Explorer, Aug. 4, 2021 by Times Media Group

EXPLORER The Voice of Marana, Oro Valley and Northwest Tucson

August 4, 2021

Volume 28 • Number 31

Desert Downpour

July’s rainfall breaks longstanding monsoon records | Page 10

INSIDE

Arizona Audit

Marana teen Maryn Buchanan recently competed at the 2021 National High School Rodeo championships. Read more on page 23.

Justice Department issues guidance | Page 4

Art Quartet

COVID cases on the rise as students return to the classroom

NOT HER FIRST RODEO

Christina Duran

Photo by Acentric Rodeo Photography

Tucson Local Media

and Goodyear. “It’s about a regional approach to economic development because what’s good for Tucson is good for the region,” said Romero in a media roundtable with Amtrak and city leaders on Tuesday. “It really is about offering an opportunity to all of our residents, including those that live south of Tucson in Nogales and Rio Rico, See AMTRAK PROPOSAL, P6

See COVID, P8

New exhibit at TMA | Page 14

Local mayors support Amtrak’s proposal for a passenger rail connecting Tucson and Phoenix

Liven Up

Christina Duran Tucson Local Media

Social Psychologist reﬂects on ‘Thinking’ | Page 16

n July 13, 11 mayors, including mayors from Sahuarta, Oro Valley and Marana, led by Tucson City Mayor Regina Romero and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, sent a letter to Arizona congressional leaders, supporting Amtrak’s proposal for a passenger rail that would not only connect Tucson and Phoenix, but other towns like Marana, Coolidge

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Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

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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 Mike Truelsen, Web Editor mike@tucsonlocalmedia.com Christina Duran, Staff Reporter christinad@tucsonlocalmedia.com Ireland Stevenson, Staff Reporter istevenson@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 Lisa Hopper, Account Executive lisa@tucsonlocalmedia.com Candace Murray, Account Executive candace@tucsonlocalmedia.com Tyler Vondrak, Account Executive tyler@tucsonlocalmedia.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

Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

Hot Picks Music in the Mountains Concert Series. Honestly, what’s more psychedelic than a saguaro? They’re so wacky—all stretched out and groovy looking, holding their arms out ready to hug everyone. In honor of this vibe, the local band Lazaret is performing a psychedelic setlist among the saguaros at Catalina State Park. Lazaret likes to blend classic psychedelic rock with blues music and a bit of experimentation and improvisation. Pack a picnic and settle in for an evening at the foot of the beautiful Santa Catalinas. Nothing like an evening spent soaking up the music and scenery that make Tucson so great. 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7. Catalina State Park, 11570 N. Oracle Road. St. Philip’s Plaza Market. Even on the hottest days of summer, some things are worth going outside for. The St. Philip’s Plaza Market is one of them. Strolling beneath the trees, past fountains and beautiful works of art, is nothing less than idyllic. Are you looking for handwoven socks? Incredible Greek or Turkish cuisine? Some new plants to spruce up your home or garden? A beautiful pair of handmade earrings? They’ve got you covered. It’s a lovely experience even if you don’t buy anything, but if you do, you get to car-

ry around that warm “I supported local business” feeling for the rest of the day. 8 a.m. to noon on Fridays and Saturdays at St. Philip’s Plaza, 4280 N. Campbell. Flora + Fauna Photography Exhibition. Decode Gallery’s August show is a celebration of the world’s natural beauty! Both local and international photographers and photographic artists are exhibiting, and at this Saturday evening show, there will be beverages, snacks and good conversation to go along with all the lovely art. Nature and art are both good for the soul, so treat yourself and your soul to an all-around pleasant evening out. 5 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7 Decode Gallery, 320 S. Convent Ave. Free.

5-DAY WEATHER WEDNESDAY

106

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103

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99 77

PARTLY CLOUDY

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92 75

PARTLY CLOUDY

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89 74

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MOUNT LEMMON SATURDAY

70 54

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67 53

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Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

Justice Department issues clearest warning yet on Arizona election audit

Alyssa Marksz Cronkite News

he Justice Department issued guidance Wednesday on voting rights and on the pitfalls of post-election audits, reminders that were sent to all states but clearly aimed at Arizona and its audit of Maricopa County elections. The two statements follow months of warnings from the department raising concerns about the security of the more than 2 million ballots that were handed over to a private firm for review and its plans to go door-to-door to question voters. While the department’s guidance cited states’ rights to conduct elections, it also laid out controlling federal law, and Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a prepared statement that “where violations of such laws occur, the Justice Department will not hesitate to act.” A department official said the guidance—which put “audits” in quotes, as many critics of the state’s review have done—released Wednesday was aimed at keeping other states from repeating the concerns that have been raised to Arizona. “I think the reason we’re issuing this as guidance is to tell jurisdictions generally that we are concerned that if they’re going to con-

duct these so-called audits, they have to comply with federal law,” said a department official, speaking on background Wednesday. “And warning them that they can’t conduct these audits in a way this is going to intimidate voters.” Calls seeking comment from state Senate President Karen Fann, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and officials at Cyber Ninjas, the company in charge of the election review, were not immediately returned last week. But Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a sharp critic of the election review, welcomed the Justice Department’s latest move. “I have been raising concerns to the Department of Justice Civil Rights division about the audit in Arizona since the start of this fiasco,” Hobbs said in a statement Wednesday. “Many of the concerns I shared with the Department of Justice months ago were related to federal laws regarding the preservation of ballots and equipment.” In a Washington Post editorial in June, Hobbs called the “audit” by Cyber Ninjas “an absurd spectacle” aimed not at instilling confidence in the election but in digging up “nonexistent evidence” and spreading wild conspiracy theories to support the “big lie” that President Donald Trump won the

election. The Justice Department wrote Fann on May 5 to express “concerns regarding at least two issues of potential non-compliance with federal laws enforced by the Department” in relation to the ongoing election audit. Wednesday’s guidance was a follow-up to that letter, a Justice official said. “We sent a letter earlier this spring to Arizona, indicating concerns that we had there with Arizona’s plan to have a private company go door-to-door in certain neighborhoods to ask voters if they cast their ballots or not,” the official said on background. “We just reminded them that federal law prohibits engaging in actions that are likely to deter voters from voting in the future.” While the latest guidance does not name Arizona specifically, it repeats many of the issues that critics have raised about the process, including Cyber Ninjas’ lack of experience. It notes that while election audits are “exceedingly rare,” the law still requires election officials to ensure a chain of custody “so that a complete and uncompromised record of federal elections” is maintained. “Where election records are no longer under the control of elections officials, this can lead to a significant risk of the records being lost, stolen,

altered, compromised or destroyed,” the document said. “This risk is exacerbated if the election records are given to private actors who have neither experience nor expertise in handling such records and who are unfamiliar with the obligations imposed by federal law.” It specifically mentioned Cyber Ninjas’ proposal to canvass three precincts in Maricopa County to collect information on the 2020 election, saying such “activity raises concerns regarding potential intimidation of voters.” “When such investigative efforts are directed, or are perceived to be directed, at minority voters or minority communities, they can have a significant intimidating effect on qualified voters that can deter them from seeking to vote in the future,” it said. The guidance said it is elections officials’ duty to ensure that any such canvass “had neither the purpose nor the effect” of dissuading voters. Cyber Ninjas told Fann and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Warren Petersen earlier this month that, after six months of work, it had completed its hand count of more than 2 million ballots cast in the presidential and Senate elections in the county. But officials said they still need more information from the county before they can issue a “complete

