Explorer News 07/5/2023

UA to reimburse Oro Valley for interim chief of police

BY DAVE PERRY Tucson Local Media Contributor

The University of Arizona has committed to reimburse the town of Oro Valley 100% of its “fully loaded personnel costs” for Field Services Commander Chris Olson, who is serving as interim chief of the UA Police Department.

A 10-page agreement, effective in early May and in place up to June 30, 2024, calls for the university to pay the town up to $284,271.91 for Oro Valley’s loss of Olson’s services. That sum covers salary, retirement benefits, health insurance, vacation and sick leave and other employment benefits the town is paying Olson. His employment status with Oro Valley is unaffected; Olson can return to the Oro Valley Police Department when his duties at the UAPD are completed.

Olson, a 31-year law enforcement veteran, has served with OVPD more than 21 years. He was appointed interim chief of the UAPD in May, following the departure of Chief Paula Balafas, who resigned in the aftermath of the Oct. 5 shooting on the UA campus that took the life of hydrology professor Dr. Thomas Meixner.

The Oro Valley Town Council authorized and approved the agreement at its June 21 meeting. Councilmember Steve Solomon pulled the item from the town council’s consent agenda that evening, because he “didn’t want this to pass under the radar” without celebrating Olson’s appointment.

Oro Valley's Field Services Commander Chris Olson is now interim police chief for the University of Arizona. (Town of Oro Valley/Submitted)

Olson “was recruited by the University of Arizona in their time of need for an interim police chief,” Solomon said. The town has “agreed to effectively lend him to the University of Arizona so we can help them get their police department back into shape and running efficiently.”

Olson’s appointment reflects “the quality of

see CHIEF page 4

Disc golf at Pusch Ridge thrills some, not others

BY DAVE PERRY Tucson Local Media Contributor

n 18-hole, championship-level disc golf course has been established at Oro Valley’s Pusch Ridge 9 traditional golf course.

Disc golfers are thrilled.

Some of the neighbors, not so much. People who live along the golf course surrounding El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort, are not necessarily opponents of disc golf, though several expressed liability, damage and trespass concerns to the Oro Valley Town Council at its June 21 meeting.

Neighbors and golf supporters are most troubled that they were not consulted about the disc golf course, particularly when three nearby homeowners associations contribute a total of $34,050 a year toward golf course operation. They learned about town staff’s 18-month negotiation with the Tucson Disc Golf Association, and Oro Valley’s decision to construct the course, through a social media post.

WARNING!

PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY AND CHRONIC PAIN TREATMENTS NOT WORKING!!

Tucson, 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 anti-depressants 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 and numbness.

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.

(above 95% nerve loss is rarely treatable)

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

Arrowhead Physical Medicine in Tuscon, AZ uses a state-of-the-art electric cell signaling systems worth $100,000.00. This 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 them 95% nerve damage, there is hope!

Hot Picks

BY ANYA LOTUN Tucson Local Media Staff

ARTS

Linda McCartney Retrospective TO AUG. 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 is 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

art. There is also live music by Vanessa Myers so attendees can look forward to relaxing melodies from a professional harpist.

Wilde Meyer Gallery, 2890 E. Skyline Drive, Suite 170, Tucson, free, 4 to 7 p.m., wildemeyer.com

Fine Art Auction and Navajo Rug Benefit Sale

JULY 9

The Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery is hosting its annual fine art auction and Navajo rug benefit sale at 10 a.m. There is an impressive catalog of 114 items, as well as seven prized Navajo weavings. This showing is online and the “best auction to date” will feature skilled artists’ works, including Maynard Dixon, Ed Mell, Mark Maggiori, E. Martin Hennings and O.E. Berninghaus.

Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery,

see HOT PICKS page 4

5-DAY

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

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EDITORIAL

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski, Executive Editor christina@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Karen Schaffner, Staff Reporter kschaffner@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Jack Miessner, Staff Reporter jmiessner@tucsonlocalmedia.com

PRODUCTION

Courtney Oldham Production/Design Supervisor production@timeslocalmedia.com

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CIRCULATION

Aaron Kolodny, Circulation Director, aaron@phoenix.org

ADVERTISING

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Leah Pittman, Account Executive lpittman@tucsonlocalmedia.com

NATIONAL ADVERTISING

Zac Reynolds, Director of National Advertising Zac@TimesPublications.com

EDITORIAL

Thankfully, Tuscon is the birthplace of a brand new facility that sheds 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

Arrowhead Physical Medicine begins by analyzing the extent of the nerve damage – a complimentary service for your friends and family. Each exam comprises a detailed sensory 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 July 31st, 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 callers. YOU 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.

AZ 85737

Cool Summer Nights TO AUG. 26

Every Saturday night, the Sonora Desert Museum celebrates summer with families.

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road, tickets start at $20, free for members, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., 520-8331380, desertmuseum.org

Art Walk

JULY 6

Wilde Meyer Gallery will host an art walk from 4 to 7 p.m., during which time visitors can peruse the gallery with light refreshments in hand and enjoy the unique

"SHE SAVED MY LIFE"

Oro Valley resident Dawn R. had been experiencing the painful side effects of Peripheral Neuropathy. “My feet and legs were extremely painful and my doctor told me there was nothing they could do, and that I would have to take Gabapentin for the rest of my life.” Then she met Oro Valley’s very own Kari Hahn, L.Ac.

Oro Valley resident Dawn R. had been experiencing the painful side eff ects of Peripheral Neuropath y. "My feet and legs were extremely painf ul and my doctor told me there was nothing they could do, and that I would have to take Gabapentin for the rest of my li fe." Then she met Oro Valley's very own Kari Hahn, L.Ac.

Peripheral Neuropathy is the pain, discomfort and numbness caused b y nerve damage of the peripheral nervous system. Dawn explained that daily tasks like opening doors and using the bathroom were overwhelmingly painful. "How can you live for the next 30 years when you don't even want to get out of bed to do simple things?"

She was experiencing the burning, numbness, tingling and sharp pains that those suffering with neuropathy often describe. "The way that I would describe it, it's equivalent to walking on glass." Dawn hadn't worn socks in five years and was wearing shoes two sizes too big so that nothing would 'touch' her feet.

Unfortunately Dawn's story is all too familiar for the over 20 million people in the U.S. suffering from Peripheral Neuropathy.

If you're unfortunate enough t o be facing the same disheartening prognosis, perhaps you're not sleeping at night because of the burning in your feet. You may have difficulty walking, shopping or doing any activity for more than 30 minutes because of the pain. You're possibly struggling with balance and living in fear that you might fall. Your doctor may have told you to 'just live with the pain' and you may be taking medications that aren't working o r have uncomfortable side effects.

Fortunately, four months ago, Dawn read an article about Kari Hahn and the work she was doing to treat those suffering from Peripheral Neuropathy, without invasive surgeries or medications.

Kari Hahn, founder of Oro Valley Acupuncture, is using the time tested science of Acupuncture along with other modern therapies to assist in increasing blood flow and expediting recovery and healing to treat this debilitating disease.

"Now when I go to bed at night I don't have those shooting pains. I don't have that burning sensation. I don't have pain coming up my legs," Dawn enthusiastically describes life after receiving Kari's treatments. "I can wear socks and shoes!"

