowledge and expertise was worth it.

“We both really took some time to learn our skills,” Luz noted. “Now, we’re able to combine them into The Pas-

See PASTA Page 11

“Julianna

Menu items from The Pasta Shop, a new Italian restaurant in Marana. (Luz Platt/Submitted)

ta Shop. It’s great to see the response from everybody and how our ideas are conceptualized.”

Brain learned the operation and finance skills to run a restaurant. His wife noted he knows the price of a single napkin and could cut down costs when needed and still maintain quality. Like her husband, Luz worked in food industry management and specialized in marketing. She currently works with Sun Tran as their community outreach manager and utilizes her connections and experience to improve The Pasta Shop. She also handles the restaurant’s marketing and social media.

The pair’s success in Marana goes beyond the restaurant. With Platts Partnership LLC, their next goal is to help other food entrepreneurs with their businesses.

“We would love to help other amazing people in the industry to open their own restaurants,” Luz said. “So many people are so good and talented, but they don’t have the operational or marketing skills. We want to give back and we want to drive business to each

other.”

Through their restaurant, the Platts also help other organizations throughout the community. The pair serve the Marana public school system by catering events for the PTA. They partnered with the Southern Arizona Diaper Bank after learning how expensive they were with their first child. The Pasta Shop will help cut the ribbon at the nonprofit’s upcoming celebration at Benson Hospital on March 31.

According to the couple, the restaurant is their way to give back to the community. Marana is growing, and The Pasta Shop works to increase local progress.

“If you’re not there, you don’t know,” Luz said. “It’s so important to be in the community you serve because that’s how you know the need and you’re able to help. I’m excited to be able to help through our restaurant.”

The Pasta Shop

3951 W. Ina Road, Marana 520-467-3840 https://thepastashopaz.square.site/

31ST

ARiZONA INTeRNATiONAL

Compassionate Care, Close to Home

At Carondelet Health Network, our comprehensive cardiovascular program and our heart specialists are recognized not only for outcomes but for the way we care. HeartCare is better together.

Scan the QR code to take a quiz to understand your risks for five heart conditions or visit Carondelet.org

Showcasing independent films to southern Arizona! Single Tickets $10 | All Access Pass $100 Saver Pass $30 (admission to 6 films)

These films will all be showing at: The Screening Room 127 E Congress Street

For all films and festival information, please visit:

KING OF KINGS TUES April 25 6:00PM

Filmmaker appearances and other specials! Follow us:

Body products are a passion product for couple

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Tucson Local Media Staff

When Alyssa Voice was mourning her father four and a half years ago, she researched how to make body butters at home to ease her mind.

It was so successful that she thought she would share her products with the public. That flourished into Tucson-based Old Pueblo Bath & Body Essentials, which also produces handmade artisan soaps, lotions, sugar scrubs, beard oil and beard wash.

Among the scents are absinthe, autumn harvest, apricot freesia, Asian pear and lily, black raspberry vanilla, cactus and sea salt, calla lily, cherry merlot, cinnamon spiced vanilla, citrus and agave, coconut milk sorbet, cranberry, ginger and lime, and fresh peach and poppy.

“We’re known for our lotions,” said her husband, William Voice.

“My wife makes a really fantastic lotion with natural ingredients in it.

I was doing a show and these two ladies tried our lotion. They got all the way to Park mall, one turned to her friend and said, ‘My hands are really soft.’ They went straight back here to get lotion.”

The origins are twofold. Besides easing Alyssa’s mind, the couple wanted to bring quality soaps and lotions to people at a reasonable price.

“There are so many products out there filled with chemicals that you can’t even pronounce and are bad for your skin,” William said.

“We set out to change that. Fast forward to now, and we have a growing business always striving to bring our customers the best in products, ingredients and customer service.”

The products are sold on their website, oldpueblobathandbodyessentials. com, and at farmers markets.

