A message from Marana Town Manager Jamsheed Mehta, originally posted by Tucson Local Media.

Welcome to a new year and a new decade! The Town of Marana has a very important new year’s resolution for 2020: Give our residents the means to achieve their resolutions and stay on track.

One of the most common new year’s resolutions is to set fitness goals and follow a healthier lifestyle, and the Town of Marana has abundant opportunities to get healthy and stay active all year. Our parks and recreation department recently released its spring program guide, which includes both new programs to explore, and some tried and true town favorites that are now open for enrollment.

New activities in Marana include learning a skill like boxing fitness or volleyball, and kids can participate in one of our STREAM (STEM + Arts and Literature) camps to enrich their education with activities that combine critical thinking and creativity.

Recurring events like guided horseback rides, guided birding tours and free guided hikes of the Tortolitas are still available through April, and are an amazing way to enjoy the outdoors and connect with your fellow community members. Other resident favorites returning from our Fall programs are events like the Mother’s Day 5k, Cape Chase and the Aquathon Swim/Run.

Is your resolution to do that one home project you’ve been meaning to do for years? Or start adding to your home with a pool, patio, or outdoor structure? The Town of Marana is your first stop to get started. The Development Services Department is a fantastic resource for any projects you might be interested in, big or small.

Our experts with the Town of Marana are available to look over your potential projects and give you any advice they can on how to carry it out, and our easy permit and applications processes allows you to fill out necessary documents online or in person at the Marana Municipal Complex. If you want to finally start the business you’ve been dreaming of, we will help you obtain and complete a local business license.

Maybe your resolution includes getting more familiar with your town. Discover Marana is a wonderful guide to a variety of attractions and experiences in the area. Spas and getaways, dining experiences, events, and more, are all available at discovermarana.org. The gastronomy tour, for example, is a well-rounded experience of food and history. Marana is a center for farm-to-table, local, unique cuisine that follows a four-thousand-year tradition and practice of, to put it simply, making really good food.

If you’d like to become more involved in the community this year, it’s the perfect time to do so. Our open call to become a vendor at one of our signature town events begins this month. We’d love to see you at our annual Fall Festival, Holiday Festival, Founder’s Day and more.

If you prefer to be an attendee at our events, there are always opportunities to have your voice heard and be engaged with town decisions. The Parks and Rec Master Plan Survey is still open through the end of the month, where you can share your input on what you would like to see from the Parks and Recreation Department over the next 10 years. This includes the development of active recreational parks, natural resource parks, trails and recreation programs. Take the survey online at maranaaz.gov/parksrecmasterplan.

There will also be three community meetings for this master plan, to identify the needs of the public. The first meeting will be held Jan. 23 at Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr. Library (7800 N. Schisler Drive), the second Jan. 29 at Dove Mountain K-8 CTEM School (5650 W. Moore Road), and the last Feb. 6 at Marana Municipal Complex, in the Police Station Community Room (11555 W. Civic Center Drive). All meetings will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and you can find more information on the parks and rec website.

For updates about the Parks & Recreation Master Plan, and general news about the Town, you can subscribe to the Marana Newsroom at maranaaz.gov/newsroom or follow us on social media. We can’t wait to see your New Year’s Resolutions progress this year, and we look forward to another year of growth and development with the residents of Marana in 2020.