We are all in this together. When times get tough, Tucsonans come together and help each other. That is what makes this big city with a small-town feel such a great place to live.
This weekly series shares what life is like for your fellow community members while sheltering in place.
GRANDPARENTS GET IN ON HOME-SCHOOLING
βIβd be scared to go to jail,β said Hannah. She, and her two sisters, Arabella and Elizabeth, and cousins Ellie and Caitlin in a different state, were talking American history and politics with their grandfather, Jim. The children, ranging in age from 8 to 14, were discussing the Rosa Parks story.
Jim and I are blessed with nine grandchildren. Our children and their spouses are now home-schooling.
Needless to say, this is putting a huge burden on their families.
We wanted to help, and after a learning curve with Skype, weβre sharing our passions and our expertise.
Iβm doing art with each of the nine kids. Suggesting that they give me art/craft lessons, I follow directions and point out elements of color, design and perspective. Iβve made a sock buddy, drew a space shuttle (my first) and we clap in delight with our time together.
A sock buddy created as part ofΒ Shirley Dunn Perry's daily virtual art lessons with her grandchildren.Β
We feel closer than ever to our grandchildren.
β Shirley Dunn Perry
SPRING CLEANING IN THE COMMUNITY
Being somewhat bored during this COVID-19 spring, I proposed to my husband Albrecht that early on Sunday mornings we walk around the neighborhood and pick up trash.
He was hesitant at first, but then helped me do it for three Sundays in a row.
We started off wearing gloves and carrying plastic, disposable trash bags.
I also was fortunate to have a hand picker metal tool, given to us by Encompass Health.
The first Sunday we targeted the neighborhood elementary school and walked around the locked, fenced perimeter. If we found recyclables, we saved them for the blue bins.
It feels terrific exercising β walking, stooping, picking up trash to clean up the environment and our neighborhood. We picked up about two bags each and dumped them off in nearby trash bins.
Carolyn Classen and her husband Albrecht have connected with their community during the pandemic through neighborhood clean ups.
The second Sunday we walked over to our neighborhood post office and cleaned up a large amount of neglected area with some shrubbery and boulders.
It was like a scavenger hunt, to locate a piece of plastic or paper debris and feel success. I even found a glass wine cup that had been thrown away.
And then the following Sunday we walked along a busier, arterial street and also found a lot of debris, more recyclable cans and plastic bottles.
My husband was βluckyβ and found a metal wrench in good condition, probably left behind by a worker at the nearby water tower. We encountered a neighbor who was walking and picking up trash, also using a plastic bag.
While we are sheltering in place in Tucson, we would like to encourage other neighbors anywhere to practice what we did: to exercise in the fresh air and to clean up the ubiquitous plastic trash around our homes and streets.
β Carolyn Classen
Photos: 20+ famous people who came to Tucson
From Ernest Hemingway toΒ Betty White, here are some times famous people visited Tucson in decades past, with photos from archives of the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Citizen.
For more historical Tucson photos, subscribe to the weekly Tucson Time Machine newsletter here:Β http://tucne.ws/time.
Joe Namath and Ann-Margaret
New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath, left, and actress Ann-Margaret arrived at Tucson International Airport on April, 10, 1970, and were gree…
Ralph Nader
Famous consumer advocate Ralph Nader speaks at the University of Arizona in 1979.Β
Nat "King" Cole
Singer and entertainer Nat "King" Cole and Arizona Gov Ernest W. McFarland exchange autographs while at the Tucson Municipal Airport on May 3,…
John F. Kennedy
Senator John F. Kennedy at the Sunday Evening Forum, sponsored by the Catalina Methodist Church in Tucson on Feb. 24, 1958. Kennedy spoke befo…
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in 1958.Β
James Arness
Actor James Arness from the "Gunsmoke" television series, compares boot sizes with Texas Ranger Capt Clint Peoples while in Tucson on January …
Isaac Stern
Violin virtuoso Isaac Stern tuning his violin in April 1979. He performed in a benefit recital for the Tucson Symphony Society.Β
Herbie Hancock
Jazz innovator, writer, performer Herbie Hancock played for 1,300 people at the Temple of Music and Art in 1979.Β
George H.W. Bush
Ambassador George H.W. Bush speaks at a press conference at the Arizona Inn in 1973. Bush was U.S. President during the First Gulf War.Β
Betty White
On May 3, 1988, Betty White visited the Reid Park Zoo while filming a television promotion for the Tucson Zoological Society. Above, Steve McC…
Garry Marshall
Hollywood television producer, Garry Marshall in Tucson, in 1979. He wrote and produced the TV series "Happy Days" and "Mork and Mindy."
Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn in Tucson for a Tucson Press Club event. Date Unknown.Β
Duke and Duchess of Windsor
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor from Great Britain arrive in Tucson for a stay at the Arizona Inn on March 1, 1959.Β
Bob Hope
Hollywood star Bob Hope trying to get the upper hand with an extra long bat during Cleveland Indians Spring training in Tucson on March 5, 194…
Billy Joel
The "Piano Man," Billy Joel, performs at the Tucson Community Center on November 14, 1978.
Diana Ross
Diana Ross performing at McKale Center on October 3, 1983.
Ansel Adams
Legendary landscape photographer Ansel Adams talks to an interviewer during his Tucson visit in 1983. UA's Center for Creative Photography is …
Ernest Hemingway and Waldo Peirce
Writer Ernest Hemingway with longtime friend and notable painter, Waldo Peirce, in the Baghdad Room at the Tucson Inn in Tucson, Ariz., on Mar…
Billy Idol
Rock star Billy Idol made an appearance at the Tucson Community Center Arena on May 5, 1987. Opening for Idol that night was The Cult.Β
