Looks like our monsoons have taken a vacation. Other than brief sprinkles, we haven’t had rain in almost a week.
So, with thunderstorms not threatening Tucson’s Tuesday evening, I decided to ramble around the neighborhood. First point of interest was the new Fifth Avenue Greenway, which has transformed the look of this alley between Waverly and Linden Streets…
Well, that Fifth Avenue Greenway stroll sure was nice. Once I exited onto Linden Street, my way south was stopped cold by the Bronx Wash. If ever there was a landmark that is worthy of a Bronx cheer, this is it…
This channelized wash was built to move heavy volumes of water very quickly. Which just compounds the flooding problem downstream. Furthermore, this water is lost to the surrounding ecosystem, where it could nourish flowers, shrubs, and trees.
More green shade could mitigate Tucson’s urban heat island effect, which is caused by all of those paved surfaces. If you suspect that they make our hot summers even hotter, you’re right.
At the Sixth Avenue end of the Bronx Wash, a group of neighbors got together to create a different approach to water management. It’s the Linden Street Pocket Park, and it uses passive water harvesting to irrigate shade trees and shrubs along this rock-lined path…
After stopping at this little park, it was on to Mansfield Park and the Northwest Neighborhood Center. The center hosted a town hall with Arizona State Senator Linda Lopez, Democrat from District 29…
Senator Lopez shared her thoughts on how Arizona’s budget cuts to health care programs will affect our state. In short, the news is not good.
She noted that Arizona has America’s highest percentage of uninsured children, and it ranks 12th overall in the percentage of uninsured residents. And, Lopez added, “Denying coverage does not eliminate the need for medical care.”
Where do people without health insurance wind up when they need care? In our already overcrowded emergency rooms. Which makes it even harder for those experiencing life-threatening emergencies to be treated in a timely manner.
Lopez said that the state budget cuts are falling disproportionately on our state’s most vulnerable people — the elderly, the poor, people with chronic physical and mental conditions, and children.
Meanwhile, our Republican-controlled legislature just approved more tax breaks for corporations. No word on whether those corporations will actually create good-paying jobs in this state.