Bits and Pieces

Oro Valley housing market heated in July
"In the Oro Valley area, June 2015 active inventory was 293, a 15% decrease from June 2014. There were 69 closings in June 2015, a 15% increase from June 2014. Year-to-date 2015 there were 395 closings, a 5% increase from year-to-date 2014. Months of Inventory was 4.2, down from 5.8 in June 2014. Median price of sold homes was $260,000 for the month of June 2015, up 1% from June 2014. The Oro Valley area had 82 new properties under contract in June 2015, up 55% from June 2014." (Source: Long Realty)

Candidates Continue To Seek Signatures
Volunteers for the opposing candidates in the Oro Valley Town Council and Mayoral Recall Election in November are making a final push for signatures to get candidates Steve Didio, Ryan Hartung, Shirl Lamonna and Pat Straney on the ballot. If you are interested, here is where you can sign:

• Oro Valley Library: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon
• Sun City Residents can sign the petitions at the Sun City Recreation Center Monday through Thursday, from 8:30 to 11:30am.

Shirl Lamonna, who is opposing recalled Mary Snider in this election, advised LOVE: "I think I can speak for all us when I say that I have never worked with a more dedicated group of volunteers. Many of them worked in both the Referendum and Recall efforts. And despite the nearly unbearable summer heat, they again volunteered to get signatures on our Nomination Petitions to give this community a chance to have a voice - or four voices - on Council. It's time to finish up next week and let this awesome team return to their normal lives. We are eternally grateful for their commitment and for all those residents who signed."

Feather Tailed Stories
Oro Valley resident Alan Block maintains a web site where he posts pictures he has taken of bird. The shots are amazing. Take a look at here.

Oro Valley's Mount Rushmore
Oro Valley resident Jim Hicks thinks that the work of the Majority-4 and Police Chief Dan Sharp are worthy of a "Mount Rushmore" depiction on the  Catalina mountains. This picture is from his public facebook page.

What do you think?

Oro Valley to host design charrette for remodeling the Community and Recreation Center
"The Town of Oro Valley will hold a design charrette to discuss remodeling the Community & Recreation Center. The event will be held Monday, August 17, 5:30 - 8 p.m. in the Sunset Room of the Oro Valley Community & Recreation Center, 10555 N. La Cañada Drive. Both members and non-members are invited to attend, as the Town seeks to meet the needs of the entire community.

This charrette is a planning and collaborative session which gives attendees an opportunity to work alongside design professionals to create a five-year vision for the facility as well as outline intermediate steps and priorities." (Town Of Oro Valley press release).

Beware of Phone Scams
This quarter's Oro Valley Police Department Crimefighters report discusses 2 phone frauds. One concerns a purported call from the IRS saying that you owe taxes and then threatening you with arrest if you don't pay immediately. The other is a scam from someone claiming that they are from Microsoft and they you have a software virus. They then ask you to cede control of your computer to them. Don't do it.

You should know that both of these scams are bogus. The IRS does not call you to collect debt. Nor do they threaten you. Microsoft has the "worst customer service" in the industry so you know they would never call to help you. (No. Really, I'm not kidding.)

There is other very useful information in the report, such as internet dating scams. Take a few minutes to read it.

Back To School Safety Tips

"The Oro Valley Police Department (OVPD) would like to remind the community that most private and public schools are back in session this week. Please be cautious when driving, as there will be an increase in the number of children walking or riding bikes. As a reminder:

• You may not pass a school bus when it stops and displays the stop sign and flashing red lights. You must stop! This includes both directions of travel when a physical median is not present. 
• The school zone is 15 miles per hour. You must be at or below 15 miles per hour prior to entering the zone. The zone is marked by the first sign as you enter. 
• It is prohibited to pass another vehicle while in a school zone. 
• Please pay attention to the crossing guard's directions and be prepared to stop.
• School crosswalks require drivers to stop at the point a pedestrian enters into the crosswalk.
• Please do not text and drive.

OVPD is anticipating a large amount of school-related vehicle and pedestrian traffic, so we ask that you start your day earlier and give yourself plenty of time for increased congestion. You will see increased police presence around schools to ensure the safety of everyone." (Source: Oro Valley Police Department Press Release)