BRUSH AND BULKY IS NOT UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY.

You must take your tree to

one of the drop off spots.

REMOVE ALL LIGHTS, TINSEL, ORNAMENTS, ETC. BEFORE RECYCLING!

For more Information, take a look at the TreeCycle Poster

The following TreeCycle sites are open during daylight hours, seven days a week (unless noted):

Free BinaxNOW rapid, antigen self-tests are available to be picked up at ALL PIMA COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES. To locate the closest public library and to check hours of operation for each location please visit the Pima County Public Library page here. Due to high demand, test kits (which include two COVID-19 antigen tests) will be limited to one kit per person. Any individual receiving a test will be asked to fill out a demographic information form when receiving the test kit.

If you are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, please go to one of Pima County's free testing centers listed at https://webcms.pima.gov/cms/One.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=575060

 ISKASHITAA REDUCES FOOD WASTE IN TUCSON

·      Together, we reduce local food waste and preserve water investments.

·      Together, we feed families, not landfills.

·      Together, we harvest and glean over 100,000 pounds annually.

Click HERE for more information about Iskashitaa or to request a harvest.

In the early 2000's, Dr. Barbara Eiswerth, PhD., Iskashitaa Refugee Network Executive Director, was completing studies in Malawi, Africa & was traveling between Malawi & Tucson. Her cultural shock was not when in Africa but when returning to Tucson, seeing all the food waste from backyard citrus trees. She then started to work with a Youth Project to map, locate & find food resources in Jefferson Park neighborhood. After 4 months of teaching the neighborhood, she had that life changing "Aha moment", as she delivered a crate of grapefruit to the Casa Maria Soup Kitchen. When she pulled into the parking lot she was horrified: to see all the people in need of food & that she did not have a grapefruit for everyone. "How can this be? We are not in Malawi!" she said to herself, "I could be the change!". From that point, Dr. Eiswerth has continued the work she started of finding, locating and harvesting food resources, expanding it to include assisting UN Refugees, from over 30 countries, to integrate into our community, into our "village".

ON OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WEBSITE thegardendistrict.org

To be eligible to hold office on the GDNA Board :

3.) has attended at least two of the four quarterly GDNA meetings and one social event or neighborhood volunteer opportunity during the previous calendar year.  (This requirement is waived this year due to the Pandemic limiting opportunities for engagement. However, we do seek Board members who have demonstrated their involvement and dedication to improving the neighborhood.) 

Nominations will be accepted: 

Submit your nominations by email to president@thegardendistrict.org or by letter. Mail letters to GDNA c/o Lois Pawlak, P.O. Box 32384, Tucson, AZ 85751 or to email CLICK HERE.

Nominations will close: One week before the elections at the annual meeting in January.

To make a nomination: 

The mornings are chilly. Often people will start their vehicle and leave it running unattended to warm up while they go inside and finish getting ready for work. This is just an easy crime of opportunity. Police tell us that often stolen vehicles were left unlocked and even have the key inside. Don't be a vicitim.

 

Spanish Survey: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSe6DeGXcdvJaW.../viewform

English Survey: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScn6ARgKLjPep.../viewform

Neighborhoods, and Businesses surrounding Grant and Alvernon         

If you cannot attend, but have concerns about suspicious activity in the neighborhood, please send a detailed email to paloverdena@gmail If you have concerns and have observed ON-GOING criminal activity, bring as much specific information as you can (addresses, descriptions of vehicles and people, etc.).  

Thank you to Dr. Kristen Hillaire Glasgow!

She made a tax deductible donation this week to help fund the sign installation costs charged by the City!

Driving the streets of Garden District, many residents have commented recently that there are a lot of couches, recliners, tires, mattresses, other furniture, and trash being left at the curb around the neighborhood. There is a huge correlation between the appearance of a neighborhood and property values, crime, safety, litter, and stability of residents. Maintaining your property helps to fight crime, protects us from blight and Urban Wildfire, increases property resale values, and improves everyone’s quality of life, health, and safety.

PROS - It's easy. It's just so easy to take items that you no longer want and place them at the curb in hopes that someone else will eventually pick it up.

CONS - Just because something is "easy" does not mean that it is the best or the right way to handle a situation.

