Bits and Pieces

Sport of Golf Continues Decline

This week, Dick's Sporting Goods announced a significant layoff of PGA professionals who work in their stores. Apparently, the sport of golf continues to be in such decline that Dicks "... struggles to sell golf equipment." (source)

On the other hand, there are those who are optimistic about the sport. Last summer, KKR acquired Troon Golf, operator of the El Conquistador Country Club. KKR is the most substantial middle market investor in the world. Generally, they are "bargain hunters." Perhaps they, like the Oro Valley council's Majority-4, see a resurgence of the sport.

Lots To Do In Oro Valley This Weekend

Tomorrow at 9am is Oro Valley's "Third Saturday" at Steam Pump Ranch. Theres also, beginning at 10am, "Meet Yourself Oro Valley." This is billed as a "celebration of diverse cultures."

Sunday is the 11th Annual Arizona Distance Classic. This road race has varying race distances running through Rancho Vistoso. And the Meet Yourself event continues that day too.

Click on the links to learn more about each.

TOOTHINOV.ORG Mulls Option

The leaders of TOOTHINOV.ORG are considering if they will petition the Arizona Supreme Court regarding Oro Valley Town Clerk Bower's summary rejection of petitions that would have required a vote of the people to acquire the El Conquistador Country Club.  TOOTHINOV.ORG has until Sunday to file.

If a petition is filed, the court will quickly decide if it wishes to hear the case. If they don't, the town is free to consummate its purchase. If the court does hear the case, then it will be up to the Arizona Supreme Court to decide if a clerical error is a fatal error because the petitions must comply with each and every filing requirement, regardless of its significance to the violated requirement.

Bits and Pieces

Appellate Court Affirms Right of Oro Valley To Reject Petitions

The Arizona Appellate Court, Division 2, affirmed the action of Oro Valley Town Clerk Bower to reject all of the TOOTHINOV.ORG petitions.

The petitions sought a public vote on the town's purchase of the El Conquistador Country Club. Clerk Bower rejected the petitions because the petitions did not include a town required and state required assigned reference number.

The court determined that the requirement of including this number on each petitions are "...clear, mandatory requirements" and that such number "serves the permissible and important purpose of facilitating and protecting, not burdening, the referendum process."

According to a Town Of Oro Valley press release: "The acquisition, which should be finalized in the coming weeks."  At the time of this posting, TOOTHINOV.ORG was considering if it was going to pursue further action.

Naranja Park Ribbon Cutting Tomorrow.. Road Race To Follow

"On Saturday, March 14 at 9 a.m., the Town of Oro Valley will cut the ribbon on Naranja Park's new multi-sport fields and dog park. Community members of all ages are invited to join the celebration and bring their friends, family members and pets.

Additionally, firefighters from the Golder Ranch Fire District are hosting the Trail Burner 5k to benefit the Oro Valley Children's Museum. Race-day registration is $30 and begins at 8:30 a.m. Race start is 9:45 a.m. Event timing is provided by On Your Left Fitness."
(Source: Oro Valley Press Release)

Feather Tailed Stories

Oro Valley resident Allan Block posts his bird photos and stories at his website, feeathertailedstories.  Recently back from a trip to Costa Rica, Alan posted some wonderful pictures of native species. And these are pictures he took combined with words about each. Take a look at his "Desert Birds in the Snow." This is a great website for the whole family.

Panjandrum

...is a powerful personage or pretentious official.

Does this definition describe any of Oro Valley's current council members?
(Source: A LOVE reader)

Oro Valley's #1 Collision Intersection Tangerine and LaCanada 

Source: Oro Valley Police Department

Tangering and LaCanada now have  the honor of being Oro Valley's #1 collision intersection. This intersection took first place, well beyond Oro Valley's formerly leading crash center, Oracle and Magee.  22% of Oro Valley's 77 collisions occurred at Tangerine and La Canada.

Drive safely!

From Town Of Oro Valley

Deadline Extended for student historical writing contest: March 27

The Town of Oro Valley Historic Preservation Commission has extended the deadline on its historical expository writing contest for all fourth-grade students in the Amphitheater School District or attending any school in the Town of Oro Valley. The new deadline is Friday, March 27, 2015. For more information click here.

