The Voice of Marana, Oro Valley and Northwest Tucson
Volume 29• Number 42 October 12, 2022
www.explorernews.com
INSIDE Library Renovations
Martha Cooper Library patrons should prepare for Nov. 20 remodeling closure, opening again in spring of 2024
PJ Quinn died at age 29 of osteosarcoma. (Light Up Lives Charity Foundation/Submitted)
Parents honor Soldiers Opera those who give Wounded soldiers lives and stories are focus of new Arizona Oro Valley’s SafeSteps wins top prize selflessly Opera production | Page 8
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Creative Photography
Photographer’s modern take on Renaissance portraiture featured at Center for Creative Photography
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Club Pilates was among the 200 businesses receiving financial aid from the town of Oro Valley’s OVSafeSteps program during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Town of Oro Valley/Submitted)
BY TOM LEYDE
Tucson Local Media
T
he town of Oro Valley has won honors for its campaign to help business owners survive the COVID-19 epidemic. The OV SafeSteps program won first place in the 2022 City-County Communications & Marketing Association’s (3CMA) Savvy Award category of Communications and Marketing Tools: Printed Publications — COVID PR. The award was presented last month at the 3CMA Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon. 3CMA is a national network of local government communicators. It was founded on the philos-
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ophy that communications and marketing are essential to help governments engage and build stronger relationships with people. “We were very grateful to be recognized for all their (city workers’) hard work,” said Chris Cornelison, Oro Valley deputy town manager. Oro Valley, like all towns and cities, faced huge challenges when the COVID-19 epidemic was declared in March 2020. The shutdown shuttered businesses and forced layoffs. There was confusion and lots of uncertainty. Federal money would become available down the road for businesses, but Oro Valley officials needed to do something quickly. Cornelison and
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
Tucson Local Media
B
efore cancer claimed the life of PJ Quinn on July 5, 2020, first responders were frequent visitors to the family’s home. The 29-year-old’s parents, Michael and Bonnie Quinn of Oro Valley, are forever grateful — and wanted to show it. The Quinns are bringing back the Rockin’ 4 Heroes fundraiser from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, at James D. Kriegh Park in Oro Valley. The “4” represents the groups
see SAFESTEPS page 4
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