In considering a budget for fiscal 2010, the Tucson City Council stood at Morton’s Fork — raise taxes and fees or cut programs and services and lay off staff to balance the city budget.

Last week, it chose the former. Was it the correct choice? Probably not.

Councilman Steve Leal said at Tuesday’s meeting that the community should be “proud” of the council’s decision.

What’s to be proud of? They raised regressive taxes on electricity and water, essential services that will hit the poorest the hardest. They made using the phone, which these days is an essential service, more expensive. Shouting 911 when you’re being robbed is unlikely to bring a cop. And they made public transportation more costly, which also is a brutal blow to the poor who are the biggest users of public transportation, some because they have no choice.

The council avoided a renter’s tax, but ironically, that would have been a more stable income source than taxes on utilities. Power, water, phone and bus users have the power to make the tax increases moot by using less power, water, phone and bus services.

The city got into this mess by recklessly adding staff, services and programs during the 2002-2007 economic boom that filled the city’s coffers with sales taxes.

Sales taxes rise and fall with the economic tide. Now that the tide has ebbed considerably, the city is stuck with perennial programs that rely on that fickle income.

The council should have adjusted the cost of next year’s city government to meet the expected amount of tax income next year without a tax increase.

The pain of layoffs would have been acute and limited to a few hundred people. Instead, they made the pain chronic and spread it among hundreds of thousands, disproportionately affecting those with the least ability to pay.

Chances of changing the council’s collective mind are slim. The council is expected to set its budget spending limit at Tuesday’s meeting and pass the budget June 9.

So the key now is for voters in the November election and beyond to insist on fiscal sanity when the sales-tax tide comes back in with an improved economy. If the economy returns to somewhere near 2006 levels, the city will again be flush with sales taxes, but it also will have the extra income from the increased utility and excise taxes it intends to impose July 1.

What will the city do with all that money? Give it back to taxpayers by repealing the tax increases? Sock it away for the next recession? Spend it?

The smart choice is a combination of the first two. The third? Well, what’s the opposite of smart.

This gorgeous goat may greet you at Triangle L Ranch

Take a trek less than 50 miles yet a world away to Triangle L Ranch in Oracle.

Oracle happens to resemble Tucumcari, N.M., so it’s something you definitely don’t want to miss.

I found a groovy write-up in our archives about the ranch and added a few notes of my own.

Mark your calendars for June 13 when the Carnivaleros will be in concert at the ranch with a CD release party. Cost is $10.

Other stuff is free.

Triangle L Ranch

Oracle’s Triangle L Ranch Bed and Breakfast, 2805 N. Triangle L Ranch Road, features art, goats and surprises.

With buildings dating from the 1880s, the 50-plus acre Triangle L is at an elevation of 4,500 feet in the high foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains.

Besides being a bed and breakfast and a ranch, it hosts weddings, retreats, reunions and workshops.

William Ladd, a cattle and sheep rancher, homesteaded Triangle L Ranch in the 1890s and its Web site claims Wild West buffalo hunter and showman William “Buffalo Bill” Cody was a regular visitor. It also claims to be southern Arizona’s first guest ranch.

Artist and gallery owner Sharon Holnback has owned the ranch since 2001 and hopes to make the property a haven for artists.

Ryn note: The gift shop is already fully stocked with fine, kitschy and wacky art from regional artists.

Where to eat

Try Nonna Maria’s Pizza, 2161 N. Rockcliff Blvd. (520-896-3522, http://nonnamarias.com), owned by Frank and Angelina Palazzolo. He’s the chef and also an artist, going by the name Papuni.

The menu has strong influences from traditional Sicilian family recipes and includes vegetarian and vegan options. It does not have a formal kids’ menu but the staff will accommodate.

Kid-friendly?

Ryn note: Visiting the pygmy goats are a must for both children and adults.

Farmers market

Check out The Station, 1395 W. American Ave. (896-9005), a small market owned by Megan Hartman. Besides local produce it sells coffee and espresso beverages and, 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays hosts a farmers market. The store is open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. weekends.

