Neighbors

Roundup

NORTHWEST

3rd suit filed regarding OV mall plan petitions

A third lawsuit disputing the validity of petitions against an Oro Valley economic development agreement has been filed. Last month a Pima County Superior Court judge upheld the validity of petitions submitted by SOVOG, Stop Oro Valley Outrageous Giveaways. The petitions ask that a referendum decide the fate of a town plan that could give $23 million in sales-tax revenue to Vestar Development Co. of Phoenix. Vestar plans to build the 800,000-square-foot Oro Valley Marketplace at the southwest corner of Tangerine and Oracle roads. In the newest legal challenge, Gregg Forszt and Vestar Development Co. have filed a lawsuit against Pima County and Pima County Recorder F. Ann Rod- riguez, saying she acted improperly by certifying the petitions submitted to Oro Valley by SOVOG. - Sarah Bell

SOUTH SIDE

'Walkable' workshop focuses on healthy living

Residents from two South Side neighborhoods attended a "Walkable Communities Workshop" at Hope United Methodist Church, 6740 S. Santa Clara Ave. About 70 people from the Elvira and Sunnyside neighborhoods attended the Oct. 26 workshop along with officials from the city of Tucson, the Arizona Department of Health Services and the University of Arizona's Center for Health Equality. The workshop was sponsored by the Steps to a Healthier Arizona Initiative, a program of the Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Nutrition Services under the Department of Health Services. "One of the key components of the Steps to a Healthier Arizona Initiative is to empower communities in Southern Arizona to implement policy and environmental changes in support of healthier lifestyles to prevent chronic conditions like diabetes," Frances Kaplan, program manager for Steps to a Healthier Arizona Initiative, wrote in an e-mail sent after the workshop. Martha Monroy, South Side Tucson program coordinator for Project EXPORT, said the workshop focused on what local communities could do to create more walking and biking paths in the Elvira neighborhood. - Levi Long

CENTRAL

UA clubs hold inaugural Wildcat World Fair

The Associated Students of the University of Arizona and other on-campus clubs held their first Wildcat World Fair at Bear Down Field. The Oct. 29-30 event included about 25 community and ethnic groups represented by booths and/or performances, including Los Changuitos Feos mariachi, the CIAO Italian Club, the Iranian-American Students Association and the Arizona-Israel Alliance. "It raises awareness about cultural differences," said Stephanie Hartz, director of the fair. "It is an opportunity for students to see other groups on campus." "This is our groundbreaking year; we're going to work out the kinks," Hartz added. - Dean Knuth