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Aquilina is straight out of a Harley Davidson advertisement. His groomed goatee and dusty bandana compliment a mischievous rock star smile. His torn, chalked blue jeans express his love for an active life. His shirt, covered in cat hair and drool, shows his love for his favorite furry friend, a cat named Lockjaw. For Aquilina, skateboarding has been a passion since he picked it up as a teen in southern California in the 1970s. He became hooked on a sport that changed the culture and identity of teenagers countrywide, right before it exploded in the 1980s. But eight months ago, he decided to take his passion to another level. With only a $4,000 investment, Aquilina opened his own skateboard production company. Thick Skating Co. produces old-school and new-style decks made from Canadian hard rock maple. Arizona Legislature Votes to Reverse KidsCare Elimination
By Marissa Hopkins
State lawmakers voted April 29 to reverse the elimination of KidsCare, Arizona’s Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provides low or no-cost healthcare to children from families with a yearly income below $22,050 for a family of four.
Both the house and senate voted to direct $9 million to KidsCare, but Governor Jan Brewer still has to agree, said Matt Jewett, director of health policy for Children’s Action Alliance.
The threat of losing an estimated $7 billion from federal Medicaid funding pushed the Arizona State Legislature to reinstate KidsCare in a special legislative session, said Monica Coury, assistant director of governmental relations.
The state funds 24 percent of the program. The other 76 percent is federally funded, Jewett said. However, the state did not have the funds to pay its portion of the program, Coury said.
When the Legislature originally voted to eliminate KidsCare, the federal healthcare bill had not yet been passed, according to Coury.
After the federal bill passed, however, the elimination of KidsCare and another planned $385 million cut to the state’s Medicaid program violated requirements of the federal healthcare reform legislation.
The reform requires states to continue providing health care with the same levels of funding that were present when the legislation was signed.
The cuts would have prevented the state from receiving Medicaid money, Coury said.
KidsCare will still retain the enrollment freeze that was placed on the program at the beginning of the year, Jewett said.
Although waiting lists exist for those who apply, no new children are being accepted into the program. The freeze is expected to be indefinite, Coury said.
When the freeze first began, there were 47,000 children in KidsCare, Jewett said. Currently, the program supports 36,000 children.
It is estimated that by July that number will be down to 28,000 children, Jewett said.
By June of 2011, if the freeze is not removed, enrollment could be down to between 10,000 and 14,000 kids.
The Bring Back KidsCare Campaign encourages people to write letters to their legislators and the governor in support of the program to get the enrollment freeze removed.
“It’s uncharted area,” said Penelope Jacks, director of the Children’s Action Alliance of Southern Arizona. Arizona was the first and only state to attempt to eliminate the program.
Arizona is also the only state with a current enrollment freeze, Jewett said. Other states have done it in the past, but they have all been temporary.
“This is a good first step, but we believe that it needs to be reopened completely,” Jewett said. “We’re keeping up pressure.”
To help those who need health insurance, Children’s Action Alliance held a phone-a-thon April 29 for people to call for information about other low-cost health insurance options for adults and children, Jacks said. The event reached 3,000 people, Jewett said.
State lawmakers voted April 29 to reverse the elimination of KidsCare, Arizona’s Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provides low or no-cost healthcare to children from families with a yearly income below $22,050 for a family of four.
The threat of losing an estimated $7 billion from federal Medicaid funding pushed the Arizona State Legislature to reinstate KidsCare in a special legislative session, said Monica Coury, assistant director of governmental relations. The state funds 24 percent of the program. The other 76 percent is federally funded, Jewett said. However, the state did not have the funds to pay its portion of the program, Coury said.
Tucson Fixes Up "A" Mountain
The city of Tucson has begun a project to add new features to "A" Mountain in an effort to make it more people friendly. The mountain is now mostly adapted for drivers but not pedestrians or bikers, said Mac Hudson, aide to Tucson City Council member Regina Romero.
The two-phased project is estimated to cost more than $200,000, Hudson said.
Valenzuela Memorial
A memorial for Tucson Police Officer John A. Valenzuela will take place May 15, 10 a.m. in the John A. Valenzuela Youth Center, 1550 S. Sixth Ave. Every year, South Tucsonans gather to honor the fallen officer who was shot and killed May 17, 1993, while serving a search warrant. Music and a luncheon will be available.
