Explorer, Jan. 19, 2022 by Times Media Group

EXPLORER The Voice of Marana, Oro Valley and Northwest Tucson

Jan. 19, 2022

Volume 29 • Number 3

State of the State

Oct. 7, 2020

Digging into the governor’s proposed budget | Page 4

INSIDE

NO LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

Your Turn

Last month, technology company TuSimple completed its first “driver out” test when a semi-truck drove from Tucson to Casa Grande without any humans on board. And it’s only the beginning. Read more on page 10.

Letters to the editor and reader photo | Page 12

Photo courtesy of TuSimple

Town Talk

The next steps in local business recovery | Page 13

Sports & Rec Flowing Wells wrestling invitational | Page 16 $

Ducey promises more education spending and additional tax cuts in Oro Valley visit Alexandra Pere Tucson Local Media

overnor Doug Ducey delivered a local version of his 8th and final State of the State address at Oro Valley’s El Conquistador resort on Friday, Jan. 14. Ducey spoke highly about his administration’s accom-

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plishments in the last year and announced his plans for 2022’s spending budget. His presentation mainly focused on education reforms, border security, and economic innovations. While he signed budgets cutting higher education budgets when he first became governor, Ducey proposed new spending this year for local community col-

leges, the University of Arizona, and public and private schools. For example, Ducey’s proposed budget sets aside $2 million for Pima Community College, $15 million to the University of Arizona and $9 million to Marana Unified School District. He also vowed to increase spending for charter and private schools.

AZ COVID death toll tops 25K, cases likely ‘substantially undercounted’ Alexandra Pere Tucson Local Media

ore than 25,000 Arizona have now died after contracting COVID-19. The virus has killed 25,212 people as of Monday, Jan. 17, including 3,304 in Pima County, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. The grim milestone came the same week the state recorded more cases than any other week in the pandemic, 5, as the Omicron variant continued to rapidly spread across the state.

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

EXPLORER The Explorer and Marana News is published every Wednesday and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout the Northwest Tucson. To find out where you can pick up a free copy of the Explorer and Marana News, go to www.TucsonLocalMedia.com

STAFF ADMINISTRATION Steve T. Strickbine, Publisher Michael Hiatt, Vice President Jaime Hood, General Manager jaime@tucsonlocalmedia.com Claudine Sowards, Accounting claudine@tucsonlocalmedia.com Sheryl Kocher, Receptionist sheryl@tucsonlocalmedia.com EDITORIAL Jim Nintzel, Executive Editor jimn@tucsonlocalmedia.com Jeff Gardner, Managing Editor jeff@tucsonlocalmedia.com Alexandra Pere, Staff Reporter apere@tucsonlocalmedia.com Nicole Feltman, Staff Reporter nfeltman@tucsonlocalmedia.com PRODUCTION Courtney Oldham, Production Manager, tucsonproduction@timespublications.com Ryan Dyson Graphic Designer ryand@tucsonlocalmedia.com Emily Filener, Graphic Designer emilyf@tucsonlocalmedia.com CIRCULATION Alex Carrasco, Circulation alexc@tucsonlocalmedia.com ADVERTISING TLMSales@TucsonLocalMedia.com Kristin Chester, Account Executive kristin@tucsonlocalmedia.com Candace Murray, Account Executive candace@tucsonlocalmedia.com Tyler Vondrak, Account Executive tyler@tucsonlocalmedia.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING Zac Reynolds, Director of National Advertising zac@timespublications.com EDITORIAL & AD CONTENT The Explorer and Marana News expresses its opinion in the editorial. Opinions expressed in guest commentaries, perspectives, cartoons or letters to the editor are those of the author. The content and claims of any advertisement are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. Tucson Local Media assumes no responsibility for the claims or content of any advertisement. Publisher has the right to edit for size or refuse any advertisement at his or her discretion. 7225 N. Mona Lisa Road, Ste. 125 Tucson, Arizona 85741 PHONE: (520) 797-4384

Copyright:The entire contents of Explorer/Marana News are CopyrightTimes Media Group . No portion may be reproduced in whole or part by any means without the express written permission of the Publisher,Tucson Local Media, 7225 N. Mona Lisa Rd., Ste. 125,Tucson, AZ 85741.

Hot Picks Death of a Salesman. Whether you’re a theater aficionado or not, you’ve probably heard of this show by Arthur Miller. It’s a show about the American dream, facing mediocrity and looking back on your life and not feeling satisfied. But perhaps most importantly, there are glimmers of hope to be found as well. It’s firmly a tragedy, but there’s a reason why this play is considered by many critics as one of the 20th century’s very best. Head on over to see this production at the Rogue Theatre, directed by Matt Bowdren and with music direction by Russell Ronnebaum. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Jan. 23. The Rogue Theatre, 300 E. University Blvd. $42.

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

think it’s very common to regret doing yoga. 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday mornings through Feb. 8. Tohono Chul, 7366 Paseo del Norte. $10 (plus cost of admission). The Sons of the Pioneers. For more than half

a century, the Sons of the Pioneers have kept alive the music and images of the American Southwest through close harmonies and cowboy music. Founded by Roy Rogers Bob Nolan, and Tim Spencer, the band has remained together continuously since then, rotating a total of 47 members over the years. They will be playing five shows at the Gaslight Music Hall. 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21. 2 & 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22. 2 & 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23. 13005 N. Oracle Road Yoga in the Gardens. #165. $30 to $40. This year, I’m vowing to remind myself that it’s 5-DAY WEATHER okay to not get someWEDNESDAY thing perfect right away. Maybe it’s even better, be64 41 SUNNY cause you “learn from the THURSDAY experience” or “grow as a person” or something 68 39 SUNNY similarly trite/annoyingly FRIDAY true. Anyway, if you didn’t 70 41 SUNNY exactly wake up on Jan. 1 SATURDAY ready to be a new person, it’s still never too late to try 68 39 SUNNY new things, make small SUNDAY improvements and treat yourself with love. All this 66 37 SUNNY to say, take this outdoor MOUNT LEMMON yoga class with Mary CarSATURDAY huff at Tohono Chul! You’ll PARTLY deepen your connection 21 CLOUDY 47 to the Earth and be able SUNDAY to move at your own pace PARTLY in a gorgeous setting. I am 46 21 CLOUDY not an expert, but I don’t

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

Ducey’s proposed budget would spend $14.25 billion next year Jeremy Duda Arizona Mirror

ov. Doug Ducey’s final budget proposal calls for $14.25 billion in spending for the 2023 fiscal year that includes nearly $1.4 billion in new spending, the bulk of which will be one-time spending on K-12 education, water infrastructure, beefing up the state’s rainy day fund and expanding Interstate 10. About $364 million of that new spending will be ongoing, with nearly a third going toward new tax cuts.

