Boys Chorus hits high note with benefit in Sabino Canyon

The voices of the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus will fill Sabino Canyon on Saturday.

Soak in Tucson treasures Saturday as the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus and other musicians entertain under the stars at Sabino Canyon.

The 14th annual Music in the Canyon benefits the Friends of Sabino Canyon’s work to enhance and protect the area, which is recovering from flooding in 2006.

“There’s a beautiful sunset and great music in a gorgeous setting,” said Dave Bushell, president of the volunteer organization.

Last year, the event moved to the spring after it was rained out in December. It was such a success, the group is keeping it in March for now, Bushell said.

Glowing luminarias will lead guests on the quarter-mile trek from the Visitor Center to the Lowell Complex, where the event will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. It is wheelchair accessible.

The Boys Chorus has performed at Music in the Canyon since its inception, said Julian Ackerley, chorus director.

“The setting is extraordinary,” Ackerley said. “The boys’ clear voices ring through the entire area filling the night air with song. It is definitely one of their favorite appearances each year.”

The boys, who will be on stage from 7 to 8:15 p.m., will perform a variety of selections, including contemporary pieces, folk songs, signature western songs and ballads and patriotic classics. They also will demonstrate trick rodeo roping.

In addition to the Boys Chorus, other performers include The Desert Sons, a western trio; Fiddlin’ Foresters, the official old-time string band of the U.S. Forest Service; and Arco, with Dale Clark, performing a mix of adult contemporary, smooth jazz and recognizable favorites.

During the evening, visitors can take a peek at the stars through telescopes set up by the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Organization.

Kids can meet Smokey Bear and listen as a storyteller brings local legends to life.

A silent auction offers resort packages donated by Loews Resorts. Canyon Ranch is also offering a spa day package for two, and other local businesses and artists have donated gift certificates, jewelry, art and home decor. Refreshments will be available.

Dress warmly and bring a flashlight.

Bushell expects as many as 2,500 to attend. He said proceeds will benefit the Friends of Sabino Canyon, the nonprofit group that provides manpower and funds to augment Forest Service work.

Music in the Canyon allows Tucsonans to enjoy the glorious setting at night, serenaded by beautiful music, Bushell said.

“This is more of a giving back to the community. If you’ve never gone, you’ve got to be there. It’s such a beautiful thing.”

The seats are filled at a performance in Sabino Canyon as part of the Music in the Canyon fundraiser.

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IF YOU GO

What: 14th annual Music in the Canyon

When: 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday (coincides with Earth Hour 8:30-9:30 p.m.)

Where: Sabino Canyon Recreation Area, 5700 N. Sabino Canyon Road

Price: Suggested donation of $5 per person, $10 per family. Parking is free.

Info: 749-1900, sabinocanyon.org

Some of Tucson’s best fiction writers are winners in the Pima County Public Library’s Young Writers Competition.

The library received 568 entries.

Winners in Pre-K- grade 2:

• Tiffani Akers, “Family Fun”

• Paris Garcia, “The Boy Who Loved Math”

• Dylan Herrera, “The Magic Mask and Gloves”

• Alexis Ramer, “Little Witch’s Adventures”

• Margaret Gaetana Wright, “The Mysterious Mermaid”

Winners in grades 3-5:

• Amber Buster, “All About My Life”

• Raquel Escobar, “Noblequest”

• Daniel Espeleta, “Fly Away”

• Connie Guan, “The Howling Winds”

• Kolbe Riney, “Jharda”

Winners in grades 6-8:

• Adrianna Berring, “Mirage”

• Jessica Chamberlain, “The Life of Stephan McCall”

• Kaitlyn Gonzalez, “Escape”

• Amelia Marsh, “Spirit Fingers”

• Eli Veilleux, “The Day the Muffin Verse Stood Still”

Winners in the grades 9-12:

• Aria Bronte, untitled

• Meghan Kenworthy, “The Grulla Paint”

• Tatum Rochin, “Six String Beast”

• Antonia Ruiz, “But At Least I Can Blame My Parents”

• Jason Stone, “A Different Way to Win”

250 petitions demand state restore funds for kin caregivers

ABOVE: Protesters march from Armory Park to the State of Arizona Administration Building, 400 W. Congress St., in opposition of budget cuts they say are hurting children.

BELOW: Tyler Niehaus,10, (left foreground) and his brother, Clinton Niehaus,6 (right foreground) carry protest signs.

