February 13, 2009 - School of Journalism

EL
INDEPENDIENTE
1976 ~ 33 Years of Service ~ 2009
www.elindenews.com
Free/gratis
City Faces
Budget Woes,
Cuts Pay For
City Workers
By Kathleen Stevens
and Dan Sullivan
South Tucson city employees had
their salaries cut to control an
expected $545,000 budget shortfall.
The South Tucson City Council
unanimously approved a 2 percent
cut for every $10,000 the 108 city
employees earn to make up for the
shortfall in the city’s general fund.
The pay cuts that began Jan. 25
will reduce City Manager Enrique
Serna’s salary around 23 percent,
and Finance Director Ruben Villa’s
salary will fall 17 percent.
The city’s $545,000 budget
deficit is because of a drop in salestax collections revenue and a
decrease in revenue from the state,
Serna said.
Cities throughout the country
are reeling from a decline in revenue, and cuts and lay-offs have
become commonplace.
Salaries take up most of South
Tucson’s nearly $5.3 million general fund so there wasn’t much else
the city could cut, Serna said. The
saving between Serna and Villa
alone totals $170,000.
“The good news, of course, is
that we didn’t have to entertain any
lay-offs,” Serna said. It was city
employees who suggested the progressive pay cuts, he said.
Even with these measures, the
city will still fall short, roughly
$100,000. The city projects losing
an additional $134,000 in sales tax,
or 6.3 percent, during the rest of the
fiscal year, which ends June 30.
The city council continually
audits itself in order to find more
cost cutting measures and will
review the situation on a monthly
basis, said Serna.
“All communities are suffering
from the downturn in the economy
this year,” Serna said. “It really
takes a strategy on a monthly basis
to come in on budget.”
The city is adopting other plans
to tackle the budget crisis, including
reducing the number of cell phones
contracted to the city, freezing travel expenses, and leaving a number
of already vacant positions open, or
filling them with part-time staff.
In the police department,
administrative staff began paying
for their own gas because of budget shortfalls. The fire department
has left open three jobs and the
police have decided to leave two
positions vacant. However, Serna
points out that the city’s ratio of
police to population is still above
national averages.
The city also is considering a
change in its garbage collection
fees to make up for part of the outstanding $100,000 shortfall, Serna
said. In addition, the city will start
auditing businesses that are underreporting or not reporting sales tax.
City employees have begun to
deal with the cuts to their budgets
and their pay.
“I would rather see my pay cut
than see people losing their jobs,”
said city clerk Dolores Robles.
February 13 / 13 de febrero 2009
Dogs Teach Love of Reading
By Alex Dalenberg
Story time has gone to the dogs.
And that’s a good thing.
At select Pima County public
libraries, kids can bone up on their
reading skills by practicing with a
pooch through the “Read to a
Dog” program.
“It’s kids reading to dogs. They
sit in the chair and read to a dog.
There’s not much else to it,” said
Crystal Saling who brings her dog
Penny to hear stories every Friday
at Woods Memorial Branch
Library, 3455 N. First Ave.
If you’re a little fuzzy on why
kids should read to a canine –
don’t worry – there’s a method to
the madness.
The Pima County Public
Library describes the program as a
chance to give kids a “stress-free”
reading environment. Dogs make
good book buddies because they
don’t judge and they will never
stop a child to point out a mistake
– only beg for a treat or a pat on
the head.
The idea is that reading to a
dog builds confidence and confident readers practice more.
“The handler is supposed to be
as inert as possible. I won’t butt-in
unless a kid asks for help, but even
then I’ll usually tell them that
INSIDE
Tucson-based
indie-folk artist
shows originality
Leila Lopez, a Tucson
original.
...see page 5
Girl Scout
y Bookmans
PHOTO
BY
ALEX DALENBERG
Shawnee Smith, 8, reads to Roxie, a trained therapy dog, and her trainer, Susan
Finkenberg, at Woods Memorial Library, one of several Pima County Public
libraries participating in the “Read to a Dog” program.
Penny doesn’t care how they read
the story,” Saling said. “It’s actually the perfect job for a dog trainer. We ignore the wrong and reinforce the right.”
Penny is a 3-year-old brown
and white beagle-pit bull mix. She
flops down on her mat at the
Juntos para
promover la
literatura a niñas.
library and patiently waits for kids
to pet her belly and read her a
story. Several librarians and a
security guard take a break from
work to dote over Penny who is
wearing a lavender vest that says,
“please pet me.”
‘Dogs’/see page 6
...see page 7
El Oficial Garcia Se Declara Culpable
Por Dan Sullivan
Traducido por Liliana Gracia
El Sur de Tucsón puso fin a un
desagradable asunto, el 26 de enero,
cuando el antiguo teniente de
policía Richard Robles Garcia se
declaró culpable por haber malversado más de $560.000 del departamento de policía y de la ciudad.
Garcia, 47, quien era el segundo oficial al mando de más graduación del departamento, dirigía el
programa de confiscación de
bienes del Departamento de Policía
del Sur de Tucsón (STPD). Era el
único guardián del cuarto donde se
almacenan las pruebas, y los documentos judiciales muestran que
malversó el dinero entre febrero de
2004 y mayo de 2008.
Garcia también se declaró culpable de haber presentado declaraciones de impuestos federales falsas entre el 2004 y el 2007.
“El hecho de que no se había
resuelto el asunto (hasta hoy) nos
tenía en el limbo”, dijo Enrique
Serna, el administrador del sur de
Tucsón. “La ciudad y el
Departamento de Policía podrán
descansar un poco ahora debido a
la declaración”.
Serna dijo que las acciones de
Garcia perjudicaron a todos los
miembros del Departamento de
Policía del Sur de Tucsón.
Garcia trabajó para el STPD
durante 13 años pero lo despidieron
en junio después que el FBI y el
Servicio de Recaudación de
Impuestos (IRS) realizaron una
investigación en mayo.
La investigación reveló que
Garcia recibía cheques del STPD
por vehículos incautados y por
bienes confiscados, luego los
depositaba en su propia cuenta de
cheques o sacaba dinero de la cuenta del departamento.
Según los documentos judiciales, Garcia también cambiaba
cheques del Departamento de
Seguridad Interna, del Estado de
Arizona y de la Secretaría del
Tribunal Superior del Condado de
Pima,y robó dinero, joyas y armas
de la sala del departamento donde
se almacenan las pruebas.
Como parte del acuerdo por su
admisión de culpabilidad, Garcia
se mostró de acuerdo en pagar la
restitución al Sur de Tucsón y al
Fondo Antifraude del Condado de
Pima.
Sin embargo, Serna dijo que
está escéptico. “La verdad es que
no se pagará la restitución”.
Según documentos judiciales,
Garcia dijo que robó debido a su
adicción por los juegos de azar,
pero dijo que intentó pagarle a la
ciudad con sus ganancias del juego.
Garcia se enfrenta a una pena de
33 a 41 meses en prisión. Se fijó la
sentencia para el 6 de abril.
Local Driver Helps ‘Extreme’ Family
By Colleen Keefe
PHOTO
BY
COLLEEN KEEFE
Alderete family and employee Luis
Murrieta in front of new Bell home.
Roberto Alderete is a quiet man.
He is a giving man.
For the most part, the recipients
of his kind gestures catch only brief
moments of his presence before he
slips into obscurity.
Roberto and his wife Kelly have
owned and operated Xtreme
Limousine, 6627 S. Tucson Blvd.,
for the past five years. Roberto, a
graduate of Cholla High School,
has been in the business for 22
years.
The couple’s family has been
touched by cancer and heart diseased which has left them both
empathetic and philanthropic. They
have donated their services frequently to families in need, often
for funerals.
So to those who know Roberto,
it will come as no surprise that he
recently gave his services to the
Bell family whose home was renovated by the reality TV show
“Extreme
Makeover:
Home
Edition.” The Bell’s 14-year-old
daughter, Lizzie, suffers from a
rare blood disorder that requires
her to receive transfusions every
few weeks. Mounting medical bills
coupled with a home in dire need
of repair and Lizzie’s own dedication to community service prompted a visit from ABC’s show hosted
by Ty Pennington.