Following up on last year’s historic tax cut, which aims to eventually reduce individual income tax rates to a flat 2.5%, the governor is budgeting money for two tax relief packages. One is a 5% earned income tax credit for low-income working families with children. The Ducey administration said the program is intended to provide tax relief to Arizonans while recognizing the value of work. The governor’s office said 577,000 Arizonans would be eligible, and that the average recipient would get $128 per year. Families with three

or more children would be eligible for as much as $325, according to estimates from the governor’s office, depending on their income level. The earned income tax relief program is expected to cost about $74 million next year. The second proposal is an undefined corporate tax cut. Ducey penciled in $58 million in his budget, but has no explicit proposal. The administration said there are several lawmakers who have their own proposals, so Ducey will negotiate with the legislature to determine what kind of tax cut they pass. Ducey’s office noted that Arizona has the 10th

highest industrial property tax rate in the U.S., indicating that the tax cut could be in that area. Ducey’s plan assumes that last year’s billion-dollar income tax cut, which is on hold after Democrats collected enough signatures to refer it to the November ballot for a citizen referendum, will ultimately go into effect. Republican lawmakers are discussing plans to repeal the tax cuts and replace them with a similar law in order to negate the referendum and keep the proposal off the ballot. The largest chunks of new spending are for K-12 education, water

and increasing the state’s rainy day fund, which it uses to alleviate budget shortfalls. The governor called for $1.16 billion in onetime spending on water augmentation, with one-third of that spending being spent in each of the next three years. The Ducey administration said the budget will include future appropriations for the next two years, when the governor will be out of office, so that his successor would have to expressly repeal it through legislation to block that spending. Ducey’s budget also includes $160 million for

other, unspecified water augmentation efforts across the state, along with nearly $150 million for rural water projects, increasing groundwater capacity, water banking and other conservation payments. Nearly $853 million of the $1.16 billion isn’t earmarked for any particular project. The administration said it will work with the legislature to determine the best approach. In his State of the State address on Monday, Ducey spoke specifically about desalination as an important policy for Arizona’s water future. Continued on P7

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

COVID: ‘two to three undiagnosed cases for every one we know about’ Continued from P1 Dr. Joe Gerald, an epidemiologist who has been tracking the pandemic since it first arrived in Arizona nearly two years ago, noted in his weekly report that for the week ending Jan. 9, at least 108,783 Arizonans tested positive for COVID, a 104% increase of the 53,207 cases reported in the prior week. Gerald said the number “substantially undercounts the true toll, as there are two to three undiagnosed cases for every one we know about.” Given that cases are doubling weekly, Gerald predicted that one in 10 Arizonans would likely be

infected with COVID this week and one in four would have the illness in the month of January. He noted that rates were highest among people between the ages of 15 and 24, with 2,342 cases per 100,000 population, and lowest among those 65 and older, with 711 cases per 100,000. Roughly one-third of Arizona’s 8,763 general ward beds were occupied by COVID patients and just 446 beds remained available for use as of Jan. 13. Intensive care units are facing greater pressure as well, with with 630 of those beds (or 38% of the state’s total) now occupied by COVID patients and just 75 ICU beds available statewide.

To make matters worse at hospitals, healthcare workers are contracting the virus, leading to staffing crunches at hospitals. As a result of the staffing crunch, some Banner Health urgent care locations are closed, causing longer wait times at other urgent care facilities, according to Dr. Marjorie Bessel, Banner Health chief clinical officer, who gave a media briefing on Tuesday, Jan. 11. Banner is following the crisis CDC guidelines when allowing health care workers to return to work after being infected with the COVID virus. All healthcare workers have to remain out of the workplace for five days from the date of their posi-

tive tests and are screened for symptoms before returning to work. Individuals that are asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic may return to work. In addition, Banner is using outside contracted workers at its hospitals during this surge to compensate for the staffing shortage. With crowded emergency rooms and long waits, Bessel asked Arizonans to consider primary care doctors and urgent care clinics for non-emergency needs. She also urged Arizonans to get vaccinated and receive a booster shot because it’s “the best way to prevent serious COVID illness that requires hospital level care.” She also said people

should mask up when indoors (preferably with a fitted KN95 mask), stay home when feeling sick and to get tested when experiencing symptoms. COVID treatment options remain limited. Sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody treatment for those who test positive, is in short supply and will require a doctor’s recommendation for patients. Due to limited supply, not all eligible patients will receive the treatment. Oral antivirals such as paxlovid and molnupiravir, which have received emergency use authorization by the FDA for patients that meet the clinical requirements, are also in limited

supply and are being distributed to roughly 32 retail pharmacies across the state. These medications also require a referral. Bessel said Omicron has yet to peak but she predicted it will be in weeks to come based on how the virus has behaved in other countries, where the descent of the variant has been just as rapidly as its spread. Meanwhile, Northwest Healthcare announced last week that it was once again admitting cardiac patients at Oro Valley Hospital. Northwest Healthcare had redirected ambulances with cardiac patients to other hospitals because of staffing shortages.

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

Budget: $1.4 billion in new spending proposed Continued from P4

C.J. Karamargin, a spokesman for the governor, said desalination will be part of whatever plan the governor crafts with the legislature. “The concept of desalination has been around for a long time. The technology has changed and improved over time. We think now, the time is right to look at this in a very serious way, a way that’s more serious than what we’ve looked at in the past,” Karamargin told the Arizona Mirror. “These things don’t happen quickly, but they don’t happen at all if

there isn’t a willingness to think big. And that’s what Governor Ducey is doing about water.” Another major bucket of one-time spending in the governor’s budget is a major increase to the state’s budget stabilization fund, popularly known as the rainy day fund. Ducey in 2019 signed legislation allowing the fund to represent 10% of state revenues, up from 7%. The $425 million that Ducey’s budget would inject into the fund would hit that mark, increasing the fund to $1.4 billion. Ducey’s plan also includes $400 million in federal funding to widen

a 20-mile stretch of Interstate 10 between Riggs Road and Casa Grande from two lanes to three. Under Ducey’s budget, state spending on K-12 education would increase to nearly $10.9 billion, which the administration touted as a state record. That figure includes $323 million in new spending, Among Ducey’s proposed increases in education funding are nearly $61 million in additional money for his results-based funding program. That program provides additional money to high-performing schools. Ducey’s plan would bring total fund-

ing for the program to more than $129 million per year. Another $58 million would go toward a program called Operation Excellence, which would boost funding for low-performing schools. Under the program, D and F-rated schools, along with C-rated schools where at least 60% of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, would receive $150 per pupil over the course of three school years for “evidence-based strategies” to increase student performance. Schools that don’t make progress after three

years would be subject to unspecified action by the State Board of Education. “The Board will review and take into account the school’s unique situation and select the best course of action,” Ducey’s budget plan states. On the K-12 front, Ducey’s budget also includes $200 million in building renewal for the next fiscal year, along with $93 million in supplemental building renewal funding for the current fiscal year; and more than $98.4 million to complete or begin construction on eight new schools. Ducey also

wants $20 million for a second year of school transportation grants, and $5 million for an incentive program for civics education. The governor’s budget also includes $100 million in federal funding for his proposed AZ Back on Track Summer Camp, a summer program to help students catch up math, reading and American civics gains they missed out on during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ducey’s budget plan does not contemplate raising the state’s aggregative spending cap for K-12 schools. Schools are expected to hit the cap, which voters established in 1980, in March. Continued on P8

Budget

Continued from P7

If lawmakers don’t approve an override of the cap, which requires a two-thirds vote in each chamber, schools will lose about $1.1 billion in funding. According to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, the state still must provide that funding to schools if the legislature doesn’t raise the cap. But the schools won’t be permitted to spend it. Ducey’s office has said it’s not taking a position on what should happen because it is a legislative function. State action on border security was one of

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

the main items Ducey focused on in his speech on Monday. His budget plan includes a $50 million deposit in his border security fund for additional patrols, detention, prosecution in border counties and physical barriers. While most of Arizona’s border with Mexico is on federal land, the Ducey administration said it will work with property owners along the border who want fencing on their property. The physical barriers won’t be the bollard-style fencing that is prevalent along the border, according to the administration. The Ninth Floor likened the proposed barriers to the style of fencing that surrounds state prisons. Democratic legisla-

tive leaders said there were some positives in Ducey’s budget, such as his investments in water, his increase monthly kinship funding for foster parents and highway widening. But House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding and Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rios, both of Phoenix, described Ducey’s commitment to K-12 funding as inadequate, and questioned whether last year’s tax cut would jeopardize future investments. They also criticized his decision to put $425 million into the rainy day fund rather than use that money for priorities like water and education. “What Arizona needs is a Governor who takes the COVID-19 pandemic and our school fund-

ing crisis seriously,” Rios said in a press statement. Bolding and Rios also criticized Ducey for his three-year proposal on water investment, saying it could simply be undone by his successor and by future legislatures, and for criticizing President Joe Biden’s spending policies while using federal dollars to fund his proposed summer camp for learning loss during the pandemic. Other major items in Ducey’s budget plan include: • $127 million in new spending on higher education, including $10 million to cover free tuition for veterans’ spouses; $12.5 million for the scholarship grant Arizona Promise Program; $25.7 million for a pub-

lic-private partnership with Creighton University for a nursing program; and $46 million for a university program to train students for future high-demand jobs. • $8.2 million for rising caseload costs at Adult Protective Services. • $24.6 million expand the monthly kinship stipend to foster families from $75 to $300, and increase the monthly allowance for the foster children from $63.45 to $126.90. • $247 million for salary increases for state employees, including $30.8 million to increase salaries for Department of Public Safety troopers. • $92.9 million for infrastructure needs in the Arizona Department

of Corrections, Re-entry and Rehabilitation. • $2.4 million for the deactivation of the Arizona State Prison, including the relocation of the inmates housed at the prison. • $176.7 million for state parks, an initiative aimed at increasing rural tourism. That figure includes $118 million in federal funding. The governor’s budget projects a cash balance of about $1 billion remaining at the end of the fiscal year. He expects state revenues to hit nearly $13.8 billion during fiscal year 2023. This article originally appeared on azmirror. com, a nonprofit online news agency.

