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.

The proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2013/14, which is scheduled for final adoption in mid-June, is primarily a maintenance-of-effort budget. With no significant expansion or addition of programs, the recommended budget is slightly higher than the current year’s budget, by 2.6 percent.

The County primary levy – which is the sum total of primary property taxes the County collects to fund general operations – has been reduced by more than $39 million over the past four years as a result of declining real estate values. Overall, in light of reduced revenues and despite increased service demands, budgets for General Fund departments have been cut 11.5 percent since Fiscal Year 2007/08, and the County workforce has shrunk by 12.8 percent.

While the sales tax and vehicle license tax are beginning to recover, the market value of existing property in the County is anticipated to decrease 8 percent next fiscal year.

A major source of revenue for the County budget is property tax.  The recommended and balanced County budget will reduce total property taxes by $4.3 million for next year.  Property taxes fall into two categories – primary and secondary.

To afford key priorities, the County Administrator is proposing to increase the primary property tax rate by 24 cents, from $3.41 per $100 of assessed valuation to $3.65. As a point of reference, 10 years ago, the primary property tax rate was $4.07.  The proposed rate would essentially keep the amount of primary property taxes for next year the same as that collected this year and allow the County to:

• Invest $5 million to fix and maintain approximately 100 miles of County roads;
• Supplement the Sheriff’s and County Attorney’s offices by $4 million to replace declining federal and state revenues;
• Replace $4 million that would be lost to the general fund because of declining property values;
• Afford a 1 percent cost-of-living adjustment for employees at the beginning of the fiscal year, with 2 percent to follow at the start of 2014. Employees have not received an across-the-board compensation increase since Fiscal Year 2007/08, with the exception of a 1 percent adjustment related to increased retirement contributions in Fiscal Year 2011/12.   (Continued)

With the exception of the Library District, secondary property taxes will decrease.  The Library District tax rate will increase by 2.9 cents, bringing the total rate to 37 cents.

Even with the primary and library tax rate bump, the County is still expected to collect $4.3 million less in taxes than it collected this fiscal year due to continued declining property tax valuations and an expected reduction in the secondary tax base next year.

Meanwhile, the County’s projected end balance for this year’s budget is $44 million. Recommended uses of these non-recurring, one-time resources include:

• $15 million to University of Arizona Medical Center – South Campus, which since 2005 has seen an 87 percent increase in adjusted patient days, an increase of 22 percent in emergency department visits and a nearly 300 percent increase in surgical procedures.
• $2.2 million to subsidize three departments hit particularly hard by the prolonged recession: solid waste, development services and the stadium district.
• $3.4 million in a one-time employee compensation award, based on length of employment, to address inflation.
• $22.8 million in general fund reserves. A healthy reserve contributes to an enhanced bond rating, which has saved the County $2 million a year in lower interest payments on bond projects.

“This budget responsibly balances priorities while being sensitive to ongoing economic challenges,” said Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry. “It continues the work we’ve done to keep spending in line with revenues, while ensuring that we make the investments we must to promote opportunity and ensure Pima County continues to move forward.”

To see the Pima County Administrator’s memorandum about the recommended budget, please visit http://www.pima.gov/finance/AdptBdgt/2013-2014/pdf/00btransmit.pdf. Please check out the recommended budget in its entirety at http://www.pima.gov/finance/RecBdgt/2013-2014/index.html

The North Stadium, which is expected to be completed in October 2013, will include a grandstand that will seat 1,600-1,800, additional bleachers for up to 400, a new scoreboard, and restroom and concession facilities. It is part of the County’s $2.8 million investment in improvements at Kino Sports Complex, which will also include adding a sixth soccer field and a new main entrance to the soccer fields.

Pima County Supervisors Chairman Ramón Valadez, District 2, and Supervisor Richard Elías, District 5, will join the owners of FC Tucson for a news conference at 4:45 p.m. followed by a groundbreaking ceremony.

Members of the public are invited to have their photographs taken with a ceremonial hard hat and shovel.

Tickets for FC Tucson’s 2013 season will be for sale. The first home match is May 18 against the Southern California Seahorses at the North Grandstand field. Season tickets for seven Premier Development League and three non-PDL matches are $100 for adults and $80 for youth ages 3-12 (not including a $10 surcharge/ticket and tax).

The first 1,600 fans to purchase 2013 season tickets will reserve a chance to order 2014 season tickets at the new stadium.

