Covid, Flu, and RSV – Oh My!

Folks, it’s time again to be careful. Rates of all three are up dramatically.

COVID

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined the community Covid risk is high in Pima County, which means there is a high level of severe illness and a potential for healthcare system strain.

Ward 3 is following the CDC guidelines for high-risk areas by requiring staff and visitors to wear a mask when inside the ward office. We have also cancelled a planned Holiday Open House.

In addition to wearing a mask when in indoor public spaces, the CDC recommendations include:

Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines

Get tested if you have symptoms

Additional precautions may be needed for people at high risk for severe

 illness

People may choose to mask at any time. People with symptoms, a positive

test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask.

Influenza (Flu)

This chart, from the Arizona Department of Health Services website shows that flu has reached our state early and at an alarming fast rate of infection compared to previous years:

Everyone who can take the flu vaccine should do so as soon as possible.

Respiratory syncytial virus RSV
While RSV usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms that can last up to a week, RSV infection can cause severe risk to some infants and young children. This chart, from the Arizona Department of Health Services website shows that RSV has also reached our state early and at an alarming fast rate of infection compared to previous years:

There is no vaccine for RSV. Parents of infants and young children should seek out additional information on what symptoms to look out for and how to protect their family.

-Kevin

Happy Birthday John Finkelstein

I’m taking a point of personal privilege to wish my friend John Finkelstein a very happy birthday – he has just turned 59 years old. I’ve known John, who is the younger brother of one of my high school buddies, since he was nine years old. He recently visited us at Ward 3, and this photo was taken in my office.

- Kevin

What’s in a Week by Katie Bolger 

A snap shop from the last 7 days includes a monthly check-in with the Department of Transportation and Mobility led by Sam Credio and his team. We met with representatives from Teen Challenge who are in the process of renovating and expanding their facilities on North Oracle road (including on the site of the old Tiki motor court). Former Tucson City Councilwoman Margo Garcia dropped by to talk Zero Waste. We toured Tu Nidito, a local non-profit that does the important work of bereavement support for children and families. I walked Columbus Park with Val Rauluk looking for a suitable place for a cactus carbon sequestration pilot project. Last but not least, we met with the new Chief Information Officer for the City’s IT department Chris Mazzarella and IT Administrator Charles Sakwa. There is never a dull moment at the Ward 3 office and always someone new to meet and something new to learn!

Place Network Investigations (PNI) by CJ Boyd 

Earlier this year, the Tucson Police Department (TPD) partnered with researchers at the University of Cincinnati to participate in a pilot program called Place Network Investigations (PNI), in which solutions to localized high rates of violent gun crime are sought through a holistic, community-oriented approach. Three of the four Tucson police divisions were given a PNI location, and as we reported in this newsletter back in February, one of those locations is centered around the intersection of Grant and Alvernon. 

While the grant-funded PNI program only officially includes those three locations, when the project kicked off, Operations Division Westside - the only division without a  PNI location - took the initiative to identify a location they believed met the criteria. That location is the area around the Circle K at 10 West Fort Lowell (at the intersection of Stone and Fort Lowell), and police officers started using PNI strategies to reduce violent gun crime there. These strategies include involving more members of the community and interrupting crime by addressing social and economic issues that lead to it. 

To be clear, 10 West Fort Lowell is not formally part of the PNI research study, and the three locations in the study are monitored and evaluated for effectiveness by researchers outside the police department. However, at the monthly PNI board meetings, which bring together a diverse group of community members and City department representatives, 10 West Fort Lowell was reported on and included. 

According to Captain Corey Doggett, who oversees Operations Division West, TPD recently decided to stop discussing 10 West Fort Lowell at the board meetings because of some confusion it created. Furthermore, discussing an additional fourth site became difficult due to time constraints, and while the Circle K is considered a hot spot for crime, the crime statistics do not exactly fit the pattern that the other PNI locations exhibit. 

As Captain Schaner explained to me at the most recent PNI meeting, “gun crime” is a general term that encompasses any crime involving a firearm. However, when the researchers evaluate PNI locations, they use a weighted system so that, for instance, a crime involving a person killing someone with a gun is weighted higher than a crime in which someone  draws a weapon but does not fire. In this weighted system, the location at 10 W. Fort Lowell location does not fit the criteria for inclusion in the PNI program. 

Although PNI is a pilot program, the results are impressive and have inspired a shift in policing throughout TPD, and Captain Corey Doggett says that many of the strategies used at PNI locations are still being implemented at the Circle K location.

Tucson Home Sharing by Marlene Avelino 

Jennifer Treece and Deborah Knox visited with us recently to discuss Tucson Home Sharing, an organization that Deb co-founded with Sharon Kha. The idea of "home sharing" is not new, and home sharing can be structured in many ways. In this case, the goal is for seniors to reduce their cost of living, offer companionship, and age in place - in their own homes and / or community. 

