Marana News, July 28, 2021 by Times Media Group

MARANANEWS The Voice of Marana since 2007

J , 

Volume 28 • Number 30

Homeward Hound

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Marana dog reunited with family after cross-country adventure | Page 4

INSIDE

SAGUARO SALUTE

Arizona Business

A new book from Tucson writer William Bird examines the iconography of the Sonoran Desert’s most recognizable cactus -and tells of how it wasn’t always as beloved as it is today. Read more on page 6.

Banks optimistic about state recovery | Page 10

Happenings Events around town this week | Page 12

On the Menu

National IPA day is coming up | Page 15 $

Courtesy photo

Storms dump rain across valley, setting new monsoon record Jim Nintzel

Tucson Local Media

s storms dumped rain across the metro area over the weekend, Tucson experienced the wettest monsoon season ever as of Sunday. A record 5.88 inches of rain had fallen at Tucson International Airport between the official start of the monsoon season on June

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HEALTH & MEDICINE

COVID cases continue to grow, leading health experts to worry about third wave in AZ

Christina Duran Tucson Local Media

OVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Arizona continue to rise while new state laws are preventing local governments and schools from implementing mitigation strategies to combat the increased spread. Arizona reached a high rate of transmission of 108 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 individuals per week, according to the July 23 COVID-19 report from Dr. Joe Gerald, an epidemiologist at the UA Zuckerman School of Public Health who has been tracking the disease for more than a year. Gerald reported a 35% increase in COVID-19 cases of Arizonans for the week ending July 18 as well as a 26% See COVID, P8

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Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

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

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

Hot Picks Paint Night in the Park. The Town of Marana is continuing this event series where you can relax in the park and unleash your inner artist. Haven’t you always marveled at paintings and wondered how people managed to make their subjects look real and not just a mess of blotchy colors? Meet at the Heritage River Park for an instructor-led class where you can learn to paint your own picture stroke-bystroke. Registration will include a 16x20 canvas and supplies to paint. No experience is necessary. 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 29. 12375 N. Heritage Park Dr. To register, visit maranaaz. gov/town-calendar

Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

talk about how “we are stars,” and a planetarium star show discussing the Tucson sky and beyond. 1601 E. University Blvd. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays.

PA P E R W O R K S : Forming the Effect, Affecting the Form. Tohono Chul botanical gardens are hosting an art show that can be seen “as a response to 2020 being the Sonoran Desert’s driest year on record”with each artist reflecting on the affecting effects of drought and deluge. This show in the Tohono Chul Entry Gallery features art from Jo Andersen, Helen Baribeau, Vanessa Dearing, Judy All the Single Ladies: Derickson and more. 7366 Women Pioneers of the N. Paseo Del Norte. American West. The Tucson Desert Art Museum has an ongoing exhibition detailing stories of the trailblazing women of the 19th 5-DAY WEATHER century. This collection WEDNESDAY features photos of women PARTLY 97 77 CLOUDY who were homesteaders, THURSDAY teachers, entertainers, and PARTLY plenty else, all working and 98 77 CLOUDY adding to the mythos of FRIDAY the American west. 7000 E. PARTLY Tanque Verde Rd. 98 78 CLOUDY Tucson Skies. The Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium at the University of Arizona is open once again, hosting a series of shows for both children and adults to learn more about the skies above us. Events include a laser light show to Elton John’s Rocketman, an astronomy show about black holes, a star

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Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

OUR TOWN

Marana dog reunited with family after being found in Arkansas

Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

fter more than three years and a thousand miles, one Marana family finally has their dog back. A rottweiler/pit bull mix named Bowser recently completed an epic journey after escaping from a local yard in 2017 and resurfacing in Arkansas years later. Lynda Rodriguez originally got Bowser from a local pet rescue as a surprise for her husband on Father’s Day 2015. Because the family was new to their home, Rodriguez says Bowser and their other dog, a German shepherd, escaped multiple times. The family had Bowser for roughly two years, but during one escape, only their German shepherd returned. The Rodriguez family put up posters and calls to the community on social media, but never got any solid leads. However, Lynda did eventually receive a phone call from a woman who briefly claimed to have found Bowser, but said they would not return him. Lynda attempted to find out more, but they

would not return the family’s calls and soon after the phone number was disconnected. “There was nothing we could do, and after a while we had to just let it go,” Lynda said. Fast-forward more than three years to this May, and Lynda and her husband receive phone calls from a pet rescue in Arkansas. The pet rescue had found Bowser, and his chip still scanned back to the Rodriguez family. “We were ecstatic to hear they had Bowser, we really couldn’t believe it,” Lynda said. “At first I didn’t answer the phone call when the pet rescue originally reached out because I had no reason to answer a call from Arkansas. But when I listened to the voicemail, it was unreal.” Bowser had been turned into the pet rescue with a fellow dog, both in poor condition. Lynda says the rescue clinic sent photos depicting chemical burns on Bowser’s face and body, as well as signs of malnourishment. Those who initially turned the dogs into the pet rescue did not return—potentially the same people who once refused to return

Bowser—which is why the clinic reached out to the Rodriguez family. Lynda worked with Blue Collar Pet Transport to ship Bowser across state lines. Blue Collar has helped owners transport their dogs and cats since 2019, but Bowser’s story was a first for them as well. “This kind of distance is very common for us, it’s what we do daily from coast to coast. We also do work in Canada and even onto the other side of the world,” said Jeff Still with Blue Collar Pet Transport. “But working with lost pets is fairly uncommon. We’ve done a couple, but I haven’t heard of any pets that have been gone for that long. I know of a couple times where the dog was gone for a week or so, but never anything like this.” In the end, the 20-hour return drive took Bowser through three states. “Trying to figure out how to get him back from Arkansas was a challenge, but Blue Collar was amazing,” Lynda said. “At first my husband and I were going to keep it a secret to surprise the kids, but eventually we decided to let them know what was going on, because my daugh-

Photo courtesy of Lynda Rodriguez

Bowser, the black dog on the left, is finally reunited with his family. ter started asking to get another dog, and we didn’t want her to do that if we were getting Bowser back.” The family ultimately got to pet Bowser again in early July, more than three years after they lost him, and with no clear picture of how he wound up so far from home. “When the driver showed up, it was amazing. Bowser came up to us and remembered who we were and his name. He was just a happy boy,” Lynda said. “My two teenagers weren’t home when they brought Bowser home, but my little

one was super happy and started crying. I was also a hot mess. We were just so happy to have him back. And when my two older kids got back, they just wanted to cuddle and pet him and give him all kinds of treats.” Over the past few weeks, Bowser has been re-acclimating to home. Aside from working to get his weight back up, the family is “spoiling him” with treats, playing with their other pets, and letting him sleep in everyone’s bed. Not a bad outcome for a homeward hound after years on

the dusty trail. “He’s always been a very go-with-the-flow dog. He’d never try to compete for dominance. Even before he got lost, he’d just come up and put his head on your lap and ask for pets. Another dog we have was a four-month-old puppy when we lost Bowser, but when they met again they even remembered each other,” Lynda said. “We didn’t know what to expect when they brought him back, after hearing about the conditions he was in, but this was amazing.”

Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

Storms

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County officials warned residents to avoid The Loop after secions of it flooded this weekend. the high 90s later this week. Thanks to the drenching rain, the Rillito and the Santa Cruz rivers were running bank to bank in places and several roads around the metro area were temporarily closed, including sections of northwest corridors such as Avra Valley Road and Trico Road. County officials on Friday warned residents to avoid The Loop and social media featured photos of a rockslide blocking a lane on Mount Lemmon Highway on Sunday.

