Looking for ways to get creative, try something new or find “cool” activities to keep busy during the hot summer days? From May 24 to July 21, the Pima County Public Library (PCPL) annual summer reading program has something for everyone. The statewide theme for this year’s program – “Our State, Our Story: Celebrating 100 Years of Arizona“ – honors Arizona’s centennial and is woven throughout many of the programs, workshops and events that will be offered throughout the summer.

PCPL is excited about the new focus of this year’s program: reading for pleasure, instilling a love of reading for all ages and encouraging people to participate in activities that they get to choose. Adults can explore and experiment with native plants, learn about being a better photographer, or paint a desert landscape. Teens can create their own anime superhero when they’re not busy getting fit with Cardio Kung Fu. Families and children can discover the art of juggling, enjoy storytimes and learn how to build and launch a rocket.

Starting May 24, here’s how you can participate:

• Visit any Pima County Public Library to sign up and receive your Summer Reading Passport, Arizona Adventure Pass and summer events calendar newspaper.
• Decide what your personal reading goal will be, and write it in your passport.
• Take a look at our list of 100 activities inside the summer events calendar or at www.library.pima.gov. Choose any six activities from the list.
• Log the completed activities in your passport all summer long.
• Get your passport stamped at your library as you complete your reading goal and activities.

Summer Program Special Events

Teens Unite & Write – Teens ages 13-18 are invited to collaborate in writing an online story that will be posted on the library’s website as it unfolds. A local author writes the first part; teen writers create what happens next!

Summer Reading Night – Saturday, June 23, 6–10 p.m., Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Free for readers 2 -14 with their Adventure Pass and one paid adult admission. Come hear the tales of coyotes, cats, beavers, bats, owls, tarantulas and other nocturnal creatures!

Harry and the Potters – Thursday, July 19, 5 p.m., Hotel Congress. Free for all ages. Wizard rockers Harry and the Potters return for a night of magic and book-ish hard rock!

Summer Reading Finale Celebration – Saturday, July 21, 8–11 a.m., Reid Park Zoo. Free for readers ages 2-14 who complete their six activities. Say “hi” to the animals, make crafts and celebrate reading!

Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert – Saturday, July 21, 8–10 p.m., Joel D. Valdez Main Library. Free for all ages. Join us for a truly rockin’ concert featuring three local teen bands!

ANIME AND COMICS EVENT TO KICK OFF LIBRARY’S SUMMER READING PROGRAM

The Pima County Public Library invites Tucson-area tweens and teens to kick off its annual Summer Reading Program with MangaMania!! on Saturday, May 19, 6-10 p.m., at the Murphy-Wilmot Branch Library, 530 N. Wilmot. The free event drew 500 attendees last year.

Manga, a form of comics that originated in Japan, is wildly popular with teens and young adults in the United States. Tweens and teens ages 11-18 who love everything manga – including “cosplay” (costuming), gaming, crafts and origami, watching anime, or writing and drawing manga – will want to get there early. Party-goers can earn manga money to buy merchandise and food, make costumes on-site or come wearing their own, and exchange manga at the  Bookmans booth. Teens who bring two cans of food for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona will earn extra manga money.

Jennifer Caldwell, Electronic Resources Librarian for Pima County Public Library and one of the event organizers, said that close to 1,000 teens are expected to attend this year. “Our goal is to have something fun for everyone, including parents,” Caldwell said. “MangaMania!! will have workshops, demonstrations, hands-on activities, and opportunities to meet and talk with other fans, as well as professional writers and artists. We’ll have it all!”

Event Highlights

• Costume contest at 8:15 p.m.
• Be the first to check out brand new manga.
• Sign up for the Yu-Gi-Oh! Tournament sponsored by Showtime Cards.
• Talk one-on-one with artist Aaron Ancheta of Scott Pilgrim fame at the Heroes & Villains table, and then attend his comic writing workshop
• Enjoy demonstrations in martial arts, sushi-making, and Japanese writing.
• Parents: Learn all about manga and comics at the “Manga 101” panel discussion.

Visit  http://www.library.pima.gov for the full schedule of events.

About Pima County Public Library

The Pima County Public Library (PCPL) enriches lives and builds community through opportunities to learn, know, interact, and grow. With 27 branches and one affiliate library serving diverse communities across Pima County in southern Arizona, PCPL provides a wide range of free services that contribute to the economic development of the community and provide individuals with educational and recreational opportunities to improve their lives. For more information, visit www.library.pima.gov or call 791-4010.

Pima County’s seasonal swimming pools will open Memorial Day weekend – Saturday, May 26 – and be open through Labor Day – Monday, Sept. 3.

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 4.  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.

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 (see flyer below).

Session I: June 4-June 14
Session II: June 18-June 28

Registration for Sessions I and II begins at 7:30 a.m. Friday, June 1 (Ajo pool swim lesson registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, June 2) 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 9-July 19
Session IV: July 23-August 2

Registration for Sessions III and IV begins at 7:30 a.m. Friday, June 29, 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 2.

