Written by Brad Allis. Photo by J.D. Fitzgerald.
Marana and Oro Valley are two of the safest cities in Arizona, according to a statistical data analyzed by the Orent Law Offices in Phoenix and data visualization firm 1 Point 21 Interactive. They looked at the 40 communities in the state with populations over 10,000 and determined that the two northwest communities were among the five safest in Arizona...
Pima County Loop Trail at Ina Road will close in January
The I-10/Ina Road Traffic Interchange project in Marana just north of Tucson is completing its first phase of construction. Businesses along the Ina Corridor will remain open throughout all phases of this project. Phase 1 is scheduled to wrap up in mid-February 2017. The on- and off-ramps connecting I-10 and Ina Road are scheduled to close Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017, barring weather-related or other unforeseen delays. While businesses on Ina on both sides of I-10 remain open, there will be no through traffic across the freeway. Cortaro Road and Orange Grove Interchanges are still open.
The project also includes reconstruction of the Ina Road bridges over the Santa Cruz River beginning in January 2017. This work will close the Pima County Loop Trail, south of Ina Road at Ted Walker Road and north of Ina Road at the Crossroads at Silverbell District Park for approximately two years. Once the bridge project is completed, there will be Loop Trail underpasses on each side of the Santa Cruz River, new ADA-accessible ramps to Ina Road and new bike lanes and sidewalks along Ina Road.
Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment while the following closures and restrictions are in place:
Interstate 10 Frontage Road
Ina Road
Massingale Road
The project to reconstruct the interchange fully will improve traffic operations on I-10 and on the Ina Road traffic interchange. The project consists of widening I-10 to accommodate an additional lane in each direction and widening Ina Road from Silverbell Road to Camino de la Cruz.
Managed by ADOT, this project is funded by the Regional Transportation Authority of Pima County. The voter-approved, $2.1 billion RTA plan will be implemented through 2026. Details about the full plan are available at www.RTAmobility.com.
ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions and closures, but it’s possible that unscheduled impacts might occur because of weather or other factors. For the most current information about highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Travel Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except while driving.
For more information about this project, please call Paki Rico, ADOT senior community relations officer, at 520.388.4233 or email prico@azdot.gov or visit the website at http://azdot.gov/inati.
On Monday, December 19, from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m., crews from Tangerine Corridor Constructors will be working at the intersection of Thornydale Road and Tangerine Road installing water infrastructure. The traveling public can anticipate the following impacts:
On Friday, December 16, crews from Tangerine Corridor Constructors set up traffic control in preparation for paving operations at the intersection of Dove Mountain Boulevard/Twin Peaks Road and Tangerine Road. Due to rain, the paving operations have been rescheduled and the current traffic control will still be in place through Wednesday, December 21 at 5 a.m.
The traveling public can anticipate the following impacts:
On Wednesday, December 21, from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., crews from Tangerine Corridor Constructors will be working at the intersection of Dove Mountain Boulevard/Twin Peaks Road and Tangerine Road. The traveling public can anticipate the following impacts:
The Marana Police Department Volunteer Foundation will be presenting a check for $12,377.07 to the Pediatric Unit at Banner University Medical Center-Tucson on Wednesday, December 21st at 10:00 a.m. This donation was made possible from the money that was raised during the Pride for the Patch Golf Tournament.
In addition to the donation, first responders from agencies across Southern Arizona will fill the roundabout in front of the Children’s Diamond Center at Banner UMC. Emergency vehicles will simultaneously activate their lights and provide an overwhelming display of red and blue when the children come down. First responders are hoping to help make this a magical and unforgettable Christmas for all the sick and injured children at Banner UMC.
The Marana Police Volunteer Foundation hosted their inaugural Golf Tournament Fundraiser, Pride for the Patch, on December 3, 2016 at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain. The “Pride for the Patch” was initiated for citizens to join forces with Law Enforcement, Fire Departments, Corrections, and Military to give back to the community. The event was an overwhelming success and the money raised will have a tremendous impact in the lives of these children.
Here’s one more reason to love your Town of Marana parks. A new swing set is now ready for Marana’s youngsters to enjoy at Crossroads at Silverbell District Park. The new swing set expands the already popular playground with a 3-bay swing set featuring six additional swings - four strap seats and two additional toddler bucket seats. The new swings are located in the southwest quadrant of the park, near the baseball fields. If you’re in the neighborhood this weekend, swing on by!
Crossroads at Silverbell Park
Park Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Other park amenities include:
The Marana Town Code section 16-1-1 establishes the Town of Marana Utilities Board. The goals of this board are to oversee the Town’s utility operations and discuss the use of an allocation of one megawatt of hydropower from the Parker-Davis Dam. This hydropower allocation is used to operate Town facilities, where applicable. Marana Water is a large user of this allocation, using it to power our pumps and well sites as well as the Wastewater Treatment Facility.
The board comes together twice a year for an overview of Marana Water operations. On December 22, the board will convene for the second time in 2016. This time there will be two new board members from the community. The make-up for the board is as follows; three council-appointed members, two town employees appointed by the Town Manager, the Town finance director, and the Town water director. The new members were appointed at the Town Council meeting on December 6, and will bring new perspective to the group.
Marana Water staff prepare a list of agenda items highlighting work done over the past six months. These presentations typically include an update on all aspects of the department. The number of customers, how much the department has grown, updates on the budget, status of construction projects and energy management, and current and future department initiatives are all presented for feedback to the board. The board then asks follow up questions and can potentially give direction. Items such as rate increases, fee changes, or adjustments to construction projects are presented to the board to act as another community review.
The Marana Utilities Board meeting is December 22, at 3pm at the Marana Operations Center. We are looking forward to sharing our accomplishments over the past six months and our upcoming projects. The meeting is open to the public, and minutes will be posted with 72 hours after the meeting. For any questions about the board, you can contact the department at MaranaWater@maranaAZ.gov.
