The Tucson Padres have scheduled a salute to Southern Arizona law enforcement and fire personnel on Friday, April 19, at the Padres game against the Salt Lake Bees at Kino Stadium. The game begins at 7:05 p.m.

Any Southern Arizona law enforcement or fire personnel will get two free box seat tickets ($20 value) by showing their law enforcement or fire ID at the box office at 2500 E. Ajo Way between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

“We want to thank the fine men and women that serve our community,” said Mike Feder, vice president and general manager of the Tucson Padres. “I’m a proud member of the Tucson Police Foundation and continually support the efforts of the firefighters. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department continually works with our team to provide quality off-duty security at all of our games.

“We will be glad to provide a concourse table to any police- and fire-related organizations to spread the word about their great activities or public safety issues.”

For more information or to purchase other tickets to Tucson Padres games, visit www.tucsonpadres.com, stop by the Kino Stadium box office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays or call 520-434-1367.

Kino Sports Complex is the largest sports and entertainment venue in Pima County. The home of the Triple-A Tucson Padres baseball team and the FC Tucson soccer club includes the 11,000-seat Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, a 2,000-seat North Grandstand soccer field and a 2,000-seat North Stadium under construction. Along with seven more baseball fields (four with lights), lighted softball fields, and four more soccer fields, it is a great fit for youth, amateur and professional sports, concerts, and community events. Visit www.kinosportscomplex.com or call (520) 546-5466.

One of Pima County Public Library’s (PCPL) oldest branches, Himmel Park Library, at 1035 N. Treat Ave., will undergo renovations from April 29 to July 30.

The library will remain open during regular hours throughout the project, which involves installing four new public computers and additional checkout stations, adding more comfortable seating in the quiet area and the children’s area, and installing a new customer service desk. In addition, upgrades will be completed to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and staff workspace in the rear of the building will be reconfigured to improve efficiency and security.

During the renovation work, the library’s large meeting room will not be available to the public. Organizations interested in reserving meeting space may contact other library locations which offer  meeting rooms to the public free of charge. Please call PCPL’s Infoline at 791-4010 for more information.

Summer Reading programs will be held at Himmel Park Library beginning in late May. For a list of current events, patrons are encouraged to check the PCPL online calendar at www.library.pima.gov or pick up a copy of the Himmel Park Library monthly newsletter.

Himmel Park Library opened in 1961 and was the first library branch in the city of Tucson.

About Pima County Public Library

The Pima County Public Library (PCPL), which is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, enriches lives and builds community through opportunities to learn, know, interact and grow. With 27 public libraries serving Tucson and the surrounding communities of Arivaca, Green Valley, Sahuarita, South Tucson, Ajo, Marana, Oro Valley and Catalina, PCPL provides a wide range of free services that contribute to the economic development of the community. For more information, visit www.library.pima.gov.

Click on the flyer for more information and to register.

Executives and experts in the fields of aerospace, manufacturing and machining will talk about workforce issues at the April 12 Pima County Workforce Investment Board meeting.

Alex Rodriguez, Director of the Southern Arizona office of the Arizona Technology Council, will give an overview of the aerospace/defense industry and workforce issues. Pam Summers, Human Resources Director at Abrams Airborne Manufacturing, and Jeremy Schalk, Vice President of Operations and Sales at Hi-Tech Machining and Engineering, will talk about a local machinists’ focus group and its efforts.

One-Stop Career Center staff will provide information about current workforce issues and needs, grants, and training opportunities, including Workforce Investment Act Reauthorization.

The meeting will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the Pima Community College Aviation Technology Center, 7211 S. Park Ave. It usually concludes by 9 a.m. and is open to the public.

The Pima County Workforce Investment Board is authorized by the Department of Labor and appointed by the Pima County Board of Supervisors to provide recommendations on local workforce policy and oversight of the Pima County One-Stop Career Center that connects eligible job-ready youth, adult and dislocated workers in local growth, high-demand industry occupations. It includes representatives of local businesses, nonprofits and educational institutions.

For more information, please visit http://www.pima.gov/ced/agencies-workforce-investment-board.shtml.

