Marana News 02/01/2023

Dream inspires Dirk Dieters’ first book

BY HOPE PETERS Tucson Local Media

Tucson nonprofit leader Dirk Dieters awoke in the middle of the night last January, recalling a dream.

“It was about a kid who was fixing a BMW and found a ring in it,” Dieters said. “People had to figure out who it belonged to.”

The founder and executive director of the nonprofit management consulting firm Fremont Group put pen to paper. It led to his first novel, the newly released “The Ring,” which is the start to the Martin Dougherty mystery/thriller series. The follow-up book, “Suspicion,” is set to hit stores in the spring.

“It was really kind of fun” Dieters said. “The only reason I did it was because it was flat-out fun to do.”

“The Ring” tells the story of a family responding to tragedy and caught in the center of the deadly affairs of others. On moving day, Dougherty’s wife is unexpectedly killed, sending the family into turmoil.

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Tucson Local Media Staff

oadrunner

She’s humbled and modest about

“They called a staff meeting and they were reading a letter about the winner,” Proper said.

“About three-quarters of the way through it, I

Dougherty and his three children — Kristi, Kim and Ken — must deal with a new city and life, which becomes complicated. The characters and the store are fictional, but it does draw from Dieters’ move from Colorado to Tucson.

Charlie Proper receives her MUSD teacher of the year award from superintendent Dr. Dan Streeter. (MUSD/Submitted)

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

Claudine Sowards, Accounting claudine@tucsonlocalmedia.com

EDITORIAL

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

Karen Scha ner, Sta Reporter kscha ner@timespublications.com

Hope Peters, Sta Reporter hpeter@timespublications.com

Katya Mendoza, Sta Reporter, kmendoza@timespublications.com

PRODUCTION

Shannon Mead, Production/Design Supervisor smead@timeslocalmedia.com

Kimberlee Shaw, Graphic Designer kshaw@timeslocalmedia.com

CIRCULATION

Aaron Kolodny, Circulation Director, aaron@phoenix.org

Brian Juhl, Distribution Manager, brian@timeslocalmedia.com

ADVERTISING

TLMSales@TucsonLocalMedia.com

Gary Tackett, Account Executive, gtackett@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Kristin Chester, Account Executive kristin@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Candace Murray, Account Executive candace@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Tyler Vondrak, Account Executive tyler@tucsonlocalmedia.com

NATIONAL ADVERTISING

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

Hot Picks

BY KATYA MENDOZA Tucson Local Media Staff

ARTS

Wednesday, Feb. 1, ongoing

The African American Museum of Southern Arizona has opened its doors at the UA campus. Co-founded by Beverly and Bob Elliott, the museum presents a cultural and educational experience through items of significance and intentional storytelling to preserve African American and Black life, culture and history in Southern Arizona. Located in Room 244 of the Student Union Memorial Center, the museum has free admission. Until regular hours are established, interested visitors can schedule an appointment by emailing aamuseumofsouthernaz@ gmail.com. Visit aamsaz. org for more information. African American Museum of Southern Arizona, 4511 N. Campbell Avenue, Suite 255-2.

Wednesday, Feb. 1, to Saturday, May 20

sonnel, AAM members, visitors with a SNAP card or Tribal ID, and children. For more information about other ongoing exhibits, visit artmuseum. arizona.edu. The University of Arizona Museum of Art, 1031 N. Olive Road.

Wednesday, Feb. 1, to Saturday, April 8

The Tucson Desert Art Museum presents its “¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues/ En los barrios y las grandes ligas” Wednesday, Feb. 1, to Saturday, April 8. Organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the National Museum of American History, this exhibit examines the sport and how Latinos have helped shape what it is today. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $8 for seniors,

See HOT PICKS Page 4

5-DAY WEATHER

It’s been a long journey for Willem de Koonig’s “Woman-Ochre,” since its theft in 1985 from the University of Arizona Museum of Art. Over three decades later, it has returned home and it’s on display through May. Tickets for “Restored: The Return of Woman-Ochre” are $8 general admission; $6 seniors 65-plus and groups of 10 or more; and free for students with ID, museum members, UA faculty, staff, military per-

Oro Valley, AZ – When it comes to chronic pain and/ or neuropathy, the most common doctor-prescribed treatment is drugs like Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin.

The problem with antidepressants or anti-seizure medications like these is that they offer purely symptomatic relief, as opposed to targeting and treating the root of the problem. Worse, these drugs often trigger an onset of uncomfortable, painful, and sometimes harmful side effects.

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

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

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

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

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

Effective neuropathy treatment relies on the following three factors:

1. Finding the underlying cause

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

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

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

1. Increases blood flow

2. Stimulates and strengthens small fiber nerves

3. Improves brain-based pain

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

It’s completely painless!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arrowhead Physical Medicine will be o ering this free chronic pain and neuropathy severity evaluation will be available until February 28, 2023. Call (520) 934-0130 to make an appointment

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

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

Arrowhead Physical Medicine 10425 N Oracle

HOT

PICKS from Page 3

$6 students/children, and free for active military. For more information about permanent and ongoing exhibitions, visit tucsondart.org. Tucson Desert Art Museum, 7000 E. Tanque Verde Road.

Thursday, Feb. 2

The Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block extends its hours and “pay-whatyou-wish” admission from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, for “First Thursdays.” Explore the feature exhibit, “Enduring Legacies: The James T. Bialac Indigenous Art Collection,” including featured art and gallery activities led by Ami Dalal and Laila Halaby, a cash bar and more. Limited tickets are available and patrons are asked to reserve them in advance. For more information about First Thursday and other upcoming events at the TMA, visit tucsonmuseumofart.org. Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block, 140 N. Main Avenue.

LIVE MUSIC

Saturday, Feb. 4

Catalina State Park’s Music in the Mountain Series carries on at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4. Enjoy a vibrant, live performance by the local five-piece band, The Vinyl Grooves, who will perform a medley of ’60s hits and ’70s favorites. The group will also bring along go-go dancers. Attendees are welcome to bring snacks, drinks and chairs. Park admission is $7 per vehicle, for up to four adults. For a

lineup of other programs and events at the park, visit azstateparks.com. Catalina State Park, 1150 N. Oracle Road.

Friday, Feb. 3

Arizona Arts Live and Tucson Desert Song Festival present, “Dreamers: Brooklyn Rider with Magos Herrera,” at Centennial Hall on Friday, Feb. 3. Discover a new world of classical music where tradition meets invention. This performance brings together Grammy-nominated artists whose work represents the capacity to dream. The show starts at 8 p.m. For more information about tickets, the show or Arizona Arts Live, visit arizonaartslive. com. Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Boulevard.