“It’s a great thing when people
can come together and help – to
give back to the community,”
Roberto says.
Just after the first of the year,
Roberto provided services to the
families of the young cousins brutally beaten with a baseball bat in
Phoenix. He also offered his services for the funeral procession of
Officer Erik Hite who was killed in
the line of duty in June 2008.
He was recommended for the
Extreme Makeover job by employees at On a Roll, a sushi bar on
Congress Street. The producers
were talking about needing a limo
and employees knew Roberto
‘Extreme’/see page 6
EL INDEPENDIENTE
Page / Página 2
February 13 / 13 de febrero 2009
Tucson Councilman to Retire at End of ‘09
By Mike Luke
and stuff like that wasn’t available
15 years ago.”
Leal also serves as a subcomAfter serving Tucson’s south side
and downtown communities for mittee member of the Rio Nuevo
more than 20 years, Ward 5 coun- Project, which aims to revitalize
cilman Steve Leal will not seek re- historic downtown Tucson.
He has received
election after
numerous awards for
his term expires
his work including
in December
the League of United
2009.
I need some time to
Latin
American
Since being
Citizens
lifetime
elected to the
apply attention to
achievement award in
Tucson
City
family that I otherwise
2006
and
from
Council
in
humanitarian groups
1989, Leal has
wouldn’t be able to
such as the Human
been the drivdo if I was still on city
Rights Fund.
ing
force
Leal is a member
behind
the
council.
of the State Board of
building of four
–Steve Leal
Directors and the
neighborhood
Ward
5
Councilman
Veterans of Foreign
recreation cenWars and is a goverters, as well as
nor-appointed mema medical center, library and adult education ber of the Arizona-Mexico
facilities, to serve Ward 5 resi- Commission.
Former Arizona Gov. Janet
dents.
“This area is a lot different than Napolitano and current Gov. Jan
it was in previous years,” said Brewer are among some of Leal’s
Manny Grijalva, a longtime resi- supporters who have helped him in
previous bids for re-election.
dent of Ward 5.
Leal said one of his proudest
Grijalva credits the presence of
the community centers such as El achievements was decreasing the
Pueblo Neighborhood Center number of liquor licenses granted
which includes a senior center, a to Ward 5 businesses.
“For a while they were springclinic, after school childcare, basketball leagues, a social lounge and ing up everywhere. There was no
other youth programs, for helping scrutiny placed on them,” he said.
“The area was worse off because it
to improve the community.
“There are a lot more places for created a culture of disinvestment.”
His dedication to Tucson would
young adults to go and spend their
time constructively,” Grijalva said. appear to be that of a native, but
“A lot of things we take for granted Leal is a California transplant. He
like basketball leagues at El Pueblo grew up in California and graduat-
“
”
EL
INDEPENDIENTE
South Tucson’s Bilingual Newspaper
El Independiente encourages letters from all its readers, but reserves the
right to edit correspondence for grammar, style, clarity and length.
www.elindenews.com
UA Journalism
P.O. Box 210158B
Tucson, AZ 85721
Phone: 621-3618
[email protected]
Advisor
Maggy Zanger
John deDios
Managing Editor
Distribution Manager
Kelly Grove
Ryan Timothy Greer
News Editor
Staff
Dan Sullivan
Taylor Avey
Nyssa Baca
Alex Dalenberg
Mike Luke
Jessie Marinucci
Melisa Terán
Lindsey Turner
Max Voege
Design Chief
Sara Santana
Photo Editor
Jessica Jaco
Community Events Editor
Ali Vieth
News Room Manager
Kathleen Stevens
MIKE LUKE
ed from the University of
California-Santa Cruz before moving to Tucson in 1977 where he
enrolled in the political science
graduate program at the University
of Arizona.
But after two decades of service
to Tucson, Leal thinks it’s time for
a change.
“I need some time to apply
attention to family that I otherwise
wouldn’t be able to do if I was still
on city council,” Leal said.
Leal supports Richard Fimbres,
as his replacement on the council.
Although Leal is retiring at the
end of the year, he will continue
working for the community.
“I plan on continuing to work on
issues such as sustainability, civil
rights and arts, culture and history,”
Leal said. “I just won’t walk away
from the issues I care about.”
Se Instalarán Cruces Peatonales de Alta Intensidad
Por Taylor Avey
Traducido por Nabil Hourieh
Dos de las intersecciones en una
de las calles más tránsitadas del
sur de Tucsón serán mejoradas
pronto .
En el cruce de las calles 31 y 34
en Sixth Avenue, se instalarán
cruces peatonales activados de alta
intensidad, o HAWKs (por sus
siglas en inglés).
Los HAWKs, también conocidos como cruces peatonales con
señalización intermitente, tratan
de reducir la velocidad del tráfico
y el riesgo de accidentes
peatonales.
“Hay una gran cantidad de
movimiento peatonal en esa área”,
dice James DeGrood, director de
los servicios de transporte de la
Asociación de Gobiernos de Pima.
La Autoridad Regional de
Transporte, RTA (por sus siglas en
inglés), proveerá fondos para el
proyecto.
“Estará en construcción y en
funcionamineto durante la primavera y el verano”, dijo DeGrood.
“La construcción es bastante
rápida pero el trabajo con la TEP
[Compañía de energía eléctrica de
Tucsón] tardará cierto tiempo para
que funcione.”
DeGrood, quien trabaja para el
RTA, dice que se realizó un estudio de seguridad vial en las intersecciones. Para hacer este estudio
invitaron a un equipo de ingenieros de seguridad para averiguar
si las intersecciones eran áreas con
mayor problema.
Hay una gran cantidad de tráfico peatonal en la intersección de
Sixth Avenue y la Calle 31. Los
estudiantes de la escuela Mission
View lo utilizan frecuentemente.
By Max Voege
Graphics and Layout Adviser
Lourdes Villarreal
BY
TOP: Tucson City Councilman Steve Leal speaks at
the Pima County Democratic Party on Election
Night at the University Park Marriott Hotel at the
University of Arizona campus. Leal announced that
he is not running for re-election once his term
expires in December. RIGHT: Leal serves on the
Tucson City Council as the Ward V representative.
Santa Rita Skate Park Nears Completion
Student Advisor
Colleen Keefe
Spanish Editor
TOP PHOTO BY NICK STURIALE, RIGHT PHOTO
Translators
Liliana Gracia
Nabil Hourieh
Diana Núñez
Translation and Interpretation
Department
of Spanish and Portuguese
and Mexican American Studies
Copy Chief
Veronica Cruz
Upcoming community events can be submitted to El
Independiente at [email protected]. Events for the March 5
issue must be received by Thursday, February 19.
Despite nearly a decade of neighborhood division and controversy,
Santa Rita Park is preparing to
open a new skate park that will be
free to the public.
Santa Rita Skate Park, 400 E.
22nd St., will be a completely public park compared to other Tucson
skate parks that require membership fees much like the Ott Family
YMCA, which can cost up to $10
for a non-member adult. The
Randolph Center and Purple Heart
Skate Parks are also public and
operated by the city of Tucson.
Although getting the project
underway was a struggle, construction has been on target with
the proposed plans. Neighbors
slowed the process by opposing
the park’s construction because of
safety concerns for the children
from supposed drug use in the
park.
Others supported it because it
will give kids somewhere to exercise and have an after-school
activity to keep them out of trouble. With construction underway,
neighbors will have to wait and
see how the community and kids
will be affected.
“Everything has been going
PHOTO BY MAX VOEGE
Henry Inzunza, site contractor and superintendent, left, instructs emlpoyee
Freddy Meza as they put the finishing touches on Santa Rita Skate Park.
according to plan since construction started in October,” said
Henry Inzunza, the park’s contractor and superintendent for
Environmental Strategies Inc.
There is no official completion or
grand opening date set.
The style of the Santa Rita
Skate Park is different from others
around town in that parks such as
Celestial and Randolph Center are
more street-style. These parks
consist of ramps strategically set
up across a flat expanse of pavement. This set up allows skaters to
string a variety of tricks together.
Santa Rita Skate Park strictly
has “bowls” which resemble
empty swimming pools with pipe
lining the rim for grinding tricks
on. This affords skateboarders
another option rather than going
from one street-style park to
another.
