1. science
2. geology

PICTURE ROCKS DIGEST
Vol. 13, No. 1
***For more information, visit our website at www.CitizensForPictureRocks.org***
January 2015
Welcome to the Picture Rocks Digest, a free newsletter about issues and events in the community. The
print version of this all-volunteer publication is distributed at area businesses and community sites.
The electronic version is available online at www.CitizensForPictureRocks.org and via email. If you
have events or news items, or if you would like to be added to our email list, please contact us at
PictureRocksDigest@comcast.net.
The Picture Rocks Digest is a publication of Citizens for Picture Rocks, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(4) civic
organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in the community. C4PR meets at 6:30 p.m. on
the third Tuesday of the month at the Picture Rocks Community Center, 5615 N. Sanders Road, with
Iced Tea Social Time beginning at 6:00 p.m. Meetings are always free and open to the public. Membership is not required, but highly recommended. Annual membership dues are $12/person.
TEN NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR PICTURE ROCKS
(and why we should keep them)
1. Observe speed limits on Picture Rocks
Road – or else! The rumble strips and signage
installed last year dramatically reduced the number
of accidents to zero for a good while, but fenderbenders are on the increase. No new fatalities… yet.
Yes, Picture Rocks Road is a major thoroughfare for
many of us and Twin Peaks Road is miles out of our
way. But if we don’t teach ourselves to take it easy,
to allow a few more minutes to get to work or get
home, the Park’s plan will slow us down even more.
Their Trail Plan, adopted several years ago, calls for
slowing traffic through the park. The signs and rumble strips are the first step. If they don’t do the job,
then speed bumps and traffic circles are next on the
list. And if that doesn’t slow us down, the park can
install “entry gates” with booths to force full stops
and delays.
2. Support local businesses. We lost the feed
store and, despite all our complaints when we didn’t
have a restaurant, the Horseshoe is just hanging
on. If we want it, we have to support it and put our
money where our mouth is. Have you checked out
the amazing inventory at the hardware store…?
3. The Picture Rocks Fire District needs to
improve relations with the community that
supports them. Promises have been made to reschedule Governing Board meeting times to avoid
conflicts with regular long-established community
meetings so that the public can attend. Pima County
has told PRFD to honor its agreement to allow community access to the electronic sign. We who depend on them should be ready to work with PRFD to
help our closest elected representatives build and
maintain community support.
4. Parents of school-age children need to join
and support their PTO, the Parent-Teacher
Organization that puts on many fun and educational
events. We are lucky to have two innovative, caring
schools in Desert Winds Elementary and Picture
Rocks Intermediate, and they need our support.
5. Organization and community group leaders
need to get involved in the Picture Rocks
Community Conversation. This quarterly gathering brings together churches, schools, businesses,
advocacy groups, youth activity organizations –
everyone that is more-or-less organized in our
community – to share information and find areas of
mutual concern and support. Their major continuing
effort is to bring public transportation “over the hill.”
See article on page 5.
6. Picture Rocks Community Center Inc. PRCCI
plays a vital role in our community with its free food
distribution and low-cost thrift store. In years past,
PRCCI has nearly foundered on ego and control
issues. There are disturbing indications that this
may be happening again. Our community should
stand ready to support PRCCI so that it can continue
to meet the needs of those who depend on its
services.
7. Get involved in Picture Rocks Community
Center programs. Dominoes, fitness, line dancing,
music-making, a free lending library, art classes,
kids’ programs, and more are offered at PRCC at no
or low cost. We don’t need to travel over the hill to
have fun! The community center IS the center of
our community!
8. Control your dogs! One neighbor said he didn’t
think noise from the proposed I-11 highway would
bother him as much as the dogs barking on his
road. That’s noise we don’t need, disturbing our
otherwise quiet neighborhoods. Keep dogs con(Continued on page 2)
DEALING WITH DIRT ROADS IN A FLOODPLAIN
The January 20 Citizens for Picture Rocks meeting
will hear from two Pima County Flood Control
experts, Eric Shepp and Andy Seiger, on how to
deal with private roads in a sheet flow floodplain.