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The I-10/Ina Road Traffic Interchange project in Marana just north of Tucson continues its first phase of construction, in which Ina Road remains open while crews finish building a traffic detour for drivers to use when the Ina Road traffic interchange closes. Work includes drainage improvements and major utility work.
Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment while the following closures and restrictions are in place:
Managed by ADOT, this project is funded by the Regional Transportation Authority of Pima County. The voter-approved, $2.1 billion RTA plan will be implemented through 2026. Details about the full plan are available at www.RTAmobility.com.
ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions and closures, but it’s possible that unscheduled impacts might occur because of weather or other factors. For the most current information about highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Travel Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except while driving.
For more information about this project, please visit the website at http://azdot.gov/inati.
Beginning Friday, December 9, the posted speed limits will change on Tangerine Road from Verch Way to La Canada Drive. The traveling public can anticipate the following impacts:
This will extend the 35 MPH zone from Thornydale Road to La Canada Drive. The 25 MPH zone from Dove Mountain Boulevard to Thornydale Road is still in effect.
Beginning Sunday night, December 11, through Thursday, December 15, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night, crews from Tangerine Corridor Constructors will be conducting utility work on Tangerine Road from Shannon Road to just east of La Cholla Boulevard. The traveling public can anticipate the following impacts:
There will be an increased amount of truck traffic the week of December 12 hauling in materials. Please be cautious and do not follow the trucks into the work zones.
All the town departments work together meeting service needs for the community. We have mentioned how Marana Water works with Parks and Rec and Development Services. This week we highlight our partnership with the Technology Services department.
One of the internal services for the town, the Tech Services team consists of men and women who are working to keep the entire Town’s technology running smoothly. This can take the shape of our phone system, police computer and recording equipment, and all the programs and software used by the water department. The department is divided into two divisions; hardware/equipment and applications. We work closely with both divisions to reach our customer service goals.
At the water department we have a few systems that are vital to operations; our SCADA system, billing software, and our GIS system. Tech Services helps to ensure they are all running smoothly and efficiently. While the water department develops the needs, plans and configuration of these programs, the TS team will help make sure there is enough storage space and that the program is compatible with other operating systems among other requirements for a successful implementation. Our billing system retains all the customer account data, payment history, meter reading history and maintenance records for each account. When we were setting up our online bill-payment system, we worked closely with TS on the importing/exporting and security of this data. Additionally, we have an Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) system. This software collects the radio signals set out from our meters during the monthly meter reading. Our staff here in the office, takes the data and run through several processes to calculate a customer’s bill. The program that collects this data also identifies GPS coordinates for our water meters, which is very helpful when helping customers find leaks or other water related inquiries at their home.
SCADA stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. This is the program that gathers real time data from our water and wastewater system monitoring for any unanticipated changes. For example, a pump might be set to turn on when the water level in a reservoir gets to a certain point. If, for some reason, the pump does not turn on, or turns on too soon, there is an alert through the SCADA software. The hardware required is included in each one of our new construction projects. By keeping the SCADA system running properly, we can avoid any serious outages, lost water, or expensive operations. The image to the right shows an example of the program interface. Our staff review the settings and are able to adjust the equipment where appropriate.
Our Geographic Information System (GIS) is one of the strongest tools the Town has. The data housed in this program can generate water demand projections that use existing water meter locations, highlight future planning and zoning data, and track new construction projects. While we are continually updating the system, and working to make it better each day, these types of data projects are in the near future. The operations team looks for GIS data when marking water lines for Arizona 811, and the engineering team uses it to make determinations on where to establish new water connections.
Technology is a part of all of our lives, and the water department is no different. Working together with the Technology Services team, we can generate efficiencies in our business and operations processes while striving to continually provide reliable water service.
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The Marana Police Volunteer Foundation is hosting their inaugural Golf Tournament Fundraiser, Pride for the Patch, on December 3, 2016 at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain. All of the proceeds will go to the Pediatrics Unit at Banner University Medical Center Tucson.
In an effort to show support for first responders, the “Pride for the Patch” was initiated for citizens to join forces with Law Enforcement, Fire Departments, Corrections, and Military to help make this a magical and unforgettable Christmas for all the sick and injured children at Banner UMC.
The Pediatrics Unit at Banner UMC Tucson, together with Banner’s Children’s facilities throughout the state, is proud to provide more care for more kids than any other health system in Arizona. Visiting the children there and seeing the tremendous challenges they face reminds us of just how lucky we are and what an impact we can make in their lives.
The Marana Police Volunteers Foundation is a qualified 501(c) and is maintained by the proud citizens of the Town of Marana. Although the tournament is currently full, members of the community can show their support by going to www.maranapvfoundation.com and submitting their donations.
With a supportive community behind us, we look forward to coming together and having a very successful inaugural event.
Members of the media are welcome to cover the event. Representatives from the Marana Police Department, Marana Police Volunteer Foundation, as well as the Pediatric Unit at UMC are available for interviews and to share how this event will make a difference for the children.
The event is being held at The Golf Club at Dove Mountain, which is located at 6501 W. Boulder Bridge Pass in Marana. The event will begin at 8:00 a.m. and will end at approximately 1:00 p.m.
Marana is currently working on an update to its Strategic Plan, and public input provides critical information for the success of this process. The Strategic Plan helps Marana plan initiatives aligned with the five core Focus Areas of this document: Commerce, Community, Innovation, Heritage, and Recreation.
In mid-2008, Marana's Mayor and Council identified the need to complete a community-wide, comprehensive strategic planning effort. This strategic plan addresses goals and objectives for the community's future. The plan lists initiatives and strategies Council determined most appropriate. These initiatives and strategies then act as the guiding policies for decision-making.
To read more about Marana’s Strategic Plan 2017 Update, visit http://www.maranaaz.gov/strategic-plan-2017-update. To take the survey and make your voice heard, visit http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3123850/Strategic-Plan-Community-Survey.
The I-10/Ina Road Traffic Interchange project in Marana just north of Tucson continues its first phase of construction, in which Ina Road remains open while crews finish building a traffic detour for drivers to use when the Ina Road traffic interchange closes. Work includes drainage improvements and major utility work.
Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment while the following closures and restrictions are in place:
Interstate 10 Frontage Road
Ina Road
Massingale Road
The project to reconstruct the interchange fully will improve traffic operations on I-10 and on the Ina Road traffic interchange. The project consists of widening I-10 to accommodate an additional lane in each direction and widening Ina Road from Silverbell Road to Camino de la Cruz.
Managed by ADOT, this project is funded by the Regional Transportation Authority of Pima County. The voter-approved, $2.1 billion RTA plan will be implemented through 2026. Details about the full plan are available at www.RTAmobility.com.
ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions and closures, but it’s possible that unscheduled impacts might occur because of weather or other factors. For the most current information about highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Travel Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except while driving.
For more information about this project, please call Paki Rico, ADOT senior community relations officer, at 520.388.4233 or email prico@azdot.gov or visit the website at http://azdot.gov/inati.
Smell something rotten in the air? The Town of Marana is on the case, and residents can join in the effort to help snuff out the stink.
The Town of Marana is aware of ongoing odor issues in the Arizona Pavilions area, and are working through all available channels to address the cause. This particular odor, with its persistence and severity, contradicts the Town's commitment to an excellent quality of life in Marana, and is considered unacceptable. While the Town is not the regulatory agency for air quality complaints (including odors), officials are scheduling meetings with all parties who may be contributing to the odor in the area, and the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ) in order to speed the process and achieve satisfactory results.
Residents are encouraged to join the efforts by contacting PDEQ with specific complaints at (520)724-7432. PDEQ operates programs to monitor air and water quality, hazardous waste, solid waste, and assist in waste minimization and pollution prevention. PDEQ also provides public outreach, education, and citizens' assistance, processes environmental permits, and responds to public complaints and inquiries with investigations and enforcement.
The Town is also welcoming feedback and information from the public that can help address the problem. Specific reports can be filed through the Citizen Feedback form. For general feedback and inquiries, residents can email codeenforcement@maranaAZ.gov, or call 520-382-1926.
The weather has officially become chilly overnight and in the early morning. This can be a nice change to the hot summer months, but it also means a little more care for our water pipes. Each winter season comes the risk of damage from frozen pipes. We are here to provide some helpful tips on how to possible prevent breaks, and what to do should you have a water outage.
If you find that your pipes did freeze overnight by checking internal faucets, you can attempt to thaw the pipes with a hairdryer. Be sure to not use the hairdryer around any standing water. Start the attempt to thaw the pipes closest to the faucet and move outward. Never attempt to thaw the pipes with any type of open flame. For a more indepth inspection, contact a local plumber.
For those customers that may have vacant homes in our service area, consider completely turning the water off at the main shut-off valve. If you choose to do this, you can also empty the lines by running faucets and flushing the toilets. Be sure to consult with a plumber to confirm that water heaters/softeners do not need constant water supplies to avoid any damage. The Marana Water department has a vacant disconnection service for those customers who would like the water meter locked for an extended period of time. Contact our offices at (520) 382-2570 for additional information on the program and fees.
If a pipe does break, shut off the main valve. If the break is in a hot water line, the main to the water heater should be closed as well. Should your water outage persist, contact a local plumber to inspect for any breaks in your lines. As always, be cautious and safe when inspecting any plumbing issue.
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Marana, AZ – DiscoverMarana.org, the tourism website for the Town of Marana, has won a 2016 Silver Adrian Award for Website Design.
The award is to be presented in February by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI). The organization is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners, and is the industry’s leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. Distinguished executives from all sectors of the industry judged the entries for the Silver Adrian Award.
“We are thrilled that Discover Marana’s website has received this industry award for achieving the ambitious goals of providing a sense of all that Marana has to offer while making it easy for people to find exactly what they need to enjoy their leisure time in our beautiful town,” said Laura Cortelyou, Tourism and Marketing Manager.
DiscoverMarana.gov has been recognized for being sleek, colorful, and responsive to all viewing devices. Viewers are immersed with visual highlights of Marana’s stunning scenery and attractions. The website features full screen HTML5 video, itinerary builder, social integration, and interactive mapping. Visitors can plan their entire trip through one portal and subscribe for updates through e-news integration. A regularly updated blog, consisting of content written both in-house and by those in the community, informs potential visitors of the amazing opportunities for recreation and leisure that exist in Marana, and the interactive event calendar displays current and upcoming events in the region, in a well-organized and comprehensive manner.
The Town of Marana established Discover Marana as a marketing entity to promote tourism to this Southern Arizona destination. Partnering with Tempest in 2015, Discover Marana came to life with a logo, branding elements, and website design that captured the area’s distinct beauty and history.
The creative process was unique in that it combined the efforts of several different departments and entities. Discover Marana, Tempest, and the Town of Marana’s Economic Development department and Marketing and Communications teams were heavily involved in the project. This allowed multiple perspectives on brand design, and how it would achieve the goals set forth by Discover Marana, while faithfully representing the Town as a community.
By positioning Marana as the gateway to Southern Arizona, the brand emphasizes the mix of modern amenities and historic Sonoran Desert setting of the town. The careful balance of branding activities, reinforced by the website design and functionality, allows Marana to present a cohesive experience that showcases one of the most luxurious resorts in the world, as well as limited service properties. In this way, Marana is shown as an attractive and close-knit community that can attract and serve a wide variety of travelers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. The resulting website demonstrates the seamless integration of modern anesthetics that remain deeply rooted in Marana’s cultural heritage.
“Receiving national recognition for our Discover Marana website is a great honor and recognizes the value that we place on tourism and its benefits to our community,” said Curt Woody, Economic Development Director.
Whether visitors to Southern Arizona want to experience breathtaking hiking, excellent retail, or diverse dining options, from upscale to casual, Discovermarana.org can help them find what they’re looking for.