EL INDEPENDIENTE
February 13 / 13 de febrero 2009
Page / Página 3
Girl Scouts y Bookmans se alían para promover la literatura
Escrito por Nyssa Baca
Traducido por Nabil Hourieh
El Consejo de las Girl Scout
Sahuaro ha abierto una nueva
estancia para que las niñas pasen
el tiempo allí, conozcan a personas nuevas, lean libros, reciban
ayuda con la tarea y usen computadoras.
La estancia Bookmans Low
para niñas de 5 a 17 años de edad
se inauguró a fin de enero y debe
su nombre al patrocinador,
Bookmans
Entertainment
Exchange, y la fundadora de Girl
Scouts of America, Juliette
Gordon Low.
Bookmans donó $3.000 en
efectivo a la estancia, lo cual
cubrió los gastos para los muebles
y la tela para remodelar los asientos. Bookmans también contribuyo
con $2.000 en donaciones para
bienes y servicios, incluyendo más
de 2,000 libros.
Durante la gran inauguración el
día 31 de enero, las niñas exploraban los estantes de libros mientras
sus familiares sentados en la
estancia disfrutaban de frutos
secos, pasteles, salsa de alcachofa y
otros bocadillos.
Rebecca Reiter, de 12 años, se
acurrucó en un sillón para leer
How to Ditch Your Fairy mientras
los visitantes conversaban a su
alrededor.
“Me encanta leer”, dijo Reiter,
y planea scarle provecho a la
estancia
Esto es exactamente lo que
quiere escuchar un donante.
“Nos apasiona promover la lit-
IF YOU GO
4300 E. Broadway
Abierto a todas las
niñas (No es necesario
que sean girl scout)
Edades:
5 – 17 Las menores de
13 años necesitan ir
acompañadas de un
adulto
Gratis Horario:
8:30 a.m. hasta las 5:30
p.m. Lunes a jueves
8:30 a.m. hasta las 3
p.m. los viernes
PHOTO
BY
NYSSA BACA
David Perkins, 5, y su hermana, Hannah, 2, a la gran abiertode la nuevo Bookmans Low Lounge en Enero. Sus hermana
mayor, Grace, 8, es una Girl Scout Brownie.
eratura en la comunidad”, dijo
Tamara Jones, directora de relaciones comunitarias de Bookmans.
“Esta ha sido una gran oportunidad para darles a las niñas un
lugar seguro y acogedor que las
anime a leer.”
A Katie Gorenflo, Consejo de
las Girl Scout de Sahuaro, y
Kristen Culliney, directora de
desarrollo comunitario del Consejo
de las Girl Scout de Sahuaro, se les
ocurrió la idea de crear esta
estancia mientras trataban de renovar el club de lectores, dijo
Culliney. Presentaron su idea a
Bookmans en septiembre del año
anterior.
Sin embargo, dejan claro que la
estancia no es sólo para las Girl
Scouts.
“Es para todas las niñas de la
comunidad”, dijo Gorenflo.
Es necesario que las niñas
¡Que vengan las becas!
Recursos Ofrecen
Oportunidades a
Estudiantes para
el Futuro
By Melisa V. Teran
Traducido por Liliana Gracia
Los estudiantes del cuarto año de
la preparatoria preparandose para
la universidad deberían de estar
conscientes que la educación tiene
su precio. Sin embargo, pagar la
matrícula no es tan difícil como
algunos se imaginan.
Esta temporada los estudiantes
deben aprovechar las posibilidades
de obtener becas que les ayuden a
pagar la matrícula.
Hay muchas becas disponibles,
que normalmente se pueden solicitar gratis y, a diferencia de los préstamos, no se tienen que pagar.
Para aprender más sobre las
becas los estudiantes deben de
consultar a sus consejeros de
preparatoria. Ellos están preparados para ayudar a estudiantes con
sus currículum, ensayos para
becas, y cualquier otra duda que el
estudiante tenga al llenar las solicitudes.
“Realmente nos esforzamos
por animar a los muchachos y
muchachas para que completen las
solicitudes”, dijo Teresa Toro,
consejera académica de Pueblo
Magnet High School. “A los estudiantes de ultimo año los educamos para que soliciten”.
El internet es otra fuente de
información sobre becas. “En
cualquier lugar que busque, nueve
de cada diez lugares tiene un enlace
a información sobre una beca”, dijo
Holly Colonna, coordinadora del
Departamento de Consejería para
el Distrito Escolar Unificado de
Tucsón. “Ahora es más fácil que
antes”.
menores de 13 años vayan acompañadas por adultos, pero las niñas
con mayor edad pueden usar el
local después de la escuela y a lo
largo del verano.
La estancia esta designada también como un “lugar seguro”. Por
medio del programa National Safe
Place (Programa nacional de
lugares seguros), jovenes menore
de 18 años pueden recibir
cualquier clase de asistencia de
Cerrado los fines de semana. Registrado como
Lugar seguro
parte de los empleados y voluntarios.
La nueva estancia de lectura
funcionará como un refugio seguro
y un entorno positivo de aprendizaje y entretenimiento para las niñas
de Tucson.
Two Busy City Intersections
on Sixth Avenue Get Flashers
Para más información
Los estudiantes pueden visitar:
The Arizona Scholarship Foundation
http://www.azcsf.org/
The Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
http://www.tucsonchamber.org/
Arizona State University Financial Aid Office
http://students.asu.edu/financial-aid/
UA Financial Aid Office
https://financialaid.arizona.edu
http://arizonaalumni.com/uaha/ (si desean información
sobre las becas para estudiantes chicanos)
PHOTO
Existe una gran variedad de
becas disponibles para cada tipo
de estudiante y no sólo para los
que tienen un promedio sobresaliente, según Denise Kingman,
responsable de la asesoría en
Cholla Magnet High School.
Hay becas específicamente diseñadas para personas con aptitudes extracurriculares en servicios a la comunidad, y para intereses especiales.
“Por lo general buscan a estudiantes
polifacéticos”,
dijo
Kingman.
Sitios en la red tales como
http//www.fastweb.com proveen
solicitudes que satisfacen cualidades especiales basadas en infomación introducida previamente.
Los sitios Web pueden proveen
becas a los estudiantes adaptadas a
la escuela que deseen. En la
Universidad de Arizona, por ejemplo, el Club de Antiguos Alumnos
Hispanos ofrece becas a los estudiantes chicanos que se preparan para
matricularse.
BY
TAYLOR AVEY
Kids are accompanied by an adult while crossing the street at South Sixth
Avenue and West 34th Street. The busy intersection will soon receive a High
Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) flasher.
‘HAWK’ devices
will make street
crossings safer
By Taylor Avey
PHOTO
BY
JESSICA JACO
Se surgiere a los estudiantes de la escuela
secondaria que hagan sus aplicaciones
para vecas para las universidades al
principios del semestre primaveral.
Two troublesome intersections
along one of South Tucson’s
busiest streets will soon be
upgraded with pedestrian crosswalks.
High Intensity Activated
Crosswalks, or HAWKs, will soon
be installed where 31st Street and
34th Street intersect with Sixth
Avenue.
“There is a tremendous amount
of pedestrian movement in that
area,” said James DeGrood, director of transportation services for
Pima Association of Governments.
The Regional Transportation
Authority, or RTA, will provide
funding for the project.
“It will be under construction
this spring and operational by the
summer,” DeGrood said. “It’s fairly quick construction work but it
takes some time to work with TEP
[Tucson Electric Power Company]
and get things up.”
DeGrood, who works for the
RTA, said a road safety audit was
conducted at the intersections. For
this audit a team of safety engineers was brought in to assess
whether the intersections were
problem areas.
HAWKs, also known as pedestrian flasher crosswalks, aim to
slow down traffic and reduce the
risk for pedestrian-related accidents. The intersection at Sixth
Avenue and 31st Street routinely
sees large amounts of pedestrian
traffic and serves students going
to Mission View Elementary
School.
EL INDEPENDIENTE
Page / Página 4
February 13 / 13 de febrero 2009
South Tucson Studio Keeps Kids Dancing
By Veronica Cruz
It all started with a simple dance
step and a $5 bet.