forensic audit.” Fann, who has said repeatedly that the goal of the audit is not to overturn November’s elections but to restore confidence in voting security, reportedly issued new subpoenas this week for more election information from Maricopa County officials. Maricopa County spokesperson Fields Moseley said Wednesday that he had not had a chance to review the latest documents from Justice. But he pointed to multiple reviews of voting equipment, before and after every election last year, as well as hand counts—in which the political parties participated—of a statistically significant number of ballots that “showed the tabulation equipment was 100% accurate.” Even then, he said, because of the claims of election irregularities circulating last fall, the county supervisors grilled county staff before canvassing the election. “Our leaders here in Maricopa County have stated many times publicly this ‘audit’ is unnecessary and the contractors lack the necessary knowledge about elections processes,” Moseley said in an email. “The 2020 General Election was secure and run with integrity.” In the second guidance issued Wednesday, the department reminded states that federal law protects

the right to vote in a “range of different ways,” including voting early or voting by mail. Numerous states approved new voting restrictions this year, that did everything from reducing early voting hours to limiting ballot dropoffs and even making it a crime to provide food or water to people waiting in line to vote. Arizona lawmakers, for example, changed the state’s Permanent Early Voting List to an Active Early Voting List, which means voters on the list will no longer be mailed an early ballot if they have not voted by mail for two elections. Both documents from the Justice Department emphasized the “interaction of federal and state law when it comes to regulating the election,” and warned states that regardless of state law, they must comply with federal statutes. With other states reportedly considering their own audits, Hobbs said she hopes officials will heed the guidance from Justice. “Unfortunately, the damage has been done here in Arizona, but I hope this guidance will help other states protect the integrity of their ballots and equipment,” she said. For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.

Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

UA receives $4M grant to support health services in rural Arizona Katya Mendoza

Special to Tucson Local Media

niversity of Arizona’s Arizona Center for Rural Health has received a fiveyear, multi-million dollar grant from state and federal sources to continue their mission of providing health care, education, technical assistance, data analyses and more to rural communities throughout the state. The Arizona Center for Rural Health aims to support the state’s rural and underserved populations by supporting a number of UA-based programs, including the Arizona State Office of Rural Health, the Arizona First Responders Initiative, the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program and the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program. Jennifer Peters, associate director and program coordinator for AzSORH who oversees the dayto-day operations of the

program at the state and national levels, says that every federal dollar has to be matched with three state dollars. The funding period began on July 1, 2021, and ends June 30, 2026. The total amount of the federal award including approved cost sharing or matching this project period was $223,410, which was matched by the state with $670,230, resulting in a total of $893,640, set to be dispersed each year. The majority of these funds on an annual basis are used to support a staff of 15 within the AzSORH office, with positions in program oversight, community outreach, training and education or health systems development, with some some funds allocated for travel. “A lot of our efforts go around helping collect and disseminate rural health information, education events and training,” said AzCRH director Dr. Daniel Derksen. One major challenge:

An increasing shortage for primary care physicians in rural parts of the state. According to the AzCRH, Arizona meets only 41.7% of its PCP need. While the majority of the primary care doctors within the state of Arizona live in urban metro areas such as Maricopa and Pima counties, they are aging especially in rural and underserved areas. The AzCRH seeks to place and retain physicians in these areas in order to create jobs and improve access to health care as an effort to lower the cost in these low income and underserved communities. Other factors affect overall rural health outcomes, such as socioeconomics, lack of health insurance coverage and infrastructure. The AzCRH has helped create 15 federally designated critical access hospitals, 24 federally certified rural health clinics, and 160 federal qualified health centers that are part of the state and federally funded “health safety

net.” The center, previously known as the Rural Health Office, has been housed within the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health for the past 30 years. Since 1990, AzCRH has participated in a five-year cycle in which they are required to submit a full application to show that they have conducted a needs assessment and that they have designed a program that has responded to the needs of a rural community. In order to convey these accomplishments, they must ensure that what they propose addresses specific guiding principles. The AzCRH looks at rural communities that are unique and not homogenous, with a focus on tribal and the US Mexico border populations that will also have their own subsets variations. “We have to ensure that everything we do addresses those variations and that are sensitive to the differ-

ent needs, culture, history, the different capacities that are in all of those communities,” said Peters. “We really like to emphasize sort of a holistic view of rural health that integrates not just individual health behaviors, but also the social and structural determinants of health that exist in a community.” Certain challenges exacerbated by the pandemic have disproportionately affected the more elderly populations in rural areas, such as the Navajo and Apache nations as well as the Santa Cruz, Cochise and Yuma counties. Both Native Americans and Hispanic populations face significant health disparities due to their isolation from in-person health care services. “Arizona is a very large state, we have most of our population in the Pima and Maricopa counties. One in four live in the other 15 counties in the state, and a lot of our efforts focus on [these] other counties,” said Derksen.

These rural areas were hit hard by the pandemic due to the volume of patients and amount of people reluctant to seek health care. Despite the decreasing rate of outpatient visits, AzCRH was able to assist in the set-up of telehealth for primary care, rather than in person care for these communities. “A lot of the rates of infection were high, if you only have 25 beds, you can quickly be overwhelmed by an outbreak of COVID-19,” said Derksen. While rural communities were inordinately affected by the rise in death rates brought on by the pandemic, the AzCRH in collaboration with the AZDHS, was able to set up testing sites, provide vaccinations, and information regarding the pandemic in a “culturally congruent” manner. The AzCRH will use this funding to continue to monitor and assist the underserved communities throughout the state.

Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

Amtrak Proposal Continued from P1

to connect even tourists that are coming in from Sonora, Mexico, which is our number one trading partner in Arizona, to Tucson.” The passenger rail would be an alternative to driving, with a five-minute shorter travel time than the peak two-hours-and-30-minute commute from Tucson to Phoenix, said Amtrak President Stephen Gardner. The rail would offer three daily round trips from Tucson, Phoenix and Buckeye, and one daily trip from Tucson to Los Angeles. The proposed line is part of Amtrak’s Corridor Vision Plan to expand low carbon intercity passenger rail service to 160 communities

across the nation over the next 15 years. “We have a global climate crisis. In part congestions on the road and really in the air feed some of that. We have a history of some structural inequality in society but particularly in transportation as well,” said Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn. “We believe that one way to rise and address these challenges that our country confronts is through expanding intercity passenger rail service, putting in place a system that offers frequent reliable, sustainable and equitable alternatives to driving and flying.” Flynn said the rail could address long-term congestion issues in the corridor, as Tucson commuters are estimated to spend about 90%

more time in traffic than elsewhere and large city commuters may be experiencing as much as 62 hours of congestion delay, estimated to cost about $1,000 a year. The passenger rail would require an investment of about $925 million and take about three years of construction to put the service in place, said Gardner. Amtrak estimates the service would generate roughly 200,000 riders annually, producing $77.7 million a year and generate about $2.3 billion in economic activity created from one-time capital investments. Mayor Ed Honea of Marana, who signed the letter of support, said his constituents would be able to visit

their families or travel for work, like his own family has, using Amtrak’s existing line to travel from San Diego to Los Angeles. He also noted the area around the Marana stop has multiple hotel and motel complexes for people to stay in for business. Beyond the leisure traveller, Visit Phoenix CEO Ron Price added that by connecting these cities it would increase interest in the region. “How much more attractive are we going to become to be landing the next corporate headquarters, the regional offices?” asked Price. Amtrak would use and build on existing lines, and use their new diesel multipl-unit train, which Gardner said is a “very effective train set.” While the train is not electric, he said Amtrak is looking at different alter-

natives to provide the “lowest carbon service that we can.” When asked why Amtrak considered a passenger rail versus a high speed rail, Flynn noted the time and investment a high speed rail would take, but would be considered in the future once there’s an existing line. “High speed rail from start to finish, usually is a 15-plus-year project, and it is something that I think that we look at once there’s an existing corridor, and there’s existing volumes,” said Flynn. “The approach here is to build out the service, build out the ridership and then explore what other future opportunities are for services.” At the moment Amtrak hopes to secure the federal funding necessary to begin the investments to start operations, including

the agreements with host railroads, like Union Pacific to develop the rights to operate. Gardner said they proposed a “bold plan for federal investment” to Congress to help cover up to all of the initial capital costs and a portion of the early operational costs. They also advocated that Congress provide additional funds to increase operation of the trains, including the two they currently have, in their long distance network from tri-weekly to daily. Part of the proposal also includes transitioning the operating funding requirement to the state after a period of time, according to Flynn. “The state of Arizona has an incredible opportunity to lead on this particular type of investment that other states, by the way, already do,” said Romero.