Dawn and her sister now operate a successful dog walking business, sometimes covering up to 5 miles a day.

"It's life altering. As far as I'm concerned Kari saved my life!"

Kari Hahn has been helping the senior community for over 19 years using the most cutting edge and innovative integrative medicine. Specializing in chronic pain cases, specifically those that have been deemed 'h opeless' or 'u ntreatable', she consistently generates unparalleled results. What was once a missing link in senior healthcare is now easily accessible to the residents of Oro Valley.

If you've missed too many tee times because of pain or you've passed on activities with the grandkids because you're afraid of falling, it's time to call Kari and the staff at Oro Valley Acupuncture.

It's time you let your golden years BE GOLDEN!

Oro Valley Acupuncture is now accepting new patients but only for a limited time. In an effort to protect her patients, both current and future, she has made the difficult decision to limit the number of patients seen in her clinic. Only 20 new neuropathy patients will be accepted before the end of summer, so call (520) 532-2012 now to schedule a consultation. Mention this ad for a consult fee of $30 for our New Patient Offer.

6872 E. Sunrise Drive, Suite 130, Tucson, medicinemangallery.com

MUSIC

Brice Winston

JULY 7

Head on down to the Century Room, where Brice Winston and his sextet will be playing the smooth tunes of Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. This performance is a celebration of Blakey, who is one of the most significant figures in jazz history.

The Century Room, 311 E. Congress Street, Tucson, tickets start at $20, 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., hotelcongress.com

Deja Crue

JULY 8

Well known throughout Phoenix, the Motley Crue tribute band hits the Gaslight Music Hall stage for the first time.

Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road, Oro Valley, $27, with discounts for children and military, 6 p.m., gaslightmusichall.com

Fruit Cocktail Lounge

JULY 9

The Century Room’s Fruit Cocktail Lounge is an LGBTQA+ jazz cocktail party that welcomes anyone older than age 21. The event is hosted by Paul Bowman, accompanied by pianist Khris Dodge and singer Erin Anderson. Besides top-notch entertainment, there will

be signature cocktails, tasty bites and good company. Happy hour pricing on drinks.

The Century Room, 311 E. Congress Street, Tucson, $6, 21 and older, 4 to 7 p.m., hotelcongress.com

Shades of Techno Vol. 2

JULY 8

Shades of Techno Vol. 2 is an exciting sunglass party where guests will celebrate DJs and producers. This event features local artists and vendors, as well as flow art performers.

Solar Culture, 31 E. Toole Avenue, Tucson, tickets start at $7.50, 18 and older, 10 p.m., solarculture.org

The Outlaw Mariachi

JULY 14

The Outlaw Mariachi is considered “LA’s premiere rock mariachi band, combining American and Latin rock music.

Club Congress, 311 E. Congress Street, Tucson, tickets start at $20, 21 and older, 8:30 p.m., hotelcongress.com

SPECIAL EVENTS

Tucson Cars & Coffee

JULY 8

Cars and coffee lovers will have a great time at Tucson Cars & Coffee, a car show hosted by Obsessions Car Club. It’s Tucson’s longest-running cars and coffee event.

Lowe’s Parking Lot, 4075 W. Ina Road, Tucson, free, 7 to 10 a.m., obsessionscarclub.com

Paint Night in the Park

JULY 15

Marana Heritage River Park will host Paint Night in the Park, an instructor-led class; no need for painting experience. A canvas and painting supplies are part of the ticket price. Attendees can bring their favorite food and drinks to enjoy while painting.

Marana Heritage River Park, 12375 N. Heritage Park Drive, Marana, tickets start at $30, 6 to 8 p.m., maranaaz.gov

Wet and Wild

JULY 7 TO JULY 28

Wet and Wild in the Garden features fun activities such as squirting plants and planting gardens. There are four sessions for the price of $40 and children ages 2 to 10 are allowed with an adult.

Heritage River Park, 12375 N. Heritage Park Drive, Marana, $40, 8 to 9 a.m., maranaaz.gov

Buffett’s Margaritaville

JULY 14

Buffett’s Margaritaville pays tribute to everyone’s favorite Parrothead, Jimmy Buffett. The colorful stage will transport the audience to a “tropical paradise.” Tickets are $34 for regular admission and $80 for VIP admission. With VIP admission, guests get unlimited soft beverages and appetizers, a wait staff and a gift bag.

Old Tucson, 201 Kinney Road, Tucson, tickets start at $34, 6 to 7:30 p.m., oldtucson.com

Biosphere 2 DAILY

We may have experienced an earlier iteration of the Biosphere as something like a passive “zoo” of biomes, but now the focus is on climate change and sustainability research. Interdisciplinary scientists from all over are finding ways to “increase resilience and sustainability of Earth systems and human quality of life.” Ecosystems under glass include the world’s largest controlled tropical rain forest, desert, savanna, mangrove, ocean biomes. Eye-popping fact: 7.2 million cubic feet are sealed within 6,500 windows. Those systems have now seen 30 years of evolution. Biosphere 2, 32540 S. Biosphere Road, Tucson, $25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., biosphere2.org

Dog Days of Summer TO SEPT. 30

Guests can take their dogs to Tucson Botanical Gardens through Sept. 30. Imagine the smells they’ll enjoy and the fun of exploring new trails, most shaded by the gardens’ old-growth trees. No doubt they’d also welcome a bite from whatever you order from Edna’s Eatery on site. It’s run by Westward Look Resort.

Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson, tickets start at $15 with discounts available, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., tucsonbotanical.org

officers and leadership that we have within our own police department,” Solomon continued. “When this came up and they needed somebody who could step in immediately, who had the expertise, to take over command of the entire organization,” Olson was “sought out. I wanted to congratulate him, and frankly the entire police department, for the amazing job, and officers, we have.”

Early in his career, Olson spent seven years as an officer with the UAPD, and was its first assigned canine unit officer. In a video introduction to the university community, Olson described those years as “extraordinary,” and “some of the best times of my life.” This appointment “allowed me to come full circle, back to where it all began.

“I know this past year has been very dif-

ficult, and the relationship between UAPD and the community has become strained, and for that I am sorry,” Olson said. He believes his previous time with UAPD, and the relationships he’s maintained there over three decades, have given him “incredible insight into the wonderful and dedicated police officers and staff” at UAPD, whose “sole purpose is to provide trusted police services to this community. They are dedicated individuals who wish to protect the faculty, staff, students, and visitors. They know we exist only because you exist.”

Olson wants UAPD to “renew a meaningful partnership with the members of the university community, to get to know each other better, share our stories, understand one another,” and to work together to solve problems.

“I am dedicated to earning the community’s trust, and my promise to you

is to work tirelessly to bring us together, because I know when that happens, it will become amazing,” Olson said. “We will become a stronger community, and a great, safe, welcoming environment for all.”

The UAPD is described online as “a highly professional and valued police operation” with 60 sworn officers and an annual budget of $8.1 million. Its chief

provides leadership, mentoring, direction, and management for the department, including officer recruitment, training, and management; patrol operations; event management; investigations; community outreach and policing; crime prevention strategies; crime statistics and federal compliance reporting; budgeting and fiscal oversight; and crisis and emergency response management.