The annual Grecycle event is underway for the 2016/2017 holiday season. This program helps to protect the sewer system from fats, oils, and grease (FOG) that might be sent down the drain. The collection containers give customers and residents a place to bring these FOGs to be turned into biodiesel, a cleaner burning fuel than regular diesel.
FOGs sent down the drain can cause costly repairs not only to the Town’s sewer system, but to the pipes inside your home. The grease can build up and obstruct pipes and even trap other debris in the sewer system. They can even eventually cause raw sewage to back up into your home.
Marana Water has a station set up to help avoid these costly problems. Collect the grease from your holiday cooking into a throw-away container and bring it to the Marana Water Operations Yard at 12775 N. Sanders Road. The map below shows the location of the Operations Yard.
The collection system will be in place from November 21 through January 2. As you can see in the photos the collection bins are easily accessible from the road and are available at all times. Last year we were able to prevent 20 gallons of FOGs from entering the sewer system through the Grecycle program, and this year we are hoping to prevent even more.
We hope you take a few minutes to collect the fats, oils, and grease into a container and either bring it our site or throw it in the garbage, and help us keep grease out of our drains.
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Every day in Marana, a web of visible and invisible systems operates behind the scenes. Officers patrol the streets. Engineers plan out the roads. Accountants balance the budget. You, the taxpayer, trust us to keep this machine running. A few times each year, we’ll be sharing how that happens, profiling each of these departments, pulling back the veil to reveal what makes Marana’s government tick. We hope that by taking you behind the scenes, you’ll not only gain a deeper understanding of how your government functions, but also help us improve by sharing your perspectives on these processes. Thanks for reading, and we hope you enjoy this Marana Newsroom original series, Townies.
***
Tuesday, March 22, 2016. 2:35 p.m. Marana High School
It’s passing period. Students crisscross the campus, some hurrying to make it on time to their next class, others casually enjoying a few brief moments in the sun. Coleman Hunter, the School Resource Officer, is standing in the quad, keeping a watchful eye over the students as they transition into the final period of the school day.
So far, this has been a normal day at MHS, if any day at a high school can be considered normal. The weather is mild, midterm season is over, and finals are still weeks away. It’s primary day in Arizona, but so far, the fever of the 2016 election season hasn’t affected the school day. The school is a polling place, and has been for years, but the polling booths are kept entirely separate from the students.
In the front office, the receptionist answers the phone that never seems to stop ringing. At the other end of the line, a voice urgently pushes his message through the receiver. There’s a bomb in the library, she hears. And then nothing. The voice is gone. Within seconds, emergency responders are on their way.
***
Tuesday, March 22, 2016. 3:15 p.m. Sandario Road, south of Marana Regional Airport
“99.9% of bomb threats are false alarms,” explains Sergeant Chris Warren, Public Information Officer for the Marana Police Department. “But we still treat every threat as if it were that 0.1%”
This is good news not only for Marana High School, but also for the other government agencies across the state which also received bomb threats on March 22. Both the Pima County Attorney’s Office and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office got them, and both took hours to investigate and resolve. By the end of the day, every threat would prove unsubstantiated. But at 3:15 p.m., the Marana Police Department doesn’t know that yet.
Sergeant Warren is currently driving down Sandario Road towards Marana High School in an unmarked police cruiser. Don’t mistake his calm demeanor for a lack of urgency, though. The odometer ticks above 70 miles per hour. The speed limit is 55.
Minutes earlier, he’d been listening to the police radio traffic in his office. His door opens into the Dispatch Center for the Marana Police Department. At all hours, this communications hub buzzes with activity. If you call 9-1-1 in Marana, this is where they pick up the phone.
Grace Neal has just answered a call. Immediately, she begins punching codes into her elaborate computer terminal. “1089 at Marana High School.” “Bomb threat.” “Officer Hunter on the scene.” “Sgt. Terry Evans en route.” Undercover officers, Sergeant Steve Johnson, and Lieutenant Tim Brunenkant will quickly join them. Grace coordinates all this without leaving her seat.
“As a dispatcher, you have to communicate an incredible amount of information in practically no time at all,” explains Sheila Blevins from over Grace’s shoulder. “You have to simultaneously listen to the caller, evaluate the appropriate response, and start alerting the right officers.” Sheila is one of the telecommunications managers of the Dispatch Center, and she should know about communications. She’s been at this job for 29 years.
“I started out as a pre-school teacher,” she said of her decision to enter the field. “The parent of one of my students was an officer, so I decided to go on a ride-along one day. As we patrolled and listened to the police radio, I started to think I could be a dispatcher.”
One skill from Sheila’s teaching days transferred usefully into dispatching: tone. “The tone of your voice at the beginning of the call lays the groundwork for the rest of the interaction. It sets the framework for that caller’s whole experience. If they don’t think I’m taking them seriously, then they’ll channel that frustration onto the responding officer. That can quickly escalate into a dangerous situation. As dispatchers, our voices need to convey neutrality and composure.”
Unsurprisingly, it turns out, tone is just as important for officers on the ground as it is for dispatchers in the Communications Center.
***
Tuesday, March 22, 2016. 2:37 p.m. Marana High School
The crowd of administrators and staff is growing thick. In the middle of it, Officer Hunter confers with Principal David Mandel and his senior leadership team. What’s the next step? Miles away, Grace Neal is starting to dispatch officers and Chris Warren is getting ready to drive to the school, but right now, this group needs to make a decision. Should they evacuate the school?
Yes, urges the school leadership team. At 2:40 p.m., they pulled the fire alarm. Students started pouring out of the campus.
“It’s such a difficult decision,” explains Officer Hunter several hours later. “I’m here to serve as a resource, to provide that law enforcement perspective.”
For Officer Hunter, this was far from his first brush with high pressure decision-making. In fact, this day’s events at MHS occurred almost exactly a year after he faced an entirely different kind of emergency.
