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People

* Seven girls from the Sahuaro Girl Scout Council received the Gold Award, given for developing a challenging project that benefits the community and the Scout.

Award recipients are Meisha Binkley for her "Curious Clown" project; Melissa Buchmann for her "Oracle State Park Junior Ranger Program"; Jennifer Darrow for participating in the Volunteering for Vets project; Ruth Morrison for "The Adventures of Sir Witless" production; and Rebecca Kelley, Rebecca Richards and Jennifer Quinn for their team project, "The Trail to Greater Abilities." The award is the highest recognition attainable in Girl Scouting.

Has someone you know been recognized with an award? Has your son or daughter received a military promotion or been honored by a local organization? Drop us a line at People Column, Neighbors, P.O. Box 26807, Tucson, AZ 85726. Send by fax to Michele Stewart-People at 573-4140 or e-mail to mstewart@azstarnet.com. Please include your name, address and daytime phone number, and the same for the person you are nominating - and that person's connection to a Tucson or Southern Arizona neighborhood or area.

Stay cool at these pools

Summer swim sessions at the city of Tucson's 26 public swimming pools will continue through Aug. 18.

Regular admission is $1 for adults and 25 cents for swimmers 17 and younger. Pool hours vary by location and are listed in the Parks & Recreation Summer 2002 Program Guide and Class Catalog and at all pools.

Programs include recreational swim hours, adult and child lessons and swim leagues, some for an additional fee. For general pool and aquatic information, call 791-4245.

Midtown-area pools are:

* Catalina, 2005 N. Dodge Blvd., 791-4245. Recreational swim is 1-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and noon-7 p.m. Saturday. The pool is closed Sundays and Mondays.

* Fort Lowell, 2900 N. Craycroft Road, 791-2585. Recreational swim is 1-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and noon-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. The pool is closed Fridays.

* Himmel, 1000 N. Tucson Blvd., 791-4157. Recreational swim is 1-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and noon-7 p.m. Saturday. The pool is closed Sundays and Mondays.

* Randolph, 200 S. Alvernon Way, 791-4352. Recreational swim is 1-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, noon-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. The pool is closed Fridays.

Important numbers

Following are phone numbers for local services:

* Tucson police non-emergency number: 791-4444.

* City of Tucson property and yard cleanup: 791-3171.

* Pothole repair (two-week lead time): 791-3154.

* Graffiti abatement: 624-7833.

* Southwest Gas (emergency only): 746-1076.

July 18, 2002

City urged to curb traffic flow

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Benjie Sanders / Staff
East Pima Street between Columbus and Swan is four lanes wide while another segment of the road has already been reduced to three lanes.

Residents want lanes reduced on busy section of Pima Street to boost safety


"I would have people beeping at me and shaking their fists because I had the nerve to want to pull into my own driveway.
Anna Marie Patti, member of Midtown Neighborhood Association
By Megan Rutherford
ARIZONA DAILY STAR


Some Midtown residents are worried about safety on their neighborhood street and are looking for the city to take some action.

The area's council member, Fred Ronstadt, said he backs neighbors' wishes to make East Pima Street safer.

Members of the Midtown Neighborhood Association said they would like to see traffic on Pima between North Columbus Boulevard and North Swan Road reduced to two lanes with a center turn lane.

But no such plans are in the works, according to Gary Oaks, a spokesman for the Transportation Department.

The city's reluctance to reduce the number of lanes on this stretch of Pima has neighbors worried it does not have their best interests in mind.

The association says this section of Pima is more like a neighborhood street because homes border the street and many children cross Pima to go to school at John B. Wright Elementary School, 4311 E. Linden St.

"We don't want any part of Pima to be having fast traffic," said Martha Cooper, a longtime neighborhood resident and volunteer.

The street has two lanes in each direction. Neighbors said reducing it to one lane each way with a center turn lane would deter some motorists from using the street and make it safer for residents to access their neighborhood.

The city did restripe Pima between North Alvernon Way and Columbus from four lanes to three, including a center turn lane in 1999, said Fred Felix, a Transportation Department project manager. But disagreement arose over whether the stretch of Pima between Columbus and Swan should undergo the same treatment.

Oaks said that because of the number of businesses along Pima and the number of vehicles that use the street between Columbus and Swan, the Transportation Department's position is that a reduction in lanes could make conditions more dangerous.

Anna Marie Patti, a member of the neighborhood association, said it has been told for some time now that the city would restripe the section of Pima between Columbus and Swan.

But Oaks said "there is no pending request" to have the restriping done.

