Carolyn's Community

It’s that time again, for the Annual El Tour de Tucson, the famous 109 mile bike ride, as well as the 80, 67, and 35 rides, including the ever popular Kids’ Fun rides of .4 and 4 miles, plus a new 8 mile Fun ride for families. It’s in its 27th Year, to be held on Saturday November 21st. Once again proceeds from the ride benefit Tu Nidito Children and Family Services.

“Tu Nidito, which is Spanish for “your little nest”, is a very special not-for-profit organization. Its mission is to provide individual, family and group support through emotional, educational, social and spiritual services to children and their families as they deal with serious illnesses and death.”

One of the fun parts of El Tour is the Bike, Fitness and Health Expo on the days preceding the bike rides at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church, downstairs in the exhibition hall. This fair includes registration and packet pick up, and is scheduled for:

Wednesday, November 18, 4 to 9 p.m.
Thursday, November 19, 10 to 6 p.m.
Friday, November 20, 10 to 9 p.m.

The Expo also offers something for cyclists and non-cyclists alike with over 100 booths offering:

* Sports and fitness products
* Athletic apparel
* Cycling gear
* Exercise equipment
* Recreational activity displays
* Nutritional products
* Free samples

I’ve been helping with registration and distribution of children’s t-shirts for several years at the Kids’ Fun Ride booth. I’ve met some amazing cyclists and bike patrol volunteers, as well as very enthusiastic families and children who want to cycle the 109 mile El Tour ride someday. Many people think I am an El Tour bike participant, but the longest I’ve ever ridden is 30 miles, back in Virginia years ago.

Come on down to the El Tour Expo for information and current tips on bicycling in Tucson. For more info, call Perimeter Bicycling (2609 E. Broadway) at 520-745-2033, or write info@perimeterbicycling.com. There’s lots of information about El Tour and other community events on their website: www.pbaa.com.

NEW this year: start/finish line for El Tour will be moved to Church Ave. near W. Pennington at Jacome Plaza where the Main Pima County downtown Library is located.

Also, online registration for El Tour ends TODAY, so don’t delay!

Happy bicycling!

27th El Tour banner

Please remember to attend the 6th Annual Memory Screening Day at the Tucson Jewish Community Center (TJCC), on Tuesday, November 17, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

Seems that lots of people are more and more concerned about losing memory, doing things to exercise their brains to retain memory, etc. I confess I even attended a workshop this summer called “Exercising the Brain”, where I learned some memory training tips and the usefulness of “neurobics.” *

This event features memory screening, healthy lifestyle sessions, and education about Alzheimer’s disease, with diagnosis and prevention as well—all free. The sponsors are primarily the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation, www.alzheimersprevention.org, and lots other co-sponsors listed on the website.

For those of you without a computer, call 520-749-8374, x 2 for information. RSVP is recommended.

The Tucson Jewish Community Center has an informative, colorful website at www.tucsonjcc.org about their center’s multiple programs. TJCC is located at 3800 E. River Road, at Dodge and the Alvernon Overpass.

They just recently celebrated 60 years of their center in Tucson, and 20 years at their beautiful Dodge location, with a new, unique sculpture garden. (Incidentally the grand opening of that garden is today from 2 to 4 p.m. with complimentary refreshments and a cash bar. RSVP to 520-299-3000).

* “The term neurobics was coined by late neurobiologist Lawrence Katz and Manning Rubin to describe mental exercises designed to keep the brain alert.”

WHEN: Saturday, November 14, 2009, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Habitat for Humanity’s HabiStore, 840 S. Palo Verde Road, Ste. 201 (Southwest corner of Ajo and Palo Verde).

The free Green Living fair will feature information tables offering advice from local experts, the “Gurus of Green”, including Mrs. Green, Pima County Department of Environmental Quality, Pima Computer Recycling, The Solar Store, Tucson Organic Gardeners, Tucson Electric Power, Cartridge World, World Care, Technicians for Sustainability, and others.

Activities and information at the fair will include: Growing a home garden, organic gardening & composting, green transportation, rainwater harvesting, solar power, air quality, saving energy, recycling, resource-conservation, alternative fuels, and other bargains at the HabiStore. There will even be hands-on “green activities” for kids as well.

For this event only, bring your E-waste items for recycling: cell phones, TVs, empty ink and laser cartridges, computers, and other electronics.