Inaugural Oro Valley Meet Yourself to be held March 21-22
"OVPD would like to make the public aware of an on-going scam. Suspects are calling Oro Valley residents and stating that they have a warrant out for their arrest for not showing up to jury duty. They are telling victims they must pay a fine for this. This is a scam. Please do not send any money to these suspects."
Oro Valley, Arizona (March 10, 2015) - The Town of Oro Valley is proud to announce the inaugural Oro Valley Meet Yourself, a celebration of authentic, community-based cultural traditions and folk life of Oro Valley, including music, dance, manual arts, occupation customs, foodways and stories of home and place. The event will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 21-22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Oro Valley Marketplace, 12155 N. Oracle Road (at Tangerine). Admission is free.

These fun facts, and more details on the event, can be found here.

Spring break activities at OV Parks & Recreation

• Nature Camp at Catalina State Park (ages 6-12). Monday through Friday, March 16-20. To register, call 229-5050 or visit www.orovalleyaz.gov/parksandrec.
• Oro Valley Aquatic Center Jr. Lifeguarding Camp (ages 9-14). Camp is 8 a.m. to noon, March 16-22, and cost is $75. Register at the Oro Valley Aquatic Center. 
• Full Lifeguarding Course or Recertification (ages 15+) Cost is $50. The full lifeguarding course will be held 9 a.m.-4 p.m., March 16-22.

Oro ValleyPolice Report Yet Another Scam

"OVPD would like to make the public aware of an on-going scam. Suspects are calling Oro Valley residents and stating that they have a warrant out for their arrest for not showing up to jury duty. They are telling victims they must pay a fine for this. This is a scam. Please do not send any money to these suspects." (Oro Valley Police Department Twitter Feed)

Mayor Hiremath and Town Of Oro Valley Seek To Rally Support For El Conquistador Country Club Purchase

Mayor Hiremath and the Town Of Oro Valley are seeking to rally public support for the purchase of the El Conquistador Country Club. This we deduced from recent emails sent by Mayor Hiremath, a recently-penned letter from HSL properties, a number of recent Oro Valley press releases, and two recently schedule open houses on the El Conquistador Country Club purchase.

These activities have occurred in advance of tomorrow's hearing before Superior Court Judge Aragon. The judge will hear a filing by TOOTHINOV.ORG as to Oro Valley's blanket rejection of the 3,100 plus referendum signatures on the basis of a clerical error.

Mayor Hiremath recognizes the importance of tomorrow's hearing.  He is hopeful that the Judge will dismiss the appeal:

Tomorrow "... will be a big day for us all because Judge Aragon can basically throw the whole case out and end this thing once and for all... Hopefully the Judge will rule on the law only and not let emotion get in the way because we have the law on our side." (Source: Hiremath email to his mailing list)

Hiremath Tries To Rally Public Support For The Purchase

Last Thursday, Mayor Hiremath sent an email to his mailing list. The purpose of that email is to get those who want the purchase to occur to become highly visible. 

First, he asks those who support the purchase to pack the council meetings "call to audience":

"I need bodies at both council meetings on Feb 4th and Feb 18th ... [to submit].. blue cards supporting the acquisition. In addition the Town is hosting a series of educational meetings beginning next week Monday Feb 2nd from 6-8 pm at the Town Hall Chambers and I would like to see it packed with supporters there as well."

Then, he wants them to submit letters of purchase support to the local advertising circular:

"...if you could get a few people to write letters to the editor of the Explorer, that would be great as well. Please spread the word around."

In what appears to be orchestrated media moment, last week Humberto Lopez, Chairman of HSL Properties, wrote a letter to the Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce. The letter is dated last Wednesday. The letter tries to clarify a statement that Lopez made at a Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting regarding the timing of the purchase. At that meeting, he said that HSL would wait until May, if needed, to close the sale.

Lopez' statement caused many to question whether Mayor Hiremath was truthful when he said there was a need to approve the transaction immediately or the deal would "go away" because HSL had another opportunity in hand.

In the letter, Lopez states:  "If no decision had been made at the December 17th meeting, we were going to pursue another sale opportunity."

Lopez statement, however, does not affirm the two assertions that Hiremath made in December: Lopez did not say that pursuing another opportunity meant that the deal with Oro Valley would "go away"; or that HSL actually had a viable opportunity in hand.

Town Of Oro Valley's Unleashes Media Blitz 
The Town Of Oro Valley unleashed a press release media blitz starting on January 22.  It is positioned as "providing information" to the public. The press releases continued for 2 weeks. You can read these releases on the town web site via this link.