Friday, Feb. 3, to Sunday, Feb. 5

The annual Gem and Jam Festival returns during the world-renowned Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase, starting Friday, Feb. 3. More than a music festival, three-day event brings together prominent national and international names in the jam and electronic music stratosphere, high-end gallery installations, creative workshops and visual artists. For more information about ticket pricing, visit gemandjamfestival.com. Gem and Jam Festival, Pima County Fairgrounds, 11300 S. Houghton Road.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Wednesday, Feb. 21, to Thursday, Feb. 12

The world-renowned winter Tucson

Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase begins Saturday, Jan. 28. Attracting nearly 65,000 visitors from around the globe each year at over 48 locations throughout the city, the showcase invites guests to enjoy rare gems, minerals and fossils. Shows begin anywhere between 8 and 10 a.m. lasting through 6 to 8 p.m. daily. For a full guide visit, visittucson.org.

Saturday,

Feb. 4

The Oro Valley Historical Society invites guests to the Pusch House Museum’s “Arizona: The 48th State of the Union” presentation from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 4. Discover the Grand Canyon State’s journey from territory to statehood. Reservations are not required, visitors can sign up at the Oro Valley Historical Society booth at the south end of the farmers market. There is a $5 suggested donation. For more information about ongoing tours, museum hours and events, visit ovhistory.org. Steam Pump Ranch, 10901 N. Oracle.

Saturday, Feb. 4, to Sunday, April 2

Huzzah! The 35th annual Arizona Renaissance Festival returns Saturday, Feb. 4. The medieval amusement has a 16-stage theater, a 50-acre circus, arts and crafts fair, jousting tournament and feast. Mingle with over 2,000 characters in costume and don’t forget to eat a giant roasted turkey leg. Eat, drink and be merry, for there is so much to see and do. Tickets are $33 for adults, $21 for children ages 5 to 12, (chil-

dren 4 and under are free) if purchased in advance at any Bashas’ or Food City statewide. For a full list of activities and schedule of events, visit arizona.renfestinfo.com. Arizona Renaissance Festival, 12601 E. U.S. Highway 60 Gold Canyon.

LOCAL MARKETS

Saturday, Feb. 4

Support your local farmers, ranches and small food purveyors offering their seasonal produce, farm-fresh eggs, meats and other goods at the Oro Valley Farmers Market on Saturday, Feb. 4. Operating every Saturday, year-round at the Historic Steam Pump Ranch, the farmers market runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Attendance is free, but money is required for shopping. For more information about the Oro Valley Farmers Market or other Heirloom Farmers Markets, visit heirloomfm.org. Steam Pump Ranch, 10901 N. Oracle Road.

Saturday, Feb. 4, and Sunday, Feb. 5

The Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA) presents the La Encantada Winter Fine Art Market from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5. The openair market brings locally designed arts and fashion, metalwork and other hand-made artisanal goods. Admission is free to attend. For a list of vendors and artists, visit saaca.org. La Encantada Shopping Center, 2905 E. Skyline Drive.

PEACE OF MIND LIVING AT ALBUM MARANA

55+ Active Adult Community

Greystar is excited to bring their newest Album community to Tucson. The Album lifestyle is highly sought after by young at heart, 55+ active adults. It’s perfect for those looking for more in life, style, community, and activities.

Welcome to a carefree, maintenance-free living in a controlled-access community designed to be empowering as well as peaceful. Lead your life, as you see fit, and with time to spare, in a place where the feeling is one of excitement for what the future holds.

At Album Marana, you’ll find sophisticated residences with modern features in

addition to stimulating onsite offerings and beautiful social spaces to enjoy. They’ll be conveniently just outside your door; no need to drive anywhere! Your day might begin with coffee with new friends and then to the activities calendar to decide how your day will take shape. There is so much to do here. Each day will be full of variety and fun.

Album is the perfect place to share your passions, find new ones, and make friends easily along the way. What truly sets Album apart is the opportunity to have a real say in the active lifestyle clubs and events. Residents will create, contribute their talents, and run the clubs/events

they want. Examples include teaching a cooking class, meeting up for happy hour (and yappy hours), walking club, flower arranging, movie/game night, and seasonally inspired events. The only limit is your imagination.

The Album Marana leasing center is now open and located at 7620 N Hartman Lane, Suite 172 Tucson, AZ 85743. Our team will be happy to provide you with more information on available apartment homes that will be move-in ready Summer 2023. Whether you are considering downsizing yourself or have a loved one far away that you want close, Album is an exciting option right here in Tucson!

Date: Thursday, February 9th Time: 3pm — 5pm

Where: Album Marana Welcome Center 7620 N Hartman Lane, Suite 172 Tucson, AZ 85743

Stop by our leasing office for an assortment of Valentine’s Day treats and refreshments. Meet our experienced team and learn more about active adult living! We will be hosting an exclusive giveaway for those who attend.

AlbumMaranaPoolCourtyard

Blood donors critically needed in February

BY TUCSON LOCAL MEDIA STAFF

Nonprofit blood services provider Vitalant urges all eligible donors to help meet the critical patient need for blood donations, share the love and make a heartfelt difference in February, Heart Health Month.

In addition to helping save lives, Vitalant donors receive a free mini-physical checking their pulse, blood pressure and cholesterol level.

With each donation, donors can help save more than one life and track their wellness information in their secure and confidential online portal account.

To make a blood donation appointment, download the Vitalant app, visit vitalant. org or call 1-877-25-VITAL (1-877-2584825).

The Bloodmobile will visit Fry’s at

10450 N. La Canada Drive, Oro Valley from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27.

In Tucson, donors have three opportunities to give blood: 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, at Rincon Country West RV Park, Rally Room, 4555 S. Mission Road; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at DOD Tucson National Guard, Main Multipurpose Room, 1750 E. Silverlake Road, and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20, at the Bloodmobile parked at UA Alpha Epsilon Delta, on Highland between Fourth and Sixth streets.

Donors of every blood type are critically needed, especially those with type O. O-negative is the universal blood type that can be transfused to any patient when there’s no time to match. O-positive is the most in-demand and transfused blood type. Platelet donations are also critically needed every day. About 50% of platelet donations go to help cancer patients.

Beer and a Dog

Patrons of the Boxyard on Fourth Avenue enjoyed their refreshments with guests of the four-legged variety. Pima Animal Care Center staff, volunteers and doggie foster parents showed off adoptable dogs of all shapes and colors Jan. 15. PACC accepted donations of money and doggie accouterments. The organization has reached critical capacity and is in need of foster families for dogs, particularly big dogs. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/PACCTucson. For the event the beer was just a dollar a glass. Photographer Noelle Haro-Gomez was there to capture the moment.

AGING WELL

Sustainable containers for residents’ carryout meals are just one of the green initiatives at Splendido.

DAILY INITIATIVES & DESIGN THAT ARE

There is no age limit for taking steps to reduce, reuse, and recycle, according to new research from Mather Institute, which reveals that preserving the environment is a top priority for people age 55 and better. Mather Institute, an award-winning resource for research and information about wellness, aging, and more, is the research arm of Mather.

Mather, along with Arizona-based Plaza Companies, owns Splendido, a Life Plan Community for those 55 and better in Oro Valley, where Mather manages day-to-day operations. Before they even broke ground on the community, the two organizations ensured that Splendido’s design would include strategies for water savings, energy efficiency, and indoor environmental quality.

