I t has been 13 years, and the people of South Tucson have not forgotten Officer John A. Valenzuela.

And that won’t change. This small community is working hard to ensure Valenzuela’s name will forever be a part of the history of South Tucson.

Valenzuela is the only South Tucson police officer to be killed in the line of duty. Although he was an officer in the town for only about a year, he touched so many people that his legacy is as strong as ever.

Valenzuela was deeply concerned about the children of South Tucson. It was that concern that led to his death.

So after he was killed, the city built a center for children on South Sixth Avenue – the John Valenzuela Youth Center. The officer’s University of Arizona diploma, his police uniform and even some of his comic book collection are on display inside, encased in Lucite boxes.

For those who live in a large, impersonal city such as Tucson and for those who think of South Tucson as only a place for good Mexican food, it is difficult to explain how tightly knit this community is.

Sixto Molina spent more than two decades as a Tucson cop, then moved to the South Tucson Police Department about nine years ago to be its chief. He says the town is “almost like Andy of Mayberry. We know everybody.”

And that’s how it was Saturday when residents of South Tucson came together to mark the 13th anniversary of Valenzuela’s death.

When Molina arrived at the ceremony honoring Valenzuela, he was greeted as a friend, not as a cop. There were more hugs and back slaps than handshakes. He was on a first-name basis with almost everyone.

He is not only their police chief, but also their friend.

Officer John Valenzuela was also their friend and their protector. And that cost him his life.

Valenzuela became a Tucson police officer in 1991. The next year, he opted to move to the much smaller South Tucson force. He had spent a lot of time in the town when he was growing up. It was where his mother grew up and where his grandmother still lived.

He became school resource officer at Ochoa Elementary School, a position he eagerly sought. It was while working at Ochoa in May 1993 that several young girls there told him they had been molested by a man living nearby.

Valenzuela investigated and obtained a search warrant. On May 17, 1993, Valenzuela and four other officers went to the man’s house. The man came out shooting, hitting Valenzuela in the head as the officer peeked around a brick mailbox post. He was killed and, in the ensuing gunfire, his assailant died, too.

Sharon Hayes, now a South Tucson police lieutenant, was one of the officers there that day. And she also was there Saturday, at the ceremony honoring Valenzuela, reading a passage from the Bible during a Mass honoring her friend.

After Mass, she tried to explain why Valenzuela’s death still deeply affects this community.

“People don’t want to forget,” Hayes said. “This was somebody the community cared about and loved.”

Whenever a new officer is hired, the orientation includes a lesson on Valenzuela’s life, Hayes said. New officers are brought to the youth center and shown mementos of an officer they never knew.

The South Tucson Police Department recently bought new squad cars – and even there Valenzuela is remembered. On the door posts of each car is written “In memory of Officer John A. Valenzuela – Born June 28, 1965; End of Watch May 17, 1993.

The lettering was donated by Roger McDowell of Payless Tires, a South Tucson business.

James Valenzuela, younger brother of the slain officer, has helped to arrange the memorial service every year. Saturday, he passed out large buttons with John’s photo to the more than 100 people attending.

“We do this not to remember how he died, but how he lived,” James Valenzuela said. “This center is a symbol of my brother’s spirit and what he stood for.”

Valenzuela thought back to a picture taken of his older brother many years ago – when he was about 4 and wearing a cowboy hat.

When the brothers played, “he was always the good guy,” Valenzuela said.

Mark Kimble appears at 6:30 p.m. and midnight Fridays on the Roundtable segment of “Arizona Illustrated” on KUAT-TV, Channel 6. He may be reached at mkimble@tucsoncitizen.com or 573-4662.

“Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game, and dumb enough to think it’s important.”

- Eugene McCarthy,

U.S. senator, 1959-1971

P rotocol at many community gatherings in Tucson seems to drive the need for introduction of “dignitaries” in the audience.

Translated: politicians, appointed governmental officials and assorted hangers-on who somehow have acquired the rank of VIP.

This occurs regularly at fundraising dinner banquets and galas for nonprofits, breakfasts and luncheons for this or that organization and various other community events. The more VIPs, the better, and the VIPier they are the better.

