The Pima County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, May 14, approved a master plan for the property, including naming it the Mary Henderson Desert Center.

According to an obituary in the Decatur, Ill., Herald & Review, Mary Ewing Henderson died April 19, 2002, in Tucson after a long illness. She was 88. She married Arthur Henderson in 1948 and they made their home in the Tucson Mountains. Her husband died in 1952, but “her love of the desert and mountains led to her strong advocacy of maintaining open space and her longtime support of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum,” the obituary said.

The title to the property on West Anklam Road (see attached maps) passed to the museum when Mary Henderson died. In 2012, the museum donated the property to Pima County.

The master plan, already approved by the Pima County Parks and Recreation Commission, calls for the County to conserve the Henderson residence “and, possibly, adaptively repurpose the residential structure as an environmental education center … or park-related operations center.”

The County will “preserve the biotic communities and geological and hydrological features found at this site, restore natural habitat that has previously been disturbed, pursue the establishment of a wildlife corridor that connects the Mary Henderson Property to adjacent native habitat including Tucson Mountain Park, … construct a mixed-use pedestrian, equestrian and mountain bike trails system and trailheads, … (and) develop and install interpretive displays that detail the site’s history….

“Pima County shall continue to work with adjacent landowners to secure access and connectivity necessary to adjoin this site to Tucson Mountain Park.”

“I know this is something she wanted to happen,” Supervisor Sharon Bronson, District 3, said of Mary Henderson before the Board took action.

Thanks to a generous donation from the Knights of Pythias Tucson Lodge #9, in partnership with the Picture Rocks Fire District, the first 50 area residents to register will get FREE swim lessons at the Picture Rocks pool, 5615 N. Sanders Road (see attached flyer).

Session I: June 3-June 13
Session II: June 17-June 27

Registration for Sessions I and II begins at 7:30 a.m. Friday, May 31 (Ajo pool swim lesson registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, June 1) and continues during open hours.

Lessons cost $20 for a two-week session (8 classes). Register at your local pool. Classes are available for children as young as 6 months. For specific class offerings and times, please call your local pool.

You may register for both Session I and II at this time. If your child progresses in one session to the next skill level, every effort will be made to accommodate him/her in the next level class in the next session.

Session III: July 8-July 18
Session IV: July 22-August 1 (Manzanita Pool Session IV will be M-F week 1 and M-W week 2 – ending on July 31 since TUSD goes back to school on August 1.)

Registration for Sessions III and IV begins at 7:30 a.m. Friday, June 28, and continues during open hours. You may register for both Session III and IV at that time.

If three or more lessons are cancelled in any given session due to lightning or mechanical malfunction, lessons will continue past August 1.

Swim lessons at Mulcahy YMCA at Kino Community Center and Northwest YMCA-Thad Terry pools are taught through the YMCA. Please call 838-0938 at (Mulcahy) or 229-9006 at Thad Terry for information on swim lessons and fees.

For other information about Pima County pools, including addresses, phone numbers and swim team opportunities, please visit http://www.pima.gov/nrpr/pools/index.htm.

New inflatable ship at Flowing Wells Pool

Get a head start on swim season at the Grand Reopening of the Flowing Wells Pool, 4545 N. La Cholla Blvd., on Saturday, May 18.

Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson, District 3, and Dr. Nicholas Clement, the superintendent of the Flowing Wells Unified School District, will speak at 10 a.m. followed by a free public swim until 1 p.m.

The pool at Flowing Wells Junior High School was upgraded during the off season. Improvements include:

• New filtration system.
• New tile and plaster in the pool.
• New pool deck and perimeter pool fence.
• Two additional permanent shade structures.

You can’t miss the inflatable ship!

Pool Season

Pima County’s seasonal swimming pools will open Memorial Day weekend – Saturday, May 25 – and be open through Labor Day – Monday, Sept. 2. (The Ajo pool will open for Memorial Day weekend, close and then reopen on June 1, 2013, for the remainder of summer.)

For admission fees, pool addresses and phone numbers, and other information, please visit http://www.pima.gov/nrpr/pools/index.htm.

Swimming Classes – Swim Lessons

The first of four sessions of swim lessons begins Monday, June 3. Lessons cost $20 for a two-week session (8 classes).  Register at your local pool. Classes are available for children as young as 6 months. For specific class offerings and times, please call your local pool.

Session I: June 3-June 13
Session II: June 17-June 27

Registration for Sessions I and II begins at 7:30 a.m. Friday, May 31 (Ajo pool swim lesson registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, June 1) and continues during open hours.

You may register for both Session I and II at this time. If your child progresses in one session to the next skill level, every effort will be made to accommodate him/her in the next level class in the next session.

Session III: July 8-July 18
Session IV: July 22-August 1 (Manzanita Pool Session IV will be M-F week 1 and M-W week 2 – ending on July 31 since TUSD goes back to school on August 1.)

Registration for Sessions III and IV begins at 7:30 a.m. Friday, June 28, and continues during open hours. You may register for both Session III and IV at this time.