CHIEF from page 1

Chas Roberts giving away A/C units

New air conditioning units will be given away to three families or nonprofits in need. Nominations for the units are now being accepted online until Thursday, July 20. (Submitted)

BY TUCSON LOCAL MEDIA STAFF

Chas Roberts, a local family-owned A/C, heating and plumbing provider, launched the 14th annual Cool Play Giveaway.

As part of its ongoing commitment to supporting its community, Chas Rob -

erts is giving away three new air conditioning units to deserving families or nonprofits in need. Nominations are being accepted online through Thursday, July 20.

“The Cool Play Giveaway has become a cherished tradition for us, allowing our team to give back to our community that has supported us for so many

years,” said CEO Sissie Roberts Shank.

“At Chas Roberts, we understand the importance of comfort and safety, especially during the hot summer months in Arizona. This is our way of giving back and having a positive impact in the lives of those who may be experiencing financial difficulties.”

Individuals or nonprofits in need of

an air conditioning unit are encouraged to apply at chasroberts.com/coolplay. Winners must be an Arizona resident.

Chas Roberts’ partners, Carrier, Goodman and Lennox will once again donate the A/C systems, Smiley Crane will provide the crane service and Chas Roberts will coordinate the program and provide the installation.

Harbor Freight to lease 15K square feet

BY DAVE PERRY

Tucson Local Media Contributor

Harbor Freight Tools is preparing to open a 15,000-squarefoot retail space in Oro Valley’s Rancho Vistoso Center sometime in late summer or early fall, according to a company spokesman.

Tenant improvements have begun in a leased, years-vacant retail space at 13005 N. Oracle most recently occupied by Ike’s Farmers Market, according to Craig Hoffman, Harbor Freight’s director of corpo-

rate communications and content. The space is near The Gaslight Music Hall.

The store would be Harbor Freight’s fifth in Pima County and 34th in Arizona. It has stores on West Ina in Marana, and on North Oracle in Tucson.

“We’re excited about this new location because it will be even more convenient for our customers in the Oro Valley community,” Hoffman said. This new location “meets our needs and the needs of our customers: good visibility, easy access, ample parking and the right square foot-

age,” he added.

Harbor Freight’s market includes professional trades workers “who want to stop in, find what they need and then head out quickly to their job site or workshop,” Hoffman said. “For other customers, this size makes it easier to browse and find our great deals.”

The company offers tools and accessories in the automotive, air and power tool, storage, outdoor power equipment, generator, welding, shop equipment, and hand tool categories. The company has been in

business more than 45 years.

Harbor Freight is hiring, Hoffman said, looking to recruit up to 30 employees.

“We consider ourselves to be one of the best places to work in the retail industry, with highly competitive pay, great benefits and the opportunity to advance in one of the fastest growing companies in retail,” he said.

Interested applicants can apply online at harborfreightjobs.com/retail and search “Oro, AZ”.

Prison staff attends leadership training

BY TUCSON LOCAL MEDIA STAFF

ASP-Marana Lt. C. Bendig and Sgt. A. Villanueva attended the four-day Correctional Officer Training Academy’s Basic Leadership Academy in Tucson in April. Bendig said the 32-hour training pro-

gram reinforced and highlighted leadership styles to support the department’s changing staff.

“One of the issues correctional systems on a nationwide scale face is not the ability to hire new staff, but the profession’s ability to retain staff,” he said.

“This new training initiative, hopeful-

ly, will highlight the philosophical differences between leadership styles and employee management. As the old saying goes, ‘Employees don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad managers.’ This training focuses on learning personalities and how supervisors can relate to individuals different from them. The program also teaches supervisors to reflect on the mentors they had before they attended supervisory roles and the positive impacts, they had on them early in their careers. The program forces supervisors to recognize where they can improve. Not just as supervisors, but as people and family members. Every supervisor at ASP-Marana would greatly benefit from this training.”

Villanueva said he’s “beyond grateful” for the opportunity.

“While at the training, I learned and observed so much about myself, as a supervisor and others,” he said.

“During the four days of training, we

did a lot of self-reflecting of the kind of person we are and how to better ourselves to become better leaders. On my final day of training, I was motivated to return to ASP-Marana to implement the new knowledge I have in regard to being a leader. I highly recommend the Basic Leadership Academy; my only regret was not knowing that this training existed earlier. Thank you for investing the time and training in me to be the example of how we conduct professionalism here at ASP-Marana.”

The Arizona State Prison Marana is a minimum-security prison. The facility opened in August 1994 and was the first private prison in Arizona. The all-male facility has a capacity of 506 inmates and provides rehabilitative programming, life skills and re-entry services for all inmates. The facility is an active member of the community, including the chamber of commerce and local charities.

SHOW DINNER

Mr. Monopoly rolling into Tucson

BY KYLIE WERNER Tucson Local Media Staff

Monopoly: Tucson Edition will hit stores in March, but Top Trumps USA wants the public to help create it first.

Although the game manufacturer has a team researching the area, it’s asking Tucsonans to suggest businesses, nonprofits and historical sites that should be included.

“It’s really important to us that we hear from the community and … we have an email address for suggestions,” said Jennifer Tripsea, a representative from Top Trumps USA. The deadline is July 31; email to tucson@toptrumps.com.

The community chest and chance cards are customizable for the board, too.

According to Tripsea, when choosing locations, the company looks for beauti-

ful travel destinations that have rich histories.

“Tucson encompasses the best of what the desert has to offer, from scenic hikes to bustling nightlife to Old West history,” Tripsea said. “Our goal is to capture everything that makes Tucson a beloved destination and unique place to live in one game.”

She said it’s too soon to tell what the theme will be, but it will aptly represent the area.

“So, if it’s city life, local cuisine or the mountain ranges, either way, whatever the designers choose, once the board comes together it will make you feel like you are in Tucson when you’re playing Monopoly,” Tripsea said.

The game will be released in March on Amazon and locally. Businesses that are interested in carrying the game, can email tucson@toptrumps.com.

Top Trumps USA is recruiting the public to help create Monopoly: Tucson Edition. (Top Trumps USA/Submitted)

phone keys wallet bag

Take a trip to the past to see ancient rock art

BY TIFFANY KJOS Tucson Local Media Contributor

Aspiritual retreat in Picture Rocks has gained national recognition for its preservation of ancient art inscribed on rocks on its property.

The American Rock Art Research Association awarded its 2023 “Keepers of the Gate” award to the nonprofit Redemptorist Society of Arizona, the Catholic church’s order that owns the Redemptorist Renewal Center where the Picture Rocks petroglyphs site is located, says Allen Dart, co-founder in 1993 of Old Pueblo Archaeology Center and a subject matter expert here, with a deep knowledge of the area’s archeological history.

Although we generally know how old the petroglyphs are, we will never know their meaning, Dart said.

“Many of the ones that we see in

see PASTpage 11 Petroglyphs abound around Tucson. Sign up with Old Archeology Center to tour a few sites. (Submitted)

southern Arizona date to 800 to 1100,” Dart said. “Some were created by the Hohokam, but some are definitely older.”