Sometimes introductions are a short exercise, sometimes a long, laborious and exasperating one – especially for the emcee and the nondignitaries in the room – but they are always fun for seeing how these public servants are presented and how they respond to this forced adulation from the people.

Apparently, election to office wasn’t enough for them.

Don’t get me wrong. I think there are place and purpose for such introductions. Respect and politeness dictate so.

Understanding that hypothesis is one thing; understanding the practice of it is quite another.

For example, at an event this week at a local resort, one Tucson City Council member who apparently had left the room (” . . . so-and-so, who was here,” the emcee said) was introduced ahead of the mayor, who had bothered to stick around.

So who is VIPier?

In the same series of recognitions, two people were introduced as candidates for the 8th Congressional District seat. One other candidate was introduced, but his congressional candidacy wasn’t mentioned, only his status as a state legislator.

He is a Republican; the two non- officeholders introduced because they are congressional candidates are Democrats.

Probably just a coincidence.

At another recent event, dual masters of ceremony introduced a passel of elected officials. Then, a few minutes later, they introduced more. Then a third time. And yet once more.

Four trips to the dais to introduce elected and appointed governmental officials, driven by what? The fear that someone would be left out and have hurt feelings or seek political revenge of some sort?

Never mind that in the crowd were dozens of real VIPs – the businesspeople and working-class folks who make significant contributions to government and to the community’s nonprofits. No introductions came for any of them.

Which brings to mind my favorite introduction at a community event. The emcee opened by saying, “Everyone who is important, please stand and be recognized.”

With that, all attendees jumped to their feet and gave themselves and each other a big round of applause.

The VIPiest people of all.

Michael A. Chihak can be reached at mchihak@tucsoncitizen.com or 573-4646.

“Change is good. You go first.”

- Dilbert

Reader reaction to the changes ensconced in the new Tucson Citizen has been swift, specific and wide ranging.

“I absolutely love the way you’ve changed it,” longtime Tucson reader Jim Love said on the telephone Thursday. “It’s just what I’ve wanted.”

Others were, shall we say, less complimentary.

“I opened my old friend, the Tucson Citizen, last night and found it had been butchered,” L.M. Johnson Jr. of Sahuarita wrote in a letter to the editor. “I am sure you had very good reasons for changing the format as you did, but I can’t see where you improved it in the least.”

Indeed, we had good reasons. For one, as noted here and elsewhere, the Citizen’s readership has declined steadily over the years as people turn to alternative sources for information, including any newspaper that is available earlier in the day.

Readership of most U.S. newspapers also has declined, so this isn’t simply a problem in Tucson or with the Citizen. We made the changes to expand readership, especially among groups whose busy lives have not included the habit of reading a newspaper regularly.

That’s what accounts for the quick-reading news summaries on Page 1 and each section front and the specialty sections Monday through Friday on topics such as health and fitness, family and food.

It also accounts for the elimination of some items from the newspaper, such as daily stock listings. We took them out to make room for other features. Running stock listings was a futile exercise, because by the time we got them into print, they were a day old.

These changes are a part of a transition of the Citizen into being a broader information medium with multiple ways of our delivering and your receiving information.

One way is in the core sections of the newspaper. Another is through the Plus sections in a magazine format. A third is our newly designed Web site, for which we are shifting resources to give you up-to-the-minute news and information.

Technology and the continuing need to reach new markets for our readers and advertisers will continue driving us to change and improve.

Most compliments for the new Citizen have centered on the increased emphasis on local news, the quick-read format and the new lifestyle sections.

Most complaints have come over the elimination of weekday stock listings, smaller-sized comics and some dropped features that were part of the daily TV listings.

We won’t return to Monday-Friday stock listings – a weekly stock listings summary will be printed Saturdays. Today it is on Page 3B, but we will work to make comics and TV listings more readable and informative.

We have been asking callers to be patient and take a week or two to get accustomed to changes that we and many others consider improvements in the way we present news and information.

As always, call or e-mail me with questions, complaints and – please – compliments.

Michael A. Chihak can be reached at mchihak@tucsoncitizen.com anytime or 573-4646 Monday-Friday. Read and take part in his blog at tucsoncitizen.com/editor.

Question: What do you think about the high school students who protested legislation restricting immigration yesterday by walking out of school and marching in Tucson?