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Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

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Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

COVID: Pima County moves from ‘moderate’ to ‘substantial’ rate of infection, similar to rest of country Continued from P1

The cases are primarily from Vail School District, which resumed classes on July 19, and some of the outbreaks are in schools and others are from school related activities, like football, cheerleading or freshman orientations, Cullen said. “We are now seeing this increase as students go back to school,” said Cullen. “We anticipate that approximately 5% to 10% of the cases we are seeing right now will be due to school as opposed to a maximum of 4% last year.” Although several studies conducted early during the COVID-19 pandemic suggested children have lower incidence rates than adults, this may be partly due to children having fewer opportunities for exposure and a lower probability of being tested, CDC officials warned in an updated July 9 brief. They noted that studies that systematically tested children and adolescents, irrespective of symptoms, for COVID-19 infection or prior infection found “their rates of infection can be comparable, and in some settings higher, than in adults.” Cullen said pediatri-

cians, primarily working in hospitals, “are seeing increased admissions and increased severity of illness, including ICU admission.” Currently, younger children are not eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (only those 12 to 17 can receive the Pfizer vaccine), which are highly effective against hospitalization and death for all COVID-19 variants. In a late July briefing, ADHS Director Dr. Cara Christ (who recently announced she was leaving her job) reported that nearly 32% of 12 to 17 year olds have been vaccinated with at least one dose of vaccine. The expected rise in school-related cases comes as the U.S. faces another wave of COVID-19 and the increased prevalence of the Delta variant. As of last week, the CDC reported Arizona has a high rate of transmission with 132.6 cases in the last seven days per 100,000 individuals. In Arizona, the Delta variant accounts for about 75% of all cases, said Dr. Joe Gerald, epidemiologist at the University of Arizona, in a July 23 COVID-19 report. Emerging data suggests lower effectiveness of the vaccine against confirmed infection

and symptomatic disease caused by the Delta variant, according to the CDC’s brief on vaccinations updated on Tuesday. The CDC reports the Delta variant is “more than two times as transmissible as the original strains circulating at the start of the pandemic and is causing large, rapid increases in infections.” As of last week, Pima County remained at a substantial rate of transmission at about 65 cases in seven days per 100,000 individuals, about half the state’s transmission rate. Cullen notes that until July 19, when the county received increased reports of school COVID-19 cases and outbreaks, the county was in moderate transmission. “If we continue to see the increases that we have seen in the last week in our caseload, it is very possible that we will get to high transmission,” said Cullen. “The reason why we don’t separate out kids cases from adult cases, from elderly cases, and it’s all one, is because the belief is that that reflects what’s going on in the community at large. So, there is potential for a very significant impact on the community at large because of the

Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

school base cases.” Cullen said the health department is increasing their school team, because they believe “there will be an increasing number of outbreaks unless we have further mitigation.” However, new state law prohibits schools from mandating masks and requiring students and teachers get vaccinated. Schools in Arizona also faced backlash from Governor Doug Ducey’s office for using language from the CDC, which states vaccinated individuals do not have to quarantine. The Pima County Health Department is responsible for assessing vaccination status and determining the recommendation for iso-

lation and quarantine, while school districts report positive cases, said Cullen. “From the school district perspective, our goal is to say this is a Pima County Health Department prerogative, responsibility to keep the county safe and it falls within the purview of our authority to follow up on this,” said Cullen. “We are cognizant of what the Governor has stated. We believe that our approach to this takes the onus off the school, and basically says the follow up is due to us.” Cullen emphasized that the county is “doing everything [they] can to keep kids in school.” The Pima County Health Department updated its Public Health

Advisory to match the new CDC guidelines released last week. The CDC updated their guidance, recommending fully vaccinated individuals in areas with high or substantial rates of transmission should also wear a mask in public indoor settings because of the new evidence on the Delta variant. Matching CDC language, they will be “strongly recommending all teachers, staff and students, visitors to K-12 schools wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status.” Cullen hopes school superintendents will elect to push out the same recommendation and language. Catalina Foothills

School District and Tucson Unified School have opted to post signage around schools to encourage masking and the Catalina Foothills School District has updated their mitigation plan to match the new CDC guidelines. According to a statement from TUSD, “The Tucson Unified School District Administration strongly recommends universal mask wearing for all students and staff. Per House Bill 2898, we are unable to mandate mask wearing. TUSD supports Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman’s recommendation to have all students and staff wear masks when on school campuses.” In an email sent to fam-

ilies and staff on Thursday, the Marana Unified School District indicated the administration “recommends face coverings while indoors regardless of vaccination status in accordance with CDC guidelines,” but would also “remain optional in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order and House Bill 2898.” Amphitheater school district will also follow Pima County and CDC guidelines. In the updated July 9 brief on transmission in schools, the CDC notes that when a combination of effective mitigation strategies, like masking and social distancing, are implemented and “strictly adhered to in the K-12 in-person learning envi-

ronment, the risk of transmission in the school setting appears to be lower than or equivalent to the transmission risk in other community settings.” “Schools have done an amazing job, they have all worked with us for the past months, over the last year to ensure that they have layered mitigation,” said Cullen. “However, they have limited ability to do certain things and that’s why we believe it is our responsibility to do the recommendation, the strong recommendation about masking.”

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Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

July brings record-breaking rainfall, flash flooding

Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

ou weren’t imagining things if you thought July’s monsoon storms were something special: The heavy rainfall broke three records, including one that had stood for 66 years. A total of 8.06 inches of rain fell at Tucson International Airport in July, breaking the previous record of 6.08 inches that fell in July 2017 and exceeding the previous record of the wettest month in Tucson’s monsoon history, set at 7.93 inches August 1955.

