Celebrate the completion of another segment of The Loop on Friday, April 27, at the south end of Michael Perry Park on Tucson’s East Side.

The Loop is 55 miles of car-free paths being developed around metropolitan Tucson, with links to Marana and Oro Valley, for Pima County residents and visitors on foot, bikes, skates and horses.

The new segment — a project of Pima County and the City of Tucson — extends the Pantano River Park divided path (one gravel; the other, paved) past Michael Perry Park south to Sellarole Road.

The celebration begins at 2 p.m. at the new neighborhood trailhead at East Stella Road.  Bring your bike and join a group fun ride after the celebration.

The Loop will connect Pantano River Park to greenways along Harrison Road and the Julian Wash, Rillito River Park, and Santa Cruz River Park.

For more information, please visit www.pima.gov/TheLoop.

Pima County and the City of Tucson invite the public to two open houses for an update on the progress of The Loop.

The Loop is 55 miles of car-free paths being developed around metropolitan Tucson for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians.  The Loop will link the Rillito, Santa Cruz and Pantano river parks with greenways along the Julian Wash and Harrison Road.

The open houses will provide updates on the Julian Wash and Harrison Greenway seg-ments and answer any questions the public may have.  Project displays will be at each open house for review, and the project team will make a short presentation at 6:15 p.m.

The open houses are:

• 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, at Desert Sky Middle School, 9850 E. Rankin Loop, west of the intersection of Rita Road and Houghton Road.
• 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, at Thomas Jay Regional Park Recreation Center, 6465 S. Craycroft Road.

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

Individuals with disabilities who require accommodations for effective participation and communication in the meeting may call Julie C. Simon at (520) 740-6410 by April 20 for the April 25 meeting or by April 27 for the May 2 meeting to make appropriate arrangements.

Pima County, Ariz. (April 12, 2012) Celebrate Earth Day every day, but especially with us at the 18th Annual Tucson Earth Day Festival and Parade Saturday, April 21, 2012. The theme of the 2012 Festival is “It’s In Your Hands.”

This free family-friendly event is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Reid Park, off Country Club Road north of 22nd Street.

The Parade starts at 10 a.m.  The festival includes live music and food and beverages  for sale.

Fun and engaging exhibits will provide information and hands-on activities, with take-away messages about how to preserve our wonderful world. You’ll learn about water conservation, air quality, household hazardous waste, energy conservation, sustainability, wildlife, nature preserves, solar energy, clean fuels and more. Also, consider adopting or fostering a pet at the pet rescue area.

 Handmade clothing and crafts from all-natural or recycled materials, locally harvested honey, and other eco-friendly products will be available for purchase.

 Be a spectator or join the Parade. Schools, bands, families, community and youth groups, mascots, businesses and agencies will be marching to share friendly messages about eco issues. Floats must be non-motorized or alternate-fueled and can be made from recycled materials for a greater eco example. Interested in joining in-? Contact tucsonearthday@yahoo.com.

 Learn about Alternate-Fuel Vehicles. Curious about saving money on fuel and reducing greenhouse gases?  Vehicles powered by clean fuels such as biodiesel, compressed natural gas, electricity, ethanol, propane and even waste vegetable oil may be on display.

 Model solar race car/solar house competition. This contest is open to middle-school students and will show off their design and construction skills. Kits for this competition are available from the Society of Women Engineers at www.swetucson.org/solar.

For more information, go to www.tucsonearthday.org,  call (520) 206-8814 or e-mail tucsonearthday@yahoo.com. Also, find us on Facebook at Tucson Earth Day Festival.

Pima County, Ariz. (March 29, 2012) – Now there’s an interactive website just for kids that helps them learn about air, water, soil, resource conservation and climate change – and why it’s important for them to learn how to take good care of planet Earth.

The Eco Kids Corner website was developed by Pima County’s Department of Environmental Quality and a student intern from the University of Arizona’s College of Public Health to engage children in learning about the natural world and their role in it. Here’s the link: http://www.cleanair.pima.gov/ .