“We do craft fairs and street fairs all over here, in Tucson, in Phoenix, Flagstaff, Prescott, Sedona and Pinetop,” he says. “This summer is our first out-ofstate show.”

From Friday, April 14, to Sunday, April 16, they will have a booth at the SAHBA Home & Patio Show at the Tucson Convention Center.

Recently, the Voices sold their products at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and donated part of their proceeds to Air Force veterans.

They also sell their products wholesale to clients in town and out of the area. Old Pueblo Bath & Body Essentials are available at The Food Conspiracy Co-Op at 412 N. Fourth Avenue, Tucson; and Johnny Gibson’s Downtown Market, 11 S. Sixth Avenue, Tucson.

“We’re really proud of what we’ve accomplished,” she says.

“I’m really proud of the soap and the lotion that I make. It’s mine. The recipes are mine. It’s something that’s unique to me that I’ve done over time. I’ve done a lot of research A lot of thought has gone into everything that I make. For me, it’s a creative outlet. Making soap, for me, brings out my creativity and it’s like art for me.

“It makes me feel good when people come and spend their hard-earned money on something that I’ve made. It’s really satisfying.”

Old Pueblo Bath & Body Essentials oldpueblobathandbodyessentials.com

Initiative provides free haircuts for homeless youth

BY SUMMER AGUIRRE Tucson Local Media Staff

Young adults experiencing housing insecurity have the chance to rediscover their confidence, thanks to a new initiative.

Through a purpose-driven campaign called A Cut Above, salons across the nation are offering free hair services to homeless or housing-insecure young adults. The initiative was spearheaded by the StandUp for Kids (SUFK) youth homeless nonprofit and new haircare brand Hair Proud in an effort to address the homeless epidemic.

A Cut Above was originally supposed to span only the month of March but, due to its success, was extended through the end of April.

“We had great feedback from StandUp for Kids. We had great feedback from the salons…So, we said, why don’t we just carry on and continue with this partnership?” said Nora Zukauskaite, global marketing director for I Am Proud, Hair Proud’s masterbrand. “Because if it’s doing good, we obviously want to be the brand and organization who’re affiliated with doing good in our community.”

There are currently 4.2 million youths in America experiencing homelessness, according to a statement, and 69% of that population is dealing with mental health problems and a lack of access to basic hygiene.

In Tucson alone, there are 749 homeless young people.

To help combat these numbers across the United States, 12 salons in seven states are participating in A Cut Above. Three of these locations are in Tucson: Lofty Locs & Tresses, BluSteel Salon and Studio Virtue Beauty & Wellness Salon.

Each location has individual hours of operation for when it offers services through the initiative.

For one to receive their free hair service, they can simply walk into a partner salon during its operation hours. A stylist will then provide them with a haircut and hair treatment.

Hair services are completed with Hair

Proud products, which targets the Gen Z audience. The collection consists of a range of vegan, cruelty-free products created with skin care-lead ingredients, emphasizing the health of the hair.

“It means a lot when somebody cares enough to help you feel just a little bit better in the day. Most of our kids don’t even know when they’re going to get a drink of water, much less take a shower,” SUFK Executive Director Kim Sission said. “So it means a lot that the salons have stepped up and said, ‘Yes, we’ll help your kids,’ and that Hair Proud is offering their product.”

Although the premise of A Cut Above is simple, the impact is significant.

Sission, who has been participating in street outreach for 16 years, shared that “it’s a great thing” to witness young people excited to receive hair care and see their transformation. For many of them, meeting a new person is nerve-wracking.

“When a young person goes in and gets cleaned up, and is treated with just a little bit of kindness and a little bit of care, it changes their whole day, their whole outlook on life,” she said. “Many of these kids haven’t been treated very well by people, especially by adults. So when someone takes the time to actually make them feel good about who they are and let them know that they matter, it makes a huge difference.”

Keke Babers, an independent artist and poet from Los Angeles who has experienced housing insecurity, was the first participant for A Cut Above.

