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Lacy Cain influences her way to success
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Marana cotton crops Page 8
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A heck of a pairing
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| Page 6 in a virtual year Volcanoeslearning Pima JTED balances hands-on
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LOCAL Gardnertheir Local venues are once again scheduling shows andJeff opening doors Inside Tucson Business / Page 4 STARTUPS
‘HOWL-ITOSIS’
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UA researchers study how to cure bad breath in dogs
Space bucks and robot surgeons
Margaret Regan Inside Tucson Business / Page 10
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New promotions, hires and awards THIS YEAR’S Etherton Gallery to move locations after three decades NUMBERS Page 5 Page 3 Art Galleries
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Texas-based Builders FirstSource acquires Arizona building materials supplier for $400M | Page 4
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New promotions, hires and awards Page 3
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VENUE GRANTS
Sen. Kelly tours Rialto, highlights aid program
UA researchers stops COVID reports
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Hospitals, hospice, and assisted living facilities
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Colleges, universities and optics companies
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Sunawards Corridor releases post-COVID plan Tucson ranks among hottest rental markets in nation New promotions, hires and Page 10 Page 5 Page 3
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Healthcare Heroes
Nurses look back on lessons learned during the past year Christina Duran Inside Tucson Business / Page 8
Photo courtesy UA / NASA
Galactic Maps and Cancer Treatments
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June 4, 2021
Plaza Liquors and Fine Wines Still in business after 43 years
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Culinary Confluence
Zio Peppe fuses classic Italian with flavors of the Southwest
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Keep Tucson Vinyl Head downtown to one of the newest eclectic restaurants in Tucson. The Delta is a gastropub with Cajun and Sonoran inspired menu items. This Thursday, the restaurant is hosting Old Paint Records to play some of their best vinyl tracks. This event celebrates locally owned vinyl stores in the Old Pueblo while providing delicious discounts on local beers ($4), $4 off all Arizona spirits and half off bottles of Arizona wine. Details: Show starts at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 28th. The Delta, 135 South 6th Avenue. Thedeltatucson.com
Los Desconocidos The Arizona History Museum presents The Migrant Quilt Project. This new exhibit memorializes migrants who died trying to seek refuge in the United States. Each quilt features the names of individuals who
were identified. Those who have yet to be identified are memorialized with the phrase “desconocido” or “unknown.” Details: The Museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free to $12 admission. Arizona State Museum, 949 E 2nd Street. arizonahistoricalsociety.org
version can nerd out at the Screening Room this Friday. Come early to see displays of local artists and their best “The Thing” artwork. Afterward, watch the 1982 “The Thing” in widescreen with all the gruesome special effects we love. Details: Art show at 5:30 p.m. and movie at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 29. $5. The Screening Room, 127 East Congress Street.
Dive-In Movie Night
Legendary Tucson retro hotspot Hotel McCoy is back with their dive-in movie nights by the pool. Head to the McCoy on Saturday to buy some popcorn and watch the blockbuster superhero movie “Black Panther.” The event is open to the public but only guests are allowed to swim. Limited parking is available. Details: 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 30. Hotel McCoy, 720 W Silverlake Road.
Paint Night in the Park Head over to the Brad DeSpain Stables at the scenic Marana Heritage River Park for Adult Paint Night from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, July 29. Registration for the instructor-led class is $30 per resident, $37.50 for nonresidents, and includes a 16x20 canvas and painting supplies. No experience necessary! Participants may also bring food and alcoholic beverages to enjoy responsibly. maranaaz.gov
The Thing About Art
Fans of the 1951 Howard Hawk production of “The Thing from Another World” and John Carpenter’s 1982
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Nonprofit Perspective It’s time for a renewed push for renewable energy
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Flora’s Market Crudo Bar elevates the raw food conversation Page 13
Chicano Por La Causa charter schools bring students across the finish line
COVID IMPACTS
UNEVEN RECOVERY
+ Speaking with the new CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Minority-owned businesses face unique challenges
Chamber Chatter
Christina Duran
Page 4
Lessons learned from three years at the helm
Inside Tucson Business / Page 6
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UACI’s real estate reinvention
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Cyberinfrastructure, quantum sensing and pest eradication LOCAL DEVELOPMENT
Local bars sue Pima County, saying they can’t survive COVID curfew
Pima County’s 2021 transportation projects
Nicole Ludden
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on lessons 8 look back Business / Page Nurses Duran Inside Tucson
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year
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OF IT”
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UA 6 Page PEOPLE IN ACTION
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Hospitals, facilities 14 & 15
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Arizona
Understanding health care law changes
venuesPage 10 are once again
building
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scheduling
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Etherton Gallery to move locations after three decades Page 5
10
NUMBERS OF LISTS living YEAR’S assisted THIS hospice, and
opening
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doors
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UA researchers breath in dogs study how to
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in nation
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Officials ‘devastated’ as feds extend nonessential border travel ban
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HOME New EQUITY promotions, hires and awards Another line of credit 13 3 PagePage
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and bucksInside Tucson Business / Page 4 Jeff Gardner Space robot surgeons
2021
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The surge in hybrid work environments has proven employees can be just as productive at home as in the office. As a business owner, it’s important to ensure a successful work culture that maintains positive employee relations even when remote. At Cox, we are honing our approach to hybrid work and our commitment to growing and fostering our talent. Our president, chief people and operations executive, Jill Campbell, recently shared a few ideas on fostering and approaching the hybrid work culture. Take a look at the tips below to help build a hybrid work model at your company. 1. Set up for success. Ensure every employee who will be working remotely at times during the week has access to the technology and resources needed to do so. 2. Establish a routine. Jill described Cox’s Flex Forward approach and how each employee joins into a “Team Agreement” with their leader to clarify when everyone needs to be in the office together. It’s important to be sure the agreement is not just an edict from the leader but a team decision. 3. Maintain communication. It takes work for managers and their employees to build a cohesive team and understand what everyone’s going through on a day-to-day basis. Keep lines of communication open by using Slack or Teams to keep in touch. 4. Gather feedback. Check in with your employees to see how they are liking their routine and any struggles they may be facing when working remote. You may do this in one-on-one meetings or send a company-wide survey.