The releases are being followed by Town Of Oro Valley sponsored "open houses". The first is tonight in Oro Valley Council Chambers. The next is on January 9.

Zinkin Objects To The Use Of Town Funds To Sell The El Conquistador Country Club Purchase To the people.

Council Member Mike Zinkin believes that the town is wrong to engage in this media effort. Zinkin wrote to Town Manager Greg Caton:

"Using Town Staff to market something the people have no interest in is wrong and I strongly object to it. I also object to you publishing misleading numbers thinking that the Citizens believe that they must be gospel, when, in fact, they are not."

"A Town Divided Cannot Stand"

The Town Of Oro Valley and Mayor Hiremath have a very messy situation on their hands.  It will remain messy if Judge Aragon rules agains the TOOTHINOV.ORG petition. There are many angry residents who will not take kindly to having their opportunity to vote rejected. They will remain angry. The town will remain divided. "A house divided cannot stand."
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Oro Valley's Holiday Gift To You: "Activism: It's In Our Nature" (Updated)

The filing of notice to petition for a referendum on Oro Valley's pending purchase of the The El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Country Club.

The filing for a referendum begins yet another chapter of resident activism in Oro Valley.

Oro Valley. You gotta love us.  Our residents just don't quit.

• In 1978, even after the town became a town, there were those petitioning to have the town return to its unincorporated status. 
• This after the town had to go to court to earn the right to even become a town.  
• Then, there is the 2004-2006 "Outrageous Giveaway" referendum. A group call GOVAC formed. This group asserted that the town should not have agreed to give Phoenix-based developer Vestar half of all sales tax revenues earned at the Marketplace, up to $20 million, to build the Marketplace. After six court appearances the group won the right to have the citizens vote on the deal. (Source)  
• Add to this, the fact there they have been a number of attempts to recall council members.  Indeed, in the past 3 years, people have attempted to get sufficient signatures to recall 3 currently sitting council members.

People in Oro Valley fight hard.  Sometimes they win. Sometimes they lose. But, they never quit!

Now, announced this past Thursday, a group has formed to challenge the towns purchase. The town's plan is to covert the club building into a community and recreation center. The complex includes tennis courts. It includes 2 golf courses at the La Canada.  All this for $1million plus at least 10 years of major investment in capital improvements. We have reported extensively on this.

The group formed is called TOOTHINOV.ORG.  They are organized. They are in the field gathering signatures.

We asked Oro Valley's Communication Administrator Misti Nowak what the town thought of this:

"...after chatting with Greg and the Mayor, we decided it wasn’t really appropriate for us to comment to the media yet on this matter. As you know, the filing committee has until January 16 to collect 1,148 valid signatures. Until that date and the verification of signatures, Town staff will conduct business as usual, and we will reassess the situation pending the outcome of the petition."

Mayor Hiremath discussed how the transaction came about and why it makes sense at the Wednesday council meeting.. This video is an important statement worth watching. (Source: Oro Valley Town Council meeting video)

Friday, he called into the 4t4 KVOI talk program. He stated the following:

 "Sometimes individual rights have to be superseded by the greater good. Because here is what is going to happen. You have over 1,300 homeowners who live on the golf course and if they are successful in getting the referendum through, everything stops. And when everything stops what's going to happen is that either another buyer is going to come in and somebody else is going to control that 330 plus acres or Lopez himself is going to control the destiny of some of the acres because I don’t think that anybody realizes what the entitlements that are already there on those 330 acres. Some of them are single family homes, other ones which are a conditional use permit for gas stations. There are many other things. 

So the core of the issue to me has always been who is going o control the 330 acres of land. Are we going to l leave that much acreage in the middle of the town of Oro Valley to chance or are we going to control it and enhance it and offer services to residents that they don't currently have. So, it really isn't about a golf course, it's not about a community center. Those are just benefits. 

This referendum in sad because they just look at the golf course and they don't focus on property values and who is going to control the 330 acres." (Source: Transcription of KVOI Broadcast) 

So, it's about controlling the land? It's not about a community center?

We've have a poll (top right corner) running on whether you agree that a vote on this matter should occur. Please do weigh in.  It's not statistically valid. We know that it can be "rigged." For example, Friday night 100 votes miraculously appeared against the idea. Still, we think a poll is fun.

We LOVE Oro Valley's activism. It's "In our nature"!

We hope that you enjoy the holidays!

Please visit us tomorrow for Heather's holiday wishes.

Richard, Heather and The Gang At LOVE