Officials also discouraged residents from playing around or in the washes. The Pima County Sheriff ’s Department shared footage on Facebook of a Pima County Search and Rescue team using a helicopter to pull a kayaker from a flooded wash. More rain could be on the way: As of Monday morning, the National Weather predicted a 40% chance of rain on Thursday and Friday nights and a 30% chance of rain over the weekend. Local authorities con-

EXPLORER

tinue to warn residents to avoid traveling during severe storms and to not cross barricaded wash crossings because of flash flood dangers. In addition to the monsoon records, the 5.65 inches of rain dumped at Tucson International Airport through July 25 made this the fourth wettest July on record, coming within 1.15 inches of the 6.8 inches dumped in 2017, and the sixth wettest month on record, trailing the record 7.93 inches that dropped in August 1955.

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Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

New book ‘In The Arms of Saguaros’ celebrates the symbolism of Arizona’s favorite cactus Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

riving into the Southwest from any direction, the first sight of a saguaro cactus waving on the horizon serves as a “welcome” for Arizona residents and tourists alike. But even more than a welcome sign, the saguaro is an icon of the American South, even for those who don’t know what the Sonoran Desert is or pronounce saguaro with a hard G. A new book, “In the Arms of Saguaros,” tracks the iconography of the accordion-pleated colossi alongside the development of the Arizona territory. At first a food source for Native Americans, the saguaros came to be used in art, architecture, clothing and tourism — but it wasn’t always that way. What was at first ignored by American developers gradually became critical. Author William Bird followed the appropriation and influence of the saguaro through decades of American history. “In the Arms of Saguaros” serves as both a picture book rife with saguaro imagery, and a timeline of Arizona’s growth. Bird originally came to Tucson to earn his master’s degree in his-

tory at the University of Arizona. Though he first lived here for fewer than two years in the mid-’70s, he says he was quickly enthralled by the desert landscape and flora, and research for this book served as a kind of “exercise in nostalgia.” “These photos of people posing in the arms of saguaros really suggest to me a kind of effort to become one with the plant, at one with botany, even at your own peril,” Bird said. “It’s become a kind of meme or regional identifier that has gone national, and even international.” “In the Arms of Saguaros” is published by the University of Arizona Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill. Saguaros are easily recognizable, and can be enormous, but do you think there’s something about their vaguely humanoid shape that people connect with? Well, I always feel like they’re waving at me. That’s kind of a joke, but in every joke there’s an element of the truth. That is always commented upon when people use it to promote the desert Southwest. It reflects the anthropomorphic moods of humankind. You’ll have ballerinas

mimicking saguaros, and everyone who writes about the Southwest poses with a saguaro. That pose is very telling. And you can’t get close enough to them, clearly, with all the old photos of people climbing in them, hence the title of the book. In all your research for the book, what is the most unique saguaro memorabilia or art you came across? I’d have to say the Mary Eaton botanical illustration on the back of the book. That to me is one of the most compelling things featured in the book. But I also like the more modest things available to anyone. Like back in the day, the items made by saguaro rib crafters, those are charming and highly collectible… As a museum person, I’m into the materiality of it. The icon is always there, and people always riff on it and make it their own. But my job as a curator and author is to find things that are interesting to look at, and build the story around that. I see that you’re the curator emeritus of the political history collection at the National Museum of American History. During your

research, did you see any fascinating ways the saguaro had political impacts? Iconography is sort of an accumulative process, like getting on a slow-moving train. So I assumed quite naturally that this process was an arc that went from the lower left, and up in a steady climb. But it’s more like a sawtooth. There was a great effort made around 1893 at the Chicago World’s Fair to represent the Arizona territory with saguaros transplanted to the fairgrounds in Chicago… Oddly enough, there were people who complained that was not the appropriate symbol for the territory, because it suggested that was the only thing that could grow in Arizona’s soil. So if you look through the territory and the state’s iconography, there’s actually a paucity of saguaro imagery. In fact, the state seal today has a dam, a lake, a miner, a cow, but no saguaro… It isn’t until the ’20s or ’30s that you begin to see saguaros on the edge of the brochures, and gradually it moves to the center. So politically, it sort of begins as this fraught, problematic symbol for a lot of people… There’s almost a reluctance or “desert denial,” but they

Illustration by Mary Eaton, featured on back of book

really come around to it by the ’50s and are actually creating a botanical landscape for advertising purposes that has no basis in reality. They take a golf course brochure and add in saguaros to the background. I think they recognize people are curious about it. It’s an attraction that is unique to the Sonoran Desert. In your research, did you see any appropriation of the saguaro imagery by artists outside of the desert or around the world? If so, how was the saguaro iconography changed?

in this country and it’s wrong. Or you’ll see the Peruvian apple cactus in decorating magazines and they’ll have arms that suggest it’s a saguaro. But the ones I have seen are an English T-shirt with a saguaro outline, that was surprisingly accurate if you’re just trying to show someone what a saguaro looks like. There are others that are completely abstract but still spot-on, like an artist who had a knit stocking over their head with two eye-holes that looks quite dramatic, if impractical.

For more information, visit tumamoc.ariWell sometimes you’ll zona.edu/InTheArmsOf even see it reproduced Saguaros

VOICES

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

ust in time for the start of the school year, COVID cases are once again on the rise. Dr. Joe Gerard, an epidemiologist and professor at the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health who has been following the spread of the coronavirus since it hit Arizona in March 2020, says the rising cases are happening as the Delta variant spreads among the community’s non-vaccinated population. And while COVID has not hit children as hard as adults, Gerald is worried that schools could be big vectors of transmission as a result of the Delta variant. “It has the potential to throw fuel onto a fire that’s already

started,” Gerald said. Read staff reporter Christina Duran’s entire report on this week’s front page. We’ve also been getting a lot of rain in recent weeks— enough to set a new record for the monsoon, at least through last Sunday, July 25. While it’s drying out this week, more rain is in the forecast for the upcoming weekend. Please be careful when traveling in storms and don’t try to drive through flooded washes. Elsewhere in this week’s edition of Explorer and Marana News: You’ll read about a Marana family that was reunited with a dog that went missing three years ago—and

Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

somehow ended up in Arkansas; a new book that traces the iconography of our mighty saguaros; and a new album by up-and-coming rock star Sophia Rankin. Sports columnist Tom Danehy looks at how close the Phoenix Suns came to a championship. Our new health columnist, Mia Smitt, tells us why laughter is the best medicine. We also look at how local banks helped their clients through through the pandemic and bring you some of our community’s latest science news. Finally, we’d love to hear from you. Please send your letters to the editor to tucsoneditor@tucsonlocalmedia.com. —Jim Nintzel Executive Editor

READER PHOTO OF THE WEEK Reader Kat Wahl was stealthy enough to photograph these javelinas sleeping on a back porch in perfect formation. With this summer heat, we can’t blame them. Send your photos to readerphotos@ tucsonlocalmedia.com. Include your name, contact information and details about the photo, including who took it, where it was taken and the subject.