At a Memorial Day barbecue a
couple of years ago, Joseph
Rodgers, a professional ballet
dancer and instructor, offered a
friend’s son a few dollars if he
could master an easy step he’s
taught scores of children.
Other kids began to pour out of
the house, eager to learn the move
and soon Rodgers was teaching
tendus and pliés, classic ballet
steps, to a group of 40 kids gathered in the middle of a south side
neighborhood street.
It was then that Rodgers realized “these kids are hungry for
this.”
Rodgers, 46, and wife Soleste
Lupu, 44, have been feeding those
hungry souls and enriching the
lives of south side youth since
they opened the doors to their nonprofit dance studio, Dancing in the
Streets Arizona, 2302 S. Fourth
Ave., in August 2008.
The couple is committed to
providing a creative outlet in a
community where performing arts
programs are almost non-existent.
“I’m just trying to reclaim this
side of town,” Rodgers said. “I
think it’s been in the dark too
long.”
Having grown up in the South
Park neighborhood, Rodgers is all
too familiar with the pressures that
youth face, adding that little has
improved since he has been away
for more than two decades.
“It’s the same crack, same prostitution, same poverty,” he said.
Rodgers began studying ballet
at age 7 at the Tucson Academy of
Dance with Maria Morton, who
offered him a full scholarship after
meeting him through an outreach
program at St. Ambrose School.
Tucson Academy of Dance also
brought Rodgers and Lupu together for the first time, where they
both studied with Morton and
began dating as teenagers, eventually breaking up and re-connecting
12 years ago.
Ballet helped Rodgers stay out
of the trouble his friends fell into
and opened up a world of possibilities a child from his side of town
never thought possible. Still, he
heard the same discouraging
words over and over, “a black man
from the south side would never
make it; you’ll never leave
Tucson,” he recalled.
Rodgers proved himself when
he earned a scholarship to the San
Francisco Ballet School while
attending Catalina Magnet High
School. Although he ultimately
got kicked out of the program, he
continued practicing ballet and has
since performed with companies
across the country, including
Ballet Arizona, Ballet Chicago,
Arizona Dance Theater, Feld
Ballet New York and the
Milwaukee Ballet.
Despite a successful career, the
pressures of the “hood” came back
to haunt him.
Rodgers experimented with
drugs and served a six-month
prison sentence for forging checks
in the 1980s.
While in prison, Rodgers subscribed to dance magazines, continued to practice his technique
and listened to classical music in
his cell.
“Every time I got in trouble, I
always had ballet to fall back on,”
he said.
Rodgers and Lupu hope that
ballet can help kids in similar circumstances become exposed to
something positive, and are working toward eliminating stereotypes
involving gender, race, body
issues and economic status associated with ballet by making it
accessible to everyone.
“We’re getting people to think
outside the box of their own limitations,” Lupu said.
Erasing those limitations
involves boosting kids’ confidence
and self-esteem, said Lupu, who
along with Rodgers encourage the
students to leave their inhibitions
and fears outside the ballet studio.
They always tell their students “I
can’t, doesn’t exist.”
Lupu says she has seen students struggle with steps and continuously encourages them to keep
trying, until they eventually master them. She believes that building confidence will help her students in all aspects of their lives.
“Once they learn a pas de chat,
suddenly math class isn’t quite so
scary,” Lupu said. “If you feel that
you can accomplish anything and
that you have value, then really
anything you decide to do will be
achievable.”
In lieu of gifts at their March
wedding, the couple asked for
donations for their dance studio.
With this help, Dancing in the
Streets Arizona has grown to
include nearly 60 students from
diverse backgrounds and all parts
of Tucson, from 3-year-olds to
adults.
Rodgers and Lupu offer classes
at a low cost, $59 for eight classes,
held once a week, and give full
PHOTOS BY NYSSA BACA
TOP: Joseph Rodgers teaches ballet to his students (front to back) Veronica
Valenzuela, 11, Jane Bendickson, 9, Rebecca Gjertsen, 10, Teagan Anderson,
9, Lizbeth Oquita, 9, and Vanessa Cardenas, 9.
BOTTOM LEFT: Soleste Lupu helps her student Jane Bendickson, 9, during
ballet class.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Joseph Rodgers teaches ballet to student Teagan Anderson,
9, at the Mo Sun Art and Wellness Center in South Tucson.
scholarships to students who can’t
afford to pay for classes. Through
a generous donation of ballet
shoes and leotards from Danswest
Dance Productions, another
Tucson dance school, Lupu is also
able to provide these supplies to
families who are unable to purchase them.
For one of the families, a pair
of donated ballet slippers and a
leotard were the first new items
their daughter had ever owned in
her life, Lupu said.
Often Rodgers will pick up
children from their homes if they
do not have a ride to class and will
make house visits if a student
unexpectedly misses class.
In December, students performed “Baile en el Cascanueces”
(The Nutcracker) to a sold-out
audience at the Berger Performing
Arts Center and are currently
working on their June production
of “A Midsummer’s Night
Dream.”
Lizbeth Oquita, 9, danced four
different parts in “Baile in el
Cascanueces” and couldn’t wait to
start practicing for the June recital.
“I felt nervous,” she said. “But
when I was on stage I didn’t feel
nervous anymore, I wanted to
FOR MORE INFORMATON
Dancing in the
Streets Arizona
867-8489
298-7738
www.ditsaz.org
keep dancing.”
For many of the students this
was their first time performing on
stage in front of an audience. They
continued practicing their routines
and listening to the music, even
after the performance was over,
Rodgers said.
“Once you have that stage
high, a drug high doesn’t match
it,” Rodgers said.
New Binational Effort on Border Offers Aid, Education
Jesuit groups
work together to
raise awareness
By Lourdes Villarreal
A new binational organization will
provide services to migrants while
educating, researching and advocating on critical border and immigration issues.
Launched in January, the Kino
Border Initiative (KBI) is a collaborative effort by various Catholic
groups in Arizona, California and
Mexico and will serve as an
umbrella organization for a variety
of activities revolving around border concerns.
Through existing and new programs, KBI will assist Mexican
migrants deported from the United
States, host educational efforts on
the reality of migration, and create
opportunities for research and
advocacy.
“One of the components of the
Kino Border Initiative,” said the
Rev. Sean Carroll, executive director of KBI, “is direct service to
deportees by providing food, clothing and pastoral support.”
The ministry assists people
deported from the United States
through the Aid Center for
Deported Migrants or Centro de
Atencion para los Migrantes
Deportados
(CAMDEP)
in
Nogales, Sonora.
Across the street from
CAMDEP, the eight-bed Casa
Nazareth Women’s Shelter serves
unaccompanied women and children.
Another mission of the crossborder initiative is to educate residents in the border area on the
“
(The Kino Border
Initiative) is something
beyond the borders.
–Rev. Peter Neeley
Director, KBI Education Project
”
realities of migration through
community and parish workshops
and other educational events.
In addition, based on the needs
of deportees, KBI will fund
research on migration and the USMexico border. The project will
provide space for visiting scholars
to conduct research along the bor-
der and to engage in advocacy
efforts as appropriate, he said.
Six Catholic groups came
together to form the project: the
Tucson,
the
Diocese
of
Archdiocese of Hermosillo in
Sonora, the Jesuit Refugee Service
U.S.A., the California Providence
of the Society of Jesus, the
Mexican Providence of the
Society of Jesus, and the
Missionary Sisters of the
Eucharist, a congregation in
Colima, Mexico.
Jesuits from the United States
originally presented this idea to the
church as a binational service to
provide education about migration
and Catholic social teaching,
Carroll said.
The KBI programs are
designed to help people understand the consequences of border
policies and to promote solidarity
among people affected by border
policies.
The project is named after
Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, a
Jesuit priest who founded many
missions in southwestern North
America, in what is now northern
Sonora, Southern California, and
Southern Arizona.
“We took his name because he
is one of the most recognized of
the European missionaries,” said
the Rev. Peter Neeley, director of
the KBI education project, and
“was the first Jesuit to explore this
area.”
While KBI is Jesuit-led, it is
not a religious organization,
Neeley said, but rather, a nonprofit social service and they welcome – and need – volunteers
from all paths.
