MIDTOWN NEWSLETTER

MARCH 1997

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT.

What a jam-packed program we had in February. Along with our planned program, we were honored by the presence of two TPD beat officers, Mike Merrill and Randy Maisch, who fielded questions and presented an overview of their jobs as community-based police officers. In addition, Sergeant Brevaire of the SORT (Sex Offender Registration Tracking) Unit of TPD addressed many concerns of those in attendance regarding the relocation of a Level 3 sex offender in our area. Our thanks to the TPD For their immediate response to our needs. 

In March, Mayor George Miller and Councilman Jose Ibarra will be our guests (we have not yet heard from Janet Marcus as we go to press) to discuss their efforts as members of the City Bond Subcommittee for our mini-library/learning center and other requests for funds for Pima County residents (us) living within Tucson city limits. 

It is so important that we record your participation in our activities; we’re not certain that everyone is signing in and getting handouts. So, in March we plan to have our check-in table arranged so that you may register your attendance and then pick up any pertinent handouts as you arrive at the meeting. We will appreciate your help in making this work.

Your support is tremendous –what a great group you are. 

ANGEL OF THE MONTH…goes out from David Kha to his next-door-neighbor, Chris

Leonard. Last week, David went out to start his car and it rolled over and died. Hearing the sound, Chris came out and offered to give his car a jump-start. He didn’t ask for help she volunteered it. Says David: “Thanks to her for doing a good deed.” SECRET ANGELS to the kids playing out in front of the condos near Bellevue and Walnut. They enthusiastically volunteered to hand out extra flyers that Margaret Leonard was passing out in the neighborhood concerning a very important rezoning. GO-GETTER ANGEL goes out to Anne Marie Patti – the QUEEN OF GRANT WRITING. She has volunteered to follow through for our neighborhood in writing LOTS more grants to enable us to reach our goal of a mini-library neighborhood learning center, a neighborhood computer

Lab, a neighborhood job-training center, and more. ANGEL ALERT. Angel Reports desperately needed for the Midtown News April edition. Small acts of kindness happen every day. This is a fact. If they didn’t, this world wouldn’t hold together a minute longer. C’mon you guys—shake the stardust out of your eyes and take note of the good things happening around you. And then phone them in. To make an Angel Report call 323-5049. 

PIMA STREET UPDATE…a round of applause arose spontaneously at February’s meeting in response to Joe McCullough’s announcement that, after detailed and exhaustive traffic studies, the City Staff has determined that the Alvernon/Swan leg of

Pima Street needs only one lane of traffic in each direction, not two. Joe is the Project Manager for the Pima Street improvements slated to begin in 1998. A copy of the City staff’s traffic study and recommendations is available from Margaret Leonard at 323-5049. 

According to the study, the average daily traffic count on our portion of the street was under 11,000 cars a day. A two-lane configuration with a left turn lane can comfortably handle 17,000 cars a day—so we’ve got 25% extra capacity. According to the study, most of our traffic congestion problems arise at intersections, where traffic tends to back up. Re-configuring the intersections and adding extra turn lanes, according to the study, will take care of congestion, and also encourage thru-traffic to go north/south at Alvernon and Swan rather than continue on Pima Street. 

Joe then presented the City Staff’s design proposal. Staff wants to go ahead and build out the street to its full 90’ width, placing a single lane of traffic in each direction on the outside with an ultrawide landscape traffic median (with turnouts) in the center. That way, if the City staff ever determines that we need extra lanes, they can go back and, for relatively little money, take out the landscaped traffic median. 

The Pima Street Advisory Committee—a coalition of neighborhood associations bordering Pima Street, as an alternative proposal. Since we all agree that the Pima/Alvernon portion of Pima only needs one lane in each direction, that reconfiguring the intersections (and adding extra turn lanes) will ease congestion, The PAC recommends narrowing the road into the center of the 90’ right of way, with one lane each direction with a turn lane in the middle (like on Columbus). This would be the same as Pima Street from Alvernon/Country Club. That section of  the street, like ours, is heavily residential. City staff has never hinted at widening that portion of Pima street, only ours. PAC believes that all residential streets should get equal consideration and that, since traffic studies support it, the Alvernon/Swan portion of the street, as it is from Alvernon/Country Club. 

