Things to do in Marana for August (and Beyond)

August 3 - Free Music In Marana: Gray2Red

Gray2Red is made up mostly of local “seasoned” rockers who have been playing in bands since the 60’s. They'll deliver finely aged, crowd-pleasing classic rock to your event from artist like Steve Miller, the Eagles, Van Morrison, Eddie Money, CCR, Joe Cocker, Clapton and more.

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August 17 - Free Movie In Marana: Hotel Transylvania 3

The Marana Splash Pad is the home for August's Free Movie In Marana, featuring "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation". Join Dracula and all his ghoulish friends as they embark on a summer cruise that promises to be more than they expected. Show starts around 7: 15 pm, once the sun has gone down.

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September 7 - 80's Doggy Paddle Pool Party

It’s an 80’s doggy takeover of the Marana Pool. Reserve your pup’s spot today to take a 30-minute sim session and catch a wave. Don’t forget there will be an 80’s themed best-dressed pooch and owner contest.


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September 7 - Free Music In Marana - Strait Country

STRAIT COUNTRY - A TRIBUTE TO COUNTRY MUSIC'S LIVING LEGEND. Kevin Sterner and Strait Country, performing the critically
acclaimed "Tribute to the Music of George Strait," re-create the exact arrangements that you have heard on this Country Legend’s CD’s and in
his concert performances.

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September 21 - Free Movie in Marana: Paddington 2

Free Movie in Marana at the Tangerine Sky Park: Paddington 2
Show starts at 6:00 pm, once the sun has gone down. Bring something to sit on, or borrow a chair or blanket from us. We will have a snack vendor present with movie treats for purchase.

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On The Horizon

Oct 19 - Marana Fall Festival
Nov 2 - Dirt Dash
Nov 16 - Turkey Trot
Nov 23 - El Tour De Tucson - Marana Segment
Dec 7 - Marana Holiday Festival and Christmas Tree Lighting

PRESS RELEASE: 2019 General Plan 60-day Public Review Underway

MARANA – Now’s your chance to review Marana’s 2019 General Plan and provide additional input. The 60-day review cycle is open until September 27, 2019, and you can review the document at www.MakeMarana2040.com.

As a rapidly growing community, Marana is developing ideas for your town’s future with the 2019 General Plan – Make Marana 2040.

Make Marana 2040 is the Town’s General Plan document and the primary tool that will be used to guide and manage future growth of our community. It includes the Town’s vision, goals, and policies for guiding future growth based on previous input from you, our residents.

The plan is grouped into three themes:

• Built Environment – includes the physical features that create an attractive, efficient, and well-balanced community;

• People and Community – includes goals and policies that create a greater sense of community and culture, fostering a higher quality of life for residents and visitors; and

• Resources and Sustainability – seeks to balance growth and development with the need to protect and conserve natural resources to support a healthy environment for generations to come.

The possibilities for Marana are endless. Your input will help shape our community to ensure a great quality of life now and for future generations.

If you have questions or comments, please contact Cynthia Ross, Senior Planner, at cross@maranaaz.gov or 520-382-2651.

UPDATE Storm sandbag distribution

MARANA — In anticipation of more monsoon activity, Town of Marana will be handing out sandbags to Marana residents. The first sandbag distribution will be Tuesday, July 30 and Wednesday, July 31 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

There will also be one-time distributions on Tuesday August 6 and Tuesday, August 13.

Sandbag distributions will be located at the yard of the Marana Operations Center (5100 W. Ina Road) and Marana Heritage River Park parking lot (12205 N Tangerine Farms Road).

"The Public Works Department provides services that are vital to our community’s health, safety, and comfort," said Public Works Director Mo El-Ali. "We provide this service to our community to help keep Marana residents safe."

There is a limit of 10 sandbags per vehicle. Additional distribution dates will be added to the schedule based upon public demand and weather projections. For more information, please contact Public Works at (520)382-2536, or follow the Town of Marana on Facebook and Twitter.

