City of Tucson Ward 1 Councilor Regina Romero is inviting the public to
celebrate the bicycle and pedestrian opening of the Luis G. Gutierrez
Bridge for a “Walk to the West Side” on Thursday, October 11, 2012.
The event starts at 4 p.m. and will include guest speakers, a tour of
the bridge with artist Brenda Semanick, and Mariachi performances. The
event will take place on the west side of the new bridge. Mayor Jonathan
Rothschild, former Mayor Bob Walkup, and former Tucson City Manager Luis
G. Gutierrez, for whom the bridge is named after, will attend the
event.

In addition, University Pedicabs will be available to tour Mission
Gardens and the Mercado San Agustìn will be hosting the Community Food
Bank’s Santa Cruz River Farmer’s Market. Free parking will be
available west of Intersate 10 at Avenida Del Convento and on the
eastside of the bridge at the Riverpark Inn, 350 S. Freeway.

“This beautiful bridge is linking east and west side neighborhoods, and
doubling the size of our Downtown. We need to celebrate it every step of
the way,” said Council Member Romero. “Today we celebrate
pedestrian and bicycle connections, and early next year we will be
multi-modal with the Sun Link Streetcar.”

The 320-foot long “signature” bridge will be a vital connection in
the Sun Link Tucson Streetcar project and will provide an east-west
passage way for pedestrians, bicycles, motorists, as well as buses and
the streetcar.

The bridge is named after Mr. Gutierrez, who had a profound impact on
the City’s west side where he spearheaded downtown revitalization
while maintaining the historic integrity of the area that is often
referred to as Tucson’s birthplace. A gifted administrator, Mr.
Gutierrez was often the “bridge builder” between constituents and
special interest groups.

Tucson artists Brenda Semanick and David Johnson Vandenberg have
created an elaborate public art project for the bridge which highlights
historical and natural aspects of the area. Various artistic elements
of the project include steel cutout canopies, handmade bat sculptures,
and replicas of Hohokam pottery shards.

For more information on the “Walk to the West Side” event, contact
Ward 1 at 791-4040 or visit
http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/announcement/celebrate-luis-g-gutierrez-bridge

Luis Guiterrez is a former City Manager of the City of Tucson (1996 to 2000):

On November 9, 2011, the Tucson Mayor and Council voted unanimously to adopt resolution 21817 authorizing and approving the renaming of the Cushing Street Bridge to the Luis G. Gutierrez Bridge.

As Tucson’s former City Manager, Luis G. Gutierrez worked to make a significant and positive impact with respect to future development on the City’s west side, also known as Tucson’s Birthplace. Mr. Gutierrez’s skills as a superb city administrator and ‘bridge builder’ brought together many constituent and special interest groups. Most notable was his effort to place Proposition 400 on the ballot in 1999, a measure designed to strengthen the City’s investment in the west side and spearhead downtown revitalization in ways that both reflect and honor Tucson’s history. When complete, the Luis G. Gutierrez Bridge will be a vital link that connects the historic west side with downtown and is destined to spur economic development throughout the area.

Mayor Rothschild issued this statement on October 9:
“This beautiful bridge is another key element in linking the westside to downtown. It provides opportunities for walking and bicycling, as well as forming part of the streetcar line. I want to congratulatethose who worked on this project – both city staff and private contractors – for achieving a great result.”

I drove by this area on Sunday and got a peak of the new bridge over the Santa Cruz Wash. Check it out tomorrow at this West Side celebration. View the City’s map below to see the extent of the bridge and where to park for this event. Better yet walk, bicycle, or catch the Sun Tran bus to the celebration.

The pictures above are worth a thousand words (from me). I recently enjoyed an art show at this renovated Bates Mansion, which is a fabulous place downtown. It’s at the old Mountain Oyster Club locale, on the SW corner of Stone Avenue and Franklin. Enjoy this fiesta!