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

Ducey: ‘too much attention put on masks and not nearly enough put on math’ Continued from P1

“Many of our poor kids and children of color are trapped in a failing school, it’s time to set these families free,” Ducey said. “This session, let’s expand school choice any way we can—greater open enrollment, new transportation models, more charter schools, and more educational freedom for families, especially those in failing schools, or who can’t afford to pick up and move to a new neighborhood.” Ducey made the case that parents should have more options when deciding where to enroll

their children. Rather than focusing on educational standards, Ducey used masking and critical race theory as primary reasons for parental choice. “There’s been too much attention put on masks and not nearly enough put on math,” Ducey said. This was one of the few times Ducey acknowledged mitigation strategies relating to the pandemic. He had very little to say about the current spike in COVID cases at the address, which occurred on the same day the Arizona Department of Health Services announced “Arizona has seen more COVID-19

cases in the past week than any other week of the pandemic.” While Ducey has discouraged mask use in schools, masks have been shown to keep kids in the classroom. A collaborative study between the Pima County Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control found that K-12 schools without masking policies were 3.5 times more likely to have a COVID outbreak. Ducey also proposed an educational summer camp in June to help kids who may have fallen behind due to the pandemic, but Arizona State Rep. Andres Cano, who represents Tucson, said this

February is Heart Health Month. Let’s get moving! Let’s take advantage of the fabulous southern Arizona weather, and get moving! Regardless of your age or athletic ability, here are a few suggestions that may help you to keep your heart healthy. • Park your vehicle in a parking space that is further from your destination so that you are forced to walk a few steps further.

• Take your family out for a walk around your neighborhood. • If you’re a pet lover but don’t have one of your own, see if you can walk your neighbor’s dog. • Ride your bike instead of your car on a day when you don’t have to go an exceptional distance. Don’t forget your helmet! • If you have children, try jump roping

or hop scotch. These classic games are sure to get your heart pumping and you can involve your kids. • Turn on music and try to dance through two or three of your favorite songs. With these easy and fun activities you can get moving and will surely feel the benefits from a little physical activity.

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summer camp proposal was a small Band-Aid on a larger issue. “It’s absolute comedy for the governor to think that trying to rebuild the last two years that we’ve seen, kids not being able to go into the classroom in some instances, is going to all be made up with Ducey summer camp,” Cano said. Cano said Ducey failed to mention an impending crisis for schools related to a spending cap and the COVID outbreak in his address. Because increased spending on education is limited to a formula related to inflation and population growth, schools across Arizona

may not be able to spend more than a billion dollars that they will receive this year. Unless lawmakers lift the cap, districts could face a financial crunch that would result in schools closing early. For example, Tucson Unified School District could be prohibited from spending $60 million that it will receive. “I think there are a number of issues that are wrong with Governor Ducey’s K 12 policy right now,” Cano said. “He incentivizes communities that are performing better on tests and we know that the teach-to-test model ultimately harms our lower-income schools.”

Ducey said he remains committed to cutting taxes. Last year, he persuaded lawmakers to adopt a flat income tax which taxes every Arizonan 2.5% when fully phased in. While education advocates and other groups point out the tax cuts will overwhelmingly benefit Arizona’s highest earners and collected enough signatures to force a referendum on the tax cuts this November, some Republican lawmakers are now pushing to repeal the tax cuts to block the referendum and then pass the cuts over again. Continued on P23

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

BUSINESS CALENDAR EMAIL DETAILS FOR YOUR BIZ EVENTS TO SHERYL@TUCSONLOCALMEDIA.COM

Thursday, Jan. 20

• The Tucson LGBT Chamber of Commerce holds its January Breakfast. Details: 8-9:30 a.m.; Zoom link sent on registration; $10 suggested donation to benefit the non-profit of the month; tucsonlgbtchamber. org. • Southern Arizona SCORE offers a webinar on 10 Key Steps to Grow Your Solo Business. Details: 11 a.m.; free; southernarizona. score.org. • The Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce holds a ribbon cutting at Oro Valley Acupuncture. Details: 4 p.m.; 190 W. Magee Road, Ste. 142; orovalleychamber.com. • The Rotary Club of Dove Mountain meets. Details: 5-6 p.m.; Highlands

of Dove Mountain Clubhouse; 4949 W. Heritage Club Blvd.; dovemountainrotary.org.

maranachamber.com.

Wednesday, Jan. 26

• Arizona Sands Club meets with local business spotlight, education and networking. Details: 9-10 a.m.; UA Football Stadium, 565 N. Cherry Ave., 5th Floor; 520Tuesday, Jan. 25 621-7674 or clubcorp.com. • The Rotary Club of • The Oro Valley ChamMarana meets (weekly). ber of Commerce holds a Details: 7 a.m.; Northwest Fire Dept., 5125 W. Camino 2-year anniversary ribbon de Fuego (in person first 3 cutting at Profile by SanTuesdays of the month); via ford. Details: 4 p.m.; 1865 E. River Road, Ste. 121; Zoom (first 4 Tuesdays of the month); maranarotary. orovalleychamber.com. org or text 520-909-9162 for virtual meeting Through Feb. 3 information. • The American Advertis• The Marana Chamber ing Federation Tucson calls of Commerce holds its 4th for entries for Tucson Top Tuesday Mixer. Details: 5-7 Fifty! American Advertising p.m.; Westward Look Wyn- Awards. Details: $75-$125, dham Grand Resort, 245 $50 students; aaftucson.org/ E. Ina Road; $10, members aaf-addy-awards. free; 520-682-4314 or

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Robotic semi-truck completes ‘no human’ trip between Tucson, Casa Grande Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

n December 22, 2021, a semi-truck drove the I-10 from Tucson to Casa Grande without any humans on board. This trip was the culmination of years of road tests for the autonomous trucking company TuSimple, which plans to operate an eventual fleet of thousands of self-driving semis beginning in 2024. TuSimple’s trucks have already conducted multiple trips between Tucson and Phoenix, as well as into Texas and Florida. However, these trips have always included two humans on board, even if they weren’t steering. The Dec. 22 trip, which was an 80-mile run between the Port of Tucson and a retail distribution center, was the first of TuSimple’s “driver out” tests. And more are on their way. “Last year we were so focused on getting this driver-out test, and there was a lot of pressure to get it done, so it was really exciting to get it done before the holidays and start 2022 off on the right foot,” said Jason Wallace, director of marketing for TuSimple. “There’s a lot of moving parts. We have to work with the Arizona [Department of Trans-

