Have you ever gone camping with your kids? Well here’s your chance. Tomorrow, April 12, 2008, might be the perfect time.

Marana is having Family Night Under the Stars, which sounds like a lot of fun. There’s going to be music, a movie (“The Goonies”), stargazing, bonfires, and more.

The flyer says you need to be registered for overnight camping by last week, but don’t worry, it’s not too late. You can register online by 11:59p.m. on Saturday, April 12.

If you don’t want to spend the night, feel free to take your family to Ora Mae Harn park and enjoy a beautiful, fun-filled evening. The weather will be kind of cool, with a low of 55 degrees, so be prepared.

Have fun! If you go, please let us know how it turns out. 

Springtime in Marana and Tucson brings warmer weather, earlier sunrises, and swarms of bees.

The other day I saw a swarm crossing the street (they waited for a green light). It was an amazing sight, but I was glad I was in my car with the windows closed.

Bees usually swarm when the colony splits, and they go in search of a new nesting place. Even though we have to be careful of them, bees are essential to agriculture and nature in general.

So keep your eyes open, and watch for bee activity near your home. For more information about bees, check out this website to get started.

I’m relatively new to Tucson, having lived in Marana for less than 3 years. But the “growth” and “progress” I’ve seen in this short amount of time is amazing!

It makes me wonder how much we’re losing while we’re gaining. Habitat for wildlife is the most obvious loss, but it may not matter much to you if you’re not an animal. If you encounter a pack of javelinas in your backyard, mountain lions next door, or “killer bees” right outside your front door, suddenly the loss of habitat makes a difference in your life too.

Sometimes what’s being lost isn’t nature. At the corner of Silverbell and Ina there’s a historical house that’s scheduled to be demolished to make way for Silverbell Crossroads, a retail property. The house is estimated to have been built in the early 1900’s.

We’re also losing our views of what’s left of the natural world. Condominiums will be built on Silverbell Rd. across from Continental Ranch, possibly blocking mountain vistas for current residents.

At the same time, I’m looking forward to the new library on Silverbell Rd. and Cortaro. I use a lot of gas, which affects the environment (and my pocketbook) driving out to the Nanini branch.

What do you think? When is growth good, a necessary evil, or just plain bad?

If you think you want to enroll your preschool-aged child in a Marana Unified School District preschool this fall, your time is almost up.

The first step is the lottery, and the deadline for the application (which is free) is March 28, 2008. Luckily you can fax the application. The schools that have a preschool are Coyote Trail, Desert Winds, Estes, Twin Peaks, Roadrunner, and Quail Run. Make sure you DO NOT drop off the application at the schools.

Once your child is accepted, you have to go through the enrollment process (which includes an enrollment fee, shot records, etc.).

For more information, and to obtain the lottery application, go to the MUSD website. The link to the application is in the column to the left on that page, along with links to other pertinent information about the preschool program.

Today was the Easter egg hunt at Marana’s Hip Hop Holiday, and overall my daughter and I had a good time. It was hotter than I thought it would be (that Tucson sun is fierce), but there were shady spots here and there.

I was disappointed with the egg hunt, though. The 2 & 3 year old hunt was supposed to start at 10:30, but it started almost 5 minutes earlier. That may not sound like a lot, but I wasn’t the only parent running to get there when there should have been 5 more minutes to spare. It’s hard getting toddlers ready to go anywhere, so being early is great, but sometimes it’s a struggle to be on time. I’m glad I wasn’t on time. We’d have missed it.

So my daughter only got 4 eggs.

On the other hand, the 1-year-old and special needs field had too many eggs. In comparison, the 2-3 year olds were done in a few minutes, while the other field took at least 5 minutes to clear. I would suggest next year that they start on time (or even a few minutes late), and have more eggs for the agile and eager 2&3-year-olds. I’m not sure how the other hunts worked out, but I’m guessing they could have used more eggs too.

I enjoyed the clues and the hunt for the golden egg that was eventually found in a fire pit. It would be great if they had even more extra-hidden eggs for people to find.

Will I be going back next year? You bet! I’m sure it will be even better than this year’s.

Looking for some fun for your kids on Easter?

The Continental Ranch Community Park is having its annual Easter egg hunt, Hip Hop Holiday, this Saturday, March 22, from 10a.m. to 1p.m. Children aged 11 and under will be able to hunt for eggs in certain parts of the field. Each hunt time is for a certain age range, so don’t worry that your 1-year-old will have to compete with 11-year-olds.

The free event also includes jumping castles. And no Easter egg hunt would be complete without the Easter Bunny!

