Local 411

By Erin Hayes Burt

Sixty-eight percent of Americans approach holiday get-togethers with feelings of dread or obligation, says Dr. Leonard Felder, author of “When Bad Relatives Happen to Good People.” But you don’t have to have bad relatives to feel this way. It could simply be that you feel overwhelmed at this time of the year.

If your home is like many in Tucson, it’s over-filled with relatives seeking refuge from colder climates during the holiday season. The mild winters here seem to draw relatives you never knew you had. But never fear. If the suggestion is to have Christmas at your house — again — this year, preface the conversation with how nice the local accommodations are.

Think about it: Marana has the Ritz — which will be open this December — and the Omni Tucson. Oro Valley has Hacienda del Sol, Miraval and Canyon Ranch. When so many people have to go to boring places for Christmas, why not make a true vacation out of the holidays and stay at a resort? There are also luxe accommodations at place like the Golf Villas of Oro Valley, which is priced like a hotel but feels like your very own apartment. You can even save additional money by cooking in the gourmet kitchen instead of eating out.

Either way, keep this holiday season from being stressful by following a few common sense rules: Don’t let anyone stay more than a few days. If they ask, tell them you have plans or other obligations. Even if they are family you love, the house is going to get too full. Plan activities for the kids—they’ll get bored being inside all day. There are plenty of things to do in Northwest Tucson that cost little to nothing, so do a little research and save everyone the cabin fever.
Here are five great, low-cost

Family activities you can indulge in this holiday season.

1. Tohono Chul Park’s Holiday Nights are celebrated the last weekend in November and the first weekend in December, featuring hot cider and cool music. Check out the performance schedule at TohonoChulPark.org

2. Free playtime at My Gym is offered three days a week. Kids play on equipment that helps with balance and coordination, all under trained supervision. Visit MyGym.com/Tucson for more.

3. Winterhaven Fesitval of Lights illuminates the midtown neighborhood, providing family fun and good exercise that will wear out the kiddos. Visit WinterhavenFestival.org for more.

4. Tucson Botanical Gardens: Luminaria Nights! offers thousands of lights, holiday cookies and beautiful native plans in the middle of the city. Visit  TucsonBotanical.org for more.

By Gale Grant

Do you ask friends and family what they want for Christmas or Hanukkah, and they respond with, “Peace on Earth”? While getting them their wish might be a stretch, it is possible to find gifts in the spirit of that request. Here are three such places where part of your dollar goes to helping others:

Ben’s Bells Studio
This whimsical charity promotes kindness and healing through inspirational wind chimes. Thanks to an army of volunteers, hundreds of colorful, handcrafted ceramic wind chimes have adorned trees throughout Tucson and other cities — most notably in New York City this past Sept. 11, where middle school students helped hang 600 bells — each with a note encouraging whomever finds one to keep the chime and remember to be kind to his fellow man.

Ben’s Bells, named for Ben Packard who passed away at just 2 years old in 2002, promotes kindness through school programs, and weekly “Bellings”  — where community members are honored for helping to make the world a better place.

Proceeds from their sales of t-shirts, pullovers, ceramic jewelry and small wind chimes goes to buy materials to make Ben’s Bells and support the programs.

BensBells.org • 816 E. University Blvd.

Native Seed/SEARCH
Local agriculture supporters will find Native Seed/SEARCH the ideal place to pick up gifts for the gardener or gourmet in your life. The organization’s mission is to promote and conserve the native seeds of the Southwest and northern New Mexico by “gathering, safeguarding, and distributing their seeds to farming and gardening communities.”
Money from the purchase of seeds, beans and flours — available online or at their store on Fourth Ave. — goes to preserving ancient culture and educating others about the cause.

Other products available are handmade herbal medicines, mesquite cutting boards, clothing, and the “Chili Head” gift box with 14 varieties of dried chilis.

NativeSeeds.org • 526 N. 4th Ave.

International Rescue Committee
Buying gifts from International Rescue Committee helps to fund relief, renewal and resettlement efforts for refugees and victims of armed conflicts around the globe.
IRC was formed in 1933 at the suggestion of Albert Einstein to assist Germans suffering from the policies of Hitler. Currently, the IRC is aiding four million displaced Iraqis; people caught in the continuing crisis of Somalia, and many other emergencies the world over.

Items ranging from beautiful hand-embroidered scarves from Afghanistan to fabulous ceramic Bushman bowls from Swaziland are available at two online sites.

GlobalGoodsPartners.org • TheIRC.org

Susan G. Koman for the Cure
ShopKomen.com encourages supporters to “Purchase with purpose to end breast cancer forever.” Susan G. Koman for the Cure was founded in 1982 with the goal of putting stop to breast cancer. Along with many fundraisers, walks, runs and other events, the organization sells almost everything pink: giant pink hand bags, striped pink socks, pink ribbon jewelry, pink t-shirts, pullovers, hats and a pink tuxedo — well, maybe not the tuxedo. Don’t worry men, there are some non-pink items available.

KomenSAZ.org • ShopKomen.com
4574 E. Broadway Blvd.

By Alan M. Petrillo
Photography By Jim Davis

John and Nancy Lambert believe in being neighborly.

So when their Continental Ranch homeowner’s association began sending expensive rules violation notices — up to $100 a day in fines — to homeowners who couldn’t keep up with the exterior of their houses because of weeds or other design guideline miscues, they formed Neighbors Helping Neighbors.

The group, nearly 20 members strong, recently helped clean the yard of a woman with back problems whose husband had been stricken by a stroke. Neither could care for their yard so the Lamberts — and other volunteers — did.

“There are people here who are physically unable or don’t have the resources to clean up their yards, so they were going into violation over things like too many weeds, not trimming trees properly, failing to pick up mesquite pods and even too many pots in the front yard,” says John Lambert. “We started the group to be good neighbors and help people like them because some day we could be in that position.”

In the case of the elderly woman with too many pots in her front yard, Nancy Lambert says the group transplanted many of the plants to the ground in front of the house, and then dug out weeds and pruned the trees.

“We try to lead by example and show others how being neighborly is good for the community,” she says.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors also gets regular help from Continental Ranch residents Coy Gaddie, Barbara Snyder, Crystal and Joe Chavez, and Colby Hale, part owner of a landscape company — Brijer Resources.

“Brijer helps us on weekends, bringing in heavier equipment if we need it, like for stump removal and trucks to haul away landscape debris,” John Lambert says.

Since the Lamberts started the group, the homeowner’s association has modified the size of the fines doled out for landscape violations, but that hasn’t meant the Lamberts have stopped helping.

“We couldn’t do this on our own, so we’re appreciative of the help of other homeowners,” John Lambert says. “We’ve made a lot of friends and plan to continue helping others. Hopefully, the idea will catch on with other associations.”