In all respects, KBI “is something beyond the borders,” he said.
EL INDEPENDIENTE
February 13 / 13 de febrero 2009
Bridges Project Moves Slowly
By Ryan Timothy Greer
The Bridges Project, which incorporates three major developments
at East 36th Street and South Kino
Parkway, has yet to start its first
phase of development.
The developing partners have
completed 16 months of planning
and preliminary negotiations, but
none of the three components of
the project—a housing development, a bioscience park and a commercial section—are yet under
construction.
Eastbourne Investments Ltd,
which is developing a 110-acre
regional shopping center, is finalizing negotiations with potential tenants to determine which stores will
be built. A big box store, similar to
a Costco or Wal-Mart, is considered a major potential tenant.
However, Eastbourne has to meet
all the requirements that come with
the zoning and entitlements from
the City of Tucson before construction can begin.
The residential and home development portion will be located on a
series of parcels owned by KB
Homes and Lennar Corp. Although
KB Homes will eventually build on
the 175 acres, development is on
hold because of the current condition of the real estate market.
“KB Homes is examining all of
our options in the Bridges community,” said spokesman Craig
LeMessurier, “but at this point we
don’t have a detailed status report.”
Leo Smith, division manager
with the Pima County Flood
Control District, said, “at this stage
of the game they [KB Homes] are
on hold. They’re trying to decide
what the market is going to do.”
The University of Arizona,
which is developing the Bioscience
Park, or the BioPark, is trying to
secure 11 additional acres to complete the 65-acre site. According to
Bruce Wright, UA associate vice
president of economic development, construction of the BioPark
will not start until Pima County
completes the flood control
improvement project they are
working on right now.
The county is putting in the basic
storm detention facilities that
encompass 23 acres. The project
should be in place and ready to function in four to six weeks, Smith said.
“Getting the project going was an
interesting adventure,” Smith said.
The improvements have raised
the elevation of the northwest corner near 36th Street and Park
Avenue, so that water flows away
from the Bridges Project.
“Once we got going it’s been
right on time,” Smith said. “In fact
they’re going to finish early.”
After it is complete, the physical
infrastructure-roads, water and
sewer lines-will need to be put in
before any major construction can
take place.
The UA has applied for a federal grant to finance development of
the infrastructure and hopes to have
a response by the end of the month.
If the grant is secured, construction
would start sometime in late fall,
which means the first phase of the
BioPark will be completed sometime in January 2011, Wright said.
Plans for the BioPark detail six
different developments including
commercial research and laboratory facilities, office and support
facilities, a hotel and conference
center, student housing, a technology or bioscience high school and
designated areas for open spaces.
Unique to Tucson, the BioPark
will create the city’s largest scale
development combination of
homes, stores, jobs and urban construction. The school would be a
partnership of Tucson Unified
School District and the Joint
Technological Education District.
Until the county finishes the
flood control improvements and
the UA secures federal funds for
the completion of the infrastructure, it seems BioPark construction
will have to wait.
Officials from Eastbourne
Investments and Retail West
Properties, development partners for
the commercial retail portion, did
not return calls seeking comment.
“It’s obvious that the current
economic conditions are slowing
down all development in Tucson,”
Wright said. “The university
remains committed to developing
the BioPark.”
Page / Página 5
Talented Local Artist Shares Her
Musical Influences Around Tucson
By Lindsey Turner
Native Tucsonan Leila Lopez
grew up in a house surrounded by
guitars, pianos and harmonicas,
and musicians who took her to
concerts from Led Zeppelin to
Bob Dylan.
But with little formal musical
training, she found her own way
into a unique musical style that
some call folk fusion and others
call indie meets Norah Jones.
“I find her to be one of the best
original guitar players in town,”
says Justin Lillie, a local musician
who considers himself one of her
biggest fans. “She exudes passion.”
Lopez, 27, a slender, soft-spoken woman, is nearly dwarfed by
her Taylor acoustic guitar as she
entertained a dinner crowd recently at Delectables restaurant on
Fourth Avenue. On a small table
beside her, her tip jar is nearly full
and her lime green suitcase with
her 2006 CD, “The Roots and the
Corps,” is nearly empty as
evening moves into night.
“I feel like I have gotten lucky
with the response to my music,”
Lopez says.
The singer songwriter has
become a fixture in the local
music scene and plays nearly
every week in a variety of venues
including Plush, Club Congress
and Epic Café. She has opened for
touring musicians such as Brandi
Carlile, Amos Lee and the
Mountain Goats.
She has also toured herself -three times up the West Coast.
Her musical journey began
early. There were always people
around her house making music
— mostly folk and jazz. By the
age of six, Lopez was creating her
own melodies and by age eight
she was playing guitar.
She tried piano lessons but
found formal instruction stifled
her creativity.
“My piano teacher fired me for
making up my own songs,” Lopez
says.
PHOTO
BY
MELISA V. TERÁN
Leila Lopez performs at Delectable’s restaurant on North Fourth Avenue. Her
current studio album is entitled “The Roots and the Crops” and is available on
www.cdbaby.com.
At Tucson High, she tried
school orchestra because she
wanted to spend as much time on
music as she could. She picked up
the cello.
“I was only learning by ear,”
Lopez says. “My teacher quickly
realized that I was playing the violin part by ear instead of the cello
part.”
Lopez has remained close to her
childhood roots, and lives in the
guesthouse behind her parents
home where she grew up off of
North Fourth Avenue. It is in the
guesthouse that Lopez composes
songs – generally writing the music
first which then “moves me one
way or the other with the lyrics,”
she says.
She describes the music she
creates as indie folk. It fuses the
many styles she grew up with.
Lopez is not trying to change
the world. She’s not trying to send
a message. She is just doing what
comes natural to her, which is
writing and playing music.
“I am not an angry girl with a
guitar,” Lopez says.
Obama Inauguration Inspires Hope in Tucson TEP Trees
for Energy
By Jessica Jaco
When Barack Obama, the junior
senator from Illinois, announced he
would be running for president
under the mantra of “change,”
many Americans, South Tucsonans
included, were ready for it.
“It meant so much for America,” said Valeene WilliamsonBedford, the assistant pastor at
Agape Christian Community Church, 7120 S. 12th Ave., of his election. “It was the first time in my
history that all the players in
America could be at the table.”
For this reason, she joined
another 1.2 million people at his
inauguration on Jan. 20.
“It was electrifying,” she said.
“I can’t even describe it. No one
was in a bad mood that day,” he
said.
She is not the only Tucsonan
looking forward to the future with
Obama. “I was very pleased to see
that he was elected, and by a substantial margin too,” said Martin
Bacal, the corresponding secretary
for the Pima County Democratic
Party. “I think with the bad situation of the economy, Obama’s proposals will be a great asset to those
in low-income areas like South
Tucson.”
For Tucson City Councilman
Steve Leal, it “remains to be seen
what Obama will do for this coun-
By Lindsey Turner
PHOTO
COURTESY OF
VALEENE WILLIAMSON-BEDFORD
Supporters of President Obama gather on the National Mall during the Jan. 20 Inauguration Ceremony. Over 1.2 million
people assembled to be a part of the historical event to witness the swearing in of the first African-American president.
try.” But, like others, he is hopeful.
“There will be more money for
education and improved environmental quality, which will help
areas like South Tucson.”
In addition, Leal said, Obama
seems to be interested in the
involvement of the Hispanic community, as evidenced by his
appointment of Hilda Solis as his
Secretary of Labor.
But some are concerned about
Obama’s commitment to smaller
communities like South Tucson.
“I didn’t vote for him,” said A.J.
Baray, a mortgage advisor from
South Tucson. “I’m unsure exactly
where he stands on some issues.”
But he has not completely
turned his back on the Obama
administration.
“I think having a black president
will be better socially,” Baray said.
He also thinks the Obama
administration may put more attention on helping minorities than previous presidents.
Meanwhile, everyone waits and
watches. “I know that it all might
be too soon to tell,” Leal said, “but
he’s doing very well in his first
week, if that has anything to show
for his future.”
Tucson Electric Power Company is
offering customers desert-adapted
trees at a low rate as long as they
are planted in an area that reduces
energy costs.