The drive

Head north on Oracle Road, which turns into State Route 77. Past the turnoff for Oracle (between mile markers 100 and 101), take the next left onto Rockcliff Boulevard, then the first right onto Oracle Ranch Road. Continue down it about 1/4 mile and go left on Triangle L Ranch Road. Follow it to its end. The main house is on the left.

To learn more

623-6732, www.trianglelranch.com

If you start to get a lot of knocks on your door, just be aware a Jehovah’s Witnesses conference is in town.

Jehovah’s Witnesses hold conventions here, Arizona Daily Star

The first of seven weekend conferences for Jehovah’s Witnesses begins today (Friday) at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave.

About 45,000 people are expected to attend the three-day “Keep on the Watch” conferences, Tucson spokesman Robert Soler said.

The gatherings will be held at the Convention Center each weekend in June, with Spanish-only programs offered the weekends of June 12, June 19 and June 26. The final two weekend conferences are scheduled for the end of July.

Program sessions, which are free and open to the public, are the same each weekend. Sessions will begin at 9:20 a.m. each day. No collections will be taken. Read story: www.azstarnet.com/metro/294880

I’m all for freedom of religion. That’s kind of what this country was founded on, no?

Holding free conferences where people can learn more is a great idea.

Knocking on people’s doors, shoving pamphlets in people’s bags or telling folks they will rot in Satan’s clutch unless they follow your religion is not.

I’m not saying anyone from these conferences would do such things – they’ll probably be too busy with their sessions – but it has happened in the past.

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How do you react if someone tries to “convert” you to their religion?

Yes, this is a baseball, not a softball, but you get the point.

Anyone wanting to help a kid while they take in a ballgame can do so Saturday.

The second annual KLPX Us n Them Softball Tournament to Benefit La Paloma Kids hits Hi Corbett Field, 3400 E. Camino Campestre, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Each of the four tournament teams consists of one KLPX radio station DJ backed by listeners chosen over the last few weeks.

There’s no admittance fee, but folks are asked to come armed with new or slightly used sporting goods that will be donated to La Paloma.

The event also offers live music from Tucson band Crosscut Saw, food, drinks, game booths and most likely some hilarious antics on the field.

More info: www.klpx.com/events.php

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Do you know of other charity events to benefit non-profit Tucson organizations?

Post them below or e-mail rynski@tucsoncitizen.com (rynski@tucsoncitizen.com)

Get out your wallets, for the tax man cometh.

With a healthy hike in taxes, the city is planning to increase the cost of utilities, phones, gym memberships and even using a tanning salon.

Why we have tanning salons in a place where it rarely rains is another issue altogether.

Get ready to pay more in city taxes, Arizona Daily Star

Tucsonans can look forward to a jolt from pretty much all their monthly utility bills after the City Council informally gave the go-ahead to a wide array of tax increases on Wednesday aimed at balancing a proposed $1.3 billion budget for next year.

The list includes 2 percent more on home and cell-phone bills and electric and gas bills. Water bills will go up 10 percent, garbage pickup fees 3.5 percent, and bus fares will be hiked as well.

Other new taxes include a new levy on gym memberships and tanning salons, and visitors will pay an extra $1 a night to stay in city hotels and motels. Read story: www.azstarnet.com/metro/294724

Some of these hikes – like a 10 percent increase on the water bill – are fairly steep.

This is also painful at a time when money is tight for pretty much everyone.

It’s always frustrating when we are forced to pay more for services that have not been improved or otherwise merit a higher cost.

The Beatles, Taxman:

If you drive a car,

I’ll tax the street.

If you drive to city,

I’ll tax your seat.

If you get too cold,

I’ll tax the heat.

If you take a walk,

I’ll tax your feet.

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Is raising taxes across the board an ideal way to deal with the city budget crunch?

What are other ways the city could instead generate money?

Skeleton crew

Here at TucsonCitizen.com we try to honor reader requests – as long as the requests don’t involve sticking sharp objects in our eyes or playing in traffic.

The term “skeleton crew” has been kicking around for some reason, with several folks pointing out such a concept was right up my alley.

Then this request popped up:

“Time for some artwork of the skeleton crew, Ryn Gargulinski?”

I couldn’t resist.

The use of the word “skeleton” to mean “bare outline” was first recorded in 1607, according to the Online Etymology Dictionary.

