The famous El Tour de Tucson hosted by Perimeter Bicycling was held today, with rides of 100, 75, 50, 25 miles. Here’s the unofficial results:
http://www.perimeterbicycling.com/el-tour-de-tucson/results/
Congratulations to all who participated. I used to help register kids (and parents) for the Fun Rides, but have moved on to other volunteer activities.
Posted in Carolyn Classen, Community, Transportation, Tucson
Tagged bicycling, El Tour de Tucson, Fun Rides, Perimeter Bicycling
https://festivalforlife.saaf.org/
“December 8, 1989, was the first Festival of the Trees, a fundraiser for the People with AIDS Coalition of Tucson (P.A.C.T). The event auctioned off nearly 200 decorated trees and wreathes for the holiday season. Over the years, the event grew and in 1992, Festival of the Trees became Festival for Life adding artwork, menorahs, and celebrity items. That year also had a special appearance by Miss Mary Wilson, formerly of the Supremes. In 1995, P.A.C.T.’s co-founder and Executive Director, Jerome Beillard, passed away from AIDS complications and Festival for Life was renamed to the JerA?me Beillard Festival for Life – honoring the work and spirit of a great man. Each year added amazing artwork, designer Christmas trees, gift baskets, celebrity items, and sculptures. Each year also added local sponsors and community members all supporting the same cause.
In 1997, when the three AIDS Service Organizations merged to create the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF) – the Paper Prayer Benefit from the Shanti Foundation was added to Festival for Life. Local artists, students, and others create strips of art that represent an ancient Japanese tradition of giving a person who is ill a Paper Prayer as a gift to bring good health. Each year, Festival for Life continues to sell hundreds of Papers to Prayers to be used as cards and tokens of good health.”
State Senator-elect in LD 9 Victoria Steele has launched a radio show entitled “The Steele Report” on KVOI The Voice on 1030 AM radio. Her show will be weekly on Saturdays from 9 to 10 a.m. “The Steele Report is an insider’s look at News, Politics and Current Events. This is the debut show on the 2018 Election.”
LD 9 Senator-elect Victoria Steele
“Victoria Steele is a lifelong activist, a former Arizona State Representative, Professional Counselor, and Personal Life Coach. In her first two terms in office Victoria authored and passed legislation for Mental Health First Aid and a bill to help victims of child sex-trafficking.”
Her first show on Nov. 10 can be listened to here (below). She interviewed Pima County Democratic Party Chair Dr. Jo Holt and Pima County Republican County Chair David Eppihimer. In the 2nd half she interviewed reporters Jimmy Zuma (D.C.), and Danyelle Khmara (formerly with Tucson Weekly, now with AZ Daily Star).
https://www.kvoi.com/schedule/
Victoria won the LD 9 State Senate election in the General Election of 11/6/18 (latest tally):
Victoria Steele (D) 52,904 62.3%
Randall Fleenor (R) 31,950 37.7%
Posted in Carolyn Classen, Community, Media, Tucson
Tagged 1030 AM radio, Danyelle Khmara, David Eppihimer, Jimmy Zuma, Jo Holt, KVOI The Voice, LD 9, Randall Fleenor, State Senator, Victoria Steele
“Thank you for your support and encouragement in 2018!
At Tucson Clean and Beautiful, we believe the combined and coordinated efforts of all of our simple acts create regional change. Thanks to each one of you for your volunteerism and generosity. Whether you cleaned up your neighborhood, snagged a stray piece of litter, planted a tree (or two), gathered rainwater, reduced your use and recycled, helped your neighbor, or so many other simple acts – you make this special place we call home a little bit better. All added together, it is change for the good.
Come visit the Tucson Clean and Beautiful staff, board of directors, and volunteers as we celebrate 33 years of making Tucson a little cleaner and greener, a little cooler, a more beautiful place to live, work, and play. We’ll be at Crooked Tooth Brewing Company, 228 E 6th St, Tucson, AZ 85705 from Noon to 9PM for the Tucson Clean and Beautiful 2nd Annual ROOTED Celebration. We’ll have a pop up tree sale, workshops, and environmental themed art from 20 of Tucson’s finest artists.”
https://tucsoncleanandbeautiful.org/
Is there a voter crisis in Arizona?
Here’s the report funded by the Citizens Clean Election Commission (CCEC) and on their website:
https://storageccec.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/public/docs/312-Voter-Crisis-Report-FINAL3.pdf
I attended a recent Tucson town hall on October 24 hosted by these 2 entities in which Joseph Garcia of ASU (director of communication & impact/co-author of the report) and Tom Collins E.D. of CCEC reported that 2.1 million or 45% of Arizona’s “potential voters” in 2016 (General) didn’t choose to exercise their fundamental right to vote. They reported on the nationwide trend in erosion of voter participation & on groups which aren’t voting in high numbers: youth, less educated, and Latinos. Moreover, Independents have a lower voter turnout due to not voting in primaries (don’t feel that they belong to either party or don’t know they can vote in the primaries by requesting a party ballot), and also don’t feel part of the electoral process.
In August 2018, the voter turnout statewide (of registered voters) for the Arizona Primary was: 33.26%
In the Arizona Mid-term General Election 2018 the voter turnout statewide was: 64.33%. And higher in Pima County: 70.55%
So the big question in the report was “Why Don’t More People vote?” (see page 15). There are a myriad of answers including “too busy” “out of town”, etc. but a main reason seems to be lack of information on the candidates and voting process. So that means better ways to reach voters needs to occur, along with more information. We here at Blog for Arizona do our best in that regard.
Local reporters after the recent elections were saying that negative campaigning suppresses the vote, or backfires against candidates doing negative campaigning.
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Posted in Carolyn Classen, Commentary, Community, Elections
Tagged Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Arizona's Voter Crisis, ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policiy, Billy Kovacs, David Garcia, January Contreras, LD 28 State Senate, PCC District 5, voter registration, voter suppression, Why don't more people vote?