Picture Rocks Community Center, 6:30 pm,
with Iced Tea Social Time at 6:00 p.m.
615 N. Sanders Road. Free, and all welcome.
2
tained – on many roads it’s impossible to go for a
walk without dogs rushing out of their yards to
chase you off. And, please, if you have to vacate
your home, don’t leave your animals behind.
Neither they nor your neighbors deserve such
cruel – and illegal – treatment.
9. Dispose of trash properly. Volunteers clean up
sections of Picture Rocks roads twice yearly. Don’t
add to their burden by illegally dumping trash on
roads or in your yards. And don’t burn trash! It’s
illegal and hazardous to the health of neighbors,
releasing toxins into our good air and threatening
those with lung issues. (photos by Robin Nicholson)
AERIAL SPRAYING OF BUFFELGRASS —
BUT IT’S A SAFE POISON…?
Eighty-year-old Oscar L. Garcia’s family has ranched
in the Avra Valley for nearly 200 years, since long
before Arizona was a state. His great-great-grandfather started the cattle ranch, and Oscar still runs
about 30 head, selling off the calves. His land was
cut up when the CAP canal was built, but he still
covers over 1,000 acres by truck or on one of his
eight horses. Riding and roping are part of the
family tradition. His son Steve put himself through
college with roping scholarships, and still ropes. His
17-year-old grandson Bryce is in his high school
rodeo. They practice at the ranch regularly. Oscar L.
Garcia knows the land like few others do.
Oscar Garcia and his wife
of 62 years, Lupe, with
some of the prize saddles
won in roping competitions
10. Join Citizens for Picture Rocks. We meet
monthly at the community center and dues are just
$12 a year per person. A buck a month gets you a
voice and a vote on issues affecting our community,
as well as guest speakers on all sorts of topics
impacting our lives. Get involved and help make a
difference.
SANTA STOPS IN PICTURE ROCKS
Dozens of children showed up at Picture Rocks
Community Center on December 20 to give Santa
their Christmas wish lists. PRCC staff provided
cocoa, cookies and crafts. No reindeer were sighted,
but there were definitely a few elves around, from
staff and volunteers.
In 2006 the City of Tucson, which had planted
buffelgrass extensively in the Avra Valley to control
erosion in the 1970s, used crop-dusting aircraft to
spray Roundup® in the Reservation Road-ManvilleMile Wide area, land set aside for Tucson Water.
Oscar L. Garcia’s land is east of Tucson’s land, not
west as previously reported. A shared wash carried
the herbicide onto his ranch and killed the Bermuda
grass used as cattle forage, as well as shriveling
some mesquite trees. Tucson Water, as with other
aerial spraying defenders, denies any responsibility.
But the grass is still dead and not much has grown
there since except thistle.
Cookies!
A stretch of barren former grassland adjacent to
Tucson Water property off Reservation Road
that was sprayed for buffelgrass over eight years ago.
Crafts!
Santa Claus! (aka Brendan Vaughn
from Picture Rocks)
With federal and Texas state agencies still working
to “improve” buffelgrass, and with the Sonoran
government still subsidizing its planting just south
of the border, the spread of the “noxious weed” into
Arizona continues. The unintended consequences of
spraying herbicides by air may well outpace any
short-term benefits of poisoning the land.
3
STATE TRANSPORTATION BOARD ADVANCES I-11
Meeting in Tucson December 12, Arizona’s State
Transportation Board (STB) approved $15 million to
initiate the environmental impact studies (EIS)
needed to build the Canamex Highway from
Wickenberg to Nogales. The unanimous action
followed a two-year study by the Arizona and
Nevada Departments of Transportation urging
construction of the new highway. Funding came
from putting a number of just-approved construction and repair projects on indefinite hold.
While the study will run from Wickenburg to
Nogales, a number of residents of the Avra Valley
showed up to voice their concerns. Pima County
Administrator Chuck Huckelberry has proposed that
the Canamex Highway run through the Avra Valley
following a route similar to the I-10 Bypass
approved by the STB six years ago. That action, in a
Tucson meeting, was taken without hearing from
any of the dozens who had signed up to speak, and
provoked a near-riot. Outgoing Chair Steve Christie
made it clear that this time all who had something
to say would be heard.