Terms using this meaning popped up soon after, such as skeleton key and skeleton crew.

I’d hate to meet someone with a skeleton brain.

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Have you ever worked on a skeleton crew? Did you enjoy it? Did it creep you out?

What are the benefits and drawbacks?

Every morning I will post my top 10 stories I’m digging that day with a little commentary to go with each. Here’s today’s list:

1. McCain: Both parties to blame for US woes – Arizona Daily Star “We Republicans let spending get out of control, and we paid a very heavy price in the election,” McCain said, adding that Republicans “are in step 1 of a 12-step program. We’re still in denial. We need to move on from that.”

If he had picked Colin Powell for veep, or someone similar, i.e. competent, McCain would be president today. Is he young enough to lead his party out of the wilderness? I think he’s the only guy who can do it but time is not on his side. If not him, then who? Lindsey Graham? I’d vote for him. It sure ain’t Mitt Romney.

2. AZ bill: US med plan optional – Arizona Daily Star Christie Herrera, who works for the American Legislative Exchange Council, said the measure is needed to preclude the kind of “socialized medicine” being considered in Washington, which exists in some other countries.

Oh, come on, get off the socialized medicine schtick. We already have socialized medicine for the very old and the very poor. It’s everybody in the middle who is screwed. We need a single payer system in this country with an opt out for those who can afford to choose private plans. A couple of years ago my employer-subsidized insurance plan changed and my family was forced to change all of our doctors because they weren’t providers on the new plan. I tried to buy private insurance to keep our doctors, but every insurance plan had stiff pre-existing condition clauses that refused to pay for chronic health problems for at least a year and never for some of my wife’s health problems. So we changed doctors. Then the plan changed again a year later as the company shopped around for a cheaper plan yet again. I wasn’t a proponent of a state-run single payer insurance plan until I got screwed by our nation’s broken health care system. Now I am. We need to decide in this country if health care is a right or a privilege. To that end, see below.

3. Health-care issue hashed out – Arizona Daily Star The notion of making health care in the United States a right rather than a privilege touched a nerve in Tucson on Tuesday night. About 1,000 people filled the auditorium at Sahuaro High School for a town hall meeting focusing on national health-care overhaul — twice the number expected by organizers from the Tucson office of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz.

If health care is a privilege, stop requiring hospital ERs to treat everyone who comes in the door. If it’s a privilege, eliminate medicare and medicaid, why should old and poor people get government health care and the rest of us don’t? If it’s a privilege, let people get the health care they can afford, and if they can’t afford any, tough, the more people dying from cancer, the flu, heart and lung disease at an early age will help with Baby Boomers breaking the Social Security bank. Or, we can call it a right, create a government system that relieves employers of the crushing burden of health insurance subsidies.

4. Ariz. drop in smoking is largest in nation – Arizona Daily Star That same year, voters agreed to make smoking more expensive, raising the state tax on cigarettes by 82 cents a pack. That brought the total state levy to $2 per pack.

Great. This is good news. Except for all those programs being funded by the smoking sin tax. Now that the sin tax is having its intended effect, the money it generates will fall, providing less money for the health care programs it funds. However, while the tax income is falling, the demand for the program will remain high well into the future. Classic example of why social engineering might sound good but ultimately fails and ends up costing more than doing nothing.

5. Awash in drugs, America remains a ‘dealer’s dream’ – Arizona Daily Star This array of consumers is providing a vast, recession-proof, apparently unending market for the Mexican gangs locked in a drug war that has killed more than 10,780 people since December 2006. No matter how much law enforcement or financial help the U.S. government provides Mexico, the basics of supply and demand prevent it from doing much good.

We have met the enemy and he is us – Pogo.

6. Bill legalizing sparklers clears a major hurdle – Arizona Daily Star As part of a political compromise, lawmakers agreed to allow city councils to declare the use of sparklers illegal within their own limits. But cities could not bar stores from selling the items or consumers from buying them.

Dear legislators, listen to me very carefully . . . PASS A BUDGET!