She shared in a statement that thanks to the initiative, she was given another chance to pursue her passions and experienced a boost of self-esteem that led her back on stage.

“I feel so confident, I’ve started writing so much and even performing again. A program like A Cut Above makes that self-care accessible to people in my situation. … My new ‘do makes me feel like I belong in any room I walk into,” she said.

This is what A Cut Above is all about, Zukauskaite explained: giving housing-insecure young people the oppor-

tunity to get back into a routine work environment and the confidence to exist in those spaces.

“It’s really important that we talk about this and we shine the light, and we would not be able to do that if we did not have such organizations like StandUp for Kids, who are in the middle of a community and who can help us reach and spread the message — because it’s just impossible otherwise to convey,” Zukauskaite said.

StandUp for Kids is a national nonprofit that serves housing-insecure, at-risk young people under the age of 24. The organization is known for its relationship building and reaches youth through its mentorship programs, street outreach and housing support.

Similarly, Hair Proud’s mission is to empower its all-inclusive community — which is what spurred the hair care brand to initiate the partnership with SUFK.

“I think this is just a really symbiotic relationship uniting for a bigger cause, changing the world and, where we can, contributing to the (betterment of) planet Earth,” Zukauskaite said.

A Cut Above

Lofty Locs & Tresses: 1800 E. Fort Lowell Road, 520-289-1603

BluSteel Salon: 5407 E. Pima Street, 520-440-0916

Studio Virtue Beauty & Wellness Salon: 6580 E. Tanque Verde Road, 520-409-8052

To learn more about the A Cut Above campaign, its participating salons and the Hair Proud brand, visit us.iamproud.com. More information about StandUp for Kids can be found at standupforkids.org.

SUN, APRIL 30 | 12-4pm

SPORTS & RECREATION

By Tom Danehy Tucson Local Media Columnist

In a way, Mele Siego inhabits two worlds. You see, Mele (rhymes with “jelly”) is a cheerleader and an interscholastic athlete. In high schools these days, those are two worlds that coexist but rarely overlap.

(If you ever want to start something, just ask a cheerleader if they do anything athletic, like a sport. “Cheerleaders are athletes,” Mele said. “It can be a very athletic activity. And we’re competitive, too.”)

Still, very few cheerleaders participate in traditional sports.

Cheerleading is pretty much a yearround endeavor, leaving little time for other things. In this, Siego is an outlier. This is the sophomore’s second year on the tennis team, and she made the basketball team last winter but had to stop when the time constraints of cheerleading and

Athlete of the Week: Mele Siego Li’l

hoop became too much. But she’s all in on the tennis team and is making her mark. In high school tennis, there are six varsity players. They each play a singles match and then pair up for three doubles matches. A winning score can be anywhere from 5-4 up to 9-0. Those players who aren’t on the varsity can play JV matches, but it varies wildly from one school to another as to how many JV players (and matches) there will be.

Last year, as a freshman, she was strictly a JV player. The Amphi varsity went 10-3 and sent players to state. This year, the Panthers are again having a winning season and she has played varsity and JV matches. Depending on a variety of factors, she is anywhere between No. 6 and No. 8 on the squad. Recently, she played on the varsity against Santa Cruz Valley and she won both her singles and doubles matches. Earlier, she played JV against Flowing

Steakhouse

Wells. Because the Caballeros brought so many JV players, they and their Panther counterparts played a makeshift round-robin schedule. That day, Siego played three singles matches and two double matches and won all five.

“It’s frustrating (being on the cusp),” she said. “I want to be on the varsity all the time, but I have to earn it. We’ve got lots of good players on the varsity.”

She (and all JVs) can challenge a varsity player for their spot during practice. There is one varsity player whom Siego has challenged multiple times this season. “In the beginning, she was beating me like 6-2. Last week, she beat me 7-5. I think I can get her before the end of the year.”