However, “A lot of people try to interpret the meaning of petroglyphs in the Southwest. I think we have so many biases about the Southwest.”

It is possible that the Hohokam stopped creating petroglyphs because the peoples’ ways of thinking morphed.

“Almost all the preconceived perceptions of religious beliefs and practices have changed,” Dart said of today’s conceptions. “A lot of people try to make meanings of their own philosophy.”

The Redemptorist Renewal Center is among dozens of sites in and around Tucson that contain petroglyphs, most of which are highly secured and generally only open to the public guided by people who know them best.

Petroglyphs exist in Marana, the Tortolita Mountains, Saguaro National Park East and West and more. Via Old Pueblo Archaeology Center, there are opportunities to visit them.

A Redemptorist Renewal Center parcel,

among many that it owns, is home to “one of the Tucson area’s most spectacular arrays of rock imagery,” The American Rock Art Research Association reported.

Oh, and about the name “Picture Rocks:” It has never been verified that the name re flects the existence of the petroglyphs, Dart said, although that is widely reported.

Dart organizes tours to various sites and leads many of them.

On Sept. 23 he will host Old Pueblo Archaeology Center’s 8 a.m. to noon “Au tumn Equinox Tour to Los Morteros and Picture Rocks Petroglyphs Sites” from near Silverbell Road and Linda Vista Boulevard in Marana.

According to Old Pueblo Archaeology:

“An equinox calendar petroglyph at Picture Rocks exhibits a specific interaction with a ray of sunlight on the morning of each equinox regardless of the hour and minute of the actual celestial equinox, so participants in this tour will see that sunlight interaction with the calendar glyph (unless clouds block the sunlight).”

Register (spaces fill up quickly) and find out about this event and many more, including monthly online talks, at oldpueblo.org.

Local authors tackle Sabino Canyon, archeology

Shelby Tisdale knew pioneering archeologist Marjorie Lambert well. Readers can also meet her in the book, “No Place for a Lady: The Life Story of Archeologist Marjorie F. Lambert.” (Shelby Tisdale/Submitted)

BY KAREN SCHAFFNER Tucson Local Media Staff

It’s easy to appreciate Sabino Canyon Recreation Area.

So said David Lazaroff, who has a longtime relationship with a place near to Tucsonans’ hearts.

Now readers may cultivate that relationship, too. In “Picturing Sabino: A Photographic History of a Southwestern Canyon,” Lazaroff discusses the history of human interaction with the canyon, and it is extensive. The book is one of many released by Tucson-area authors this summer.

“In thinking about the history of it, I think the basic thing to understand is that you’re entering a landscape, that you’re entering both a natural landscape and a historical landscape,” he said. “It’s a historical landscape because people have been coming there for a very long time, and it’s not just historic. It’s prehistoric.’

There’s evidence of hunters and gatherers who lived there, he added.

Sabino Canyon is more than just a place for people to picnic. There are plenty of photos in Lazaroff’s book showing that particular activity, but there’s another side to the recreation area’s history.

“There have been people who wanted to exploit it,” Lazaroff said. “They wanted to take the water and send it to Tucson and (have it) come out of their taps in town. They wanted to generate electricity from Sabino Creek, and during the Great Depression, a big motivator to doing things was to provide employment for people who were out of work.”

You can see their handiwork in the bridges and paths in the park.

As with any good tale, there are chapters of tragedy.

“There’s a story of someone getting stuck on a cliff and someone tries to rescue him and falls to his death,” Lazaroff added.

“It’s not all happy stories. It’s a story of, yes, people coming to enjoy themselves but also people with ambition, driven to do things and struggling to get them done for years and then failing to do them.”

There’s even a murder.

“The whole gamut of human experience is there,” he said.

Lazaroff took decades looking for and at

photos of the canyon for this book, spending plenty of time at the Arizona Historical Society, the University of Arizona Libraries Special Collections and the National Archives. Then there are the census records, property deeds and newspaper clippings he looked at.

Still, it’s the photos that really tell the story. Studying them, Lazaroff put together a puzzle of history.

“There’s a whole lot to be learned from just studying a photograph,” he said.

“If you ‘mine’ it for information. The long (exposures) in the book encourage people to look deeply into the photography and kind of imagine you’re there.”

All the photos are in black and white. This is not a coffee table book, but the photos are compelling.

Find “Picturing Sabino: A Photographic History of a Southwestern Canyon” by David Wentworth Lazaroff and published by the University of Arizona Press at Amazon and Barnes & Noble online.

Archeology

Tucsonans know the value of archeology; it’s part of the culture. From the digs at Steam Pump Ranch to what’s already been exhumed and cataloged at the Arizona State Museum, history is being excavated here every day.

Archeology used to be a man’s world. Now, however, there are plenty of women discovering the past, thanks in part to people like Marjorie Lambert, a pioneering archaeologist from the last century.

Read about her work and times in “No Place for a Lady: The Life Story of Archeologist Marjorie F. Lambert,” by Shelby Tisdale, and published by the University of Arizona Press.

Tisdale knew and worked for Lambert for many years.

“So many of these women did important work but were not recognized for their contributions to anthropology and archeology,” Tisdale said. Hence, the book.

During her time, Lambert had to make things work, maybe differently than men.

“She had the barriers and obstacles that she really had to maneuver around to really

make a career in archeology,” Tisdale said. “In some ways it really hadn’t changed that much even by the mid-1980s for women. Fortunately, that’s changed a lot since.”

For example, “men just did not want women in the field,” Tisdale added. “It was kind of that Indiana Jones persona, right? Women were supposed to be more the assistant, the wives, the lab technicians, things like that. They weren’t supposed to be in academia. They weren’t supposed to be in the museums. If they were in the museums, they were relegated to working in the collections. They were really the handmaidens of the museums.”

Lambert had that role, Tisdale said, but she was much more than someone who fetched tools. Lambert gave tours and lectures and curated shows. She also worked in the field a dozen times. Some of that field work lasted years.

One of Lambert’s issues, according to Tisdale, was pay disparity.

“Some of her male colleagues were making a lot more than her, but they were not doing much work,” Tisdale said. “They would go out and do field work, but they didn’t do a lot of work around the museum, even though

they had offices there. They sat around a lot drinking coffee or tea…and they all got paid more. That used to just irritate the heck out of Lambert.”

The men didn’t care.

“Any time it came up, they would say, ‘Well, marry a man who’s making a lot of money if that’s what you want,’” Tisdale said. “Even her bosses would say that.”

Much of the work on the book was done during the pandemic, Tisdale said, though the book has been in the works for longer than that. In fact, Tisdale and Lambert wrote together until she died in 2006 at the age of 98.

Tisdale said it was great to write with her because she could ask questions. After Lambert died, the writing got a lot harder.

“Even after I was finishing up the final draft, it was like, ‘Gosh, I really wish she were here and I could ask her for more details,’” Tisdale said. “(However), because I did these taped interviews with her, I was actually able to use her voice and quotes from those interviews.”

Find “No Place for a Lady: The Life Story of Archeologist Marjorie F. Lambert,” by Shelby Tisdale, and published by the University of Arizona Press, at Amazon and Barnes & Noble online.