COVID Continued from P1

increase in the occupancy of general ward beds by COVID-19 patients and an 18% increase in ICU beds occupied with COVID-19 patients as of July 21. He notes this level of hospital occupancy for COVID-19 patients of general ward and ICU beds are similar to numbers seen in March. In his report, Gerald said the rise in cases “seems almost certain” to most likely be caused by the increased prevalence of the Delta variant, accounting for about 75% of all cases. The Delta variant, first identified in India, has increased transmissibility, meaning the variant is more infectious, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With an exponential rise in cases and more cases of the Delta variant, Gerald and other health officials stressed the importance of vaccinating the unvaccinated population, as they account for the majority of positive cases of COVID-19, along with the majority of hospitali-

zations and deaths. At a July 23 press conference, Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ, reported that 90% of cases in July have been in individuals not fully vaccinated. Since March, 94% of individuals hospitalized for COVID-19 were not fully vaccinated and 98% of deaths were also of individuals not fully vaccinated. Gerald noted that not fully vaccinated individuals have less protection against the Delta variant than fully vaccinated individuals, meaning they have received two doses of Pfizer or Moderna or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. “It’s definitely possible that the current vaccine could at some point in the future become obsolete. We’re not there yet,” said Gerald. “The Delta variant does not threaten our current vaccination effort. For individuals who are fully vaccinated particularly with Moderna or Pfizer, you’ve had your two doses, you’re two weeks passed that, they provide 90% protection against infection and development of severe disease.” While he said at some point Arizona may have to

Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

consider boosters, the priority should remain vaccinating people who haven’t yet been vaccinated. In a statement released Friday, Gov. Doug Ducey urged Arizonans to get vaccinated, while continuing to assert the state would not mandate or enforce key mitigation strategies. “We will not be listening to the lockdown lobby. Businesses will stay open. Students will be able to attend school. There will be no mask mandates,” said Ducey. “We have a proven solution with the vaccine. I strongly encourage every Arizonan who is eligible for the vaccine to get it so they can protect themselves and our whole state.” At the end of the legislative session, Ducey signed into the law several statutes limiting the ability of the local jurisdictions and schools to combat COVID-19. Senate bill 1819 prohibits a county, city or town from issuing any order “related to mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic that impacts private businesses, schools, churches or other private entities, including an order, rule, ordinance or regulation that mandates the use of face coverings, requires closing a business or im-

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poses a curfew,” while the K-12 budget bill made it illegal for schools to require face coverings. Arizona Public Health Association Executive Director Will Humble noted on his blog that Ducey, Christ and Republican lawmakers “have tied the hands of virtually the entire state to the point where nobody is allowed to do virtually anything to slow the spread of COVID-19. … It’s like they have us in reverse lockdown.” Two weeks ago, two Arizona schools received a letter from Ducey’s office requesting a change in their isolation and quarantine policy as it stated fully vaccinated individuals would not have to quarantine, following ADHS guidelines. Despite the actions by state officials, Christ said ADHS “public health guidance and recommendations have not changed” and continues to recommend unvaccinated individuals wear masks and get vaccinated. However, since the peak in April, vaccination delivery has stalled. As of Monday, July 26, 46% of Arizonans have been fully vaccinated. Among the almost 4 million Arizonans who have yet to be fully vaccinated, are children younger than 12 who are not eligible for a vaccine. As students head back to school next month to full in-person learning and schools and local jurisdictions limited in their COVID-19 response, Gerald believes the new school year has the potential to accelerate transmission. “It has the potential to throw fuel onto a fire that’s

already started,” said Gerald. “When we think back to the summer of 2020 and school reopening we were actually coming off the peak rates in early July, and things were generally improving. Whereas, this time around it’s the exact opposite. We are headed up at the same time that we’re trying to restart schools and so there’s already a brewing outbreak ongoing.” He noted that while children historically have not been “great incubators and accelerators of transmission” the Delta variant could possibly override this and make children more effective in transmitting the virus. As a parent of three kids, with two not yet eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, Christ said she is making her two unvaccinated children wear masks and urges parents to do the same. They also recommend parents keep their children home if they have any symptoms. “Not only are we seeing COVID in the community, we’re starting to see increased other respiratory viruses,” Christ said. “So we just want to make sure we’re not spreading anything at school. So make sure that you keep your kids home when they’re sick.” Nearly 32% of 12 to 17 year olds have been vaccinated with at least one dose of vaccine, said Christ on Friday. Gerald reported that children 15 to 19 years of age have case rates similar to those of adults, but cases are rising among all age groups. “With inadequate vaccination uptake, eliminating COVID-19 is no longer a plausible public

health policy goal,” said Gerald in his latest report. “COVID-19 is almost certain to become an endemic disease with varying temporal and geographic implications. Fortunately, vaccination will remain a viable disease control strategy offering a high degree of protection to those willing to accept them.” Gerald said we would continue to see a rise in cases into October, but would likely not increase to previously seen outbreaks of COVID-19. “I think it is very unlikely that it’s going to be as big as what we experienced this past winter, I don’t think it would be as big as possible for it to be as big as what we experienced even last summer. So it’s somewhere between where we are right now, and where we were in the summer of 2020,” said Gerald. He noted that Pima County, which has been quicker at implementing mask mandates and other mitigation strategies, has a lower rate of transmission than Maricopa County or the state, with about half their rate of transmission. “The Governor’s office and the legislature are really standing in the way of public health progress. They’re tying our hands in making it much more difficult to achieve our public health goals,” said Gerald. “It’s hard to see how that’s going to work out well for us....so instead of hampering our efforts to get people vaccinated the state should and could be doing more to help us achieve our goals and right now they’re kind of standing in our way.”

HEALTH & WELLNESS Marana News, July 28, 2021

Gelastolalia: a must for good health!

MIA SMITT

Special to Tucson Local Media

elasto…what?? This hard-to-say word defines a wonderful condition known as humor, taking yourself lightly and laughter. Laughter is a valuable part of life and enriches us in many healthful ways. Humor, joy and laughter have been acknowledged since ancient times. In the Old Testament, Proverbs 17:22 states “a joyful heart is the health of the body but a depressed spirit dries up the bones.” Humor is referenced 287 times in the New Testament. The Tanach (Jewish Bible which includes the Torah) mentions laughter 50 times and Rabbah, a 4th-century talmudist, always began his lectures with a joke. Andre de Mondeville, a medieval surgeon who practiced around the years 1290-1320, taught his students to “regulate the whole regimen of the patient’s life for joy and happiness.” Florence Nightingale, epidemiologist and founder of modern nursing, recognized in 1860 that humor can be an intervention to refocus away from illness and confinement: “The fact that these painful expressions are far better dismissed by a real laugh.” Sigmund Freud in 1927 wrote a paper on “the greatness,

strength, and beauty of humor.” The physical, psychological, and social benefits of laughter have been studied by many health and psychology researchers and their conclusions are that humor is a very positive force for achieving and maintaining good health. When a person laughs, especially a long, genuine, and hearty laugh, there is an increase in heart rate, a decrease in blood pressure, and improved circulation—almost like a quick cardiovascular workout. There is an increased air exchange and improved oxygenation which can help clear respiratory mucus and energize thinking. With laughter, there is increased muscle tension followed by increased relaxation which can decrease stress and pain. There is measurable pain relief, similar to a runner’s high caused by a release of endorphins in the brain. The immune system is enhanced with a decrease in the production of cortisol and epinephrine and an increased production of antibodies, which in turn increases the action of lymphocytes and T cells, which attack viruses and tumors. One minute of anger can weaken the immune system for five hours, while a minute of laughter can strengthen it for 24 hours.

Laughter stimulates both hemispheres of the brain at the same time, coordinating the senses for a fuller ability to function. Tears of laughter and sorrow are chemically different from the tears we shed while chopping onions and these tears remove toxins related to stress. The psychological benefits of positive humor are many. Laughter relieves stress, tension, and anxiety. When a person is able to joke and laugh about something that causes distress or fear, that person gains power over that which is frightening. Our coping skills are enhanced when we are distracted from distress. Much of our suffering is related to how we view our particular circumstances. Laughter turns us outward for a focus outside our immediate problem. This can alter perspective and put what distresses us aside, even if only for a little while. Joking can be a healthy way to deal with problems and explore options for solutions. Humor and laughter are natural bridges between people and can diffuse anger. Learning can be enhanced with laughter. Humor can provide relief from the burdens of everyday living. Silliness lets people suspend logic, propriety and even reality for a short while allowing relax-

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ation, rest and a diversion from everyday problems. Communication can be enhanced through appropriate comedy. Constructive humor fosters communication by breaking down barriers, by making people feel good and by bringing people closer together. It can help to establish rapport and foster positive relationships. Through laughter and mirth, people are better able to express fears and broach subjects too difficult to bring up in a serious manner. “Dark” or macabre humor can be therapeutic in that it lets us express fear and reduces that which terrifies us

to something far more manageable. Laughter can promote group solidarity. Look at any well functioning work team. The members can laugh among themselves and are usually able to work through differences. Humor can diffuse anger and transform a negative situation into a positive one. There are barriers to using humor in our professional and everyday lives. Embarrassment, social mores, fear of others’ reactions, anxiety and anger are common. More often we just fail to recognize the comical circumstances

that surround us daily. There are truly comical people who make the world a happier place and we need to appreciate them and seek them out. So embrace humor. Laugh out loud and share your joy with others. These are powerful forces for good health. Eat well, exercise regularly and experience Gelastolalia often!