“We have a stormwater

management program that minimizes surface erosion, and our landscaping includes lowwater-use plant material as well as more than 1,000 shade trees to reduce solar heat gain and decrease water evaporation,” says James Edwartoski, Splendido’s executive director.

Today, residents enjoy Splendido’s garden areas featuring native, reused trees, as well as indoor spaces designed to support biophilia—people’s innate instinct to connect with nature.

“We wanted to showcase our beautiful surroundings in Oro Valley and spectacular views,” James notes.

Reducing Waste

In Mather Institute’s 2022 survey of older adults around the country, more than 60% of respondents noted that they engage in envi-

ronmentally friendly practices at least some of the time, including separating recycling, minimizing food waste, and minimizing their consumption of energy, water, and disposable items.

Splendido residents embrace the community’s use of reusable take-out containers. “As with the general public, residents enjoy carryout meals. Who doesn’t love having the choice of eating at home and not having to cook when you may not feel like eating out at a restaurant,” says Thad Parton, director of restaurant operations for Mather.

All to-go food from Splendido restaurants is packaged in sustainable OZZI-brand containers, which can be used and reused 1,000 times before being recycled.

“These containers are made from remarkably

durable, BPA-free plastic, designed to withstand our commercial dishwashers, and work well with hot or cold food,” says Thad. “And at the end of their life cycle, they are 100% recyclable.”

Once residents are finished with their carryout meal, their containers are returned to Splendido’s kitchen, where staff wash and put the containers back into rotation. “Not only are the containers cost-effective, but our kitchen waste is way down as we’ve eliminated disposable to-go packaging—everyone is happy with the substantially reduced amount of plastic we’re recycling now,” says Thad.

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

RENTALS from Page 1

“The saga moves in erratic fashion from Denver to Tucson; connects with a small town in South Carolina; and affects national politics in Washington, D.C., exposing them to violent forces threatening them and the teenage girl, whom they must save to save themselves,” he said.

A member of the Marana Chamber of Commerce, Dieters has penned business management books, including “Minding My Own Business,” a blog and numerous legal briefs. Novels are new to him.

“I have been writing for a long, long time,” Dieters said. “A couple times I thought about doing a novel here and there, but I never really got into it.”

As a first-time fiction author, the 71-year-old Dieters said it was difficult to generate interest in his manuscript. Dieters’ “The Ring” was published by Author Solutions Inc. on Nov. 15. Author Solutions Inc. is the parent company of AuthorHouse, which is a provider of supported self-publishing services for authors worldwide.

Dieters/Submitted)

“We got through it, and they put it out,” Dieters said about AuthorHouse support and publishing. “And they were very happy with the response it was getting from, basically, a nonpromoted, first-time author.”

“The Ring”

Available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, AuthorHouse and ddietersauthor.com

PROPER from Page 1

started catching on. I thought, ‘I think I’m the only one who does that kind of stuff.’”

“That stuff” is remarkable, her colleagues said. For example, she arranged for the Marana High School golf team to teach students golf, and the Tucson Roadrunner hockey team visited and showed off their skills.

“I think (I won) because my admin (Kristina Brewer) lets me roll with all my crazy ideas,” Proper said. “If I say I want to take the kids to play pickleball, she’ll say, ‘OK. Let’s make it happen.’ Last year, I wanted to take the kids to the trampoline park for a heart rate lesson. She allows me to follow through. She’s always supportive and lets me go ahead.”

Proper is dedicated to helping her students.

“Taking kids to do stuff is hard. It costs money,” she said. “If I can’t take them to do stuff, I bring it to the kids.”

Proper’s program also includes Skipper of the School Competition, lunchtime running club, district track meet and competing for school fitness records.

As the student council adviser, she worked with students to lead assemblies and fundraise at community events. Her students helped raise funds for a GaGa pit for the playground, which her family helped construct.

As a Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers before- and after-school programs coordinator — and teaching several of the classes herself — she launched programs that now involve two-thirds of the student population. She has introduced a variety of activities including archery, dance, tumbling, gardening and more.

She actively pursues grant funding, which have contributed to the school campus — a mural painting in the cafeteria, purchasing PE and recess equipment, and preparing healthy food choices such as smoothies or fruit and yogurt, served at school and community events.

Proper created the “Nailed It” baking competition to stay connected during remote learning. It’s become a tradition.

Teaching was a career change for Proper, who has spent eight years with Marana Unified School District. She was inspired to switch gears from her government position in a small town in Nevada to teaching by her kids’ PE instructor.

“I’ve only been teaching for eight years,” said Proper, a self-proclaimed “military brat” who spent time with her family at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. “I earned my master’s degree from Grand Canyon University. My kids’ PE teacher was a legend in the small town when they were little.

“It was a little bit hard to go into teaching because I had to do all the practicums for my master’s degree and student teach-

See PROPER Page 9

New author Dirk Dieters recently released “The Ring,” available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and AuthorHouse. (Dirk

Charlie Proper, an MUSD physical education instructor, left her government job in Nevada to become an instructor.

(MUSD/ Submitted)

ing, which is unpaid. I have four kids.”

The family moved to Marana so her husband could pursue a golf course superintendent position.

“Teaching is really rewarding,” she said. “I get to build relationships with all these kids. What’s unique about PE is I’m with the kids for seven years. A lot of the classroom teachers get them for a year.

“Since I teach PE, I get them K through sixth grade. I’m the only PE teacher there. I see their successes in middle school and high school. That’s the best part of it — seeing them become successful. The best thing is when they run up to me and tell me about things they’ve done, or I see things on social media about them. I said, ‘Ah, they’re mine.’”

For her honor, she received a plaque and a check. She will attend a school luncheon with Alvin Ramsey, 20-year MUSD bus driver, who won support staff of the year; and Michelle Bergeson, MUSD instructional coordinator, who was honored as exempt employee of the year. They will be featured in future issues of Marana News.

Oro Valley photo competition kicks off

SPECIAL TO TUCSON LOCAL MEDIA

The Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance and the town of Oro Valley are partnering up once again to capture the essence of Oro Valley life, animals, outdoor spaces, urban and residential life, and experience of life within the community, with the inaugural Oro Valley Community Photography Competition.

The 2023 competition will provide three main categories for submission, including major themes of people, places and nature, and animals and wildlife.

More information on these category descriptions can be found on the competition website, orovalleyphotos.com. Cash prizes will be provided in each of the categories for first, second and third places, and two honorable mention ribbons in each category. A special youth category has been established to encourage participation from entrants under the age of 18.

The community can submit up to seven entries in each category, through the orovalleyphotos.com website. Photographs will be judged on originality, technical excellence,

composition, overall impact, and artistic merit from a panel of both emerging and established professional artists and editorial contacts.

Competition dates and rules

· The deadline for submitting entries is 11:59 p.m. April 20.

· All photographs must be taken in the town of Oro Valley.

· Photographer does not have to live or work in Oro Valley.

· Photographers of all ages are open to participate.

· Photos should be submitted electronically as high-quality .jpg/.jpeg files that are at least 8-inch by 10-inch at 300 DPI, or 2400x3000 pixels at 72 DPI.