portation] and law enforcement. Although it is on the open road, it is supervised by law enforcement and it’s not something we can do anytime we want. It has to be wellorchestrated.” During the driver-out trip (also codenamed “Ghost Rider”), the autonomous truck was accompanied by three other vehicles. The caravan comprised another TuSimple truck with humans onboard some five miles in front to watch out for irregularities on the road, a TuSimple van a half-mile behind the autonomous truck, and finally an unmarked law enforcement vehicle at the back. The drive took place at night, both due to reduced traffic, and according to Wallace, for an added challenge. “If you do this test during the day, I don’t know if it’s assumed you can do it at night. But our feeling was if you do it at night, it’s assumed you can do it during the day,” Wallace said. “We felt the AI system had to be at a very mature state before we removed the driver from the cockpit. The system had to be capable of surface streets, highways, lane changes, cut-ins, emergency vehicles, on ramps and off ramps and more.” TuSimple plans to con-

tinue these trips through the first half of 2022 on a monthly basis. However, there are still a number of tests and advancements needed for the technology. “There’s still a lot of challenges to overcome in this field,” said Hao Xin, a University of Arizona professor of electrical and computer engineering, and co-founder of the automotive radar company LuneWave. “One of them is perception: How are you going to be able to provide better-than-human perception in these systems? That’s a big thing we’re working on [at LuneWave]. There’s also control within the self-driving algorithm. But beyond science and engineering, there’s work that needs to be done in policy and regulation.” Tucson-based LuneWave develops automotive radar sensor systems for autonomous vehicles. Their specialty antennas provide a 360 degree field of view, and can see nearly 1,000 feet in the distance. Because LuneWave’s sensors also view in 3D, they can be useful for autonomous drones as well as cars. “I think a big reason there is so much of this in Tucson is that the state of Arizona is advanced and progressive in terms of policy and encouraging

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

companies,” Xin said. “And once you start to have a cluster of these types of companies, more companies come in. It’s a positive feedback effect.” LuneWave has also been conducting road tests throughout Tucson for multiple years, retrofitting vehicles with their “sensor suites” that utilize radar, cameras, and LIDAR. Xin has personally seen how this technology can make for safer and more efficient roads. “Most traffic accidents are caused by human error,” Xin said. “So assisted driving and eventually autonomous driving will be very beneficial for avoiding this, and I think it’s actually a hugely underestimated part of the field.” While this technology may eventually threaten job

security for truckers, it can also solve current problems in the industry. In 2017, the American Trucking Association reported the trucking industry was short roughly 50,000 drivers. Estimates also include the shortage growing to more than 175,000 by 2026. ATA blamed these shortages on an aging driver population, lifestyle issues, and regulatory challenges. “This on-demand economy that we’re living in and all enjoy, where you can order something online and have it delivered tomorrow, is placing extreme strain on the supply chain in general, even outside of COVID,” Wallace said. “The pandemic has exacerbated the issue, but these consumer behaviors are driving the need for the supply chain to become more efficient.

There’s a really high demand for this technology.” TuSimple’s next goals include being able to operate in cold weather, and automating multiple “lanes.” By lanes, the company is referring to one point to another. The Dec. 22 trip was to a single destination. However, the company plans to have their self-driving trucks be able to pick up freight and drive between multiple cities all without humans on board. “The entire supply chain for this technology is still relatively young. So it’s really important for us to continue to work with manufacturers and developers to help evolve the supply chain as a whole,” Wallace said. Although the self-driving semi-trucks are TuSimple’s most tangible endeav-

Photo courtesy of TuSimple

TuSimple’s “Ghost Rider” autonomous truck navigated the I-10, on ramps, off ramps and surface streets without any human intervention. or, Wallace says they are “fundamentally a software company.” To this end, TuSimple recently announced a new collaboration with computer and microchip company Nvidia. In this partnership, TuSimple and

Nvidia are co-developing the “computational brain” of the trucks’ computers. “We’re no longer 100% reliant on suppliers to create the hardware for our system,” Wallace said. “We’re now involved in

co-developing the brain. And that’s a huge step for us because it will make sure the hardware meets the demands of our software. In a sense, we’re in control of our own destiny.”

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

DANGEROUS ALLEGATIONS

ormer president Donald Trump’s continued refusal to accept the 2020 election results is irresponsible and can have very dangerous consequences for the safety of our current president. Only once in the 20th century has a defeated presidential candidate alleged that the election was stolen; Richard Nixon after his defeat to John Kennedy. Nixon’s claim was generally based on the Illinois election results that showed him to have lost to Kennedy by 8,858 votes out of a total of almost 5 million. It was Illinois’ electoral college votes that swung a very close election in Kennedy’s favor. Nixon’s post-election furor of a stolen election quickly faded into 1961, but the shadow of a stolen election followed Kennedy. Even though Trump’s claim of election fraud has not been supported by the general news media, in Kennedy’s case, the media through a series of articles that appeared in prominent newspapers continued to suggest a stolen election. Many years later, an investigation could not uncover any evidence of election fraud to the extent it would have changed the results of the 1960 election. However, this controversy created an appearance of illegitimacy surrounding the Kennedy presidency which fueled many of the hate groups of his day. Before Kennedy’s assassination, there were many hate groups

that despised Kennedy for many reasons, including his efforts to dismantle the Jim Crow laws in the South; his attempts to rein in the power of the CIA; his refusal to invade Cuba, which led to the belief that Kennedy was soft on communism. Spreading false information, as quoted recently by a high Biden official, “kindles the crazies out there” to do dangerous things. Trump needs to drop his unsubstantiated election claims in order to remove any shadow of illegitimacy on our President before he inspires another “lone nut.” Robert Martinez Marana

SINEMA IS A DISGRACE

lain and simple, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is a joke. She is McConnell’s Handmaiden. She needs to work to abolish the filibuster. She never holds town meetings with her constituents. What is she hiding? I have written numerous letters. If she responds at all, it is with a multi paged non-answer. I have asked for, and not received, a time study of what she does. No response. I am a life-long Democrat. She is a disgrace to Democrats, democracy, Arizona, America and humanity. McSally was at least honest.

Stephen Donovan Oro Valley

READER PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Reader Mike Ellwood took this great photo of a Cooper’s Hawk in Oro Valley. The hawk has been dubbed the “crossing guard” for obvious reasons. Send your photos to readerphotos@tucsonlocalmedia. com. Include your name, contact information and details about the photo, including who took it, where it was taken and the subject. Not all photos can be printed. See other photos online at www. tucsonlocalmedia.com.

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

TOWN TALK

The next steps in local business recovery

Paul Melcher

Special to Tucson Local Media

upport of the business community must be more than a vague promise of responsiveness and attention: it requires a definitive plan to understand that community’s needs, take specific actions to address them, and collaborate to monitor results. This is especially true in a time when our community and our nation are still working to recover and rebuild from the economic impacts of COVID-19. During the first year of the pandemic, the Town of Oro Valley enhanced its already robust business support strategies via the OVSafeSteps program. Responding to business challenges of operating with business restrictions, the Town distributed nearly $1 million in financial assistance (made available through CARES Act dollars) to local businesses with 50 or fewer employees for PPE reimbursement, marketing cost reimbursement, IT and marketing coaching, and business

support. The relationships we built and the momentum we generated through this program were so successful, we wanted to make certain that even when the funding ran out, we were still working to maintain those relationships and continue supporting local businesses in Oro Valley. Capitalizing on the momentum from OV Safe Steps and looking to a post-pandemic economy, the Town has created a more formal business support strategy: OV Next Steps. Strategy details, which I’ll discuss in further detail below, include broadening of our existing Business Retention and Expansion Program; increased communication with local businesses; and partnering with our Chamber of Commerce to sponsor an annual Business Summit. Our Business Retention and Expansion Program includes Town staff visiting businesses every Monday— oftentimes accompanied by Councilmembers and Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce staff. Our goal, as Community and Economic De-

velopment staff, is to visit at least 200 businesses each year. Having members of Council along during the visit allows business owners a personal opportunity to provide insights into what things are impacting busing operations. As a complement to the personal visits, staff will be conducting annual business surveys to get additional information regarding workforce, business viability and resiliency, and other factors impacting Oro Valley businesses. These business visits, along with business and community surveys, have yielded actionable information. For example, as a result of business and community feedback, Oro Valley Town Council recently approved amendments to the Town Code related to parking, which included a provision to allow for permanent expanded outdoor seating in parking lots and to recognize changing parking needs based on consumers picking up both retail and restaurant orders. Additionally, in response to business owner and customer comments that certain