Some needed canes and walkers.

Others pushed strollers.

Grandparents and other family members raising children took to the streets Friday to protest state budget cuts they say are hurting their kids.

“Fight, fight, fight for grandparents’ rights,” participants chanted as they marched.

Carrying signs that read, “Not on the backs of children,” “No more budget cuts” and “Old people rock,” dozens marched the seven blocks from Armory Park, where they held a rally, to the State of Arizona Administration Building, 400 W. Congress St.

About 100 caregivers and children delivered 250 petitions, demanding that legislators restore 20 percent cuts in aid to families caring for the children of relatives. The cuts, made by state legislators last month, impact more than 10,000 Arizona children, according to organizers.

Most often, the reasons that parents cannot care for children include incarceration, addiction, mental illness or death.

“We need all the help we can get, and the Legislature needs to realize it’s cost effective for us to raise good citizens,” said Mary Bliss, 62, who is raising her 14-year-old grandchild.

At the state building, Alice Strosser, 84, handed a box of petitions to Jo Grant, legislative coordinator of the southern Arizona office of the Arizona state Senate and House of Representatives. Grant told Strosser she would deliver the petitions to legislators. Five other caregivers delivered boxes as well.

Strosser raised three grandchildren, and two still live with her and her husband, Robert. They moved in after their mother died of a heart attack at age 37 a dozen years ago. The Strossers spent their life savings raising the kids. She wants to make sure budget cuts won’t hurt other grandparents.

“We’re trying to help other grandparents who come after us, so they won’t have to go through what we went through,” she said.

Not all marching were seniors. Single mom Jymelle Mason, 37, adopted four of her sister’s children and has guardianship of a fifth, along with her own child.

Mason’s sister is in prison, and the children would be in foster care without her.

The cuts will “demolish me,” she said.

“There are other ways out there they can get this money,” she said.

Several suggested that cuts to the corrections budget would better serve the state.

“They are taking the money away from the children, not from the people who put them in this situation,” said Mary Glover, 45, who adopted three great nephews. “Most of their parents are in prison, and they still get their money.”

Dillon Bledsoe, 14, and his brother Dakota Bledsoe, 9, spent part of their spring break marching. “It’s to stop the cuts,” Dillon said.

Their grandmother, Becky Brown, 63, said the boys’ father is in prison and the mother “can’t even take care of herself.”

She said her grandsons would be in foster care had she not taken them in seven years ago.

Budget cuts have resulted in her getting $50 less per month, money she spent on groceries and clothes for the boys.

Angel Johnson, 4, carried a sign nearly as big as he is as he marched with his grandmother, Carmelita Sanchez, 69.

Rosa Borbon, 62, is raising her granddaughter, Mary Rose Borbon, 8, whom she adopted. The two marched side by side.

“They are our future,” the grandmother said.

At the rally before the march, Fred Chaffee, president and chief executive officer of Arizona’s Children Association, encouraged kin caregivers to stand up for their rights.

He said the KARE Family Center in Tucson, which provides support to kin caregivers, tracked the 2,100 children and families served in 2007. Of them, 70 percent of the children were not in state care, saving the state $4.2 million, Chaffee said.

Jim Murphy of the Pima Council on Aging said grandparents need financial assistance.

“It is the right thing to do to support grandparents raising grandchildren,” Murphy said.

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For more information

The KARE Family Center of Tucson-Pima County

4710 E. 29th St., No. 7

Tucson, AZ 85711

(520) 323-4476 Ext 102

kares@arizonaschildren.org

Shannon Lanning, a Tucson mom who is a detention officer at Pima County Juvenile Court, has received a national award for outstanding service.

The senior juvenile detention officer has worked with children in detention for seven years.

“It really is her positive engagement with kids that helps build the kids’ motivation toward improving their behavior,” division director for detention Dodie Ledbetter said referring to Lanning.

Ledbetter said Lanning also serves as a role model for other detention officers and staff.

Lanning was selected as line staff worker of the year through the Bob Rader Awards, presented each year by the National Juvenile Detention Association in Richmond, Ky., to recognize outstanding juvenile detention workers.

Question: I was recently laid off from a job I have held since before my children were born. My husband and I are struggling finding a balance between letting them know what’s going on but also not causing them to panic. Even if I find a job soon, I probably won’t be making as much money and we do have to cut back. They are 15, 12 and 8. Any advice?

