The thinking is that Mexico could pose an economic threat in retaliation if their truckers are blocked from coming into the United States. Members of the Southern Arizona Logistics Education Organization met in Tucson and came up with this determination. It was mentioned that the U.S. could be faced with higher tariffs on trade that comes into this country from Mexico. Some wonder if this isn’t a lesser problem than to allow the trucks into the U.S. taking it’s toll on our roads, our country and the safety of our citizens. The trade corridor being discussed runs from Mexico City through Tucson and on to Edmonton, Alberta.

The Nevada Homebuilder didn’t give a reason for withdrawal of his proposal to build in the Sahuarita area but did say that they could possibly submit plans in the future. There were concerns expressed by officials in Sahuarita about the environment, groundwater issues, as well as the use of roads in the area for one of the largest developments ever planned for Pima County.

Tucson merchants did not approve security cameras for the downtown area at a City council meeting Tuesday though city leaders will continue discussing safety issues and what would be best in that vicinity. The thinking was that cameras don’t necessarily mean more safety and downtown security is what is needed. Decisions of such topics of importance are better thought to be made after the new council members are on board.

Future water use must now be considered by developers in Pima County including the Tucson area before decisions are made to build more businesses or homes. Groundwater and private wells must now be of concern as well, to make sure there is a 100 year assured water supply for new construction. The more water a developer will need, the more detailed his usage plan must be. It needs to include where the developer expects to obtain the water and a study on bringing renewable water supplies to the area with no adverse impact on threatened ecosystems.

The county is planning to spend around $100K before the 2008 horse racing season on Rillito Race Track that originally opened in 1943. After this expenditure, insurance will pay close to $140,000 more for repairs to the barns and grandstand that were damaged in a microburst. Even with this expenditure, the race track will not be brought up to current code and the repairs are less than what a structural engineer recommended. The thinking is that the county will demolish the structure in a few years anyway and it will become a soccer complex for large tournaments in Tucson.

A Business in Tucson has plans for towers that may be able to eliminate CO2 and help with the fight against Global Warming. These towers could allow you to burn fossil fuel while they eliminate CO2 by taking in the carbon dioxide and releasing it as oxygen as trees actually do. The name of the company is Global Research Technologies and the tower is the size of a 40-foot shipping container and can take out a ton of carbon dioxide in one day that would take a tree close to a century to do. It is thought that this technology could also be applied automobiles as well.

University Medical Center was fortunate to have Dr. Jim Balserak, 43, training there for close to 5 months but then heading back to Iraq. He worked in the trauma unit and saw everything from the damage done by drunk drivers to gang violence which helped prepare him for his second tour of duty. In 2004 he spent time in Iraq as chief trauma surgeon in Baghdad. The second tour is when he was the commander of the Air National Guard’s Air Expeditionary Forces 447th Medical Squadron in Baghdad. He was part of a 23 member team of health care professionals who all live and work in Tucson but also belong to the162nd Medical Group of the 162nd Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard, which happens to be the largest Guard wing in the nation training F-16 pilots at its base at Tucson International Airport. Dr. Balserak finds his work in Iraq the most rewarding of any of the work he has done.

Three Universities in Arizona have gathered close to 5,000 signed comment cards that show support to freeze tuition with no increases for the upcoming year. The cards have been circulated all over the UA campus in Tucson, online at www.asua.arizona.edu and will soon appear in the Arizona Daily Wildcat student newspaper. The UA comment cards will be taken to the Board of Regents’ hearing on Thursday as well as a board meeting Dec 6 and 7th.

The temperatures are finally dropping in Tucson and we now have a slight chance of rain in the forecast throughout the holiday weekend. There may even be a freeze in the outlying areas of the city by Sunday. This cooler weather is brought on by a series of low-pressure systems from Canada and temperatures are expected to be close to 30 degrees cooler than last week by the weekend. There is also a possibility of rain showers and even snow above 4,500 feet. The temperatures have been near record high levels for most of November and the winter weather outlook for Tucson is for it to be warmer than usual.

Humberto Gamez-Chavez, 23, a Mexican citizen, was booked into Pima County jail after police found 550 pounds of marijuana in his Tucson home. Neighbors reported the coming and going of vehicles and suspicious activity at all hours of the night to Tucson Police Department. Gamez-Chavez was booked on suspicion of unlawful possession of marijuana and a narcotic drug for sale, as well as possession of narcotic paraphernalia. The police also found a small amount of cocaine. Border Patrol Agents in Sasabe south of Tucson also seized close to 1,000 of marijuana. The police and border patrol agents appreciate the citizens reporting any questionable activity.