· An online entry form must accompany the photograph submission/s. Only entries with complete and accurate information will be considered eligible.

· All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photographs that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (removal of dust, cropping, reasonable adjustments to

exposure, color and contrast, etc.) will be disqualified.

· If a photographer chooses to include people in her/his submission, s/he is responsible for obtaining the necessary releases from the individuals depicted and must be able to provide copies of those releases to upon request.

· Images will only be accepted without watermarks.

· Photographers may enter up to five photographs in any category.

· Winning photographs will be published in the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance’s online newsletter, displayed on the SAACA website, posted to the SAACA Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter sites, among other uses permitted under these photo contest rules subject to the photographer’s rights noted previously.

The town of Oro Valley and the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance will host a collaborative winners’ presentation award ceremony in spring. Details will be announced through the website at a later date.

More information about the competition is available at orovalleyphotos.com, as well as on the saaca.org website.

Mick Adams satisfies Rolling Stones fans

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Tucson Local Media Staff

Mick Adams likens tribute acts to acting. In Mick Adams and The Stones, he’s playing a role — Rolling Stones’ legendary frontman Mick Jagger.

“I’m blond by nature,” the Phoenix resident said with a laugh. “So I dye my hair dark to play Mick Jagger. I also started jogging to lose about 25, 30 pounds to be more stealth-like to portray him more accurately. It’s like an acting role. If you’re a character actor, the more you do it, the more you pick up nuances, the gestures.

“Before long, I was mastering some of the moves and just diving into it.”

Besides Adams, Mick Adams and The Stones features Shane Hunter as Keith Richards, guitars and vocals; Ron Jessurun as Ron Wood, guitar, dulcimer, recorder, mandolin, and harmonica; Bill Cormier as

Mick Taylor, guitar and vocals; Chad MacDonald as Bill Wyman, bass and vocals; Eric Von as Charlie Watts, drums; Tobes Mei, vocals and percussion; and Ted Belledin, keyboards, saxophone and vocals.

To hone his skills, Adams watched videos and studied Jagger’s moves. Formerly based in California, Adams’ previous Rolling Stones tribute band won $20,000 in a casino competition there, beating out 39 other well-established bands.

They had only been together for four months and hadn’t had a public show prior to the competition.

Soon thereafter, Adams put his nose to the grindstone, listened to his manager/wife, Erin O’Brien, and started his own tribute act. They wanted more of a “show” with multiple costume changes and accompanying video to bump up the production value.

“My wife created the logo, which is a registered trademark, and told me to jump up there, shake my fine white butt and she would take care of all the business,” he said. “We’ve been successful since.”

Adams said fans can expect a lot of energy and songs as close to the Rolling Stones’ originals as possible.

“The beginnings and endings of the songs are modified, but that’s because they modified them through the years,” he said. “We follow their lead for the most part.” They cover all the decades, as Mick Adams and the Stones acknowledge the group’s relevance.

“They continue to be relevant,” he said. “We’ve done a couple of songs from the 2000s, like ‘Doom and Gloom’ and ‘Rough Justice.’ We have such a great catalog to pull from. The Stones have recorded roughly 550 to 575 songs through the years. You have to play certain songs — the hits, the fan favorites.” The authenticity continues with the vintage instruments the bands members play, including drums, “that blond natural wooden Gretch kit.”

“We have Tellies (Telecasters) and Strats (Stratocasters) that the two guitar players use,” he said. “It’s really a lot of fun. We

Mick Adams as Mick Jagger, and Shane Hunter as Keith Richards in Mick Adams and the Stones, which has several shows in the area. (Mick Adams/Submitted)

Joe Bourne Brings Different Genres of Music to the Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort and Spa

BY LAURA LATZKO

Joe Bourne has performed music around the world, including a German cruise ship. These days, he lives in Oro Valley and brings his variety of tunes to listeners around Arizona.

Bourne and pianist Daniel “Sly” Slipetsky will perform at the Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort and Spa on Friday, Feb. 3, as part of Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance’s Live Music Concerts.

Bourne covers songs from artists ranging from B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Perry Como, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, John Denver, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Chris Stapleton, Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Josh Turner, Ray Charles and Smokey Robinson.

During his upcoming show at the Westward Look, he plans to offer jazz, soul, blues, country and R&B tunes.

“There will be a broad range of repertoire on that evening, something for everyone,” Bourne said. “You might hear ‘My Girl’ one moment and ‘Country Roads’ the next moment. I mix it up in a way that works — and people like that.”

Bourne offers his music in different configurations and genres, depending on the setting. This includes a 10-piece Motown group, a Nat King Cole tribute with a trio and an 18-piece big band.

His itinerary includes the Nat King Cole tribute at the Hotel Congress’ Century Room on Wednesday, March 1; and a solo performance on Sunday, March 5, at the Gaslight Music Hall.

Bourne’s most recent release is 2017’s “Upbeat and Sweet,” for which he rearranged rock music from the ’60s through ’80s into jazz tunes. It features Grammy-winning drummer Lewis Nash and was produced, arranged and recorded by bassist Mike Levy.

“I try to bring my own style to it,” Bourne said.

“People want to hear the song, but I try to bring a little of Joe Bourne into the presentation of the song. I try not to copy the way that Frank Sinatra sang the song. You can’t… Because of the sound of my voice,

it is my own. As far as Nat King Cole goes, without trying to copy him, I have a natural sound in my voice that people will say, ‘You sound like Nat King Cole.’”

Throughout his career, he has witnessed the ebb and flow of the music industry.

“A song like ‘My Way,’ I wore that out back when it came out,” Bourne said.

“After a while, you leave it alone. People don’t want to hear it anymore. When I go out now, that’s the most-requested song. I find myself doing songs that I started doing when I started in ’68. Songs that I did back then are being requested today. Songs that I put away, I’m pulling back out again.”

Bourne said these songs are nostalgic for listeners and himself.

“People enjoy hearing them, and it takes them back,” Bourne said.

Although he tends to do covers, Bourne does perform original tunes that were successful overseas.

“I might slip it in here, even though people don’t know it, but I know they will react strongly to it,” Bourne said.

Music has been a part of the singer’s life since he was a child.

Originally from Cambridge, Massachusetts, Bourne was exposed to classical and religious music when he was a child. He learned to play piano, clarinet and acoustic and steel guitars, but he was really drawn to singing. In grammar school, he joined a barbershop quartet, and sang with a doowop group in high school.

He was also part of youth choirs and street corner singing groups during his adolescence. With these groups, he developed a love for and knowledge of American standards, jazz and R&B music of his day.

He has been influenced by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Lou Rawls, Sam Cooke and Nat King Cole.

He released his debut LP, “Let It Be Me,” in 1968. His music has taken him in different directions, including jingles for Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola.

He moved to Europe in 1975, where he performed for the American and Dutch militaries.

Joe Bourne started his career in the late ‘60s but has been singing for most of his life. (Steven Pope-Talking Rock Photography/ Contributor)

from Page 10

dress the part, act the part with the accent and stuff. It’s such fun. I have more stage clothes than regular clothes.