types of signs are effective and that certain confusing provisions need to be simplified, the Planning Division staff is working to create a proposal to amend the Town’s sign code. Our OV Safe Steps outreach efforts resulted in an updated and expanded business email database that has enabled us to improve our communication efforts, notifying businesses about resources, events and support services available to them. Lastly, partnering with the Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce to sponsor an annual Business Summit is an additional means of engaging with and hearing from the business community, fostering business owner collaboration, networking and idea generation. The first annual Business Summit took place Jan. 6, and was attended by more than 80 local business leaders. That’s a great start for a first-time event! The Summit agenda included marketing, branding, and workforce sessions. Topics were selected based on feedback from business assis-

tance surveys and visits. Critical to the success of a community-wide effort to support local business is an active and well-respected Chamber of Commerce. The Town’s ongoing partnership with the Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce stands as testimony to a shared vision and authentic partnership. The OV Chamber has been instrumental in our efforts, both pre- and post-pandemic. As I bring this article to a close, I am reminded that some residents may still be wondering why local government is so invested in supporting local business. Chamber President/CEO Dave Perry is often asked the same question, to which he aptly responds: Our Chamber believes business success and community well-being walk handin-hand. Strong communities need healthy businesses; business is better when Oro Valley residents are thriving. The further result is that when all is well, government has the sufficient revenues to provide the services we all enjoy in Oro Valley—outstanding public safety, good roads, adequate and safe drinking water, superior parks, recreation and trails. Town staff, the mayor

and council recognize that it’s all connected. When business is good and residents thrive, everyone benefits. That is why our OV Next Steps strategies are so important in a time of economic recovery. And don’t forget that each of us, whether we live or work here in Oro Valley, have an opportunity to contribute to our community’s success by shopping locally. Oro Valley as a community is experiencing renewed prosperity because of the unique and collaborative relationship between the Town and local businesses. Not wanting to take the business community for granted, members of the Town Council and staff are committed to furthering this relationship by creating strategies that build on the lessons learned during the beginning of the pandemic. We are creating outreach and action plans based on business needs, and we’re collaborating to create strategies that promote future success of our businesses, and thereby, success of Oro Valley. Paul Melcher is director of Community and Economic Development for the Town of Oro Valley

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

Parish owner brings a little southern comfort to downtown with The Delta Matt Russell

Special to Tucson Local Media

he seed was likely planted when Travis Peters was a punk-rocking teenager, wearing an Operation Ivy band T-shirt and shredding around the streets of downtown Tucson on his skateboard. He was a regular fixture on the downtown punk and boarding scene long before he captured the nation’s attention as a multiple award-winning chef and Food Network star. Though he opened his first restaurant on the northwest side a decade ago, The Parish, his connection to downtown remained strong. And just last week, he opened his second restaurant on the same street where he used to shred as a kid. The Delta, located at 135 S. Sixth Avenue in the re-imagined space that was formerly Janos Wilder’s DOWNTOWN Kitchen & Cocktails, is Peters’ and his business partners’ nod to genuine southern hospitality and “a healthy dose of spirited swagger.”

As Peters points out, both of his restaurants are inspired by southern traditions. But The Delta’s menu is dominated by smaller, tapas-style dishes in a setting that pays tribute to the music culture of America’s big cities. “Try to imagine The Parish’s punk rock cousin, who grew up in Los Angeles rock clubs, won the lottery, moved to the South, bought an old swanky joint and turned it into a chef-driven bar and grill, that’s The Delta,” he said. So what does swank look like at the center of the plate? The Big D is Peters’ response, “a most ridiculous sandwich” as he defines it. The “Big D” comes with a smoked and Dr. Pepper-braised bone-in beef rib on a locally baked baguette, with an andouille sausage aioli, habanero-dill pickles, pickled vegetables, fermented, dehydrated and fried Shitake mushrooms and crispy beef tendons. This is especially good news to me as you just can’t find decent beef tendons these days. When the dish is deliv-

ered to the table, the server effortlessly pulls the bone from the meat and sets it alongside the plate. Another salute to the swank is The Delta’s Stuffed Pork Rib Crown, a full rack of brined and smoked pork ribs turned up on its side with the ends fastened together with “meat glue.” Peters stuffs fried tater tots in the middle of the circle of ribs and tops them with pimiento cheese, two kinds of barbecue sauce, crumbled pork rinds, pickled onions and blueberries, and jalapenos that are fried with onions and soy sauce. Excuse me, but how in the world does a guest even begin to attack this dish? “This one clearly comes with a steak knife,” he said. “The ribs are standing straight up and down so you can see where you need to cut.” You can just imagine the accelerating landslide of saucy tots as each rib is eliminated. But what about those smaller plates that are said to define The Delta’s distinctness? Peters has you covered,

Photo by Javier Castillo.

The “Big D” comes with a smoked and Dr. Pepper-braised bone-in beef rib on a locally baked baguette. with nearly 20 dishes ranging from a Giant Chicharron to a Crispy Pig Tail Confit. There’s also a Roasted Forbes Bone Marrow, with an upcharge for the “Bourbon Luge,” of course. “This is a place for sharing, a place to enjoy food and drinks with the people you love,” he said. Operation Ivy, that punk band that Peters loved in

his youth, recorded a song in 1989 called “Gonna Find You” which promises, “If you can’t find a place it’s gonna find you.” While Travis Peters wasn’t necessarily looking for The Delta as a kid on a skateboard, I believe that it found him. And now we’ve found a fun new place to get our swank and swagger on.

Contact Matt Russell, whose day job is CEO of Russell Public Communications, at mrussell@russellpublic. com. Russell is also the publisher of OnTheMenuLive. com as well as the host of the Friday Weekend Watch segment on the “Buckmaster Show” on KVOI 1030 AM.

