Carolyn Classen

Carolyn Sugiyama Classen, a life long Democrat, was born & raised in the State of Hawaii, was a Legislative Aide for U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye on Capitol Hill, and practiced law for a while. In Tucson she worked as a tribal staff attorney for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and later was the Interim Executive Director of the now defunct Domestic Violence Commission. In 2008 she became a “My Tucson” guest columnist for the Tucson Citizen newspaper, then continued blogging for Tucsoncitizen.com for over four and a half years. Her blogsite was entitled “Carolyn’s Community” about community events and some political news, until Gannett Publishing shut down the site on January 31, 2014. She started with Blog for Arizona on Feb. 11, 2014. Part time she sat as a Hearing Officer in Pima County Consolidated Justice Courts Small Claims Division since April, 2005 for 15 years. She is married to University of Arizona Distinguished Professor Albrecht Classen, a native of Germany. They have one son, who lives in Seattle, WA with his wife and daughter. She is also the Editor of the Southern Arizona Japanese Cultural Coalition website, www.southernazjapan.org (since Jan. 2013).

6th Annual EEF Celebrity Spelling Bee

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“One notable Tucsonan in the Educational Enrichment Foundation’s 6th Annual Celebrity Spelling Bee lineup will emerge victorious, and teachers across Tucson Unified School District will win big. Emcee for the evening, John Pedicone will keep rivalries in check as proceeds from the event benefit classroom grants from EEF to teachers for classroom supplies, school projects, and desperately needed equipment.

Spellers and their affiliations include:
AMBER ADIL, Angel Charity for Children
STEPHANIE BALZER, The Drawing Studio
RANDI DORMAN, R+R Develop
STEVE FARLEY, Arizona State Senate
DAVE FITZSIMMONS, Arizona Daily Star
SUE GILES, Tucson Lifestyle Magazine
MARYANN GREEN, University High School
GREG HANSEN, Arizona Daily Star
TODD HOLTHAUS, Pima Community College Woman’s Basketball
ANGIE JOHNSON-SMITH, Smith & Dale Philanthropic Counsel
CURTIS MCCRARY, The Rialto Theatre
KADE MISLINSKI, Batch and Saguaro Corners
JIM NINTZEL, Tucson Weekly
JASON OTT, Citi
ADAM REX, Children’s Book Author/Illustrator
JIM ROSBOROUGH, Pima Community College Woman’s Basektball
MARK RUBIN, Law Office of Mark Rubin/Pima Medical Institute
DAVID SLUTES, Hotel Congress
DUSTIN WILLIAMS, Pima County School Superintendent’s Office
BETTY VILLEGAS, Community Volunteer
MELISSA VITO, Senior Vice President for Student Affairs, University of Arizona
Sponsors include Tucson Electric Power, Learning A-Z, The Rialto Theatre/Tucson, Arizona, Bookmans Entertainment Exchange, Smith & Dale, and Long Realty Cares.

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Tucson Be Kind mosaic unveiling at Tucson City Council Chambers

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“The speakers include Councilman Steve Kozachik and Jeannette Mare, someone from the Jewish History Museum, Black community, Muslim community, Bishop, Richard Elias (District 5 Pima County Supervisor), Sacred Space (contemplative), Mary DeCamp, Chief of Police Chris Magnus, LGBT community.” – per Steve K.  He is a 2 term Councilman representing Ward 6, and is up for re-election in Nov. 2017.

More from Steve’s 8/21/17 newsletter: “Through Jeannette Mare’s Ben’s Bells Project, Tucson is the epicenter of showing that we as a community are built on the ethos of kindness. M&C has demonstrated that through policy, such as adopting the Charter for Compassion.

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Happy Birthday Tucson

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               Tucson Birthday Celebration Sponsored by Desert Diamond Casino Monday, August 21, 5:30 pm The Presidio Museum and the Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission invite you to celebrate the City of Tucson’s Official 242nd Birthday “with a bang”! The festivities will include: A presentation by city officials of the six … Read more

Tucson Weekly endorses attorney Paul Durham for Ward 3 Council seat

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The Tucson Weekly issued their endorsement today in the contested Democratic primary for the Ward 3 Council seat.  Councilwoman Karin Uhlich is stepping down after 3 terms.  The Weekly endorsed retired attorney Paul Durham, former Chief of Staff for Ward 6 Councilwoman Nina Trasoff.

Paul Durham

Read their endorsement here: https://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/paul-durham-for-city-council/Content?oid=11123258.

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Sun Tran & Sun Link launching new 3 Day Transit Pass

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3-DAY TRANSIT PASS PILOT PROGRAM LAUNCHES AUGUST 15

New 3-Day Pass provides unlimited rides on Sun Tran and Sun Link  (press release)

 TUCSON, Ariz. – “Sun Tran, Sun Link, and City of Tucson Department of Transportation will launch a 3-Day Pass pilot program, available August 15 through February 2018.  The new 3-Day Pass will provide unlimited rides on Sun Link, Sun Tran and select Sun Shuttle routes for 72 consecutive hours after first activated on transit vehicles.

Tucson residents can take advantage of the 3-Day Pass on Sun Link and Sun Tran bus routes to travel more frequently and to more destinations.  The 3-Day Pass offers an alternative to the current 1-Day and 30-Day pass options and will be available to the general public through February 15, 2018.

The 3-Day Pass provides a convenient transit option for visitors to explore Tucson’s entertainment districts along the Sun Link streetcar route.  Jane McCollum, General Manager of Main Gate Square, says, “The 3-Day Pass will be great for tourists and conference goers, as well as locals who might enjoy a staycation in the greater downtown core.”

The pass will be tested for a six month period and will be evaluated to determine if the pilot program or similar program will be integrated into the public transportation fare structure on a long-term basis.

The 3-Day Pass costs $10 ($11 total when loaded on the GoTucson Transit app or $12 total when including the cost of a newSunGO Card) and can be purchased online, by phone, on the GoTucson Transit app, at SunGO Sales Outlets, Ticket Vending Machines at the City of Tucson’s three transit centers, Sun Tran Special Services Office, or Sun Tran Administrative Office.

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