Answer: This is a timely topic, as so many people are losing jobs.

I always remind parents that when you are discussing these very difficult topics with kids, you have to remember that you are the adult, and you don’t have to share all of the information, just some of the basics.

When mom or dad loses a job, that’s no secret. When mom, who used to go out the door at 7:15 is still in her jammies when the kid leaves for school at 8, they know. There is no way of hiding this, nor is it healthy to hide it.

The point you want to assure kids of is, “Honey, we’re going to be OK,” even though, parent, your heart is beating fast and your anxiety level is as high as it’s been since you first learned you were pregnant.

Kids can help. Rather than buy a lunch at school, they can make a lunch. They can help turn down the heat or monitor the air conditioning. They can be more careful with water usage in the home. There are all kinds of ways kids can contribute. They know they are helping and giving back to the family. I think that is healthy.

With kids who have all kinds of things, a reminder to parents that it isn’t the things that count. It’s the people. It’s the relationships. It’s the wise parent that knows the difference between what kids want and what they need.

Unfortunately many of us have brought our kids up to make them feel like they are the absolute center of the universe, and they have a sense of entitlement.

Just as adults are waking up to the reality of lost jobs, lost income, shrunken 401K plans, kids are going to wake up to that same reality.

But as with most things in life, as the parents handle it, so will the kid handle it.

If you handle it with a sense of confidence, they’re going to follow with that confidence.

While you may feel like the other shoe is about to drop and crush us all, you can’t be sharing that with your kids. You need to shield them from some of that stuff. But let them know you are in it together. You are the steadying force, even though you are a nervous Nellie on the inside. You’ve got to hold it together for the whole family.

Dr. Kevin Leman is a Tucson psychologist and author of more than 30 best-selling books, including “Have a New Kid by Friday.”
Photo by Tom Spitz Photography.

Question: Our family had to move this past December, which meant new schools for our children. Our 14-year-old son previously went to a very small charter high school where the parents knew each other and he had really good friends.

Now he is in a very large high school, and he is having trouble adjusting. He really has not made any new friends and spends a lot of time alone.

I am trying to make connections with parents and am encouraging my son to get to know more kids. He is embarrassed, however, when I want to seek out another parent to try to help him make that connection.

He really wants to go back to his old school, but it is 30 miles away. Do you have suggestions to help our family?

Answer: Any kind of a move like this is difficult on everybody, but in particular, on a teenage kid, because kids live and breathe through the peer group.

If you are a person of faith and have found a church in this new area, I would find out if there are kids in that church who go to the same school. You can network through there.

All you need is one friend. It’s like selling your house. You only need one buyer. You don’t need 100.

If it means being observant in your new neighborhood and getting to know some of the neighbors or doing some networking yourself, all you need is one kid who has his head on straight who will call and say, “Hey, would you like to go with me to a ballgame on Saturday? My mom met your mom, and I’d like to meet you.”

Kids at the high school level are capable of doing that, but it doesn’t happen on its own. It gets parlayed behind the scenes from the adults.

If your son sees this as meddling, you may have to back off and let him figure it out.

Parents hate to see their kids miserable, but what you communicate to the kid is, “As rough as it is, I know you can handle it.”

That’s the message that needs to come through to a kid. Then if you keep your mouth quiet, there’s usually some opportunity for the kid to say something about what he is concerned about.

Often, these things work themselves out. I took one of my daughters to college and at the last minute she decided she didn’t want to go to school there. We had tears. We had pleading. “Please don’t leave me here.”

I cut her a deal. I said, “In two weeks, if you are still unhappy I will come back and fly home with you.”

Two weeks passed, and I called her. I said, “It’s been two weeks. Do you want me to come get you?”

Her response: “Dad, get serious.”

Sometimes you’ve got to let the little cubs get out of the den and face some of the rigors of life in the big forest.

Your son will find his way, with your help.

Dr. Kevin Leman is a Tucson psychologist and author of more than 30 best-selling books, including “Have a New Kid by Friday.” E-mail questions to him at whatsupdoc@tucsoncitizen.com. Photo by Tom Spitz Photography.

Sizzling choreography and sweet treats from some of Tucson’s top restaurants are on the program at Ballet Tucson’s 12th annual Dance & Dessert event this weekend.