The program offered through
Trees for Tucson delivers trees to
applicants who qualify in the
Tucson metro area, including
Green Valley, Oro Valley, Marana
and Vail. To qualify, applicants
must apply online, send in a check
or money order for $8 and have
adequate space for the tree.
The program was started in
1989 to provide shade and cut energy costs. The trees must be planted
on the west, east or south side of
the home to provide shade throughout the hottest part of the day.
Local nurseries have experienced an overflow of trees ranging
in size from 6 to 8 feet, which are
being donated to the Trees for
Tucson program. The larger trees,
which include mesquite, desert willow and palo verdes will only be
available through spring, however
trees ranging in size from 3 to 6
feet are available all year.
Applications are available
online at http://www.treesfortucson.com and trees are delivered
directly to your home.
EL INDEPENDIENTE
February 15 / 15 de febrero 2008
Officer Garcia
Pleads Guilty,
Must Pay City
Restitution
By Dan Sullivan
South Tucson received some closure Jan. 26 after former police
lieutenant Richard Robles Garcia
pleaded guilty to embezzling more
than $560,000 from the police
department and the city.
Garcia, 47, who was the department’s second in command, ran
the
South
Tucson
Police
Department’s asset-forfeiture program. He was the sole custodian of
its evidence room, and court documents show he embezzled money
between February 2004 and May
2008.
Garcia also pleaded guilty to
filing false federal income tax
returns between 2004 and 2007.
“The fact that there wasn’t any
closure (until now) left us in
limbo,” said Enrique Serna, South
Tucson’s city manager. “The city
and the Police Department may
get some closure because of the
plea.”
Serna said Garcia’s actions hurt
every member of the South
Tucson Police Department.
Garcia was a 13-year veteran of
the STPD, but was fired in June
following a May investigation by
the FBI and the Internal Revenue
Service.
The investigation found Garcia
received STPD checks from vehicle impounds and asset forfeitures
then deposited them into his own
checking account or withdrew
money from the department’s
account.
Garcia also cashed checks from
the Department of Homeland
Security, the State of Arizona, and
the Clerk of the Pima County
Superior Court and stole money,
jewelry and weapons from the
department’s evidence room,
according to court documents.
As a part of his plea agreement,
Garcia agreed to pay restitution to
South Tucson and the Pima
County Anti-Racketeering Fund.
But Serna said he is skeptical.
“The reality is the restitution
won’t be paid.”
Garcia said he stole because of
his gambling habit, but said he
tried to pay the city back with his
gambling winnings, according to
court documents.
Garcia faces between 33 and 41
months in prison. His sentencing
is scheduled for April 6.
Latin Bands
Perform at
Valentine’s
Day Dance
Page / Página 6
Generous Driver Contributes to Family
‘Extreme’ Continued from page 1
because he often brought limo customers to the restaurant.
On Jan. 20, Roberto was contacted by a Makeover producer
known only as “Stevo.” He was
given a two-way radio. This was
his only means of communication
with the production crew; no
phone numbers, e-mails or
addresses were provided.
When Roberto told Stevo his
company was called Xtreme, the
producer reportedly said, “Wow,
what a coincidence.” But with more
than a dozen limo services in the
Old Pueblo to choose from, it seems
to be more like fate than chance for
Roberto and his company.
One of Roberto’s employees,
Kurt Campbell was the initial
driver on the set. Campbell was
responsible for picking up the Bell
family from their home on Jan. 27.
After several scenes were shot of
the limo driving away from the
house, Campbell loaded the Bell
family into the vehicle and took
them to the airport.
The Bells spent a week in New
York while a team of cast, crew
and volunteers reconstructed their
home.
“Just the experience of this was
amazing,” Roberto says. “To see
how the community comes together. People hanging wrought iron,
painters. Most of the time they had
three to four hundred people
working.”
Roberto’s 2005 Ford Excursion
Limousine was the luxury car of
choice for Lizzie and her family.
The limo is 38 feet long, seats 20
passengers, has a 22 inch TV, a 15
inch TV in the VIP section, four
seven inch TV’s, a DVD/CD player, Playstation 2, and fiber optic
and LED lights that change colors
every three to four seconds.
For the reveal, Roberto slowly
pulled the limo with the family up
close to a bus to hide the new
house from them – a move he was
made to practice dozens of times.
The family was ushered out and
Roberto parked the limo out of
sight and joined his family and
other on-lookers for the unveiling
of the house.
“I have to say that this was the
most rewarding because we got to
see the family we were helping,”
says Kelly, Roberto’s wife. “It was
nice to see them and see how
happy they were.”
Five years ago, Roberto and
Kelly started with one limo. They
were the only drivers. Today the
business boasts 11 employees and
a fleet of 10 vehicles including
PHOTO
BY
COLLEEN KEEFE
Aldarete’s 2005 Ford Excursion Limousine was used as the transportation for
the Bell Family in ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” The episode will
air on March 22.
limousines, a limo bus, vans,
SUV’s and sedans. Kelly says she
serves as co-owner, driver, secretary and car washer of the familyrun business. Roberto adds that he
details his own vehicles to help
keep costs down.
What they contribute to their
community can not be quantified.
“He’s part of the entourage that
carries the cross for people, that is
such a part of his legacy,” says
Kathy Bell, Lizzie’s mother.
“That’s the quiet people that stand
in the gap – they’re servants, and
that’s a powerful place to be.”
Reading to Dogs Boosts Confidence
‘Dogs’ Continued from page 1
Four-year-old Gabriel Soto hovers around Penny’s corner in the
children’s section waiting to read to
Penny.
“She’s sad because no one is
reading to her. Do you want to
pick out a book to read to Penny?”
Saling asks Gabriel.
“Yes,” he says, very softly.
Picking out the book is the
hardest part. Gabriel spends about
15 minutes picking through the
shelves to find the perfect story to
read to Penny. He picks out a
book, walks toward the dog, but
then changes his mind and turns
back to the shelf. He finally settles
on a book and sits near Penny,
checking every now and then to
see if she likes the story.
“Wow, good job,” says Saling
after Gabriel is done. She hands
him a blue button with Penny’s
picture on it. Gabriel scurries off
to find another book.
He read four different books to
Penny by the end of the afternoon.
“Sometimes I get kids who end
City Makes
Old Homes
Safer for
Children
By Kathleen Stevens
By Ryan Timothy Greer
The El Casino Ballroom will host
a Valentine’s Day dance Feb. 14.
The bands Sangre Caliente
and Relente will perform along
with Ricardo Castillon with his
band, La Diferenzia and DJ
Golden Boy.
Tickets are $15 in advance at
Yoly’s Music Shop, located at
2980 S. Sixth Ave., Suite #150,
and El Casino Ballroom, 437 E.
26th St., or $20 at the door. The
dance begins at 7 p.m.
For more information visit the
El Casino Ballroom website at
http://www.elcasinoballroom.org.
The City of Tucson has designated
a program to refurbish homes that
contain lead-based paint.
The program is intended to
make older homes safer for young
children. Homes built prior to 1978
that have children younger than six
years old living in or frequently
visiting are eligible. The homes
must also be located within city
limits.
Renovations are planned for
windows, doors, floor covering,
stucco work and soil covering.
Free vouchers are also available for
medical testing.
PHOTO
BY
ALEX DALENBERG
Roxie, a trained therapy dog, checks out a book being read to her by Shawnee
Smith, 8. Roxie provides children with a non-judgmental listener to help them
build their reading skills and confidence through the “Read to a Dog” program.
up wanting to read six or seven
times,” Saling said.
After a while, Soto’s 10-yearold brother, Angel, even gets into
the act. He reads from “Green
Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss. It
seems to take kids a few minutes
Gross Annual income
Guidelines set U.S.
Department of Housing
and Urban Development
to warm up to the idea of reading
to a dog, but once they try it, they
like it. When Angel is done, he
picks out another book to read.
“I’d never read to a dog before.
She’s a cute dog,” Angel said.
Penny was found on the streets
in 2007, dirty and emaciated, with
a litter of seven puppies. Saling
adopted her from another woman
who had taken in the stray and
found that Penny loved people.