New promotions, hires and awards Page 3
Meritage Homes Developing Multiple Communities in Vail Page 10
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Volume 29• Number 10
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May 21, 2021
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Volume 29• Number 12
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BUSINESS SUPPORT
EQUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
| Page 6 in a virtual year Volcanoeslearning Pima JTED balances hands-on
Local First Arizona and YWCA
Page 8
LOCAL doors Gardnertheir Inside Tucson Business / Page 4 STARTUPS opening Local venues are once again scheduling shows andJeff ‘HOWL-ITOSIS’ TECH TALK
UA researchers study how to cure bad breath in dogs
Space bucks and robot surgeons
Margaret Regan Inside Tucson Business / Page 10
LEGAL PERSPECTIVE
COBRA SUBSIDY
Page 4
Understanding health care law changes
Page 10
FEDERAL FUNDING
Page 13
VENUE GRANTS
Sen. Kelly tours Rialto, highlights aid program
Healthcare Heroes
PANDEMIC RECOVERY
“PAST THE WORST OF IT”
Nurses look back on lessons learned during the past year
UA researchers stops COVID reports
Page 6
PEOPLE IN ACTION
PIVOT PLAYBOOK REAL ESTATE
BOOK OF LISTS
Hospitals, hospice, and assisted living facilities
BOOK OF LISTS
THIS YEAR’S NUMBERS
Colleges, universities and optics companies
Page 15 DEVELOPMENT
Plaza Liquors and Fine Wines
Page 5
THIS YEAR’S NUMBERS Pages 14 & 15
REAL ESTATE
Page 14
post-COVID plan Tucson ranks among hottest rental markets in nation
BOOK OF LISTS
Texas-based Builders FirstSource acquires Arizona building materials supplier for $400M | Page 4
Page 8
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Corridor releases Sunawards New promotions, hires and Page 10 Page 3
REAL ESTATE
New promotions, hires and awards Page 3
PEOPLE IN ACTION
Etherton Gallery to move locations after three decades New promotions, hires and awards THIS YEAR’S NUMBERS Page 5 Art Galleries Page 3
Christina Duran Inside Tucson Business / Page 8
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Still in business after 43 years
ON THE MENU
Culinary Confluence
Zio Peppe fuses classic Italian with flavors of the Southwest
Page 7
Photo courtesy UA / NASA
Galactic Maps and Cancer Treatments
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June 4, 2021
Touch Down
Arizona Sands Club reimagines UA stadium dining
Page 6
BY LISA LOVALLO
Steps to create a successful hybrid work culture
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Commercial real estate thriving despite pandemic TECH TALK Austin
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Building Momentum
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5. Make adjustments. As you move through the transition
to a hybrid work model, leave room for adjustments as employees settle into their new routines. At Cox we recognize the importance of testing things out and making changes where necessary. 6. Emphasize relationship building. Many Cox employees are using their in-office time to network, see their teammates and conduct strategic discussions. What many do not want to do is come to the office simply to send emails or have quick one-on-one meetings. 7. Reconnect in person. Don’t completely forget about in-person team bonding when it is possible. Set up a group lunch. Bring in coffee for a morning get together. 8. Interact face-to-face. Personal connection is especially important when team members need to have a candid conversation. Sometimes it’s difficult to maintain relationships over Zoom, so utilize in-office time wisely to strengthen employee relations. 9. Include fully remote employees. Some of your employees may be fully remote now, but it is important to remember to include them in team building activities, or your quarterly or annual in-person, all-employee meetings. 10. Combat digital exhaustion. When working from home, it can be difficult to separate professional and personal time. Encouraging breaks away from the computer and limiting emails sent after hours unless urgent are a few ways to create a break. Lisa Lovallo is the Southern Arizona market vice president for Cox Communications, leading a team of 260+ Southern Arizona Cox employees. Reach her at lisa.lovallo@cox. com.
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Kimberly Smith
Kimberly Smith
Kimberly Smith, pharmacy practice coordinator for Fry’s Food Stores, has earned the 2022 Top Women in Grocery national award. Smith, a Tucson transplant, is one of two Fry’s leaders to receive the national award recognizing women in grocery who display exceptional achievements both in and out of the office. Smith is responsible for overseeing 22 southern Arizona pharmacy locations, advocating for patient care, facilitating pharmacy practice programs and ensuring regulatory compliance. “I am truly proud and humbled to receive this award. I want to recognize the amazing female mentors I have had throughout my career, including the first and most pivotal, my mother, who taught me how to praise, uplift and work tirelessly until I achieved my goals,” said Smith. Smith is a veteran pharmacist with over 18 years of industry experience. She currently serves as a preceptor and adjunct faculty for the University of Arizona’s College of Pharmacy. “Kimberly is a valued and dedicated Fry’s associate and deserving of this national recognition,” said Monica Garnes, president of Fry’s Food Stores. “She is a true testament to the Fry’s culture, a dedicated leader who shows up for her team daily and inspires them to be innovative thinkers and leaders. We are incredibly proud of her accomplishments.”
Tucson names new orthopedic surgery chair
Lance Jungmeyer
Kenia Zamarripa
Hector Cerna
Marie Buck
President of Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, Lance Jungmeyer takes helm of Border Trade Alliance as its next board chairman. Jungmeyer, who is the president of the Nogales, Arizona based Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, will begin his term on July 1. BTA President Britton Mullen said, “The BTA welcomes Lance Jungmeyer as chairman, and we look forward to advancing the interests of the cross-border trade community in Washington, Ottawa and Mexico City to ensure our communities and industries are positioned to thrive.”
The Border Trade Alliance also announces a new secretary, Kenia Zamarripa. She is executive director of international business affairs for San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. Her position started the first of July. She joins Kathy Neal and Hector Cerna as new officers on the BTA board. “The BTA appreciates the willingness of Kenia Zamarripa and Hector Cerna to lend their insight and expertise on border affairs to the board of directors,” BTA President Britton Mullen said.
Hector Cerna, president and CEO of IBC Bank Eagle Pass has been appointed as the new treasurer for the Border Trade Alliance. His new post started the first of July. He joins Kathy Neal and Kenia Zamarripa. BTA President Britton Mullen said of the new officers, “I am confident their tenure as officers will be successful and help solidify the BTA’s reputation as the go-to source for policymakers on the issues facing the border.”
Western National Parks Association (WNPA) announced Marie Buck as its new chief executive officer. Buck was most recently chief operating officer (COO) for the Grand Canyon Conservancy (GCC) where she successfully managed operations. She previously served on the board of directors for GCC. As the senior director of business operations at Phoenix Raceway, Marie’s leadership was instrumental in the $180 million facility modernization project resulting in substantial increases in revenue and customer satisfaction. “Marie has an impressive record of success leading and operating complex organizations in operations, human resources, retail, programs, and capital and business development projects,” said Les Corey, chairman of the WNPA board of directors.
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John Elfar, MD, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, joins University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson from Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. He has been named chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery in UA College of Medicine effective August 15. Dr. Elfar graduated from Johns Hopkins University with degrees in biomedical engineering and electrical and computer engineering. He earned his medical degree at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Elfar completed his orthopedic surgical residency at the University of Rochester Medical Center. “Dr. Elfar is a true surgeon-scientist with exceptional clinical and research credentials,” said Michael Abecassis, MD, MBA, dean of the UA College of Medicine. “This is a somewhat rare combination in the field of orthopedic surgery.” Throughout his career as a surgeon-scientist, Dr. Elfar has been actively engaged in delivering orthopedic surgical care. Dr. Elfar’s current research is focused on severe trauma-related injuries, which often involve unrecoverable muscle and nerve damage. “Orthopedics is about hope,” Dr. Elfar said. “We provide patients with hope for a better life after pain and injury. Our goal is to be the best place to receive and deliver care. If we can do that, everybody gains enough hope to live meaningful lives.”