Parking and a shuttle services will be at the new Rattlesnake Elementary School on Coachline.

Check out the flyer for exact hunt times for your children’s age groups. For more information call (520)382-1950. Hip Hop Holiday is a Marana Parks & Recreation event.

Stay tuned to Marana Unwrapped to find out about more events.

Marana’s Founders’ Day 2008 was a great event to take my daughter. She’s now almost 3 and a lot of fun (and work) when it comes to outings, so when it rolled around this past weekend we jumped at it.

There was really almost too much to do for such a little one, so we concentrated on the area designated for kids. Wouldn’t you know it, though? My daughter preferred to play on the jungle gym, which she could have done any day of the week almost anywhere in town.

The highlights were the free pony ride (which my daughter decided not to do after standing in line for 20 minutes) and the tractor ride. We got to sit in one of those HUGE John Deere tractors. It was a blast, even though the tractor was stationary.

Marana really knows how to throw a celebration, so the next time there’s something at Ora Mae Harn park, be sure to check it out.

Perhaps you have the day off today. Or you might be hard at work. Maybe you’re studying for an upcoming exam.

Whatever you’re doing today, take a few minutes to remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Our country wouldn’t be as great as it is without the hard work, sweat, and literal blood of Dr. King and many more people dedicated to improving the lives of others.

Today I thought about how many advantages I have, thanks to the civil rights movement. I wouldn’t be living where I do, I wouldn’t be as educated as I am, and I wouldn’t be free to live my life the way I am. Today I remember how much I have to be thankful for.

Remember.

Here’s a pop quiz. What is Arizona’s state mammal?

I know I had no idea, and never would have even looked it up if I hadn’t seen one tonight. The ringtail, a mammal in the same family (procyonid) as the coati and the more familiar raccoon, is the state mammal. As the picture shows, it has obvious rings on its long, bushy tail, and looks like a fox or a cat.

Tonight I happened to be looking into the sky, and noticed what I thought was a cat sitting on an outside windowsill of my friend’s apartment. I wondered how a cat could get up to the 2nd floor, and I was a little concerned for the poor creature. It moved and started to climb the wall. Cats don’t climb walls that well without falling, which this animal didn’t. Instead, it climbed up to a vent protruding out of the wall, stuck its head and front feet in, and pulled out something with its mouth.

My daughter and I watched in awe as it started to crunch on its prey. Feathers fell, and I realized it was eating a bird.

Anyway, it was a very interesting find, right here in our own backyard (near Cortaro and Silverbell).

From what I’ve read, it’s rare to actually see one. Ringtails are nocturnal and use their big eyes and fox-like ears to hunt at night.

According to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum’s site,

“Ringtails are strictly nocturnal animals, using their large eyes and keen sense of smell to locate prey. They are excellent climbers and leapers, using their long tails for balance as they negotiate steep canyon walls or trees with equal ease. The ringtails have semi-retractable claws and can rotate their hind feet 180 degrees, allowing them to descend cliffs face first.

They den in niches in rock walls, boulder piles, or hollow trees. Ringtails are solitary, only pairing up for a few days of mating in April. The 2 to 4 kits are born in June. By fall the young can hunt for themselves and soon disperse.

Though fierce little fighters, ringtails fall prey to great horned owls, bobcats, and coyotes. When frightened, they emit a musky odor from anal scent glands.”

As soon as I get a chance, I’ll post the pictures of the ringtail that I took tonight.

Have you seen a ringtail or any other wild animals here in Marana?

The Town of Marana is looking to fill its recently vacant council member position.

What qualifications do you need? You just have to be interested in helping the community. The staff at the Town of Marana keeps council members informed so they can make wise decisions.

What does a council member do? From the Town of Marana website, “The Marana Town Council is a seven-member governing body that makes policy for the Town and directs the allocation of resources through the fiscal budget. They are a non-partisan body elected by Town of Marana residents, including direct elections for the position of Mayor…. Council seats are paid, part-time positions, but many Council members hold other jobs or are retired.”

Because the vacancy is due to the resignation of Tim Escobedo, the Town can appoint someone to complete the unexpired term that ends on March 2009. Normally it would be an elected position.

So if you’ve always wanted to have your hand in running a town, this is the job for you. You don’t even have to do an election campaign.

Submit a letter of interest, your resume, and any other document you feel would be helpful. You have until January 18 at 5 p.m. to submit the materials to: Marana Town Clerk, 11555 W. Civic Center Drive, Marana, AZ, 85653.

Good luck!