Volume 13 • Number 13
The Voice of the Catalina Foothills
June 28, 2023
www.tucsonlocalmedia.com
INSIDE War is driving rapid growth in the local defense industry BY JIMMY MAGAHERN Tucson Local Media Contributor
O It's all in the crust at Fiamme Pizza | Page 7 Mr. Monopoly needs help locating Tucson fun spots | Page 8 PGA: Pathetically Greedy Association | Page 19
n the day Inside Tucson Business spoke with Lynndy Smith, the 29-yearold president of the Arizona Defense and Industry Coalition had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where she and other members of the group talked with the country’s department of defense to find out how Arizona could aid in its war effort. It was the first time the political wunderkind, who improbably segued into government affairs after a promising college career in varsity women’s ice hockey (a post-grad stint as a staff assistant to Sen. John McCain did the trick), had actually been in a war
zone. And the experience, she said, was an eye-opener. “We had one night of full sleep without an air raid,” she said of her week-long stay with the U.S. Embassy in a bunker at a Kyiv hotel. “But then the second night, there was an alarm that went off around midnight that lasted until about 4:30 in the morning. From what I gathered and could understand, it sounded like there was a (Russian) drone in the area.” Smith admitted she didn’t get a lot of sleep that night but said overall she “felt really safe. After all, Raytheon built those missile defense systems — that’s what’s being used in Ukraine. And the missile defense systems are working great.”
That’s what she heard time and again from the Ukrainians she met. “Since Raytheon obviously has a large presence in Arizona, we got a lot of praise from the people for the assets that are already coming out of Arizona to make them feel safe in Ukraine.” It’s that gratitude and trust that prompted the ADIC’s invitation from Ukrainian parliament member Dmytro Liubota, who met with the coalition in Arizona in March to discuss his country’s immediate defense technology needs. Together with other members of the ADIC, which include representatives from the four leading defense organizations in Arizona See DEFENSE Page 4
Tucson Museum showcases the state’s best artists BY VERONICA KUFFEL Tucson Local Media Contributor
F
or Julie Sasse, chief curator at the Tucson Museum of Art, summer is the time to highlight some of the best artists in Arizona. It’s this focus on local art that has helped establish the museum as a southwestern cultural mecca. “(Museums) seemed to feel they had to go outside the region to show New York or Chicago artists because that was the important stuff,” Sasse said. “That idea is over, people are saying the art right in front of us is valid, it’s important.” See BIENNIAL Page 6
This year’s Biennial Exhibition displays over 50 emerging artists across Arizona. (Veronica Kuffel/Staff)