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JULY 29, 2022
UA Eller graduate finds her wildjoy By Katya Mendoza
Cain, who legally owned the company while she was in school, traveled to two From hikes to scenic separate pitch competitions drives, weekend trips and to try and win money to no date nights, Lacy Cain avail. Her four teammates empowers the community had also accepted full-time to explore the natural won- job offers, leaving her on ders of the Grand Canyon her own. state and to find their “I had no idea what I was “Wildjoy.” doing,” Cain said. It was the summer before She was faced with the senior year and Cain, who decision between accepting was an accoun ting and a full-time job offer from entrepeneurship student Fisher Investments in Dalat Eller College of Manlas, Texas, or starting her agement at the University company in Arizona or San of Arizona, was struggling Francisco after graduation. with her mental health. The hype surrounding She was living alone in Silicon Valley was not to be Sacramento while working ignored. as a full-time Commercial As an Arizona native, Project Management intern she found value in the with Siemens Mobility, Inc. State’s natural beauty and She decided to plan a decided to move into a day trip with some of her one-bedroom apartment in work friends to Yosemite Scottsdale. National Park. She got a serving job to “I felt the water in my support herself and her face from a big waterfall business expenses from the and I remember (thinking) first year, working as much why it’s important to stay or as little as she needed. alive,” Cain said. She was marketing a couple She said if life was full of adventure experiencof moments like this, she es listed on her website would have an extraorthrough social media but dinary and fulfilling life. didn’t get any hits. She had From that moment forto kill the prototype of the ward, she had a vision of business. creating a company that On January 1, 2020, encouraged people to have Daniel Wall, a former a fun lifestyle while adcolleague from the UA who dressing the mental health had enjoyed early success crisis at some capacity. on TikTok, suggested she She wanted to help post on the short-form people and avoid burn video sharing app. out. “Everyone told me my “It changed my life forevidea made no sense and er,” Cain said. that there wasn’t really a Over the course of the need for Wildjoy and it was next few months, Wildstupid. That was fine, I did joy had acquired 50,000 not care.” followers on TikTok around Tucson Local Media
the same time the pandemic hit. She would also be one of the hundreds of thousands of restaurant workers in Arizona who had lost their jobs. She had maxed out all of her credit cards and was struggling to get by. It was in that pivotal moment she decided to monetize her community, using videos she had spent the last three months curating. “I got my first gig in June at Tempe Tourism,” Cain said. Wildjoy ran a campaign full of social media content for local small businesses that amassed over one million views. Call it an overnight success, some of these businesses enjoyed life changing results. “We had an owner, named AB, he’s Vietnamese and has a Boba company called Mochi Boba, and people drove from Flagstaff to Tempe to try this place. People (drove) up from Tucson,” Cain said. Similar success was achieved with Plantney, a Britney Spears inspired plant store in Tucson. The post received over one million views. “I just know it’s made a huge impact on foot traffic,” Cain said. As Wildjoy rapidly increased their followers, they’ve been able to work with mom-and-pop shops and snag partnerships with bigger companies such as the Chicago Cubs, Warner Brothers, Circle K, Coleman and more. They reached about 100,000 followers on TikTok that summer.
“Never in my life, I thought that anyone would care about this stuff but they do,” Cain said. In June 2020, she received a Facebook message from a former UA alum, Robert Johnson, who worked at Apple. He said he “loved Wildjoy so much” he built an app to take everything she had posted on social media and put it onto an app. Due to legalities he wasn’t allowed to launch the app himself. “That was another life changing moment for me because an app costs a minimum of $10,000 to create,” Cain said. “It (was) just another affirmation from the universe that people cared.” From July 2020 to February 2021, Cain created and designed all of the data for the Wildjoy Map App based on Johnson’s infrastructure before launching. Within the first week they had over 10,000 downloads. “Nothing on (Wildjoy) is crowdsourced, it’s all through our inner circle,” Cain said. “People trust that the inner circle is getting good recommendations.” The Wildjoy app is free and available for anyone with an iPhone. A web version is in the works for those with Androids or Google Play users. The app has since collected 35,000 downloads and counting, with at least 15,000 active users. “This app is something for us to give our commu-
(Lacy Cain/Courtesy)
“I always dreamt of doing this,”Wildjoy founder Lacey Cain said. nity a tool that they can use when they’re offline to really interact with us and understand what there is to do,” Cain said. Wildjoy has amassed a 320,000–person community predominantly located in the greater Phoenix area and Tucson, and is constantly creating events to bring random people
together statewide. “The end goal is to have as many people (join) our community as possible,” Cain said. Wildjoy’s primary focus is to establish themselves in Arizona before spreading across the nation in hopes of
WILDJOY
CONTINUES ON PAGE 5
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JULY 29, 2022
5
New salon Forage Hair Co. debuts on Speedway By Katya Mendoza Tucson Local Media
Visit Shaye McCane at Forage Hair Co., 5303 E Speedway Boulevard, for a new hairstyle. The local haircutting specialist and educator who opened her salon on Wednesday, July 20, offers nontoxic hair products, eco-conscious practices and an individualized haircut experience. The studio also markets itself as a safer space for the LGBTQ2S+ community, gender-neutral and hourly pricing. She’s celebrating her 10-year anniversary in the industry. “With Forage, all of our stylists here are trained and informed of all topics LGBTQ2S+ related,” McCane said. A salon that specializes
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being acquired by Airbnb or similar business models. Despite their “humongous” reach, they strive to work with companies who can offer them paid opportunities. The idea of being a “travel influencer” can be a lucrative six-figure business in the long run. There are many opportunities for businesses and influencer partnerships. Usually, public relations companies seek out content creators in hopes of obtaining free services or cheaper compensation.