July in Tucson generally only sees 2.21 inches of rain. It’s also the highest rainfall to date in a monsoon season, with 8.23 inches falling between the June 15 start of the season and July 30. The previous record for wettest monsoon through July 30 was 6.80 inches in 2017. The Santa Cruz and Rillito rivers flowed bank to bank at times and county officials discouraged the use of the Chuck Huckelberry Loop because of flooding dangers. They also warned people against swimming, kayaking or other playing in flooded washes because of

the danger of flash floods, debris beneath the surface and fast-moving currents. The county was forced to close several flooded streets in the region, including northwest corridors such as Trico Road and Avra Road. This past month stands in stark contrast to last year’s monsoon, which ranked as the second driest ever recorded, according to the National Weather Service. For comparison, July 2021 saw more than four times as much rainfall as the entire 2020 monsoon, which received only 1.62 inches of rain, as measured from the Tucson International

Airport. While many enjoyed the rains, the downpours did result in dangerous flash flood conditions. Multiple times throughout July, the Northwest Fire District and Tucson Fire Department performed swift water rescue operations. These rescues took place in the Santa Cruz River near Silverbell and Ina Roads, as well as Avra Valley Road. Northwest Fire reminds you to turn around if you encounter a flooded area, and that “flooding can be a threat even if it’s not raining.” Other parts of the state, especially the Flagstaff area, saw major flooding

and structural damage due to the heavy rain. The rainfall has resulted in a vibrant and green Sonoran Desert, with wildflower blooms and lush mountainsides. This is a welcome sight for the state, which is experiencing an ongoing drought. According to the Arizona Department of Water Resources, 89% of the state reached “extreme” or “exceptional” drought conditions in June 2021. The only part of the state not in extreme or exceptional drought was the southwestern corner around Yuma County, which still ranked as “abnormally dry.” However, the

Arizona Department of Water Resources states that “while summer precipitation does not typically alleviate long-term drought conditions, it is possible to see some shortterm improvement.” The Arizona Drought Monitoring Technical Committee is expected to release a short-term drought status map based on July’s record-breaking rainfall later this week. This week, the Weather Service is forecasting highs above 100 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday with cooler temps and more storms possibly rolling in on the weekend.

VOICES N

Editor’s Note

ot that I could ever get enough of monsoons in the Sonoran Desert, but I spent the last week of July out of state visiting friends and family. It was a wonderful trip from which I return with a mild sunburn, a greater passion for the Olympics, and maybe just a bit more wisdom overall (no promises). But from the looks of it, there’s plenty more summer rain to be enjoyed in the coming days despite the fact this year’s monsoon is already breaking records. After last year’s brutal summer, I’ll

take everything the clouds offer! In the book this week, we have a nice variety of coverage everywhere from politics to art to sports. Staff writer Christina Duran kicks things off with a look at a proposal for the oft-discussed Amtrak line between Tucson on Phoenix. Our friends at Cronkite News report on further concern about Arizona’s election audit from both internal and external sources. Contributor Margaret Regan visits the Tucson Museum of Art’s latest exhibit, which high-

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

lights a variety of cultures. Contributor Tom Danehy speaks with a national rodeo competitor from our own backyard, and I speak with a longtime authority in the world of social psychology. And as much as I hate to say it, we’re also reporting on rising coronavirus cases throughout the state and nation, so please stay safe. The song of the week is “Long Promised Road” by The Beach Boys.

NO WAY ON THIS HIGHWAY

am concerned about the environmental impacts of the proposed Avra Valley West I-11 alternative route, and the proposed East Option that co-locates I-11 with I-19 and I-10 through the Tucson region. There is no place in the world with the unique, Jeff Gardner magnificent terrain of the Managing Editor Sonoran Desert. Millions of people around the world

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come to Tucson to explore its beauty. It’s an important ecosystem that should not be destroyed at the expense of an unnecessary roadway project. There are other ways for the state to generate revenue. For example, following in the New Mexico film industry’s footsteps our state could make millions of dollars per year in a sustainable way that protects resources and supports small businesses and communities. Please understand the dangers and effects of these

proposed projects. Make informed decisions and get involved, by visiting sonorandesert.org. Public comments can be made until August 16, 2021. Nicole Johnston Tucson Want to see you opinion in the paper? Send your letter to the editor to tucsoneditor@tucsonlocalmedia. com. Submission does not guarantee print. Limit your letter to 350 words. Guest commentaries should be limited to 600 words.

Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

HEALTH &WELLNESS

The stinking rose: smelly but healthy! Mia Smitt

Special to Tucson Local Media

he Stinking Rose is actually the name of a restaurant in San Francisco but since then has become a nickname for that lovely little vegetable known as garlic. Garlic is a popular ingredient in many recipes around the world. Besides imparting great flavor to various culinary specialties, this little bulb has numerous health benefits. Native to the Middle East and northern Africa, allium sativun (aka garlic) is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. It is mentioned in the Bible and the Quran. Ancient Egyptians may have been the first culture to grow and use garlic for its supposed sacred qualities and physical strength in its warriors. Garlic bulbs were found in King Tut’s tomb. Trade and exploration introduced garlic to China and

India where it was eventually used medicinally. Garlic is seen by nutritionists and dieticians as a nutritional powerhouse with Vitamins B and C, iron, selenium, copper, potassium and manganese. Garlic confers a boost to our immune system by controlling cytokine production which increases our natural killer cells activity. A study published in Advances in Therapy, July 2001, showed that people who eat garlic get fewer colds and recover faster from colds and other viruses. Research published in the October 2020 issue of Trends in Food Science and Technology also cited garlic’s antiviral properties. The compounds in garlic that give it that pungent odor are organosulphurs, allicin and diallyl disulphide. Allicin is the oily liquid rendered when garlic is chopped and provides its antioxidant and anti- inflammatory properties. These compounds

stimulate a particular neuron pathway which causes blood vessels to relax. This relaxation lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow throughout the body. These compounds are also found in other members of the Allium genus family of plants such as onions, leeks, shallots, and chives. This reduction in inflammation may reduce the pain of and swelling associated with both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. Research into garlic’s anti-cancer properties was explored in the July 2020 issue of Antioxidants. The authors concluded that eating garlic can reduce the risk of developing certain cancers and relieve some symptoms of some cancers such as breast, colorectal, lung, and colon through “numerous mechanisms … including the inhibition of mutagenesis by blocking metabolism, through its free radical scavenging, or by decreasing cell proliferation and tumor

enzymes. This antioxidant growth.” The cardiovascular ben- effect prevents cellular damefits have been well studied age by free radicals, natural for many years. A diet rich in byproducts of oxygen megarlic lowers blood pressure, tabolism that may contribdecreases platelet clumping ute to such chronic illnesses and increases fibrinolysis as cancer and heart disease. (the breaking down of blood Selenoprotiens also help regclots). Garlic stimulates the ulate the thyroid and protect nitric oxide in blood vessels the body against heavy metwhich causes them to relax. al poisoning. Manganese is It lowers blood triglycerides another trace mineral imand LDL (bad cholesterol) portant for carbohydrate while increasing HDL (good and cholesterol metabolism, cholesterol). Garlic may re- blood sugar regulation, thyduce plaque from sticking roid function and the develto blood vessel walls by in- opment of cartilage, bone hibiting the formation of the and skin. The allicin in garlic has initial complex that develops into atherosclerotic plaque. been shown to help control Garlic’s vitamin B6 lowers weight. Laboratory animals levels of homocysteine which fed a high-fructose diet that is known to damage the walls developed high blood presof arteries and veins. These sure, elevated triglycerides positive effects can reduce and abnormal insulin levels the risk of heart attack, stroke were divided into two groups. and other cardiovascular One group received allicin control diseases. #1 - Free Dessert with purchase of Twowhile Entreesthe & Two Drinksgroup did The diets in both groups is aother trace min(NotSelenium valid with any offer. Expiresnot. 8/20/21) eral that is incorporated into remained the same but the *pleas make “small print” smaller than standard size proteins to make selenopro- allicin group maintained or weight while the control tiens #2 - $3 which Margaritaare withantioxidant purchase of anylost Entree

group gained weight. Eating garlic raw confers the most benefit. Try crushing and mixing into a salad dressing, spread on toast with avocado, or add to pesto or salsa. But raw garlic is strong and not to everyone’s liking so cooking is OK if you can avoid heating it above 140 degrees since the allicin can be destroyed at higher temperatures. And garlic breath is offensive to most people. Chewing on apples, lettuce, parsley, and fresh mint after a garlic rich meal can help offset the sulfur compounds that cause bad breath. Smelly but healthy (and quite delicious!): Enjoy garlic as often as possible! Mia Smitt is a nurse practitioner with a specialty in family practice. She recently retired and settled in Tucson after two-and-ahalf years living on a 40-foot sailboat exploring the world. She is originally from San Francisco.