“Since we were subsidizing the course, we thought we should have a seat at the table,” said neighbor Anna Bifano.

“They didn’t feel they were involved in this,” Councilmember Steve Solomon said.

After 82 minutes of discussion, the town council voted 6-1 to ask operator Indigo Golf to allow disc golf play at Pusch Ridge only from June through September, when traditional golf is closed, or for special tournament uses during the cooler months. Councilmember Tim Bohen voted against the motion. “In my view, disc golf in no way interferes with traditional golf,” Bohen said.

In September 2021, the Town of Oro Valley agreed to reopen the Pusch Ridge 9 for a three-year trial, and it finalized an agreement with the three HOAs to have them contribute funds toward golf course operation. Those HOA payments could continue annually for up to five years. After three years, HOA payments are contingent upon continued operation of the Pusch Ridge 9 golf course.

Neighbors and supporters have “worked tirelessly to ... make sure it is a success,” Solomon said, forming golf leagues, hosting tournaments and events and working to grow Pusch Ridge memberships. “It’s been going very well,” he said. Golf rounds, predicted to be 6,500 the first season, reached 15,000, with 16,000 rounds played the second year, and estimated annual revenue near $400,000.

“It’s been wildly successful,” said neighbor Guy Cook. “It’s filled a niche in our community.”

The golf course is closed during the summer heat. In that vacuum, this season, the town created a disc golf course.

Many nearby residents and golfers are “not against disc golf,” Solomon said, but the decision to create the new course “raised a lot of concerns.” Among those, would disc golf impact regular golf? Is disc golf permanent and year-round, or only open over the summer months? What’s the future of golf on the Pusch Ridge 9?

“Those concerns were aggravated by perhaps a lack of communication on our part,” Solomon said.

“My issue is the process,” said Niranjan Vescio, a 22-year resident along the golf course and board chair of the Friends of

Pusch Ridge Golf. The 2021 decision to reopen the Pusch Ridge 9 “was council’s alone,” he said, and was “made transparently” by the legislative branch of government. The disc golf decision was made at the staff level. “This should once again have been the council's decision,” Vescio said.

“Transparency is critical to the citizens of Oro Valley,” said resident Angelo Bifano.

“I definitely hear everyone’s concerns,” Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett said. “Certainly, this was not a decision made by the town council.”

“We have never given up on our goal to prove the Pusch Ridge golf course can succeed as a year-round golf course,” said Anna Bifano, vice president of the 192-home El Conquistador Resort Patio Homes Association, and an officer in the Friends’ group.

Bifano said discs have landed on patios, creating conflicts between homeowners and players. “There are many lovely people playing disc golf,” she said, but “now we have two groups pitted against each other.”

Professional disc golfer Christopher Albers, a resident of Oro Valley, vows to be “an example of responsible, disciplined players.” He believes the Pusch Ridge disc golf course is “an excellent use of town resources. Alberts said disc golf is played concurrently with traditional golf at Tucson’s El Rio Golf Course, and he believes the two sports can coexist.

Disc golf pro Dylan Gassaway, president of the Tucson Disc Golf Association, said the Pusch Ridge course holds “immense significance for the disc golf community...It’s an exciting test of accuracy and distance for players of all skill levels.” The Pusch Ridge disc golf course is “a win-win situation” for all, Gassaway said, providing more recreational opportunities with minimal infrastructure, a light environmental impact and potential revenue opportunity. In fact, 36 players are signed up for a Professional Disc Golf Association-sanctioned singles tournament July 8 at Pusch Ridge.

Solomon initially asked council to approve a motion that would ensure the town continues golf course operations at Pusch Ridge past the 3-year trial. “The neighbors are looking for some reassurance,” he said.

David Lazaroff is a long-time Tucson resident who wrote, “Picturing Sabino, A Photographic History of a Southwestern Canyon.” The photos alone will keep you interested. (David Lazaroff/Submitted)

Keep calm and stay in the air conditioning

BY MIA SMITT Tucson Local Media Columnist

Acouple of years ago, I tried to take my little grandson, who was 3 years old at the time, for a walk on a summer day. He ran back inside, saying, “Too hot, too hot, Mimi.”

He is definitely a native Tucsonan. But even those who know this Southwest heat can succumb when those temperatures hit the triple digits.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 700 people die each year from heat-related illness. And this number is likely to go up as global temperatures rise, creating “heat domes” that hold heat for extended periods of time.

This can be a serious hazard to human, animal and plant health and our power grids can become overwhelmed, causing a loss of electricity when we need it.

Humidity is a huge factor in heat-related illnesses so we are fortunate that our heat index usually matches the temperature since our humidity is usually pretty low. In other parts of the country such as the Midwest and South, “real feel”

temperatures can be 20 or more degrees higher. For example, a 90-degree day with a 75% humidity would give a heat index of 109 degrees.

The United States National Institutes of Health in its July 2013 newsletter points out that “too much heat can damage your brain and other organs.”

Intense heat will hit older people, young children and athletes hardest, so extra caution should be taken in these populations. A definition of any heat illness is “the condition caused by the fail -

ure of the human body to dissipate heat in a hot environment.”

The CDC reports five heat illnesses from a heat rash to heat stroke.

Heat rash is simply a cluster of small red blisters that usually appear on the neck, in the crease of the elbow, and in the groin area. Treatment is to reduce sub exposure, keep the areas clean and dry and use something like baby powder to soothe an itch or discomfort.

We all are familiar with sunburn. We should all use a good sunscreen when outdoors to protect from both burns and skin cancers. Reddened skin and blisters that can be painful are treated with cool baths and an aloe-type lotion. Popping the blisters can introduce infection and increase the pain so they should be left alone.

Heat cramps occur after intense exercise in the heat with muscle spasms or cramping. The person should stop exercising, rest in a cool place, and drink water or an electrolyte drink, such as Gatorade. Medical help should be sought if the pain hasn’t resolved in an hour, or the person also has a history of heart disease.

Heat exhaustion can come on quickly. Heavy sweating, cool or clammy skin, rapid-but-weak pulse, nausea, fatigue, headache, dizziness and fainting are all symptoms of heat exhaustion and the person needs to get into a cooler place, drink small sips of water, use cool cloths or a bath to cool off. Medical help should be called in if the person is vomiting or the symptoms get worse.

Heat stroke is the most serious heat illness and considered an emergency. 911 should be called for transport to an emergency facility immediately. Heat stroke symptoms include a body temperature of 103 degrees or higher, pulse is fast and bounding, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, confusion or a loss of consciousness occur. The person needs to be removed from the hot environment and cooled off. Heat stroke is life threatening. There are ways to stay cooler despite exposure to high temperatures. Stay hydrated! Water and more water are essential to maintaining health in hot weather. Don’t overextend with intense exercise when the temperature starts to hover near 100 degrees.

Diluted Gatorade and Pedialyte are good ways to replenish salt and potassium but should be drunk between glasses of water. Don’t wait till you feel thirsty. Cool compresses around the neck and wrists help cool the body. Cool baths and showers, or a dunk in a swimming pool are refreshing and can lower body temperature.