“Habitat for Humanity Tucson offers an innovative solution to the crisis of poverty housing by giving a hand up, not a hand out. Habitat Tucson works to end poverty housing by creating opportunities for homeownership in partnership with low-income families; and by making decent shelter a matter of community conscience and action.” They built 300 homes last year.

“The HabiStore is changing the world one couch at a time! By selling surplus new and used building and home improvement materials, appliances and furniture to the public the HabiStore is diverting more than 150 tons of material from the landfill each year. Usable materials, donated by retail businesses, contractors, individuals, and other organizations, are sold to the public at below cost prices. Proceeds from the HabiStore fund the Habitat Tucson mission of eliminating poverty housing within our community. ”

For more information please visit www.habitattucson.org, or call HabiStore at 520-889-7200.

Sounds like a wealth of information on “living green.”

Free workshops, free tax preparation, free checking & savings options, free food– all at the Tucson Money Faire coming up on Saturday November 14 at the Northwest Neighborhood Center, 2160 N. 6th Avenue, south of Grant Road, from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. There are even prizes and free cash giveaways.

Sponsored by the Southwest Center for Economic Integrity, this faire (fair?) offers “affordable, friendly financial services and products” for all. You can also learn about foreclosure timelines and options, and credit reports and repair.

This Center for Economic Integrity (whose Executive Director is Councilmember Karin Uhlich) lead the fight against pay day loan companies in Arizona. Their mission is to “engage in research, education and advocacy to strengthen local economies by mobilizing and protecting marginalized people, holding corporations and industries accountable to communities and cultivating support for good business practices.”

Last year I attended this annual event and I witnessed someone win $100 in the free cash giveaway. How lucky!

For more info: Deputy Director Kelly Griffith, whose email is kelly@economicintegrity.org or 520-882-2165.

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going”…hopefully to the Tucson Money Faire.

If you care about election integrity in our own Pima County, mark your calendars for Monday, November 16. “Fatally Flawed” premiered at the Loft Theater on September 16, and exactly two months later it will be at the Crossroads Theater, 4811 E. Grant Rd. at 7 p.m. Admission is only $3. See Off the Marquee’s blog about this movie on 9/11.

“Fatally Flawed” by Tucsonan J.T. Waldron documents the investigation spearheaded by the Pima County Democratic Party and their attorney Bill Risner, with the assistance of election integrity advocates John Brakey (Audit AZ) and Libertarian Jim March (Black Box Voting). These three men became obsessed with seeking the truth about the May 2006 RTA Election that authorized a sales tax increase totaling $2 Billion to fund the Regional Transportation Authority. You can read about the events leading up to making of the film at www.fatallyflawedthemovie.com.

“The film allows you watch events as they unfold through the eyes of seasoned lawyer and activist Bill Risner. As the story develops, it becomes evident that what initially appeared to be a public mandate to expand the city’s roads was a likely case of election fraud. At every step of the way, citizens seeking answers are met with resistance from election facilitators, local politicians and even the state’s own attorney general. Persistent unanswered questions generated by the lawsuit and new evidence of wrongdoing on the part of elections division personnel led to an equally suspicious investigation by the Arizona attorney general. This investigation culminated in a recount conducted under conditions that made meaningful public oversight impossible.” (from the movie website)

I sat in on the Tucson Citizen editorial board meeting (as a “My Tucson” columnist) when these three men came to present their findings in 2008, and I saw the movie’s premier on September 16, which was well attended. Many local Tucsonans are seen in this movie, including attorney Vince Rabago, then Chair of the Pima County Democratic Party, activist Mike Hayes of the Campbell/Grant Northeast Neighborhood Association, and Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll at their board meeting fighting for transparency in releasing election data files.

If you can’t attend the movie, the cost of the DVD is $25 online.

movie poster

Seeing this locally produced documentary on the big screen is worth the price of only $3. This second showing is sponsored by an independent Tucson group called Voices of Opposition (to War, Racism and Oppression). The Crossroads 6 Grand Cinemas is located on the NE corner of Grant and Swan, behind the Fry’s shopping center.

Bear Essential News for Kids, the free monthly newspaper “to educate, enrich and entertain children and families” is celebrating their 30th year of publication this month.

First published in 1979, this paper is now distributing to 700 public and private schools in Arizona, and most public libraries in Tucson. In total, Bear Essential News distributes a quarter million newspapers a month all over this state, and all for free!