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EN INGS HAPP EN Visit www.tucsonlocalmedia.com/livenup/calendar to submit your free calendar listing. For event advertising, contact us (520) 797-4384 or tlmsales@tucsonlocalmedia.com

THEATER FRIDAY TO SUNDAY, AUG. 628 • Catch a performance of critically acclaimed, award-winning author John W. Lowell’s funny, tender new play The Standby Lear about an understudy’s last great opportunity and whether he is up to the task. Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday; Live Theatre Workshop, 3322 E. Fort Lowell Road.; $18-$20; 327-4242.

THURSDAY TO SATURDAY, AUG. 1214 • Enjoy the close harmony and charmingly outlandish choreography of Forever Plaid presented by the Southern Arizona Performing Arts Company with some of the great nostalgic pop hits of the 1950s. Details: 7 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday; Vail Theatre of the Arts, 10701 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way; $20-$25; 879-3925 or sapactucson.org.

MUSIC FRIDAY, AUG. 6 • Rock to superstar funky grooves with OnesAll at the crazy fun Play that Funky Music Dance Party and get down to the music of Earth, Wind & Fire, Chaka Khan, Michael Jackson and more. Details: 7 p.m.; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road; $20; 529-1000 or

gaslightmusichall.com.

SATURDAY, AUG. 7 • Bring a chair and listen to some classic psychedelic rock and blues with lots of improvisation by the new group Lazaret at the Music in the Mountains Concert Series. Details: 6 p.m.; Catalina State Park, 11570 N. Oracle Road.; included with $7/ vehicle park admission; 825-9122. • Celebrate the music of Grammy Award-winning hall-of-fame artists at a tribute to Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris by the Trio of local favorites Jodi Darling, Mindy Ronstadt and Heather Hardy. Details: 6 p.m.; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road; $31 with discounts for children, seniors and military; 529-1000 or gaslightmusichall.com.

SUNDAY, AUG. 8 • Join entertainers Juan Jose Aguirre and Erin Recuparo for an evening of live music you won’t forget with the toe-tapping melodies of yesteryear at A Cool, Cool Evening: Tribute to Bing Crosby & Judy Garland. Details: 6 p.m.; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road; $27 with discounts for children, seniors and military; 5291000 or gaslightmusichall.com.

MONDAY, AUG. 9 • Enjoy the Paul Simon Tribute Still

Crazy After All These Years with Chach Snook and friends spotlighting the hits of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer/Grammy winner songwriting legend. Details: 6 p.m.; The Gaslight Theatre, 7010 E. Broadway Blvd.; $30-$31, $18 children; 886-9428 or thegaslighttheatre.com.

TUESDAY, AUG. 10 • Trace the music and culture of West Africa and how it became the foundation for jazz and blues in this country with Pascal Bokar and the Afro Blue Grazz Band in a lecture and musical concert at the Jazz, Culture & Social Justice Project. Details: 6:30-9 p.m.; Brother John’s Beer, Bourbon and Barbeque, 1801 N. Stone Ave.; $20-$35 (includes dinner); afrobluegrasspascalbokar.com or eventbrite.com.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 11 • Listen to international-touring and award-winning country and western artist Joni Harms with the songs of How the West was Sung. Details: 6 p.m.; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road; $27 with discounts for children, seniors and military; 5291000 or gaslightmusichall.com.

SATURDAY, AUG. 14 • Relive your favorite songs from one of the most influential folk musicians of our time at Homeward Bound, the Best of Simon & Garfunkel with Gas-

light favorites Mike Yarema and Walker Foard back by popular demand with a unique concert experience. Details: 6 p.m.; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road; $27 with discounts for children, seniors and military; 5291000 or gaslightmusichall.com. • Enjoy Roman Barten-Sherman’s Farewell Blues Extravaganza featuring the 18-year-old bluesman joined by Tom Walbank, Al Perry and Ralph White. Details: 7-10 p.m.; MSA Annex, 267 S. Avenida Del Convento; $15, $12 in advance; 461-1107.

THURSDAY, AUG. 19 • Get your tickets before they are sold out for The Mavericks ‘En Español’ World Tour marking more than 30 years of hits with their eclectic rock and country music. Details: 7:30 p.m.; Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.; $42.50$72.50; foxtucson.com.

SATURDAY, AUG. 21 • Don’t miss the long-time Tucson favorite The Jack Bishop Country Band. Details: 6 p.m.; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road; $27 with discounts for children, seniors and military; 529-1000 or gaslightmusichall.com. • Change your attitude, kick back, sip a cold one or two, and sing along with the greatest hits of Jimmy Buffet at MargaritaWorld: A Vegas Tribute to Jimmy Buffet. Details: 7:30 p.m.; DesertView Performing Arts Center,

SPECIAL EVENTS WEDNESDAY TO SATURDAY, AUG. 47 • Calling all bird lovers to the Southwest Wings Birding and Nature Festival featuring a safe “hybrid” festival with field trips and online speaker presentations. Details: 520-266-0149 or swwings.org.

SATURDAYS, AUG. 728 • Bring your flashlight and explore as the sunset turns into dark skies and nocturnal creatures come to life at Cool Saturday Nights at the Desert Museum. Details: 5-9 p.m.; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road; $19.95-$23.95, $11.95 youth; 8832702 or desertmuseum.org.

SUNDAY TO THURSDAY, AUG. 1115 • Enjoy the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival in-person or virtually with expert-guided birding, wildlife, and cultural field trips; photography and bird-ID workshops; free nature presentations, vendors and activities. Details: tucsonaudubon.org.

SATURDAYS THROUGH AUG. 14

• Bring the kids to Summer Safari Nights at Reid Park Zoo and enjoy the cooler evening temperatures, games and wildlife activities and music from local bands with this week’s theme “Fit for the Future” (saving endangered animals) featuring rhinos, African wild dogs, zebra, lions and elephants. Details: 5:30-8:30 p.m.; 3400 E. Zoo Court; $10.50, $6.50 children; 791-3204.

CLASSES & PROGRAMS FRIDAY, AUG. 13 • Dive into the semi-aquatic world of the diverse fauna of Frogs and Toads of North America with special attention to Arizona species with instructor naturalist Jeff Babson presented on Zoom by Tucson Botanical Gardens. Details: 10 a.m.-noon; $30, discount for members; tucsonbotanical.org.

CHILDREN SATURDAY, AUG. 14, 21 AND 28 • Explore the folklore and science related to the familiar star pattern at the stellar production The Big Dipper by the award-winning Red Herring Puppets. Details: 2 and 4 p.m.; Tucson Mall, 4500 N. Oracle Road; $8; redherringpuppets.com.