Endorsements of the I-11 Canamex Highway came
from a parade of public officials. Pima County
Director of Strategic Planning John Moffatt, who said
he also spoke for Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon
Bronson, urged approval of the three-year study.
The Southern Arizona Leadership Council, TucsonMetro Chamber of Commerce, Town of Oro Valley,
and Pima County Transportation Director Priscilla
Cornelio also endorsed the EIS, along with Christian
Price, Mayor of Maricopa, and Anthony Smith, Chair
of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors. Tucson
Mayor Jonathan Rothschild took a different
approach, stressing the importance to Tucson of
trade with Mexico, but calling for expansion of State
Route 189 at the Port of Mariposa along with I-19
improvements and I-10 expansion.
Residents Speak Out
double-deck a few miles of I-10. Avra Valley
Coalition organizer Albert Lannon used the I-11
study’s own words – “nearshoring” and “integrative
manufacturing” – to show the intent of the planners
to export American jobs. He noted that the U.S.
Public Interest Research Group called I-11 a “boondoggle” and the Goldwater Institute’s Dr. Byron
Schlomach termed it “nonsense.” Double-decking a
few miles of I-10, he said, citing the STB’s own
numbers, “...would cost one-third the price of a 56mile Avra Valley highway and save taxpayers nearly
$2 billion.”
After listening politely, STB members asked a few
questions and then voted unanimously to approve
the $15 million for the Tier One Environmental
Impact Study. That study will narrow down route
alignments to rights-of-way between 500 and 2000
feet wide, and will be done in segments rather than
taking on the whole route at the same time. No
federal funding has been identified for the study,
although planners were hopeful of getting that
support.
ADOT: “All Options Being Considered”
Observers noted that at Sandario and Mile Wide
Roads there is less than 200 feet right-of-way, with
the Wildlife Mitigation Corridor, established when
the CAP canal was built, on one side, and the
Tohono O’odham Nation on the other. Huckelberry
has proposed overcoming this by using Sandario as
a base for an elevated highway.
According to a December 16 report on National
Public Radio, ADOT Public Relations spokesperson
Laura Douglas said that while several options are
still on the table for I-11, there is a leading contender for the portion that would travel through
southern Arizona. “What we’re looking at is an area
that would likely, and I stress the word likely, follow
perhaps I-10 through I-19 to Nogales,” Douglas
reportedly said.
A number of Picture Rocks and Avra Valley residents
were present, and several voiced their concerns.
Paul Flemm, Treasurer of Citizens for Picture Rocks
but speaking for himself, spoke of the “unique
boundaries” created to preserve the valley, including the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Wildlife Mitigation Corridor, Saguaro National Park, ArizonaSonora Desert Museum, Ironwood Forest National
Monument and the Tohono O’odham Nation. These
boundaries, he said, “were meant to keep and
preserve the Avra Valley’s unique character… for
future generations. There is no way,” he declared,
“to mitigate the noise and other pollution. The Avra
Valley cannot accommodate an interstate!”
While not entirely ruled out, Douglas said the option
to build a new stretch of interstate through the Avra
Valley area is “not a strong contender.” Requests for
clarification were answered after several attempts,
with Ms. Douglas backtracking: “…all options for a
future Interstate 11 and Intermountain West
Corridor are still being considered, including Pima
County’s suggested corridor. My original
statement that said the Pima County option
was not likely to move forward was incorrect
[Ms. Douglas’s emphasis]. As part of the EIS, ADOT
will consider all options within the corridor, including
a no-build option.”
Forty-year Picture Rocks resident Chris Banks said
he came to the valley for “peace and quiet to raise a
family… Don’t take it away!” He noted that, according to the STB’s own numbers, it was cheaper to
For information about participating in the environmental impact study (EIS) process, download “A
Citizen’s Guide to NEPA” at http://energy.gov/sites/
prod/files/nepapub/nepa_documents/RedDont/GCEQ-CitizensGuide.pdf.