in identity hair, McCane’s studio seeks to implement gender-affirming services and reject the traditional “man or woman’s haircut” concept. The idea behind the space and practice seeks to get a grasp of how an individual feels about themselves and their hair. The studio, unlike most salons, offers vegan and eco-friendly products such as Hairstory, Reverie and Oway. The low-toxic hair color line, Original & Mineral, is one of the cleanest products on the market, using pigments made out of coconut oil and macadamia nut oil. Although not all products are vegan-friendly, McCane makes sure to let her clients know what they are getting. They are also a part of the Green Circle Salons, a sustaina“It’s a pitch. Most of the time you have to take what they’re saying and be like, ‘we’re not taking trade work right now, we’re only focusing on paid content’,” Cain said. “We prefer to do everything organically or paid.” They also disclose any “behind the scenes arrangements” with their audience In the beginning, Wildjoy’s average price was about $2,800 for smaller gigs related to content creation. The average order now is about $56000 from bigger companies. “Smaller companies are now paying $3,000 because they’re able to
(Noelle Rosario Haro-Gome)
Shaye McCane at Forage Hair Co. is celebrating her 10th anniversary in the beauty industry. ble salon solution for the hair industry committed to fighting beauty waste and
climate change. “Everything has a lot of intention behind why it’s
get such a big return on their investment that our rates are not a problem for them,” Cain said. One of her clients is a 16-year-old business owner from Scottsdale who owns Stemistry, a luxury bouquet bar and coffee lab. The clientele for this work is diverse. Wildjoy is a woman-owned small business without an outside investment. Cain has achieved this level of success predominantly on her own. She’s since hired a few team members and is currently working on Wildjoy’s next big goal. “I’m traveling and help-
ing some cities and business owners understand how to use TikTok, as I’m considered one of the experts in Arizona,” Cain said. “Which is hilarious because I don’t see myself as that.” In January of this year, Cain hired her first employee on salary and has already had to do a wage increase due to inflation. “There’s already been hurdles coming at me as an owner of a company with my first employee which is amazing that I get to learn on a small scale,” Cain said. Since 2020, Cain and Wildjoy have been recip-
here,” she said. A good amount of the studio’s home goods was also intentionally thrifted locally. McCane takes her role as an educator seriously; her active participation with the organizations such as Destroy the Hairdresser and Pantene x The Dresscode Project, allowed her to teach her employees how to create a safer environment for their clients and themselves. Her three employees exercise freedom over their schedules and service pricing. The recommended commission-structured business model not only facilitates cooperative teamwork but also transparency of employee earnings. “The coaching has pushed me to work through past traumas of the industry in order to
get through where I am,” McCane said. “It was a lot of learning and unlearning practices that I thought were normal or supposed to happen in salons when it doesn’t actually have to be that way.” McCane wants those in the industry to realize this profession can be lucrative and hairdressers can fulfill their ambitions while doing this line of work. “We’re artists, not service providers,” McCane said. ITB
ients of a few accolades. Most recently winning the Editor’s Choice for Phoenix Magazine’s 2022 Best of the Valley shopping and services category. In December 2021, she received the Emerging Leader Award from the UA Eller College’s Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things 2021 Annual Women’s Tea and that September, Cain was recognized by the Phoenix Business Journal as a top innovator under 25. This past June, Wildjoy also celebrated its third anniversary. “I always dreamt of doing this,” Cain said. “I was
always trying to innovate with a corporation as an intern.” When she’s not creating content or planning the next adventure, she said she takes care of herself and steps away from the computer. “There’s a lot to do, but I’m trying to be good to myself (and) have long lasting habits,” Cain said. “Because if I can’t exist, Wildjoy doesn’t.” ITB
To learn more about Forage Hair Co. and how to book your next haircut appointment, visit foragehair.co or @foragehair.co on Instagram.
Wildjoy - visit wildjoy.com. Instagram and TikTok: @wildjoyexperience
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Higher Ground receives $2.3 million grant By Tom Leyde
Tucson Local Media
A Tucson nonprofit that helps children and families in underserved neighborhoods will be expanding its efforts thanks to a $2.3 million grant from the Arizona Department of Education. Higher Ground Resource Center, 101 W. 44th Street, received word of the grant in May, said CEO and cofounder Jansen Azarias-Suzumoto. The group will use the money (its largest grant to date) to expand its Restart SMART community schools program. Higher Ground serves mainly low-income youth and families through in-school, summer and after-school programs that build life skills and provide multigenerational support. The money comes from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and is part of Arizona’s ARP School and Community Grantees. The money granted to Higher Ground was one of three such grants totaling $15.3 million. “This grant will allow for an effective and targeted approach to supporting youth through the current disparities that can make learning so hard,” Stephanie Anderson said, chief community officer for Higher Ground Resource Center, in a new release from the state. “It will help us bring in more partners to fill the needs at the school sites where we work, and it will allow us to address learning
loss and opportunity gaps at the individual level and the schools with Higher Ground,” Anderson said. Restart SMART is a community school initiative of Tucson Unified School District. Restart SMART teams work at designated schools. They focus on family and community engagement, trauma-informed care, social and emotional skill development, workforce and career skills, positive behavior intervention support, enriched learning time opportunities and after-school and summer enrichment programs. Higher Ground’s application was among 140 applicants and one of 40 that were funded. Azaria-Suzumoto said the grant will allow Higher Ground to expand its Restart SMART efforts from five to nine schools. These schools are in low-opportunity, high-proverty and high-trauma communities. “We are part of the school and in the world,” Azaria-Suzumoto said. “Part of the school engagement.” Higher Ground staff talks to students, families and teachers. They steer committees to meet with neighborhoods, Azaria-Suzumoto said. “Different schools have different needs.” Higher ground serves some 2,500 children, 500 families and 300 educators annually. By July it will have a paid staff of about 40, and it works with 100 nonprofit partners. “I have an amazing team
(Courtesy photo)
Students enrolled in Tucson’s Higher Ground Resource Center meet with volunteer adults in an after-school learning program. The nonprofit group has received $2.3 million from the Arizona Department of Education to expand its programs. of people,” Azaria-Suzumoto said. “I have been fortunate to have a great team of people, and we have an amazing team of partners. Tucson has really embraced our organization,” he said. Born into poverty in the Philippines in 1987, Azaria-Suzumoto and his mother were economically rescued from their situation by his father. When Azaria-Suzumoto was 16, his father acknowledged him as his son and made him a U.S. citizen. He dropped out of a university computer science program and came to Tucson. Eventually, he married, embraced religious faith and became the father of
two sons. Higher Ground was started in his living room, helping his wife’s son Timothy (then 10) who was struggling in school. Soon Timothy began inviting friends to join him. They were all struggling with school, but they also shared similar stories of trauma: divorced parents, single moms, incarcerated family members, family members involved with drugs, gangs and alcohol abuse. Underlying these stories were poverty and abuse. Higher Ground began being housed at Mission View Assembly Church in 2007, when Azaria-Suzumoto and his wife Barbi began offering their servic-
es for free. In two years, Higher Ground was serving 60 students in its daily after-school program, with more on the waiting list. The program reached out to Pima County Parks and Recreation to build a youth center. Higher Ground then became a 501(c)(3) organization. Jansen and Barbi quit full-time jobs to work for Higher Ground as volunteer directors. Tucson Unified School District offered to partner with the group, providing six classrooms at Valencia Middle School during the 2011-2012 school year. After-school attendance at the free program grew
from 60 to 130 students and Higher Ground expanded. It started offering tutoring in math and reading, tackle football for middle schoolers, a boxing team, dance, art, choir and high school career internships, character development, martial arts and financial literacy. When Wakefield Middle School closed, its students were moved to Valencia Middle School, leaving no extra room there for Higher Ground services. Luckily, Higher Ground was allowed to move into Wakefield. “Our success is not about numbers,” Higher Ground’s website says. “It’s about creating momentum for lasting sustainable change; it’s about the individual transformation that leads to community contribution; it’s about building a stronger collective impact in our community.” Timothy, Jansen and Barbi’s son, is now serving in the Marine Corps in California and he and his wife have a child. Jansen and Barbi’s other son Kenji is training to be an Olympian in judo. “We have amazing people,” Azaria-Suzumoto said of Higher Ground. “That’s the secret. … We work alongside people in this journey to get to higher ground together, so it’s kind of a metaphor.” ITB
Higher Ground visit higherground.me
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Marana’s cotton crops are safe for now By Tom Leyde
Tucson Local Media
Pima County’s cotton crop is not likely to be deeply affected by the Southwest’s mega-drought and Colorado River water cutbacks this year thanks to wells and recharging of aquifers, growers and agriculture experts say. Hundreds of acres of Pima cotton will be cultivated and irrigated in the Marana area this summer, but where does that leave future cotton crops? Their survival depends on water availability, cotton futures, the higher costs of farming and urbanization. “Marana is pretty good so far,” said Vice Mayor Jon Post, a Marana-area cotton grower. “We’re going to be insulated from most of the (Colorado River) cutbacks. I’ve got several thousand acres planted. No one’s cutting back yet,” Post said. Marana gets some water from the Central Arizona Project but not to the extent growers were receiving in Pinal County. Farmers there suffered devasting effects after water was cut this summer by nearly 20 percent, or 512,000 acre feet (one acre-foot of water supplies about 2,000 homes annually). Those cuts also affected dairy, alfalfa and other farmers as well as businesses related to agriculture in Pinal County. Last August the Bureau of Reclamation declared a water shortage at Lake Mead. Lake Mead is one of the Colorado River’s main
(Photos by Tom Leyde)
Blossoms bloom on cotton plants off Sandario Road near Grier Road in Marana.