The Amphi squad has only one senior this year and several young players, so Siego being assured of a spot on the varsity next year isn’t guaranteed. She plans on playing a lot during the off-sea-

son. During the summer, several Amphi players show up at the courts just after sunrise and play until it gets too hot.

“My goal next year is to be a (full-time) member of the varsity and have us go to state as a team.”

Maybe some of the people from her other world can come to cheer them on.

Mele Siego plays tennis and is a cheerleader. (Mele Siego/Submitted)

BANHEZ AgAvE HERITAgE DINNER

SEIS KITCHEN ON RIvER - 5:30 PM

CHEF JAKE MUNOZ (SEIS KITCHEN)

NOCHELUNA AgAvE HERITAgE DINNER

MAyNARD’S KITCHEN - 6 PM

THE MAyNARD’S CULINARy TEAM

TEqUILA OCHO HERITAgE DINNER

THE CORONET - 5 PM & 8 PM ( 2 SEATINgS )

CHEF TANNER FLEMMINg

ESFUERZO HERITAgE DINNER

BATA - 6 PM

CHEF TyLER FENTON

SPIRIT OF SONORA AgAvE HERITAgE DINNER THE CARRIAgE HOUSE - 5 PM

CHEF gARy HICKEy (SI CHARRO) & gUEST CHEF JOSE LINO (qUIRIEgO)

Edited by Will Shortz No. 1217

Edited by Will Shortz

HOROSCOPE

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) This week offers new opportunities for adventurous Sheep, both personal and professional. Single Sheep could find romance with a Taurus or Scorpio.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your big break is about to happen in the workplace. Expect to hear more about it within a few days. Meanwhile, enjoy some much-needed fun time.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Your past tendency for breaking promises could be catching up with you. You need to reassure a certain someone in your life that this time you’ll keep your word. Good luck.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Watch your tendency to be overcautious in your personal relationships. Give people a chance to show who they are, not who you assume them to be.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) Aspects favor closer attention to family matters, especially where it concerns older relatives who might need special care. A co-worker has information that can help.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A workplace change causes a temporary delay in your plans. Still, continue working on your project so that you’ll be ready when it’s time to start up again.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Stick with your plans despite some recent disappointments. Persistence will pay off. A family member’s health takes a happy turn for the better.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Your gift for seeing through to the heart of a matter (or the heart of a person) impresses someone who is in a position to make you a very interesting offer.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Your colleagues believe in your leadership abilities because you believe in yourself. Your strength inspires others to follow your example.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A sensitive situation needs sensitive handling. Show more patience than you usually do. This will allow everyone time for some really hard thinking.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) You are determined to take charge of a difficult situation and turn it around. Good for you. Accept much-needed help and advice from a Libra. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) You are able to help people by sensing their deepest pain, but be careful not to let your own emotions get injured. Try to maintain a safe balance.

BORN THIS WEEK: Yours is one of the most emotional signs of the zodiac. You are empathetic and have a deep spiritual core that gives you your great strength.

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

shop purchase

35 It goes without saying 37 Act big? 38 Bae 39 Forked-tailed fliers

40 Something that may be cut and then cured

41 Michael of “Life & Beth”

42 “Ah, yes, understood”

43 No-frills retirement options?

44 Bit of silliness

Not getting involved in any nastiness

Ralphie’s wish in “A Christmas Story”

Detail-oriented sort

Clerical worker?

Made too much of something, perhaps

Honorific that translates to “born before”

Common street name

Practice group?: Abbr.

Outdoor event with long sticks, informally

“I spilled ___ on my dog. Now he’s gone”: Steven Wright

Some modern media-related speculations

Start of many a trick question

Gomez who got her start on “Barney & Friends”

Hindu god of love and desire

2 Inbox messages from Nigerian princes, almost certainly

3 Comment to someone enjoying a hot streak

4 Something you reach out and take

5 Eschews a cab, say 6 Winnow 7 “___ bat an eye” 8 Pay to play

9 Start of an old advice column 10