Mia Smitt is a nurse practitioner with specialty in family practice. She has recently retired and settled in Marana after two-and-a-half years living on a 40-foot sailboat exploring the world.

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BUSINESS

Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

Banks, credit unions aided clients through pandemic Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

fter delivering more than $800 billion to businesses and workers across the nation, the federal Paycheck Protection Program ended on May 31. Arizona businesses received more than 80,000 loans at an average of $40,000 each in order to keep staff working and industry functioning—but COVID cases are on the rise once again. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, new daily COVID cases were at their highest since late February at more than 1,100 new cases per day as of last week. Following vaccine rollouts at the beginning of the year, cases throughout the state steadily dropped and then leveled out over the past few months. But with the economy opening up and social distancing restrictions lifted, there is more op-

portunity for transmission. In response, local banks are continuing certain pandemic programs even after federal efforts ended. While these programs aren’t permanent, elements of the banking industry may be forever changed due to lessons learned over the last year and a half. “The pandemic presented a prime opportunity for members to embrace and get more comfortable with using online and mobile banking. Once members realize how convenient it is to manage their finances remotely, it sticks with them,” said Jill Casey Pintor, assistant vice president of communications for Vantage West Credit Union. “Because we were able to successfully continue business operations during the height of the pandemic, our outlook is optimistic that we will continue to meet and hopefully exceed our members’ expectations. We are also optimistic that our business neighbors and

community partners will be able to emerge strong, because they’ve proven their resiliency.” Vantage West processed an estimated $26 million in SBA and PPP loans for their members, as well as more than $800,000 in pandemic-related financial assistance in the form of waived fees. They are also continuing the relief when it comes to the new federal child tax credit issued this month. “For the stimulus payments and the child tax credit payments, we took the approach of not applying those to cover loans in default, whereas prior to the pandemic if a loan was in default we were entitled to deposits that come into the account. But given what all is going on, as a credit union we made the choice to not touch those funds and leave them for our members,” said Jade Oesterle, associate vice president for loan servicing at Vantage West Credit Union.

The tax credits are part of the American Rescue Plan and allow families to receive monthly payments of $250 or $300 per child, and Vantage West plans to continue this approach through the rest of the year. The credit union also manually posted nearly $2.5 million in stimulus payments that otherwise would have been sent back to the IRS for insufficient account information. According to Pintor, situations like this highlight the difference between credit unions and traditional banks. “We had the unique opportunity to work with our members on a more neighborly and personal level because all decision-making is local. This is one differentiator between banks and local credit unions. This gave us more flexibility to find creative ways to help members with their individual needs,” Pintor said. “As a local business, and a local credit union serving local business members, Vantage West un-

derstands the critical role that ‘essential customers’ and their ‘essential members,’ play in the post-pandemic economic recovery. This inspired a partnership with the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce that resulted in ‘Essential,’ a promotional spot to help encourage post-pandemic recovery in our community by supporting local businesses.” The past year also resulted in shifts at Commerce Bank of Arizona, a statewide bank that provides services for individuals and business owners. Commerce Bank participated in both PPP rounds, resulting in more than 500 loans and $85 million to Arizona businesses throughout the state. This process was so large that of the roughly 50 employees at Commerce Bank, more than a dozen shifted to work solely on PPP loans. “Wherever there was a need, we provided. Through the whole process, we gained

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probably 80 new clients that weren’t being serviced by their existing bank and having a hard time with the PPP process. We saw the importance of that as a lifeline to small business. As a community bank, we felt it was important to meet that need,” said Paul Tees, Tucson market president and CCO for the Commerce Bank of Arizona. “What the pandemic showed us is how resilient businesses can be. If you look at when this happened in March, a lot of people were looking at which industries would be hit hard and how it would affect banks’ loan portfolios. What we saw is that a lot of the businesses we lent to, if they had the ability to pivot their strategy and be nimble, they actually did really well during last year and have come out of it with a different business model.” Because of their business focus, Commerce Bank was also one of the few Arizona banks to participate in the

Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

federal Main Street Lending program, which lent to small and medium-sized for-profit businesses and nonprofits that were in sound financial condition before the onset of COVID. This specific business support provided low-interest rate loans with favorable payment terms. But as with other federal loan programs, the Main Street Lending program has also concluded. Tees says that earlier in the pandemic, he may have said virtual banking was a paradigm shift in the financial industry. But with businesses continuing to open up and more vaccinations, he is seeing more personal contacts and face-to-face business as a reminder that banking is a “people-based business.” In addition, Commerce Bank had a heightened loan growth of 10% for the first quarter of

2021, and continue to see loan growth. “These business models can now take into account that the pandemic might not be over, and they’ve thought about if it comes back and we have to shut down again, how they can survive,” Tees said. “To some extent, it’s been beneficial for companies to look at their existing business models and try to figure out how to handle this going forward. But we’re still lending and we’ve very optimistic for the overall Arizona economy.” The Washington D.C.based Federal Funds Information for States published their quarterly Index of State Economic Momentum in June, which found that more than half of all states exceeded their previous quarter’s economic performance. Arizona was ranked among the highest

at number 6, with an economic momentum score of 2% higher than the national average. The report is based on data from the census, Bureau of Economic Analysis and Bureau of Labor Statistics. It also found that Arizona was one of the top states for personal income growth, seeing a 6% increase over the past year, as compared to the national 4%. “We’re seeing a lot of people move from other states into Tucson and Phoenix, as well as Arizona in general. We think this migration shows Arizona is a great place to do business both now and for the future,” Tees said. “Our overall economy is strong, especially if you look at the housing market and our nearby states. This is a desirable place to live and businesses see that.”

Business Calendar Thursday, July 29 • The Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce holds a customer development mixer. Details: 5-7 p.m.; The Buttes at Reflections, 9800 N. Oracle Road.; $10, $5 members; 297-2191 or orovalleychamber.com. Monday, Aug. 2 • Oro Valley Toastmasters meet via Zoom (1st, 3rd & 5th Monday of the month). Details: 6:157:30 p.m.; 2854329. toastmastersclubs.org. Tuesday, Aug. 3 • The Rotary Club of Marana meets (weekly). Details: 7 a.m.; Northwest Fire Department, 5125 W. Camino de Fuego (in per-

son first 3 Tuesdays of the month); via Zoom (first 4 Tuesdays of the month); maranarotary.org or text 520-909-9162 for virtual meeting information. Wednesday, Aug. 4 • The Marana Chamber of Commerce holds its monthly Networking Breakfast. Details: 7:30 a.m.; TOP (The Other Place), 4239 N. Ina Road.; $15-$25; 6824314 or maranachamber. com. Thursday, Aug. 5 • The Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce holds a customer development mixer. Details: 5-7 p.m.; The Post Workspaces, 7400

N. Oracle Road.; $10, $5 members; 297-2191 or orovalleychamber.com. Wednesday, Aug. 11 • The Arizona Small Business Association (ASBA) holds a workshop on launching a new website or sprucing up an old one. Details: 10-11 a.m.; asba.com. Thursday, Aug. 19 • The Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce holds its 29th Annual Meeting and Awards Breakfast with guest speaker University of Arizona men’s basketball coach Tommy Lloyd. Details: Hilton El Conquistador, 10000 N. Oracle Road; orovalleychamber.com.