(Photos by Tom Leyde)
Cotton plants are irrigated off Grier Road in Marana. Marana’s cotton crop is not overly dependent on water from the Colorado River. (Photos by Tom Leyde)
A cotton harvester picks cotton off Moore Road in Marana in 2021. reservoirs and water levels have fallen to historic lows. More than one-third of the state’s water flows through the Colorado River to Lake Mead. In Pima County, where some 45% of land area is in farms, the farming situation is different. “Marana has amazing groundwater,” Post said. “The (farming) district is more than 100 years old. Our groundwater is outstanding. Everybody’s recharging groundwater and doing a lot of water-saving projects.” Those include land leveling to make sure water is evenly spread in fields and adding drip irrigation. “Marana has worked hard,” Post said. “The Cortaro-Marana Irrigation District has worked hard with a lot of entities in the
region to prepare for this and that. Marana is a very unique place in the state.” The Cortaro Water Users’ Association (CWUA) is the agent for the Cortaro-Marana Irrigation District. It was organized in 1964, but it goes back to 1918 when it was known as Cortaro Farms. In 1946 it was sold to individuals and the CWUA was incorporated. The district is a state agency. It has 42 operating wells and three pumps to transfer water from the CAP canal to irrigation canals. The wells deliver more than 30,000 acre-feet of water every irrigation season, the organization’s website says. The district also has an allotment of treated water pumped into the rivers by the sewage treatment plant on Ina Road. This water is used to recharge ground
water. Agriculture technology also helped Marana cotton farmers be more efficient, Post said. Field monitors and soil monitors have changed the way farmers apply water and fertilizer. Pima cotton, the type grown by Marana growers, was developed at the University of Arizona by the late Walker Bryan, a university plant breeder. Released in 1953, the variety has longer and stronger fibers than upland cotton and is in high demand. Arizona produces about half the Pima cotton in the U.S. “Marana is a very productive area with a moderate growing season,” said Jeffrey C. Silvertooth. Silvertooth, a professor at the University of Arizona, has a Ph.D. in soil science. As long as the Marana
area has good soil and water cotton growers will survive, he said. “It’s (Pima cotton) a stable crop and there’s a good market for it right now,” Silvertooth said. “The market is extremely strong around the world. It’s (Marana) a small niche, but it’s extremely productive. They have good farmers out there.” Before the Great Recession, Silvertooth said a lot of Marana agriculture land was purchased by developers. Yet when the housing market crunch came they leased land back to farmers for agriculture. This year Arizona cotton farmers planted 20,000 acres of Pima cotton compared to just 9,000 acres last year. Upland cotton farmers drastically reduced planting this year with just 82,000 acres compared to 120,000 acres in 2021. Upland cotton is a different species from Pima cotton. The state’s total cotton
crop in the 2020-2021 market totaled 1,396,684 bales, and growers were paid 73 cents a pound. The number of bales dropped compared to the 2019-2020 market when 1,614,995 bales were harvested. Cotton is sold on the futures market, and it has changed dramatically in the last four to five years, Post said. Inflation is a large factor in farming costs today, he said. “Our major input revolves around oil, a lot of diesel, fertilizers, chemicals and other petroleum-based products.” The costs of those items have increased faster than consumer products, Post said. “Tractors are up 30 percent, if you can find one.” Despite the challenges Pima County cotton growers face, Post remains optimistic. “Marana’s always going to have some kind of agriculture,” he said. “It will be interesting to see where development grows. I don’t think I’d worry about Marana losing its agriculture heritage.” ITB
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Panic at grocery stores as SNAP EBT cards expire By Hope Peters
to the May incident. “All DES clients will receive the benefits for which they are eligible,” she said. AZDES said they are extending timelines for those who didn’t receive notices. Their July benefits should now be available, they added. However, according to Cole, several days later on July 14, he witnessed people abandoning their cards at his local Safeway grocery store. He said he saw a woman trying to pay for groceries and the cashier told her she had no available funds on her card. Pandemic emergency SNAP funds ran out in April, according to Cole.
Tucson Local Media
Arizona EBT cardholders were dismayed to reach the grocery store register last month and find out their SNAP funds had expired without notice. “It is chaos not being advised or notified that your EBT expired,” Bruce Cole said regarding his expired card. Bruce Cole, a disabled vet, receives the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) formerly known as food stamps, from Arizona Department of Economic Security (AZDES). Cole, who does not work due to disability, said he is grateful for the help he receives from AZDES and the SNAP program. People like Cole rely heavily on their EBT cards to feed themselves and their families. He said he found out his EBT card had expired when he called AZDES to change his PIN on his card in the last week of June. “The automated phone system just said, ‘Your benefits expired’,” he explained. He called four times and received an automated message that stated the system is down and to call back later. Cole said the message AZDES told SNAP clients was their EBT cards expired due to a “vendor issue.” However, they were not getting notified to reapply for SNAP benefits. AZDES explained what had happened in June this year. “As a separate issue, the
This, coupled with delayed DES notices, confounded cardholders suffering from the rising cost of food. Cole said an organization called La Frontera has been getting emergency food boxes to people, which has been an incredible help. Cole wondered, “How does a person who has no income, has a disability, how do they get help?” Cole said if your EBT card has no funds and you didn’t receive a notice from DES, you have no alternative. “What do you do for money?” Cole asked. Cole said he managed to buy his groceries on a limited budget with unique options, more than just coupons and discounts.
