Tucson, Arizona

Tucson (pronounced ) is a city and the seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States, located 118 miles (188 km) southeast of Phoenix. As of July 1 2005 a census estimate put the city's population at 521,605, and the metropolitan population at 931,210. By 2008 the city population is expected to exceed 610,000, while the metropolitan population is expected to exceed 1 million by spring 2007. In 2005 Tucson ranked as the 32nd-largest city and 52nd-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. It is the largest city in southern Arizona, and the second largest in the state after Phoenix.

Major incorporated suburbs of Tucson include Oro Valley and Marana northwest of the city, South Tucson (surrounded by Tucson), and Sahuarita south of the city. Communities in the vicinity of Tucson (some within or overlapping the city limits, and some incorporated in their own right) include Casas Adobes, Catalina, Catalina Foothills, Flowing Wells, Green Valley, Tanque Verde, and Vail.

The name Tucson originates via Spanish from the O'odham, (pronounced ; roughly, "chuk shon"), meaning "Black Base," a reference to the mostly volcanic mountains on the west side of the city. The most notable of these mountains is Sentinel Peak, better known as "A Mountain" because it sports a large letter A in honor of the nearby University of Arizona, situated in west central Tucson. Tucson is sometimes referred to as "The Old Pueblo."

History

Stone Avenue in Tucson, 1880

Tucson was probably first visited by Paleo-Indians, known to have been in southern Arizona by about 12,000 years ago. Recent archaeological excavations near the Santa Cruz River have located a village site dating back 4,000 years ago. The floodplain of the Santa Cruz River was extensively farmed by people during the Early Agricultural period, circa 1200 B.C. to A.D. 150. These people constructed irrigation canals and grew corn, beans, and other crops while gathering wild plants and hunting animals. The Early Ceramic period occupation of Tucson saw the first extensive use of pottery vessels for cooking and storage. The groups designated by archaeologists as the Hohokam lived in the area from A.D. 600-1450 and are known for their red-on-brown pottery.

Jesuit missionary Eusebio Francisco Kino visited the Santa Cruz River valley in 1692, and founded the Mission San Xavier del Bac in 1700. The Spanish established a presidio (fort) in 1775 and the town came to be called "Tucson." Tucson became a part of Mexico after Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. Following the Gadsden purchase in 1853, Tucson became a part of the United States of America. From August 1861, until mid-1862, Tucson was the capital of the Confederate Territory of Arizona. Until 1863, Tucson and all of Arizona was part of the New Mexico Territory. From 1867 to 1879, Tucson was the capital of the Arizona Territory. The University of Arizona, located in Tucson, was founded in 1885. By 1900 7,531 people lived in Tucson. The population increased gradually to 13,913 in 1910, 20,292 in 1920, and 36,818 in 1940.

Geography and climate

Geography

Tucson as seen from space

Tucson is located at (32.214476, -110.918192).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 505.3 km² (195.1 mi²). 504.2 km² (194.7 mi²) of it is land and 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (0.22%) is water.

Its elevation is 2,389 ft (728 m) above sea level. Tucson is situated on an alluvial plain, surrounded by five minor ranges of mountains: the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Tortolita Mountains to the north, the Santa Rita Mountains to the south, the Rincon Mountains to the east, and the Tucson Mountains to the west. The Santa Catalina Mountains include Mount Lemmon, the southernmost ski destination in the continental U.S.

The city is located on the Santa Cruz River, a dry river bed much of the year that floods during significant seasonal rains. (The Santa Cruz becomes a subterranean stream part of the year although it may appear dry.)

Tucson is located along I-10, which runs through Phoenix toward Santa Monica, California in the northwest, and through El Paso, Texas toward Jacksonville, Florida in the east. I-19, runs south from Tucson toward Nogales and the U.S.-Mexico border.

Cityscape

Neighborhoods

Tucson's early neighborhoods (some of which are covered by the Tucson Convention Center) include Barrio Libre; Barrio Anita, named for an early settler; Barrio Tiburón (in the present Fourth Avenue arts district), designated in territorial times as a "(red light) district"; El Jardín, named for an early recreational site, Levin's Gardens; and El Ollo, named for a lake that was part of the gardens. Up until the building of the Tucson Convention Center (or TCC), El Ollo referred to this part of the city, which was inhabited mainly by Mexican-American citizens and immigrants from Mexico. Other historical neighborhoods include Armory Park, south of downtown, the Sam Hughes neighborhood (named after an instigator-hero of the Camp Grant Massacre), located east of the University of Arizona, and Menlo Park, situated adjacent to Sentinel Peak.