EXCESSIVE HEAT CAN KILL Extremely hot weather can be deadly when it pushes the human body beyond its limits. Key safety tips to avoid heat-related illness on hot days

· Drink plenty of water; even if you do not feel thirsty. · Limit your time outdoors, especially in the afternoon when the day is hottest. · Never leave a child, disabled or elderly person, or pets alone in a parked vehicle, even briefly with the windows open. · Check on family, friends and neighbors who do not have air conditioning and are older, young, sick or overweight. They are more likely to become victims of excessive heat and may need help. · Avoid exercising or doing a lot of activities when it is hot. Stay out of the sun, take frequent breaks, drink plenty of water.

BE COOL, SAFE and HEALTHY Golder Ranch Fire District Administration | 3885 E. Golder Ranch Drive, Tucson, AZ 85739 | grfdaz.gov

Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

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THEATER

• Find out if those classic tales of magic, dreams, fantasy and true love hold up in the age of smart phones and WiFi at Once Upon FRIDAY TO SUNDAY THIS Time where princess stories THROUGH AUG. 1 are given a modern twist. Details: 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. • Catch a performance of the Sunday; Live Theatre Workshop, stunning musical A Chorus Line capturing the spirit and tensions of 3322 E. Fort Lowell Rd.; $12, $10 Broadway auditions while explor- children; 327-4242. ing the inner lives and ambitions of professional performers with a FRIDAY TO SUNDAY, AUG. fusion of song, dance and drama. 6-28 Details: 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. • Catch a performance of critically Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; Arts Express Theatre, 5870 E. Broadway acclaimed, award-winning author John W. Lowell’s funny, tender new Blvd., #214; $40; 319-0400 or play The Standby Lear about an arts-express.org. understudy’s last great opportunity and whether he is up to the

task. Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday; Live Theatre Workshop, 3322 E. Fort Lowell Rd.; $18-$20; 327-4242.

MUSIC FRIDAY, JULY 30

• Don your dancin’ shoes for the All Right Now Dance Party with the vintage rock n’ roll Rillito River Band. Details: 7 p.m.; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road; $20; 529-1000 or gaslightmusichall.com.

SATURDAY, JULY 31 • Listen to the pure sound of a southern gospel quartet master-

fully recreating the hits of favorite vocal groups including the Oak Ridge Boys, Statler Brothers and more at American Made with the Presidio Boys. Details: 6 p.m.; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road; $31 with discounts for children, seniors and military; 529-1000 or gaslightmusichall. com.

SUNDAY, AUG. 1 • Listen to original songs, traditional and contemporary music along with an eclectic mix of bluegrass, folk, Americana, Celtic and Newgrass performed by The Sonoran Dogs Bluegrass Band. Details: 6 p.m.; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road; $27 with discounts for children, seniors and military; 529-1000 or gaslightmusichall.com.

MONDAY, AUG. 2

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• Listen to the old and new hits of George Strait, Alan Jackson, Johnny Cash to Luke Bryan and Kenny Chesney played by Backroads, The Ultimate Country Cover Band. Details: 6 p.m.; The Gaslight Theatre, 7010 E. Broadway Blvd.; $27 with discounts for children, seniors and military; 886-9428 or thegaslighttheatre.com.

Mindy Ronstadt, and Heather Hardy. Details: 6 p.m.; Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road; $31 with discounts for children, seniors and military; 529-1000 or gaslightmusichall.com. • Jump, jive and swing with Louis Prima, Jr. and the Witnesses presented by the Tucson Jazz Festival. Details: 8 p.m.; Congress Hotel Plaza, 311 E. Congress St.; $20; rhythmandroots.org.

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

SPECIAL EVENTS FRIDAY TO SATURDAY, JULY 30-31

• Shop over 30 local vendors with weird and wonderful desert-friendly plants at the Monsoon Madness Plant Sale featuring local growers SATURDAY, AUG. 7 and nationally-renowned plant experts with their specially-selected • Bring a chair and listen to some inventory. Details: 3-7 p.m. Friday, 8 classic psychedelic rock and blues a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday; Tohono Chul with lots of improvisation by the new Park, 7366 N. Paseo del Norte; free group Lazaret at the Music in the admission during sale; 742-6455. Mountains Concert Series. Details: 6 p.m.; Catalina State Park, 11570 N. Oracle Rd.; included with $7/vehicle WEDNESDAY TO SATURDAY, park admission; 825-9122. AUG. 4-7 • Celebrate the music of Grammy award-winning hall-of-fame artists • Calling all bird lovers to the at a tribute to Dolly Parton, Linda Southwest Wings Birding and Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris by Nature Festival featuring a safe the Trio of local favorites Jodi Darling, “hybrid” festival with field trips

and online speaker presentations. Details: 520-266-0149 or swwings. org.

SATURDAYS THROUGH AUG. 14 • Bring the kids to Summer Safari Nights at Reid Park Zoo and enjoy the cooler evening temperatures, games and wildlife activities and music from local bands with this week’s theme “Animal Athletes” featuring the Olympians of the animal kingdom and aerial performances by Circus Academy. Details: 5:30-8:30 p.m.; 3400 E. Zoo Ct.; $10.50, $6.50 children; 791-3204.

CLASSES & PROGRAMS FRIDAY, JULY 30 • Learn how to avoid mistakes and create your own garden paradise at the Tucson Botanical Gardens class Fuss-Free Gardening with “AZ Plant Lady” horticulturist Noelle Johnson. Details: 10 a.m.-noon; online with Zoom link provided; $30, discount for members; 3269686 or tucsonbotanical.org.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 4 • Learn techniques that will allow you to capture and communicate what you observe at the Tucson Botanical Gardens creative class Nature Journaling – Watercolor & Drawing for students of all skill levels with instructor artist Devon Meyer. Details: 2-3:30 p.m.; online with Zoom link provided; $30, discount for members; 326-9686 or tucsonbotanical.org.

Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

LIVEN UP

Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

Sophia Rankin stretches beyond her folk roots on ‘Too Close to the Riptide’ Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

ike many other musicians Sophia Rankin had more time alone than she knew what to do with in 2020. But rather than spiraling inward, the Tucson-based singer/ songwriter used the isolation as an opportunity to finish half-written songs and tell the stories of others. The result: Too Close to the Riptide, Rankin’s third album and the first with a full band. As the title implies, the album sees Rankin leaving her folky comfort zone and exploring the depths of rock, pop, country and electronic music, all while maintaining a core of poignant storytelling. “When I first started writing the album, it was just little tidbits of my life. And with COVID, you know you’re stuck in your room and the safest place you can go is your own four walls. So immediately I knew the songs needed to be finished,” Rankin said. “A lot of them were started out unfinished, and it felt like everything was crashing down around us, and suddenly it felt like I understood them better because of what the world was going through.”