4
NEWS & NOTES
Low-Cost Shot Clinic Continues. With the closing
of Marana Feed on Orange Grove Road, Dr. Cynthia
Hudman has moved her First Friday low-cost veterinary shot clinic to the open-air market area at
Picture Rocks and Sandario Roads, on the first
Friday of each month, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
Praise Center To Honor Young Women. The
Assembly of God Praise Center, at 12331 W. Picture
Rocks Road, will hold a Father/Daughter Banquet on
February 6 to honor young women. For more information, call Pastor Josh Mangels at 682-8240.
Picture Rocks Hikers Rained Out. Rain washed
out the planned December 18 Cactus Wren Trail
hike to the “flower power” rock art site at Signal
Hill. That hike is rescheduled for Thursday, January
22, meeting at 8:30 a.m. at Picture Rocks Community Center. Call for reservations: 682-7166.
Southern Arizona. The general public and especially
veterans are invited to attend the presentation at
Picture Rocks Community Center, 5615 N. Sanders
Road.
Perfect Attendance Wins
Rewards. Bruce Stubbs of
Horace Mann Insurance
donated kick scooters on
December 18 to students at
Picture Rocks Intermediate
and Desert Winds Elementary
School who had perfect school
attendance from August
through December 2014.
(Photos Courtesy MUSD)
Bruce Stubbs with Picture Rocks Intermediate students,
Alondra Solislopez, 6th grade, and Johnathan Bard, 4th grade
Garden Goodies. Albie
Johnson showed off
December’s Swiss chard
and sweet potatoes grown
at the Dueling Gardens at
Picture Rocks and Sandario
Roads. For information on
leasing garden plots, call
Greg (730-8581), Tom
(682-7974), or Chris (6827229).
Democratic Club Starting In Picture Rocks
(Submitted by Catalina Hall). A new club for Democrats, skeptics, free thinkers, progressives and likeminded people is looking to start in the Picture
Rocks area. There is an email address for inquiries,
dems4prandav@gmail.com. Meeting time and dates
will be announced later.
“The majority of voters in this area are Republican
or Independent. A Democratic club may be hard to
convene, but there is some interest and these
people really want to offer a choice in the next
election. The purpose of all Democratic Clubs is to
support Democratic candidates and enjoy the
friendship and fun of activities. I am a firm believer
in having fun, and if a club is not any fun, it will
die.”
Veterans’ Resources. On January 7 Lyle Ford from
Rally Point Tucson will present to the Senior Group
at 1:30 p.m. Rally Point Tucson is the starting point
for veterans, service members and their families to
connect with resources in Pima County regardless of
discharge status, entitlements or health benefits. At
Rally Point Tucson, veterans help other veterans
and their families in Pima County find and access
the resources they need such as housing,
employment, health care, counseling, education and
transportation. This is a program of Partnership at
Kyler Spicer, 2nd grade Desert
Winds Elementary student
Estrella Bowman, 1st grade Desert
Winds Elementary student
From Desert Winds Principal Tawnya Caldwell.
“My staff and I drove a bus around the community
and handed out some holiday share packages to
four of our families. It was an awesome experience
to see our families and the community we serve.
WE have to do professional development for 2-3
hours each time we have a grading day with no
kids. So this is what we did this time.”
5
Community Conversation Carries On and
Changes. The purpose of the Picture Rocks
Community Conversation is to connect organizations
in our area with residents, share information and
reach common goals. To accomplish this, the
members have made changes to the meeting dates.
Meetings will be held once a quarter, on Tuesdays at
10:00 am, January 27, April 28, July 28 and
October 27. The group meets at the Picture Rocks
Community Center.
All residents of Picture Rocks and Avra Valley are
welcome to attend. New members could help with
the projects that are done each year and also
develop new projects, or just get to know neighbors
and leaders. There is always something new to talk
about and new opinions are respectfully heard. For
more information, call Catalina Hall, 520-572-1881
and leave your name, number and reason for your
call.
MUSIC! MUSIC! MUSIC!
Picture Rocks Intermediate School welcomed the
holiday season with a pair of concerts. Fifth and
sixth grade orchestra musicians played a variety of
classical, traditional and Christmas music on
December 11, under the direction of Sara Newton.
Fifth-graders
(left) took a welldeserved bow.