Controversy Continues Over Ethnic Studies Program
Acosta’s classes are among 27 others in five local high schools that teach literature, history or government from an ethnic-based perspective. The classes are part of Tucson Unified School District’s ethnic studies program, which has stirred up conversation and controversy. Most recently, the program spurred a bill to prohibit such classes, because opponents say it divides students by race and promotes “anti-American” sentiments. Water Stations Proposed for Buenos Aires
Humanitarian groups are working alongside officials from Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge to prevent deaths of migrants crossing the border while keeping the environmental integrity of the refuge intact. Volunteers from No More Deaths and Samaritans and Humane Borders have been ticketed for littering after leaving water jugs in the refuge for migrants traveling trails near the U.S.-Mexico border. In July 2009, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar asked the two opposing sides to work together to resolve the issue, said Sarah Launius, a No More Deaths spokesperson.
Translators Ease Medical Woes
It's a situation that almost everyone can relate to. The failure to understand or communicate with someone causes a temporary inconvenience But what if that communication breakdown took place in a more life-altering location where even the slightest miscommunication could mean the difference between life or death? Like a hospital. With such a large Hispanic population in a predominantly English-speaking city, it happens all the time. South Tucson Responds to Immigration Bill
The new legislation, which Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law April 23, makes it a crime to be in Arizona without proper immigration documentation and requires police to check for legal status. Without legal documentation, a person can be fined up to $2,500, jailed and deported. The law also makes it illegal to knowingly transport illegal migrants or hire day laborers off the street. The South Tucson Police Department has begun discussing the training necessary to properly enforce the law. The Arizona Peace Officers Standards and Training Board will determine the exact guidelines for enforcement, due in May. F-35 Too Loud for Arizonans?
Supporters of the F-35 fighter jet that may find a home in Tucson are working to inform Tucsonans about the advantages of adding the jet to the city's collection.
The Air National Guard's 162nd Fighter Wing at Tucson International Airport is one of five locations being considered to house the plane. Air Force bases in Florida, New Mexico, Idaho and the Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Ariz., are also being considered. However, some in Tucson are against the jet coming to Tucson, so supporters are providing information to help dispel their concerns. Towns and Local Organizations Step Up to Keep Parks Open
Following the closure of state parks that started Feb. 22, some Arizona communities are stepping in to keep their parks open.
The Arizona State Parks Board voted March 18 to allow four state parks to enter into management agreements with outside groups, said Ellen Bilbrey, public information officer.
Management agreements are pending for the town of Camp Verde to keep Fort Verde State Historic Park open for one year, and the city of Yuma has proposed to manage Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park for three years.
Also, the city of Tombstone would keep Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park running for three years.
The fourth, Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, would be kept open for three years by the Arizona Historical Society, Bilbrey said.
It has already been approved that the town of Payson will lend financial assistance to keep Tonto Natural Bridge State Park open until September 27. Also, pending approval, the Arizona Game and Fish Department will financially assist to keep Roper Lake State Park open until June 3, Bilbrey said.
Three parks already closed due to previous budget cuts will remain closed – McFarland State Historic Park, Jerome State Historic Park and San Rafael Ranch State Park.
The closures were approved by the Arizona State Parks Board in January following budget cuts of $8.6 million, Bilbrey said.
It is important for these communities to keep the parks open because of the revenue it brings to their local economies, Bilbrey said.
Further, the state parks hold cultural importance, such as the Tombstone Courthouse, said Tombstone Mayor Dusty Escapule.
“It is one of the oldest courthouses in the state of Arizona and it’s got thousands of artifacts that residents should be able to visit,” Escapule said.
The Arizona State Parks Board voted March 18 to allow four state parks to enter into management agreements with outside groups, said Ellen Bilbrey, public information officer. Management agreements are pending for the town of Camp Verde to keep Fort Verde State Historic Park open for one year, and the city of Yuma has proposed to manage Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park for three years. Local Author Miller Releases Latest in Literary Collection
Local author Tom Miller's Revenge of the Saguaro hit shelves last month in what critics have called a "delightful and quirky" account of the American Southwest. Miller, a native of Washington, D.C., moved to Tucson at 21 and immediately became fascinated with the culture, history and lifestyle of the Southwest. Since then, he has produced a number of works that chronicle life along the U.S.-Mexico border region, Central America, and even South America and Cuba. Revenge of the Saguaro is an updated and expanded version of Jack Ruby's Kitchen Sink, his previous work published in 2000 by Adventure Press after being featured in National Geographic. |
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© 2008 El Independiente and University of Arizona School of Journalism
The warning bell rings at Tucson High, and students hurry to class. Juniors Brian Hill, Jacob Gomez and Roman Figueroa rush up the stairs and across the hall to Curtis Acosta’s Chicano perspective literature class. They are studying “Zoot Suit” by Luis Valdez.