The program includes performances of classical and contemporary dance, followed by a dessert tasting. Last season, more than 60 local eateries participated, including Acacia, Feast, Le Rendez-Vous, Mona’s Danish Bakery, Pastiche Modern Eatery, Vin Tabla, Vivace and others.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, University of Arizona

Price: $30 general; $22 for groups of 10 or more; $15 for children 12 and younger for the 2 p.m. Saturday performance only

Info: 903-1445

Bonnie Jean Barrett throws the virtual ball during a game of Wii bowling. Barrett was one of 14 finalists in the Virtual Tournament of Champions.

“Two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate? Helen, Helen, Helen,” chant the fans, waving their pom-poms.

Helen Borgert, 86, steps up and throws, knocking down all 10 bowling pins for a strike.

The crowd goes wild.

Borgert was one of 14 Tucson retirees competing last week in the Nintendo Wii Sports Virtual Tournament of Champions.

Seniors competed in the video gaming system’s bowling, golf, baseball, boxing and tennis at Atria Bell Court Gardens, 6653 E. Carondelet Drive.

The event was a joint project between the Junior League of Tucson and Atria Senior Living residential centers.

Judy Cameron, 68, was excited to compete in tennis and bowling.

“You don’t have to be terrific at it,” she said. “You just have to be involved. And it’s fun.”

Players use a controller to mimic actions performed in sports, such as swinging a tennis racket. The game is fast-paced, with players breaking a sweat.

Laura Hisey of the Junior League dreamed up the tournament after giving a Wii to her husband for Father’s Day.

“My mother-in-law, my father-in-law, my mother, my father, we all played it as a family,” she said. “It was great. I thought how fun would it be to have a citywide tournament for seniors?”

She said the game “creates fun.”

“It helps them to be young again,” Hisey said. “It’s socialization. It’s motivating. It’s teamwork and you’re getting exercise.”

Seniors at the three Atria locations competed in preliminary tournaments. Residents gathered at Bell Court Gardens for the championship.

And they brought fans to cheer on the competitors.

Up for grabs were bragging rights and cash prizes of up to $50.

David Edwards of Bell Court Gardens said some of the 132 residents have been playing Wii for more than a year.

He said the game allows seniors to enjoy sports like bowling, tennis and golf, even if they are unable to participate in the real activity.

“You can do the bowling without renting shoes and you don’t have to lug around a 16-pound ball,” he said. “A lot of folks had to give up tennis or bowling for health reasons, and this has brought it back.”

He said residents can check out the game and play it any time of the day or night.

“If they are not sleeping well and want to play at midnight, they can,” he said.

He said the exercise benefits of the Wii complement exercise programs at the center.

Bonnie Jean Barrett, 85, never bowled a game in her life. But she’s been having fun bowling on Wii.

“It helps you keep active,” she said.

Freddy Fredrick, 81, has been bowling since the 1950s. Wii allows him to continue to enjoy the sport.

“What’s so good is the ball isn’t so heavy,” he said.

Lela Bauman, 84, was sidelined for the tournament, in a neon pink cast after foot surgery.

But she was there to cheer on her friends.

“I’m very athletic, and it’s a great outlet,” said Bauman, who has played tennis since she was 11 and has been playing Wii for a year.

“It’s great because anyone can play it.”

Ana Even (left), 82, and Joanita Edmondson, 90, cheer for their favorite players at a Virtual Tournament of Champions at Bell Court Gardens.

Wii bowling allows seniors all the fun of the game without some of the limitations, such as heavy bowling balls.

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The winners

Bowling

1st Place: Judy Cameron, 68

2nd Place:Claire Nasch, 87

3rd Place: Charleen Bratcher, 76

Golf

1st Place: Leland Barker, 83

2nd Place: Dorothy Kalil, 88

3rd Place: Tied: Jacqui Caird, 81 and Judy Cameron, 68

Tennis

1st Place: Don Monagham, 87

2nd Place: Lee Billman, 81

3rd Place: Judy Cameron, 68

Xyx

If 5-year-old Eowyn Pate had been born one year earlier, she likely wouldn’t be alive today.

That’s because New York state began screening for her rare genetic disorder in 2002. Before that, the little girl’s inability to break down stored fat for energy probably would have caused her to have seizures, slip into a coma and die before anyone knew what was wrong.

Instead, like all babies, Eowyn’s heel was pricked a day or two after she was born at Highland Hospital, five drops of blood were collected and the samples were sent to the state laboratory in Albany.