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Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

Tucson Museum of Art’s summer exhibition features a quartet of solo shows by artists in distinct cultural communities

Margaret Regan

Special to Tucson Local Media

hen I walked into the paintings of Willie J. Bonner at the Tucson Museum of Art last week, I couldn’t help myself. I had to share my delight. “They’re so pretty,” I blurted out to the security guard, someone I had never met. He smiled. “Yeah,” he said. “The colors are really nice.” Make that gorgeous. Thanks to Bonner and 36 of his paintings, one of the museum’s biggest galleries is a brilliant blaze of color. The large-scale 2020

painting “The Invisible Man,” just for instance, is a jazzy confection of lemon yellow, sky blue, royal blue, pink, lavender, ochre, brown, dark green and black. “Hours After,” from 2021, boasts orange, gold, white, twilight blue and burnt sienna. Bonner’s paintings, both big and small, are semi-abstract, filled with lively geometric shapes and diagonals and lines zipping across the canvases. The artist lives in Tucson, but he grew up in Cleveland, listening to jazz, an art form inspired in part by African rhythms. In turn those rhythms have shaped his energetic

paintings. But his works also reflect “what it means to be Black” in America, as a museum note puts it. If you take a closer and longer look at these joyful works, you’ll find some bitter-sweet narratives among the pretty colors. The 2012 painting “Taking a Chance on Chance” (colors: black, blue, green, gold and white) has a lovely blue sky and puffy white clouds above the sea. But a palm tree below is disconcertingly black. And if you look closely at the water, you’ll see a big catfish—and what looks like a slave ship carrying a crowd of Black people destined for bondage. Over the bout Bonner has painted the word “Americ,” an incomplete word that suggests America is not yet complete. “The Invisible Man,” painted in the year of the murder of George Floyd, is filled with sweet pastel colors, but the more you look at it, the more unnerving it gets. Is that a man hiding—or hanging—on the pink doorway? Is the brown orb below the head of a man? Sometimes, Bonner goes right to the chase. In “The Night of the Purple Moon,” a swirl of yellow, pink, blue and black, he paints words that conjure

“Double Jeopardy,” 2017, by Willie Bonner, is part of 4X4, continuing through Sept. 26 at the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave. up a history of injustices against African Americans. He covers wrongs both old and new. He references Clotilda, the “last American slaver,” and today’s Black Lives Matter movement; and the African Kingdom of Dahomey, which sold Africans as slaves and the “birther” lie that Obama was not born in the U.S., and so on. Bonner, now in his late 60s, has the unusual ability both to paint beautifully and to denounce the wrongs of the world. Wrenching as some of his pieces are, Bonner is at

heart an optimist. He loves to paint human hands of all colors, reaching out one to another, finding justice. Bonner’s wonderful show is part of a clever summer exhibition at the museum. 4X4 created four separate solo shows for four very different local artists, each of them hailing from a distinct cultural community. Aside from Bonner, the artists are young, all in their 30s. Anh-Thuy Nguyen, a Vietnamese-American, now the head of the photography program at Pima Community College, was

Photo Courtesy Tucson Museum of Art

born in 1983 in Vietnam. Her poetic photographs embody the longing for home and the difficulties immigrants have “living between two cultures,” as the museum notes say. Her luminous installation “The Boat Journey” series, hangs at the entrance of the whole show. It’s the first thing visitors see. (and should be) The work has four enigmatic photos arranged in a square. The colors of these large images are delicate and muted—black, blue, white— and they’re printed onto aluminum.

Each one shows the same dreamlike woman in traditional Vietnamese dress. She’s in different positions in every picture; she sits high on hill looking to the valley below, walks across a stone street, holds a tiny boat close, seeks refuge in an Asian tree. We never see her face but her yearnings for her lost home are palpable. Nearby, a small flotilla of small boats that Nguyen crafted out of leather sits on shelf, a poignant memory of the journey. The woman, notes say, is a semi-autobiographical character named Thuy that Nguyen invented years ago almost as a stand-in for herself. So Nguyen is both the photographer and subject. Another series, “Thuy and Sand,” shows the woman struggling across a white sea of sand, dragging an old-time carpet bag. The three lovely photos, glistening in the whiteness, take her farther and farther away until she nearly disappears. Not all of Nguyen’s works are poignant. Some are about discrimination. In the wake of the violence against Asians in America, a video has Thuy screaming with rage. Like Nguyen, artist Alejandro Macias navigates two different cultures. The difference is that he’s an American citizen, born and raised in Brownsville, Texas. He’s enmeshed in both the Mexicano culture of the Rio Grande Valley and American popular culture, but he identifies as Mexican American. His bright paintings of Latinx people aim in part to coun-

teract the push toward assimilation. “Where It Takes Root,” an oil and acrylic on canvas, pictures a young Mexican-American dressed in bright colors. But we don’t see the top of his head. It’s covered by a tangle of roots, slithering their way down into the boy’s brain, delivering the traditions and wisdom of the forebears. “Hidden in Plain Sight” shows the opposite. A young man seen from the back looks up at southwest mountain range and a deep blue sky. But the man can’t see anything. Bands of color are wound around him, covering his eyes, silencing his voice. Macias has drawn an elegant black and white self-portrait that highlights his own divide. The landscape serves as a metaphor for his dual life. In one of the two portraits, he stands in front of his beloved Rio Grand River. In the other, he’s below some mountains, perhaps in Arizona. In trading a river for a mountain, he adds one more divide. And in each of the two pictures, there are two Macias, one there in the flesh, and one in ghostly memory. Interestingly, Nazafarin Lotfi, born in Iran, is showing art that she made in Tucson during the pandemic. (Some of the pieces were created earlier at Artpace in San Antonio.) There’s a lonely feel to this ecological work, with the solitary artist photographing outdoors in a world where people were hiding indoors.

Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

Four contemporary solo shows at Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave. Through Sept. 26 Thursday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reserve a time slot online at tucsonmuseumofart.org $12 adults, $10 seniors 65 and up, $7 college students and children 13 to 17, free for members, kids 12 and under, veterans and active military. 520-624-2333

In two brightly colored photo works called “All Things that Grow,” a figure—Lofti herself?—is nearly invisible. The artist Willie J. Bonner has made artificial rocks out of papier-maché and placed them in a grassy countryside. In one image you can see the figure’s hair and one leg. In the other, the rock is next to a dead tree trunk, and only one arm of the figure is visible. In any case, the human is dwarfed by nature. Even more interesting, three of the human-made rocks are right inside the gallery. Called “Traces,” these sculptures take many forms. One, to me, looks like a mountain, but another, as the museum notes suggest, conjures up a shrouded figure and death. But the final work in this installation, brings us back to the light: it’s a large color photo on cotton sateen, swaying in the breezes, and picturing sun, sky and water—and another big rock.

Photo Courtesy Tucson Museum of Art

Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

LIVEN UP

Social Psychologist Reflects on a Life Spent ‘Thinking’ Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

ichard E. Nisbett has based his career around intellect, culture and how they influence each other. But for his latest publication, the social psychologist is turning the focus around. Released on his 80th birthday, Nisbett’s memoir “Thinking” is part academic autobiography and part personal history. It examines how perceptions and measurements of intelligence can change, as well as his personal work becoming one of the most cited social psychologists of the past century. “Thinking” is structured geographically, following his life from a childhood in Texas to Columbia University, Yale University, Ann Arbor, and finally to Tucson. Throughout the decades, academic viewpoints on reasoning shifted, and Nisbett follows those changes while reporting on some of his own research. As Nisbett explains in the book’s preface, he believes the consensus about intelligence that existed at the end of the 20th century placed too much importance on “heritability and too little on the environment, and utterly failed to recognize the importance of the interaction of genes with the

environment.”

because I report my own research and the research of others that is interesting for one reason or another. So it’s a cheap and easy way to learn all about social psychology.

