Holidays

The Tortolita Middle School Orchestra held its 25th Annual Community Concert Friday. The students played at the Life Care Center and the Foothills Mall. The orchestra is comprised of almost 50 students in seventh and eighth grade.

Emil and Jennifer Tompkins of Tompkins Family Chiropractic collected numerous toys from their patients and other people in the community to be donated to kids in need. The couple also collects school supplies for kids going back to school and food for families around Thanksgiving.

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The Town of Marana and the Town of Oro Valley have approved Christmas bonuses for employees this year.

Any time a friend or family member considers buying a camera, they always seem to ask my opinion on the matter. This time of year, those numbers seem to escalate dramatically.

Earlier this month, Rudy Poklar was in the Sun City Vistoso community’s wood shop with a can of light blue latex spray paint. In front of him sat nearly 20 wooden toy helicopters that he had built over the past year. The main and tail rotor pieces had already been painted red. On this day, he was spraying the front window on each helicopter’s cockpit.

This Christmas season, the Oro Valley Kiwanis Club has teamed up with the Tucson Quilter’s Guild in a cause that will positively affect 60 children and their families.

More cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year. With the popularity of turkey frying increasing, U.S. fire departments are responding to more than 1,000 fires each year in which a deep fryer is involved. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says deep fryer fires cause an average of five deaths, 60 injuries, and more than $15 million in property damage each year.

As the holiday shopping season approaches the Marana and Oro Valley police departments are gearing up for their holiday presence around the shopping areas.

One of the best parts of Christmas is reading letters from our little ones to Santa. This year, the Explorer will be printing some of those hand-written letters. Have your child write the letter, then send them our way to Thelma Grimes: Letters to Santa, at 7225 N. Mona Lisa Rd. #125, Tucson, AZ. 85741.