Young people ages 14-21 can explore career opportunities in aerospace, defense, manufac-turing and machining at Pima County’s free Youth Career Expo on Wednesday, April 10.

Youth must RSVP by 5 p.m. Friday, April 5. Fill out the RSVP form at http://www.pima.gov/ced/employment-training/et-summer-youth-program.shtml, save it to your computer and email it as an attachment to Rebecca.Pitman@acehs.org or fax it to her at 520-791-9893. Also email her any concerns or issues completing the form.

The Expo will run from 3 to 6 p.m. at Tucson International Airport, 7250 S. Tucson Blvd.

It will feature exhibits and representatives from aerospace, defense, manufacturing and machining employers and educators, including the University of Arizona Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department, the Pima Community College Aviation Program, CAID Industries, Prototron Circuits, and Ascent Aviation Services.

Participants will have opportunities to attend presentations and participate in discussions about various career choices.

About 300 young people attended the first Pima County Youth Career Expo in November, which focused on health-care careers.

The Expos are organized by the Pima County Workforce Investment Board Youth Council and the Pima County One-Stop Career Center.

For more information about the April 10 Expo, please contact Dana Katbah at 520-798-0500 or PledgeaJob@pima.gov or Vaughn Croft at 520-724-3018 or VCroft@pima.gov.

For more information about One-Stop, please visit
www.pima.gov/ced/employment-training.shtml.

For more information about the Workforce Investment Board, go to www.pima.gov/ced/agencies-workforce-investment-board.shtml.

The Pima County Housing Center wants homeowners who may have been wrongly harmed by foreclosure in 2009 or 2010 to know that they may be receiving compensation.

Homeowners who requested a free Independent Foreclosure Review by Dec. 31, 2012, in connection with the U.S. government’s enforcement actions against 13 mortgage servicers are among the more than 4.2 million people nationwide who will receive payment.

The $3.6 billion in cash payments come as a result of an agreement between federal banking regulators and the 13 mortgage servicers, including Bank of America; Countrywide; Chase; Citibank; Morgan Stanley; Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.; U.S. Bank; Wachovia Mortgage; and Washington Mutual.

According to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, payments are expected to range from a few hundred dollars to $125,000. Those receiving payment may still pursue their own legal claims against their servicer.

In most cases, a letter and check from the paying agent – Rust Consulting Inc. – will arrive in four to eight weeks. Some borrowers may receive a letter from Rust requesting additional tax-related information that will be needed to process their payment.

To verify that you are covered by the agreement or to update contact information, call Rust Consulting at 1-888-952-9105. Information provided to Rust will only be used for purposes relating to the agreement.

If you need additional help with foreclosure prevention, please contact the Pima County Housing Center at (520) 624-2947; or the Homeowner’s HOPE Hotline at 888-995-HOPE (4673) or at www.makinghomeaffordable.gov.

The review process for more than 450,000 borrowers serviced by OneWest, Everbank, and GMAC Mortgage continues because these companies did not enter into the agreement with federal banking regulators. Regulators expect the review process for these companies to be completed over the course of the coming year. Eligible borrowers at these servicers who requested a review will receive information about their review when it is available.

For more information, please visit:

• https://independentforeclosurereview.com/Settled.aspx.
• The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (www.occ.gov/independentforeclosurereview).
• The Federal Reserve (http://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerinfo/independent-foreclosure-review.htm).
• The Pima County Housing Center, 801 W. Congress, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays or call (520) 624-2947.

Slide 1 of 4.
Source: Tucson Cactus and Succulent SocietySlide 2 of 4.
Source: Tucson Cactus and Succulent SocietySlide 3 of 4.
Source: Tucson Cactus and Succulent SocietySlide 4 of 4.
Source: Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society

Spend some quality time with cactus and cactus lovers at the free Pima Prickly Park celebration and expo on Sunday, April 14.

Saguarohenge. Photo: Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society

Pima Prickly Park covers nine acres at 3500 W. River Road and is an educational joint venture between the Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department and the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Several Tucson growers of cactus and succulents will be selling their plants. The Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society will be selling rescued saguaros (up to 30 inches tall), golden hedgehog cactus and mammalaria from 10 a.m. to noon.