From left to right: Deborah Knox and Jennifer Treece of Tucson Home Share, Council Aide Marlene Avelino, Council Member Kevin Dahl, and Chief of Staff Katie Bolger

The organization started up officially in 2017, one year after Deborah Knox and Sharon Kha began sharing a home in midtown Tucson. Sharon was a retired broadcast journalist and Associate Vice President for University of Arizona Communications. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2003, and by 2016 the disease had advanced to the point that she knew she couldn’t live alone in her spacious home much longer. Deborah is a businesswoman and self employed as a writing coach for those interested in writing memoirs and autobiographies. She was looking to downsize from her condo and get out from under a mortgage. A friend introduced the pair, and after 5 phone conversations, they decided to home share! 

Tucson Home Share focuses on education, outreach and advocacy - they do not provide matching services directly. They have helpful self-assessments and different materials to support individuals in finding a potential match and navigating a home sharing agreement. There are many ways to set up an agreement that is mutually beneficial and makes room for all parties’ needs. 

Tucson Home Sharing meetings are hosted on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month and are intended to educate and encourage those looking to find a living space or share their own home with someone else. The meetings usually alternate between Zoom and in-person in order to accommodate health and accessibility needs. The next meeting will be on December 15th from 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm at the Ward 6 Office (3202 E 1st St, Tucson, AZ 85716 ). 

To learn more you can visit tucsonhomesharing.org or check out their Facebook at www.facebook.com/TucsonHomeSharing

Next Mayor and Council Meeting 

The next Mayor and Council Meeting is on Tuesday, December 6th, 2022.
The agenda is available here: Mayor and Council Meeting Agendas

Ward 3 Neighborhood Association and Coalition Meetings

Mountain First Neighborhood Association
Saturday, December 10th, 9:00- 10:00 am
Mitchell Park, 1100 E. Mitchell St. 

The Ward 3 office is open. Staff will answer phone messages, emails and requests for meetings by the next business day. Leave your message at 520-791-4711 or email [email protected].

Ward 3 Events

Ward 3 Cemetery Wash Clean Up on Thursday, December 8th 

Join Ward 3 staff and the City of Tucson for another clean up event at Cemetery Wash on December 8th. We'll be at N. Balboa Ave. and W. Delano Street ready with supplies. We'd love to see you there, and you can register HERE! 

Join WE CARE TUCSON at 3029 N. Stone Ave. for a Holiday sale with a special guest appearance! on Saturday, December 3rd 

The 25th Annual BICAS Art Auction will feature a huge variety of practical and fanciful handmade bicycle-themed art, most of which is created using upcycled bicycle parts. All the art is donated by some of Tucson’s best artists who support the mission of promoting education, art, a healthy environment & making transportation more accessible to our community.

The Art Auction is for all ages & will have food, drinks, and entertainment with bidding closing Dec.10th at 8pm. As a 501(c)(3), this is our biggest fundraising event of the year with all proceeds going toward our various community programs that help people learn how to fix a bicycle, earn a bicycle, create unique art from recycled materials, and provide programs specifically targeted towards youth. 

2023 Civic and Political Leadership Program Applications due by December 9th

Greater Tucson Leadership, in partnership with Rothschild Fund for Civic Innovation, will launch the 2023 Civic and Political Leadership Program in February 2023. In this 8-month-long, nonpartisan program, participants will learn about different levels of government and how elected officials have an impact on our everyday lives. Strategies on how to run and win candidate and initiative campaigns will be taught, with a focus on personal leadership development. Our partners are looking for unique and diverse leaders who want to make an impact and guide the Tucson region and Southern Arizona in the right direction.

Applications are currently open for the Civic and Political Leadership Program, and the deadline to apply is Friday, December 9th, 2022.

For more information, click here or contact Greater Tucson Leadership CEO Justin Lukasewicz at [email protected], or call (520) 209-2734.

Ready, Set, REC! in Ward 3 this Month

Join Your Local Community Garden!

Plots are available at locations across town through the Community Gardens of Tucson. You can rent a 3 ft X 20 ft garden plot with automatic drip irrigation to grow your own food! Garden tools and supplies are provided on-site. Contact [email protected] or call 520-795-8823 for more information.

These Ward 3 gardens currently have available plots: 
-Mansfield Garden - 2000 N. 4th Ave.
-Blue Moon Garden - 1510 N. Oracle Rd
-Keeling Garden - 2919 N. Los Altos
-Homer Davis Garden - 4250 N. Romero Rd.
-Presidio Garden - Near Fort Lowell and Country Club

City Wide Events

Sign Up for Tucson's Climate Action Report! 

You can use this link to subscribe to the Climate Action Report through the City Manager's Office:https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/AZTUCSON/subscriber/new   

Did You Know?

Provide Input on State Long-Range Transportation Plan