7. Wife of Ariz. treasurer dies after childbirth – Arizona Republic Dean Martin liked to refer to the child as “LT,” for “Little Treasurer,” and made up a baby outfit bearing the words, “Deposits up front, withdrawals in back.”

What a horrible tragedy. My condolences to Dean Martin and his family and my best wishes to the recovery and health of his new son.

8. U.S. consumer confidence soaring – Arizona Republic A widely watched barometer of confidence unexpectedly rose to the highest level since September, buoyed by an unexpected surge in the stock market, bringing hope that the job market might turn around and the belief that the worst of the recession is behind us.

Really? Nobody called me and took my poll. My confidence is still in the crapper. But maybe that’s because I’m typing this in an empty newsroom, having escaped the layoff ax by mere inches.

9. Cardinals’ Boldin dismisses agent – Arizona Republic Anquan Boldin took a major step in trying to resolve his contract dispute with the Cardinals and repair his image with fans by firing agent Drew Rosenhaus, a move some teammates applauded Tuesday.

Hallelujah. Now, if all the other athletes would fire Rosenhaus maybe sanity would return to professional sports. (Yeah, right, but it’s a good first step).

10. Restaurants cross lines as they struggle through recession - USA Today The fallout looks — or tastes — surreal. Many of the food innovations appear to be the opposite of some chains’ founding principles, and carefully honed brand image. Could sushi at Taco Bell(YUM) be next?

I learned a very disgusting lesson early in life – never order spaghetti at a Chinese restaurant. Same goes for tacos at a burger joint and burgers at a chicken joint.

Past "Music under the Stars" concerts at Reid Park have attracted more than 7,500 listeners.

Free concerts that have been a Tucson summer staple for 50 years have hit a sour note.

The Tucson Pops Orchestra may not have enough funding to keep the “Music under the Stars” program going.

The orchestra says the city government is not giving the program any more money, either.

“Music under the Stars” is at risk, Tucson Pops Orchestra site

…It is one of the few remaining city events where citizens of all ages and backgrounds come together in a safe environment.

The new realities:

• The cost per each concert in the park is $13, 000

• This year’s funding of $27,000 is a significant reduction from the $35,000 the Pops has received in prior years.

• The last two concerts of the spring season scheduled for June 7th and 14th will most likely be cancelled due to lack of funding.

• The current budget proposal before the Mayor and council calls for ZERO funding for the Pops in 2010.

• For the first time, the city is treating the Pops as an “outside” agency. This is a reversal of 50 years of policy which included the Pops as a program within the Parks and Recreation Department.

The Pops urge folks to write letters or attend the city’s 2 p.m. budget meeting Wednesday (today).

More info: www.tucsonpops.org/

The free concerts are one of the events that help make Tucson’s summers special. Heck, you can even bring your dogs to the things.

When budgets get crunched, art, cultural events and music tend to get bumped. This is a shame, since those are some of the things that make life worth living.

By no means should money be scraped away from public safety or other vital entities, but there should be a way to fund the arts.

Ideas, anyone?

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Are you a “Music Under the Stars” fan?

Are the free concerts worthy of saving or do you think money should be allotted for other things?

How important is art, culture and music in the grand scheme of life?

Health care remains a hot topic, as evidenced by the 1,000 folks who showed up for Tuesday’s town hall held by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.).

It was all about gathering opinions, and plenty were heard.

Health-care issue hashed out, Arizona Daily Star

Tucson transplant physician Dr. Khalid Khan said he thinks more changes in the health-care system should be happening locally.

“To me, health care has to be a right — I am from Europe. But it is not easy,” he said.

Ashton Banker, 23, who identified himself as a student, angrily left the meeting before it was over. “I cannot stand the idea of socialized medicine,” he said.

Without change, Arizonans’ health-insurance premiums will increase from 7 percent to 15.5 percent of their income by 2016, Giffords said.

Read story: ww.azstarnet.com/metro/294584

Health insurance is a necessity. An unforeseen disaster can wipe out an entire savings and plunge someone deeply in debt.

But it is also over-priced and can get ridiculous, making folks jump through hoops to get approval for procedures, doctors or reimbursement.