The festivities will include tours of the park, presentations and exhibits by educational groups and vendors, activities for children, and free prickly pear snow cones.

Check out:

• The handicapped-accessible paths and ramadas.
• Saguarohenge, a circle of stately saguaros.
• The hummingbird garden.
• The many varieties of cactus and succulents that thrive here.

Members of the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society have invested hundreds of volunteer hours salvaging plants from areas slated for construction and relocating them in the park. County staff have developed trails within the park and are responsible for irrigation and overall maintenance.

For more information about Pima Prickly Park, please visit www.pimapricklypark.org.

Young people ages 14-21 can explore career opportunities in aerospace, defense, manufac-turing and machining at Pima County’s free Youth Career Expo on Wednesday, April 10.

Seating is limited! Youth must RSVP by Sunday, March 31. Fill out the RSVP form at http://www.pima.gov/ced/employment-training/et-summer-youth-program.shtml, save it to your computer and email it as an attachment to Rebecca.Pitman@acehs.org or fax it to her at 520-791-9893. Also email her any concerns or issues completing the form.

The Expo will run from 3 to 6 p.m. at Tucson International Airport, 7250 S. Tucson Blvd.

It will feature exhibits and representatives from aerospace, defense, manufacturing and machining employers and educators, including the University of Arizona Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department, the Pima Community College Aviation Program, CAID Industries, Prototron Circuits, and Ascent Aviation Services.

Participants will have opportunities to attend presentations and participate in discussions about various career choices.

About 300 young people attended the first Pima County Youth Career Expo in November, which focused on health-care careers.

The Expos are organized by the Pima County Workforce Investment Board Youth Council and the Pima County One-Stop Career Center.

For more information about the April 10 Expo, please contact Dana Katbah at 520-798-0500 or PledgeaJob@pima.gov or Vaughn Croft at 520-724-3018 or VCroft@pima.gov.

For more information about One-Stop, please visit www.pima.gov/ced/employment-training.shtml.

For more information about the Workforce Investment Board, go to www.pima.gov/ced/agencies-workforce-investment-board.shtml.

The Tucson Padres return to Kino Stadium April 12-19 for their first homestand of the season against Fresno and Salt Lake City. Fireworks follow the Saturday, April 13, game.

Games start at 7:05 p.m. (1:05 p.m. on Sunday). For tickets, visit www.tucsonpadres.com, stop by the Kino Stadium box office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays or call 520-434-1367.

You can listen to the Padres’ opening game on Thursday, April 4, at Salt Lake City at 5:25 p.m. on 1290 AM The Source.

Also coming up in April at Kino Sports Complex:

• The 15^th Annual Southern Arizona Procurement Fair is Friday, April 5, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. People who make purchasing decisions, are seeking local suppliers, or want to do business with Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, City of Tucson Housing and Community Development and Pima County Procurement Department, as well as federal agencies, can network, exchange information and attend workshops at Kino Stadium. For more information, please visit http://www.pima.gov/procure/index.asp.
• The Lazydays RV Show, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 5 and 6, will offer special pricing on a huge selection of towables, five wheels, and motorized coaches. Over 60 units will be on display for viewing in the Kino Stadium main parking lot. If you love RVing you don’t want to miss this show with free admission and free parking. The dealership is located a short distance from Kino at 3200 E. Irvington or visit www.lazydays.com to see the wide selection of vehicles for sale.
• The 2013 NAMIWalk Southern Arizona on Saturday, April 6, is a fundraiser as well as an awareness raiser for the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Southern Arizona. The walk check-in begins at 7 a.m. at Kino Stadium, and 5K or 3K walks begin at 9 a.m. Food and entertainment will be provided. Participation is free but donations are appreciated. Proceeds are used to provide essential and free education, advocacy and support group programs for people living with mental illness and their loved ones; and to encourage mental illness research. More than 4,000 people participated last year. For more information or to register, please visit http://www.namisa.org/.

KFMA Day 2013, Southern Arizona’s largest outdoor concert festival, is Saturday, May 4, at Kino Stadium. The all-ages show starts at 1 p.m.; doors open at noon. Tickets are on sale now at all Domino’s Pizza locations or at www.kfma.com.