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

EN INGS HAPP EN

Susanna Phillips with Grammy-nominated True Concord Voices & Orchestra at the uplifting concert “From Silenced Visit www.tucsonlocalmedia.com/livenup/calendar to submit your free calendar listing. to Singing.” Details: 7 p.m. Friday; For event advertising, contact us (520) 797-4384 or tlmsales@tucsonlocalmedia.com Valley Presbyterian Church, 2800 S. Camino del Sol, Green Valley; 7:30 Tucson’s reFRESH Winter Concert Smith and the Relic of Doom. Elton John starring father and son in partnership with the Tucson Desert Details: 7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, team of Terry and Nick Davies. Details: p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday; FRIDAY TO SUNDAY, JAN. Song Festival Celebrating Women in 6 and 8:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 7:30 p.m.; DesertView Performing Catalina Foothills High School, 2130 Song and Dance with three entertain- and 6 p.m. Sunday; Gaslight Theatre, Arts Center, 39900 S. Clubhouse Drive; 4300 E. Sunrise Drive; $27-$52; • Don’t miss the Next Stage Theatre trueconcord.org. ing works that fit perfectly with this 7010 E. Broadway Blvd.; $27; $15 $30; 520-825-2818. Southwest presentation of David Ives’ year’s festival theme featuring guest children; 520-886-9428 or thegasBroadway smash Venus in Fur in a artist Broadway legend Ann Hampton lighttheatre.com. . SUNDAY, JAN. 23 spooky, sensual, sexy and scintillating Callaway. Details: 7 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. • Enjoy the Oracle Piano Society tale. Details: 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 Saturday-Sunday; Leo Rich Theater, Signature Series featuring pianist p.m. Saturday-Sunday; Arizona Rose 260 S. Church Ave.; $50; ticketmaster. FRIDAY, JAN. 21 Cathal Breslin. Details: 3 p.m.; SATURDAY, JAN. 22 • Get a Pink Floyd experience at Shine Oracle Center for the Arts, 700 E. Theatre, 4500 N. Oracle Road, Suite com or ballettucson.org. • Browse thousands of all types of yarn On Floyd with all their classics. De329; $25; arttickets.yapsody.com. Kingston St., Oracle; $30, students skeins at the Old Pueblo Knitters Guild tails: 7 p.m.; Berger Performing Arts TUESDAY TO SUNDAY free; oraclepianosociety.org. Yarn Sale. Details: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; St. Center, 1200 W. Speedway Blvd.; $30; • Enjoy a performance of pre-eminent THURSDAY TO SUNDAY THROUGH FEB. 5 Francis in the Foothills Church, 4625 E. THROUGH JAN. 23 • Catch a performance of the hilarious 602-750-7268 or shineonfloyd.com. jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves presented River Road; free admission. • Bring the kids and grandma to the comedy Women in Jeopardy! about by the Tucson Jazz Festival. Details: 7 Zoppe Family Circus at their return the value of friendship and the poten- FRIDAY AND SUNDAY, JAN. p.m.; Leo Rich Theater, 260 S. Church DAILY JAN. 24FEB. 18 21 AND 23 to the Big Top with a unique blend of tial value of trading in wine glasses Ave.; $65-$80; ticketmaster.com. • Browse many types of mineral acrobatics, humor and family enterfor spy glasses when the mid-life cri- • Enjoy the Tucson Symphony products and fossils at the Madatainment. Details: 7 p.m. Thursday; sis just isn’t your speed. Details: 7:30 Orchestra presentation of Mahler’s WEDNESDAY, JAN. 26 gascar Minerals Gem Show open Vision of Paradise featuring con10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday; 1, 4 and 7 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday (additional • Enjoy the unforgettable tribute to the public and wholesale dealers. ductor José Luis Gomez and soprano Dean Z is Elvis honoring the historic p.m. Saturday; 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday; matinee performances on select Details: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; 201 W. Lester Mercado District, 221 S. Avenida del dates), 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday; Temple Nicole Cabell. Details: 7:30 p.m. legacy of Elvis Presley in a show St.; free admission; 520-882-8884 or Friday, 2 p.m. Sunday; Tucson Music that has been performed in historic Convento; $25-$50; 520-471-1106 or of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave.; madagascarminerals.com. Hall, 260 S. Church Ave.; $17-$83; mercadodistrict.com. $40-$73; arizonatheatre.org. theaters and other countries. Details: ticketmaster.com. 7:30 p.m.; DesertView Performing TUESDAY TO SUNDAY, JAN. THURSDAY TO SUNDAY Arts Center, 39900 S. Clubhouse Drive; FRIDAY TO SUNDAY, JAN. 26FEB. 6 $30; 520-825-2818. THROUGH FEB. 12 2123 • Get your tickets now for the popular • Catch a performance of one of Neil • Catch a performance of award-win- THURSDAY, JAN. 27 musical Wicked with a look at what FRIDAY, JAN. 21 Simon’s most celebrated comedies ning legendary The Sons of happened in the Land of Oz but from Rumors about a dinner party gone • Create your own bird oasis with • Enjoy stunning vocals, a collection the Pioneers who have forever a different angle long before Dorothy topsy-turvy and the confusions and tips for AZ Plant Lady Noelle of new original songs and an iconic transformed cowboy music with arrives presented by Broadway in Tuc- miscommunications that ensue. indie band at a performance of Joan Johnson at the online Tucson son. Details: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thurs- Details: 7:30 Thursday-Friday, 3 p.m. their thrilling harmonies and poetic Osborne & The Weepies. Details: Botanical Gardens class Gardening day, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Sunday; Live Theatre Workshop, 3322 images of the West. Details: 6 p.m. 7:30 p.m.; Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress for Birds in the Desert. Details: Friday, 2 and 6 p.m. Saturday-SunSaturday, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday; UA E. Fort Lowell Road; $23; 520-32710 a.m.-noon; Zoom link provided; St.; $28-$53; foxtucson.com. day; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University $30, discount for members; 5204242 or livetheatreworkshop.org. Oracle Road; $31-$40; 520-529Blvd.; $43-$140; broadwayintucson. 326-9686. FRIDAY TO SUNDAY, JAN. 1000 or gaslightmusichall.com. com or ticketmaster.com. TUESDAY TO SUNDAY 2830 SATURDAY, JAN. 22 • Celebrate women’s voices with a THROUGH MARCH 27 SATURDAY, JAN. 22 FRIDAY TO SUNDAY, JAN. • Let container gardening expert • Don’t miss the Gaslight’s favorite program that includes the world • Listen to Piano Men: Generations premier of Jocelyn Hagen’s work 2830 Marylee Pangman share her decades hero returning with more thrills featuring The Music of Billy Joel & • Catch a performance of Ballet of experience to help you choose the in the musical adventure Arizona featuring international opera star

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WEDNESDAY, JAN. 26

• Join award-winning landscape designer Jason Isenberg at Petscapes for tips on aesthetically-pleasing and safe landscape solutions for your four-legged friends. Details: 10 a.m.-noon; Zoom link provided; $30, discount for members; 520-326-9686 or tucsonbotanical.org. • Explore Botanical Art in Watercolor: Desert Lupine at the online Tucson Botanical Gardens class led by illustrator Adela Antoinette. Details: 5:30-7 p.m.; Zoom link provided; $30, discount for members; 520-326-9686 or tucsonbotanical.org.

CHILDREN

SUNDAY, JAN. 23 AND 30, FEB. 6

• Bring the kids to Jack and the Beanstalk and other adventures in folklore presented by the Red Herring Puppets. Details: 2 p.m.; Tucson Mall, 4500 N. Oracle Road; $8; 520-6356535 or redherringpuppets.com.

SUNDAYS THROUGH FEB. 20

• Take a Hike with siblings Jamie and Dylan who embark on a journey to find their way back to their moms and begin to understand what it truly means to call a place home. Details: 1 p.m.; Live Theatre Workshop Children’s Theatre, 3322 E. Fort Lowell Road; $12, $10 children; 520-327-4242.

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

SPORTS EXTRA POINT WITH TOM DANEHY &RECREATION

Northwest athletes had a good weekend at Flowing Wells wrestling invitational Tom Danehy

Special to Tucson Local Media

yndon Johnson was President of the United States when Flowing Wells High School held its first wrestling invitational. The Vietnam War was raging, baseball was actually America’s favorite sport (no, really!), and humans hadn’t yet walked on the Moon. Last weekend, Flowing Wells held it 55th wrestling invitational, a sprawling

effort at the Tucson Community Center that included teams from nearly 100 schools from across Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Nearly 600 wrestlers (mostly boys, but a significant number of girls) took part in the two-day event that is one of the largest of its kind anywhere. It was truly a spectacle, with eight giant wrestling mats laid out on the TCC floor and competitions running nonstop over the twoday extravaganza. How the

organizers kept it running so smoothly is a marvel. It’s always interesting to see how parents act at different sporting events. Football parents are different from volleyball parents and soccer parents are different from baseball parents. Wrestling parents are hilarious. It seems as though every wrestling dad was once a wrestler himself and they all know what their kid has to do to come out on top…so to speak. I stood up on the top lev-

el of the TCC and listened as a burly man shouted instructions to his son on the arena floor hundreds of feet away. “Turn him…don’t let him get that hold…no, I said turn him!...don’t let him turn you…keep the pressure on…don’t use that hold… use the one I taught you…” That last remark is the obvious kiss of death, and sure enough, the kid got pinned. The dad lamented that the kid hadn’t listened. I was curious, so I went

and asked a few wrestlers if they could actually hear what parents and/or other fans were shouting at them when they were in the heat of competition. One kid told me that he was so focused, so in a zone, that he couldn’t hear anything, including the instructions being given by his coach a few feet away. But another kid said that he hears everything, the entire cacophony of voices with conflicting advice and cheers and rants. The Invitational started