She decided to get Penny certified
as a trained therapy dog, Saling
said.
All dogs in the program are
certified as therapy dogs through
one of several programs that the
library approves. Anyone can volunteer their dog if they pass the
training.
Being a therapy dog is mostly
about temperament, Saling said.
“They have to love people, not
just like them, they have to love
them,” she said.
And Penny, who seems to bring
a smile to everyone’s face at the
library, seems fit for the job.
“She’s my sweetie dog,” Saling
said.
Visit El Independiente
online at:
www.elindenews.com
Pascua Yaqui to Build Park
to Promote Healthy Living
By Jessica Marinucci
Family
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Income
$30,800
$35,200
$39,600
$44,000
$47,500
$51,050
$54,550
$58,100
For more information,
call Tom Ingram
at 837-5345
or Karla Timmons
at 837-5330
The Pascua Yaqui Tribe has
received a $2.2 million grant from
the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development to begin
construction on the Pascua Pueblo
Park, 5303 W. Calle Torim, in
southwest Tucson.
The 16-acre park will consist
of an 8-acre soccer and football
field, two basketball courts, two
sand volleyball courts, two horseshoe throwing pits, playground
equipment, and an outdoor running track.
Ruben Reyes, district director
for Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva,
said that the tribe is constructing
the park to improve the health of
members.
More than 75 percent of the
Yaqui nation is low to moderate
income and they suffer from a
high rate of diabetes, he said.
“Parks create a healthier community environment and when
national organizations rate towns
and cities, parks are a major contributor to a better quality of life,”
Reyes said.
“Seniors can go and walk and
children can play on the fields and
families can hang out and exercise,” he said.
There are two tribes of the
Pascua Yaqui in Tucson and this is
the first park on either reservation.
Construction on the Pascua
Pueblo Park is set to start in April
and is scheduled to be finished by
the end of the year.
EL INDEPENDIENTE
February 13 / 13 de febrero 2009
Page / Página 7
Bookmans, Scouts Open Lounge for Girls
Reading lounge
offers girls safe
place to hang out
If You Go
By Nyssa Baca
The Sahuaro Girl Scout Council
has opened a new reading lounge
for young girls to hang out, meet
new people, read books, get homework help and use computers.
The Bookmans Low Lounge
opened at the end of January for
girls ages 5 to 17 and was named
after their sponsor, Bookmans
Entertainment Exchange, and the
founder of the Girl Scouts of
America, Juliette Gordon Low.
Bookmans gave $3,000 in cash
donations toward the lounge,
which paid for the furniture and
fabric for recovering benches.
Bookmans also donated $2,000 in
goods and services, including more
than 2,000 books.
At their grand opening on Jan.
31, girls browsed the bookshelves
as their families sat around the
lounge eating trail mix, cake, artichoke dip and other goodies.
Rebecca Reiter, 12, curled up in
a chair to read “How to Ditch Your
Fairy” over the low din of people
talking.
“I love reading,” she said, and
she plans to make good use of the
lounge in the future.
This is just what the donors
want to hear.
“We are passionate about promoting literacy in the community,”
The Bookmans Low
Lounge for girls offers
tutoring and computer
use along with a space
for girls to hang out. It is
registered safe place and
anyone can recieve help.
What
The Sahuaro Girl Scout
Council Lounge for girls
Where
4300 E. Broadway
Eligibility
PHOTO
BY
Girls, ages: 5 -17
Girls under 13 must
have an adult present
NYSSA BACA
Barbara Arissa, from the Altrusa women's service group, helps Brownie Elisabeth Smith, 7, make a sock puppet at the
grand opening of the Bookmans Low Lounge in January.
said Tamara Jones, Bookmans
community relations person. “This
was a great opportunity to provide
a safe welcoming space to encourage girls to read.”
Katie Gorenflo of the Sahuaro
Girl Scout Council, and Kristen
Culliney, community development
manager for the Sahuaro Girl Scout
Council came up with the idea for
the lounge while trying to re-vamp
their book club, said Culliney. They
pitched their idea to Bookmans in
September.
But they are clear that the
lounge is not just for Girl Scouts.
“It’s for all girls in the community,” Gorenflo said.
Girls under the age of 13 need to
be accompanied by an adult, but
older kids are welcome to use the
space after school and throughout
the summer.
The lounge is also a designated
“safe place.” Through the National
Safe Place program, anyone under
the age of 18 can get help of any
kind from the employees and volunteers.
The new reading lounge will
serve as a safe haven and a positive
outlet for learning and entertainment for young girls in Tucson.
Cost
Free
Hours
Mondays through
Thursdays
8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
Fridays
8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Closed Weekends
Scholarship Opportunities Available for Local Students
By Melisa V. Teran
High school seniors preparing for
college should already be aware
that higher education comes with a
price, but paying off school tuition
doesn't have to be as hard as some
may think.
This is the time of year when
students should take advantage of
scholarship opportunities to help
cover tuition expenses.
Scholarships are widely available, usually free to apply for, and
unlike loans, don't have to be paid
back.
To learn more about scholarships, students should utilize their
high school counselors. They are
prepared to assist students with
resumes, scholarship essays and
any additional questions the student may have while completing
applications.
“We really try to recruit kids
and try to push it on them,” said
Teresa Toro, academic counselor
for Pueblo Magnet High School.
“We educate our seniors to apply.”
Another source for scholarship
information is the Internet.
“Every place you look there is,
nine times out of 10, a link to
scholarship information,” said
Holly Colonna, coordinator for the
Tucson Unified School District
Counseling Department. “It's
become easier than it used to be.”
A wide variety of scholarships
are available for every kind of student and are not limited to students
with outstanding grade point averages, according to Denise
Kingman, senior counselor at
Cholla Magnet High School.
Specific scholarships are designated for people who have
extracurricular strengths in community services and special interests.
“Generally they are looking for
well-rounded students,” said
Kingman.
Sites such as http://www.fastweb.com provide the user with
scholarship applications that meet
their specific qualifications and
interests, based on previously
entered information.
Websites can provide students
with scholarships specifically tailored to their desired school of
choice. For example, at the
University of Arizona, the Hispanic
Alumni Club offers scholarships to
chicano students preparing to
attend.
For more information on other
scholarships in Arizona, students
should visit:
The Arizona Scholarship
Foundation http://www.azcsf.org/
The Tucson Metropolitan
Chamber of Commerce
http://www.tucsonchamber.org/
Arizona State University
Financial Aid Office http://students.asu.edu/financial-aid
UA Financial Aid Office
https://financialaid.arizona.edu/
and http://arizonaalumni.com/uaha/
for information on Chicano student scholarships.
Tucsonans Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.
PHOTOS
BY
NYSSA BACA
ABOVE: Members from the Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church sing together as they lead the annual Martin Luther
King Jr. Day March from the University of Arizona campus to Reid Park. TOP LEFT: Clarence Boykin, speaker, talks with
Otis Brown before introducing the pastor to the audience on the university mall. BOTTOM LEFT: Holly Page paints children’s faces in Reid Park. Page is part of a performing arts group called Arts for Life.
?
Page / Página 8
EL INDEPENDIENTE
QUE PASA?
February 13 / 13 de febrero 2009
By Ali Vieth
Avenue en el centro de Tucsón.
Disfrute del ambiente, la comida y
las compras a lo largo de Fourth
Avenue. Si desea más información o para registrar su carro, visite www.southernarizonamustangclub.org o llame al 622-6118.
Feb. 21 - Feb. 22
Southwest Indian Art Fair
Come celebrate the 15th Annual
Southwest Indian Art Fair at the
Arizona State Museum inside the
Main Gate at University
Boulevard and Park Avenue. The
show will feature more than 200
artists, performers and demonstrators. Single day admission is $8
for adults and $3 for children ages
12 to 16. Admission is free for the
University of Arizona and Pima
Community College students with
a school ID and children under the
age of 11. For more information
visit www.statemuseum.
arizona.edu or call 621-6302.
11 de febrero – 20 de mayo
Clases de ciudadanía
¿Sueña con ser ciudadano de los
EE.UU.? Únase con otros tucsonenses a una clase gratuita de ciudadanía ofrecida por Pima
Community College Adult
Education en la Biblioteca Sam
Lena del Sur de Tucsón, 1607 S.