Here are the pros and cons: 1) SPEED: traffic tends to speed up on roads with a central median—traffic tends to slow down on narrower roads. Why encourage cars to speed through our neighborhood? 2) NOISE: If the city narrows the road, we would have 15-20 feet available on either side of the street for landscaping, sidewalks, street lights, etc. A wall of vegetation on the outside of the road will buffer traffic noise for residents on several surrounding blocks. A wall of vegetation on the inside of the road will have minimal benefit. 3) CONVENIENCE” a central traffic median sounds good until we have to decide who gets turnoffs in front of their house and who doesn’t. A central turn lane down the middle of the road guarantees everyone equal access, 4) COST: widening the road lanes will entail moving over all the phone lines, sewage hookups, possibly gas, water, and other utilities—which will definitely cost more than leaving it the same: and 4) ENHANCED RESIDENTIAL INTGRITY: we’re looking at two alternative models here. City staff proposes a one-lane (with a central turning lane) model similar to Mountain Avenue between Speedway and Grant. 

WHICH STREET WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE RUNNING THROUGH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? You’ll have a chance to learn more, and speak your mind, when City Staff holds public hearings on design proposals. Those dates haven’t been set yet, but we are currently looking at some time in May of this year. Remember-in July of 1996 we were told that a redesign of Pima Street was out of the question. Now, as a result of your massive public input, things are changing—Stay tuned. For questions or comments call 323-5049 or write P.O. Box 41264, Tucson, AZ 85717. 

DUMPSTER DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN…this coming March 13, 14 and 15. The VERY BIG DUMPSTER IS BACK—this time located just east of Louis on the north side of Pima Street (1702 N Louis). Thanks to Kari Garcia for organizing and to Susan Rondeau for graciously allowing us to use her property for the dumpster. CAUTION. This dumpster has sensitive digestion. It does not accept hazardous materials, tires or appliances. However, as we go to press, Kari is negotiating with the City of Tucson Solid Waste Department to have someone at the location Saturday morning to take hazardous materials, tires, and appliances.  Before you bring such goodies down, call Kari to confirm that you can, at 795-5795. 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR OUR APRIL STREET TREE PLANTING—on Saturday, April 19 from 8am to noon. Call Margaret at 323-5049 to find out how you can get trees planted on your street. 

VIRUS ALERT.(The computer, not the people kind). David Kha, Midtown’s resident computer guru is actually one of the first people in the world to find out about this whole new rash of computer viruses waiting to pounce when you turn on the computer. They are listed in ascending order from least to most dangerous:

1.      BONNIE Virus: Allows your computer to make coffee for the midtown meeting.

2.      Martha Virus Anything you write will turn into a proposal and ask for a grant.

3.      Margaret Virus: Your monitor turns into a newsletter…page after page…takes 2 days to finish reading.

4.      Audrey Virus: Your screen is full of “hot lips” pictures. Your computer becomes hot and Harlan will go crazy.

5.      PBS Virus: Your computer stops every few minutes to ask for money.

6.      Dan Quayle Virus: There is something wrong with your computer, ewe just cant figure out what.

7.      Bill Clinton Virus: Every 3 minutes it asks you for a Big Mac.

8.      Ross Perot Virus: Activates every component in your system, just before the whole damn thing quits.

           8    Politically Correct Virus: Never calls itself a “virus” but instead refers to itself   as an “electronic microorganism.”

9.      John Bobbitt Virus: Removes a vital part of your hard disk and then re-attaches it (but that part never works quite right again).

10        Government Economist Virus: Nothing works, but all your diagnostic software says everything is fine.

11         Federal Bureaucrat Virus: Divides your hard disk into hundreds of little units,

Each of which does practically nothing, but all of which claim to be the most

Important part of your computer.       

Thanks David. Aren’t we lucky to have a resident guru in the neighborhood? 

CHEZ MIDTOWN—FOOD REVIEW.

What a dilemma—it’s the 3^rd Tuesday of the month, it’s 6:30p.m., I open my fridge

And nothing. Ah, how could I forget he Midtown Food Fest? I’d better hurry. 

As I walk into the John B. Wright School Cafeteria, my olfactory senses are awakened. Kitty Dell, wife of Rev. Don is uncovering a chicken and stuffing casserole. She wants to know if Joe McCullough from City Transportation will be here to discuss the Pima Street widening so she can chat with him about a traffic problem on her corner.

I’m sure she’ll get the opportunity to talk with him but—first things first—let’s eat. 

I stand in the chow line behind two of Midtown’s geo-based police officers, Mike Merrill and Randy Maish. Nice to see them at the meeting, hope they’re not too hungry.