Sixth-graders
(below) played
Beethoven.
Despite heavy rain, on December 17 PRI students
played a band concert to a standing room only
audience. Thomas Carmichael conducted two sets,
one by fifth-graders and the other by sixth-graders.
Fifth-grade
band members
played a Mozart
melody.
VOLUNTEER AT ICS FOR PICTURE ROCKS
Submitted by Dot Esler
Picture Rocks was one of the three pilot neighborhoods chosen by the ELDER Alliance to find out what
older adults need to be able to age in place. It is not
a surprise that in Picture Rocks, people identified
transportation, information about and access to
reliable services, and a resource of trusted volunteers to provide help in the home as essential
needed services. Interfaith Community Services
(ICS), a member of the ELDER Alliance, heard about
these concerns and offers some help.
For 30 years, ICS has shown what a caring community can do. This volunteer-based organization,
serving all of Pima County, provides a wide umbrella
of programs to help vulnerable individuals and
families meet their essential needs, from emergency
aid for rent and utilities to job search help to transportation and home visits to aging and disabled
adults. Last year, ICS assisted 36,500 people to
achieve stable, healthy and independent lives.
ICS offers meaningful opportunities for volunteers of
all ages, backgrounds and skills to get involved and
provide a helping hand to neighbors in need. Volunteers provide more than 300 rides each month to
elderly and disabled adults 18 years of age and
older for doctor’s appointments, the grocery store,
pharmacy and other necessary errands.
Volunteers do friendly phoning and visiting, assist
with mail and business help, and deliver Mobile
Meals to ensure that those who can no longer cook
for themselves can meet their nutritional needs.
Volunteers help out in the ICS offices, assist with
special events, work in the ICS Food Bank and
more.
Most importantly, ICS volunteers provide a friendly
face, a caring smile and important social contact
that helps recipients avoid isolation and stay independent. Volunteers often tell ICS that they get
more than they give by helping others. Recipients,
in turn, often comment that ICS volunteers are the
bright spot in their day.
ICS offers flexible volunteer schedules and training
is provided. If you are interested in volunteering,
please contact Tori Carlson, Volunteer Resources
Manager, at 520-297-6049 x217 or visit the website
at www.icstucson.org to see a list of volunteer opportunities and current events.
A few Picture Rocks community members have
already been trained, which makes it possible for
ICS to better serve our area. Any-one interested in
strength-ening this volunteer base is encouraged to
give ICS a call. Individuals who need these types of
service should call ICS to schedule an intake.
Did you know? According to U.S. News & World Report,
volunteering can improve your health, happiness and longevity,
and make your community a more stable and better place to live!
Sixth graders in the holiday spirit played Jolly Old St. Nicolas.
6
DWE DOUBLE DRIBBLE DIBELS — WHAT?!?
ABOUT CITIZENS FOR PICTURE ROCKS
So what are DIBELS? The acronym stands for
Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy, a state
test for K-6 students required three times a year.
DIBELS measures vocabulary, comprehension, phonics and fluency and gives the school information as
to a student being on-track for grade-appropriate
reading levels.
Citizens for Picture Rocks, Inc., is a non-profit
organization whose charter states that it exists for
the “purpose of promoting the common good and
general welfare of the community” of Picture Rocks.
Desert Winds Elementary School made a fun event
out of sharing information with parents on December 5 with their Double Dribble DIBELS Night. First
grade teacher Chloe Patmore reported that firstgraders advance from reading 23 up to 47 words in
one minute.
With the help of Marana High School Honors Students, DDD Night provided parents with written
assessments of their children’s progress, along with
fun and games to encourage reading. A two-for-one
book fair packed the school library. There were
nutritious snacks and free hamburgers, and even a
little Christmas store. Parents interested in helping
their children read at home should contact the
school for some handy tip sheets.
It is an organization of the people and for the
people of the community. Membership in Citizens
for Picture Rocks (C4PR) is open to all community
residents, but membership is not required to attend
any monthly meetings of C4PR.