Last night I attended the preview opening of a special exhibit “Our Padre on Horseback” honoring the 300th anniversary of the death of Padre Eusebio Francisco Kino, S.J. (1645 to 1711), at the Diocese of Tucson Archives at 300 S. Tucson Blvd. The exhibit itself depicts 16 of the 24 missions that Padre Kino founded, with photos, maps, drawings and several lovely Ted DeGrazia reprints. Last night Bishop Gerald Kicanas and Father Chris Corbally spoke of the work of Padre Kino and the Kino Heritage Society. Father Corbally aptly said that Kino “used all his knowledge and survival skills to bring people to God”. Padre Kino is remembered as a “Missionary & Explorer, Friend of Native Peoples, Founder of 24 missions, Scientist & Map maker, Candidate for Sainthood, and Arizona’s First Cattleman.”

This exhibit will run through May 30, 2011, hours of operation M, T, TH, F from 9 to 4 p.m., phone 520-886-5201. (The archives bldg. is at the south end of this property shared with St. Ambrose Parish & School.)

Additional upcoming weekend events to mark the 300th anniversary of Padre Kino’s death, which was on March 15, 1711:

Concerts in honor of Padre Kino by Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra– Sat. March 12, 7:30 p.m. at St. Augustine Cathedral, and Sunday March 13, 3 p.m. Catalina Foothills H.S. Auditorium (4300 E. Sunrise Dr.), $20 admission for each.

Memorial Mass on Sunday March 13, 12 noon, St. Augustine Cathedral, Diocese of Tucson Celebrates Padre Kino’s Life, 192 S. Stone Avenue.

Tucson Festival of Books, Sunday March 13, 4 p.m. University of Arizona Student Union, Catalina Room, “The Trail of Arizona’s First Cowboy & Missionary Explorer” by a panel of authors(Ben Clevenger, Deni Seymour, Jacqueline Soule). Free event.

For more details & events, log onto Kino Heritage Society website, www.padrekino.com. And for my earlier blog on Padre Kino & the Kino Heritage Society click here.

photographer Jon Scanlon in his aloha shirt at the Big Kahuna Tropical Bash, taken by Albrecht Classen

The community birthday events were quite diverse: from the kick off at Mission Gardens at the foot of “A” Mountain, to various Pima County library celebrations, to San Xavier Mission (where I ate birthday cake), to De Grazia Gallery of the Sun (more birthday cake), to the Big Kahuna Tropical Bash downtown (even more birthday cake).

What a terrific way to connect with fellow Tucsonans. And what a lot of birthday cake, even at La Fiesta de San Agustin this past Saturday night.

Here’s the online link (click here) to the Tucson Birthday website to view his photos via Flickr from Yahoo. You can also comment below them, identifying yourself and others. There are 30 sets of photos, each labeled with the event heading.

Otherwise, go online to www.tucsonsbirthday.org, link is “Follow/friend us” on the top right, then click on “Flickr” and you’re there!

Go to the website for the final listing of birthday celebrations today August 31. And attend tonight’s finale, Noche de Luz Flashlight Parade:

Time: 6:45 pm
Admission: Free
Contact Name: Linda Ray
Email: tucsonsbirthday@gmail.com
Location: Start on Mission Rd. (see directions below)
Phone: 520-327-7544

“Volunteers, event organizers and friends will gather to close out the Birthday month with the Noche de Luz flashlight parade honoring all our ancestors. A $20 prize will be awarded for the flashlight decorated to best represent an individual’s personal heritage.

The official route will be approximately one mile, round trip.The parade begins on Mission Road at the foot of “A” Mountain’s eastern face, south of the Mission Garden and north of 22nd Street. We will proceed along the Santa Cruz River trail, and the DeAnza Trail, between 22nd Street and Mission Lane. Energetic paraders can extend the route another mile.

Please bring water!
Please rsvp to tucsonsbirthday@gmail.com.

Thanks to Pima County for co-sponsoring this event!”

Happy Birthday Tucson, till next August, 2011.

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