Climate

City street in Tucson

Tucson has five seasons: Two major seasons, summer and winter, plus three minor seasons: autumn, spring, and monsoon season.

Summer is characterized by low humidity, clear skies, and daytime high temperatures that exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The average overnight temperature ranges between 69°F and 74°F.

Monsoon season typically begins in July, but can begin anytime from June to August. During monsoon season the humidity is much higher than the rest of the year. This period begins with clouds building up from the south in the early afternoon followed by intense thunderstorms and rainfall, which can cause flash floods. Large areas of the city do not have storm sewers, so monsoon rains flood the main thoroughfares but usually only for a few hours. A few underpasses in Tucson have "feet of water" scales painted on their supports to indicate whether they can be safely forded by an automobile during a rainstorm. Two underpasses leading towards downtown Tucson from the north, at Sixth Avenue and Stone Avenue, have such scales The evening sky at this time of year is often pierced with dramatic lightning strikes.

Autumn lasts from late October to November or December. It is much like summer, and similarly dry, with days above 100 degrees typical into early October. Average daytime highs of 84°F, with overnight lows of 55°F, constitute typical fall weather.

Winters in Tucson are mild relative to other parts of the United States. Daytime highs in the winter range between 64°F and 90°F, with overnight lows between 16°F and 44°F. Although rare, snow has been known to fall in Tucson, usually a light dusting that melts within a day.

Spring begins in late February or March, and is characterized by rising temperatures and several weeks of vivid wildflower blooms. Daytime average highs range from 72°F in March to 88°F in May with average overnight lows in March of 45°F and in May of 59°F.

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Extreme High °F	87	92	99	104	107	117	114	112	107	102	90	84	117
Avg High °F	64	68	73	81	90	100	99	97	94	84	73	65	86
Avg Low °F	39	41	44	51	58	64	74	72	67	57	45	39	55
Extreme Low °F	16	20	20	33	38	47	59	61	44	26	24	16	16
Avg Rainfall in.	1.0	0.7	0.7	0.3	0.2	0.2	2.3	2.3	2.4	0.9	0.6	1.0	11.7
''Source: Weatherbase

Water

While the Santa Cruz river once flowed nearly year-round through Tucson less than 100 years ago, the city's water has been slowly disappearing since then, causing Tucson to seek alternative sources.

Until 1887, Tucson residents purchased water for a penny a gallon from vendors who transported it in bags draped over burro's backs. After that, water was sold by the bucket or barrel and delivered door-to-door in wagons.

In 1881 water was pumped from a well on the banks of the Santa Cruz River and flowed by gravity through pipes into the distribution system.

Tucson currently draws water from three main sources: Central Arizona Project (CAP) water, effluent (treated wastewater), and groundwater. In 1992, Tucson Water delivered CAP water to some customers that was unacceptable. This problem led Tucson to modify its water resources plan to allow more study of the best use of CAP water. While currently dependent on groundwater, Tucson is making use of CAP water by selling it to local farmers, and is developing several recharge projects to augment groundwater supply.[1]

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 486,699 people, 192,891 households, and 112,455 families residing in the city. The population density was 965.3/mi² (2,500.1/km²). There were 209,609 housing units at an average density of 415.7/mi² (1,076.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 70.15% white, 4.33% black or African-American, 2.27% Native American, 2.46% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 16.85% from other races, and 3.79% from two or more races. 35.72% of the population were Hispanic of any race. ''' The Native American inhabitants in the area include primarily Tohono O'odham (formerly called the Papago), living in the city, on the nearby San Xavier reservation, and in the Tohono O'odham Nation, who may be descendants of the prehistoric inhabitants, as well as 6,800 Yaqui, living in the city (largely in the Old Pascua and Barrio Libre neighborhoods), on the nearby Pascua Yaqui reservation, and in the Yoem Pueblo in the town of Marana.

There were 192,891 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the inner-city, the population has 24.6% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,981, and the median income for a family was $37,344. Males had a median income of $28,548 versus $23,086 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,322. About 13.7% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Tucson follows the "weak mayor" model of municipal government (see Mayor-Council government). The 6-member city council holds exclusive legislative authority, and shares executive authority with the mayor, who is elected by the voters independently of the council. An appointed city manager, meanwhile, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the city.

