WE ARE D5 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
January 2024
Hi friends,
Welcome to our first newsletter of 2024! I hope that you and all of your loved ones had a wonderful New Year. While January gave us some really chilly weather, we've also had a taste of the beautiful, sunny Tucson winters that we all love!
January was a busy month full of events. From a groundbreaking for a new early childhood education center with the Pascua Yaqui tribe to coming together with the community to honor the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it seems right that this month both commemorated the past while looking to the future-- certainly setting the right tone for the first month for a new year. During the first Board Meeting in January, I was honored to be reelected as Chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors and am proud to represent Pima County and District 5 again in this role. I am excited about the great work that the D5 team is planning for 2024! As always, we are here to serve our community so please feel free to reach out to our office at district5@pima.gov anytime and follow us on social media to stay updated on what we are up to.
Thanks,
(Para español, haga click en el botón de arriba a la derecha y seleccione el idioma español.)
CALLING SUBMISSIONS FOR
THE 3rd ANNUAL D5 YOUTH ART CONTEST!
Calling all young artists! D5 is so excited to announce that our Third Annual Youth Art Contest is happening now! Are you a young person who'd like to share something special about where you live? Check out our website for all the info you need to submit your work, and then get creative! We're looking forward to seeing what you love best about our special community!
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THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT 5
YOUTH SPOTLIGHT
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"My name is Maria N Campos Tapia and I am a 12th grader at Pueblo High School. I am 17 years old and plan on majoring in Basic Medical Sciences. My goal is to become a Family Doctor and in order to achieve this I am currently taking Dual Enrollment Chemistry, AP Spanish Literature, and I am on my third year CTE Home Health Aide program. My high school goal is to have fun and enjoy my Senior year. I like to play the guitar, sing, cook, and ride my horse. My greatest accomplishments have been being a Horatio Alger State Scholar, receiving the Kiwanis Student of the Month, Young Woman of Impact Award, and the Tucson Kino Character Award. I am most proud of coming a long way since my freshman year and seeing myself grow as better person."
Felicidades, Maria!
D5 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
VECINOS IN ACTION
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Photo of the front signage of Tumerico
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Photo from the 2024 MLK Celebration Festival
Many congratulations to Tumerico for snagging the #1 spot on Yelp's Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S! Headed by owner Wendy Garcia, Tumerico provides delicious vegan Mexican and Tucson-flavored dishes that explore the diverse tastes and ingredients of our region. This is a big honor and I'm proud that Tumerico, and its sister restaurant, La Chaiteria (#4 on the list!) are such incredible representations of how amazing our Tucson restaurant scene is!
Thank you to the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (IMA) and their Community Action Team for the work they carry out with the purpose of uniting all the various African-American organizations in the community in order to become more effective in addressing community problems and issues-- especially hosting the annual Tucson MLK Service and the Celebration Festival and March. Led by their current President, Dr. Da'Mond Holt, IMA and the IMA CAT are leaders in volunteering, activism, and engagement!
POLICY UPDATES
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SOMOS D5 STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATES
Every month, D5 will be providing an update on the work that we have done to satisfy goals in our Somos D5 Strategic Plan. Check out our Somos D5 Strategic Plan webpage to learn more about each of our priorities!
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Major win for open space in Pima County! At the January 23rd Pima County Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board voted to approve the purchase of 311.56 acres of land, gaining control of 6,936 acres of state grazing land by the Colossal Cave Mountain Park for preservation as open space! Since 2023 the Board of Supervisors has approved the purchasing and protection of 7,723.3 acres of natural open space, protecting wildlife corridors and ecosystems and preserving our environment. D5 is proud to have advocated for the funding necessary to make these purchases and will continue to advocate for additional budget allocations in the future.
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The Pima County Health Department is currently seeking responses for their community health survey, asking people to share what they need to be healthy and supported in Pima County! The survey will close on February 28. Visit their webpage to learn more about the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and take the survey. It takes less than 15 minutes and you can enter to win a $100 Visa gift card!
JANUARY
Lukeville Port of Entry Visit
On January 4, I joined community leaders and business owners, District 3 Supervisor Sylvia Lee and Pima County leadership in visiting the recently reopened Lukeville Port of Entry. Community leaders and business owners who were among some of the most impacted by the closure discussed its impact. One business owner said it will take him 6-8 months to recover the losses from the closure while others stated that it took people nearly ten hours to pass through other ports of entry while the Lukeville port of entry was closed. Businesses in Pima County and Sonora are grateful for its reopening.
MLK Celebration 2024 Festival and March
A real pleasure to join so many participants at the 2024 Tucson MLK Celebration March and Festival as the community honored Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for #mlkday on January 15! Thank you to the MLK Celebration Committee and all of the partners and volunteers who worked to make this event such a wonderful tribute to Dr. King and all those who have continued striving for a better world!
January 8th Memorial Ceremony
Thirteen years ago, on January 8th 2011, our community was forever changed. We lost six community members and had thirteen wounded from a lone gunman at a “Congress on your Corner” event hosted by Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Today, we gathered with community at the January 8th Memorial at the Historic Pima County Courthouse to honor those lost to this tragedy and the survivors and their families. This memorial represents the loving, embracing arms of the community that came together to honor them and show unity in the face of violence and it was surely felt in the morning gathering. Please stop by the memorial if you’d like to reflect and honor those impacted by January 8th, 2011.
Pascua Yaqui Tribe Early Childhood Center Groundbreaking
This morning, I was honored to join the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona community for the groundbreaking of the Itom Ili Tosapo Am Remtituane Early Childhood Learning Center, which will be adjacent to the Head Start campus. This center will serve the youngest of the Yaqui community and will be a hub for Yaqui education, language, arts, and culture. As a longtime supporter of early education and a mom of 3, I know how important quality childcare is and I look forward to the center's next steps!
32nd Annual Ted Walker Youth Day
It was so much fun to join the 32nd Annual Ted Walker Youth Day at Old Tucson Studios, located in our very own District 5! There were many wonderful things to see, touch, and experience at Old Tucson, with a variety of organizations in attendance as well. Congratulations to Old Tucson and Pima County for a fantastic event!
National Day of Racial Healing
The National Day of Racial Healing event hosted by the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson, YWCA Southern Arizona, NAACP Tucson Branch, and others was a fantastic event, with an insightful panel, local history, community businesses, organizations, and performances. Appreciate the space made to discuss these important and necessary topics around racism and how we can move forward as a community against discrimination to heal.
Welcoming Chief Martinez, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
A pleasure to help welcome Cynthia Martinez, Chief of the National Urban Wildlife Refuge System with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to Pima County! Thank you to Mission Garden for hosting this meeting with The Wilderness Society, The Sonoran Institute, and community representatives to show Chief Martinez the special beauty of the Santa Cruz River and the birthplace of Tucson.
NAMI Walk Kickoff Brunch
A pleasure to help kick off the NAMI Southern Arizona 2024 NAMI Walk! Honored to sit on the planning committee for this great event to help raise awareness and stand in support of those in our community affected by mental illness, and promoting the importance of mental health care and support. Hope to see many out for the walk in April!