FC Tucson, established in 2010, owns FC Tucson Soccer, Tucson’s top-level soccer team, and the FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup. In 2012, FC Tucson was named the PDL Rookie Franchise of the Year. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.fctucson.com.

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 1,000-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.

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.

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.

Organizers expect more than 500 people at the Beat Cancer Boot Camp Challenge on Saturday, March 16, at Brandi Fenton Park.  The race, a 5K obstacle course run that takes place along the Rillito River Park, and associated festivities will take place between 6 a.m. and noon.

Bicyclists, walkers, and other Loop users should be cautious in this area and yield to people participating in the Challenge event.

Athletes race as individuals or in  five-person teams. They will walk, run, climb or crawl through mud pits, climbing stations and other obstacles built by local members of the Army, Navy, ROTC, Fire Stations, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and SWAT. The military-style 5K obstacle course runs along the Rillito River dirt trail and the adjacent wash.

Pima County Natural Resources, Parks, and Recreation Department is a sponsor of this event. All proceeds from the event will support Beat Cancer Boot Camp, a local non-profit exercise and support group for cancer patients, cancer survivors and anyone whose life is affected by cancer.

The Loop 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 or extensions. 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.

For more information about the Challenge, visit: http://beatcancerbootcamp.com/?page_id=259

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

As a result, the racing season, which was to end Sunday, March 17, has been extended an additional weekend – to March 23-24.

Gates open at 11 a.m. at the track at 4502 N. First Ave. Post time is 1 p.m. Racing ends at 5:30.

Eight or nine races are held each Saturday and Sunday.

Children under 12 get in free to the grandstand and clubhouse. The clubhouse offers a full restaurant and bars. Snack and beverage bars are on both levels of the grandstand. And parking is free (valet parking is available).

General admission, including the grandstand                             $5

Clubhouse seating                                                                         $8

Window seating in the grandstand                                             $10

Tables for four along the windows in the grandstand   $20

Tables for four along the windows in the clubhouse                 $25

Call the track at 520-293-5011 or learn more about it and other family attractions in Southern Arizona online at www.tucsonattractions.com.

Avoid traffic congestion and find free parking at Kino Sports Complex when the Arizona Diamondbacks play the San Diego Padres on Sunday, March 17, and the Chicago Cubs take on the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, March 21.

Come early. The games start at 1:05 p.m. Gates will open at 11 a.m. The Will Call ticket window opens at 10 a.m.

Motorists need to know that they can access stadium parking from Country Club Road via Milber Street as well as from Ajo Way via Forgeus Avenue.

Pima County Sheriff’s deputies (and message boards on March 21) on main roadways and parking lot attendants will be directing motorists. Be alert. Pay attention.

Motorists headed to the University of Arizona Medical Center – South Campus should stay in the left lane on Ajo Way.

From northwest of Kino Sports Complex on Interstate 10, eastbound vehicles are encouraged to take:

• exit 262 onto Benson Highway and then left onto East Ajo Way.
• exit 264B onto South Palo Verde Road, then left onto Irvington Road and then right onto Country Club Road.

From southeast of Kino Sports Complex on I-10, westbound vehicles are encouraged to take:

• exit 264, turn left onto Irvington Road, then right onto northbound Palo Verde or Country Club.

From north or south of the complex, Park Avenue, Country Club and Palo Verde all connect to Ajo Way.

Consider carpooling or taking a bus to the game. Kino Sports Complex is on Sun Tran Route 11, which travels every 30 minutes weekdays on Ajo Way between South Sixth Avenue and Palo Verde Boulevard (visit www.suntran.com).

To purchase tickets, visit the Kino Stadium box office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, call (520) 434-1367 or visit www.tucsonpadres.com.

For more information about Kino Sports Complex, please visit www.kinosportscomplex.com.

In honor of the ‘Cats, as they face off against Arizona State University, Pima Animal Care Center will waive the adoption fee for one cat for anyone wearing UA gear.

And to make sure our pups aren’t left out of all the fun, those home team aficionados more partial to canines can name their own adoption fee.

To kick off the festivities, we’ll have a dog walk and cat cuddle from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m.

Adoption specials, food and family activities will follow from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., leaving plenty of time to make it home for tipoff.

Kids of all ages can help us build cat toys, including colorful kitty mobiles, to provide enrichment activities for our feline guests.

With pets of all sizes, shapes, colors and ages, finding your next family member at our adoption center should be a slam dunk.

Come visit us at 4000 N. Silverbell Roador at www.pima.gov/animalcare