We Are D5 Monthly Newsletter
April 2022
Welcome to the We Are D5 Monthly Newsletter! Our mission of this newsletter is to demystify the role of local government in our community and keep you up to date with County politics. As a life long resident of District 5 and now as Pima County Supervisor, it has always been vital to our shared community to know what's going on in our community and how everyone can get involved. Please share widely with your community and as always, please reach out to our team at district5@pima.gov with any questions or concerns. (Para español, haga click en el botón de arriba a la derecha y seleccione el idioma español.)
Stay safe,
The People of District 5
Youth Spotlight: Islam Alzamel
Islam Alzamel is a 4th grader at Roberts Naylor K-8. She was 4 years old when her family migrated from Syria. It was hard for this little girl to adjust to her new home at first because of the language barrier. Nevertheless when she started going to school, she adapted quickly and with her sharp learning abilities, she was able to excel in all fields. She has won many awards in curricular and extra curricular activities. She loves painting and math. Her aim is to become an eye specialist and serve the community. We are so proud of her!
If you know a young person in our community who you think should be highlighted, please email district5@pima.gov and nominate a youth!
Women's Spotlight: Sonia Shiri
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Dr. Sonia Shiri is the Middle East Language Programs Coordinator and Director of the Arabic Flagship Program at the University of Arizona.
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She is also the Director of the Center for Arabic Study Abroad (CASA).
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She was recently promoted from Associate Professor to Full Professor. Congratulations!!
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Her publications include:
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Shiri, S. (2018). Orchestrating Multimodal Protest and Subverting Banal Nationalism in the Linguistic Landscape of the Tunisian Revolution.
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Business Spotlight: Nur Market and Restaurant
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Nur Market and Restaurant is a family-owned business started by three brothers (Ismail, Mohamed, and Abdul Osman) who came to Tucson as refugees from Somalia. The market opened in 2008 and the restaurant was added in 2010. They have Halal meat, East African food, Injera, Hummus, Tahina, West African food, Mid-eastern food and Kosher meat.
Check them out at 3565 E. Speedway Blvd. #171, Tucson, AZ 85716
COVID-19 Updates
We continue to be at low transmission for COVID-19!
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Case Rate per 100,000 population: 20.24
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New COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population: 4.1
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% Staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19: 1.2%
CDC Weekly Metrics Used to Determine the COVID-19 Community Level for Pima County as of April 27
From the Pima County Health Department: We're still in the green, with COVID-19 case rates and hospital admissions at low levels last seen in summer 2021 -- before more transmissible variants caused a winter spike. What to do: Stay up to date on your vaccines.
For the most up to date information on COVID-19, vaccinations, boosters, and testing, please visit the Pima County Health Department's website.
Policy Updates
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April
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This month we said thank you to Chuck Huckelberry for almost 50 years of service to the County and congratulations to Jan Lesher, the first woman to be appointed Pima County Administrator!
The D5 Office wishes Mr. Huckelberry all the best in his retirement after 29 years as County Administrator!
We are excited to continue working with Jan Lesher, who has a tremendous amount of experience serving Pima County residents! ¡FELICIDADES!
Cesar Chavez Day
On March 31st, I spoke at the César E. Chávez vigil to honor the memory of our labor brothers and sisters lost in the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you to the Arizona César E. Chávez Holiday Coalition and everyone who came together to make the event special.
"We don't need perfect political systems; we need perfect participation.” “It is not good enough to know why we are oppressed and by whom. We must join the struggle for what is right and just."- César Chavez
Plática with Adelita: Pima County and Climate Resilience
On April 13th, I hosted a Plática on Pima County Sustainability and Climate Resilience in honor of Earth Day. Linda Mayro and Sherry Ruther with the Pima County Office of Sustainability and Conservation, and Vanessa Gallego, Chief Operating Officer of Recyco Inc., joined as special guest panelists. We discussed the award-winning Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan (SCDP) and Sustainable Action Plan for County Operations (SAPCO) as well as community sustainability initiatives. Thank you to our wonderful panelists!
Fighting for Environmental Justice
This month, I was proud to stand with Congressman Grijalva in support of the Environmental Justice for All Bill HB 2021. This bill has solutions from Federal, State, City, County and Tribal lands. It was good to see representation from each at the briefing on April 21st where I spoke about the impact of PFAS contamination on our community.
What is HB 2021?
This bill establishes several environmental justice requirements, advisory bodies, and programs to address the disproportionate adverse human health or environmental effects of federal laws or programs on communities of color, low-income communities, or tribal and indigenous communities.
Sunnyside Foundation Food Distribution Event
The Sunnyside Unified School District Foundation hosted its last Food Box Distribution event of the school year, and the District 5 office was honored to help out in our community. 1,002 people received food and toiletries because of this event. Thank you for making this possible, Sunnyside Foundation!
South 12th Ave. Street Painting Party!
The District 5 Office joined community members this month at the S. 12th Ave. (La Doce) Street Painting weekend! The mural is in preparation for the future installation of green storm water infrastructure. It was also great to see the planters painted by the Transportation Art by Youth Summer Program with flowering plants inside!
Thank you to the City of Tucson's Department of Transportation and Mobility, Tucson City Council offices Ward 1 and Ward 5 for organizing the event. Be sure to cruise down 12th Ave. to see everyone's work!