If three or more lessons are cancelled in any given session due to lightning or mechanical malfunction, lessons will continue past August 1.

Swim lessons at Mulcahy YMCA at Kino Community Center and Northwest YMCA-Thad Terry pools are taught through the YMCA. Please call 838-0938 at (Mulcahy) or 229-9006 at Thad Terry for information on swim lessons and fees.

Swim Team

The Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department’s Novice Summer Swim Team Program provides a fun, exciting, and rewarding swimming experience for children ages 5 to 18 at all Pima County pools except the Thad Terry and Picture Rocks pools, and at the Marana Pool, 13251 N. Lon Adams Road.

The fee is $20 for the entire summer (includes practices and meets).

Registration begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 25, at any pool offering the program and will continue during regular pool hours until June 20 (or until the team at a specific pool reaches capacity).

The first swim practice is May 28. Swim meets are on Saturday mornings or nights during June and July. Swim meets will begin on June 1 and will continue until the Championship swim meet on July 13.

Marana Marlins may have a different fee and registration times. For more information regarding the Marana Marlins, contact Sara Bauer at 520-342-6401or maranamarlins@gmail.com.

For additional swim team information, please call (520) 877-6126 or (520) 877-6109 or visit http://www.pima.gov/nrpr/pools/swimteams.htm.

The Thad Terry swim team is offered through the YMCA. Please contact Thad Terry at 229-9006 for more information.

Cyclists riding on the north side of the Rillito River on The Loop.

Advocate for all kinds of bicycle riders at the Tucson-Pima Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC). Advise local policy makers on transportation, recreation, and safety issues for bicyclists. The County seeks volunteers who live in unincorporated Pima County to serve on the BAC.

 
The BAC advises City and County government staff and elected officials on bike projects throughout the region. Members attend a two-hour meeting on the second Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. Typically, the BAC meets 10 months of the year. Volunteers can also join subcommittees that focus on specific issues like bike facilities, education, enforcement, and a few others.

 
Established in 1987, this committee is the oldest joint committee that includes representatives from the County, City of Tucson, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, University of Arizona, and the Towns of Marana, Oro Valley and Sahuarita. The BAC has been very successful in helping develop innovative bike projects and bike safety education programs.

 
Due in part to BAC’s efforts, the League of American Bicyclists awarded Gold to the eastern Pima County-Tucson region in 2008 and 2012; and Outside Magazine ranks Tucson as the top “bike town” in the United States.

 
Interested in taking action to keep Pima County and Tucson at the top of national bike lists? Please contact Matt Zoll at 243-BIKE (2453) or Matthew.Zoll@pima.gov.

 
For more information about Tucson-Pima Bicycle Advisory Committee, visit: http://biketucson.pima.gov/

Cyclovia Map, Sunday, April 28

Join thousands of walkers, strollers, dancers, skateboarders, and bicyclists at Cyclovia this Sunday, April 28, to celebrate car-free and care-free streets.  Bike Fest month in Tucson and Pima County wraps up with this family event that takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The east end of the festival is Dodge Boulevard, near Brandi Fenton Park, and Keeling Desert Park on Glenn Street marks the west end of the four-mile route.

County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry will lead a ride to Cyclovia from Kory Laos BMX track, part of the Flowing Wells Park, located at 5510 N. Shannon Road, at the Rillito River. The ride begins Sunday at 9:30 a.m., and will follow the Rillito River Park portion of The Loop for a ride of eight miles to Dodge Boulevard.

The attached map shows the location of “activity centers,” including DJs, food trucks, live music, pop-up skate and BMX spots, bike helmet give-aways and more. La Madera Park hosts a bike rodeo and also features jumping castles. Streets closed to cars are Dodge Boulevard, Blacklidge Avenue, Mountain Avenue and Glenn Street.

‪Bring your family and check out the urban wildlife display from Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation. Then walk or ride on wide-open streets to the rock-climbing wall, bike decoration station, and enjoy great food from local restaurants on the route. Cyclovia gives people from the greater Tucson region the chance to see neighbors, friends and other folks from throughout the area, and get a little exercise.

Building on the first Cyclovia on April 7 in downtown Tucson, Pima County will provide information and fun activities from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, Department of Environmental Quality’s Clean Air Program, the Health Department, Regional Wastewater and Reclamation Department, and the Office of Sustainability.

For more information about Cyclovia, visit: http://www.cycloviatucson.org/

For more information about The Loop, visit: www.pima.gov/TheLoop.

Registrations are still being accepted this week for the Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department’s April 28-June 23 session of arts, crafts and special interest classes and workshops.

The deadline to register for the June 30-Aug. 25 session is June 24.

Classes for children as young as 4 include pottery, tennis and martial arts. Classes for adults ages 16 and older include art, jewelry, pottery, tennis, fitness, self-defense, preparing for death, and firearms instruction and safety.

Class descriptions, schedules, fees and registration forms are available online at http://www.pima.gov/nrpr/classes/index.htm or in the Pima County Special Interest Classes booklets available at Pima County Public Library branches.