Both the council members and the mayor serve 4-year terms, and none face term limits. Council members are nominated by their wards via a ward-level primary held in September. The top vote-earners from each party then compete at-large for their ward's seat on the November ballot. In other words, come election day, the whole city votes on all the council races up for that year. Council elections are severed: Wards 1, 2, and 4 (as well as the mayor) are up for election in the same year (most recently 2003), while Wards 3, 5, and 6 share another year (most recently 2005).

Tucson is well-known for being a trailblazer in voluntary partial campaign finance. Since 1985, both mayoral and council candidates have been eligible to receive matching public funds from the city. To become eligible, council candidates must receive 200 donations of $10 or more (300 for a mayoral candidate). Candidates must then agree to spending limits equal to $.33 for every registered Tucson voter, or $79,222 in 2005 (the corresponding figures for mayor are $.64 per registered voter, or $142,271 in 2003). In return, candidates receive matching funds from the city at a 1:1 ratio ($1 in public money for every $1 in private donations). The only other limitation is that candidates may not exceed 75% of the limit by the date of the primary. Many cities, such as San Francisco and New York City, have copied this system, albeit with more complex spending and matching formulas.

Economy

Much of Tucson's economic development has been centered around the development of the University of Arizona, which is currently the second largest employer in the city. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, located on the southeastern edge of the city, also provides many jobs for Tucson residents. Its presence, as well as the presence of a US Army Intelligence Center (Fort Huachuca, the largest employer in the region in nearby Sierra Vista), has led to the development of a significant number of high-tech industries, including government contractors, in the area. Today, there are more than 1,200 businesses employing over 50,000 people in the high-tech industries of Southern Arizona. The City of Tucson, Pima County, the State of Arizona and the private sector have all made commitments to create a growing, healthy economy with high-tech industries as its foundation. Advanced technology companies like Raytheon Missile Systems, Texas Instruments, IBM, America Online, Universal Avionics, Misys Healthcare Systems, and Bombardier, all have a significant presence in Tucson.

Tucson also has a high tourism industry, being home to many resorts, hotels, and artisitic attractions.

Education

Post-secondary education

*University of Arizona: chartered in 1885; the second largest university in the state in terms of enrollment with over 37,000 students.
*Pima Community College: located in the Tucson area with five campuses.

Primary and secondary public education

Primarily, students of Tucson residents attend public schools in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD). TUSD encompasses the central Tucson valley, including the lower Catalina Foothills and segments of the Tanque Verde Valley.

Other school districts in the Tucson metropolitan area include:
* Altar Valley School District.
* Amphitheater Public Schools
* Catalina Foothills Unified School District
* Continental School District
* Flowing Wells Unified School District
* Marana Unified School District
* Sahuarita Unified School District
* Sunnyside Unified School District
* Tanque Verde Unified School District
* Vail School District

People and culture

Annual cultural events and fairs

Tucson Gem and Mineral Show

The Tucson Gem & Mineral Show is held every year in February for two weeks. It is one of the largest gem and mineral shows in the world, and features many of the finest mineral specimens. There is no single location for display of minerals, but rather dozens of locations spread across town. The show has an estimated attendance of more than 50,000 people from over twenty countries. Attendees frequently include the general public, experts, beginning collectors, museum employees, dealers, retailers, and researchers. Many museums and universities, including the Smithsonian Institution and the Sorbonne, have displayed materials at the show.

Tucson Folk Festival

For the past 21 years the Tucson Folk Festival has taken place the first Saturday and Sunday of May in downtown Tucson. In addition to nationally known headline acts each evening, the Festival highlights over 100 local and regional musicians on four stages in one of the largest free festivals in the country. Organized by the Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association, volunteers make this festival possible. Arizona's only community radio station KXCI 91.3-FM, is a major partner, broadcasting from the Plaza Stage throughout the weekend. In addition, there are numerous workshops, events for children, sing-alongs, and a popular singer/songwriter contest. Musicians typically play 30-minute sets, supported by professional audio staff. A variety of food and crafts are available at the festival, as well as local micro-brews. All proceeds from sales go to fund future festivals.