The exhaust fans in the bathroom and kitchen can help to draw hot air out of the house. Popsicles made without a lot of sugar can be a tasty and cooling treat. Cooling centers can save lives when people do not have adequate air conditioning in their homes. It is important to watch out for neighbors who may need assistance and transportation.

Summers in Arizona are beautiful and can be a lot of fun with proper heat precautions. Just be aware — the sun can be a friend or an enemy.

Mia Smitt is a longtime nurse practitioner. She writes a regular column for Tucson Local Media.

VW, Vitalant partner for donations

BY TUCSON LOCAL MEDIA STAFF

Vitalant — a nonprofit provider that fulfills blood transfusion needs for all Maricopa County hospitals and 90% statewide — is preparing for a critical shortfall of blood donations.

Those who donate through Sept. 7 will be automatically entered to win a 2023 VW Taos.

DISC from page 13

Barrett said she was “not prepared at this time to extend the original motion” beyond the initial trial. “I came prepared tonight thinking this was primarily going to be about disc golf.”

Before the vote, Bohen pushed for broader data on Pusch Ridge 9 receivables and expenditures. As the trial period heads toward its third season, Assistant Town Manager Chris Cornelison said staff would present information, options, and potential strategies for the Pusch Ridge 9’s future to the town council in 2024.

“I want to see evidence of that success,” Bohen said. “Where are the receipts? Golf up there costs close to $1 million. Why don’t we manage with information,

For locations and donation appointments, visit vitalant.org, download the Vitalant app or call 1-877-25-VITAL (1877-258-4825).

More than 600 blood donors are needed every day to meet the transfusion needs of more than 60 Arizona hospitals depending on Vitalant blood donors,” said Andy Fry, senior donor recruitment director.

“While all blood types are needed,

manage with transparency, and make decisions with data rather than emotion?”

Bohen said “the best revenue we’ve ever received from this course over a weekend is when we had a disc golf tournament.” And, to golf proponents, he said, “I don’t believe your numbers, 15,000 to 16,000 rounds, and there’s a way to prove me wrong. Show us the point-of-sale data. We can’t see it.

“I believe it’s a fraud, the rounds of play. Every time we’ve asked, you simply can’t produce them,” Bohen said.

the greatest demand is for donors with O-negative and O-positive, the universal blood types.”

Platelet donations are also constantly needed for cancer patients, open-heart surgeries and transplants. Platelets must be transfused within one week of donation.

Blood may be donated at the following locations:

10 a.m. to noon Monday, July 10, Fry’s Bloodmobile, 10450 N. La Canada Drive, Oro Valley

8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, July 16, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church’s gym, 8650 N. Shannon Road, Tucson

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, July 17, DOD Tucson National Guard Bloodmobile, 1750 E. Silverlake Road

Teen climbs his way to national competition

BY VERONICA KUFFEL

Tucson Local Media Contributor

Since Noah Belanger qualified for USA Climbing Nationals, he spends a large portion of his week climbing routes and boulders at his local gym.

He recently finished his first year of middle school, and the 12-year-old is thrilled to have more time to train for the biggest competition of his climbing career.

“I like showing people what I can do, how strong I am and how I’m getting better,” Noah said. “The last two years, I hadn’t made it to Nationals, I haven’t really gotten close even. It feels good to make it, in not just one but two disciplines.”

This past year, Noah qualified for the USA Climbing Nationals in lead/top rope and bouldering disciplines, which will be held from July 9 to July 16 in Salt Lake City. He is the only youth climber in Tucson and one of 12 from Arizona who will participate in the competition. Noah has been a climber since he was younger, thanks to his family’s longtime love for the sport.

His parents, Scott and Becky, have supported him throughout his journey, from training at Rock Solid Climbing Gym to qualifying events and every competition up until Nationals.

“You have to do two qualifying events, but Noah did three,” Becky said. “After each competition, you are ranked, depending on what

place you get. You get a number of points for where you place.”

Noah qualified among 26 other climbers to compete at Regionals, including those from Arizona and Southern California. From there, he moved on with the top 13 to Divisionals, which brings multiple regions together to compete. He made it to the top 13 for Finals and ultimately, the top six to Nationals.

With each competition, Noah climbed in the two disciplines. Bouldering consists of a path of holds attached to the wall that a climber must complete in a certain order, all without a harness or ropes.

“The idea is to always get either to the middle point, or if you can, to the top of the problem, in the fewest number of tries,” Scott said. “If you can do it in one try, that would be as good as can be done.”

Lead/top rope requires athletes to climb a wall around 50-60 feet high in a harness. The goal is to get as far as you can on a particular route.

Noah trains for each discipline at Rock Solid Climbing, spending three days a week and a total of nine hours on the gym’s walls. Depending on the season, he’ll work on different muscles and movements to improve his skill.

“Every training session starts with a warmup, then you’ll do a little climbing,” Noah explained. “If it’s bouldering season, we’ll do a workout that’s specific to power and strength... When it’s rope season, I’ll still do

the same warmup but I’ll train more endurance.”

He trains with the gym’s youth climbing team and his instructor, Gustavo Figueroa, the head coach and route setter of Rock Solid. For almost a decade, Figueroa has helped athletes and nonathletes develop their climbing through skills and strength training.

He first met Noah a few years ago while watching him climb with the junior team.

Figueroa saw a passion in his squirrelly energy, and as Noah progressed to Rock Solid’s 16-member youth team, the head coach played a larger role in his training.

From organizing practices to setting personal routes and coaching competitions, Figueroa does what he can to prepare Noah for the rocks ahead.

“Noah is an amazing rock climber and a brilliant, wonderful teenager,” Figueroa said. “He will definitely be leading the pack as far as youth Tucson climbers at a national level. I’m excited to see where he pushes the sport and puts Tucson on the map.”

Another part of Noah’s success stems from his family of rock jocks. His father, Scott, has been climbing for over 20 years, and got his mother, Becky, into it when they started dating.

Becky also teaches Pilates at Rock Solid a few times a week, and while Noah’s 8-yearold sister, Gracyn, is an accomplished gymnast, she participates in the gym’s club and

has even qualified for Regionals.

Noah leans on his family for support throughout his climbing seasons, and it helps to have a culture that reflects, as Scott put it, more pride in progress than achievement.

“We try to focus more on the process of growing as athletes and what (Noah and Gracyn) can learn from their sports more than the outcome,” Scott noted. “But of course, we’re super proud that Noah’s been able to advance this far and it’s a testament to his dedication and his hard work.”

Aside from competing, Noah has found a way to connect with people through fun climbing. He’s made friends from all over the country who share his passion and help push him to do better. He also takes time with his family to climb rocks outside, with Mt. Lemmon as their favorite destination.

The Belangers have been there for Noah through all of his trials and triumphs, all of the competitions and fun rock outings. Becky, Scott and Gracyn are excited to watch him compete at Nationals, but to them, his love for the sport means so much more than winning.

“We’ve witnessed the disappointment in past years of not getting as close as he would like and not meeting his goals,” Becky said. “We have watched him take that disappointment and turn it into motivation. He works so hard. For as much as he grows in this sport, his love for it continues to grow too.”