By writing this memoir, do you feel you now have a better understanding of yourself and your own thinking, simply because you went through the process of putting it all out on How do you think the paper? general American’s thinking has changed over your I’m not sure it did, because lifetime? I’ve always been an introspective type. I’m always Well, everyone thinks asking myself what I’m do- we’re getting dumber. ing, and what am I doing That’s been true ever since next, and if I’m doing the Aristotle. But in fact, since right thing. So I can’t say 1945, average American I learned too much about IQ has gone up 18 points. myself, but I did learn That’s huge. That’s the difsomething about writing ference between someone memoirs: The first thing who might be a high school you realize when you sit graduate and a physidown to write a memoir is cian. But what that shows, that it’s going to be a pack among other things, is that of lies. The persona who IQ isn’t the be-all end-all. comes through seems like There’s no way the average a really swell guy, and I’m person today is enough not a bad person, but it’s smarter than the average always less than candid. person 70 years ago that I don’t think anyone can they could all be a physiwrite a truly candid mem- cian. But there’s certainly oir. The other thing I real- been an increase in intelized is how easy it is to do. ligence, in understanding It was easy to get onto pa- the world and comprehenper, but not all that easy to sion and vocabulary. I’m make it an attractive thing not saying we got smarter to read. That required than 18 points would imwork… There are two rea- ply, but we’ve certainly gotsons people might want ten smarter. to read it. One is that the first quarter of the book is Speaking of IQ not being about an interesting child- the be-all end-all, how do hood in the Southwest that you feel about the recent might interest people in trend of academic instituthe Tucson area. The oth- tions no longer requiring er is that it’s an introduc- standardized testing like tion to social psychology, the SAT?

I’m quite sympathetic to it. My guess is that most academics aren’t, but I happen to know something about SATs and IQ. SATs are certainly predictive of intelligence, and the correlations between an SAT score and an IQ score is very high. But although it’s a reasonable predictor of how well you’ll do in college, high school grades are just as good. And you get very little improvement if you go ahead and take the SAT as well. Mind you, somebody with a super high SAT score will look terrific in seminars, but there are also A-students who go on to have very productive lives and don’t have particularly high IQs.

love/hate relationship with How do you feel the inter- the internet, which I think net has impacted our in- is pretty typical. But as a telligence or thinking? writer, it’s fantastic. I’ve written stuff I never could My guess is there’s been a have before, and have acleveling up, where people at cess to concepts I’ve never the lower end of education seen before. So from the have more access to educa- standpoint of my scholtion. However, I’ve gotten arship, I may have gotten dumber, there’s no doubt dumber, but I’m also more about that. I don’t read productive. books the way I used to. It’s too damn easy to turn What brought you to on your computer, check Tucson? your messages and go on forever like that. Most aca- I grew up in the desert demics I know will tell you mountains, and after a cathey don’t read books at reer up north, I wanted anything like the rate they my desert back. I never used to. And books make guessed how beautiful the you smarter than some- ones in Tucson could be, one’s online comments compared to the ones I about whatever. I have a grew up with in El Paso…

We never intended to stay here during the summers for obvious reasons. But last year we got trapped because of COVID and it was the hottest summer ever, and discovered that it’s perfectly reasonable to be in Tucson in the summer, you just have to do all your stuff before 10 a.m. “Thinking” by Richard E. Nisbett is published by Agora Books and available at multiple booksellers. For more information, visit richardnisbett.com

Know Us Know Your Community

Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

Masks can reduce risk of Valley fever Victoria Hill and Julia Sandor Cronkite News

rizona has recorded more than 6,800 cases of Valley fever so far this year, according to July data from the Arizona Department of Health Services. Cases have steadily climbed every year since 2016, with the state reporting more than 11,400 cases last year. Valley fever is a lung disease caused by the inhalation of Coccidioides, a fungus common in the alkaline soil of the Sonoran Desert. Experts say it’s particularly important to take precautions during monsoon season, which puts more dust, dirt and bacteria into the air. One way to protect yourself, doctors say, is by wear-

ing something you likely already own: a mask. “Wearing a mask, particularly an N95 mask, can also be a good way to prevent Valley fever,” said Dr. David Hatfield, chief medical officer at Hatfield Medical Group. Two-thirds of the nation’s Valley fever cases are reported in Arizona, according to the state health department. In 2019, 18,407 cases of Valley fever were reported nationwide, most of them in Arizona and California, with the rest reported in Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and “other states,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But those totals likely are an undercount: “Tens

of thousands more illnesses likely occur and may be misdiagnosed because many patients are not tested for Valley fever,” the CDC said. Hatfield said those most at risk for the disease include people who have had organ transplants, diabetics, those 60 or older and people who live in the Southwest—particularly Arizona. Valley fever can be undiagnosed because it has symptoms similar to COVID-19 and the flu—cough, fever, exhaustion, according to the state health department. Valley fever symptoms usually are mild, and the infection can’t be passed to others. Have a conversation with your health provider if “you are experiencing flu like

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symptoms that don’t seem to resolve over time,” said Dr. Brian Mochon, system medical director at Sonora Quest Laboratories. To test for the noncontagious illness, professionals typically use a blood sample to look for the development of antibodies produced to fight the infection. Any primary care provider should be able to diagnose and treat Valley fever, according to the state health department. However, the Valley Fever Center for Excellence has a list of Valley fever specialists. Tests for self-diagnoses also are available online. Image courtesy of Arizona Department of Health Services For more stories from Cronkite News, visit The Arizona Department of Health Services this summer announced the cronkitenews.azpbs.org. winner of its 2020 Valley fever awareness poster contest: Gavin C., a 12-year

old from Pinal County.

Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

HOROSCOPE By Holiday Mathis

46 49 55

57 60

59 65

67 69

ACROSS

Handwriting style Woodland or wetland E! talk show Similar chemical compounds *Like many old video game soundtracks 19 *Common purchase for a tailgate 20 Getting close, in a guessing game 21 Parts of psyches 23 Tuner that’s turned 24 Moves furtively 26 *Sinbad’s milieu 30 Singer Stefani 31 “Survivor” setting, often 32 Singer’s time to shine 33 Mortgage claim 35 Suggestion made with a wink and a nudge 38 “___ said yes!” 41 *Burger chain named for a father and his sons 43 Minuscule particle 1 7 14 16 17

37 43

44 Kicked down the road, as an

issue

46 Some first responders, in

brief

48 Freshly 49 Culmination of a wedding

ceremony

51 Resistance units 54 *One of two for the 1990s

Chicago Bulls

57 Full of cheer 59 Video hosting service since

2009 60 Like many baby animals 62 Singer’s time to shine 63 *Anthem whose French lyrics predate its English lyrics 66 *Former fashion retailer so-named for its 57th Street address in Manhattan 68 “That’s two hours I’ll never get back!” 69 All together 70 Binge at a buffet, say 71 Fluctuated wildly

Know Us, Know Your Community

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You have something important to impart this week. To be heard, keep it brief. Short messages travel far, ring true, land easy and carry well. They also can take a while to craft. Do your prep work so you can say more with less. As Mark Twain said, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Expectations will often go unstated or be indirectly alluded to, and yet, you’ll pick up on it all. While it may not be appropriate or timely to hash out exact agreements, privately make note of what’s being exchanged. Awareness lends an advantage. It’s powerful to be conscious of the unconscious behaviors of others. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). When people weigh in with their opinion, it is only human to feel bolstered or deflated by the score. However, your own view is the one to consider. Be tough-minded about this. Allow no one -- not your biggest fan, not your worst detractor -- to interfere with what you’re creating.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). This week, maybe it’s too much to ask yourself to be fearless, as in -- one who has no fear. But you’ll certainly find it’s within your realm to literally fear less, as in -- face one small fear and, in doing so, possibly overcome it, enlarging your circle of possibility and capability.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’re creative and you want to make something different of your life than you’ve seen others do. This drive sets you apart from the crowd. Can you get comfortable with it? It doesn’t mean you can’t be close to people -- it just means you have to figure out the connections. Does it help to know you’re an inspiration?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You set out with every intention of doing what you love and loving what you do, but unless you take precautions to barricade and sanctify your focused time, you will be kept from this purpose. Don’t leave yourself open! Distraction comes in forms irresistible, especially the form of people involving you in their problems.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). The ego would have us believe that we deserve the good that comes to us, but often, forces like synchronicity, felicity and angelic favor are as impersonal as gravity. That’s the way it is this week. You’ll figure out what to do, how to do it, and then you’ll get to work. Luck is of no help. This is just cause and effect.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Over-ambition and unrealistic expectation is a set-up for failure disguised as optimism -- what a sneaky form of self-sabotage! But it’s a trap you can avoid (and often do) with pragmatism. Mix that with your penchant for planning and this week will be a success you can enjoy, duplicate and build upon.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Your creative life is accomplished with proactive moves. Don’t allow yourself to act reflexively because reaction isn’t nearly as inspired as action. You get ahead of this when you make a plan and become involved with it, thus occupying yourself in such a way as to be impervious to unimportant distractions.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Ultimately you