“This one time, we were playing a casino and the place was slammed. My wife noticed these two girls in their late twenties taking videos of the band and sending them somewhere. In between songs, my wife walked over to them and said, ‘You must really like the band.’”

One of them was one of Jagger’s Los Angeles assistants and she was sending him videos of the band. She said he sent back a thumbs-up.

Adams has met sidemen/women from the Stones, including backup singers Lisa Fischer and Bernard Fowler, and bassist Darryl Jones. He also spent some time hanging with Mick Taylor in his dressing room before introducing him onstage prior to his show.

Performing and singing is Adams’ longtime love.

Adams was also a former lead singer for Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods on and off for many years. In addition to Mick

“ According to my dearly departed mother, I was singing from the time I opened my mouth pretty much.”

Adams and The Stones, he fronts symphony shows performing the music of The Rolling Stones all over the United States for Windborne Music.

“According to my dearly departed mother, I was singing from the time I opened my mouth pretty much,” the Ohio native said.

“When I was little, in the crib, I didn’t care about TV until the commercials came on with music. Then, I’d get up and dance in my crib. My dad put the radio on in my room when I was 4. It took me two weeks to find the Black station coming out of Detroit on the radio.”

Back then, Sam Cook and Jackie Wilson ruled the airwaves and were his favorites.

“I was just a little guy,” said Adams, who was living in Monrovia, California, at the

time. “My aunt and I loved to sing in the car. She was the choir director. At age 8, she asked if I wanted to go to church. I said, ‘OK.’ I was only 8 but I ended up as the only child in an all-adult choir. I could read the words, but I hadn’t had any musical training yet. I had relative perfect pitch though, even as a child.”

In high school, she played piano for the choir and was also a voice teacher. She asked him if he had ever taken voice lessons. He hadn’t because his parents couldn’t afford it at the time.

They worked out a barter agreement and they became collaborators. “She said, ‘If you come down to my house on Saturday, we’ll work out something,’” he recalled. “She lived near the arboretum in Arcadia. All throughout high school I went there every Saturday and spent a couple of hours working her rose garden and she paid me in voice lessons.”

When he graduated, he attended Citrus Junior College where he continued lessons with professor Ben Bollinger. His students included the Carpenters.

Bollinger offered Adams a tour doing light opera around Europe, but he turned it down

as he was leaving on the road with a rock band.

“He was just brilliant,” he said. “It was largely in part to him and his training that I still love what I do.”

If you go

Mick Adams and the Stones

WHEN: 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5

WHERE: Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road, Suite 165, Tucson

COST: Tickets start at $31; with discounts available for children, students, seniors, and members of the military and first responders.

WHEN: 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, and Friday, Feb. 10

WHERE: CPAC Community Performance and Art Center, 1250 W. Continental Road, Green Valley Green Valley, AZ 85622

COST: Tickets start at $25

INFO: mickadamsandthestones.com

In Europe, he was a supporting act for The Pointer Sisters, Natalie Cole, Nina Simone, The Stylistics and Dionne Warwick. In Germany, he did a Christmas TV special with Ray Charles.

Before moving to Oro Valley in 2000, he lived in the Netherlands for 25 years.

Bourne said making CDs for ballroom and Latin dancing while living in the Netherlands helped him develop a broad repertoire.

“I would do that in themes,” Bourne said.

“I would make a theme of Burt Bacharach music. On that CD, it would have the 10 dances, cha-cha, rumba, samba, tap, the tango, slow waltz, jazz and so forth. And then, I would do a Stevie Wonder theme… On one of the records, I ended up doing something where ‘Edelweiss’ came up.”

These days, Bourne performs at music festivals, galas, corporate events, resort and country club events, church gatherings, ballroom dance nights, home concerts and parties, charity benefits, Christmas shows and air museum events.

He has served as the vice president for the Tucson Jazz Society board and been on the entertainment committee for the Greater Oro Valley Arts Council.

Bourne also gives back through the Oro Valley Optimist Club, an organization that supports youth groups in the community.

In addition to music, Bourne is also a visual artist. He took his first painting class while working on a German cruise ship in the mid-’90s.

He has dabbled in watercolors, acrylics, mixed media, metalwork and sculpture. These days, he is focusing more on encaustics, which involves working with beeswax.

His paintings are featured in galleries and gift shops in Phoenix and Tucson.

Along with paintings, he makes coasters, cutting boards, night lights, silk scarves, throw pillows and greeting cards featuring his artwork.

Sometimes, he incorporates stones and copper from the Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase. His friends and family also give him items to use in his art.

If you go

Joe Bourne and Daniel “Sly” Slipetsky

WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3

WHERE: Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort and Spa, 245 N. Ina Road, Tucson COST: Free admission with table reservation. Limited outdoor seating available INFO: 520-297-1151 ex. 474, opentable.com, joebourne.com

Joe Bourne and Trio: Tribute to Nat King Cole

WHEN: 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 1

WHERE: Century Room at Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress Street, Tucson COST: $15 INFO: 520-622-8848, hotelcongress.com, joebourne.com

Joe Bourne: Solo Music of Johnny Mathis and Other Greats

WHEN: 6 p.m. Sunday, March 5

WHERE: Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road, Suite 165 Tucson COST: $27 for adults, $15 for children 2 to 12 and $25 for seniors, students and military INFO: 520-529-1000, gaslightmusichall.com, joebourne.com

“I have a drawer full of stuff that I go to when I’m working on a piece, to see if something fits with that artwork,” Bourne said.

Your Source For Community

For his artwork, Bourne draws inspiration from his travels as a musician and from his surroundings.

“A lot of it is the Southwest right now. I do a lot of botanicals and try to create 3D versions of them with the wax. I do yuccas, ocotillos, century plants, various cacti that are very colorful and very textured,” Bourne said.

EXTRA POINT WITH TOM DANEHY SPORTS & RECREATION

The original place to Bear Down

BY TOM DANEHY

Tucson Local Media Columnist

When the Arizona Wildcat men’s basketball team beat UCLA at McKale Center a couple weeks ago, it was a highly satisfying afternoon.

The win kept Arizona in the hunt for a Pac12 regular-season championship despite the Cats’ three head-scratching conference losses (to Washington State at home and at Utah and Oregon). It ended UCLA’s long winning streak, and it re-established McKale Center’s reputation as an absolutely dreadful place for a visiting team to have to play a basketball game.

One of the greatest highlights of the day came when the UA finally got around to honoring Ernie McCray. A legend at Tucson High, McCray went on to star at the University of Arizona. He became the first African American basketball player to graduate from the UA. And next week will be the 63rd anniversary of the night that McCray set the school record for points in a game when he poured in 46 against Cal State-Los Angeles.

McCray was delightfully self-deprecating when asked about that singular achievement. He said that his Wildcat teams “weren’t very good” back then, so somebody had to shoot. The current Wildcat teams (or even those from the Lute Olson era) have so many good players,

the scoring is spread around. Nobody is going to score 30 points, let alone 46. It is, indeed, a record that may stand forever.