The cost of some procedures, too, can be ridiculous. Anyone who has stayed in a hospital and later looked at the bill would agree. Doctors sometimes charge a sky-high hourly rate to stick their head in the door for a millisecond. A single hospital aspirin has been known to cost more than an entire bottle does at the drug store.

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What’s your take?

How should health care be funded? What would make it affordable?

Have you ever gone without health insurance and hoped for the best?

Every morning I will post my top 10 stories I’m digging that day with a little commentary to go with each. Here’s today’s list:

1. University construction plan in doubt – The Arizona Republic The delays mean students and faculty may have to endure worn-out facilities and the schools can’t expand certain programs or keep up with student growth for a while.

A state paid for stimulus plan left in the budget lurch. The state is in a fiscal crisis and all pots of money need to be considered, but this pot was considered earlier this year and left alone because it draws from lottery money. Two motivations are at work here, a desire to steal every cent from every program to try and balance the budget without a tax increase and an animosity toward public education of any kind.

2. Obama taps Ariz. for cadre of leaders – The Arizona Republic While Napolitano is serving as Homeland Security secretary, fellow Arizonans will be overseeing the national-highway system, regulating the use of pesticides to protect the environment, working to improve the health of American Indians and providing legal advice to the Air Force.

Good news for Arizona’s Republican party, while the Republicans in the Legislature risk angering every constituency in the state with its proposed draconian budget cuts, potentially handing the state’s mostly moribund Democratic Party a truckload of wedge issue for next year’s elections, Obama raids the state for the handful of competenet Democrats who could help his party capitalize on Republican missteps. While Republicans eat Arizona’s young, the Democrats eat their own. I love this state.

3. Workers now allowed to help deserted pets – The Arizona Republic That will be welcome news for the increasing number of cats, dogs and other pets who have been abandoned when their owners let their homes go into foreclosure.

Good for Gilbert. I understand that people getting evicted because of foreclosure are in a financial crisis, but take the damn dog with you when you leave or turn it in to a shelter. Otherwise, I’ve got no sympathy for you or your plight.

4. Back-to-basics junior high on way – The Arizona Republic The Chandler Unified School District is building its first back-to-basics junior high by going back to the future and remodeling a 1950s-era campus that was the district’s first junior high school.

The 1950s? Translation: Teach my kids the way I was taught, dang it. Rote memorization, reading the works of dead white guys, history that ignores anything bad. Learn ‘em good. Like me.

5. As funds for summer fun dry up, citizens pool resources – USA Today In Payson, Ariz., businesses and the city have pledged to pay up to $5,000 to reopen nearby Tonto Natural Bridge State Park on weekends. Residents will volunteer at the park to reduce the need for paid staff, Mayor Kenny Evans says

But will they support a tax increase to help pay for services that have fallen under the budget ax that other families might need? Or are they only willing to chip in their own money to serve their own self interest? Maybe we can have a new form of a la carte government in which each year state, cities and counties put up lists of departments and programs to fund and you can go through it and pick the ones you’re wiling to pay for and the amount your willing to pay. If you chose not to pay for police, the police department can purge your name from 911 list.

6. Dogs sniff out phones hidden by AZ inmates – Arizona Daily Star Inmates usually get or buy the cell phones from visitors, contractors who work at the prison and staff members who sneak the phones in, said Kenny Vance, a service-dog trainer for the Corrections Department.

This is cool, but it seems to be more of an indictment of DOC’s inability to stop smuggling and staff corruption. While the dogs are treating the symptom, the disease lies elsewhere. Where there’s a will, there’s a way (and a bribe).

7. Simple Chinese shoe strives to be hip – Arizona Daily Star The story is that Brandt decided to settle in Shanghai, China, after college in California, noticed the crew rebuilding his street wore identical, but cool, canvas sneakers, and tracked down the source.

They’re cool shoes. They’re pinko, commie shoes made in a country hell bent on destroying the world, but they’re still cool.

8. AZ centennial lags on funds, planning effort – Arizona Daily Star Officials say there are almost no funds for the centennial celebration in next year’s budget, and nothing is being raised by the agency in charge of planning the event.

Save the state first, then the centennial celebration. At least they’ve got that priority straight. See below.