Citizens for Picture Rocks serves as the focal point
to amplify and advocate for policy and practical
changes in matters that affect the daily lives of
community residents. The group has advocated for
and accomplished the following:
1. Pima County Sheriff substation
2. BMX/Skateboard Park and subsequent
lighting
3. Ortiz Community Medical Clinic
4. Revised and updated Flood Plain designations
5. State and local political Candidate Forums to
meet and listen to the candidates
6. Computer Lab at the Community Center
7. Shade for the Playground
8. Community Resource Fairs
9. Swimming Pool
10. Safe Routes to Schools sidewalks and bike
lanes
11. Picture Rocks Fire District electronic sign.
In addition, member dues (now $12 per year) and
citizen contributions help fund semi-annual roadway
clean-ups, New Year’s Eve potluck, Trunk O’ Treats
donations for a safe Halloween, website maintenance, and publishing the monthly Picture Rocks
Digest.
All area residents are invited to attend C4PR’s free
monthly meetings, held on the third Tuesday of the
month at 6:30 p.m. at the Picture Rocks Community
Center, 5615 N. Sanders Road. Iced tea social time
begins at 6:00 p.m. Free and open to all. The next
meeting will be held on January 20 and will address
the topic of flood control on private roads.
TODDLER TIPS – BUILDING CLASSIFICATION SKILLS
Submitted by Mrs. Caldwell, DWE Principal
Desert Winds Elementary School is a wonderful place to be and we welcome you to come by and meet us at
any time! Children need to be five years old by September 1 according to Arizona state law to begin kindergarten. But before that, children are in your home all day, every day, for their
first five years of life. We would love to help you get them ready for their school
career by trying one idea per month. Please use the idea below to help your
child’s brain develop and be ready for school!
Play a sorting game with your child’s toys. Start with familiar categories — dogs,
cats, farm animals and those exciting jungle animals (wow, an elephant!). Have
them set all their trucks, dolls and animals in a corner of the room or on a low
table or shelf, then arrange the toys themselves. Suggest arranging toys into
groups by color, size or type (animals, blocks, balls). Help your toddler observe
toys with similarities and differences. Play a game of "Largest-to-Smallest" or
"What Doesn't Belong?" This helps your toddler practice classification skills.
PIMA COUNTY SHERIFF’S
NON-EMERGENCY TIP LINE:
520-351-3868
Non-emergency information only.
To report a crime in progress, call 911.
Picture Rocks author, Cheryl Jeffries,
Hope Specialist, Pendulist, Practitioner,
Hypnotherapist, Spiritual Director
How to Change Your Life,
Get in the Flow, and Live on Purpose
Buy the book on Amazon and e-mail me the receipt
for 2 Bonus Gifts. Send e-mail to:
zenofhope@powerc.net, Subject: Book.
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the best of ancient wisdoms and science
Experience High Hopes
Fall in Love with Yourself
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The Healing Clinic
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The Picture Rocks Digest is written by Albert Lannon, except where noted, and submissions of local news are encouraged.
Karen Zopf does the design and formatting. Jamie Kisthardt handles the ads.
To submit news, email: albertlannon@powerc.net.
SEPTIC TANK PUMPING
Cleaning All Drain Lines
Bathrooms & Kitchens
Same Day Service &
All Plumbing Repairs
Free Estimates!
Owner & Operator,
35 Years Experience
520-682-8082
www.BoydSewerAndDrain.com
Serving All of Tucson & Surrounding Areas
WANTED: Progressives, free thinkers,
skeptics and Democrats of Picture
Rocks and Avra Valley.
BE A FOUNDING MEMBER: Of the
Democratic Club of Picture Rocks.
CALL: Catalina Hall 520-572-1881
or write Dems4PRandAV@gmail.com
and leave a detailed message.
Picture Rocks Hair Care Barber & Beauty
Men, Women & Children
11850 W. Picture Rocks Road
(behind Wagon Wheel Post store)
682-8021
Perm— Color—Frost—Cuts
Hours:
Products:
Wed,
Thurs,
Fri: 9-5
Nexxus—Abba—Paul Mitchell
Sat: 8-4
Mobile Services for
(closed Sun, Mon, Tues)
Handicapped
For information on advertising in the Picture Rocks Digest, call 682-0287.