Crossword Puzzle Answers

A T R S C K

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). While irrational cheerfulness is unattractive to you, using optimism as a pragmatic strategy will be the most effective route to a fulfilling week. Your energy level is higher because you raise the ceiling on it with your winning attitude. So much more is possible because you choose to believe it is.

S O O N

31 33

DOWN

Worries anxiously Science fiction writer Ted with four Hugo awards 3 Came back, as hair 4 (Spoiler alert!) Sole survivor of the Pequod 5 Poker prize 6 “A series of ___,” infamous analogy for the internet 7 Philip Pullman’s “___ Dark Materials” 8 Stage digression 9 Completely confine 10 Stalemate 11 Star of CBS’s “Madam Secretary” 12 Circle segment 13 “For shame!” 15 One skewered at a roast? 18 Throw out 22 Bud in the Baseball Hall of Fame 25 Part of a place setting 27 Performance sites 28 Big name in shoes and handbags 29 In a moment 31 Bring up 34 ___ al-Adha (Muslim holiday) 36 Citi Field team, on scoreboards 37 “We wanna join!” 38 Altercation 39 “Say what?” 40 Deprive of strength — not, as is commonly believed, to give strength 42 Pioneering computer 45 11- or 12-year-old 47 Draw back (from) 50 Bowl over 52 On a larger scale 53 Credit ___ (banking giant) 55 Steer clear of 56 Places for speakers 57 Woman in a 1982 hit who can be reached using the starts of the answers to the starred clues 58 Filled to the brim 61 What might get under your collar? 63 “Well, lookee here!” 64 Cleveland athlete, for short 65 The “A” of D.A.: Abbr. 67 ___ pop (genre for Billie Eilish) 1 2

A L D O

19 22

T E A L E O N I

16 18

P T O U P T B I E G K S N I I E N F I V E D O K E

S A T E D

S U I S S E

M O R E S O

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

A T T

P O D I A

E V A D E

want to offer patient compassion to the world, but you can’t give what you don’t have. Do something nice for yourself. If you deserve it, great. If not, even better. It will give you the chance to practice acceptance, compassion and big-heartedness where it you most need it now -- turned inward.

S C R I T H E S E I G H W A R M S N E A G W E L S H E P U N T A N E W T H R E V E O C A N H A T E O V E R

ARIES (March 21-April 19). The week is filled with urgent potential. There are things to build, hobbies to take up, skills to learn... not to mention trips to take and services to contribute. Organizing it all is a challenge, though one that falls dead center of your strengths. You prioritize like a titan. Everything important will be savored.

Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

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Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

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Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

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Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

SPORTS EXTRA POINT WITH TOM DANEHY &RECREATION Marana teen competes in national rodeo competition Tom Danehy

Special to Tucson Local Media

resh back from the 2021 National High School Rodeo championships, Maryn Buchanan is both blazing a personal trail while adding to the well-earned fame of her extended family. Maryn is the latest standout in the legendary Parsons clan that includes patriarch Charlie; rodeo legends Clay, Joe and Cutter; rodeo star and multisport athlete Erin; and stud basketball players Mallory and Carly. (Maryn’s mom, Tracy, is a Parsons.) The Parsons family is synonymous with both Marana and rodeo, so Maryn has both a solid base and a whole lot to try to live up to. She’s off to a good start. The National High School Rodeo is actually misnamed. It doesn’t just feature the top highschool age rodeo competitors from the United States, but also draws people from Mexico, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This year’s event was held in Nebraska; for the next two years, it will be in Wyoming. She reached Nationals by competing on an almost year-round basis, piling up points along the

way as she headed into the State Finals in Prescott. The top four finishers in each event are invited to Nationals. She was one of a select few to reach the Nationals in multiple events. (She didn’t qualify in Barrel Racing, but hopes to do so next year.) Her best mark was in Breakaway Roping, in which a rider on a horse must lasso a running calf and then signal for her horse to stop. Once the calf pulls the rope taut, the rope breaks loose from the saddle horn so as not to injure the calf and, more importantly, to signal the end of the event to the timer. It is not unreasonable to see times in this event in the double digits of seconds. The least-fast time at the Nationals was 14.14 seconds. Maryn did it in 2.5 seconds. That was fast enough to win her pool of 13 ropers. She would end up finishing 11th overall out of more than 200 competitors in the event. A roper from Texas won the event with a mind-boggling time of 1.92 seconds. Seriously, can you imagine a sporting event involving two animals, a human, a rope and a perfectly executed tug on the reins accompanied by a voice command, all ac-

complished under three seconds? It’s crazy. Maryn actually has two different horses for her competitions. Chiquita is her Roping horse, but for Pole Bending, she rides Joe. (Pole Bending is the rodeo equivalent of the Giant Slalom in skiing. Competitors on horseback weave in and out of closely spaced poles that are stuck in the ground.) There was again a wide range of times at the Nationals, ranging from a winning time of 19.811 seconds down to a time of 43.962. Maryn’s time of 26.777 seconds put her in the middle of the pack of 200-plus competitors. “I know I can do better than that,” she says. “It just wasn’t a good day for me and Joe.” Well, considering that Joe is 22 years old(!), every day is a good day for him. Isn’t that kinda old for a horse to be competing?, she was asked. “Well, maybe. Very few horses compete over the age of 20, but Joe still has a lot of spirit and competitiveness in him. Besides, he doesn’t know that he’s 22.” You’re keeping it from him?! Doesn’t he deserve to know? “We’ll (both) know when it’s time,” she

explains. Maryn is already training horses that could potentially take his place when Joe applies for the equine version of Social Security. She is entering her junior year of high school, so she has two more years to compete at Nationals. She has thought about trying to squeeze in high-school sports (she used to play volleyball and softball and, at nearly 5’ 9”, ought to be able to carry on the Parsons tradition of playing basketball), but there just isn’t enough time in the day. “I’m up with the sun, checking on the horses, then there’s school and then practicing. My days are full.” She hopes to compete in rodeo in college and perhaps even earn an athletic scholarship to do so. (I wouldn’t bet against it.) One quick side note: While doing the research for this, I looked online at the results of the Nationals, poring over the lists for odd stats and/or unique names. Unique? More like priceless. In one of the events for boys, two of the top finishers were Cash Robb and Chance Story. It’s like it was written by Elmore Leonard. Speaking of names,

Acentric Rodeo Photography

Maryn Buchanan: “I’m up with the sun, checking on the horses, then there’s school and then practicing. My days are full.” what’s with Maryn? it up for my entire life.” “I’m named after Marin Yeah, well, at this point, County in California, but just about everything else my mom put a ‘y’ in there seems to be going right. just so people would mess

Know Us Know Your Community

Explorer and Marana News, August 4, 2021

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