The council office that represents constituents in Midtown also believed there was an agreement to do the restriping, said Andy Squire, an aide in Ronstadt's Ward 6 office.

Ronstadt said last week that he was concerned the work hadn't been done yet because he'd been inquiring about it since 1998.

Patti said the four lanes are dangerous because those turning left into the neighborhood or into their driveways have vehicles speeding along behind them.

"I would have people beeping at me and shaking their fists because I had the nerve to want to pull into my own driveway," said Patti, who lives along Pima in the section that was restriped to three lanes.

That restriping came about following neighbors' outcry in 1998 over city plans to widen Pima from Alvernon to Swan. The City Council eventually canceled the project when the association lobbied to have the number of lanes on Pima reduced.

Pima is classified as a collector road, which means it is supposed to serve the function of getting neighborhood traffic to major streets, Felix said.

Felix said commuter complaints that came in after the city cut the number of lanes on Pima between Columbus and Alvernon equaled the number of neighbor complaints about plans to widen Pima.

* Contact Megan Rutherford at 434-4073 or by e-mail at meganr@azstarnet.com.

Selected incidents from police files. Anyone with information about the following crimes or incidents is asked to contact the appropriate local police agency.

FIGHT - A man was arrested July 8 about 8 a.m. at Fort Lowell Park, 2900 N. Craycroft Road, after his family said he'd pointed a gun at his brother-in-law. David Che Jackson, 28, of the 5500 block of East Glenn Street, was charged with domestic violence/aggravated assault.

ASSAULT - A man was assaulted by two people about 11:30 a.m. July 8 at Vista Ventana Apartments, 3828 E. Fort Lowell Road. David Lorenzo Perez, 22, of the 3800 block of East Fort Lowell Road, and a 17-year-old boy were arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

ROBBERY - The Quik Mart at 745 S. Tucson Blvd. was robbed July 4 about 8:30 a.m. A cashier told police a man approached her with a pack of gum and demanded money when her cash register opened.

THEFT - A woman reported about 5:40 a.m. July 4 that three men who were supposed to be giving her a ride home stole her money and threw her out of the car. She said she had been at a friend's home in the 5100 block of East 22nd Street before she got into the vehicle.

DRUGS - Police found bags of methamphetamines, a scanner and a scale in a vehicle June 26 about midnight at East 14th Street and South Craycroft Road. Pamela S. Farnolli, 39, and Stephen S. Sollenberger, 36, were arrested and charged with possession of dangerous drugs and drug paraphernalia.

ROBBERY ATTEMPT - A man tried to rob the Quik Mart at 1250 E. Fort Lowell Road June 25 about 7:45 p.m. The man ran away when a customer came into the store.

ROBBERY - The Quik Mart at 5860 E. 22nd St. was robbed about 5:45 p.m. June 25. A witness told police the robber had a gun.

BURGLARY - A man who fled from police during a traffic stop was caught about 1 a.m. Monday in a house he broke into trying to hide from police at East Broadway and Craycroft Road, officials said. Ron Corral, 25, of the 3200 block of South Wilmot Road was arrested and charged with second-degree burglary.

Compiled by Megan Rutherford from reports from the Tucson Police Department. Anyone with information about these crimes or incidents is asked to contact police or 88-CRIME.

Neighborhood Briefing

Free spaying for cats

A local donor is sponsoring a free spay day at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, 3450 N. Kelvin Blvd., today.

Seventy cats and kittens will be spayed by appointment only on a first-call, first-served basis. Call 881-0321.

"Big Bob," a former shelter cat, and his anonymous human companion are helping to prevent too many cats from being born into a world without enough good homes.

To qualify, cats must be healthy, at least 8 weeks old and weigh at least 2 pounds. There is a limit of two cats per household.

If you would like to sponsor a free spay or neuter day, call 321-3704, Ext. 169.

Library reopens

The cooling system at the Columbus Branch Library, 4350 E. 22nd St., has been replaced, and the library is open and ready for business.

City sports leagues accepting sign-ups

The Tucson Parks and Recreation Department offers various activities for adults.

Registration is still open for the adult softball and basketball leagues at the sports office, 200 S. Alvernon Way.

Fees for teams of 15 players, men, women and coeds, are: slow pitch, $297; fast pitch, $258; basketball, $191. Registration ends Aug. 9.

Sand volleyball begins in September. Fees vary.

For more information on these or other activities, call 791-4870.

Rincon '72 reunion

The Rincon High School Class of 1972 will hold its 30-year reunion Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Omni Tucson National Golf Resort and Spa, 2727 W. Club Drive.

For more information, call Henry Matz at 577-2241.