Born and raised in Tucson, Rankin released her first two solo albums while attending the University of Arizona’s School of Music. They’re intimate recordings similar to the music she’s performed at the Tucson Folk Festival. The title of her second album, Solace, was thought up as an answer to when her mom asked her why she wrote music. However, with this latest album, released by Sophia Rankin & The Sound, she says she learned how to make her music more personal, but not just about herself. “I wanted the songs to feel like stories, whether they were first-person or about someone else. So I think half of the album is self-reflective,” Rankin said. “I sat down and realized I am a folk singer through-and-through, but it just comes out in pop or blues or rock. Folk music in its essence is storytelling, whether it be about myself or someone else.” The songs range from “Starting to Pray,” a deeply personal story about the role of the singer, to “The People I Have Known,” explicitly about others and their moving, if brief, stories. Although from opposite perspectives, both tracks center on Rankin’s

smooth vocals, spiritual delivery and delicate guitar playing. “During the year of COVID, as we so endearingly remember it, I had a friend who passed away from COVID before he turned 21, and another friend who passed away by accident. And I was sitting there thinking that these are stories that need to be told,” Rankin said. “It’s not that you need to know where they came from and where they went, but just that they were beautiful people and I wanted to remember them somehow.” One such story involved a man who approached Rankin after a performance and asked her if she’d play at his funeral, because hers was the kind of music he’d like to go to heaven to. She was so touched by the sentiment, and when her friends later passed, she realized she wanted to sing about other people and what they meant to her. In fact, there were so many stories about other people that for the first time she wrote companion songs to thematically link the album. “It’s how I knew this was going to be an album and that would be the song to end the album, because the whole thing

Sophia Rankin & The Sound Too Close to the Riptide Album release show Wednesday, Aug. 18 Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. sophiarankin.com

Photo by Taylor Noel Photography

(Left to right) Eli Leki-Albano (bass and vocals), Connor Rankin (drums and percussion), Sophia Rankin (vocals, rhythm acoustic and electric guitar), and Noah Weig-Pickering (lead electric and acoustic guitar). was a story about what I went through, what my friends went through, what these strangers went through, and how we all came out of it at the end,” Rankin said. Leaving it there would make for a fine folk album, but a variety of influences and a full band further develop the album’s sound. Eli Leki-Albano (bass and vocals), Connor Rankin (drums and percussion) and Noah Weig-Pickering (lead electric and acoustic guitar) form a cohesive sound, and production from local electronic musician Nocturnal Theory results in a melding of styles. For instance, “Moon Song” opens with some quiet piano and vocals before whirring electronics and programmed drums give the atmosphere a distinctively modern feel. “Metal and Wine” dissolves with unexpected

bass and a breakdown in the second half, and “The Fray” opens with some suspenseful lead guitar in a Tejano style that is replicated and replaced with electric guitar. Rankin first collaborated with Nocturnal Theory on a single “When You’re High” in 2020. She enjoyed his production so much, she soon asked if he’d be up to work on a full album. “I love that he respected my ideas, but then put in a lot of himself,” Rankin said. “I wanted him to put his influence into the songs, but rein it in if it’s too much of him and not enough of me… So for a track like “Moon Song,” I came to him with just me and a piano, and I wanted him to make it not just me and a piano. And he said ‘I’m going to take it and run with it, and you tell me when to stop.’” Ultimately, she says

Previous albums available on iTunes, Apple Music and Spotify

multiple songs took her out of her comfort zone, especially more synthetic tracks like “Moon Song.” However, Rankin says during the recording process, she says she learned how production can be an artform itself, rather than simply capturing the acoustic performance of a folk musician. “But it’s weird saying it’s out of my comfort zone, because it also sounds right,” Rankin said. “When I recorded my first two albums, I wanted them to be something I could replicate live. But when I was working with him, I realized I was looking at recording all wrong. I was looking at it like a live performance, but recording is a little space where you get to explore new things, maybe things that you intentionally can’t do live.”

Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

You deserve bitter: National IPA Day is coming up Matt Russell

Special to Tucson Local Media

t’s the day over which hop fans like myself swoon. By the time this newspaper hits the streets, we’ll be about a week away from National IPA Day on Aug. 5. This day dedicated to the glory of hop flowers, celebrated by craft beer enthusiasts on the first Thursday of every August, is a reaffirmation that the market is robust for those who prefer their brews on the bitter and slightly more spirituous sides. However, with sours and other styles of beers trending upward over the past year, I’ve wondered what the future holds for my beloved India Pale Ale. Encouragingly, after sitting down with local brewery executive Linette Antillon, I’ve learned that the spirit of National IPA Day guides her team’s work throughout the calendar year. “We brew many different styles of beers, but we really love to brew the kinds of beers that we really love to drink, and mostly those are IPAs,” said Antillon, co-owner of Pueblo Vida Brewing Company, 115 E. Broadway Boulevard. “We love to play with the nuances of hops, and IPAs lend us that creative ability to showcase and blend certain varieties.” Since Pueblo Vida opened their doors in 2014, a full 70% of the

beer they’ve sold is in the IPA category. And with my sneak peek at what they’re preparing to roll out, I’d expect that number to flirt with 95% on Aug. 5. To get ready for the big day, Antillon’s team is brewing four special IPAs, three of which are infused with ingredients to balance the bitterness with sweet notes. The Melon Creamsicle IPA is a fruity expression of their signature Cereus IPA, made with Strata, Citra and Mosaic hops. “All of our infusions are made with fresh ingredients, so I imagine that we’ll be chopping a lot of fresh honeydew melons and using either coconut or vanilla beans in this one.” This beer presents at an approachable 6% on the Alcohol By Volume (ABV) scale. A Strawberry Limeade Benthos IPA will also be on tap, featuring Idaho 7, Amarillo, and Simcoe hops. Fresh strawberries and lime juice will come together with the tri-hop blend to deliver a kickedup version of this classic summertime refresher with an ABV of 6.5%. National IPA Day wouldn’t be complete without a selection or two that punch the palate in more powerful ways, and two of the day’s releases will exceed that expectation. Weighing in at an ABV of 8%, the Dynamic Double IPA starts with Nelson, Citra, and Ella hops. It’s

then infused with pineapple and other fresh ingredients that Antillon says will trigger “thoughts of pineapple upside down cake.” Sounds like my kind of dessert! The last beer in the celebratory lineup is certainly not for beginners. It’s a triple IPA, with a mighty ABV of 10%, that’s intentionally named Still Life. Strata, Citra and Galaxy hops will all come together to deliver a high-voltage, beer-sipping moment that you’ll not soon forget. The four limited-edition releases will make their Pueblo Vida taproom debut, in glasses, crowlers, and growlers, at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 5. If the kegs don’t dry out by 9 p.m. that evening, the taproom will be open on Friday from 3 to 9 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Whatever your plan is for National IPA Day, either at a local taproom or in the comforts of home, please enjoy it responsibly and save some of that swoon for next year. Contact Matt Russell, whose day job is CEO of Russell Public Communications, at mrussell@ russellpublic.com. Russell is also the publisher of OnTheMenuLive.com as well as the host of the Friday Weekend Watch segment on the “Buckmaster Show on KVOI 1030 AM.

Courtesy photo

“We brew many different styles of beers, but we really love to brew the kinds of beers that we really love to drink, and mostly those are IPAs,”said Linette Antillon, co-owner of Pueblo Vida Brewing Company, 115 E. Broadway Boulevard. “We love to play with the nuances of hops, and IPAs lend us that creative ability to showcase and blend certain varieties.”

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S PORTS &RECREATION Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

The Suns came oh-so-close to a championship this year Tom Danehy

Tucson Local Media

ike many Phoenix fans, I was certain up to the very second that the final horn blew in Milwaukee that the Suns were going to win the first NBA championship in franchise history. Instead, we fans suffered through three straight coulda/shoulda games in which the Suns were down two in the last minute, down one with 20 seconds left, and tied going into the fourth quarter, respectively. They lost all three. The only way to follow sports and not go insane is to chant (and try to believe) the mantra that what could have happened, DID happen. Fans all over Arizona are going to look back at the two-game lead that the Suns had in the series and lament that they couldn’t close the deal. But were the Suns even supposed to be in the Finals? True, they had the second-best record in the entire NBA in the regular season (and had the best road record in the league). But they had to face the powerful defending-champion Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. The injury-plagued Lakers were a seven seed, but were still favored over the Suns. But then Anthony Davis got hurt and the Suns won the series in six. Their next opponent, Denver, was also missing their second-best player (Jamal Murray) and the Suns won in five. In the Western Conference Finals, the L.A.

