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The Voice of Marana since 2007
Volume • Number May ,
www.Maranaweeklynews.com
FFA wins big at Pima County Fair
Inside
This Week
BY VERONICA KUFFEL Tucson Local Media Staff
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INSIDE ....................... 12
As with female firefighters Rebecca Rodriguez and Marcela Hammond, Long is a rare breed. She is only one of five female firefighters in the Marana Fire District. Why did she seek the fire service? “Prior to this I was in restaurant management,” she said. “I wanted something stable with a stable income, benefits and retirement. I wanted something I would be proud to do, something that challenged me mentally, physically every day, and I wanted to find a community. I’m not from here. I don’t really have family here. I wanted to find a family.” Long got what she was looking for and more.
ccording to the Farm Bureau, one farm in the United States feeds 166 people annually, across the country and the globe. The other fact, which Marana High School Career Technical Education teacher Ashley Haller finds more surprising, is farmers will have to grow 70% more food than what is now produced to meet the demands of population growth by 2050. “In addition to production agriculture, many agricultural services and technology management careers are in high demand,” Haller said. “My hope is I can show (students) the opportunities that agriculture can provide them in the career field and they can play a vital role in feeding the world.” Part of the school’s agriculture program includes Future Farmers of America, a leadership component which engages students in learning through competitions and career-building opportunities. Along with the curriculum, Marana FFA competes in the annual Pima County Fair Livestock Show, where youth programs across the county demonstrate their prog-
see ENGINEER page 6
see FAIR page 8
Stewing about protected wildlife zones
SPORTS ..................... 15 It's a good day for Kate Cherrington, Athlete of the Week
Beth Long found a family and a career that challenged her when she became a firefighter with the Northwest Fire District. (Karen Schaffner/Staff )
Blazing a trail: Becoming an engineer BY KAREN SCHAFFNER Tucson Local Media Staff
HEALTH ..................... 18 It's a good day for Kate Cherrington HOT PICKS.....................................4 FEATURES.................................... 14 SPORTS.........................................15 BUSINESS .................................... 17 HEALTH........................................ 18 PUZZLE/HOROSCOPES ............. 19 WORSHIP/CLASSIFIEDS ........... 20 MLS #22308474
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eth Long is finally off probation. Now she can work on her next career goal: to become an engineer assigned to Station 333 at Shannon and Ina roads. Long wants to be responsible for getting the water to the firefighters that put out fires. She is already a full-fledged firefighter and EMT, as she just earned the certification to drive an ambulance. Most of the calls they receive at her station are EMT/health maintenance calls. “Those are when someone’s sick, someone fell, someone’s injured. Someone is feeling something that they have no idea what to do with,” Long said.
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