Not only can they learn fun facts, like how old the Earth is and what air is made of, but they can write poems, guess the answers to science questions, learn why recycling really matters, take a look at the hydrologic cycle and find out about pedology. That’s the study of soil.

The colorful website provides links to other activity-based sites for kids from agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control.

The site also provides links to the local zoo, museums, the Sonoran Desert Kids Club and other venues that offer educational programs and materials for children.

The site includes resources for teachers and inspiration for science fair projects, too.

A special program to introduce the website is set for  Saturday, April 7, at 11 a.m. at the Murphy-Wilmot Branch Public Library, 530 N. Wilmot Road, during the library’s monthly Science Saturday event.

The Pima County Department of Transportation, Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and their contractor, Ashton Company, will be performing various construction activities as part of the Cortaro Farms Road/Magee Road: Thornydale Road to Oracle Road Improvement Project.  These activities include weekend work and a traffic detour on Magee Road.

WEEKEND WORK – February 11-12, 2012
Starting Friday, February 10, 2012, crews will be performing final prep work on the west leg of Magee Road and at the intersection of Magee Road and La Cholla Boulevard for a future traffic shift to the eastbound lanes of Magee Road.  This work will continue through the weekend of February 11-12, 2012, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.  There will be heavy equipment moving through the area and both traffic control personnel and Pima County sheriff’s deputies will be on hand to direct motorists through the construction zone.

DETOUR – Magee Road: between Camino Maximillian and La Cholla Boulevard
Starting Tuesday, February 14, 2012, traffic on Magee Road between Camino Maximillian and La Cholla Boulevard will be detoured to the north of the current roadway for the installation of a box culvert.  This detour is expected to be in place until February 25, 2012.

All businesses will remain accessible during construction.

Please approach these areas with caution and obey all traffic control devices. In the event of mechanical failure or inclement weather, the schedule is subject to change.

For more information, contact Annabelle Valenzuela, Community Relations at (520) 740-6410 or visit the project website at http://roadprojects.pima.gov/CortaroMagee/.

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is the fiscal manager of the $2.1 billion plan approved by Pima County voters on May 16, 2006.  The RTA Board is comprised of representatives from local jurisdictions in Pima County, including the cities of Tucson and South Tucson, Pima County, the towns of Marana, Oro Valley, and Sahuarita, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and the Tohono O’odham Nation.  A representative of the Arizona State Transportation Board also serves on the board.  For more information at the RTA plan, visit www.RTAmobility.com or call (520) 770-0410.

Pima County, Ariz. (Jan. 31, 2012) – Pima County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and the Pima County Local Emergency Planning Committee are offering a free, one-day training opportunity for business and industry, fire departments and local government workers to learn how to protect the community from hazardous materials regulated by government.

The 2012 Business Educational Seminar is set for Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Desert Diamond Casino, 7350 S. Nogales Highway.

The goal of the seminar is to create an understanding of how to create and maintain a safe environment for employees and the community in regard to the transport, storage, use and disposal of hazardous materials.

The seminar also will help these entities prepare, using best practices, for the unintended or accidental release of hazardous materials.

Cost of the seminar is free, paid by a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Presenters invited to the training include the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Industrial Commission of Arizona, City of Tucson Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team, Pima County Regional Hazardous Materials Team, Rural Metro Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team and the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality.

To register, go to: www.pima.gov/lepc/Training.shtml and click on Business Education Seminar.

Pima County is proud to be a sponsor of Cyclovia Tucson, an annual free and “car-free event that opens selected streets to people so that they can walk, skate, run, bicycle, and socialize with their neighbors.”

This year’s event, on Sunday, March 18, will close to cars – and bring a variety of activities to – most of South Fourth and South Eighth avenues between downtown and Interstate 10.