a long time ago, even before the adoption of Title IX, the landmark legislation that made opportunities in sports equal for boys and girls in schools that receive money from the federal government. It has taken decades for Title IX to become part of the fabric of American sports and, sadly, it is still not universally applied and accepted. What’s interesting is that girls began getting equal treatment (or something close to it) in sports like

basketball and volleyball relatively early on. It wasn’t all that hard to incorporate equal opportunities for girls and women into track and field and other so-called Olympic sports (tennis, swimming, badminton). But some sports remained closed off, with opposition to inclusion coming from both men and some women. Amazingly, girls were allowed on football teams before they were allowed to wrestle. And some of the first female wrestlers, if they wanted to compete at all, were forced to wrestle against boys, with predictable results. But now, wrestling for girls is a thing and it’s fun to watch. Competition is sometimes ragged, but parental and teammate support is top-notch. This was the first year that girls were given the opportunity to compete for a team title in the Invitational. The Arizona Interscholastic Association approved team competition for the sport last year. Before that, girls just competed on an individual basis. While perennial powerhouse Sunnyside again won the boys team championship at the Flowing Wells Invitational (astonishingly, it’s their 31st team title in the history of the event), a couple Northwest schools came

away with Top 10 finishes. Ironwood Ridge finished ninth overall, while Canyon Del Oro was close behind in 10th. The Canyon Del Oro girls grabbed eighth place in the final standings. Charles Croci of CDO had the best finish for a Northwest boy, finishing second in the 150-pound class. On the girls side, Canyon Del Oro’s Mylei Seigla won the 132-pound championship, while Marana’s Makayla Roebuck grabbed third place in the 152-pound category. The season is nearing its conclusion. There are a couple big invitationals in Phoenix and then the sectional meets to determine who gets to go to State. The sectional site for the boys is scheduled for Feb. 12, with Marana Mountain View serving as the host site. According to the AIA website, the sectional sites for girls are still to be determined. While it is unlikely that any school will be able to break the stranglehold that Sunnyside holds on wrestling for both boys and girls, wrestlers from CDO, Marana, Ironwood Ridge, and Mountain View are looking to make a good showing heading up to and including the boys’ and girls’ State tournaments.

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

Athlete of the week: CDO’s Cruz Barreda Tom Danehy

Special to Tucson Local Media

ruz Barreda is sitting in the Marana team section at the Tucson Community Center, talking with a friend of his on the Tiger squad. Barreda’s wearing his Canyon del Oro stuff, repping his school at the Flowing Wells Invitational, the monster twoday showcase that featured almost 100 teams from all over the Southwest. The 146-pounder had hoped to compete in the event, but he lost a wrestle-off to a teammate and the best he could do on that day was show up and support his teammates. This is the reality for many high-school athletes. The dreams are all the same, but the results can vary wildly. But 90% of sports, as in life, is just showing up. He’s there, taking it all in and wishing that he could be out there. Barreda is a junior on the Dorados squad. He also plays football and claims— with a straight face!—that he played nose tackle on the JV football team. Nose tackles, even in high school, tend to be built more like a

sumo wrestler than…well, a 146-pound wrestler. But he doesn’t budge from the story and swears that he will play that position on the varsity next year. He’s a good student and a hard worker. His favorite subject is History and he likes to spend his spare time playing the “Call of Duty” video game. While he chats with his friend, his eyes are on the eight mats that are laid out on the TCC floor. Seven of them are being used for boys’ matches and one for the girls. He thinks that it’s cool that girls are wrestling, breaking into what has long been one of the more macho sports.

This season has been better than last year’s COVID-ravaged season, but there is still the Sword of Damocles hanging over things. There are only a couple weeks left in the regular season before the sectionals at Marana Mountain View. In that time, Barreda has to find a way to beat out one or more of his teammates for a coveted spot in the sectionals and perhaps a chance to make it to State. When asked which sport he prefers, his answer is quick and sure. “Definitely wrestling,” he says. “I like the fact that it’s an individual sport. You can see how the work you put in leads to results, either positive or negative. Team sports are cool,

but you can’t always tell what kind of impact you’re having on the team’s success. In wrestling, it’s right there.” He’s hoping that he can finish out the season strong. Like just about every highschool athlete in America, he’s hoping that COVID doesn’t shut things down for a second straight year. (High-school administrators are doing all they can to see to it that that doesn’t happen.) Barreda is going to put in the work over these next couple weeks, hoping to defy the odds. That’s what high-school sports is about. And if not this year, then maybe next.

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

HOROSCOPE By Holiday Mathis

43 46

49 53

47 50

ACROSS “___ fair in love and war” 5 Is down with 8 Loved, loved, loved 13 Edible part of a taro plant 14 “SOS!” 15 Place for pigeons to sit 16 Unit of 17-Across 17 See 16-Across 18 Shade akin to cream 19 Speculations that don’t pay off 22 Start of a tax form 23 Firework’s path 24 Like the anagram “I’ll make a wise phrase” for “William Shakespeare” 25 Journeys for people who are relocating 32 Boast 34 Landed 35 “City Without Walls” poet 36 Early DVR device 1

42 45

DOWN

Type of horse known for endurance riding 2 High regard for one’s hometown, say 3 Act high and mighty toward 4 Gertrude who wrote “Rose is a rose is a rose …” 5 “Take this!” 6 Draft choices 7 Expectorated 8 Canadian birthplace of Rae Dawn Chong and Michael J. Fox 9 Young love 10 Make tweaks to 11 Boots from Down Under 12 Difference between icky and picky? 14 Some fine cigars 20 ___-Latin (language of the Vatican) 21 Shortest month of the year 24 Assume the role of 26 Beethoven’s “Für ___” 27 Cather who wrote “O Pioneers!” 28 Website? 29 Un-screw-up-able 30 Longhaired feline 31 Piques 33 Leading role in the “X-Men” films 38 Abolitionist Thaddeus 41 Battle of Britain attack 45 Low island or reef 46 Cry between “ready” and “go” 50 Bacteria-inhibiting drug 51 ___ wrestling 52 Skin-care brand 53 ___ and void 54 Volume of Horace 55 Answer to the riddle “What can go up and down without moving?” 56 Popular game with virtual people, with “The” 57 Scribble (down) 1

65 Followers of morns

Accumulating bank deposits?

39 One responsive

to voice commands 40 Writer ___ Rogers St. Johns 42 Cut of a dress, maybe 43 Large number 44 Some court winners 47 “___ but a scratch!” 48 Obama ___ (2009-17) 49 High-end Italian scooter 51 Sign in some clothing stores … or a hint to 19-, 25- and 44-Across 57 Louis-Dreyfus of “Veep” 58 Japanese noodle 59 Centers of activity 60 Citizen of Muscat 61 Meadows 62 Head of a brewery? 63 Messed around (with) 64 Subject of Netflix’s “Have a Good Trip”

Know Us, Know Your Community

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). It is silly to wait until something is wrong to do the thing you enjoy. You don’t need excuses to take part in whatever you think is fun. Flexing your creativity doesn’t have to be an indulgence. Why not make something just because you want to? It could be the very best reason. Your work will produce satisfying results. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’re observant because you have the energy for it. You’re comfortable in your skin and therefore aren’t preoccupied with thoughts about yourself and how you’re coming across; this allows you to focus on the world. You’ll notice what others don’t, and you’ll turn these observations into opportunities. CANCER (June 22-July 22). It’s a week of daring questions. You could ask, “What are you really saying?”You could ask, “What world do you live in?”You could ask, “Why?” Of all the answers you get, it will be your own answer to these questions that’s the most interesting to unpack. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’re not going to come up with everything on your own because no one does. Furthermore, your associations will matter. Maybe name-dropping is a cheap move, but when you need more clout, it’s an effective one. Collaboration is the spirit of the week. Include others and enjoy what happens next. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You would like to instantly provide what others need; however, even if it were possible, it wouldn’t be healthy. You are not a magic genie. It creates co-dependency to let others think of you this way. Serve your own interests up front; it will put you in a position to do more for others. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’re in the mood to spend! To prevent buyer’s remorse, be savvy to the tricks of marketing. Bulk discount buys and