Kevin jokes about not having any donuts on the table and Officer Maish says he hasn’t touched one in 10 years. He looks so fit he probably never eat sweets—good—more for

Me. 

I fill my with potato salad, chicken wings, cornbread, Waldorf Salad, gumbo, and Fred’s stuffed chicken breasts. Dang, that man can cook. Wish I could fit more, but don’t worry—I’ll be back for seconds. I eat with a friendly group discussing the wildflowers blooming around the trees that were planted in October during the first neighborhood “2000 trees by 2001” planting. Imagine living on a tree-lined street with minimal finances or work involved on your part—what a deal. I’ll have to take a look on Louis Lane and see the beauty for myself. I also have to remember to get that tree lady’s phone number. I don’t want to miss out on the next planting in April. 

Well, I’ve fortified myself to make it back for seconds, but first I must peruse the dessert table. How luscious everything looks. I bump into Bonnie Cummins and her son Dwight on the way. It seems her husband Dick is in the hospital recovering from knee surgery, hope he’s up and about very soon. I thank Bonnie for volunteering to clean up the cafeteria after the meetings, she is truly Our Lady of the Refreshments. 

Now, back to those desserts. Anne Marie Patti’s Mom has made a rice pudding that exudes love in every spoonful—Mmm—so creamy. There is a large birthday cake with this saying on it (but no name): “Whether you like it or not you have to have a birthday.”

I ask whose birthday it is, to no avail. Becky Sellers mentions that her birthday was on February 3^rd, and that is plenty good enough reason for me to dig in. 

Sorry to say that after that I couldn’t manage another bite. Hope Jennie Rondeau makes lemon bars again—I’ll be sure to have room for them. Geez, I wonder if any of these folks have thought of writing a cookbook?? 

IF YOU LIVE NEAR GRANT OR SPEEDWAY…you already know what the Neighborhood Association already knows—the residential integrity of our neighborhood is under siege. Multiple rezoning requests have come through in the last few months that threaten to move the commercial strip along Speedway and Grant deeper and deeper into residential areas. Neighbors have told us of homes being rezoned, demolished, and parking lots or storage yards erected in their place. More and more of our energy is being taken up trying to negotiate individual rezoning. We need an AREA PLAN. An AREA PLAN would protect the residential integrity of Midtown—but Midtown is one of the few neighborhoods left in the City without one. Call the Mayor & Council’s comment line at 791-4700 and urge them to make an Area Plan for Midtown a priority. If you want more info on what an Area Plan is, call Martha at 327-4733 or Margaret at 323-5049. 

DON’T GET THE WRONG IDEA…it’s not that we aren’t business friendly—we are. But a healthy neighborhood is a nice place to do business in and live in. (and we’ve noticed that the nicer a place to live—the nicer it is to do business there). Midtown Neighborhood Association, in cooperation with the Pan-Asian Community Alliance is now in the process of setting up a “Midtown First” business directory. Many of us believe in supporting local business—so now we’re gonna do something about it. To get your business into the Midtown Business Directory, call Anna Marie Patti at 881-0244 or David Kha at 323-5049 or mail your business card to David at 4136 E. North Street, 85712. More later. 

CHRIS LAGEMANN HAS THESE WORDS TO SAY ABOUT MIDTOWN’S “VIRTUAL NEIGHBORHOOD”…The Virtual Neighborhood’s purpose is to promote communications and information between the various neighborhood associations in Tucson by setting them up on the Internet. A couple of days ago, I wrote Bob Cauthorn, the head honcho over at StarNet (of the Arizona Daily Star) regarding StarNet donating some space and resources to this effort. They wholeheartly approved and thought it was a

Terrific idea. Midtown and Liverpool Computer Centers are going to be sponsoring the

Virtual Neighborhood—so we are going to create the basic first page for any requesting

Neighborhood association for free. Subsequent pages will be done at a minimal charge.

We will have a main VNA page along with links to the various neighborhood pages. The

Centerpiece will be the VNA FORUM where we can all enter our comments about neighborhood events., etc., interactivity. In the future, I hope to add interactive forums where neighborhood members can ask and receive answers from their City Council member, School Board rep, etc. So far, we have Midtown and Corbett neighborhood association on board, with Palo Verde Neighborhood (to the east of us) soon to join and

Peter Howell Neighborhood Association (to the south of us) to join in too. With Midtown, Palo Verde, and Peter Howell, communications should be mutually beneficial,

Since these three neighborhoods border each other. BOB CAUTHORN SAYS: “My hat’s

Off to you. Lots of people out there talk about trying to make a virtual community thrive, but you’re doing more than anyone else in the community to make it happen. If we could clone you, our hopes in this area would be realized.”