***
Saturday, March 14, 2015. 10:00 p.m. Iris O. Dewhirst Pima Canyon Trailhead, Catalina Foothills
374 days before Officer Hunter helped manage a bomb threat at Marana High School, he parked at a dark trailhead north of Tucson. A few hours later, Pima County sheriffs contact the Marana Police Department. A County deputy had just read a note left on his car indicating that Officer Hunter, off-duty, had gone up the trail to assist hikers who had become stranded on the rocky, rugged path. Limited reception prevented him from using a more sophisticated communication channel to alert others of his whereabouts, but the urgency of the moment prevented him from delaying any longer. One of the stranded hikers was his mother.
Pima Canyon Trail is a favorite among outdoor enthusiasts. It challenges hikers to wind their way up the steep canyon walls in a front-range pocket of the Santa Catalina Mountains. A narrow path cuts through thick groves of thorny foliage; one step off the path and a careless hiker risks embedding painful spines deep under the skin. In just over four miles, the trail climbs over 3000 feet, ending near the summit of Mt. Kimball. Elevation: 7300 feet. At this altitude, the mild temperature of a March night in Marana drops rapidly, putting tired and hungry hikers at risk of hypothermia. Officer Hunter knew all this when he had arrived at the trailhead and he knew there was no time to waste. As the sun set behind him and as the canyon gradually receded with the light, he began his ascent.
At 11 p.m., Officer Hunter’s wife received a text message. Her husband had located his mother and her friend, and the group was making its way off the mountain. The two hikers had been on the trail since 6:00 a.m. that morning. Seventeen hours later, they still were. At 2:00 a.m., Officer Hunter’s wife received a second message: “It looks like it’s going to be an all-nighter.” MPD attempted again and again to contact their officer, but it soon became readily apparent that his cell phone was now entirely out of range.
By this time, Marana Officers Kevin Trapp and Renee Huerta had arrived at the trailhead. Concerned for their colleague’s safety, they requested permission to venture into the canyon. At 5:00 a.m., they received that permission and started their journey.
Within hours, Officers Trapp and Huerta had located the exhausted group, provided them with food and water, and relayed their position to their sergeant via police radio. They then slowly and carefully escorted the group down the trail. At 11:00 a.m., 29 hours after the hikers had originally set out, they returned to safety.
Officers Hunter, Trapp, and Huerta made a series of challenging decisions in those dark hours. In the fleeting moments of indecision, they had no time to analyze all the costs and benefits of waiting for back-up versus heading up the trail. They depended on their training to make the right choice quickly. For an officer, it’s a tremendous responsibility. Sometimes, they’re wrong. More often, they’re right. How Marana prepares its officers for these moments is of the utmost importance, and it doesn’t happen quickly or easily or automatically.
For many officers, it starts while they’re still in high school.
***
Monday, July 20, 2015. 4:12 p.m. Marana Municipal Complex courtyard
“One, two, three, four.”
Hands grip the hot soil. The sun bears down, testing their commitment. Nothing could possibly be worth this level of exhaustion.
“Five, six, seven, eight.”
The exercise is more a test of mental resilience than physical strength. Can they keep up? Do they have what it takes?
“Nine, ten, eleven, twelve.”
They’re counting desperate gasps for air as much as they’re counting push-ups.
“Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen.”
Drops of sweat pool on the grass.
“Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty.”
Down. Finished. Shaking. Exhilarated.
The summer routine for the Marana Explorers Post #77 can be punishing. By the time the young men and women are a couple weeks into the program, it feels anything but voluntary. Did they really choose to sign up for this of their own free will? What could have possessed them to pursue this extracurricular? Was it for fun? Is this fun? This is not fun.
Every year, the Marana Explorers program accepts a new class of aspiring law enforcement officers. Participants are as young as 14 and as old as 20. They want to learn more about what it means to be a public servant. They like the idea of ensuring the safety of their community. They love the camaraderie that’s inherent to this kind of work. All that sounds great on paper. But how does that work out in practice?
It turns out, the life of a police officer can be excruciating. Doing twenty push-ups under the hot summer sun is one thing. Doing twenty push-ups, followed by crunches, pull-ups, and long-distance running is quite another. Knowing that every day, for weeks on end, that’s all you’ll be doing? Therein lies the true test of endurance. Not everyone makes it through. At the end of the summer, their class has fewer participants than they did at the beginning. Sometimes, that’s what happens.
Those who do make it, though, experience far more than tests of strength and stamina. In 2015, Officers Kevin Litten, Jose de la Torre, Kevin Madden, and Renee Huerta (of the trail) organized “Night Moves,” a scenario-based nocturnal event for the Explorers. As “officers,” these young men and women responded to high-risk traffic stops, civilians in distress, and various other police scenarios. They had to use law enforcement radio codes to communicate. They were expected to know the protocol for every threat. They had to remain steady while everything around them shook.
“It’s a powerful experience for the Explorers,” remarks Officer Litten. “It gives them the chance to use the training we have given them in a real-world situation. It also gives them a small taste of what their lives could be like if they continued down this path.”
“Because I went through the Explorer program myself,” explains Officer Gabe Tapia, “I knew what this culture was like from the get-go. This gave me an edge in the academy. Other recruits didn’t have that experience, but I did.”
Officer Tapia is referencing an idea that comes up frequently in conversations about police. He tries to describe the culture of this environment. When people describe police culture, they’re often talking about many different things. When Officer Tapia references that nebulous concept, one thing he means is the notion of chain-of-command.
“When I was a leader with the Explorers, I had to tell some of the younger participants to shine their shoes better, or march in a straighter line. The first time I had to do that, it felt weird. But what that experience did, though, was prepare me to function within the internal hierarchy of the Marana Police Department.
“Take small unit tactics, for example. That’s when we have to execute a maneuver as a small team quickly, accurately, and automatically.” Officer Tapia sees a number of connections between what he learned when he was younger and the work he’s doing today.
“Let’s say a suspect is running from an officer. We’ve got to set a perimeter, and each officer must contain his or her section. In that moment, I need to do exactly what my superior tells me, and if I’m the superior, I need my team to follow my instructions without hesitation. If I’m not comfortable with telling them what to do, I put the whole team in danger. The biggest thing here is connecting teamwork with discipline. It started when I had to tell an Explorer to shine his shoes better, and today, that translates into a meaningful skill which I rely on.”