Photo by Alberto Mariani / Cronkite News

Phoenix Suns fans were broken-hearted last week. Clippers were missing their BEST player (and one of the very best in the NBA), Kawhi Leonard, and it still took the Suns six games to win the series. What could have happened, did happen. What was really unsettling for me was that, had it been any other team from the Western Conference (even sentimental favorites like the Denver Nuggets or the Utah Jazz), I would have been rooting for the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo— known as the Greek Freak, mostly because of his skills

but also because his name is pronounced just as it is spelled—is just so easy to root for. He’s talented and intense and humble. But mostly, in this unfortunate era where star players seek to cluster together in “super teams,” Giannis shocked the basketball world last year. His initial contract with Milwaukee was up and he was a free agent. Some thought he would go to the glitz of New York. Others thought he would head to the other coast and join Steph Curry with the Golden State Warriors. But he shocked the

basketball world by resigning with the Bucks. Staying in Milwaukee was a head-scratcher to many. The Bucks had flamed out early in the 2020 playoffs that were delayed and then contested in the “bubble” in Orlando. This season, the East got tougher with improvements in Philadelphia, Atlanta, and New York, and the forming of a super team in Brooklyn. But the Bucks won a classic Game 7 in Brooklyn and then brushed past Atlanta to reach the finals. And Giannis himself brushed aside a hyperex-

tended knee to add a Finals MVP to the two league MVP awards already in his trophy case. He made the play of the series, blocked (former UA Wildcat) DeAndre Ayton’s dunk attempt in the final minute of Game 5 and then added a stunning 50-point performance in the close-out Game 6. There is a staple of street lingo where basketball players who score at least 20 points in a game will say that they “dropped a 20-piece” (as in McNuggets). After the game, Giannis—with the championship trophy in his

front seat—drove through Chick-fil-A and order a 50-piece. (“Not 49, not 51.”) He even asked permission of the young lady taking his order to record the transaction on his Instagram. He is officially the coolest person on the face of the Earth. All of the high-priced pundits (the same ones who gave the Suns less than a 50% chance to even make the playoffs this year) are absolutely certain that the Suns blew their only chance in the foreseeable future to win an NBA title. The prevailing “wisdom” is that, if everyone is healthy, the Suns will probably go into next season ranked below the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets and maybe even the Jazz in the Western Conference. The stars had lined up for Phoenix this season, but they didn’t take advantage of the opportunity. Some think that they won’t get another chance. I’m more optimistic. I believe that the Suns players, knowing how gut-wrenchingly close they came to being world champions, will all redouble their efforts for next season. They play solid, basic basketball, they do it really well, and now they have all the motivation in the world. And I’m not alone. The Freak himself said, “I feel like there’s a good chance we might run it back next year.” From his lips to the Basketball Gods’ ears.

Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

Eller College MAP Dashboard wins award for easy-to understand data crunching Christina Duran Tucson Local Media

he Making Action Possible for Southern Arizona (MAP) Dashboard won the 2021 Research Award for Data Collection, Dissemination, and Visualization, awarded by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). Founded in 2014, the University of Arizona Eller College, the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona (CFSA), the Pima Association of Governments, Sun Corridor and the Southern Arizona Leadership Council (SALC) partnered to create the MAP Dashboard Project, to measurably improve Southern Arizona through data-driven collective civic action and education.

Courtesy Photo

Jennifer Pullen, MAP Dashboard Coordinator and Research Economist

The MAP Dashboard, maintained by the University of Arizona’s Eller Economic and Business Research Center, provides data and research on the economy, health, education, infrastructure and more with comparisons to other cities comparable to Tucson.

C2ER, a nationally recognized leader in economic research, is committed to developing and engaging a network of professionals and elevating data-driven decision making to advocate at the state and federal level. The program recognizes the contribution of research activities to the success of local, regional, or state community, economic, and workforce development initiatives. They recognized the MAP Dashboard for “making our region’s economic, demographic and cultural data available, approachable and accessible to the public.” While the MAP Dashboard has provided accessible data and research for years with notable research on residential water use, high school grad-

uation rates, and labor force participation rates that continue to inform decision-making for Tucson and Pima County, during the pandemic the MAP Dashboard became a important source on the impact of pandemic to the community. “The MAP team pivoted quickly when the pandemic hit to help the southern Arizona community understand the impact of COVID on the economy. We did this by writing articles on emerging trends and hosting webinars to discuss the impacts,” said Jennifer Pullen, MAP Dashboard Coordinator and Research Economist. She especially thanked their sponsors for the continued support. On March 29, they published a study on distance learning and how the pandemic impacted students,

which showed the gaps in access to learning as the majority of distance learning was conducted online, as opposed to learning through paper materials, and the lower income households had lower percents of computer access. At the start of the month, the dashboard also published a study on post-pandemic work and travel, finding the differences in the percentage of households teleworking by their level of education, race and ethnicity, and differences between households with children or no children. Recently the MAP Dashboard presented the research on Tucson’s Housing Market, which showed the incredible growth of the market, but also the gaps in housing affordability. The research was pre-

viously presented to the City of Tucson’s Commission on Equitable Housing and Development at their March 2 meeting as they worked to build on their mission and goals. “Our mission is to measurably improve southern Arizona through data-driven collective civic action and education,” said Pullen. “We hope to accomplish this by providing our community with the resources and tools they need to make informed decisions on areas relevant to our region.” The MAP Dashboard plans on continuing their pandemic-related research with upcoming articles on housing and food scarcity.

Visit the MAP Dashboard at mapazdashboard.arizona.edu/

Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

HOROSCOPE By Holiday Mathis 13

9 15

48 54

58 62

65 67

ACROSS Plays for time, in a way

6 Word repeated by Hamlet

before “solid flesh”

9 Hairstyle for Audre Lorde

Bozo 14 13th-century Persian mystic who is one of the best-selling poets in the U.S. 16 Cookout side dish 17 Mario Kart contestant 18 The Aggies of the Mountain West Conference 20 “Blech!” 21 Black ___ 23 Indigenous 24 Decorative items washed up on the beach 27 Meal accompaniment at a trattoria 28 Flotsam and Jetsam in “The Little Mermaid” 29 Crusty piece of bread 31 Stick up 13

DOWN

57 60

staying fit 66 Lairs 67 Is the pope Catholic? 68 Adam who directed “The Big Short”

Malware, often 2 “Curiosity killed the cat,” e.g. 3 Author of “Jurassic Park” 4 Who wrote “To Helen” and “For Annie” 5 Ambles 6 Support structure 7 Not in the closet 8 Muscat’s sultanate 9 Actor John or Sean 10 Fleeting romantic interest 11 Give feedback on Yelp, maybe 12 Fall short 15 “Beats me!” 19 It may turn at a station 22 Shift blame to someone else 25 Nerdy sort 26 “Get it together!” … or a hint to the highlighted letters 30 ’Fore 32 “Roger that, boss!” 33 Corpus 34 Locales for some Grecian art 35 Cozy place 40 Thither 41 Farrier’s tool 43 Strike hard, in the Bible 45 Like the same old same old 50 Hiding soldiers in the Trojan horse and such 52 Good things to strike 53 Actress Vergara 54 Quick to snap 55 Lone 56 One providing a ride at a fair, maybe 59 Tricked 60 French word between two names 62 “Exit” key 1