Fourth Avenue Street Fair

There are also two Fourth Avenue Street Fairs, in December and March, staged between 9th Street and University Boulevard, that feature arts and crafts booths, food vendors and street performers. The fairs began in 1970 when Fourth Avenue, which at the time had half a dozen thrift shops, several New Age bookshops and the Food Conspiracy Co-Op, was a gathering place for hippies, and a few merchants put tables in front of their stores to attract customers before the holidays.

The Tucson Rodeo (Fiesta de los Vaqueros)

Team Roping competition at Tucson's Fiesta de los Vaqueros.

Another popular event held in February, which is early spring in Tucson, is the Fiesta de los Vaqueros, or rodeo week. While at its heart the Fiesta is a sporting event, it includes what is billed as the world's largest non-mechanized parade. The Rodeo Parade is a popular event as most schools give two rodeo days off instead of Presidents Day. Western wear is seen throughout the city as corporate dress codes are cast aside during the Fiesta. The Fiesta de los Vaqueros marks the beginning of the rodeo season in the United States. Fiesta de los Vaqueros, the premier event of the rodeo year, is held at the beginning of the rodeo season.

All Souls Procession

One of the largest festivals celebrated is the All Souls Procession, held on the first Sunday in November since 1989. Modeled on the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), it combines elements of African, Anglo, Celtic, and Latin American culture. At sundown, thousands of people garbed in myriad costumes, mostly of the deceased, gather near the corner of Fourth Avenue and University Boulevard. In 2005, the Tucson Police Department estimated that 7,500 people participated in this event. The organization Many Mouths One Stomach (see website) hosted the gathering to acknowledge, mourn and celebrate deceased loved ones, and the grand mystery of death. Starting in 2006, the All Souls Procession will become a weekend-long event.

Museums and art collections

There are several museums in the city.

The Arizona Historical Society:founded as the Pioneer Historical Society by early settlers, has a collection of artifacts reflecting the city's history as well as a fine collection of original documents in its library, including many interviews with early residents.

The Fremont House: an original adobe house in the Tucson Community Center that was saved when one of Tucson's earliest barrios was razed as urban renewal. Originally named the Fremont House after Gov. John C. Fremont, who rented it for his daughter, it is now known as the Sosa-Carrillo-Fremont House to more accurately reflect its Latin heritage

Fort Lowell Museum: on the grounds of a military fort established in 1873 during the "Indian Wars" period and abandoned in 1891.

The Tucson Museum of Art: established as part of an art school. It contains nearly 6,000 objects concentrating on the art of the Americas and its influences. The museum also operates several historic buildings in the neighborhood, including La Casa Cordova, the J. Knox Corbett House, the Edward Nye Fish House and the Stevens/Duffield House.

The University of Arizona Art Museum includes works by Franz Kline, Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko as part of the Edward J. Gallagher Memorial Collection, a tribute to a young man who was killed in a boating accident. The museum also includes the Samuel H. Kress Collection of European works from the 14th to 19th centuries and the C. Leonard Pfeiffer Collection of American paintings.

The UA campus also features the Center for Creative Photography, a leading museum with many works by major artists such as Ansel Adams and Edward Weston.

The Mission San Xavier del Bac is a historic Spanish mission, located 10 miles (16 km) south of the city. It was built by Father Kino in the 1660's as a mission which included a chain of other missions located now south of the border. It is located in the Tohono O'odham nation reservation southwest of Tucson off of I-19.

Old Tucson Studios, Built as a set for the movie Arizona, is a movie studio for classic Westerns. It was destroyed by arson and the rebuilt site now features a theme park.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a non-traditional zoo devoted to animals and plants of the Sonoran Desert. It is located west of the Tucson Mountains.

The Pima Air & Space Museum, featuring over 250 modern and historical aircraft, is located to the southeast of the city near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

The Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) is a facility where the federal government stores out-of-service aircraft. Bus tours are conducted regularly from the Pima Air & Space Museum.

Titan Missile Museum located about 25 miles (40 km) south of the city on I-19. This is a Cold War era Titan nuclear missile silo (billed as the only remaining intact post-Cold War Titan missile silo) turned tourist stop.

Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum: museum inventory includes 150 vehicles, ranging from small Buggies, Wagons, Surries, Coaches and Historic artifacts from pioneer days and a re-created Western Main Street representing what early Wild West Tucson looked like and what it offered in terms of businesses and services.

The Museum of the Horse Soldier includes artifacts and ephemera detailing Western cavalry and dragoon military units.