Cole signed up for every free membership card at his local grocery stores such as Albertson’s, Safeway and Fry’s. The stores offer points on purchased items, except alcohol and tobacco. The points can be used for savings on fuel. Cole said he has no vehicle so he uses the points for discounts on grocery items. He also collects digital coupons for regular household items. For SNAP clients, AZDES had this to say: “When a Nutrition Assistance client is reaching their date of expiration, a notice is issued the month before the expiration date. Clients can also check their case status online at MyFamilyBenefits.azdes.gov.” ITB
(Hope Peters)
A participant of the SNAP program, Bruce Cole was shocked to find out his EBT card benefits had expired with no prior notice from AZDE. vendor through which the state of Arizona prints and mails correspondence and paper checks experienced a cyberattack in June, resulting in the company taking their systems offline nationwide,” AZDES Press Secretary Tasya C. Peterson said in a statement to Tucson Local Media. She stated, “No state systems were compromised, and ADOA (Arizona Department of Administration) and the Arizona Department of Homeland Security worked to ensure all state systems were protected during the outage.” “The outage affected the work of four state agencies, including DES and various programs including the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program, among others,” she said in a statement. “During the outage, DES updated its website and call center messaging to help inform staff about the incident and its impacts.” AZDES stated the vendor resumed operations in Arizona over the Independence Day weekend, and it has worked with the state to process delayed notices, forms and paper checks. She said, “All delayed correspondence have since been processed. DES clients did not experience a lapse in SNAP benefits or eligibility as a result of the June outage.” However, AZDES said clients’ benefits may have expired at the end of June without getting notified due
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Guest Commentary: Inspiring health through a different lens By Dr. Cara Christ
Special to Tucson Local Media
In public health, we work to make the healthy choice an easy choice and help people embrace a healthy lifestyle. Yet, oftentimes, the cost of health care is a determining factor in choices people make about their health. It can prevent someone from seeking medical care or even force a choice between purchasing food or filling important prescriptions. Basic needs must be addressed first for someone to
reach their healthiest state. For example, someone who doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from or who is struggling to feed their family is less likely to prioritize controlling their blood sugar or taking time off to get an eye or foot exam. I learned early on in my career that health insurance can significantly change lives, especially if someone has the wherewithal to leverage the different choices available to them to obtain more affordable, accessible and higher-quality care.
As the former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, I saw how health insurance providers helped public health bridge the gap between the immediate healthcare needs of the community to directly help people thrive. I worked with healthcare insurance providers on a variety of programs, from Arizona Department of Health Services’ Opioid Emergency Response and Arizona Health Improvement Plan to the colossal task of coordinating a mass vaccination site at
State Farm Stadium. With each opportunity, I saw an incredible willingness to step up and make a difference in the lives of Arizonans. Collaborating with members of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona team on these projects gave me insight into their deep commitment to the community. I could also directly see that the health issues I am especially passionate about are the same issues that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is laser-focused on solving, whether it be
substance use disorder, mental health, chronic health conditions or health equity. It also reinforced to me that nurturing the wellness of our community is more than just a task for public health agencies. It made me realize joining the health insurance industry to work on population health from a different perspective would be the opportunity of a lifetime. As a chief medical officer for the largest health insurer in the state, I find there are so many oppor-
tunities to inspire health. Whether it is updating or negotiating contracts to ensure affordability or implementing programs to improve health outcomes, a key component of the role is to find even more ways to make health better. This includes everything from tackling current public health priorities to implementing life-changing programs that ensure health equity and invest in Arizona’s wellness. In this new role, I’ve
HEALTH
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Salad and Go will open new location in Tucson By Karen Schaffner Tucson Local Media
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Don’t stand over a cutting board when fresh salads are available at Salad and Go’s new Tucson location, opening August 7, 2022. Founded in 2013, the franchise is a healthy spin on the fast-food concept. “Salad and Go first began in Arizona, and I’m proud to see the brand continue to grow and flourish in its home market nine years later as we simultaneously venture into North Texas and beyond,” said Charlie Morrison, CEO of Salad
and Go in a press release. “Opening more stores in these three cities is a testament to the quality and service our teams provide, and it’s the love and support from our customers that allows us to continue serving fresh and affordable food while giving back to our communities.” Salad and Go plans to open three new stores in Gilbert, Tucson and Peoria. Salad and Go’s new drive-through restaurant in Tucson will be located at 1302 S. Kolb Road. Salad and Go’s mission is to serve meals that feature
high quality, locally sourced, and nutritious ingredients. The salad franchise offers a wide variety of salads, including cobb, caprese and Greek, among others. The restaurant also offers breakfast burritos, soup, soft drinks and wraps on their menu. This is the third Tucson location for the chain; the others are located at 1730 E Tucson Marketplace Boulevard, and 5501 E Speedway Boulevard. The chain also gives back to the community by providing 4,000 meals each week to those in need. ITB
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HEALTH
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
prioritized addressing “whole-person health.” During the last five years, while Arizonans have reported feeling physically healthier, mental distress has increased. To help address this, we are actively working to implement an integrated medical management strategy that blends physical health, behavioral health and the vital social determinants of health. The goal is to create a best-in-class model that continues improving health across Arizona. At a grassroots level, that means improving the status quo so no Arizonan is forced to decide between accessing healthcare or putting food on the table.
JULY 29, 2022
One of the first key health conditions we are addressing is diabetes. According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, 1 in 10 of Arizona’s adults have diabetes. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is teaming up with the Arizona Department of Health Services and other partners in the community to spearhead our Diabetes Action Plan that will work to lower HgbA1c (a test to measure blood sugar levels), increase engagement of members living with diabetes, increase provider coordination and accessibility, reduce the disparity of outcomes among members, and perform routine surveillance to monitor diabetes. By 2025, our goal is to reduce the progression of diabetes
(Courtesy photo)
Dr. Cara Christ is chief medical officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. She previously served as Arizona Department of Health services director, leading the state’s COVID-19 response during the largest public health initiative in the nation’s history.