9. Budget work will ‘get done,’ Brewer insists – Arizona Daily Star “We’re going to have a budget,” the governor insisted. “It’s going to get done.”

Yeah, right. The state needs roughly $10 billion to pay for all the things past Legislatures and voters have done. About two thirds of that $10 billion is protected from cuts by voter initiatives. That leaves about $3.7 billion available for cuts with the state facing a roughly $3.3 billion income shortfall. The Guv wants a tax increase on the table, the Legislature’s Republican leadership says no way, it’s cuts and budget tricks or nothing. We’re all doomed. See below.

10. Lawmakers fiddle around, ignore reality – Arizona Daily Star You begin to wonder whether the GOP leadership of Arizona’s Legislature lives in Cloud Cuckoo Land.

See, told you so. We’re all doomed.

Would Ralph Kramden look slimmer on DTV?

The plug is being pulled on old-fashioned TV, with the switch to digital slated for June 12.

All major U.S. television stations will stop sending analog signals, meaning TVs must have digital tuners or be connected to converters or a pay service, such as cable or satellite, to get over-the-air signals.

While digital TV promises sharper pictures and enhanced viewing, it may not fully live up to all of its promises, as one East Side resident outlines in the following letter:

DTV falls flat

So far my experience has been OK but I believe that the entire DTV experience has, thus far, not meet up to the expectations we have been sold.

Many people on the Northwest side can’t get a picture because of the mountains, this is a line of sight issue and apparently some of the stations are working on getting additional transmitters to help this out.

You would think that this issue would have been resolved long before the June 12 deadline. They must have known there was going to be problems for those viewers.

Also, the hype with the multi cast channels. Thus far Tucson only has a small handful of those additional channels, mostly PBS (which is great) but with stations having the potential to have up to six multi cast channels you would think we would have more.

I wonder why channel 4 doesn’t broadcast the “Southern Arizona News Network” on DTV. You must have cable to get it.

I suppose that some multi cast channels might come on board in the future, but the network affiliates here don’t even talk about what they have planned.

Even in a decent reception area I am constantly having to adjust my antenna to pick up the stations. When they come in, they do come in brilliantly, but it sure can be a chore to tune them in, another thing I don’t think we were really warned about by the broadcasters or government.

I always heard a simple rabbit ears will do it, but that’s not the case.

More on the switch to DTV: http://www.dtv.gov/

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What has been your experience so far with DTV?

Did you forget the switch was coming? Do you care?

Meet your neighbors

Meet Tucson geek Josiah Segui

Geek Pride Day kicks off the week, so we found a self-proclaimed Tucson geek to provide some insight into why being a geek is cool.

Josiah Segui, 27, has already seen the new Star Trek movie twice, rates his all-time top flick as the animated Ghost in the Shell and enjoys anything that stimulates his brain.

Segui said his geekdom started when he was 12. That’s when he and his brother got their first home computer – which they promptly took apart.

“We were surprised everything still worked,” he said when they put the machine back together.

Since then Segui has earned two advanced computer certifications and nabbed a job at midtown’s Computer Guy Consulting. I met him when my computer went bust last week.

But you don’t have to sabotage your computer to meet a geek. At least one reader expressed interest in dating a geek, and Segui said it’s not difficult to find one.

“Ever heard of the SCA?” he asked. The Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., is “an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating pre-17th-century European history.”

They’re the folks who dress in armor and costumes at the Renaissance faires. Deck yourself out as a medieval maiden and you could win a geek’s heart.

Segui said another great way to woo a geek is to engage them in an intellectual challenge. “Playing chess with a girl always works for me,” he said.

He’s single, by the way.

Segui (and a few others) also cleared up a few geek myths I previously got wrong, like saying they like soundtracks to Broadway musicals.

Segui and his geek friends dig alternative rock and bands like Linkin Park, Nightwish, They Might Be Giants and Fat Boy Slim.

He also backed up what a commenter said about geeks reading anything as long as it’s in comic book form.

“That’s 100 percent true,” Segui said. Other reading he’s enjoyed include anything written about the technology found in Star Wars and Dungeons and Dragons manuals.

E-mail Josiah Segui at crimson_wolf82@hotmail.com

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Meet Your Neighbors is a new feature we’re testing at TucsonCitizen.com.