In 2015, the Explorers won a number of awards at the Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Explorers Competition.
The experience of Officer Tapia speaks to the considerable training which police must undergo. It is that training which prepared Officers Trapp and Huerta for their trial in Pima Canyon. It is that training which prepares Officer Hunter to know how to handle a bomb threat at a school. That training continues throughout an officer’s career, and can occur both in a formal classroom and through lived experiences.
An often overlook result of officers’ training is their ability to communicate with those outside the profession. Through years of collaboration, Marana Police have established a strong bond with Marana Unified School District, and it is that relationship which enabled Officer Hunter to work so effectively with the administrators at Marana High School when a bomb threat upset the carefully planned structure of a high school day.
***
Tuesday, March 22, 2016. 10:17 a.m. Marana Middle School.
As she strides through the hallways of Marana Middle School, Officer Melissa Larkin is connected. She’s got two radios on her belt (one for police, one for the school) and three phones in her pockets (police, school, and personal).
“Pretty much anyone can get a hold of me here, which in a way is exactly what my job at the school is all about. I’m here to be a resource, to be accessible to students, parents, and teachers.”
In her two years at Marana Middle, Officer Larkin has largely succeeded at making herself accessible. The federal grant which funds her position requires that she teach 180 hours each school year. Last year, she blew through that requirement, clocking a total of 240 hours. Not bad for a rookie.
“I teach an internet safety class which every seventh grader will take at some point. There are over 500 seventh graders at Marana Middle, and every one of them will spend time in my classroom.”
While internet safety is hardly a new topic for schools, rarely is it taught by a uniformed law enforcement officer. Officer Larkin’s unique position has informed how she structures her curriculum.
“We talk a lot about the legal ramifications of cyber-bullying and sexting. We address how to avoid predators on social media. Overall, I want my students to be informed users of the powerful tools available online, not scared of them. I try to use a debate-based approach in my instruction, so that students can grapple with the challenging questions around using the internet appropriately.”
Sexting? In middle school? Officer Larking nodded knowingly, almost wearily, when she started discussing how young adolescents are unwittingly violating the law.
“I always tell my students that when they sext, they’re distributing child pornography. That gets their attention. Since I started teaching this class, the incidence of sexting has declined among our student population. And of course, parents are often caught off-guard when their kids tell them about my class, but when I talk about this content with the parents directly, they’re always supportive.”
Officer Larkin is a constant presence at Marana Middle School, a fact which students and teachers are quick to point out.
“Officer Larkin really helps kids stay out of trouble,” explains David Lion, Dean of Students at Marana Middle School.
As she circulates through the lunch room and out on the playing fields, her familiarity with the students is evident. Energetic throngs of adolescents quickly assemble around her, ready to spill their guts about the latest middle school drama. Dispassionately, Officer Larkin lets them tell their story, and fortunately, that’s almost all she’ll ever need to do. By the time the students have reached the end of the saga, they’ve found a resolution. Case closed.
Officer Larkin firmly believes in the power of just listening to what her students have to say.
Occasionally, though, she will have to intervene.
During Spring Break, as Officer Larkin caught up on her departmental responsibilities, she got a call from the school. A student had recently been posting troubling comments on social media, and the student’s friends were worried. Quickly, Officer Larkin jumped into action.
“It turned out the student was upset because of comments on social media. What became clear, though, was that the student just needed someone in authority to talk to. I was able to provide that resource. We discussed how to handle these situations in the future, as well as general strategies to build self-esteem.”
It’s easy to imagine a far worse outcome. Officer Larkin’s immediate presence, though, prevented that escalation. That’s the role that a School Resource Officer can play. They can interface between the school, the parents, the students, and the police department itself. They are able to judge what is best handled informally and what should proceed to a police investigation.
Whether she’s helping sort out middle school drama or addressing serious threats to kids’ safety, Officer Larkin’s role in the education environment makes a big difference to the community she serves. Police officers and teachers are natural allies, but that doesn’t mean they always understand each other. At Marana Middle, though, they do. Everyone, from the receptionist who has worked at the school for 17 years to the principal who just started last August, knows and trusts Officer Larkin. She’s part of the “Falcon Family,” as they like to say. And if the need arises, she’s ready to fiercely defend that family.
***
Tuesday, March 22, 2016. 2:55 p.m. Marana High School
Sergeant Chris Warren arrives at the corner of Sandario and Emigh Roads, where Marana Police are blocking traffic from accessing Marana High due to the bomb threat. Seven police vehicles create a highly visible barrier. Several hundred yards down the road, students can be seen outside the school, curiously looking back and forth between the officers at the corner and those at the school.
Soon, Sgt. Warren is driving toward the school, where a cadre of Marana PD’s senior leadership has gathered to talk through next steps. Orbiting around them, hushed gaggles of high schoolers whisper and speculate about what will happen. All eyes are on the men and women in uniform, but in focusing attention on this group, it’s easy to lose sight of the vast network of behind-the-scenes personnel who lay the groundwork for effective policing.
A 9-1-1 dispatcher handled the initial call. A regional bomb squad waited on standby in case they were needed. Plainclothes officers circulated around the building, their eyes searching for anything suspicious. Soon, detectives would begin combing through evidence to catch the individual who threatened the school in the first place.
As a whole, the department functions as a well-oiled machine that focuses on public safety from all angles. They work to prevent crime, assist victims, and catch perpetrators. Uniformed personnel can’t do all this alone, though, which is why they rely on their support staff.
***
Tuesday, December 8, 2015. Arizona Pavilions
As she stands in the check-out line at Wal-Mart, it would be easy to mistake exactly what Barbara Govostis is up to. Her cart is overflowing with stuffed animals; bears and giraffes and tigers spill over the sides as she carefully works her way to the cashier. These aren’t gifts for spoiled grandchildren, though.