64 It may be taken in protest

Underwater ecosystems

63 Cooling succulent

65 Start of a saying about

58 Ill 59 Jiffy

28 34

68 34 The Lorax’s final word 36 ___ Duncan, Obama education

secretary Musician Yoko 38 Hollywood’s Dwayne Johnson, with “the” 39 Like the blood of a universal donor 41 Tech that enables contactless credit card payments 42 Neither’s partner 43 Wedge, e.g. 44 Loquacious 46 Bit of water or snow equipment 47 What a QR code at a restaurant might link to 48 Verdant 49 Digs 51 Most desirable, say, as a ripe peach 55 “Can it!” 57 Where Boxing Day comes before Christmas, in brief? 37

Know Us, Know Your Community

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). The most exciting position possible is one of having nothing to lose. Without assets to protect, you can be bold. If you’re resistant to boldness, perhaps you are guarding something you did not realize was so important to you. The way to know the value of something is to understand what you’re willing to risk to have it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You aren’t even aware of the many methods you employ to stay psychologically free. And for all the behaviors, habits and defenses that help you steer you clear of trouble and drama, you could still use a few more -- as this week will prove. You’ll pick up a new skill to clear an impediment to your purpose.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Though you share many commonalities with someone, your inside experience, and what it takes to fortify and balance you, may be as unique as different species of animals at the zoo. However interesting to you the habits of the creature in the next habitat may be, you will be better off honoring what feels right to you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Success will be a matter of changing your mind. Surprisingly, many around you are too invested in being right to do the mental about-face that’s needed to evolve to higher problem-solving, better relationships and more joyful experiences. The willingness to be a fool is absolutely essential to ascended living.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Your feelings will surprise you this week. Among the most loving things you can do is seek understanding. It won’t stop or change how you feel, but it will help you process your emotions and extract the useful fuel there so you can move gracefully through an experience. Touch and hold -- no clinging or cleaving.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). There are things that can happen at once and things that can’t. This week’s experience will be enhanced with your awareness of such opportunities and limitations. You’ll note how it is possible to feel joy and pain at once. You’ll also realize it is not possible to stay the same while rising to the occasion.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You wonder if you have the tools necessary for your becoming. There will be a strong urge to buy something extra to help. This is unnecessary and maybe even detrimental, as it will distract from what you really require, which is simply time, focus and effort. You can upgrade the tools further down the line.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Many activities (like taking a selfie or broadcasting your social life), which might have been considered self-indulgent in other times, are now accepted social norms, and yet they do not feel completely comfortable to you. Do you. You’re always most attractive when you’re in line with your own values.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You still haven’t got the thing you want. You’re not a quitter, so your first thought is to try harder -- which would be admirable enough. People would notice, and it would bring attention to your cause. More than attention, you want results! Ultimately, what gets the prize is not trying harder, but a different plan completely.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You have an agenda. Success absolutely depends on three missions. First, the quest for understanding. Second, the pursuit of greater understanding. Third, a drive toward deeper and wider understanding. Your level of achievement will correlate completely with your level of awareness.

Crossword Puzzle Answers

S T I L E

A F R O S L A W T A T E I V E N O R O B O N O R F I D A T T Y S H P E S T W O E E E F S S E I T C K A Y

H U M D R U M

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

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Anything you do in one relationship will somehow affect the other relationships; this is true whether or not your people know one another. The interconnectedness of your social web makes it both stronger and more tenuous. Your choices will be tempered by the realization that they can lift, or disrupt, an entire group.

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

ARIES (March 21-April 19). On the bright side, your star positions bring a sense of hope. On the downside, there’s no guarantee as to what kind of hope this is. High hope? False hope? Reasonable hope? Even if things don’t turn out optimally, your experience will be more beautiful (and regret-free) because you believed in the good of others.

Worship Guide

Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

520.797.4384

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Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

Worship Guide METHODIST

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Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

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Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021

Tech Talk: A search for new planets, fighting dementia in women and more Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

ith 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. Searching for new planets. A new device at the Kitt Peak National Observatory west of Tucson recently began its mission to discover planets outside of our solar system, after passing operational readiness review by NASA and the National Science Foundation. The NEID Spectrograph is dedicated to high-precision Doppler observations and is used in conjunction with a 3.5 meter telescope at the observatory. According to the University of Arizona, university researchers have led instrument commissioning and demonstrated that the spectrometer meets the technical and scientific requirements for operation. The university also serves as the hub for NEID’s software pipeline, which “translates subtle shifts in the spectrum of starlight into data that tell astronomers about any planets orbiting a star that would be impossible to ob-

Photo courtesy NASA

Kitt Peak is on the hunt for exo-planets. serve directly.” “The instrument is performing exceptionally well, more than beating our precision requirement, and we believe it is sensitive to planets only slightly larger than the Earth,” said Chad Bender, NEID’s instrument scientist and an associate astronomer at UA’s Steward Observatory. “We can use observations of the sun to better understand stellar activity and then apply that knowledge to other stars that are similar to the sun, where we are looking for Earth-like planets.” For centuries, planets orbiting the stars outside of our solar system were hypothesized. However, it wasn’t until 1992 that the existence of an exoplanet was confirmed. Since then, nearly 5,000 exoplanets in 3,500 solar systems have been detected thanks to rapidly increasing astronomical technology and

effort. The name NEID (NASA/NSF-explore Exoplanet Investigations with Doppler spectroscopy) is also derived from the Tohono O’odham word “ñeid” meaning “to see.” Maturing Missiles. Earlier this month, the US Air Force awarded a $2 billion Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract to Raytheon Missiles and Defense for its “Long Range Standoff ” cruise missile. The Long Range Standoff will replace the aging AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile, fielded in the early ’80s. According to Air Force major general Anthony Genatempo, the LRSO program office capitalized on a pioneering reliability and manufacturing approach to establish a very capable and mature design during the Technology Maturation and

Risk Reduction phase. The contract is a sole-source acquisition, which occurs when the government deems a specific contractor is the only source available for a contract, rather than going through the typical competitive process for government contracts. The contract’s work will take place at Raytheon’s Tucson location and is expected to be completed in February 2027. “The LRSO team has strived for nearly three years to ensure the Air Force achieved a stable cruise missile design meeting the nation’s requirement for a credible air-delivered nuclear deterrent for many years to come,” said Elizabeth T. Thorn, LRSO program manager. “Awarding the EMD contract marks our next step in finalizing development, fully maturing our manufacturing techniques, and proving LRSO meets its operational requirements.”

Alzheimer’s Abatement. A new study out of the University of Arizona found that women who take menopausal hormone therapy may have reduced risks of developing a neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer’s. According to the National Cancer Institute, menopausal hormone therapy is a treatment that doctors may recommend to relieve common symptoms of menopause and to address long-term biological changes in a woman’s body during and after menopause. However, there is growing evidence that certain hormone therapies can reduce the risk of cancer, and now neurodegenerative diseases as well.

hormone therapy was associated with reduced risk of all neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and dementia, with greater duration of therapy and natural steroid formulations associated with greater efficacy. In particular, it found that women who underwent menopausal hormone therapy for six years or greater were 79% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s and 77% less likely to develop any neurodegenerative disease. “With this study, we are gaining mechanistic knowledge. This reduction in risk for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s and dementia means these diseases share a common driver regulated by estro-

Photo courtesy Bigstock

Hormone therapy may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. The study, “Association between menopausal hormone therapy and risk of neurodegenerative diseases” published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, studied records of more than 300,000 women, with or without hormone therapy. According to the study,

gen, and if there are common drivers, there can be common therapies,” said Roberta Diaz Brinton, PhD, director of the UA Center for Innovation in Brain Science and senior author on the paper.

Explorer and Marana News, July 28, 2021