 Tell your friends in other neighborhoods about this free service being offered through

Arizona StarNet, Midtown, and Liverpool Computer Center. For more information, they can call David Kha at 323-8278.

 S’WONNUFULL, S’MAHVALUS…s’gonna start construction on the Wright School Park some time in Maarch. (Well……don’t hold your yer breath). BUT, Robie Pardee reported at our February meeting that the construction bid went out February 18 and that,

If all goes well, construction should begin around mid-March. Break out your soccer shoes and your baseball mitts—It’ll soon be time to play ball in Midtown.

 WE ACTUALLY GOT A RESPONSE to our garbage diatribe in last month’s newsletter. One anonymous caller, obviously very upset stated:  “I object to your telling people to narc on their neighbors for leaving out trash bins.   Narcing is another for squealing. Why not ask people to do some small acts of neighborly kindness (like maybe their neighbor is just too tired, or working two jobs, or forgot to roll the garbage bin back one day) and roll The trash back bin back for them instead of squealing. Why not try practicing a little human kindness, Huh?” Dogginitt, you’re right. And thanks for bringing it to our attention. If you’d of left your name and phone number, we could have thanked you in person).

 Dick Coan wrote to say: I must register a strong objection to the Midtown News item about ‘narcking’ on neighbors. I would like to live in an interesting neighborhood in which people are free to do beautiful and creative things with their houses and yards. I

Would never want to live in a neighborhood of neatly manicured lawns, where everyone

feels compelled to conform to the tastes of the majority.  Nor do I wish to live in a neighborhood where people spy on one another and report  trivial infractions of senseless

rules. We do not all have the same tastes, needs, or priorities. So far as I’m concerned, my neighbors have a right to cultivate weeds, paint outlandish designs on their houses, and leave their trash containers wherever they choose to within the perimeters of their own yards. I realize that the brick and green colors are a bit humdrum. How about purple

Stripes and pink polka dots?”   Dangitt Dick, them’s fightin’ words. Will anyone out there take up the gauntlet—or are we simply going to have to give up on any hopes of a lively “Letters to the Editor” debate in Midtown News?   C’mon guys…you know the address:

P.O. Box 41264, Tucson, 95717. Or phone in your comments—323-5049. Let’s hear from Midtown—are you alive out there?

 LISA LANGFORD, Wright School’s principal, reported at the February meeting that one of our Wright School students (a second Grader) lost her home in a fire recently, and the family lost everything. (Thankfully, no one was hurt, because this little 2^nd grader had listened in school and helped get everyone to safety in time). But they need all the basics—household items, etc., and with four kids in the family—clothes are needed. If you have any such items you no longer need, please drop them by Wright School to the attention of Lisa Langford. Sizes needed are: girl-size 10, boy-size %T, boy size 3T, girl

Size 18-24 months and a newborn is on the way.

 TUCSON WATER IS ACCELERATING ITS WAATER MAIN REPLACEMENT PROGRAM in our area. Over the next several months your street might be affected. Some of the mains to be replaced are in the easements. All improvements made will be at no cost to the homeowner. If you have any questions about this program, call Jim Spain at 297-0517.

 WHAT IS COMMUNITY? Seems like a silly question…but the diverse group of people meeting weekly at the Pan Asian Community Center to share ideas and writing on this topic, has yet to run out of ideas.  David Kha (Vietnam) says: “When you live together you must find  a way to get along to make life easier. I strongly believe that we must create a good environment around us in order to survive. We are the products of the old environment. Now it’s time for us to change and do something to make this world a better one to live. We start with helping our next-door neighbor and ask our neighbor to do the same. For example: You are like a small stone dropping in the center of the lake—you’ll see the first small Ring from the stone (YOU)—and your influence will go out to the next larger ring, and the next, and so on…

 Nataly Luchshev (Russian) says: We should do something for the new generation like

Previous generation did for us.   We should remember that our small good ring will generate big good ring, but our small bad ring will generate big bad ring…

 Tri Phan (Vietnam) says: Believe in doing good things, and try to avoid doing bad things.”

 WHAT’S YOUR VISION?

One sees great things from the valley, only small things from the peak.

                                                                                                   --G.K. Chesterton

 One must ask children and birds how strawberries and Cherries taste.

                                                                                                    --Goethe

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