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).

Fiesta Grande in 12th year

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All are welcome at this annual fun fiesta on Grande Avenue in Barrio Hollywood, west of the I-10, between Speedway and St. Mary’s Rd. Hours 10 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, 12 to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Lots to do: listen to the lively music, children’s activities, good food, informative/fun booths, rock climbing, arts, etc. … Read more

City of Tucson to host free Sustainable Historic Home Tour

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Sustainablehometour

The City of Tucson’s Historic Preservation and Sustainability programs are organizing the Sustainable Historic Home Tour on April 26,
from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This self-guided open house tour will feature historic homes in Tucson that have been “green retrofitted” to be more sustainable, while remaining sensitive to their historic
characters.  Participants will travel to locations identified on a map, where the property owners and volunteers will provide information and
tours.city-of-tucson-logo

“People will not only get to learn about the benefits of retrofitting their homes but also learn about the  history of our community,” said
Ward 5 Councilmember Richard Fimbres. “Many of the homes are in my Ward and I am proud that the homeowners have taken these steps for
better sustainability, preserving Tucson’s history and our environment.”

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Help to beautify grounds around Himmel Park Library

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From Sam Hughes Neighborhood Assn. website, www.samhughes.org:

This Himmel Park Beautification is a  project initiated by three residents of the Sam Hughes midtown neighborhood: Denice Blake, Betty Guarraia, and Susan Peters. In an effort to meet our objective to spend a small amount of the resources from the biennual home tour, we first came up with four guiding principles that would ultimately benefit midtown neighborhoods: high visibility, aesthetic appeal, education, and collaboration. To meet those objectives, we have selected Himmel Park Library for external beautification.

Carolyn’s note: Himmel park branch library is at 1035 N. Treat Ave., in NE corner of Himmel Park (south of Speedway, between Tucson Blvd. and Treat Ave., going south to the alley north of E. 3rd Street). History of namesake Alvina Himmel is on the Sam Hughes Neighborhood website, written by me.

HimmelLibrarybefore

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Fee Free weekend at U.S. National Parks

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Enjoy our U.S. National parks for free on April 19 and 20.  Only 133 of our country’s 401 national parks usually charge an entrance fee. Saguaro National Park is near Tucson.  We’ve recently been to Tuzigoot National Monument near Cottonwood and it’s definitely worth a visit to see those medieval ruins. Here’s the list of free national parks … Read more

Exciting Easter Eggstravaganza on April 19

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EGGstravaganza-web-2014Tucson Water and Tucson Parks and Recreation Department present the 14th Annual EGGstravaganza. This free annual community-wide event is about having family fun! The event is expected to attract more than 2,000 Tucson youth. Family activities include music, carnival games, inflatables, prizes, egg hunts, and the Easter Bunny. Come to our Parks and Recreation information booth to catch the highlights of the various Parks and Recreation units offering services and programs to the community. A variety of foods will be available for purchase through local vendors.

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