Pima County has committed $15,000 a year for the next three years to Cyclovia Tucson.  It has also arranged a safe route for cyclists to Cyclovia from The Loop, 55 miles of off-street bike and pedestrian paths being developed around metropolitan Tucson.

“Pima County is committed to improving the quality of life for the entire community through our continued investment in recreational programs for all ages,” Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said.

“Development of The Loop is one such investment.  The community feedback has prompted us to expand our wellness offerings to include bicycle training, sponsored rides and other bicycle-related activities.  The more healthy activities the region provides, the better.”

Emily Yetman, 2012 Event Coordinator for Cyclovia Tucson and President of the local nonprofit, Living Streets Alliance, welcomed the County’s support.

“The County has been a leader in promoting health and wellness in the region,” Yetman said, “and we see this as a great partnership since Cyclovia Tucson is all about getting people out to get exercise, have fun, discover more about our community, and give ‘people-powered’ transportation a try.  We’re thrilled!”

The County’s financial support will come from the Pima County Bicycling and Pedestrian Program.

Cyclists on The Loop will be able to ride to Cyclovia via the bike and pedestrian path on the east side of the Santa Cruz River Park through Verdugo Park at West 19th Street and onto West 18th Street to South Eighth Avenue (see map below).  Guided rides to the event from various parts of the Tucson area are also being organized.

Pima County’s programs and services – including its educational, sustainability and environmental efforts; The Loop; and the Pima County Public Library and Health Department – will be highlighted at Santa Rita Park, South Fourth Avenue and East 22nd Street.

For more information about Cyclovia Tucson, visit www.cycloviatucson.org.

For more information about the following Pima County programs, check out the following links:

Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, including free bicycle safety classes, http://bikeped.pima.gov.

The Loop,  www.pima.gov/TheLoop

New Loop video, www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Etsx13J3M

Public Library,  www.library.pima.gov

Health Department,  www.pimahealth.org

Sustainability efforts,  www.pima.gov/Sustainability/

Environmental programs,  www.deq.pima.gov

Las Artes GED program,  www.pima.gov/CED/CR/LasArtes.html

Buffelgrass eradication efforts,  www.pima.gov/nrpr/eeduc/volunteers/sdweedwackers

Pima County, Ariz.(Nov. 21, 2011) – Why does the early morning sky look hazy, now that cooler weather is here?

Meteorologists call this phenomenon a temperature inversion. It’s what happens when early morning temperatures fall, trapping pollutants in the chilly air. Warm air above the cool air traps the cooler air below, and keeps it from rising.

That’s what causes the haze, as airborne pollutants hang closer to ground level. But as the sun rises and the cool air warms, the hazy air begins to rise, carrying airborne pollutants with it. The hazy air moves higher and higher, dispersing as it goes, and improving visibility.

This often yellowish-brownish haze occurs mostly in winter, when nights are longer and the air stays cool until the sun rises in the sky.

Tucson is surrounded by mountains, and they contribute to the winter inversions. The mountains cause an overnight downward flow of cold air onto the desert floor and that cold air can increase the strength and duration of these morning temperature inversions.

What this means is that air quality can be poorer in winter as pollutants from motor vehicles, industry and fireplaces remain trapped longer in the air we breathe.

People can help reduce winter air pollution levels by driving less often, limiting idling our vehicles to a minute or less, and reducing our use of fireplaces.

Fireplaces are inefficient sources of heat. When you have the option, choose natural gas, electric or solar-powered heat or a wood stove certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.

To reduce the use of polluting fossil fuels, carpool or take the bus if you can, and do more than one errand while you’re out, to reduce the number of trips you make. And, if you can, drive a vehicle powered by an alternate energy source, such as electricity.

For more on local air pollution levels in Tucson, including particulates, ozone and carbon monoxide readings, go to www.AirInfoNow.org.  Also, call Pima County’s Department of Environmental Quality air pollution hotline: (520) 882-4AIR or (520) 882-4347.

Beth Gorman