Parks and outdoor attractions

Saguaro National Park is located near Tucson.

The city is home to more than 120 parks, including Reid Park Zoo. There are five public golf courses located throughout the area. Several scenic parks and points of interest are also located nearby, including the Tucson Botanical Gardens, Saguaro National Park, Sabino Canyon, and Biosphere 2 (just north of the city, in the town of Oracle).

Fourth Avenue, located near the University of Arizona, is home to many shops, restaurants, and bars, and hosts the annual 4^th Avenue Street Fair every December and March. University Boulevard, leading directly to the UA Main Gate, is also the center of numerous bars, retail shops, and restaurants most commonly frequented by the large student population of the UA.

El Tiradito is a religious shrine in the downtown area. The Shrine dates back to the early days of Tucson. It's based on a love story of revenge and murder. People stop by the Shrine to light a candle for someone in need, a place for people to go give hope.

Trail Dust Town is an outdoor shopping mall and restaurant complex that was built from the remains of a 1950 western movie set. Trail Dust Town contains a number of historical artifacts, including a restored 1920s merry-go-round and a museum dedicated to Western cavalry and dragoon military units.

Performing arts

Musical groups include the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1921, the Arizona Opera Company, founded as the Tucson Opera Company in 1971, the Tucson Boys Chorus, Tucson Girls Chorus, Southern Arizona Symphony and Civic Orchestra of Tucson.

Theater groups include the Arizona Theatre Company, which performs in the Temple of Music and Art, a mirror image of the Pasadena Playhouse; the Invisible Theatre; and the Gaslight Theatre, which performs melodramas. Additonally, many bands perform at the numerous local clubs.

Tucson is home to the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus. They have been Arizona's "Ambassadors in Levi's" since 1930. A chorus of mostly pre teen boys with exceptional singing skills, they have toured the USSR, China, Japan, Singapore, and all over the world.

Sports

The University of Arizona Wildcats sports teams.

Tucson is home to the Tucson Electric Park, which is the spring training location of the Arizona Diamondbacks (NL), and the Chicago White Sox (AL). The Colorado Rockies (NL) practice at nearby Hi Corbett Field. These teams, along with the nine that practice in nearby Phoenix, make up the Cactus League.

The Tucson Sidewinders, a triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Sidewinders play in Tucson Electric Park and are in the Pacific Conference South of the Pacific Coast League.

Tucson Raceway Park hosts NASCAR-sanctioned auto racing events and is the only asphalt short track in Arizona.

The English Premiership soccer of Charlton Athletic club recently opened a youth academy in Tucson in May 2005.

Media

Arizona Daily Star: A morning daily paper. Sold in 2005 by Pulitzer, Inc. to Lee Enterprises.

Tucson Citizen: an afternoon daily paper. The Tucson Citizen is the oldest continuosly published newspaper in Arizona, established in 1870 as the "Arizona Citizen". It is owned by Gannett.

Tucson Weekly: an alternative publication that is distributed free at numerous locations around Tucson. Other alternative weeklies have included the Frumious Bandersnatch, published in the 1960s by Hugh Holub; the Mountain Newsreal'

Explorer: a free weekly newpaper for residents of the suburban communities north of Tucson, including Oro Valley, Marana, Catalina Foothills, Tortolita and Catalina. The Explorer attempts to cover many aspects of suburban Tucson life, including high-school sports and preformances, cultural events, and stories of political interest.

Downtown Tucsonan:'' A free monthly magazine published by the Tucson Downtown Alliance. Editorial coverage focuses on issues pertinent to downtown - including revitalization efforts, arts, entertainment, history and events.

Tucson is served by the major television networks: KVOA 4 (NBC), KGUN 9 (ABC), KOLD 13 (CBS), KMSB 11 (local news broadcast from KTVK-TV in Phoenix) (FOX), KTTU 18 (UPN), and KWBA 58 (WB). KUAT 6 is a PBS affiliate run by the University of Arizona.

Transportation

Tucson International Airport

Sun Tran, Tucson's public bus system. Awarded Best Transit System in 1988 & 2005

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Tucson three times weekly in each direction, operating its Sunset Limited between Orlando, Florida and Los Angeles, California.

Old Pueblo Trolley operates weekend heritage streetcar service between the Fourth Avenue Business District and the University of Arizona.