Manager's Message: Marana prepped for monsoons

Marana Town Manager Jamsheed Mehta provided this Manager’s Message to the Marana News/Explorer News that was a bit timely based upon the weather events of July 24,

The rains have finally arrived! This is an exciting time for the desert and for our residents, as we now get to enjoy a reprieve from the hot summer days and witness the revitalization of our beautiful landscape. With the excitement of darkened clouds, rumbling thunder and brilliant light shows, I would like to also remind the community of the importance of storm safety. Just a few minutes of rain can result in damaging flash floods, and with the combined efforts of town staff and resident actions, we can work to have a safe monsoon season. 

When in doubt, wait it out! If you are driving and see a dust or rainstorm ahead, pull over. Avoid crossing flooded washes. Even if it doesn’t look deep, a few inches of running water poses a serious risk. If you are driving in the rain, reduce your speed and avoid sudden braking. If you cannot see the street, don’t drive through it. To increase visibility, check your windshield wipers before driving, and replace them if necessary. Always expect the unexpected, and pack extra supplies, drinking water, and an emergency kit wherever you go.

The safety of our residents is a top priority for town staff, as demonstrated by the emergency response provided during last year’s monsoon season. Flooding on July 8, 2018 resulted in numerous swift-water rescues and road closures, and multiple agencies responded to the train derailment along Interstate 10. Immediate and effective public safety response requires heavy coordination between our departments and community partners before, during and after a storm. 

That day, the town activated the Emergency Operation Center to serve as a central command and control facility for public works, police, risk and safety, communications, town management and Northwest Fire District. Through strategic deployment of our resources, we were able to respond quickly and effectively, and reduce safety risks throughout the community. 

Marana Police and Public Work’s departments collaborated to monitor the community, barricaded dangerous roadways, and removed debris. Northwest Fire District responded to structural damages, fallen trees or power lines, failing electrical systems, and swift-water rescues to ensure the safety of everyone on site. All status updates and road conditions were reported back to the EOC to be disseminated to the public. It is important that the community can rely on us as a source for up-to-date and accurate information, especially during an emergency. To make sure you’re prepared for the latest news, remember to follow the Town of Marana on Twitter and Facebook. 

The town looks to past experiences to improve safety protocols and procedures for the new rain season. Last year’s flooding required extensive clean-up of debris, damaged streets and fallen trees. This year, public works staff organized all Monsoon-related equipment, reviewed safety protocol, and updated the public works repair plan to streamline repairs. Staff is also prepared to distribute sandbags in the event of an impending flood emergency, and details will be provided to the public ahead of time to ensure adequate preparation by the community. 

The completion of the new Ina Road Bridge over the Santa Cruz River now provides a safe alternate route, as the new structure no longer needs to be shut down at the crossing during flood events. The Pima County Regional Flood Control District also maintains the Santa Cruz River by cleaning the channels, removing the sediment build up and undesirable vegetation and repairing erosion around the bridges and bank protection. This helps increase the channels flood carrying capacity and minimize flooding potential.

The monsoon time is an exciting one for desert dwellers, but it is also an excellent time to brush up on safety protocols so we can all continue to enjoy living in beautiful southern Arizona. By working together, we can continue to make Marana a great place to live in any season. 

Jamsheed Mehta is the Town of Marana Manager.

Marana In The Media: Marana theater group hosting ‘Guys and Dolls’

From the Marana News:

Both guys and dolls around Marana are preparing for an upcoming community-oriented performance. The Marana Community Music Theater is a volunteer group that organizes multiple theater events in Marana throughout the year, and is putting the final touches on this year’s summer production: Guys and Dolls.

Started in Fall 2017 by two Marana High School teachers, MCMT hosts theater, musical and choral performances by the community and for the community of Marana.

“We have a lot of students who graduate, but they don’t have anywhere in Marana to continue performing,” said MCMT co-founder Sarah Ross, a Marana High choir teacher. “We realized we needed to do something to give these people an opportunity to do performing arts.” 

Read the rest of the story at the Marana News

Marana Community Music Theater will perform “Guys and Dolls: A Musical Fable of Broadway” on Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27 at Marana High School’s auditorium. 12000 W. Emigh Road. 7 p.m. $10.