Barbara is an unheralded member in the well-oiled machine of the Marana Police Department. In April 2015, after a long career with the FBI, she started volunteering at MPD’s Ina Road substation. At a time when she could have enjoyed the peaceful repose of retirement, Barbara made other plans. In her late 60s, she decided to join MPD as a Volunteer in Policing, or VIP. She also didn’t mind the acronym’s other definition.
Marana Police Volunteers, or VIPs, support officers in Marana by checking in on homes while occupants are on vacation, providing event support, and even buying stuffed animals.
“I signed up because I’ve always felt like law enforcement was where I belonged. I worked in corporate America for a number of years, and my situation was such that I was in a position to change careers and move to Tucson, where I eventually wanted to retire. I called all the local law enforcement agencies to see if any were hiring at the time, and no one was. Then, I thought of calling the FBI, and to my surprise, they said they were hiring. I applied, and a year later I found myself doing my dream job in my dream city.
“After retirement, I still wanted to be involved in law enforcement. An officer from the Marana PD suggested I check into volunteering for the MPD. I was sold and haven’t looked back since.”
When she first started volunteering, her scheduler assigned her to Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Quickly, though, she realized that the needs of the department far exceeded these time slots. What if a delivery of office supplies arrives when she’s not there? Will anyone be there to accept the package? In a profession celebrated for heroics, someone also needs to handle the details. For many hours every week, that someone is Barbara.
Over several months, Barbara’s responsibilities gradually expanded. Officers carry lots of supplies in their vehicles, but tucked away in the trunk is an unexpected item. It’s soft and furry, and when a child needs comfort during a police incident, it’s the perfect remedy.
Stuffed animals are an easy win for officers: hand one to an unhappy child, and while the larger problem is not resolved, in that moment, that kid can find some level of comfort. In an ideal world, officers will never need this valuable resource, but Barbara knows this isn’t an ideal world. And so, when officers started to run short on stuffed animals, it was Barbara who went out to purchase more. She is considerate, trustworthy, and dependable. In a work environment that is constantly bombarded with malice, deceit, and unpredictability, Barbara is a rock. Her service is unparalleled, her protection unwavering. She’s not often seen, and that’s okay. That doesn’t make her work any less critical.
***
Thursday, April 14, 2016. 9:06 a.m. Marana Police Headquarters
Michele Murrieta performs perhaps the least glamorous job at the Marana Police Department. Her office is tucked into a quiet corner, far from the frenetic pace of the Dispatch Center. In a climate-controlled closet adjacent to her office are files dating back to the 1970s, documenting almost forty years of police paperwork. Michele is the Police Records Supervisor, and this is her domain.
“Records is knowing what you have, where you have it and how long you have to keep it,” explains Michele. By maintaining this wealth of information, Marana PD not only ensures that detectives can quickly obtain old case files, but also provides residents quick and convenient access to records.
“One of the hardest parts of my job is knowing what to redact,” continues Michele. Take for example the evolving legal status of marijuana.
“I started working here 16 years ago, long before medical marijuana was a thing. Back then, if someone was arrested with marijuana, then we would include that in the publicly available police record. However, the law has always stated that we can’t disclose private health information in police reports. So now, what does that mean if you’re arrested while high on marijuana, but you have a prescription? Do we disclose that? What if you were driving impaired?”
These gray areas of the law are simultaneously the hardest parts of Michele’s job, but also often the most intriguing. “This is an area of the law that in many ways is still being written, and it’s interesting to be a part of that.”
In a way, Michele views herself as a kind of curator within the Marana Police Department. When incidents occur, it’s up to her to gather reports from disparate sources and arrange them to construct a complete picture of the event.
“During major incidents, you have so many different officers, and each of them will document their involvement. What it does is capture everyone’s unique perspective. One officer may have seen an event differently from the others. As a department, we’re always evaluating how we respond to different situations, and we believe there’s always something to learn. The reports serve as an invaluable tool in this process, surviving for years after everyone’s memories have faded.”
Creating and maintaining a record of police activity may not be the most glamorous of responsibilities within Marana PD, but just like dispatching officers, acting as a liaison with schools, and buying stuffed animals for kids, it’s critically important. Every day, Michele is making history.
***
Tuesday, March 22, 2016. 4:35 p.m. Marana High School
Sgt. Warren confers closely with school administrators and high-ranking Marana officers. Meanwhile, teams of school staff, teachers, and officers sweep the library, hallways, classrooms. Meticulously, they look for anything suspicious. Is that stray backpack concealing an explosive? Nope, just a bulky textbook. What’s behind that row of books? More books, apparently. After thoroughly combing the threatened area, officers and school staff collectively reached a decision: no bomb. The threat was fraudulent.
Within days, authorities had issued an arrest warrant for Octavio Acosta. Investigators suspected that Acosta was the caller behind several of the March 22 bomb threats, and on April 2, Acosta turned himself into authorities.
***
Thankfully and predictably, the bomb threat at Marana High School was a hoax. This situation though, demanded an organization-wide response from Marana Police. From dispatch to records, every staff member played a role not only in neutralizing any threat, but also in helping the department improve future responses in similar situations.
More than anything, the bomb threat revealed the incredible complexity of police work. That complexity, though, belies a remarkably straightforward organizational mission. It’s a mission so simple, even an eight-year-old understands it.
A few weeks ago, a wiggly second grader asked Terry Rozema what he did for a living. To the casual observer, Terry’s job at that moment would probably have been obvious, but not to this youngster. The polished badge on Terry’s shoulder didn’t describe his job, nor did his impeccably shined shoes. Terry turned the question around, polling the rest of the class.
Chief Rozema participates in Love of Reading Week at Thornydale Elementary School.
“I think he’s a police officer,” offered one student.
“I think he’s the Chief of Police,” ventured another.
“That’s the name of my job, but what do you think that means?” Terry pushed the students to think deeply about what he does every day. Why do we have police? What role do they play in the community, in these very students’ lives? Tentatively, a boy in the back raised his hand.
“I think you try to help people,” he softly suggested.