Do you love it? Do you hate it? Do you know a Tucsonan we should meet?

Comment below or e-mail rynski@tucsoncitizen.com (rynski@tucsoncitizen.com).

Tucson geek Josiah Segui in action

Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are finding horses can be a man’s best friend.

A group of horses called The Warriors in Transition Unit are helping soldiers with their return to their home turf.

Horse therapy helping Ft. Huachuca soldiers cope with war stress

For soldiers coming back from Afghanistan or Iraq, the transition back into society can be a tough one.

As strange it may sound, horses are helping them overcome survivor’s guilt, battlefield nightmares and the transition back into society.

“We were seeing that horses had an incredible ability to teach able bodied people some advance human development skills, like leadership, parenting skills, relationship skills,” says Linda Kohanov, director of the Epona International Study Center. Read story: www.kvoa.com/global/story.asp?s=10417766

Anyone who says animals are only good for messing on the throw rug or chewing through the sofa has definitely got it wrong.

My two dogs have certainly kept me going through some tough times, although neither has volunteered to teach me any leadership or parenting skills.

It’s hard to stay down when you’re met with a furry face full of unconditional love.

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Has your pet helped your through a tough time? How so?

Dulce Gonzalez, 5, cools off in a running creek at Madera Canyon.

Day trips are a great way to get away without the cost of, say, flying to Paris.

Southern Arizona is rife with riveting adventures and a three-day weekend is the perfect time to take one.

I thank the reader who suggested a day trip feature and hope others contribute their own ideas.

Since the paper had an awesome staff of feature writers, I scoured the archives and found an ideal trip for late May.

DAY TRIP: MADERA CANYON

With the weather heating up, it’s a perfect time for the short trip to Madera Canyon. Nestled in the Santa Rita mountain range, you’ll be protected by foliage as you hike or picnic. (You’ll still want to start relatively early to beat the heat. Temperature tends to be about 10 degrees cooler than in Tucson.)

One of the big draws for the thousands of folks who visit the canyon annually is birding. Among the canyon’s residents are the trogons, Townsend’s warblers, yellow-eyed juncos and gray flycatchers, though there are many, many more – some 200 species have been seen. For a nice, up-to-date list of recent bird spottings, visit friendsofmaderacanyon.org.

Hikers can enjoy a variety of trails, and Madera is also a popular spot for photographers.

Where to eat

Get shade from sycamores at the Madera picnic area, and from oaks across the road at Madera Trailhead Picnic Area; $5 vehicle parking.

Or, for something less rustic, try the Grill on the Green at Canoa Ranch. It’s a Bob McMahon restaurant and features fare similar to Old Pueblo Grille; (520) 393-1933. (Yes, I checked Friday. The place is still open and will be this weekend.)

The drive

About 42 miles south of Tucson. Take Interstate 19 about 25 miles south of Tucson to Exit 63. Turn left onto Continental Road and drive one mile. Turn right on White House Canyon Road and go 14 miles to the top of the canyon.

To learn more

Nogales Ranger District (Santa Rita Mountains, Madera Canyon): (520) 281-2296

fs.fed.us/r3/ coronado

Memorial Day weekend update from the Coronado National Forest

Santa Rita Mountains (Nogales Ranger District)

Open: Madera Canyon campground and picnic areas, Upper White Rock campground, Whipple picnic site, and Calabassas picnic area.

Note: All Pena Blanca Lake recreation areas remain closed due to mercury clean-up efforts.

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Madera Canyon sounds grand, but remember it will probably be packed due to the holiday.

Also remember to steer clear of the Pena Blanca Lake area unless you’re a fan of mercury.

Every morning I will post my top 10 stories I’m digging that day with a little commentary to go with each. Here’s today’s list:

1. Pixar moves ‘Up’ with its 10th movie – USA Today – Disney might own Pixar after buying the company for $7.4 billion in 2006. But when it comes to brand loyalty among family moviegoers, Pixar is the new Disney.

Is it weird for a middle-aged man to be excited about going to see a “kiddie” movie? Pixar rocks.

