Friday, April 7, 2023

Bits and Pieces

Celebrate Oro Valley Tomorrow at Steam Pump Ranch
"Come on down to Steam Pump Ranch on Saturday, April 8 for the Town’s annual Celebrate Oro Valley event! This free, family-friendly event runs from 8 a.m. to noon, and there is something for everyone to enjoy. If you like the monthly Second Saturdays at Steam Pump Ranch events, then you’ll LOVE Celebrate Oro Valley. We’ve got all the great stuff from Second Saturdays...including your favorite farmers market."   Click for more details. (Source: Town of Oro Valley Press Release)

Jim Williams' Book "Oro Valley-The First 50 years" will be available on Amazon this summer
Oro Valley Historian Jim Williams has created a history of the Town of Oro Valley, from its inception in 1974 to 2020. Author of the book "Claiming the Desert", an early history of the Town of Oro Valley, Williams has been busy interviewing and researching for the past two years. The book is far more than a chronology of events. Rather, Jim chose to focus on topics that were important in each decade and how these issues were resolved.  Jim's latest update to LOVE: "I have formatted the entire book and loaded it into one file. I have added all the pictures but am waiting for release from the owners on a few. It should be all done and printed by Amazon by July."  We will let you know when the book is released.

Can "Council On Your Corner" sessions be done safely?
There was a time when representatives would meet informally with their constituents. All that changed on January 8, 2011. That was the day that Congressperson Gabrielle Giffords was shot about 11am outside of Safeway (Ina and Oracle). The gunman killed six people. There is a plaque there to memorialize that tragic day. 

Giffords was holding a "Meet and Greet" discussion with constituents. Nine year old Christina Taylor Greene was waiting in line to meet her idol when the shooting started. Christina was killed along with the five other victims on that most terrible morning.  Green Field in Kreigh Park is named for her.  No political figure has held such a session since that date.

During the last election, some current Oro Valley council members talked of reinstating our version of "Meet and Greet" called "Council On Your Corner".  Perhaps, with proper security, this can be done. You see. Giffords had no security that day.

(This is a link to a detailed report on this terrible shooting.)
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