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by 25%. Not only will we be helping our members living with diabetes and prediabetes, but we will also aim to improve public health in our communities statewide. Having led the state’s public health system allows me to bring a different perspective to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona’s clinical team, as well as to peers in the industry. My goal is to introduce and implement creative, collaborative solutions that positively impact the health of Arizonans. At the end of the day, it is important to look at health insurance through a public health lens, identifying ways to not only encourage wellness but also ensure access to affordable, convenient, and personalized healthcare. ITB
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FEATURE
Coding the future By Karen Schaffner Tucson Local Media
At Quantum Quest, an all-girls quantum computing camp, 20 teenage female students recently stood on the precipice of a brand new technology: quantum coding. “(Scientists) use quantum computers,” program manager Gabbie Meis said. “(Quantum computers) actually use quantum mechanics to solve some of the world’s largest problems, like things with lots of data or simulations that our classical computers just don’t have enough power to do. Instead of our classical computers, quantum computers are actually an entirely different type of machine that is still being developed today.” This kind of computer requires quantum coding and when programmed could be used to help solve problems like mitigating the impacts of climate change; transportation mapping, such as figuring out how to remap the entire country of Australia with more
efficient roadways; or even biomedical research, such as protein folding for vaccine development or drug discovery research. “Back in 2019 Google ran a problem on their quantum computer that they estimated would take the most powerful supercomputer about 10,000 years to solve,” Meis said. “They said they got their (quantum) computers to solve it in less than two days.” During the camp, students learned the programming language, Qiskit, an open source (free) software development kit. Meis called it a Python-backed library, Python being a programming language. Qiskit allows the students’ classical computers — the kind most of use at home — to communicate with quantum computers. Ironically, although the students all had their laptops open, the learning was done on dry erase boards. “Quantum is interdisciplinary so they’re learning the basics in linear algebra,” Meis said. “They’re learning computer science and how to code in Python, and
they’re learning quantum physics, all wrapped in this single week.” The Coding School, located in Southern California, has a quantum coding initiative called Qubit by Qubit, the most basic unit of information in quantum computing. The initiative seeks to make quantum computing education accessible to students in K-12, because as it stands right now, according to Meis, students don’t usually see quantum computing until they are graduate students. To bring quantum coding to the masses, the school developed the Quantum Quest camp and partners with other organizations to offer it locally. For Tucson, they partnered with the University of Arizona’s Office of Societal Impact and the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona (GSSA). “When this all came about it was the perfect marriage between the Coding School, the U of A and the Girl Scouts in trying to bring accessibility to this more advanced part of STEM,” said Colleen McDonald, director of staff supported
Nonprofit Perspective It’s time for a renewed push for renewable energy
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Chicano Por La Causa charter schools bring students across the finish line
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(Karen Schaffner)
From right, Joselyn Pirro, 14, and Sagan Friskey, 18, work diligently at their computers learning Qiskey, a programming language that enables their computers to communicate with quantum computers. programs for the GSSA. “As Girl Scouts we see ourselves as the connector. We want to make sure that all girls have access to it.” The Coding School has been offering this camp for some time — this is its 10th camp — but it’s the first time it’s been offered in Tucson. Camp topics included everything from foundational concepts that make up the quantum world such as entanglement and qubits, and end with teaching girls how to code real quantum computers. It’s all new science. These students are at the very foundation of quantum coding, according to Meis, and that is part of why it is so important to offer this to young women. One, they are introduced to quantum computing, but two, so they are not alone and do not feel alone in their interest in this field, Meis said. “This is a hard science, right?” Meis said. “We really
want our students to feel that there’s a place in this for girls. We’re really trying to empower them now while they’re still in high school.” “I’ve worked with girls for two decades doing STEM with them and one of the biggest things I hear is they think that they’re alone in liking STEM, that they don’t realize there are other girls who are also willing to push themselves,” Michelle Higgins added. She’s the associate director of the Office of Societal Impact. The lead instructor for this camp is herself an example to these students. Emily Van Milligen is a doctoral student at the UArizona department of physics. Her field of study is quantum entanglement and routing protocols. She noticed that not one student fell behind; they all listened. “They love it,” Van Milligen said. “They like the lectures I’m giving, which is
exciting because that means they enjoy the content. I’m not doing anything that special.” One student, 18-year-old Sagan Friskey and future Pima Community College student, spoke enthusiastically about the camp. “I think it’s super interesting to learn about, especially since we’re at the very beginning of it becoming a part of something that you can learn about and work with,” she said. Gabriela Malo-Molina, 14, and a student at Catalina Foothills High School, said she’s never seen this before but could be interested in looking deeper into it. “I think this is a very special opportunity, and that this field will definitely be more commonly used in the future,” she said. “And quantum computing in the future will be very helpful for discoveries, especially in the medical field.” ITB
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JULY 29, 2022
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TECH TALK
The Big Freeze and planetary flight By Alexandra Pere Tucson Local Media
With a major research university right in our backyard, a strong military presence and innovative companies throughout the metro region, there’s often a plethora of interesting science, medical and technology news to be found in Southern Arizona. Here’s a breakdown of the most interesting recent developments.
Ice age answers
The last ice age was more than 100,000 years ago. This pivotal era changed the Northern hemisphere’s geology and biodiversity. It’s also very msyterious. For decades scientists wondered how the ice sheets formed and what sped up their formation. A new study from the University of Arizona provides an answer to how the ice may have formed at the rate and in areas it did. A longstanding theory to explain the Ice Age is a “wobbling” theory in which Earth’s orbit may have “wobbled” during its path around the Sun, causing cooler temperatures. However, the theory doesn’t fully explain how the ice sheets covered much of Scandinavia and northern Europe. “The problem is we don’t know where those ice sheets (in Scandinavia) came from and what caused them to expand in such a short
amount of time,” Marcus Lofverstrom said in a press release. Lofverstrom is the lead author on the study titled, “The importance of Canadian Arctic Archipelago gateways for glacial expansion in Scandinavia.” Lofverstrom is an assistant professor of geosciences and head of the UA Earth System Dynamics Lab. Scandinavian ice sheets are puzzling to scientists because the region is warmed by the North Atlantic Current. In order to look into the Ice Age mystery, Lofverstrom created an Earth-systems model called the Community Earth System Model for the study. The model could be used to test different geological and climate scenarios. The first experiment with this model did not provide any answer but their second experiment managed to explain why Scandinavia could have frozen over. “Using both climate model simulations and marine sediment analysis, we show that ice forming in Northern Canada can obstruct ocean gateways and divert water transport from the Arctic into the North Atlantic,” Lofverstrom said in a press release. “That in turn leads to a weakened ocean circulation and cold conditions off the coast of Scandinavia, which is sufficient to start growing ice in that region.” Assistant Professor in the UA department of geoscienc-
es, Diane Thompson, said the marine sediment records from the North Atlantic show evidence of glaciers in Northern Canada thousands of years before the European side. “It is possible that the mechanisms we identified here apply to every glacial period, not just the most recent one,” Lofverstrom said.
Better batteries
University of Arizona researchers have developed a metal-free electrolyte and hope to use it to create nontoxic batteries with lots of storage power. This feat is the latest movement toward solving renewable energy problems as the economy slowly shifts in the direction of renewable energy. The team of researchers launched a startup called CarbeniumTec LLC to get this technology off the ground. “We strive to develop a sustainable, metal-free and environmentally friendly solution that addresses the increasing demand for electricity storage,” co-inventor and cofounder Thomas Gianetti said in a press release. Gianetti, the assistant professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry, is working with CarbeniumTec cofounder and Chief Technology Officer Jules Moutet to get this technology to the public.