We just passed another anniversary, as well. Jan. 18 marked the 50th anniversary of the final men’s basketball game that was played in old Bear Down Gym on the UA campus. Originally built in 1926, Bear Down went from being a state-of-the-art facility to a raucous venue to a comfortable old shoe to a relic seemingly destined for demolition.

Almost 500 college basketball games were played in Bear Down. (It would have been more, but the building was used for military purposes during World War II, when most, if not all, college sports were curtailed or elimi-

nated altogether. For decades after that, during the first few weeks of school, it was used as a temporary dorm for overflow students before permanent housing could be found for them.)

Many big names in Wildcat history spent a considerable amount of time in Bear Down Gym. Fred Enke, the man for whom the street in front of McKale Center is named, coached there. Legendary future U.S. Representative Morris Udall played there.

Mo Udall and his brother, Stewart (who served as U.S. secretary of the interior under President John F. Kennedy and later Lyndon Johnson), also had African American teammates while at the UA in the years after World See DANEHY Page 15

Dr. Brian Martin

Athlete of the Week: Amy Senkerik

BY TOM DANEHY

Tucson Local Media Columnist

Like many kids born in the second half of the first decade of the 21st century, it has been a rough athletic time for Ironwood Ridge senior guard Amy Senkerik.

Someday, she will probably tell her kids or grandkids about the season that lasted three years. Or the time where you had to “practice” separated from your teammates, not even being able to pass a ball back and forth for fear of passing along an infection.

Those days, thankfully, are in the recent past. Their lingering memory serves to make a return to normalcy that much sweeter.

This season, the Nighthawks are doing fine. At press time, they were 11-5 in the regular season and comfortably ensconced in the No. 15 spot in the Power Points. If they can hold onto that spot, they will get to host a first-round game in the playoffs. They close out the regular season with a road game at last-place Cholla and finish on Senkerik’s senior night with a home contest against first-place Catalina Foothills. It will be the second straight year that the Nighthawks advanced to postseason play. For the self-professed perfectionist, that’s good, but not great. It is, however, certainly better than what came before it. Her freshman year, when she was not yet as tall as she is now, was a struggle. (Going back to the use of the word “tall,” it must be noted that the term is relative. She is officially listed as being 5-foot-3 but spoken out loud with her present will invariably elicit a snicker.)

“I really am 5-3!” she exclaimed, convincing absolutely no one. (Last year, on the MaxPreps website, they had her listed as 5-foot-5.) Back to her freshman season, she was battling

Amy Senkerik plans to attend ASU next year to study molecular bioscience and biotechnology with a minor in political science.

(Amy Senkerik/ Submitted)

to earn playing time on the varsity, bouncing back and forth between that and the JV team. By her sophomore season, she was ready to take the reins of the varsity team, but there were basically no reins onto which to grab. Like teams all across the country, that season was all but wiped out by COVID-19. Because of strict pandemic protocols, Ironwood Ridge started that season late and ended it super early, going a sad 1-2 in games played.

Just to add insult to injury, she got COVID-19 the first week of the season.

It will be another couple years before the prep sports system is free from the aftereffects of that time. Next year’s seniors will have been freshmen during the 2020-21 season. And even last year, in 2021-22, there were dozens of last-second game cancellations, with players, coaches and refs having to be masked and regularly tested.

“Yeah, it was tough to go through, but we’re here now. We have a chance to make the most of it,” she said.

Next year, she plans on attending Arizona State University’s Barrett the Honors College, where she will study molecular bioscience and biotechnology with a minor in political science. At ASU, they’ll probably believe that she’s 5-foot3.

AZ LEGAL DOCUMENT PREPARATION

from Page 14

War II. The two of them helped integrate the UA dining hall. Back then, Black students could buy food in the student cafeteria, but they had to eat outside. That meant that their dining experience was delightful for a couple weeks in October and maybe a couple more in March.

The Udalls were going to lunch one day and saw one of their African American teammates sitting outside and invited him to join them to dine inside. It was actually anticlimactic. None of the other students made a fuss and most of the cafeteria staff was Hispanic and, probably having faced discrimination of their own, greeted the new development with a shrug.

The aforementioned Black teammate turned out to be Morgan Maxwell Jr., the son of the principal of Tucson’s all-Black elementary and middle school, The Dunbar School, and the man for whom Maxwell Middle School, on Tucson’s far-west side is named. Maxwell Jr. played football at Tucson High and was a teammate of Karl Eller, for whom the UA’s Eller School of Business is named, and Frank Borman, the commander of Apollo 8, the one

that first flew around the Moon on Christmas Eve of 1968, sending back the legendary “Earthrise” photo.

Anyway, Bear Down was the site of some great (and also some mediocre) basketball over the decades. In the late 1940s and early ’50s, Arizona basketball had its first taste of national celebrity. The Wildcats went 132-40 over a six-year stretch and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time. During that stretch, Arizona won 81 consecutive games in Bear Down Gym. That’s the fifth-longest home winning streak in the history of college basketball.

People who were around back them remember that Bear Down was a crazy place on game night. The facility only seated around 3,000 (McKale Center seats over 14,000) and the place was always packed with standing room only crowds and hundreds of people waiting outside, hoping to find a way to get in. There are so many other great stories about Bear Down, like the time that the UA Student Body President got shoved down a flight of stairs by campus security, suffered a skull fracture, and was arrested on felony charges…but that’s for another time.

Lisa Bayless connects real estate, love of helping people

BY KEN ABRAMCZYK Inside Tucson Business Contributor

Lisa Bayless always wanted to help people.

Following that desire, Bayless, who attended Green Fields Country Day School in Tucson, moved to the East Coast to attend college. She graduated with a degree from Bates College in Maine, then earned a graduate degree in social work from Boston University. She also met her future husband, who was a real estate developer in Boston. She assisted him with some of his work on buildings, projects and homes.

That’s when she noticed the connections between real estate and social work.

“I began to understand that there is a considerable amount of overlap between real estate, social work and counseling,” Bayless said.

“I began to understand that real estate is as much about people as it is about the commodity itself. It’s all about understanding what people need, solving problems and finding clients a place that they can call home, which really isn’t that much different from social work.”

Bayless also realized the connection between the real estate market and the community itself. “Real estate is very entwined with the community,” Bayless said. “The health of the community really impacts the value of the local housing market and vice versa.”

Bayless returned to Tucson, landed employment with Long Realty, and began working in real estate in early 2007. She started with Long Realty because of the

company’s strong local, national and international presence regarding Tucson real estate. Bayless continued a steady ascent to the top in sales.

“We closed on $88 million in homes sales last year, our biggest year ever,” Bayless said. According to Bayless, that placed her as the top-selling agent at Long Realty and in Northwest Tucson.

Bayless brings her social work background and education into her interactions with clients, taking it to a personal level. She treats each meeting, particularly the first one, like a counseling session. Her first question she asks is, “What brings me here today?”

“It’s my goal that the client talks more than me,” Bayless said. “I’m really there to listen and understand what they need, what is important to them, and what is driving their decision.” Once she understands that, she creates a plan tailored to their wants and needs. “Everyone is different, so you’d better take the time to listen to them and understand each person’s unique situation.”