A couple of days later, the lab alerted Eowyn’s pediatrician that the baby tested positive for medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, known as MCADD. That discovery, confirmed by diagnostic testing, provided a scary reason why Eowyn was sleeping so much. Supplemental feedings prevented a crisis.

“We’re just grateful we did find out when we did,” says her mother, Ondrea Pate.

But a baby born today with the same disorder in Pennsylvania isn’t required to be screened for it, nor for certain other conditions that lack symptoms until they cause disabling or fatal damage.

A federal advisory committee in 2004 recommended which disorders newborns should be screened for, selecting those that can be treated if caught early, but states have the final say. Before that, most states required tests for just six disorders. Since then, states have expanded their lists, but still they don’t all agree.

“We’re moving more toward equality across the country, and equal access,” says Brad Therrell, director of the federally funded National Newborn Screening and Genetics Resource Center.

For some disorders, “every day matters,” says Dr. Michele Caggana, director of newborn screening in New York state.

The treatment for MCADD is to avoid fasting. Eowyn – named for a character in “The Lord of the Rings” – must eat every four hours. Her parents also feed her through a stomach tube daily at 3 a.m., while she sleeps. She’s otherwise a typical kindergartner at Albion Central School District who likes to swim, jump on a trampoline, dance, watch TV and play video games.

All states now require testing for MCADD except Pennsylvania, which adds it and 21 other conditions to the rules July 1.

Among the advocates for universal newborn screening are former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly and his family. Kelly’s son, Hunter, was diagnosed at 4 months with Krabbe disease, a degenerative disorder that killed him in 2005 at age 8. Infantile Krabbe disease is typically fatal before age 2, but prognosis may be significantly better if children receive umbilical cord blood stem cells or bone marrow transplantation early.

The family’s Hunter’s Hope foundation, based in Erie County – the birthplace of newborn screening in 1962 – funds treatment and research and pushed New York to test for the leukodystrophy. In 2006, New York became the only state to test for Krabbe disease.

In 2008, Hunter’s Hope began lobbying for universal screening – meaning that all newborns in all states would be screened for all disorders for which early detection and treatment can improve babies’ lives.

“Thousands of children die each year because they’re born in the wrong state,” says Jacque Waggoner, Hunter’s grandmother and chief executive of the foundation.

If all recommended disorders had been screened nationwide in 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates based on results from four states, then the number of infants identified with disorders may have been 6,439 instead of 4,370 – meaning an estimated 2,069 children were missed. The obstacles to screening expansion include cost, equipment, sufficient staff and the local or regional expertise to provide follow-up diagnosis and management, according to the CDC report.

New York is among the few states that don’t charge families for screening, which cost the state $11.9 million this year. Some states charge more than $100 per newborn.

Screening definitely saves lives, but more screening isn’t necessarily better, cautions Dr. Georgianne Arnold, a pediatric geneticist at Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong. For some disorders, preventive treatment has thus far been disappointing in improving the health of screened babies. For some other disorders, experts disagree on the significance of the disorder, the accuracy of the screening test or the benefit of treatment.

Screened disorders that can be found in newborns are rare across the population, but the cumulative total is significant. Screening for 45 conditions in New York state led to 678 confirmed cases in 2007, which was nearly 0.3 percent of babies born, or one in 300 births, says Caggana.

“It’s never rare when it’s your baby,” Caggana says.

ARIZONA SCREENINGS

Arizona newborns are screened for 28 disorders, plus hearing loss.

Most commonly, a nurse takes a few drops of blood from a baby’s heel on the first day of life.

The hospital sends the sample to the newborn screening lab. If the results are unusual, the baby’s doctor is notified immediately and the doctor may request additional testing.

The Arizona screening panel includes:

• 6 amino acid disorders

• 5 fatty acid oxidation disorders

• 9 organic acid disorders

• Biotinidase deficiency

• Classic galactosemia

• Congenital hypothyroidism

• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia

• 3 hemoglobin diseases

• Cystic fibrosis

• Hearing loss

The screening panel follows the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said Laura Oxley of the Arizona Department of Health Services, which oversees screening. According to Hunter’s Hope foundation, Arizona is the bottom three for for the number of disorders tested. The highest, Minnesota, tests for 54 disorders

Hospitals bill insurance providers for the cost of testing. For other tests, parents must make arrangements privately.