I favor it. They have the right to free speech. 40%

I oppose it. They should have stayed in school, but they shouldn’t be disciplined for walking out. 14%

I oppose it, and they should be disciplined for walking out. 46%

Total number of votes: 620. Poll results are not scientific.

COMMENTS‘

Where are the parents of these school kids? I’m curious how many of the parents are taxpayers. The police used to protect these truant children cost all of us! – Douglas C.

As a second generation Mexican, I know what I marched for. I know my voice was heard, because you’re all talking about it. – Arianna G.

Protect rule of law

President Bush should be censured.

This isn’t about terrorism; it’s about accountability.

He had authority to wiretap suspected terrorists and get a warrant days later. But he went around the court set up to prevent abuses and protect innocent Americans – a court that approves virtually all wiretapping requests it receives.

Censure is a reasonable step to holding Bush accountable. Even Republicans acknowledge that he broke the law. Now they’re discussing plans to retroactively make his program legal.

If Congress doesn’t support the censure, lawmakers are saying it’s OK for any president to break the law.

Congress should stand with Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., to protect the rule of law. Feingold is standing up to the administration’s attack on our Constitution, and he shouldn’t fight alone.

- ANAND YOGENDRA

Feingold’s brave act

Before you judge Feingold too harshly, remember it takes more courage to take an unpopular stand than no stand at all, and a motion to censure is very different from an article of impeachment.

Both would hold the president accountable, but a censure would send a clear message about abuses of power with a minimum of disruption to daily activities.

It is the polite solution to an egregious breach of the public trust.

This has nothing to do with the misnamed “war on terrorism.” The issue is whether Congress, and America, can tolerate a president who breaks a law because he finds it inconvenient.

That the president and his supporters have invoked the cloak of national security in defense of this violation is irrelevant and offensive.

Feingold’s motion to censure is an act of courage and trust: courage to stand up to those who would rule by fear, and trust in those millions who refuse to be cowed, to give up, to surrender to the fear mongering and hate speech that has become the center of public discourse.

It’s time to stand up and support those who would defend real freedom, rather than those who mouth its platitudes.

- MARK JONES

Show of disapproval

The censure would be a reasonable way for Congress to show its disapproval.

In response, Republicans criticized Feingold as being uninterested in national security.

In truth, Bush’s actions violate a 1978 law that requires court-issued warrants for domestic wiretapping. Seeking warrants does not jeopardize national security, since warrants can be sought three days after eavesdropping begins.

Feingold, like myself and many others, merely wants the president held accountable. If he is allowed to break the law without consequences, it will further empower the executive branch.

As our system of checks and balances deteriorates, so will the country. Congress must show that no one is above the law in this land.

- DEREK PAN

An abuse of power

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Feingold’s call for a censure is the least extraordinary measure sought for unabrogated abuse of presidential power.

It was only a step from secret prisons and secret renditions abroad to secret wire-tapping of America’s citizenry at home.

If the excuse is national security, it is a fallacious one. We are in greater danger from unauthorized wire-tapping than from any enemy missile.

At stake is not a building, a town, a state, but a nation – a nation of laws, the only idea worth fighting for at home, as it encompasses the foundation of our national security.

As an American, I call upon our elected officials and people to stand behind the censure.

- HOLLY HILDEN

Green Valley

Tucsonans drink the hard stuff. Water, that is.

The mineral content in our most precious resource varies from hard to moderately hard, depending on where you live.

And that mineral content is expected to increase as more of our blended water comes from the Central Arizona Project and less is taken from the aquifer, as noted on the Tucson Citizen’s front page yesterday.

Mineral makeup has much to do with how your tap water tastes.

Many folks in the Tucson area tend to drink filtered or bottled water.

That’s a choice based on taste, preference and finances. Most Tucsonans don’t buy bottled water for health reasons, as all our tap water meets federal health standards.

But whether you prefer water that is soft or hard, from a bottle or the faucet, all of us in the Tucson area can agree on one critical fact about water:

We’re darned lucky to have any.

As the drought afflicting the West rages on into its 10th year, water remains at a premium.

Every desert denizen has a responsibility to conserve every drop possible – whether by trading lawns for natural desert, recycling gray water for plants, showering more quickly or eradicating water waste.

In the desert, water conservation is our duty.