Why hire an agent

Why someone wants to sell or buy a home varies depending on personal situations. They may need more or less space. Buyers may be coming from out of state for closer proximity to family members, wanting to retire in Tucson’s desert climate, and with that, a need for social and active adult lifestyle for retirees. If health is the reason, medical facilities need to be nearby. Understanding each person’s situation and what they are trying to achieve is

The Tucson housing market remains strong, particularly in Marana and Oro Valley, according to Lisa Bayless. (Lisa Bayless/Submitted)

key in her real estate interactions, Bayless said.

The Tucson housing market remains strong, she said, particularly in Marana and Oro Valley. She estimates that half of her clients are local and half out of state. Home buyers or sellers need a real estate agent to guide them through the complexities of the transactions and the process, according to Bayless. Realtors bring expertise and the latest updates on market list prices to list the home at the most accurate price. “A realtor can help a seller set a market-based price, and a realtor can

certainly advise buyers on the pricing of homes that they are seeing,” Bayless said. “(The agent) can help buyers and sellers navigate the complex process of buying and selling homes, and make that complex process uncomplicated because they have a professional there to help them navigate through, one step at a time.”

Bayless enjoys the people and the ongoing interactions, but it isn’t always happy stories she hears. That inspires her to help them. “When people buy and sell, it’s not always for pleasant and positive reasons in their life. It can also be very sad and sometimes very complicated situations as well, but I find a lot of meaning in whatever their situation may be, being a part of it, helping them walk through it, and achieve the best results that is possible for them. That keeps me going every day.”

Helping others

Donations to worthy causes also help Bayless connect to the community and give her satisfaction in seeing other lifted up by these actions.

“I think that in life you can’t always take,” she said. “You have to give, so with that said, I give a portion of our commission from each home sale back to the communities I live and work in to strengthen those communities and also assist people within those communities who could use a little help.”

Last year Bayless donated $100,000 from her home sales to local nonprofits. Previous years have seen donations given

See BAYLESS Page 18

Treatment may be enhanced with placebos

BY MIA SMITT Tucson Local Media Columnist

So just what is this phenomenon called the placebo effect? It is having a beneficial response to a health intervention (such as a medication or procedure) because a person believes it will help. It is a somewhat mysterious effect and shows the power of our minds.

A placebo is an inactive substance or treatment that has no objective therapeutic value. These can be “sugar pills,” saline injections rather than medication, or sham surgeries. The placebo effect works by stimulating the body’s own natural healing to reduce such symptoms as pain, nausea, fatigue, or anxiety. It helps the brain heal the body in many ways.

Placebos are an important part in evaluating if a new treatment or medication works as it is designed. The best way to test the efficacy of a new med ication or treatment is the randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial.

It is “double blinded,” meaning neither group knows what they are being given. This is considered the best testing, the “gold standard” in the industry. Study volunteers are randomly assigned to either a group receiving the product being tested or a control group receiving the placebo. After some period of time, results are measured in both groups and the researchers can evaluate whether the treatment was more effective than the placebo. Many variables can affect the results. Shady practices can skew the results, so it is essential that clinicians read all the data, not just the conclusions, when considering a new medication or treatment. Even a researcher’s attitude and demeanor can

steer study subjects responses so rigorous control in these clinical trials is essential.

The placebo effect is being studied as a possible adjunctive treatment all its own. It has been shown that the expectation of a result often causes that result to happen. When a person is convinced that a certain behavior will cause an anticipated outcome, that outcome often does occur. Conditioning occurs when a prior success precedes an expectation such as taking a particular medication for nausea or pain; the mind expects it to work again so it does, and sometimes more rapidly due to that expectation. Our mind can turn on our body’s natural mechanisms to make us feel better.

In the January 2023 issue of the National Institutes of health (NIH) newsletter, Dr. Luana Colloca from the University of Maryland in Baltimore described this phenomenon as our “inner pharmacy.”

“Our mindset is so critical because our thoughts are not independent from our bodies’ responses” Colloca said.

The brain releases certain hormones in

BUSINESS

BAYLESS from Page 16

to pay off lunch debts of public-school students in Oro Valley and another to buy a K9 dog for the Oro Valley Police Department. In another year, she donated $20,000 to Impact of Southern Arizona, a food bank and resource of other community services, for Thanksgiving dinners to 500 northwest Tucson residents. She donated $60,000 over two years to STEMAZing, a program administrated by the Pima County Superintendent’s office to provide programmable Edison robots to fourth and fifth graders at the Amphitheater school district.

Each kid learns coding and programming by working on these robots.

“I have visited some of the classrooms and watched it, and it’s unbelievable,” she said.

“They will create obstacle courses for their robots. They will do it with music, decorate with art. They are lying on the floor with their robots, and they have absolutely no idea they are learning to program because they are having too much fun. It’s

amazing. I’m so thrilled to see those fourth and fifth graders learn to code. I love that they love it.”

It gives her great satisfaction when she is approached by a mother of a student when Bayless happens to be at a beauty salon.

“When someone approaches me and tells me her child was in a class that received the robots, and that it enhanced her child’s life and prospects, it is very meaningful to me that my efforts to be successful don’t only just benefit me, but benefit other people as well. That is very important to me. It helps other people’s lives and it is a part of something bigger. It makes my community a better place to live, and it contributes to the people who live there too.”

She is a past board president of the Boys and Girls Club of Tucson and currently a senior board member, and an active board member of the Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce. Her community involvement helps her “to get to know her neighbors and people in the community,” she said. “It contributes to my life; it gives me a community and gives me an opportunity to help others.”

SMITT from Page 17

response to certain feelings and beliefs. If you are told that something will help you relax, improve sleep, or have less pain, the brain might produce fewer stress hormones and release more endorphins which promote relaxation.

It must be noted that this “inner pharmacy” cannot treat everything. For example, most infections still need antibiotics or antivirals, high cholesterol and diabetes cannot be thought away, tumors and other cancers need intense treatment.

There are studies underway looking to see if placebos can be used to decrease the amount of medication people take. “Dose extending placebos” might offer symptom relief with less potential for medication adverse effects or abuse as with opioids for chronic pain. The August 2016 issue of the journal, "Pain," explored this concept in 22 studies of humans and animals showing that the placebos did work as a sort of dose extender of painkillers. This could be potentially helpful in reducing active drug intake, limit dose escalation, and lower costs.

For a placebo to work as hoped, is it necessary to think it is “the real thing”? Not necessarily. A patient may be told, “This will likely help your pain (or nausea, or insomnia, or anxiety, etc),” and the expectation is what will determine how well the placebo treatment will work. And seeing someone else benefit can also have a positive impact. The placebo effect has not always been viewed in a positive light. To deliberately lie to a patient is deceptive, unethical and can harm a patient-clinician relationship. It is essential that full disclosure and informed consent is obtained. Good communication will produce better treatment results.

There are no known adverse effects with taking a placebo. There is the “nocebo effect” — just as with positive expectation, if there is a negative expectation, there will likely be a negative outcome.