1.A Charity loses out - Because someone takes the easy way out and leaves a couch at the curb, a charity in Tucson is deprived of something that they could sell to earn money for their organization. Some charities even use donated furniture and items to furnish shelters or to support refugees, such as the Afghans who have recently arrived in Tucson. Many charities will pick up for free and give you a receipt for tax purposes. Support the good charities of Tucson.

2. Ruins the item - Placing items at the curb usually ruins a useable object and condemns it to an inevitable destiny in the landfill. A couch, recliner, mattress, dresser will be rendered unusable by weather – rain, wind, and dirt. But even more devastating are all the dogs and coyotes that will urinate on it when it is sitting at the curb.

3. Encourages theft from yards - Items at the curb encourage the wrong kind of "Lookie Loos" to be drawn into our neighborhood to search through the offerings at the curb. Items at the curb are a magnet for some folks and pulls them from arterial streets onto our residential streets. Some of those people are up to no good and continue into yards and carports and onto porches to help themselves and steal items. 

4. It is Illegal - It is "illegal dumping" to leave items at the curb and it is a code violation. Furniture, trash, and yard waste left at the curb can be reported to Code Enforcement. Of course, you should first, try politely ask the person to dispose of it or arrange to have it picked up. However, if you need to report illegal dumping, you can do so by calling 791-5843 or online at http://www.tucsonaz.gov/csd/violation/ 

5. Degrades the neighborhood - It is an eyesore and degrades the appearance of the neighborhood. Your neighbor does not want to look at your trash on the curb for weeks, if not months.

ONE CALL BRUSH AND BULKY: PAY $55 FOR ANY TIME SPECIAL TRASH COLLECTION. A special trash pick up can be ordered ANY TIME by calling Customer Service at 520-791-3171 or submit an online Service Request. Consider ordering a special pickup if you have a large quantity of bulky refuse that you are unable to take to the landfill and your Brush and Bulky service is not scheduled soon.

FREECYCLE - https://www.freecycle.org/   For items not in good enough shape to donate or sell at a yard sale. Many items are useful for upcycling, art projects, school projects, and for those less fortunate. Tips for Freecycle - Be honest and thorough when describing your item. Never give out your address, Instead, put your email for them to contact you. Have them come to your home when someone else is home or meet in a public place. Don't feel obligated to give the item to the first person who responds. Look for someone who follows the directions in your post and seems eager to get the item.  

STORE IT HIDDEN FROM PUBLIC VIEW UNTIL BRUSH & BULKY – you are going to have to look at your discards anyway whether they are in your front or back yard. Store them in your backyard and put them out a week or so before Brush and Bulky. B & B is the ONLY time when it is appropriate to put items at the curb. Pickers track the B & B schedule and will come by and pick them up if they are worth repurposing. If not B & B will take it to the dump.

SUBURBAN MINERS is near Garden District neighborhood and located one block west of Alvernon They repurpose and recycle all kinds of electronic equipment. They also accept other household items and have a "Free Store" open to the public.

You can pay via Paypal on our neighborhood website at thegardendistrict.org or snail mail a check to GDNA. Regardless of which way you pay, YOU MUST COMPLETE THE ORDER FORM at thegardendistrict.org

It's not National Wine Day (to my knowledge), but this is a great graphic I found in my files. Glass can no longer be recycled in your Blue Bin, but it is highly recyclable and being put to good use, if you take it to one of the glass recycling bins at different locations around town.

Here is what will be accepted in the blue barrel recycling program:

KEEP GLASS LOCAL! Take glass bottles and jars to the following locations:

*Glass Recycling locations near GDNA:

Read the Ward VI newsletter by clicking here: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/AZTUCSON/bulletins/302c466

Click here for information on $2.000 rebate from Tucson water for active and passive rainwater harvesting.

CLASSES OFFERED THROUGH WATERSHED MANAGEMENT GROUP

To sign up, you can either reply to a newsletter or sign up on our neighborhood website. thegardendistrict.org  

YOU CAN ALWAYS CONTACT THE NEIGHBORHOOD BY HITTING REPLY TO A NEWSLETTER OR GOING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD WEBSITE thegardendistrict.org Complete the Online Form.

AGI (Alvernon/Grant Initiative) Crime Meeting with Tucson Police and  

Garden District Neighborhood Association Quarterly Meetings - Time and date will be announced in this newsletter.

WELCOME TO GARDEN DISTRICT LETTER - When you get a new neighbor, print and share.