Registrations are only accepted by mail. No faxed, phoned-in or walk-in registrations are accepted. Classes are filled on a first-received, first-registered basis.

Classes are held at six locations: A-Long’s Kung Fu Academy, 150 S. Camino Seco #12; Virgil Ellis Rifle and Pistol Range, Ajo Regional Park, Ajo; Flowing Wells Community Center, 1660 W. Ruthrauff Road; Northwest Art Center, 7770 N. Shannon Road; Omni Tucson National, 2727 W. Club Drive; and SE Regional Park Shooting Range, 11296 S. Harrison Road.

For class information, email LeisureClasses@pima.gov or call 520-877-6090.

“It’s an honor to receive this award on behalf of all the Public Works staff who work so hard on The Loop,” said Bernal. The Loop started as a Regional Flood Control District (RFCD) bank protection project with river parks built to mitigate project impacts. Staff from RFCD; Natural Resources, Parks, and Recreation; and the Department of Transportation worked together on the path and adjacent recreational facilities.

The Loop’s shared-use path encompasses both banks of four major river systems or waterways. Pima County residents and visitors can enjoy biking, walking, or horseback riding along the Rillito River, the Santa Cruz River, the Pantano Wash, the Julian Wash and the Harrison Greenway. The Loop also has path extensions along tributary washes. This includes the Tanque Verde Wash and the Cañada del Oro Wash.

More than one third of the metropolitan population lives within a half mile of The Loop or Loop extended paths.

In addition to excellent infrastructure, Pima County has great bike education programs, too. “I love my job,” said Rivera de Rosales, “I get to play games with kids this morning, teaching them about bike safety, and this afternoon, I’ll be riding with kids at a pump track we built together.” He works with elementary and middle school students, teaching bike safety in fun ways that emphasize individual responsibility. He also works with adult refugees, teaching them how to bike safely on Tucson’s busy streets.

Other award recipients today were: Greg Yares, Bicycling Advocacy Award; Duncan Benning, Bicycling Advocacy Award; Elizabeth Crump, Bicycle Commuter Award; Joseph Suida, Bicycle Commuter Award; and Technicians for Sustainability, Bicycle-Friendly Business Award.

Be sure to check out other great events during Pedal the Pueblo week, including Bike to Work and School Commuter Stations on Wednesday, April 10. The stations will be open 7 to 9 a.m. with free snacks at Jácome Plaza downtown, Himmel Park Library, and Mountain Avenue and Ft. Lowell Road.

For more information about The Loop, visit: www.pima.gov/TheLoop.

For more information about bicycle education programs, visit: http://bikeped.pima.gov/index.html.

Loop users can continue to enjoy the paths, but should watch for trucks in this area. Drivers should also be prepared for additional truck traffic on Swan Road.

Pima County Regional Flood Control District (RFCD) is in the process of removing sediment from the Rillito River east of Swan Road. RFCD will remove excess sediment in order to improve the flood-carrying capacity of the channel.

The contractor, Ashton Company, intends to route approximately 60 to 70 trucks with sediment daily from the channel through the dirt parking lot located at the southeast corner of Swan Road and the Rillito River.

Ashton will post a flagger/spotter for traffic control at The Loop shared use path crossing location east of the Swan Road Bridge.  Bicyclists and pedestrians can expect minor delays at the location of the truck crossing.  Other than the truck traffic, all sediment-removal activities will occur in the bottom of the wash area.

For more information about The Loop, visit: www.pima.gov/TheLoop.

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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.

Beginning on Wednesday, March 20, Pima County Regional Flood Control District (RFCD) will begin the process of removing sediment from the Rillito River east of Swan Road. RFCD will remove excess sediment in order to improve the flood-carrying capacity of the channel.  Loop users should continue to enjoy the paths, but should watch for trucks in this area. Drivers should also be prepared for additional truck traffic on Swan Road.

The contractor, Ashton Company, intends to route approximately 60 to 70 trucks with sediment daily from the channel to the dirt parking lot located at the southeast corner of Swan Road and the Rillito River. The trucks then will travel southbound on Swan Road to a destination south of the Tucson International Airport. Operations will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Ashton will post a flagger/spotter for traffic control at The Loop shared use path crossing location east of the Swan Road Bridge.  Bicyclists and pedestrians can expect minor delays at the location of the truck crossing.  Other than the truck traffic, all sediment-removal activities will occur in the bottom of the wash area.

RFCD anticipates the project will last approximately one month.

The Loop path encompasses both banks of four major river systems or waterways. Pima County residents and visitors can enjoy biking, walking, or running along the Rillito River, the Santa Cruz River, the Pantano Wash, the Julian Wash and the Harrison Greenway.  The Loop also has path extensions along tributary washes or extensions. These include the Tanque Verde Wash and the Cañada del Oro Wash.

More than one third of the metropolitan population lives within a half mile of the Loop or Loop extended paths.

For more information about The Loop, visit: www.pima.gov/TheLoop.