A great program of this paper is the Young Reporters Program where students (3rd to 8th grades) get trained as reporters. 2000 students are currently enrolled, and these students may someday dream of becoming journalists.

“Even by professional standards, Young Reporters are a big success at getting the scoop. They cover stories close to home like school food drives and community events. They also nab national stories, interviewing some of the biggest names in politics, sports and entertainment. Young Reporters have the responsibility of reporting what’s making news in their world.”

My son and I read this paper all through his childhood, enjoying the news of community events, the numerous coupons, and summer camp listings. What a valuable resource for families for 30 years.

Happy Birthday Bear Essential News, and many happy returns to you and your polar bear mascot, Boomer. Kids can write letters to Boomer at boomer@bearessentialnews.com, or via “snail mail” to 1037 S. Alvernon Way, #150, Tucson, AZ 85711.

For more information, call 520-792-9930 in Tucson, or log onto www.bearessentialnews.com.

Bear Essential News logo

Former Secretary of the Interior (and former Arizona U.S. Congressman from 1955 to 1961) Stewart Udall will be honored at the Morris K. Udall Foundation on November 13:

CELEBRATE AN EVENT HONORING STEWART L. UDALL

Friday, November 13, 1:30 pm

Stewart Udall

Join the Udall Foundation as it honors former
Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall and celebrates
the addition of his name to the Foundation.

Outside of the
Udall Foundation Office
130 S. Scott Ave., Tucson, AZ

~The event is open to the public~

Special Guest
The Honorable Stewart L. Udall

Expected Speakers
Senator Tom Udall (Stewart’s son) from New Mexico
Senator Mark Udall (Stewart’s nephew) from Colorado
Representative Raúl Grijalva
Representative Gabrielle Giffords
Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes
Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard

Master of Ceremonies
Terry Bracy

Closing Words
Dr. Anne J. Udall (Stewart’s niece)

Congress enacted a bill recently on October 21 to rename the federal agency the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, in recognition of the historic Interior Secretary’s contributions.
Morris Udall was Stewart’s younger brother who served as Arizona U.S. Congressman for thirty years, from 1961 to 1991.

Stewart Udall served as Secretary of the Interior under Presidents John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson from 1961 to 1969. “Udall was largely responsible for the enactment of environmental laws in Johnson’s Great Society legislative agenda, including the Clear Air, Water Quality and Clean Water Restoration Acts and Amendments, the Wilderness Act of 1964, the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, the Land and Water Conservation [Fund] Act of 1965, the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965, the National Trail System Act of 1968, and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968.”

The Udall Foundation is on 130 S. Scott Avenue below Broadway Blvd. on the west side, and it houses the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution.

The University of Arizona College of Humanities inaugurates a new lecture series “Unsettling Certainties”, inviting the community “to explore timely and often disconcerting issues with College of Humanities scholars.”

Inaugural Lecture on Monday, November 9 at 6 p.m.:

“Why Does Racism Persist in the United States of America?”

These lectures will take place in the Dorothy Rubel Room of the lovely, new UA Poetry Center’s Helen S. Schaefer Building, 1508 E. Helen Street (SE corner of Vine and Helen, north of Speedway,west of Cherry.)

As moderator, Assistant Professor of English Carlos Gallego will lead a discussion with a panel of College of Humanities scholars from various departments and will engage the community in dialogue.

According to Dr. Gallego, “The United States is a model for democratic governance, civil liberties and social justice. The 1964 Civil Rights Act exemplifies social progress. The election by popular vote of an African American president is an affirmation that we have, in fact, progressed. And yet, racism persists in the United States. Why?

Some of the questions to be explored on November 9 include:
• Do we create race or do we discover it?
• Do racially charged and racially rooted language-trends affect our perception of “racialized relations”?
• Do representations of racial progress propel social justice, or do they disguise persistent prejudice?
• Is a non-racist community even possible?”

I asked a male African American friend of mine if racism persisted in the U.S. and he said unequivocably “yes.” Go to this lecture and maybe find out why. For further infomation call the College of Humanities at (520) 621-9294, or log onto www.coh.arizona.edu.

Free parking available after 5:00pm in all Zone 1 surface lots surrounding the building, on the street, and at cost in the Highland Avenue Garage.