CBT AVAILABLE Wednesday, April 2, 2003 ARIZONA DAILY STAR B5 Old tires ablaze Few April showers or flowers forecast i V. Rain levels I Tucson rainfall through March: RAIN IN YEAR INCHES t. I. Normal 2.68 2003 161 2002 068 2001 2J8 2000 122 1999 0.01 By Thomas Stauffer ARIZONA DAILV STAR Unlike 2002, when a lot of cacti didn't bother to bloom, Tucson has received enough rainfall this year to sprout wild-flowers and send 16 different pollens into the April air. While the 1.61 inches of rain that fell at Tucson Airport is an inch short of the normal to date, it's more than double the amount recorded last year.
A less-than-stellar wildflower season should play out in a couple of weeks', but it'll be much longer before allergy sufferers breathe easier, said Mark Sneller, president of Aero-Allergen Research. "They're going to be miserable for another month or six weeks, so make friends with your allergist," Sneller said. Current irritants include olive, mulberry, Cyprus, ash, elm, oak and sycamore trees, along with grasses and ragweed, he said. Had it not been for a dry January and a perfectly timed March storm, pollen counts would have soared even higher, Sneller said. A lack of January rain took the punch out of ragweed, and the last storm kept mulberry from spiking pollen counts past 1,000 as is normal this time of year, Sneller said.
"Mulberry was poised to explode into high gear, but that combination of wind and rain shut a lot of it down," he said. With no rain in the immediate forecast, early April is shaping up as its normally windy self, said John Glueck, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tucson. The first half of a storm moving through the western United States today should be nothing more than a "windbag" for the Tucson area, as will a similar system expected to arrive next Wednesday, Glueck said. Wildflowers are still showing off in parts of the Northwest Side, the Tucson Mountains and Redington Pass, but the season is definitely waning, said Russ Buhrow, grounds curator for TohonoChulPark. "The next couple of weeks it's going to be done, because it's just not raining," Buhrow said.
"Even the ones that are going real good are just going to seed out" Aaron J. Latham Staff RuralMetro crews battle a fire at the Redburn Tire 3775 E. 43rd Place, near South Alvernon Way and East Golf Links Road- A late morning brush fire ignited several hundred used tires Tuesday, producing thick, black smoke that could be seen city wide. TUSD 3rd administrator hasn't decided to take paid leave Continued from Page Bl his new accountability plan. "With less than three months left on their contracts, I felt it was the prudent thing to do," he said.
Tucson Education Association President Marilyn Freed called the arrangement "outrageous." "I believe it is irresponsible to be paying highly qualified, highly skilled people to stay at home, particularly in light of Stan Paz's announcements that there's a terrible budget crunch," she said. Paz has warned the district could face a $29 million budget deficit next year. Governing board member Mary Belle McCorkle said school districts use paid administrative leave in "ticklish situations." She estimated this happens five times a year. For example, in 2002 TUSD paid a former attendance clerk $17,000 to stay home so she would not file a lawsuit against the human resources director she said was harassing her. The secret deal ultimately cost the administrator his job and the former clerk filed a $500,000 claim against TUSD, which has not been settled.
"It is common procedure when you have very difficult situations with administrators," McCorkle said. The current situation is different but "I think it would be difficult for them to remain in the workplace," she said. "I think it's a terrible waste of money." Board members publicly chastised Paz during a meeting in March for surprising them with his elimination of the three top administrative positions. The board, however, eventually approved the reorganization plan. I Contact reporter Sarah Garrecht Gassen at 573-4117 or sgassenazstarnet.com.
Smuggler pleads guilty in border-crosser death three months, and Williams will receive about $22,700. Benton, who already announced his retirement before the reorganization announcement, will receive about $22,700. Paz said his decision will move the district forward on Ramirez was found May 31 near Sells, about 60 miles southwest of Tucson. Arista-Butron was originally charged in a seven-count indictment As part of his plea, he admitted that on May 31, 2002, he was paid to guide a group of 16 people into the United States from Mexico on foot When the group ran out of food and water, one of the people he was leading died, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Phoenix.
Arista-Butron faces 3.8 to 9.5 years in prison. ARIZONA DAILY STAR A Mexican man who led a group of 16 illegal border crossers into the Arizona desert last year on a trek that was fatal to one of them has pleaded guilty to two federal charges. Sebastian Arista-Butron entered a guilty plea Friday in U.S. District Court in Tucson to one count of alien smuggling resulting in the death of Rene Rodriguez Ramirez, 22, from the state of Mexico in central Mexico, and one count of alien smuggling for profit. The body of Rodriguez HI CORBETT USA Baseball continuing to pay $1K mondily rent Continued from Page Bl older players who are working their way back from injuries, he said, adding that the use of the stadium field will be minimal.
The Rockies will be back for six weeks starting Aug. 1, for an instructional league for their minor league players. Although USA Baseball has already moved its headquarters, the organization will continue to be a significant presence at Hi Corbett through the summer, Conroy said. USA Baseball is continuing to pay its rent, and is obligated for the nearly five years remaining on its lease, he said. It annually selects the U.S.
national team, has numerous amateur base tain Hi Corbett for the year. Last year's actual expenditure was around $408,000, he said. Of that, the city recouped $123,000 in rents from the Rockies and $12,000 from USA Baseball Revenues from other facility uses were unavailable. Beyond Rockies spring training, the use of Hi Corbett in 2004 and beyond is uncertain, said Bob Martin, acting parks director. "If we can work out a deal that's advantageous to the city, we'd like to have a tenant," Martin said, noting no active recruiting effort is under way.
I Contact reporter Joe Burchell at 573-4244 or burchellazstarnet.com. ball programs and picks the U.S. Olympic team. In June, USA Baseball will stage its annual Junior Olympic tournament at Hi Corbett, which last year brought 72 teams to Tucson. It plans a second major tournament Labor Day weekend, Conroy said.
Conroy said the stadium also will be available for short-term community uses, several of which have already been lined up among them, a July concert with country artist Martina McBride. The city wants to book a few more events, which Conroy said cause less damage to the turf and bring in extra money. The city budget includes $549,000 to operate and main shifted operations to Pima County's Tucson Electric Park. The end of spring training, the Colorado Rockies' return to Denver and the new turf does not mean the end of baseball at Hi Corbett this year, Conroy said. The Rockies will hold extended spring training through June 15, for 40 to 50 rookies and OUR CLASSIC MID-SEASON SALE DONATE YOUR CAR, BOAT, RV, AIRPLANE OR LAND To United Cerebral Palsy of Tucson ft "Difficulty Enhancement Advancing Independence While Making A Better Community JI t99'nitil factor consultation! Mudes fret Vhgra samples.
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