Our Tucson community is still healing after that horrendous mass shooting incident on January 8, 2011 outside of the Safeway supermarket at the SE corner of Ina/Oracle Rd. Please join in this community wide effort to remember the victims, the survivors, the first responders, the medical staff who helped the 19 victims of that day. Democrat Ron Barber is now the Congressman from District 2, and former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and her retired astronaut husband Mark Kelly have moved back to Tucson. And best wishes to the other survivors of that Tucson Tragedy shooting, may they continue to heal and find peace in 2013.

The January 8th Memorial Foundation is trying to create an appropriate permanent memorial of that shooting. Contact the President of the Board of Directors if you have input, or

Remembering January 8 Foundation (http://www.tucsonj8.org/)
PO Box 40355
Tucson AZ 84717
contact@tucsonj8.org

Photos of the stone memorial outside of the Safeway (click here), where people have gone to drop off flowers on the anniversary of 1/8/11.

Today January 6: CD 2 Congressman Ron Barber (who was shot twice on 1/8/11) announced at yesterday’s Beyond Tucson event at Armory Park that there will be a multi-faith service today to commemorate the Tucson Tragedy. It will be held at St. Augustine’s Cathedral, 3 p.m., 192 S. Stone Ave. in downtown Tucson.

From Ward 6 Councilman Steve Kozachik (aka “Steve K” or “Koz”) via his email newsletter of December 5, 2012:

Ward 6 Councilman Steve Kozachik

On January 8th, 2011, our community was forever changed.
With the tragic shootings, we came together and for a time embraced the phrase “Together We Thrive”. The emphasis was on
the word “together”.

Since that time, we have gone through three elections in which we elected people at the Federal, State, County and City levels. And it is my sense that the combined effect of politics, outside/big money and the passage of time is that we’re drifting back to the polarized bickering that prevents us from solving some of our fundamental community issues.

So, on January 7th, 2013, we’re going to reset the needle.
What I have done is to reserve The Loft Theater from 7pm until 9pm on that Monday evening. In addition, I have asked Dave Fitzsimmons to emcee/facilitate a Town Hall/Roast meeting. A huge thanks to both Peg Johnson for allowing me to use her facility, and to Fitz for agreeing to an evening in which up to 15 “politicians” will be seated near to him, potentially placing his sanity at risk.

Finally, I have made a personal call to invite every elected official who has anything to do with Ward 6 to come and take part in the event. Everybody has said that if their schedules permit, they’ll be there.
The invitees are our Federal, State, County and City representatives. They’re Democrats and Republicans. And every one of them is coming with the intent of showing that there really are some of us who want to work together for the greater good.

The format will evolve a bit between now and January 7th, but generally it will be a combination of some light sautéing of the elected officials by Fitz, and Q&A from the audience. This is our addressing issues that are meaningful to you in a serious manner, and doing so in an environment in which we won’t be allowed to take ourselves too seriously.
And I’m making sure that the event will be free to the public.

What I need from you is an RSVP so between me and Peg Johnson we can decide on which of her 3 theaters we’ll be using. They vary in seating capacity, but we’ll of course want to know that well in advance so she can use the remaining two for
movies. Please call The Loft at 795.0844, Ward 6 office at 791.4601, or email back to us so we can begin to do a head-count.

I’ll of course be giving some updates on the event between now and the 7th, but The Loft folks could use some time to do the advance planning – if you think you’ll be coming, let me know as soon as you feel you can commit.
I’m thankful to each of the elected men and women who have indicated an interest in participating
in the event. More on this in the weeks ahead.

The Loft Cinema is at 3233 E. Speedway, near the Ward 6 Council office, which is at 3202 E. 1st St.

The Ward 6 email is ward6@tucsonaz.gov, so please RSVP if you can make it on January 7, 2013. My husband and I have already done so, and we hope to see you Ward 6 residents, friends, etc. there for this “roast”. This will be a good event by “Koz” and “Fitz” to bring the Tucson community together again almost 2 years since the Tucson Tragedy shooting.

Republican Ward 6 Councilman Steve Kozachik was elected in Nov. 2009 defeating incumbent Democrat Nina Trasoff. He is up for re-election next year. He currently serves as Vice Mayor and his website is: http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/wardsix.

12/12/12 UPDATE: From Steve K as which politicians are coming or sending a rep:

Congressman Raul Grijalva (CD 3)
Congressman Ron Barber (CD 2)
State Senator Olivia Cajero Bedford (LD 3)
State Senator David Bradley (LD 10)
State Senator Steve Farley (LD 9)
State Representative Sally Ann Gonzales (LD 3)
State Representative Macario Saldate (LD 3)
State Representative Stephanie (should be Stefanie) Mach (LD 10)
State Representative Bruce Wheeler (LD 10)
State Representative Ethan Orr (LD 9)
State Representative Victoria Steele (LD 9)
County Supervisor Richard Elias (D 5)
County Supervisor Sharon Bronson (D 3)
City – Mayor Jonathan Rothschild

That’s a lot of politicians in one room of the Loft Theater.

Many many events are scheduled today by an amazing partnership of Southern Arizona groups, to “commemorate, celebrate and commit” to moving beyond that mass shooting on January 8, 2011. The earliest event start at 7:15 a.m. and some last till 6 p.m. tonight.

Here is again the BEYOND website for a long list of events today (click here), all over Southern Arizona.

The Main Event is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Reid Park (22nd and Country Club area):

•Run/walk the BEYOND Outdoor Experience Activity Course.
•Take a class from Zumba, Yoga Oasis, The Uncarved Block (Tai-Chi)
•Try Pima County’s Bicycle Obstacle Course
“There will be creative opportunities with Bens Bells, Beads of Courage, Story Odyssey, Stories that Soar, Arts and Crafts and more! Tucson High Jovert Steel Drum Band will be performing as well. And you won’t want to miss Beyonce’s “Move Your Body” Flash Workout at 11am at Demeester Outdoor Performance Center.”

BEYOND is a community-wide event to commemorate the anniversary of January 8th, celebrate the spirit of togetherness we felt in the days and months afterward, and re-commit ourselves to working together to build a stronger community every day.

After that horrendous and shocking shooting in our community, there was an outpouring of love & support at the 3 memorials, many dedications to the six deceased victims over the months, many public forums & lectures, even a photography book “Together We Thrive” (click here for that blog on its release day).

Today let us remember January 8th — a day early before tomorrow’s 1st year anniversary and “Remembering January 8th” events (click here).

And if you decide to stay at home tomorrow, at 6 p.m. turn on KUAT Channel 6 to watch the very moving “Together We Heal” PBS one hour documentary of that tragic day (click here).

UPDATES: My notes in the comment section below about the events I attended today for BEYOND.