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Summer Reading Program

Hannah McLeod/The Explorer

Cyra Patanwala (left), 3, and older sister Leila Patanwala (right), 6, enjoy "The Crooked Tale", a puppet show put on by Puppet's Amongus.

Austin Thacker

Courtesy photo

Austin Thacker, local eighth grader struggling with cancer, remains in high spirits.

New building for Catalina aid

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer, Catalina Community Services has operated out of this building for the past 13 years.

SAACA Splash!

Chris Flora/The Explorer

Duffy Wagman, from Vero Amore restaurant, serves authentic meatballs during the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance Splash! event held on June 2 at the La Encantada Mall.

Catalina service in new location

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer, Georgene Birchard, who has volunteered for Catalina Community Services for the past six years, sorts through clothing that will either be placed in the new clothing bank, the Golden Goose Thrift Shop, or passed on to the Salvation Army.

Catalina service in new location

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer, Ginny and Mike Gillum, who both volunteer at Catalina Community Services' food bank, clean up some weeds that sprouted around the new building after the recent monsoon. The new building is home to the Pima County Health Office, and CCS.

Kent Diehl, M.D.

Julie Vlahakis

Julie Vlahakis of Amarsi Ristorante.

The Guide

courtesy photo, Pianist Anton Faynberg performs at Pima Community College this Thursday.

Ironwood frosh win a title

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer, Sara Brown, left, and Marissa Baca, both Ironwood Ridge High School freshmen, won the 5A-II state doubles tennis championship against two seniors from Millennium High School in Goodyear. Baca and Brown won in two games, 6-2, 7-5.

New building for Catalina aid

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer, Nancy Ubinger, 86, has been volunteering with Catalina Community Services for the past five years, and currently offers her time in the clothing bank.

Congressional Art Competition

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer

Recent Ironwood Ridge High School graduate Stephanie Spalding drawing “Hello” is an image she created from a photograph of her older sister when she was 3 years old. The image is created entirely from the word “hello.”

Dave Safier

Dave Safier

Richard D. Brinkley

Richard D. Brinkley

Rebecca Marie Gomez

Oro Valley Aquatic Center

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer

Swimmers on the Canyon Del Oro High School swim team practice at the Oro Valley Aquatic Center’s pool last Wednesday.

Park Ranger

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer

Rangers are a key part to the success at Catalina State Park. Mike Dake works the front gate.

Mountain View Baseball

By Randy Metcalf

Tough road to the mountains

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer, Barbara Coleman throws a piece of garbage away that she found in the Chalk Creek Wash during a hike with Sun City Vistoso residents. Given the rapid development of Oro Valley, some area officials now worry that the public won't have enough easy access to trails.

David Devine and Dick Kroese

Courtesy Photo

David Devine and Dick Kroese, President of SaddleBrooke Rotary, stand together after Devine spoke about his new book that looks at the history of railroads in Tucson.

OVPD opens new substation near Tangerine

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer, Oro Valley Mayor Satish Hiremath, left, passes council member Joe Hornat in the newest Oro Valley police substation, located at Oro Valley Marketplace. The department publicly unveiled its new Tangerine Station last Friday morning.

Dancing, with 500 watching

Dave Perry/The Explorer, Elizabeth Keyes and Paul Kappelman work on their cha-cha.

Music Teacher Enrique Lasansky

Robert Brush

Mpassion

Randy Metcalf/Explorer Newspaper

The Picacho Peak store is managed by Jeff Valentine, the regional supervisor.

Movie Times bar

Indu Partha, M.D.

Indu Partha, M.D.

IRHS Graduation

J.D. Fitzgerald/The Explorer

Ironwood Ridge graduate Kurt Bailey, center, hurls his graduation cap in celebration along with the rest of the Class of 2013.

OV unveils new linear park

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer, Oro Valley officers Kristine Filippelli (right) and Simon Emidy lead the pack during the CDO Linear Park dedication last week.

Sunquest builds bikes for kids

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer, Bill Kelly, from Michigan, and 12-year-old Tucsonan Jacob Dibbern work together to build one of 18 bikes last week. About 250 people from around the world were in town, and they participated in a team-building exercise at Sunquest Information Systems' annua…

Executive Chef Richard Serna

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer

Executive Chef Richard Serna believes in the positive effects food used as medicine can have.

Justin McCarthy-Contreras

photo courtesy of McCarthy-Contrers family

Justin McCarthy-Contreras, a 2010 Ironwood Ridge High School graduate, is coming back from a severe head injury at University Medical Center.

Catalina service in new location

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer, Jeff McClure, who has been volunteering at Catalina Community Services for about the past four months, organizes some of the canned food in the food bank.

Jocelyn Bronson

Northwest side robbery

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer

Pima County Sheriff deputies have evacuated the Safeway and surrounding businesses at Linda Vista and Thornydale Road. Deputies have also sent a robot inside to determine if that area is safe.

PRCA Basketball Camp

Hannah McLeod/The Explorer

Cameron Drescher, a sixth-grader at BASIS Oro Valley School, goes in for the layup at the Pusch Ridge basketball camp.

Uncovering an ancient city

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer, Marana Cultural Resources manager Su Benaron (left) and Debbie Swartz, of Desert Archaeology, sift through a wheelbarrow filled with thousands of artifacts from the archaeological dig near the Silverbell road project.

Kate Tuchscherer

Dr. Linda Leiphart

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer

Dr. Linda Leiphart is making a big impact on her patient’s lives as she specializes in treatment for suicide and in working with teenagers with self-injuring tendencies at her practice, CBT-DBT, LLC. The practice is located at 6885 N. Oracle Road, Suite E.

Christine Farrugia

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer

Christine Farrugia traveled through Tucson last week on her bicycle journey around the world. Farrugia started in California and will finish back there after traveling through Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Barbara McClure

Hannah McLeod/Explorer Intern

Barbara McClure, executive director of Catalina Community Services. Winner of the Non-profit of the Year

Wings of Freedom 3

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer

Interstate 10 lines the path for a B-17, as viewed from the bombardier position at the nose of the aircraft.

Ranch caretaker was a 'giant,' family says

Explorer file photo, Carlos Rivera, former caretaker of Steam Pump Ranch, died last Tuesday afternoon. Rivera spent most of his life caring for horses and other animals on various ranches around Southern Arizona.

Photos bring fallen pump house to life

photo courtesy of Town of Oro Valley

Bal-A-Vis-X

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer

Different colored balls are used for various Bal-A-Vis-X exercises.

Flag Day in SaddleBrooke

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer, Fran Kautsky stands during the Flag Day ceremony when people who served in the military were acknowledged. Kautsky served in the Navy Reserve for 20 years, and was in active duty for two years during the Korean War.

Mountain View High School vs Amphitheater Baseball

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer

Mountain View High School’s Brandon Hyatt goes for the ball to pick off an Amphitheater High School player during last week’s game.

Artwork by Joe Dal Pra

courtesy of Pima Community College

Artwork by Joe Dal Pra

Misty Colvin, M.D.

Misty Colvin, M.D.

Ironwood Ridge High School Baseball

Randy Metcalf/The Explorer

Ironwood Ridge High School senior Jake Matthews steals third base and after the throw from the catcher wad thrown over the third-baseman, Matthews scored a run.