Terry smiled. “That’s the best description of my job that I’ve ever heard.”
On Friday night, November 18, Susan Henderson of the PlaceMakers consulting team presented themes that emerged from a four-day public workshop that kicked off the process to update the Town of Marana’s key instrument for guiding future growth: The Land Development Code (LDC).
Download and review Henderson’s presentation here.
The workshop was a way for the PlaceMakers consultants, Town elected officials, staff and citizens to assure, first of all, that everyone was on the same pages regarding the LDC’s goals, then to begin exploring together strategies to achieve those goals. This is just the beginning of a process that is expected to continue with additional public critiques and draft refinements over many coming months.
And here’s a video context-setter featuring Town staff:
Henderson’s Friday night summary of initial ideas could be organized under three principal goals: Capture opportunity, preserve our lifestyle, simplify the process.
It’s clear from Marana’s meteoric growth over the last decade or so that lots of things are working well for current and prospective residents. So preserving and enhancing the lifestyle amenities that attract and hold so many folks here has to be a key principle for defining rules for future growth. “Life is good here,” Henderson told the audience Friday night. “Let’s not mess it up.”
Nevertheless, growth brings opportunities, as well as challenges. And the Town needs to position itself to take advantage of those opportunities. While protecting current development patterns that satisfy the demands of many prospective residents, the Code should also enable additional options likely to attract other market segments in the years to come, such as those that prioritize more walkable, mixed-use environments.
Regardless of whether rules address current patterns or future options, they should be easy to understand and apply. That requires regulations written in common language, rather than text that requires attorneys and engineers to interpret. It means eliminating redundancies and simplifying regulatory categories, perhaps cutting the number of separate zoning districts in half. And it calls for processes that get from early plans to implementation in predictable ways — provided, of course, plans comply with the community’s intentions.
During the four days leading into the Friday night wrap-up, the team heard from citizens, real estate development professionals, farmers and those concerned with protecting the environment. And as ideas are refined in the days to come, you’ll see more about ways in which the updated Code might more efficiently integrate priorities for managing storm water, streets, parking and different ways of getting around.
Among new forms of development to consider are ones related to property owned by the Town and designated for an emerging Downtown. There are precedents for more urbanized civic and mixed-use spaces that have grown up in communities in this region and in the world over. (Click image for larger view.)
The idea is to use the Town’s property and targeted investments in infrastructure to create an inviting context for private developers to feel confident enough in Marana’s intentions and support to invest their own resources. Here, for instance, are three potential options for providing such a catalyst: A parking plaza; a civic square; or a linear plaza. (Click image for larger view.)
The idea is to use the Town’s property and targeted investments in infrastructure to create an inviting context for private developers to feel confident enough in Marana’s intentions and support to invest their own resources. Here, for instance, are three potential options for providing such a catalyst: A parking plaza; a civic square; or a linear plaza. (Click image for larger view.)
And to take one of those options a step farther, here are illustrations offering a bird’s eye view and a street level view of the parking plaza option. In this case, the Town provides infrastructure for an arcade fronting a metal structure suitable for an outdoor market or festival, plus a versatile parking area/plaza. As market trends permit, private developers can acquire parcels from the Town to begin expanding the footprint of a Downtown with additional workplace, retail and residential options.
Such environments — downtown or other areas that might materialize over time — serve as destinations and places in which to linger and spend time. That’s something that requires comfortable streets where people can walk around safely, so the LDC update also includes recommendations for additional types of streets — where traffic is slower and walking more pleasurable — to complement the existing street types currently allowed.
For a review of how the four-day workshop built to the concluding Friday-night presentation, check out the closing presentation.
The I-10/Ina Road Traffic Interchange project in Marana just north of Tucson continues its first phase of construction as crews build a traffic detour for drivers to use when the Ina Road traffic interchange closes. Work includes building temporary construction easements and major utility work. During this phase, Ina Road remains open. Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution and watch for construction equipment and personnel while the following closures and restrictions are in place:
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 Frontage Road
Ina Road
Massingale Road
Managed by ADOT, this project is funded by the Regional Transportation Authority of Pima County. The voter-approved, $2.1 billion RTA plan will be implemented through 2026. Details about the full plan are available at www.RTAmobility.com.
ADOT works to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but it’s possible that unscheduled closures or restrictions might occur because of weather or other factors. For the latest highway conditions around the state, visit the ADOT Traveler Information Center at www.az511.gov or call 511, except while driving.
For more information about this project, please call Paki Rico, ADOT senior community relations officer, at 520.388.4233 or email prico@azdot.gov or visit the website at http://azdot.gov/inati.
After four days of listening to citizens’ hopes and concerns, we’re ready to preview potential recommendations for updating Marana’s Land Development Code.
The presentation and community critique will be Friday evening, November 18, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall. More schedule details are here. And here’s how it plays out:
We’re at the beginning stage of the Code rewrite, a process that is scheduled to wrap in May of 2017. (Click image below for larger view.)
During this week’s workshop, we began with a Tuesday check-in to confirm support for the foundational documents of Marana’s vision, the General Plan and the Strategic Plan. That’s an important step because everything we’re doing to update the Land Development Code (LDC) is designed to more efficiently enable the goals in those Plans.
On Wednesday, in public discussion groups focusing on the environment, farming, business issues, and neighborhood concerns, we drilled down more deeply into those topics.
Taking that input, together with the broad goals from Marana’s two foundational Plans, we assembled the first round of emerging LDC recommendations. And at our Thursday open house meetings, we tested those ideas with folks who dropped by to check out the work in progress. (Click image below for larger view.)
All that leads us to Friday evening, when we’ll present additional details within our emerging framework. And assuming they meet with the community’s approval, the process will continue.
But again, remember: We remain at an early stage of drafting the Land Development Code update. There will be plenty of opportunities over the next few months to clarify and refine the recommendations. But your participation at Friday’s wrap-up will help us test initial ideas. So please join us for the presentation and discussion.
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11555 W Civic Center Drive
Marana, AZ 85653
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