Between January and October 2008, 92 Arizona babies were identified to have 14 different serious, treatable medical conditions, according to DHS. The most common disorder was primary congenital hypothyroidism, with 43 cases found in that time period.

All 92 babies were helped to get the treatments needed, according to DHS.

By Gabrielle Fimbres, Gannett News Service

Levi Wolf became a “political wonk” at age 8 or 9, when he saw Bill O’Reilly on television for the first time.

“I didn’t necessarily agree with everything he said . . . but I was completely captivated,” said Wolf, now a 17-year-old senior at University High School.

Wolf’s passion for politics has resulted in a week-long, all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., starting Saturday. Wolf was selected to represent Arizona at the 47th annual United States Senate Youth Program, and is one of 104 student delegates from around the country who will attend Washington Week.

“I’m really interested in seeing the way government works,” said the native Tucsonan, who is the son of Frank and Debora Wolf.

“I watch it all the time on C-SPAN, and I’m interested in meeting the people that make it work.”

Yvonne Tindell of Gilbert is the other Arizona student selected to attend. The two were selected by Tom Horne, superintendent of public instruction, from hundreds of Arizona applicants.

All student delegates will also receive $5,000 scholarships. Wolf hopes to pursue a law degree at George Washington University.

At UHS, he serves as senior representative to the student council. He is president of Model U.N. and was elected by his school’s team as “Best Overall Delegate.”

Trained in classical piano, he is in a band called The Kingsfoil.

The Senate Youth Program was created in 1962, sponsored by the Senate and funded by The Hearst Foundations. Teens selected rank academically in the top 1 percent of students in their states.

While in Washington, delegates will attend meetings and briefings with Senate leadership, the president, a Supreme Court justice, leaders of Cabinet agencies and top members of the national media.

“I’m really excited to see how government works together,” Wolf said.

Lisa Molina (left) received education and support from Healthy Families to help raise her daughter, Diamond Teran, 5, and son, Diego Romero, 3. But the program has lost 75 percent of its funding because of state budget cuts, and Molina is losing support from Healthy Families.

Lisa Molina blows up imaginary balloons with her children, enormous globes of yellow, red and orange.

When the balloons nearly fill the room, Molina and her kids let them go, and the family collapses into a giggling heap as they envision the balloons zipping through the air.

What may seem like silly fun is a stress reliever for Molina, a single mom, and her children, Diamond Teran, 5, and Diego Romero, 3.

Deep breathing required to fill up the imaginary balloons helps to calm them, and the activity tames just about any tantrum.

It’s one of the many techniques the Tucson mom has learned from Healthy Families. The program, administered through Child & Family Resources, has provided Molina, 33, with support and services to be the best parent possible.

“Healthy Families has made me a better mom,” she says.

But the family has been cut off from those services after the Arizona Legislature last week gutted Healthy Families’ annual funding of $3.5 million by 75 percent.

It is one of several programs – designed to help vulnerable Tucson families – that have sustained massive cuts in the Legislature’s attempt to balance the budget. (See story, 1A)

Molina, a portrait photographer who lost her job in December, is thankful to have been in the program for three years. She worries about the future without it.

“It makes me feel lost,” she said.

The program provides in-home education and support for parents starting with the birth of their children, and continuing through age 5. The goal of the program is to get families off to the best possible start by preventing child abuse and neglect.

While open to all parents, those selected for the voluntary program often experience one or more risk factors, including poverty, teen parenting, substance abuse, mental health issues or an ongoing crisis. Most in the program, like Molina, were abused or neglected when they children.

The program is successful in breaking the cycle of abuse and neglect, said Eric Schindler, president and CEO of Child & Family Resources. “Ninety-five percent of families we work with stay out of foster care,” he said.

Molina said she has learned about child development and techniques to maximize her children’s learning while minimizing stress that can come with parenting, thanks to family support specialist Emily Clifford. Clifford was laid off last week.

Clifford taught Molina ways of playing with children that encourage learning. She showed Molina how to defuse Diego’s temper. She connected the family with special education services to help with speech delays and other learning issues.

And Clifford provided them with counseling when the family was left stunned by two deaths.

In April 2007, Molina and her daughter were inside a store while Molina’s boyfriend and Diego waited outside. A car pulled up and the boyfriend, with Diego, who was 18 months old at the time, at his side, was shot dead in what Molina says was a case of mistaken identity. The shooter was never arrested.

