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Gracias for making Arizona Luminaria part of your week. We have been grateful for all your feedback and tips on the data center story and appreciate your support!
In today’s newsletter:
🌵 In the summer of 1980, Dora Rodriguez almost died in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. We chatted with Dora about her new memoir: “Dora: A Daughter of Unforgiving Terrain.” Read the Q&A.
🛜 And in case you missed it earlier in the week, Arizona Luminaria broke the news that Amazon is tied to the Project Blue data center proposed for the Tucson area. Read that story here in English y en español and a story about the organizing around the project here.
💧 After years of negotiations, Arizona tribes are seeing their push for long-term solutions gain renewed momentum in Congress through the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act — reintroduced this year with bipartisan support. Read the story from Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting.
Featured stories
Local immigrant rights activist Dora Rodriguez, on surviving a border crossing — and her new memoir
In the summer of 1980, Dora Rodriguez almost died in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Along with a group of 30 people, most of them having fled violence and the […]
Amazon Web Services is company behind Tucson’s Project Blue, according to 2023 county memo
The mysterious company behind the massive Project Blue data center proposed for Tucson is named as Amazon Web Services in a 2023 document about the development obtained through a public […]
Amazon Web Services es la empresa detrás del Proyecto Blue en Tucson, según registro del condado de 2023
La misteriosa empresa detrás del enorme centro de datos del Proyecto Blue, propuesto para Tucson, fue identificada como Amazon Web Services en un documento de 2023, obtenido por Arizona Luminaria […]
The Project Blue data center proposal sprang up fast — so did the organizingÂ
Until the first heady weeks of Tucson’s scorching summer, Vivek Bharathan and Elaina Richards had never worked or campaigned together, let alone been on a shared Google document. One month […]
Tribal water settlement aims to repair generations of exclusion
Guiding a Toyota pickup along a narrow dirt road south of Second Mesa, rancher Robinson Honani gestures toward a patchwork of farm plots tucked into the dusty terrain of the […]
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Important election reminders: Tucson City Council voters should mail in their ballots by Tuesday, July 29 to ensure they’re received on time. If you’re outside of Tucson, Aug. 1 is your last day to vote early in-person. For Tucson voters: there will be no polling places or vote centers for this election so ballots must be mailed, dropped off at an official location, or returned to a ballot replacement site by 7 p.m. on Aug. 5 (Election Day). Official drop-off locations will be listed on the City of Tucson’s election site and find Arizona Luminaria’s voter guides here for Ward 3, Ward 5 and Ward 6.
Democratic Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Congressional District 3, was denied a follow up visit to Eloy Detention Center. In a post on X, Ansari describes that she intended to visit, among other people, a green card holder from her district who has leukemia and is currently detained in Eloy. Arizona Luminaria interviewed Ansari after a visit she made to the immigration detention center in June. Read the full interview here.
Buying a T-shirt with a political slogan might feel like you’re taking action but can actually lead to “political slacktivism,” according to a study from the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management. “It gives people the sense that they’ve done something important, even if they haven’t actually voted or volunteered,” said Anastasiya Ghosh, associate professor of marketing. Read more.
Happy 250th birthday, Tucson! To celebrate, the Rio Nuevo District will unveil four new downtown murals produced in partnership with the Presidio Museum, the mayor’s office and others. The unveilings will take place Friday, July 25, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at HighWire on 30 S. Arizona Avenue. The event includes refreshments, a walking tour and a trolley tour, and is free with an RSVP here.
Check out Monsoon and Moonlight — a vintage and art market and silent auction to raise money for The Homing Project. Saturday, July 26 from 6-8 p.m. at The Coalition Space at 311 E. Seventh St. More info here.
The Arizona Commission of African-American Affairs will host a candidate forum for the congressional race for Arizona’s District 7 Saturday, July 26, at 1 p.m. at the Dunbar Pavilion. Topics of discussion will include health care, housing and social security. Read more about the forum here, and more about the race here.
Need free school supplies and snacks? The Tucson Unified School District will host Impact Tucson: A family and community resource fair on Saturday, July 26 from 8-10 a.m. at Palo Verde High School, 1302 S. Avenida Vega. TUSD students can grab a backpack and pencil case while supplies last. Pastries, coffee, hot dogs, music, ice cream and water will also be available.
Get a jump on the school year with a Back-to-School Bash from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, July 26 at the Donna Liggins Recreation Center. The free event is hosted by the Tucson Indian Center and City of Tucson. The first 200 students will each receive one backpack and school supplies per child, while they last.
Sign up now for Tucson Queer Outdoors’ Pool and Pickleball Party from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 27. Enjoy swimming, casual games and potluck-style snacks. RVSP is required, and the party’s address and details will be shared with attendees one week before.
Beginning next year, pickleball players at the Kino Sports Complex will need to reserve a court online and pay a $10 hourly fee per court to play. With nearly 40,000 players in 2024, these changes aim to reduce wait times and help maintain the courts. Details on the new reservation system will be announced later this year.
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