Swim lessons at Kino and Northwest YMCA-Thad Terry pools are taught through the YMCA.  Please call 838-0938 at Kino 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 6 to 18 at all Pima County pools except the Thad Terry and Picture Rocks pools.

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

Registration begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 26, at any pool offering the program and will continue during regular pool hours until June 21 (or until the team at a specific pool reaches capacity).

The first swim practice is May 29.  Swim meets are on Saturday mornings or nights during June and July. Swim meets will begin on June 2 and will continue until the Championship swim meet on July 14.

For additional 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.

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. (April 6, 2012) – As people prepare to gather for Easter and Passover, the Pima County Health Department asks they be vigilant in preventing the spread of Norovirus, especially around the elderly and children.

The health department is investigating seven clusters of the virus in long-term and assisted-living facilities in the area.

Seeing Norovirus circulate in these types of facilities is not uncommon but health officials say that seeing so many at one time is unusual. Norovirus is more commonly known as “stomach flu” or “24 hour flu,” even though it has no relation to the flu (influenza) virus.

Norovirus is highly contagious and can be spread through person-to-person contact, consumption of contaminated food and water, airborne droplets of vomit and contact with contaminated surfaces, such as doorknobs and faucets.

Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps usually lasting 24 to 72 hours without any serious complications. The elderly, infants, and people with other medical conditions can suffer more serious symptoms. They may have to be hospitalized and the disease can be fatal. It’s especially important to protect these people from the disease.

Dr. Michelle McDonald, Chief Medical Officer of the Pima County Health Department, said: “The most important thing to realize is that extra precautions should be taken to prevent the spread of this disease when we are seeing so much of it amongst the people most vulnerable to it – the elderly.”  Here is her advice:

• Wash your hands often. This is especially important for medical and food workers. Washing your hands with soap and water is the quickest and most effective way to stop the spread of most diseases like Norovirus. Alcohol-based sanitizers may be a helpful addition to hand washing but they are not a substitute for washing with soap and water.
• Keep it to yourself. People who are sick should stay home from work or school for at least 48 hours after their symptoms are gone. Medical and food workers can very easily pass their illness on to others.
• Keep it clean. Since Norovirus can be spread on surfaces, it is important to keep high- traffic areas sanitized with a bleach-based or otherwise powerful cleanser. Not all cleansers are the same, so check the label to see if your cleanser will get the job done.

For more on Norovirus, contact your health provider or call the Health Department at 520.243.7800.

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.

Pima County, Ariz. (March 20, 2012) Celebrate Earth Day 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.”

The 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.

Exhibitors and parade entrants are being sought. The registration deadline for both is March 30.

Non-profit organizations, private businesses, government agencies, clubs, families, youth groups and community groups may register to take part in the event and the parade.

Exhibits should provide information on environmental products or issues such as water conservation, water quality, air quality, household hazardous waste, sustainability or other “eco” topics. Exhibitors should provide engaging, hands-on activities for all, with take-away information about how to preserve our wonderful world.

Parade entrants should share friendly messages about eco issues. They can reflect the parade theme “It’s in Your Hands.” Environmentally themed floats must be human-powered or use alternate fuel.

If your auto, bike or motorcycle runs on clean fuels such as biodiesel, compressed natural gas, electricity, ethanol, propane and even waste vegetable oil, show it off and provide information on alternate fuels at an exhibit at the park.

Middle school students will show off their design and construction skills in a competition for the best solar model vehicle. Kits for this competition are available from the Society of Women Engineers at www.swetucson.org/solar.

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

Pima County, Ariz. – The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory for particulate-matter air pollution on Wednesday.

Dry conditions and gusty winds are causing elevated levels of airborne particulate matter. Particulate matter is made up of tiny specks of soot, dust, vehicle emissions and aerosols suspended in the air.

The advisory is for a 24-hour period.

Individuals with heart disease and respiratory sensitivities may wish to reduce their exposure to outside air Wednesday afternoon and night, DEQ advises.If you go outside, it is suggested you reduce your level of exertion to decrease the amount of particulates you breathe into your lungs.

 PDEQ monitors air pollution in our region at 18 different air quality monitoring sites. Up-to-the-hour air pollution levels are available online at the PDEQ website www.AirInfoNow.org or by calling the PDEQ hotline at (520) 882-4AIR.

Pima County, Ariz. (March 6, 2011) – A free pancake breakfast, jumping castle and music will be provided from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, March 10 at a special family adoption event at Pima Animal Care Center, 4000 N. Silverbell Road in Tucson.

More than 100 dogs and cats will be available for adoption at a discount. Dogs will be sold for a “name your price” fee and cats will be sold two for one.

The first 20 adopters at the event will receive a $20 Walmart gift card and a gift bag of goodies for their new pet.

For more information, go to http://www.pimaanimalcare.org/ or call 243-5900 in Tucson.