Noah Belanger, left, leads the ascent in the lead/top rope discipline for the Rock Solid Youth Team.. (Jason Chang/Contributor)

The Belanger family includes, from left, Becky, Gracyn, Noah and Scott. (Becky Belanger/Submitted)

Mike Dyer: Casting a coach aside

BY TOM DANEHY Tucson Local Media Columnist

Consider the story of Mike Dyer, one of the winningest prep basketball coaches in Southern Arizona history. The Vietnam veteran-turned-teacher amassed a stunning 400 victories as the girls’ coach at Marana High School and did so in only 18 years for a ridiculous average of 22.2 wins per year. Perhaps the most amazing part of his tenure came in the mid- to late 1980s, when his Tiger girls reached the state championship game seven years in a row, winning four times.

There’s an odd side story to this. Back in the 1980s, most of the big schools in Arizona followed a bizarre schedule where the boys would play basketball in the (regular) winter season, but the girls had to play in the spring. This fairly obvious violation of Title IX was explained away as an optimal usage of limited facilities. (Most TUSD and several Phoenix schools had only one gym at the time.)

Because the girls played basketball during the spring, they had to play softball in the winter, often with temperatures in the 40s or lower. (I went to one Flowing Wells game that was played in snow flurries.)

I wrote an article about the situation

for a national publication and, in doing the necessary research and interviews, I gathered some eye-rolling quotes. One coach, who is no longer with us, so I won’t name him, explained why he “had” to coach the boys in the winter and the girls in the spring. He said he felt there weren’t enough qualified women coaches to handle the workload.

I asked that same coach whether, assuming that the facilities dilemma was insurmountable, they could have the boys play in the winter one year and the girls play in the winter the next year. He thought about it a while, then said that the winter was the important time for colleges to scout potential players. (This was before the ludicrous meat-market AAU summer tournaments.)

“And…?”, I asked. He then uttered a quote I will never forget. He said, “Well, it’s more important for boys to get (athletic) scholarships than for girls.”

And this was a professional educator.

A case was filed in federal court (Dyer was a part of it), but as it was slowly working its way through the judiciary, the unfair system was kept in place by the Arizona Interscholastic Association and many of its big-school members.

Then came a delightfully surprising twist. In Mesa, a coalition of parents who belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints decided that the system was unfair to their daughters who were athletes and insisted that the Mesa school district begin competing in sports in their proper season.

About that same time, Sheila Baize, who had put together a legendary career as softball coach in the then-mining town of San Manuel, became the athletic director for TUSD. She insisted that the schools in her district join with the Mesa schools and thus was the AIA dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 20th century. (It was not long before the arrival of the 21st century.)

One of Dyer’s state championships came during that era. He lamented that several of his players graduated from high school one night, then had a strict 10 p.m. curfew because they had to head to Phoenix the next morning for the state championship game. Thirteen years of school and no fun on grad night.

Anyway, back to the main point. As some of you may know, the sprawling Marana School District covers hundreds of square miles, much of it undeveloped.

But it also includes a sizable chunk of houses in northwest Tucson, dipping down to the area around Ina and Thornydale. For decades, kids who lived in that

general area had to endure 30-40 minutes bus rides to and from Marana High School, which is situated (according to the U.S. Geological Survey) in The Middle of Nowhere.

Mike Dyer lived in that neighborhood and made that long drive every day for a couple decades. He had to be happy when it was announced that the school district would be building another high school (Mountain View) only a couple miles from where Dyer lived.

He told the district that he had loved his time at Marana High, but the opportunity to slash his travel time and start a new program at Mountain View was just too good to pass up. He applied for the job at the new school, but for reasons still not fully known three decades later, he didn’t get the job. Somebody somewhere in the Marana administrative bureaucracy wanted Dyer to stay at Marana. They gave the coveted Mountain View job to a newcomer.

Dyer quit and in the past 30 years, neither program has come close to matching his success at Marana in the 1980s. There’s a lesson in there, one that may be being repeated at another Northwest school right now. More on that next week.

Juan Wauters hangs up ‘Wandering Rebel’ cap

BY JACK MIESSNER Tucson Local Media Staff

Rolling stone Juan Wauters is learning the perks of gathering moss.

“I’ve made that my priority the last ten years, going around, sharing my music, but mostly exploring the world and exploring myself away from home,” the indie singer/songwriter said.

“But after COVID put us down, I was able to reflect on other things, and I was able to experience other things by force, like sharing a house with someone, setting roots, being more at peace with not traveling,” Wauters said.

“The world probably sees me as a wandering rebel, but these days I’m not really feeling that.”

The Uruguayan musician composed much of his sixth album, 2023’s “Wandering Rebel,” over the pandemic, and the stability that he found during that time translated onto the record.

“This is the first album that I worked with a producer, someone that had something to say about the songwriting,” Wauters said.

“And I opened myself to other things, things that have to do with society. In society, there is a mixing engineer that really knows what he’s doing, that’s his specialty. And the album cover was made by a person who works as a graphic designer. I used to do those things myself, before.

“When you’re a wandering rebel, and you’re not looking for stability, you think you can do everything, and you do everything yourself. And that’s cool, but I’ve learned through life that there’s something positive about sharing with others, as well.”

Though this album taught Wauters to share aspects of production, fans will point to his rich history of collabs as evidence that, for the musician, cooperation is anything but new. His 2021 record “Real Life Situations” is peppered with features, from Mac DeMarco and Homeshake, to Tall Juan, to El David Aguilar, to name a few.

Wauters, a long-time fan of hip-hop and Latin American styles, took inspiration from those genres’ traditions of artists collaborating to “propel each other’s

music.”

“Like a year before ‘Real Life Situations,’ when I was just thinking about the idea, I would talk to my friends,” Wauters said.

“How come we don’t do that, in this genre or scene? How come we don’t collaborate, get together and write a song in the studio together? We might come up with something that neither of us is able to come up with alone.

‘We might create a beast, a third entity aside from you and me.’”

To test his theory, the musician enlists artists from diverse genres and cultures.

On “Wandering Rebel,” the musician runs the experiment with Frankie Cosmos, Zoe Gotusso, Super Willy K, and John Carroll Kirby, culminating in a 12-track project that is well informed and dynamic.

Wauters’ songwriting process is even a collaboration between him and his audience. The singer, who alternates between English and Spanish throughout his records, often chooses the language based on the ears he wants his lyrics to fall on.

“If I sing in English, certain people will understand, and if I sing in Spanish, others will.

“If I’m in New York, and I’m singing

about a New York issue, and I’m commenting with my English-speaking friends, I’ll sing in English. I use it as a tool to communicate with whoever I want to hear the message.”

The musician imparts his thoughts with a refreshing earnestness and blunt honesty. In “Wandering Rebel,” the title track on the record, Wauters sings about his personal hygiene, his desire for monetary success, and his fear of having to “make some changes” if his career doesn’t pick up.

“I’m looking to make money on this album and the one that follows after,” Wauters explains plainly on the track.

The economic condition is a common theme on the album. Wauters begins “Millionaire” — an ode to the struggles of making it in Los Angeles — by pointing out that, “you could be a millionaire, and also you could end up on the street.” He expands on the arbitrary nature of wealth inequality on “Modus Operandi,” a tune about the wealthy’s flight from New York City during the lockdowns.