Sailing around Mars Research scientist Al-
exandre Kling in NASA’s mars climate modeling center is teaming up with University of Arizona engineers to design a motorless sailplane to fly on the surface of Mars. The plane will rely solely on Martian wind to sail while capturing data during its flight with temperature and gas sensors, as well as cameras. Mars’ atmosphere is quite thin, making it difficult to fly. But these sailplanes are designed to fly for days on Mars’ surface. “With this platform, you could just fly around and access those really interesting, really cool places,” Kling said. ITB
(Karen Schaffner)
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ON THE MENU
Good Oak Bar event is a heck of a pairing By Matt Russell
Special to Tucson Local Media
I’ve been to many wine pairing and cocktail pairing dinners over the years, but I’ve never experienced both intentionally wrapped into a single evening. As the saying goes, and as I echo here with great anticipation, there’s a first time for everything. On August 11 at the Good Oak Bar, 316 E. Congress Street, executive chef Nico Rodriguez and beverage director Tim Walsh will host a fivecourse event that signals to me they weren’t able to make up their minds on wine or cocktails or there truly is a method to their madness. After spending some time with chef Rodriguez, it became crystal clear it’s the latter. “The Good Oak is built on a curated list of wines, whiskies, and other spirits, and creating a menu for this dinner means showcasing who we are in every way,” said Rodriguez. “We’ll have some wonderful wines and cocktails specially designed to match the flavors of the dishes.” The evening will commence with a summer berry salad with arugula, toasted almonds, whipped feta cheese, and an orange honey vinaigrette. “This bright starter is really like a charcuterie board without the meat, in a refined sort of way,” he said. Don’t expect a light Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio to complement the
salad. Walsh will take a deep dive right away with a cocktail that he calls “Leap of Faith.” It’s made with a peach-infused Arizona Commerce Gin, orange brandy, sparkling Rose, cacao bitters, creosote and shaved ice. This, my friends, is vintage Tim Walsh, and it’s only the salad course. The second course will feature a crudo of mahi mahi, apple ginger juice, radishes and lemon zest. “Flavor-wise, I was after a ‘hot toddy’ kind of feel with this one and it should pair nicely with the next cocktail,” said Rodriguez. Walsh’s Del Bac Boulevard should deliver, with Whiskey Del Bac Frontera, a limited-edition expression of the local single malt whiskey that was aged in Spanish sherry casks, premium amaro liqueur and vermouth, smoked maple syrup and smoke bitters. The courses get richer as the night gets darker, like Rodriguez’s house-made pappardelle pasta with roasted mushrooms, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and garlic butter, brightened up a bit with a glass of Merkin Chupacabra Blanca, a white blend from Arizona’s Caduceus Cellars. The penultimate pairing will feature bourbon-glazed pork belly with pecorino polenta, pickled onions, and fresh herbs. “This is what we get when we think about whiskey food,” said Rodriguez. “The garnish is truly a
(Courtesy)
Executive chef Nico Rodriguez and beverage director Tim Walsh will host a five-course pairing event unlike any other on August 11.
highlight of the dish, not just something we do to pretty-up the plate.” The pork belly’s sexy companion will be an Old Pueblo Sour, with Whiskey Del Bac, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, orgeat, egg
white and a finishing pour of a popular red blend from Caduceus Cellars, the Merkin Shinola. If you’re keeping count, the fifth and final course will pair Hub Ice Cream, mesquite-agave syrup,
and candied pecans with Walsh’s The Sweetest Taboo. Arizona Commerce Gin will take a curtain call in the final cocktail with supplemental splashes of Italian and Portuguese wines. ITB
Good Oak Bar
This five-course evening is $80 per person, which includes the dinner, paired drinks, gratuity, and parking at the nearby AC Hotel. Check the bar’s social media, @GoodOakBar, for a reservations link.
INSIDETUCSONBUSINESS.COM
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JULY 29, 2022
Banks Rank 2021 2020
Business Address
Phone Company Email Website
Arizona Deposits
Total Assets
Total Net Loans & Leases
No. Offices: Local National
1
Commerce Bank of Arizona 7315 N. Oracle Road Suite #181 Tucson, AZ 85704
(520) 797-4160 info@commercebankaz.com www.commercebankaz.com
$279.2M
$331.6M
$246.7M
2 4
Canyon Community Bank 7981 N. Oracle Road Tucson, AZ 85704
(520) 529-5500 N/A canyoncommunitybank.com
N/A
$160.8M
N/A
2 N/A
Pacific Premier Bank 4400 East Broadway, Suite 112 Tucson, AZ 87511
(520) 257-4111 N/A www.ppbi.com/Tucson
N/A
$19.7B
$13.0B
2 67
Parent Company Headquarters
Top Local Executives
Year Establ. Locally
Tucson
Paul C. Tees
2002
N/A
Bo Hughes Don Jenks
2000
Pacific Premier Bank Irvine, CA
Kevin Cutter
1996
Ranked by Arizona deposits Ranked information is provided by business representatives at no charge and is ranked alphabetically in case of ties. There is no charge to be included in Inside Tucson Business listings. NL=not listed last year NR=listed last year but ranking criteria not provided
Credit Unions Rank Business 2021 Address 2020
Phone Company Email Website
No. of Total AZ Members Assets
AZ Net Loans & Leases
AZ Total Shares
No. Offices: Membership Requirements Eligible Groups Local National
Top Local Executives
Year Establ. Locally
1
Hughes Federal Credit Union 971 W. Wetmore Rd. Tucson, AZ 85705
(520) 794-8341 email@hughesfcu.org HughesFCU.org
159,278
$2
$1
$2
7 0
Robert J. Swick
1952
2
OneAZ Credit Union 2355 W. Pinnacle Peak Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85027
(602) 452-4940 marketing@oneazcu.com www.oneazcu.com
145,000
$2.8B
$1.4B
$2.5B
3 20
To become a member of OneAZ Credit Union, all you need is $5 to open your Share Kim Reedy Savings account. This represents your ownership in the Credit Union. If you live in Laura Worzella Arizona, are related to an existing member, or work for a qualified employer, you are Mike Boden eligible for membership.
1951
3
Vantage West Credit Union 2480 N. Arcadia Ave. Tucson, AZ 85712
(520) 298-7882 info@VantageWest.org www.VantageWest.org
98,000
$2.5B
$1.4B
$2.1B
12 20
Membership is welcome to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school, or owns a business in Pima, Pinal, Maricopa, or Cochise Counties
Sandra SagehornElliott
1955
4
Pima Federal Credit Union 6850 N. Oracle Rd. Tucson, AZ 85704
(520) 887-5010 info@pimafederal.org pimafederal.org
63,000
$864.8M
N/A
$N/A
8 N/A
N/A
Eric H. Renaud
1951
Live, work, worship or attend school in Tucson, affiliation with one or more than 600+ qualifying organizations
Ranked by the total number of members List ranked alphabetically in case of ties. There is no charge to be included in Inside Tucson Business listings. N/A=not provided NL=not listed last year
2022 Book of Lists
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