Sixth Ave. Los interesados
pueden registrarse y comenzar
cuando quieran durante la sesión
de 12 semanas. Las clases se ofrecen cada miércoles de 5:30 a 7
p.m. Si desea más información
llame al 594-5390.
Feb. 21 - March 1
Tucson Rodeo
Enjoy an afternoon at the Tucson
Rodeo, where you can see the current and former Professional
Rodeo Cowboys Association
world champions competing in
one of the top 20 rodeos in the
country. There will be seven professional rodeo events at the
Tucson Rodeo Grounds, 4823 S.
Sixth Ave. Tickets range from $12
to $20 when purchased 24 hours in
advance and $14 to $22 at the
gate. All seats reserved. Parking is
free. For more information visit
www.tucsonrodeo.com or call 7412233.
25 de febrero – 8 de marzo
PHOTOS BY JESSICA JACO
TOP LEFT: Cindy Ho, of Royal Quality
Gems Inc., from El Monte, Calif., looks on
as passersby browse through her gem collections.
TOP RIGHT: A display of unique candles at
the booth of the Himalayan Salt Shop of
New Jersey.
BOTTOM: Local Tucsonans enjoyed browsing through exotic gems and stones.
Feb. 22
The 55th Annual Tucson Gem and Mineral
Show wraps up this weekend. The Gem
and Mineral show has been one of Tucson’s
biggest economic and tourists draws. The
event often draws thousands of jewelers
and enthusiasts to the Old Pueblo.
YMCA Annual 5K Run/Walk
Come join the fun with hundreds
of Tucsonans at the fifth annual
Lighthouse/City YMCA 5K
Run/Walk and SilverSneakers 2
Mile Fun Walk. Runners and
walkers of all ages and levels are
invited to participate. There will
be free day care, T-shirts, live
music, a rock climbing wall, raffle
prizes, food and drinks. All proceeds will be donated to the
YMCA’s Changing Lives campaign, which funds scholarships
for Tucson youth and families.
The event will begin at 8:30 a.m.
Admission is $20. For more information call 885-2782 or visit
www.tucsonymca.org.
Feb. 22
“Fords on 4th”
The Southern Arizona Mustang
Club, the oldest Mustang club in
the world, is celebrating the 45th
anniversary of the Ford Mustang
with a show on North Fourth
Avenue in downtown Tucson.
Enjoy the atmosphere, dining and
shopping along Fourth Avenue.
For more information or to register
your car, visit www.southernarizonamustangclub.org or call 6226118.
Feb. 11 - May 20
Free Citizenship Classes
Dream of becoming a US citizen?
Join other Tucsonans at a free citizenship class offered by Pima
Community College Adult
Education at Sam Lena-South
Tucson Branch Library, 1607 S.
Sixth Ave. Individuals can register and start any time during the
12-week session. Classes meet
every Wednesday from 5:30 to 7
p.m. For more information call
594-5390.
Feb. 25 - March 8
“Footloose” at PCC
Pima Community College Theatre
Arts will be performing the highenergy musical “Footloose” at the
Proscenium Theater at Pima
Community College West, 2202
W. Anklam Road. Performances
are Wednesday through Saturday
at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Admission is $18 with discounts
available. For more information
visit www.pima.edu/cfa or call
206-6986.
Tucson area. Admission is free and
the event begins at 7:30 a.m. For
more information visit www.tucsonfestivalofbooks.org or call 6265653.
Traducido por Diana Núñez
21 de febrero – 22 de
febrero
Feria de arte indígena
25 de febrero – 2 de abril
Entrenamiento de primavera
varán acabo siete eventos profesionales de rodeo en el Recinto de
Rodeo de Tucsón, 4823 S. Sixth
Av. Los boletos cuestan de $12 a
$20 al comprarlos 24 horas por
adelantado y de $14 a $22 al comprarse en la entrada. Todos los
asientos son reservados y el estacionamiento es gratuito. Si desea
más información visit
www.Tucsónrodeo.com o llame al
741-2233.
22 de febrero
13 de marzo – 15 de marzo
Carrera/Caminata Anual
Festival de libros
La primera feria de libros de
Tucsón llegará al campus de la
Universidad de Arizona. Se
espera la asistencia de más de 250
autores. Los ingresos generados
por la patrocinación del evento
beneficiarán a los grupos literarios
locales y a los programas en el
área de Tucsón. La entrada es gratuita y el evento comienza a las
7:30 a.m. Si desea más información visite www.tucsonfestivalofbook.org o llame al 626-5653.
Major League Baseball is kicking
off another year of spring training
in Tucson. Come watch the
Arizona Diamondbacks and
Colorado Rockies take on other
big league teams at Tucson
Electric Park and Hi Corbett Field.
Tickets are on sale now. For more
information visit
www.visittucson.org/visitor/events
/springtraining.
For Diamondbacks tickets call 1866-672-1343 and for Rockie tickets call 1-800-388-ROCK.
March 13 – March 15
21 de febrero – 1 de marzo
Únase a la diversión con cientos
de tucsonenses en La Quinta
Lighthouse/City YMCA 5K
Run/Walk y SilverSneakers 2 Mile
Fun Walk. Están invitados a participar los corredores y caminantes
de todas las edades. Habrá
guardería gratis, camisetas, música
en vivo, una pared de alpinismo,
premios de rifas, comida y refrescos. Todos los ingresos serán donados a la campaña YMCA’s
Changing Lives, que provee fondos para becas a la juventud y
familias de Tucsón. Este evento
comenzará a las 8:30 a.m. y la
entrada es de $20. Si desea más
información llame al 885-2782 o
visite www.tucsónymca.org.
Festival of Books
Rodeo de Tucsón
22 de febrero
Tucson’s first Festival of Books is
coming to the University of
Arizona campus. More than 250
authors are expected to be in attendance. Proceeds from event sponsorships will benefit local literacy
groups and programs in the
Disfruten de una tarde en el Rodeo
de Tucsón donde pueden ver a los
campeones mundiales de
Professional Rodeo Cowboys
Association, presentes y pasados,
en uno de los 20 rodeos más
sobresalientes del país. Se lle-
“Fords en la Cuarta”
MLB Spring Training
Pima Community College Theatre
Arts representará el energético
musical “Footloose” en el
Proscenium Theater en Pima
Community College West, 2202
W. Anklam Road. Las funciones
son de miércoles a sábado a las
7:30 p.m. y el domingo a las 2
p.m. La entrada cuesta $18 y hay
descuentos disponibles. Si desea
más información visite
www.pima.edu/cfa o llame al
206-6986.
La liga mayor de béisbol comenzará otro año de entrenamiento de
primavera en Tucsón. Vengan a
ver a los Diamondbacks de
Arizona y los Rockies de
Colorado enfrentarse con otros
equipos de la liga mayor en
Tucsón Electric Park, 2500 E. Ajo
Way. Los boletos ya están en
venta. Si desea más información
visite www.visitTucsón.org/visitor/events/springtraining. Para los
boletos de los Diamondbacks
llame al 1-866-672-1343 y para
los boletos de los Rockies al 1800-388-ROCK.
Vengan a celebrar la
Decimoquinta Feria Anual de Arte
Indígena del Suroeste en el
Arizona State Museum, dentro del
recinto universitario en University
Boulevard y Park Avenue. La
exposición presentará a más de
200 artistas plásticos, actores e
intérpretes. La entrada es de $8
para los adultos y $3 para los
menores de 12 a 16 años de edad.
Para los estudiantes de la
Universidad de Arizona y Pima
Comunity College, la entrada es
gratuita al presentar identificación
escolar, y para los menores de 11
años de edad. Si desea más información visite www.statemuseum.
arizona.edu o llame al 621-6302.
Feb. 25 - April 2
“Footloose” Llega al teatro
El Southern Arizona Mustang
Club, el club Mustang más antiguo
de todo el mundo, celebrará el 45o
aniversario del Ford Mustang con
una exposición en North Fourth
Upcoming community
events can be submitted
to El Independiente at
[email protected].
Events must be received at
least two weeks in
advance.