Our Favorite Photos
Air Force One
Sen. Martha McSally boards Air Force One on May 5 in Washington for a flight to Phoenix with President Trump. She spoke with Trump about a number of topics including China, Native Americans and innovations coming out of Arizona companies.
At your service
Mick Johnson takes a breakfast order from Ellis Armstrong at American Legion Madera Post 131 in Green Valley in January. Post 131 and Post 66 in Sahuarita serve veterans twice a month from Southwestern Blind Rehabilitation Center in Tucson.
Bighorn Fire
Green Valley Fire District sent crews to help fight the Bighorn Fire in the Catalina Mountains north of Tucson. The lightning-caused fire was sparked June 5. This photo was taken June 17.
Car delivery
Brittany Harris wanted her car-nut son to get a close-up look at a classic for his 7th birthday Aug. 16. COVID-19 had closed down car shows but she was hoping Luke — who scans the web looking for classic cars — might get lucky and get a nice car owner to stop by. The Santa Cruz Valley Car Nuts liked the idea and delivered an entire show, complete with gifts and a ride in a 1940 Sedan Delivery. “We thought one car,” Brittany said with a smile, “and this is what we get!”
Drive-by smiles
The residents at Prestige Assisted Living in Green Valley were treated to a drive-by car show on July 23, a great way to break the monotony of a virus shutdown.
Flyover
Staff at Santa Cruz Valley Regional Hospital in Green Valley await a flyover May 13 on the helicopter pad. The 355th Wing (Davis-Monthan Air Force Base) and the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing honored Pima County’s first responders and medical professionals fighting COVID-19.
For the neighbors
Mike Finkelstein of Green Valley played in a couple of bands before the virus came to town. To keep sharp, and to give his neighbors something to look forward to while isolating in their homes, he regularly went outside and played a mini-concert.
Guard help
A National Guard member loads food into a client’s truck in May. Members of the Guard spent much of the pandemic aiding local food banks with the heavy lifting. They quickly became a part of the food bank volunteer family.
Happy, happy birthday!
The Manhattan Dolls — Chelsee, Erin and Gabi — give Sig Friedman special treatment on his 84th birthday Feb. 8. The Dolls were in Green Valley for Concerts for a Better Community outside Posada Java.
Her voice
Martha Jane Gipson, a school teacher in Sahuarita, plays folk music Oct. 6 on a street corner in Green Valley during a rally supporting presidential candidate Joe Biden. Supporters of Biden and President Donald Trump launched several rallies in the weeks leading up to the election.
Here it comes
3½ Happy Barber first baseman Mic Iannacchino goes opposite field for a single during BAJA softball play in January.
He’s all in
Frankie Duchaine dons a mask early in the pandemic.
It’s a wrap!
Brenna Wolfe, left, Andrew Hatch and Jessie Byrd put a four-foot saguaro into the ground at Pima County’s Native Plant Nursery. Historic Canoa Ranch is a big benefactor of the nursery, which was created in 2001 to prevent the county’s urban sprawl from taking over the desert. The ranch received about 600 plants earlier this year for its new cienega.
Just super
A “Pink Supermoon” — the largest full moon of 2020 — rises over Haven Golf Course on April 7.
Mask maker
Sally Bryan of Green Valley made and gave away about 400 masks then learned of the needs at local food banks and started selling them, with all proceeds going to help others. Toughest part? Running down elastic, which was in short supply nationwide.
Not much action
Two years to the day after his popular Amado steak restaurant was shut down by flooding, Frank Bertolino is still locked in a battle to get somebody to take responsibility. The flooding has, in part, been traced to a wash that had gone unmaintained for years by ADOT. Since the flood in 2018, the only regular visitors to The Cow Palace have been vandals.
On stage
Storyteller Bette Mulley regales the crowd Jan. 13 during Green Valley’s Got Talent at the Community Performance and Art Center.
Oodles of poodles
Pam Duchaine and her dog, Frankie, are regulars at Quail Creek-Veterans Municipal Park, where the poodle party is at full throttle every Sunday. The gathering of friends and poodles even entered the 2019 Country Fair White Elephant Parade.
Overhead
Clouds over Green Valley on Jan. 15.
Pitching in
Chef Charles Deeby keeps an eye on the smoker while preparing baby back ribs for 50 as part of an effort to reach shut-ins with good meals during the pandemic in July.
Ready to serve
Coronavirus took a toll on bailiff and security volunteers at Green Valley Justice Court, so Justice of the Peace Ray Carroll called in the American Legion Riders and Arizona Rangers.
Rough one
Gunner Conklin of Midland, Texas, is on his way to a hard landing Feb. 15 during the Tucson Rodeo. He spent the night in the hospital and recovered.
School meals
Raul De Los Angeles and Suzy Harris hand out meals March 23 to Sahuarita Unified School District students after schools stop in-person classes due to coronavirus. The effort continued through the summer and into the next school year.
Soothing music
Lois Vanskike plays the Native American-style flute for her neighbors at La Posada during the pandemic. “I think music is essential to every life, and I think soothing music of Native American flute is helpful to times when, whether we want to admit it or not, we’re a little worried. That’s what I try to do is spread soothing,” she said.
Soup’s on
Carolyn Tandy, Jane Hunt and Rich Nau tend soups Feb. 15 during the Empty Bowls fundraiser for Valley Assistance Services. Ceramics Club of Green Valley, Santa Rita Clay Studio and Quail Creek Ceramics and Pottery donated bowls.
The bell tolls
When Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sahuarita opened its doors in October, it welcomed a piece of history into its new building. An 1882 bronze bell that had been in storage 20 years in Wisconsin was restored and driven to Arizona, where it is ringing again. Pastor Ryan Heiman’s sister, Heather Mandeik, is secretary at the church in Oshkosh where the bell was rotting away and arranged to have it donated. Ryan’s dad, Gregory, did the restoration. The 596-pound bell had been cast in Ohio and purchased for $173.54, or about $4,430 today.
Their night
The Walden Grove High School Class of 2020 marches into a near-empty football stadium on May 21, which would have been their graduation night. The impromptu, unofficial ceremony was the idea of a teacher; no parents were present, just the students. Plans for an Aug. 1 official ceremony fell through as the virus continued to rage. This was the final time the class would all be together.
Town art
Artist Alonso Delgadillo paints an abstract of migratory birds at Sahuarita Lake Park. The work is the result of a partnership between the Town of Sahuarita and Southern Arizona Arts & Cultura Alliance (SAACA) to do a new public art project each year.
Walden Grove and Casa Grande high school soccer players enjoy the last bit of daylight during a match in February 2020.
Way out there
Burley Packwood of Green Valley spent 18 hours of exposure time collecting light from the Andromeda Galaxy to get this shot. The galaxy is about 2.5 million light-years away.
You did it!
A relative cheers from afar during eighth-grade graduation at Anza Trail School on July 16. The school held a drive-by ceremony in front of the school office.
Coming in
Zip — that’s the name the photographer gave this one — prepares to swoop in for a drink.
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