In May 2008, Molina’s mother died from cancer, leaving Molina’s 9- and 11-year-old brothers in her care.

In December, Molina lost her job, and the family moved in with friends.

Healthy Families provided counseling after Diego and Diamond were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following the shooting.

“If it wasn’t for Healthy Families, I’d be lost,” Molina said. “They were always there for us.”

Pauline Haas-Vaughn, program director for Healthy Families at Child & Family, worries about the 600 families who are losing services in Tucson.

The agency has had to terminate most clinical services, including therapy, because of budget cuts.

“We have families that are actively involved in domestic violence and families dealing with severe depression and one mom who’s suicidal, but we can no longer provide those services,” she said.

With information and support, parents can overcome daunting obstacles, Haas-Vaughn said.

“Our parents want to be better parents,” she said. “They need the tools and skills to be able to do that.”

Lisa Molina, relaxing with her daughter, Diamond Teran,says Healthy Families has made her a better mother.

Here’s a memo to husbands with wives who stay home with the kids all day, taken from my latest book, “Have a New Husband by Friday,” coming out in the fall. This could apply to all adults, male or female, who stay at home with young children:

You know it’s been a bad day when the kids have mom locked in the basement when you come home.

You know it’s been a bad day when you can’t smell dinner in the air.

You know it’s been a bad day when your wife is still in her jammies at 5:30 in the evening.

You know it’s been a bad day when you don’t recognize the family room.

You know it’s been a bad day when you notice the dog has gone potty in the living room and nobody has cleaned it up.

You know it’s been a bad day when the kids yell, “Dad’s home,” and mom yells, “Thank you, Jesus,” from the kitchen.

You know it’s been a bad day when you notice your seven iron has peanut butter on it and your putter is missing.

You know it’s been a bad day when you find a partially written note to you that begins, “I just couldn’t take it anymore.”

You know it’s been a bad day when you ask your wife, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” and she says, “Check between the cushions on the sofa.”

A few words to the wise: when you come home from work, yes you’re tired. Yes, you’re exhausted. Yes, you need a break.

But if your wife has been with the ankle biter battalion all day, believe me, when she sees you come through the door, she sees relief.

Now, if you park your carcass in a chair and do such profound things as look through the mail, read the newspaper or watch TV, you’re going to have a very unhappy spouse.

My advice is that when you come through the door, as tired as you are, either keep the kids busy so your wife can do what she needs to do, or simply greet her with a, “What can I do to help, honey?”

And make sure you take over the household and parenting responsibilities so she can find some much-needed time for herself.

Trust me, after a day at home taking care of the little ones, she needs it.

Dr. Kevin Leman is a Tucson psychologist and author of more than 30 best-selling books, including “Have a New Kid by Friday.” E-mail questions to him at whatsupdoc@tucsoncitizen.com. Photo by Tom Spitz Photography.

Question: When my husband and I got married, we dreamed of having two or three children in our family.

But having a family did not come easily to us. After many years of fertility treatments, we finally had a wonderful baby boy, who is now 5.

We tried for the past several years to have a second child, but all attempts have failed.

Even though we wish our son had a sibling or two, we have come to terms with the fact that he will be an only child.

Any advice to parents raising an only child who didn’t plan on it? We want to make sure he has a full, well-rounded childhood, one without siblings.

Answer: Thanks for the good question.

Let’s try to put any fears you might have aside.

Only children do extremely well in life. Yes, they are little adults by age 7 or 8. They tend to have a perfectionistic streak. They love the company of adults. And yes, sometimes they have difficulty with kids their own age.

But they have difficulty with children their own age because most only children tend to be mature for their age.

You may not be surprised to find that your little one enjoys the company of children a year or two older than him.

The general school of thought is only children need some extra playtime with children their own age. Although that’s a good idea, just keep in mind that if your child is a typical only child, one of the things he is going to do extremely well in life is play by himself.

Other pluses are that only children tend to be self-starters. They tend to be thorough in whatever endeavor they find themselves in.

The interesting thing about only children is when they become parents themselves and they have multiple children, they are forever scratching their head and thinking, “Why can’t everybody get along? Why do kids fight? Why do they fight over such petty things?”

That’s foreign to them because only children are very much a part of the triangle made up of of mom and dad and themselves.

So don’t hyperventilate. Don’t freak out. Just enjoy your fastidious, perfectionistic, mature little guy.