Crossword Puzzle Answers

U P G E G E S

E D I T

S N I T S

T E E N C R U S H

S I M S

P E R S I A N C A T

I D I O T P R O O F

S U L F A

S A P L A B T M E A R A Y T T A T S I T C E S V E R E T O N A S D

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). The map is just a guideline. When it tells you something different from what you see on the ground, the ground wins. The truth is under your feet. Trust your senses, your judgment and your process. Your experience may not be the same as other people’s but it’s valid. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You want to get right with the balance of the world in all kinds of ways. You’ll tabulate your debts -- financial, psychic, emotional or karmic -- and review, assess and know the bottom line. Once you pay up, the part of your life that seemed whimsical will finally settle in and fall under your control. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The people in your life are there because you want them there, not because you need them. Still, you’re thinking of taking things to the next level, going from someone’s “other” to someone’s “only.”Whether business or personal, exclusivity is a big step not to be rushed into. Think on it another week. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The one who makes you feel like there’s something special and magical in your future is a person you should hang out with more often. The end of conversation will be like a leap without a landing. Unfinished thoughts, beautifully incomplete, providing tension instead of closure... This is addictive. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). It’s said that penguins fall in love and even give each other gifts. Penguins have been observed searching an entire beach for the right pebble to bring a mate. You’ll feel a bit like the loyal bird this week as you try to please someone in a very specific and meaningful way. Your gesture will go straight to the heart.

H A H E L A R E N V E S E A O N E W A L I S I L A S L I C E A R A R Y N O A U D I L E D L S

wording such as “limited supply” are suspect. Stay aware of what you really need. Many luxurious experiences can be had for a few cents -- a long hot shower, for instance -- and beauty rest is free!

A L L S R O O T A C R E B A D I L I N A P T C R O W T I V O A D E L S E R V E S O R J U L I O M A N T O Y E

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Though it’s natural to be wary of commitments that seem far-reaching, long-term or overly constrictive, these may be precisely the type of arrangements that can organize your life in a beneficial way. Consider taking on a responsibility. Investigate further. You can afford to be daring.

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

Worship Guide 520.797.4384 BAPTIST

Classifieds@TucsonLocalmedia.com

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

LUTHERAN

ORO VALLEY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 1401 East El Conquistador Way

(Off Oracle Rd., past Hilton Resort to top of hill)

In person and live streaming Service Every Sunday 10 am

520-742-7333

Enjoy our GORGEOUS mountain view location! www.orovalleyucc.org

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CATHOLIC

OUR DOORS ARE OPEN! CATHOLIC

ST. MARK THE EVANGELIST CATHOLIC CHURCH

2727 W. TANGERINE ROAD ORO VALLEY, AZ 85742 520.469.7835 WWW.STMARKOV.COM

Reconciliation: T-F at 7:30 am, Sat at 3:15 pm and by appointment.

Happy New Year!

SATURDAY: 4:00 PM Vigil Mass SUNDAY: 7:00 AM 8:30 AM Masks required 10:00 AM 11:30 AM

Pray with us.

Newear, Y sed a e r c n I Faith

Lord God Most High, give us true faith, and help that faith grow daily this new year.

LUTHERAN RESURRECTION LUTHERAN CHURCH AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER

11575 N. 1st Ave. Oro Valley, AZ 85737 (520) 575-9901 Welcome to Resurrection Lutheran! Come join us every Saturday evening or on Sunday for worship! Oro Valley Location 5:00 pm Saturday evening Worship

7:45 am and 9:15 am Traditional Worship and our 10:45 am Contemporary Worship SaddleBrooke Location

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UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

Casas Adobes Congregational Church

An Open and Affirming Congregation of the UCC

No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!

Join Us In-Person and Online Sundays at 9:30am

Give us hope and love, so that we may serve our neighbors according to Your Will. We ask this through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

www.caucc.org/welcome 520.297.1181 | info@caucc.org | 6801 N. Oracle Road

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

Worship Guide

ship Guide 520.797.4384

Service Directory

CLEANING SERVICES

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Please joinWorship us for for In-Person Vista Sunday at 10Church amand Please join us LIVE! Online service Children’s Sunday School Live Streamed Worship Service Sunday @ 10am @ 10:00am at 10:15 am after the children’ s www.vistaumc.org www.vistaumc.org time in the church service or watch anytime using the the previor watch anytime using ous broadcast previous broadcast Adult Sunday Schoolbutton! –button! 11:15 am Please visit our website and/ 3001 E. Miravista Catalina or VistaUMC onLane, Facebook for Facebookfor viewing and daily updates updates on our our viewing on Locatedand on daily Oracle Rd. between Sunday services. services. Sunday

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

Service Directory 520.797.4384

LANDSCAPE/ MAINTENANCE

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Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

Service Directory Classifieds 520.797.4384

Classifieds@TucsonLocalmedia.com

PLUMBING

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Methodist Church 4625 E River Road-Tucson, AZ 85718

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022

BRIEFLY AMERICAN PICKERS SHOW SEEKING UNIQUE COLLECTIONS IN ARIZONA Arizona Pickers, a documentary series on the History Channel, is returning to Arizona this March on the hunt for unique people with unique collections for their show. The Pickers are currently on the road moving coast to coast in hopes to find the most valuable antiques as well as learning about America’s history along the way. Discovering extraordinary and never-seen-before items are a priority. Arizona Pickers are also excited to get to know the

520.797.4384

tions. Theywillbestrictlypicking private collections. Stores, malls, flea markets, museums, auctions, businesses, or anything open to the public will not be considered. If you have a cool collection of items and are interested in being chosen for the show, reach out to Arizona Pickers through phone (646) 493-2184, or by email at AmericanPickers@cineflix. com. Be sure to include your full name, your city and state, a brief description of your collection, and information where you could be contacted. COVID-19 guidelines and protocol administered by the CDC will be implemented in the filming process. Head over to American Pickers Facebook page @GOTAPICK for more information.

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PUBLIC NOTICES Arizona households struggling to pay their water bills may be eligible for up to $1,800 in financial relief toward water reconnection, past-due debts, and up to three months of future assistance. Apply at

Ducey: State of the State

EXPLORER characters behind MARANA the collec- NEWS

Your Trusted Source for Community News

DES.AZ.GOV/LIHWAP

www.TucsonLocalMedia.com

Photo by Gage Skidmore

Gov. Doug Ducey’s proposed budget sets aside $2 million for Pima Community College, $15 million to the University of Arizona and $9 million to Marana Unified School District. Continued from P9

Such a maneuver would force opponents of the flat tax to go back and repeat their work gathering signatures. “I think that it’s problematic because anytime we are cutting from state revenues, that means we are unable to invest in the things that we care about, like protecting our water, funding our schools, ensuring that every Arizona has access to health care,” said Cano, who voted against the flat tax. But Ducey said he would ignore calls for more government spending in Arizona. “Rather than endless needless programs that waste the people’s money, we are going to be targeted and responsible and will resist the cries from the spending lobby,” Ducey said. Water was one of the few subjects where Cano found some common ground with Ducey. Ducey plans to invest $200 million in

desalination technology that could convert saltwater to fresh water for drinking and other uses. Cano said this is legislation to watch but the problem is the supply of water from the Colorado River. “For the first time, the federal government has implemented a water shortage, and that means that they’re going to have to be cuts,” Cano said. “Agriculture already consumes more than 80% of our state’s water resources and until we are working to provide that community either with incentives to save water and to cut back their water usage, we’re going to be stuck in the same place.” To end his final address, Ducey said he had proposed “an ambitious agenda to be sure, one that can cement our successes and the good reforms we’ve made and further expand opportunity and optimism here in our state.”

Explorer and Marana News, Jan 19, 2022