Miscellany

* Speedway Boulevard, a major east-west arterial road in central Tucson, was named the "ugliest street in America" by Life Magazine in the early 1970s, quoting Tucson Mayor James Corbett.
* Speedway Boulevard was awarded "Street of the Year" by Arizona Highways in the late 1990's.
* A visit to Tucson is part of Jack Kerouac's On the Road (1957), where the protagonists meet up with a friend on Fort Lowell Road (an east-west arterial in north-central Tucson).
* Many major motion pictures have been filmed in the Tucson area. Some popular movies filmed in Tucson include Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), Arizona (1940), Bodies, Rest and Motion (1993), Boys on the Side (1995), C.C. and Company (1970), Can't Buy Me Love (1987), Dance with the Devil (1997), Flashpoint (1984), Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991), Hombre (1967), How the West Was Won (1962), Jesus' Son (1999), A Kiss Before Dying (1956), Lilies of the Field (1963), Major League (1989), The Postman (1997), Revenge of the Nerds (1984), Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987), Rio Bravo (1959), A Star Is Born (1976), Stir Crazy (1980), Terminal Velocity (1994), The Three Amigos (1986), Thunder Alley (1985), Tin Cup (1996), and Tombstone (1993).
* Famous TV shows which were filmed in Tucson include The Big Valley (1965), The High Chaparral (1967), Petrocelli (1974), Summer Breeze (1987), Computer Doctor (1992), Spirit of Television (1993), and Nickelodeon's Hey Dude (1989-1991).
* Songs featuring Tucson: The Beatles song Get Back, 10,000 Maniacs song "Painted Desert," "Rock'n Me" by The Steve Miller Band, "Jack Straw" by the Grateful Dead, Paul Simon and native Tucsonan Linda Ronstadt song "Under African Skies,", the song "Thumbelina" by the Pretenders, Merle Haggard's "Seashores of Old Mexico", covered in 2005 by George Strait, Bone Thugs N Harmony "Ghetto Cowboy", Notorious B.I.G. "Niggers Bleed", Cottonhead "When Mercy Sleeps", and a song by Dan Fogelberg called "Tucson, Arizona (Gazette)" and also, "Lights Of Tucson" by Jim Campbell and "Della and The Dealer" by Hoyt Axton.
* On Sentinel Peak, just west of downtown, there is a giant "A" in honor of the University of Arizona. It used to be a yearly tradition for freshmen to whitewash the "A." However, at the beginning of the Iraq War, anti-war activists painted it black. This was followed by a paint scuffle wherein the "A" was painted various colors until the City Council intervened. It is now red, white and blue except when it is white or another color decided by a biennial election.
* Ina Road, a major east-west thoroughfare north of town, is named for UA physical education professor Ina Gittings. Although the street is pronounced "Eye-nah" she pronounced her name "Eee-nah."
* Rita Road, located on Tucson's southeast side, is believed to have been named by Howard Hughes in honor of his then girlfriend Rita Hayworth. Hughes Aircraft was located there in the 1950s. It is also believed to be named for the Santa Rita Mountains located southeast of Tucson. Such is the nature of reader edited knowledge.
* Two United States Navy ships have also been named USS Tucson in honor of the city.
* In 1981, Star reporters Clark Hallas and Robert B. Lowe won a Pulitzer Prize for their stories about recruiting violations by University of Arizona football coach Tony Mason.
* The famous Borat song "Throw the Jew Down the Well" from Da Ali G Show was filmed at the Country West bar on Ruthrauff Road.http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/currents/Content?oid=oid:59856 Many of the intro sequences for Borat segments were also shot in various places around Tucson, mostly the downtown area.

Sister cities

Tucson has nine sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc.:

{| valign="top" |
* - Almaty (Kazakhstan)
* - Guadalajara (Mexico)
* - Ciudad Obregon (Sonora, Mexico)
* - Pécs (Hungary)
* - County Roscommon (Ireland)
* - Segovia (Spain)
* - Sulaymaniyah (Iraq)
* - Taichung City (Taiwan)
* - Trikala (Greece)

External links

*Official Government Website
*Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau
*Metropolitan Tucson Chamber of Commerce
*Tucson Wikicity
*Tucson Rodeo - La Fiesta de los Vaqueros
*Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee and Museum
*Access Tucson Tucson's Public Access Cable
*Tucson Bed and Breakfasts

Tucson, Arizona: Encyclopedia BETA

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