And just make sure that he doesn’t get to a point where he is calling the shots in life. Because that can happen.

Remember, he is going to pick your nursing home someday.

Dr. Kevin Leman is a Tucson psychologist and author of more than 30 best-selling books, including “Have a New Kid by Friday.” E-mail questions to him at whatsupdoc@tucsoncitizen.com. Photo by Tom Spitz Photography.

Young Tucson math whizzes are headed to state competition after placing in this year’s MATHCOUNTS contest.

About 130 students participated in the Southern Arizona Chapter of the competition, held Feb. 14 at Cienega High School.

The program promotes math achievement and hosts competitions similar to sports events. Students train individually and in teams and can compete in local, state and national competitions.

The top four students in Arizona will receive a free trip to Orlando, Fla., for national competition in May. National winners receive college scholarships, and the champion wins a trip to U.S. Space Camp.

The top ranking Tucson teams, consisting of the top 40 percent of all teams, were:

1. Sonoran Science Academy

2. Desert Sky Middle School

3. Alice Vail Middle School

4. Emily Gray Junior High School

5. R. B. Wilson K-8 School

6. Amphitheater Middle School

7. Coronado K-8 School

8. Corona Foothills Middle School

The top ranking students, consisting of the top 25 percent of all participating students, were:

1. Joshua Sloan, Sonoran Science Academy

2. Peter Bian, Sonoran Science Academy

3. Courtney Spalt, Emily Gray

4. Nicholas McFarlin, Sonoran Science Academy

5. Kirk Hendricks, BASIS Tucson

6. Stephanie Mendivil, Desert Sky

7. Stan Palasek, Sonoran Science Academy

8. Nam Ngo, Desert Sky

9. Ostin Zarse, Sonoran Science Academy

10. Dulce Ochoa, Alice Vail

11. Sophie Clark, Alice Vail

12. Michah Scholes, Emily Gray

13. Nathan Toombs, Corona

14. Paul Wrona, R. B. Wilson K-8 School

15. Aimee Askira, BASIS

16. Alex Frank, Desert Sky

17. Sam Wilson, Alice Vail

18. Ty Schneider, Sonoran Science Academy

19. Maren Bailey, Alice Vail

20. Harrison Hanzlick, Alice Vail

21. Jeremy Lenington, Emily Gray

22. Rachel Foss, Emily Gray

23. Andrew Wien, Coronado

24. Allie Hilkemeyer, Desert Sky

25. Lucian Draper, Amphitheater Middle School

26. Michael Wang, BASIS

27. Katy Muhlrad, Sonoran Science Academy

28. Michael Kronenfeld, Wilson

29. James Parisi, Sonoran Science Academy

30. Lisandro Jimenez, Billy Lane Lauffer Middle School

31. Marisa Halfman, Emily Gray

32. Ashlee Riehl, Desert Sky

Sonoran Science Academy will advance to state competition on March 14. The top two students not on the top team will also advance: Courtney Spalt of Emily Gray and Kirk Hendricks of BASIS.

The sixth-grade basketball team at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic School recently finished its season with a 13-0 record. It is the second year in a row the team has finished undefeated. Team members are: FRONT ROW ( from left) Nicholas Woolridge, Nathan Loya, Alberto Hernandez and Luke Chon. MIDDLE ROW: Michael Tang, Gus McKibbin, Jerry Edwards Jr. and Danny Leon. TOP ROW: Coach David Aguilar, Jonathon Douglas, Coach John Burch, John Burch and Evan Jimenez. Not pictured is David Aguilar.

The sixth-grade basketball team at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic School recently finished its season with a 13-0 record. It is the second year in a row the team has finished undefeated. Team members are: FRONT ROW (from left) Nicholas Woolridge, Nathan Loya, Alberto Hernandez and Luke Chon. MIDDLE ROW: Michael Tang, Gus McKibbin, Jerry Edwards Jr. and Danny Leon. TOP ROW: Coach David Aguilar, Jonathon Douglas, Coach John Burch, John Burch and Evan Jimenez. Not pictured is David Aguilar.

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GIVE US YOUR NOMINEES

Teams from all sports are welcome. With your nomination, include contact information for coaches and all players’ proper identifications. Send to familyplus@tucsoncitizen.com (familyplus@tucsoncitizen.com) or Tucson Citizen, 4850 S. Park Ave., Tucson AZ 85714. Please include your name, phone number and age.