Tucson City Manager Mike Letcher wants to dialogue with neighborhood leaders and residents about the city’s budget. Here’s your chance to air your opinions about services provided by the City of Tucson, and even Proposition 200, coming up on the November 3rd ballot.

“The City of Tucson is beginning a new era of communication and collaboration with you – and the first step is the Community Key Services Dialogues.”

Calendar for upcoming 8 meetings in the six city wards, one starting tomorrow for Ward 3 residents:

Mon Sept 28– 6:30pm – 8:30pm Ward 3– Northwest Neighborhood Center, 2160 N 6th Avenue

Sat Oct 3– 9:00am – 11:00am Ward 5– El Pueblo Neighborhood Center Building # 9,101 W Irvington Rd

Wed Oct 7– 6:30pm – 8:30pm Ward 6– Council Office, 3202 E 1st Street

Thu Oct 8– 6:30pm – 8:30pm Ward 4– Desert Sky Middle School, 9850 E Rankin Loop

Tue Oct 13– 6:00pm – 8:00pm Ward 1– Fred Archer Center, 1665 S La Cholla Blvd

Mon Oct 19– 6:30pm – 8:30pm Ward 4– Clements Center,8155 E. Poinciana Drive

Wed Oct 21– 6:30pm – 8:30pm Ward 5– Quincie Douglas Neighborhood Center,1575 E. 36th Street

Wed Oct 28– 6:00pm – 8:00pm Ward 2– Council Office, 7575 E. Speedway Blvd

For more information call 520-791-4204 or email — dialogues@tucsonaz.gov.

There haven’t been a lot of forums/debates for City of Tucson voters to find out who is running for Council Wards 3, 5, and 6.

So the next best bet is to turn on the TV to KUAT Channel 6, Az Illustrated, 6:30 p.m.on the following evenings:

Sept. 30: Ward 3
Councilmember (1 term) Karin Uhlich vs. challengers Ben Buehler-Garcia and Mary DeCamp

October 5: Ward 5
Richard Fimbres and Shaun McClusky, both vying for the seat to be vacated by 5 term Councilmember Steve Leal

October 9: Ward 6
Councilmember (1 term) Nina Trasoff vs. challenger Steve Kozachik

Tune in and find out whom to vote for at the General Election on Nov. 3. I’m no longer sure if it’s politically correct to list their political parties, so I’m leaving that out for now. If you miss these shows, log onto Arizona Public Media’s website and use the “On Demand” link to locate the show you are interested in.

Nothing to do on September 26 and 27???

Check out the 9th Annual Butterfly Festival and Plant Sale at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road. “There are a lot of fun activities for the entire family. Spend the day at the Museum learning about these ‘jewels of the air’. There will be live butterflies and caterpillars, a plant sale, children’s activities and gardening classes happening throughout the day.”

The Plant Sale starts at 7:30 a.m. both days, followed by the activities till 3 p.m.–such as Butterfly Crafts, Face Painting, Butterfly Antennae, Live caterpillars and chrysalids, Microscopes, Running Wild (live animal presentations), Live and (sort of) on the Loose (venomous reptiles), Butterfly Gardening Class.

I can’t believe this is the 9th annual festival, as I must have missed the first eight. I’ve been to see the butterflies at the Tucson Botanical Garden, but this festival sounds like a lot of fun for the kids.

Admission prices: September – May
$13 Adults
$4.25 Kids 6-12

Children 5 and under are ALWAYS free!