Further study is needed but perhaps our future pharmaceutical and treatment arsenals may be enhanced with placebos.

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

CELEBRATE ARTS & CULTURE

FEBRUARY 4 & 5

La Encantada Shopping Center 2905 E Skyline Dr, Tucson, AZ 85718

10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4pm

FEBRUARY 11

Oro Valley Marketplace 12155 N Oracle Rd, Oro Valley, AZ 85737

10am-3pm

MARCH 18 & 19

Valley Marketplace 12155 N Oracle Rd, Oro Valley, AZ 85737

and you're right to make it a priority now.

Edited by Will Shortz No. 1114

25 1990s fitness fad using karate moves

5 West Coast N.F.L. player, informally

title of a Coen brothers film

48 “Smi-i-i-i-le!”

4 Coffee tidbit

5 Baton Rouge sch.

6 Swiss peak

7 Jump ___ (double Dutch equipment)

8 Alternative to Mastercard or Visa, informally

9 Change from Jason into a Power Ranger, say 10 Flashing light at a concert 11 Dull sound of impact

12 Slide (into)

13 Mental resourcefulness

19 Black card suit

21 Polite affirmative, in the South

25 1990s fitness fad using karate moves

26 Some quality cigars

29 Word with shaving or sewing

30 ___ Rica

31 Brontë and Dickinson

By Holiday Mathis

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Not every action you take needs to be a play for the win. This game is long. Some moves are meant to get you to the next move, and that is enough. What's important is that you get some momentum. And if you don't know what's next, don't worry. You'll get your best ideas when you're already in motion.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Restlessness is an uncomfortable state and not one to dwell in. You can take the agitation as a signal to move you quickly to the next thing or, if it's clear that you cannot or should not go yet, ask your restlessness to lead you to tap deeper reasons and purposes for being where you are.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21)

When you need things too much, it's miserable not to have them. It is a free and easy feeling to have that which you enjoy but you do not need. You raise your happiness by lowering your reliance on certain comforts. You may go stoically without things just to prove to yourself your own independence and strength.

CANCER (June 22-July 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

As you live by what you see as virtuous and relevant, you spend your days thinking about and acting toward what you value. If you add self-compassion to the equation, it's an unworried and unhurried existence because it doesn't require you to meet any standard outside yourself.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21)

Though you know things outside of you cannot provide you with ultimate happiness,the world counteracts with strong and constant messages to the contrary, mostly to get you to buy things. It brings you good fortune to calm your inner perceptions and reactions. You will achieve e ective and joyful states.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

You'll answer a calling. You'll know where you belong and how to get there. It doesn't make a lot of sense to travel in the herd. The herd only goes where the herd is going. You're going somewhere else. Plot your course and then choose your guides, but give yourself exibility by traveling solo or in a very small group.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Boredom is an invitation from the universe to gure out what exactly is keeping you where you are. Is it an emotional tether or a contractual chain? A family obligation or a social expectation? This week brings a chance to wiggle, maneuver, buy or y your way out. Once free, there's no shortage of things to do.

51 Fri ata ingredient

53 “Dexter” airer, for short

50 Lifesaving device for one with severe allergies

33 Image captured with Shi + Command+3 on a Mac

34 One in nursery school

This week brings more than one situation akin to a split screen. You're like a security o cer in a high room, monitoring the mundane. Sure, you can pay attention to several things at once, if most of it is going to plan. Part of your brain will be scanning for anything out of the ordinary. You'll nd it, too.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

10 Hearty one-pot meal

14 “Watch your ___!”

26 Some quality cigars

15 Playback option, in brief

29 Word with shaving or sewing

16 Cuisine with tom yum gai

35 Letters spelled out with rocks on a deser t island, in car toons 37 “Disgusting!” 39 What “choosy moms” choose, according to ads

17 “At Last” singer ___ James

30 Rica

18 High-society, metaphorically

31 Brontë and Dickinson

54 Take a midday snooze

52 Star t getting paid, as an athlete

55 Revolutionary maneuver in sports or break dancing?

40 Obama ___ (2009-17)

20 Like a bad day for a picnic, say

22 Blows up

23 A er-hours bank convenience

Image captured with Shift+ Command+3 on a

24 List-ending abbr.

in

27 Center of activity

42 Pennsylvania, in D.C.: Abbr.

If you had no concern for the future, you would be unable to set yourself up for good tomorrows. When stressful thoughts come up, thank your inner worrier, then decide if it brings up anything actionable. If so, you'll act immediately. If not, you'll change your focus to what you want and move right along. Across 1 The “A” of U.A.E.

60 Sidekick of Mario and Luigi

55 Petty fight 56 Little clump on a sweater

35 Le ers spelled out with rocks on a desert island, in cartoons

37 “Disgusting!”

Preppy clothing brand

Self-absorbed

62 Social event hinted at by the ends of 18-, 28- and 48-Across

65 Sound of a flyswa er

44 You’d better believe it!

66 Ingredient in some skin-care products

45 Sailor’s “Hello!”

47 Many a TikTok user, informally

67 Hemingway’s “The Sun Also ___”

49 African deser t

28 Something unimpressive, slangily

32 Finest efforts

Fashion monogram

68 Tales passed down through generations

69 “Here’s a brief summary,” in internet-speak

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

36 They get defused in some action films (one hopes!)

38 Pigeon sound

39 Rock’s Joan ___ & the Blackhearts

41 Italian mojito garnish

42 The “A” of B.A.

Wrath

“Stay, please!”

North Dakota city that’s the

70 “The Big Podcast With Shaq” host

71 Big fan, in modern lingo Down

1 Consumed no cooked food

2 Turn clockwise or counterclockwise

3 Warp drive power source on “Star Trek”

What “choosy moms” choose, according to

Obama ___ (2009-17)

in D.C.: Abbr.

You’d be er believe it!

Sailor’s “Hello!”

Many a TikTok user, informally

Language is a tool. Every tool is con ned to the limit of its ability. A hammer can't saw, and a screwdriver isn't great for cutting paper. This week, you will wisely recognize that there are things that can't be accomplished with words, an acknowledgement that helps you switch to di erent modes and tools.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

The easiest way to get lled with wonder is to be somewhere new. Is the world very di erent just because you go to new places? (SET ITAL) You (END ITAL) are very di erent in new places, and you carry that di erence around and back home again. So, yes, the world changes when you travel,

Often when you talk about experiences, you realize they cannot properly be recounted with words. This is part of what drives you to keep creating new experiences with people. The only thing better than telling the story is living it. You'll be very fortunate in your dreaming, scheming and planning.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Start ge ing paid, as an

Pe y fight

Li le clump on a sweater

Preppy clothing brand

Self-absorbed

Gaelic language

Birds that can twist their heads almost 360°

Fashion monogram

PUZZLE BY TAYLOR JOHNSON

Worship Guide

Roof repairs, Coating, Rotten Wood, Fascia Boards, Remodeling & Additions, Permit plans. Now Accepting Credit cards Gary or Chase 520-742-1953