2. 100 years at the Brickyard – USA Today – Conceived by four local businessmen as a venue for the city’s competing automakers to test their mettle (and metal) as the machine grew in stature, the Brickyard quickly evolved into a drawing board in the development of cars, racing and safety.

They still have this race? I used to love open wheel racing back when A.J. Foyt was wheel-to-wheel with Rick Myers and Al Unser in hot pursuit. Now, it’s all about Danica Patrick’s underwear ads and a bunch of foreign guys from Formula 1. Plus, all racing, including NASCAR, has become go really fast, crash. Go really slow under caution. Go really fast again, crash. Go really slow under caution. Go really fast again … Blech.

3. Grief and honor at Arlington – USA Today – Each day, as I walk among the headstones lining these rolling hills, I’m mindful that more than 300,000 veterans and their dependents are buried here.

One of the most emotional days of my life was an afternoon I spent at Arlington. When my father died a few years ago, he was buried at the military cemetery in Phoenix. He spent nine years in the Air Force, 1946-1955, and was medically retired after an auto accident. Nevertheless, he raised a military family. I spent five years in the Army, two active, three reserve. He had Alzheimer’s and the last year of his life he was only capable of staring at the ceiling and moaning or whistling, strangely. So when he died, I was more relieived than sad. I’d said my goodbyes long before his death. At the various funeral events, I didn’t shed any tears. But at the graveside, when the Air Force honor guard leaned over and gently offered the American flag to my mother, whispering to her “On behalf of a grateful nation” I lost it. When you’re out grilling your hot dogs or whatever Monday, be sure to take a moment and remember what Memorial Day is really all about.

4. 6 money fixes you should consider now – Arizona Republic – The economy has been under so much strain lately that it pays to know where you stand financially and devise a plan to solve your money problems.

My wife and I started doing almost all of these last year, the most important completely eliminating our credit card debt. But we’re a consumer economy and reduced consumer spending is part of what’s causing the economic crisis. But after just surviving layoff by a whisker, I’m in no rush to start spending again.

5. Leinart shows signs of growth on, off the field – Arizona Republic – He is somewhat chiseled now, hardened by a new commitment to the weight room and life in the NFL. He takes pride in being the second-team quarterback.

If he keeps throwing more interceptions than touchdowns, he’ll always be the second-team quarterback.

6. Detention facility near Sahuarita is ruled out – Arizona Daily Star – Now, the district will work with the Tohono O’odham Nation to build the facility on tribal land near South Sandario Road and West Ajo Way, said district Chairman Austin Nuñez.

Nimbys win again. I wonder what the folks over at Sandario and Ajo think?

7. AZ Senate bill would let offenders skip traffic school – Arizona Daily Star – A provision buried in the package of bills for the 2010 budget would let errant motorists essentially buy their way out of trouble. They could pay a flat fee of $282 and walk away, with no ticket, no record — and no time lost.

They need to hurry up and pass this bill, get it signed by Brewer and make it retroactive so I don’t have to go to traffic school next Saturday.

8. Legislation would replace vouchers with tax credits – Arizona Daily Star – Legislation introduced in both the House and the Senate would allow corporations and insurance companies to divert up to $5 million a year from what they owe in taxes and give it instead to organizations that help certain students pay the cost of attending private or parochial schools.

Same stink, different pig.

9. Sources: FBI asking questions on Arpaio – Arizona Republic – Five public officials involved in ongoing disputes with the Sheriff’s Office confirmed federal agents asked them questions that seem to focus on one theme: possible misuse of power by Arpaio and other sheriff’s representatives, perhaps related to the ongoing disputes between the sheriff, county supervisors and top county administrators.

Arpaio’s toast.

10. State should heed bulletin from Calif. – Arizona Republic – Nevertheless, the message from California seems to be that, while voters don’t like budget cuts and will complain bitterly about them, they like the probable alternatives even less.

Don’t listen to California. To argue that because California voters rejected a tax increase to fix their state budget, then Arizona voters will do the same is fallacious. We have no idea what Arizona voters will do if offered the opportunity to chose paying more taxes to preserve education funding and whatnot. The real motive here is a fear that Arizona voters will pass a tax increase. Don’t be afraid of voters, let them decide. This is a democracy, after all.