Traffic Alert: McDuff Road to be closed for pavement repairs beginning July 24

Pavement repairs along McDuff Road between Grier Road and the eastbound I-10 frontage road will take place beginning on Wednesday, July 24. Crews will be milling, repaving, and re-striping a short section of the roadway just north of the Grier/McDuff Intersection. Additionally, improvements will be made to the surface drainage conditions along the east side of the north half of the roadway. Workers will be present from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. All work is expected to be completed by the end of the week.

During the project, through-traffic along McDuff Road will be prohibited. Directional signs and traffic control devices will be set up to detour traffic around the work area. Access for local residents will be maintained at all times.

For your safety and that of the contractor’s personnel, please comply with all traffic control devices, flagging personnel, and/or detour signs. Travel time through the project area may increase during construction so please adjust your schedule accordingly. Construction may restrict traffic lanes and create congestion. Taking alternate routes is suggested.

For your safety and that of the contractor’s personnel, please comply with traffic control devices, flagging personnel, and/or detour signs.

Travel time through the project area may increase during construction so please adjust your schedule accordingly. Construction may restrict traffic lanes and create congestion. Taking alternate routes is suggested.

If inclement weather or other events cause delays, the work may be rescheduled without further notice.

Stay up-to-date on Town of Marana news, projects, and events. Visit MaranaAZ.gov, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

Things to do in Marana in July and Beyond

On The Horizon

Sep 7 - 80's Doggy Paddle Pool Party
Sep 7 - Free Music In Marana- Kevin Sterner & Strait Country
Sep 17 - Free Movie in Marana - Paddington 2

Marana is part of the new Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area

A public lands bill signed into law in March created the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area (NHA), which directly impacts the Town of Marana. The Santa Cruz Valley NHA stretches from the watershed of the Santa Cruz River around Nogales and Patagonia, north through Tucson to Marana.

The Santa Cruz Valley NHA is a non-regulatory designation made by Congress to honor and celebrate the region’s contribution to America’s history, which they hope will stimulate heritage-based economic development and geo-tourism in the region.

According to the Green Valley News, “Santa Cruz Valley is a natural and cultural landscape that has been shaped by many generations of people from diverse cultural origins, and the NHA designation provides a unique opportunity to promote these heritage resources and educate the community about our shared heritage.”

Although National Heritage Areas are designated by Congress, they are different from National Parks and other types of federal designations because they do not impose federal zoning or regulations on land use.

“The boundaries of a National Heritage Area are not regulatory, and designation will not affect private property rights, land use zoning, property taxes, or government jurisdictions,” explained the Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance. “Participation is completely voluntary. An analogy for a National Heritage Area is an “enterprise zone,” in which an area has been designated for voluntary participation for benefits.”

Learn More:
Discover Marana
Green Valley News
Arizona Geology Survey E-Magazine
Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance

Town attorney honored by state bar

Marana Town Attorney Frank Cassidy

Marana Town Attorney Frank Cassidy is being awarded the Distinguished Public Lawyer Award by the Arizona State Bar. Each year the Public Lawyer Section recognizes outstanding public lawyers and judges who have made extraordinary and exemplary contributions to the state and the justice system. 

According to his co-workers, "this is a wonderful recognition of how well respected Frank is by other attorneys and a tremendous achievement for him."

“We were fortunate to have amazing nominations for the Public Lawyers annual awards,” said Geoff Balon, Chair, Public Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Arizona.

 He will formally accept the award on August 7 at a luncheon in Phoenix.

Marana wins award for financial reporting

The Town of Marana has received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

Marana honored for Financial Reporting.

This marks the 10th time since 2008 that the Town of Marana’s Finance Department has earned the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence. The Town has also been awarded the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award every year since 2007.

The CAFR has been judged by an impartial panel “to meet the high standards of the program,” which includes demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.

GFOA is a major professional association servicing the needs of over 20,000 appointed and elected local, state, and provincial-level government officials and other finance practitioners.

The Town of Marana is serious about financial transparency. In addition to posting several years of financial documents including Budget Books, Budget Reports, Quarterly Financial Briefs, and a variety of Financial Reports, the Town also has a financial transparency database provides information from the Marana Financial System, which enables a clear view of the government’s operations.