“COVID made it clear that some people have it harder than others,” Wauters said. “People that didn’t have an option, they

were locked in their apartments. It was right in your face, the inequality of the world, and I commented on that.

“Sometimes I feel like ‘Modus Operandi’ could come off like I was resentful that everyone left the city, and people that didn’t have an option could not leave. Maybe I was resentful. But also, as I now look back and have a conversation about it, I realize that it’s just an observation of everyday life.

“Maybe life is supposed to be like that, that some people live more comfortably than others, and some people are supposed to have it harder. But maybe it’s an opportunity to talk about it, and perhaps we can do something that, if Covid hits again, it’s not unfair.”

Juan Wauters and Los Velvets

WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday, July 6

WHERE: Club Congress, 311 E. Congress Street, Tucson

COST: $14 in advance; $16 at the door; 21 and older

INFO: juanwauters.com

Juan Wauters found stability among chaos during the pandemic. (Juan Francisco Sanchez/Contributor)

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Across

1 Luxuriate

5 Bread that may be stuffed with shawarma

9 Moves like a dog’s tail

13 Clamp that transposes a guitar’s pitch

14 “Hurry! We’re late!”

15 Horse, in Latin

17 Unfair dig in an argument

19 “We ___ please”

20 Actress Ward

21 Choose

Sky-blue 45 Cataclysm in the lore of many world cultures

47 Space missions that collect data without landing

48 Professional occupation

“Game of Thrones”

Breather

23 Red October in “The Hunt for Red October,” e.g.

Quiets

51 Actor ___ Patrick Harris

53 Article of cricket equipment

54 Opposed (to)

55 Distilled coal product used to preserve wood

57 Maya who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

1 Include covertly in an email thread

2 Sounds of bliss

3 Electronic device for a person with voice impairment

4 Eucalyptus-eating “bear” 5 Mac alternatives

6 Egotist’s “The party can start now!”

7 Response from someone who merely glanced at an online post, maybe

8 Poker buy-in 9 What a U.F.O. might really be 10 E.P.A. pollution stat 11

You don't always need to use your own energy to get things done. Be strategic. Use energy from the outside instead of resisting it. Don't contradict reality. When you are face to face with a problem, turn around. Join the flow like you would join a wave. You can guide strong forces instead of fighting them.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Because it's so difficult to see yourself objectively, you don't realize all that you have to contribute until you witness those without such assets. New environments and fresh faces will inspire you and give you a more accurate perspective on how you can meet the needs of others and get yours met, too.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21)

You are a smooth and discreet operator this week. It's good to see mistakes because each is an opportunity to improve. You'll make note of it privately instead of pointing it out to others. Whether the mistake is yours or someone else's, you can use it to advance without making a fuss or drawing too much attention.

CANCER (June 22-July 22)

No one likes feeling like they must always be "on" to be accepted. That's why you make sure people know that you embrace them as they are. You encourage everyone to relax and be themselves. And though they still want to impress you, they feel comfortable around you and want to be around you more overall.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21)

Serenity and clarity are on offer when you keep your life simple. Ignore complications and they'll go away. Because you revel in pleasures such as watching nature, enjoying good company and eating delicious food, you will be ready with the right receptive mindset for other kinds of experiences.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

You'll be aware of how your physical form is intricately connected to all that's around you. You are continuously exchanging matter and energy with your surroundings. Like food and air, your interactions shape and influence your body. This week, you'll love how it all leans toward health, energy and the good vibes.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

24 San Francisco neighborhood with the GLBT Historical Society Museum, with “the”

58 Some travel packages

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year).

60 Roughly half of binary code

26 “I’m not THAT gullible!”

28 “Not feeling it”

30 Witnessed

31 One pitching in

32 Scratch like an unhappy tabby

34 Sci-fi or horror

36 Challenge for a translator, maybe 37 What free TV usually comes with

Elephant of children’s books 42 “Me too!”

62 Unleavened Passover staple

Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay

64 On again, as a flame or romance

67 Oktoberfest vessel

68 Swanky party

69 In the area

70 Upper hand

71 Ice cream brand

72 Green that might go in a smoothie Down

You're striving to be a more compassionate person, not because you seek sainthood but because you'd rather live in and contribute to a kind world. The self-centered behavior of others will make it challenging to stick with the mission. Everyone is doing their best. Remember this and love wins.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

There's a person or circumstance that has you alert and on guard. If only a good defense would protect your feelings, but it can't. So instead of wasting energy fighting your emotions, agree to feel whatever comes up. This approach will expand and empower you, elevating your position and increasing your options.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

As open-minded and flexible as you are, this week it's better to do things your way, especially when it comes to fun. There's no need to subscribe to other people's version of a good time. You know what brings you joy. Go with what puts a smile on your own face and you'll soon see smiles all around you.

You'll develop an interest that is unusual or outside your main focus. It's too early to see how this will help you reach a goal, but it will. Different personalities will make things more interesting for you. Because you don't require that everyone conform to your expectations of them, your social landscape is varied and beautiful.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

For the majority of Earth's history, pond scum ruled. There are times this week when you'll be convinced it still does. Try not to get discouraged by the messes you'll sort out. You'll adopt a helpful perspective that gives you the energy to work smart, hard and fast.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Because there is so much competing for your attention this week, you'll appreciate people who can simply state their need or tell you exactly what they would like you to do. You are adept at helping others in the specific way they prefer -- a gift made possible by your intelligence and lack of ego. This will be your gateway to good fortune.

PUZZLE BY AARON M. ROSENBERG AND JEFF CHEN

Guide

METHODIST

GF and Son Contractor

Family Business 25 yrs. BBB

GF and Son Contractor

Family Business 25 yrs. BBB

Member & licensed. Specialize in all types of(New/Old) Roof repairs, Coating, Rotten Wood, Fascia Boards, Remodeling & Additions, Permit plans.

GF and Son Contractor

Now Accepting Credit cards Gary or Chase 520-742-1953

Family Business 25 yrs. BBB

Member & licensed. Specialize in all types of(New/Old) Roof repairs, Coating, Rotten Wood, Fascia Boards, Remodeling & Additions, Permit plans.

GF and Son Contractor

GF and Son Contractor

Member & licensed. Specialize in all types of(New/Old) Roof repairs, Coating, Rotten Wood, Fascia Boards, Remodeling & Additions, Permit plans.

Family Business 25 yrs. BBB

Now Accepting Credit cards

Gary or Chase 520-742-1953

Family Business 25 yrs. BBB

Now Accepting Credit cards

Gary or Chase 520-742-1953



Member & licensed. Specialize in all types of(New/Old) Roof repairs, Coating, Rotten Wood, Fascia Boards, Remodeling & Additions, Permit plans.

Member & licensed. Specialize in all types of(New/Old) Roof repairs, Coating, Rotten Wood, Fascia Boards, Remodeling & Additions, Permit plans.

Now Accepting Credit cards

Gary or Chase 520-742-1953

Now Accepting Credit cards

Gary or Chase 520-742-1953