Fewer trips Survey: Gas prices may be keeping our air cleaner
by Multiple Authors on Jun. 15, 2006, under LocalGas prices pushing $3 a gallon are affecting driving habits, a recent survey indicates. Five hundred households were surveyed in a Pima County Department of Environmental Quality poll, and 63 percent of respondents said they have cut down on driving.
A full 80 percent of the telephone-survey participants said high fuel prices have prompted them to combine trips more often.
Carpools are getting bigger, too. Though the percentage of people who carpool at least one day a week is unchanged, the percentage of carpools with three people or more is up. Such arrangements accounted for 26 percent of carpools in 2005; in 2006, they accounted for 57 percent of carpools.
“These actions not only save gasoline, but also reduce traffic congestion on our streets and improve air quality,” Beth Gorman, program manager for the county department, said.
‘Will you still feed me . . . ?’
Beatles fan’s birthday bash to benefit Food Bank
Paul McCartney once wrote the words, “Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m 64?” as a tribute to his father’s 64th birthday.
This Father’s Day, he will turn 64, and Tucson resident/long-time Beatles fan Barry Deal is throwing him a party. The party is free, but participants are asked to bring donations for the Community Food Bank. Only non-perishable foods will be accepted.
The party is 6 p.m. Sunday at Armory Park,at Fifth Avenue and 13th Street downtown. Free hot dogs and lemonade will be provided.
Don’t hold your breath
State budget deal not so close after all, leaders say
We know, we know, the suspense is killing you. How much of a tax break will you get as Arizona politicians try to deal with a $1 billion budget surplus? You’ll have to wait. Republican leaders had expected a vote today, but it has been postponed. And nothing will be final until the governor gets it.
Paving the way
Stone Avenue, the sequel: Old street getting new life
Stone Avenue just north of the railroad was once a busy commercial corridor, but with construction of Interstate 10 in the 1950s, it slowly began to die. It’s shaking off some of its motel-strip image with a makeover.
- Story, 4A
‘Tomás and the Library Lady’
First lady dropping in on kids’ play after Kyl fete
First lady Laura Bush’s appearance Friday at a Scottsdale fundraiser for Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., won’t be her only stop in the Phoenix area. She also plans to attend a performance of a play at the Boys and Girls Club in Guadalupe.
About 100 children are expected to attend the invitation-only Maricopa County Library District event, said spokeswoman Audrey Brownell. Bush is a former teacher and librarian.
By Heidi Rowley, Garry Duffy, The Arizona Republic
