PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA – Pima County Regional Flood Control District (District) and Tucson’s Northwest Fire District are partnering with Tucson Audubon Society to prevent fires and restore native Sonoran Desert habitat.

This week the Tucson Audubon Society will be removing salt cedar trees and other invasive species from the Santa Cruz River channel west of the river’s confluence with the Cañada del Oro Wash. Using chain saws and other tools to cut the trees, workers will also be driving vehicles in the river bed to remove invasive vegetation.

Removing the fire-prone invasive plant species, and introducing the firebreaks, is just the first stage of the District’s larger initiative to restore the native riparian ecosystem with enhanced floodplain function. Native trees will support a great variety of wildlife and be available for human enjoyment and recreation.

Tucson Audubon Society workers will remove invasive species from El Corazón — the heart of Tucson’s rivers, at the confluence of the Santa Cruz River, Rillito River, and the Cañada del Oro Wash. While greatly reducing fire danger to surrounding commercial and residential development, the project will also launch the process of restoring degraded land to prime waterway habitat for birds and other wildlife. Tucson Audubon’s mission to protect the birds of Southeast Arizona also protects and supports the people who live here.

Jennifer Becker, Principal Hydrologist at the District says, “We are happy to work with Tucson Audubon on this long-term project. They remove the fire danger, and plant native species in the flood plain. Native plants thrive and native bird and other animal species return. This desert habitat also provides a more authentic recreational experience along the Santa Cruz River corridor.”

Tucson Audubon Director of Conservation and Research, Jonathan Horst, describes the project as a great example of “[h]ow Tucson Audubon’s work to protect birds is in fact protecting the integrity of the Sonoran Desert ecosystem itself, as well as the safety and well-being of the people who have made their home here.”

PHOENIX, ARIZONA ‒ Liv Communities christened its fourth amenity-rich senior living development in the Valley on Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at LivGenerations Mayo Blvd., 6650 E. Mayo Blvd., in Phoenix.

The new community features 181 units – 155 homes and 26 casitas – and joins senior living properties that Liv Communities operates in the Valley in Gilbert, LivGenerations Agritopia; Scottsdale, LivGenerations Pinnacle Peak; and Phoenix, LivGenerations Ahwatukee.

“Executing a project like this takes a lot of teamwork and coordination,” said Liv Communities CEO Scott Brooks. “We broke ground in October 2019, a few short months before all of our lives were dramatically changed by a pandemic. It’s no easy feat under normal circumstances to develop such a project. To complete it under extreme conditions and have this great property available for our residents really underscores that sense of teamwork.”

LivGenerations Mayo offers 20 floor plans of independent living, assisted living, memory care and casitas. Amenities include front desk concierge; 24-hour emergency call system; large kitchens with high-end appliances and granite counters; walk-in closets available; scheduled transportation; pet-friendly; walking pathways; washer and dryers for select units; large open apartments; ADA-compliant units available; balconies and patios; and bark park.

“As a CARF-accredited (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) community in the Valley, LivGenerations Mayo is passionate about making the lives of our residents fulfilling, enjoyable and comfortable,” said Scott McCutcheon, LivGenerations COO. LivGenerations is the only rental senior living company that holds CARF accreditation.

LivGenerations Mayo Blvd. is the first community for the Michigan-based developer to offer the casita product, Brooks said. It has been a resounding success, he added. All of thecasitas have been leased out in the past few months.

The community also offers numerous dining options including the Veranda Grille, Crave, and Forno Mangia.

“This is a very exciting day to celebrate. Phoenix is the fastest-growing city in the United States and it’s one of the fastest growing for senior communities in the U.S. as well,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, one of the local dignitaries in attendance. “This community represents a nice place for the needs of its senior residents. The Mayo Corridor boasts some the best healthcare providers in the country.

“It’s exciting to me when we take a step forward in areas of dementia and memory care. I recently lost my grandmother, who was diagnosed with and died of dementia. We never quite knew the right thing to do. I am very thankful that a community like this in Phoenix can take steps and offer support. This moment is very important. There are now more options for great senior living,” the mayor added.

The new community features a full range of luxury amenities including classes in the state-of-the-art Liv Fit Fitness Center; a resort-quality swimming pool; and yoga and meditation. Social amenities include events at Barley’s Bourbon Bar and the Silk Tassel Tea Room.

Ryan Companies US, Inc., served as the general contractor; Todd & Associates Inc. was the architect of record. Other project team members included Thoma-Holec Design (LuAnn Thoma-Holec), interior designer; Burch & Cracchiolo (Ed Bull), zoning attorney; Huntington Bank (James O’Brien), construction loan; and engineering firms MSA (mechanical/plumbing/electrical), Kimley-Horn & Associates (civil), Bakkum Noelke (structural), and Fisher Engineering Inc. (fire protection).

“We are absolutely honored and thrilled to welcome this community to our network,” said Curt Moroney, Business Development Executive with the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. “Those in the realm of healthcare are near and dear to our hearts. This community will be a very experiential component to the lives of its residents.”

PHOTO: Residents Jim and Pam Pease cut the ribbon at LivGenerations Mayo Blvd. as Liv Communities officials (left) Scott Brooks and Scott McCutcheon and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego (right) look on.

Design + Build Event Benefits Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – Facings of America, Inc. is proud to host Design for Dogs, an annual fundraising event benefiting the Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA (AAWL). The event, now in its eighth year, will be held at Facings of America’s Scottsdale showroom on Friday, February 25, 2022. The festivities will run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will feature delicious food, great music, local craft beer and wine tasting, as well as drinks made with Frankly Organic Vodka. The night will also include music, adoptable dogs looking for some ear scratches, raffle prizes, and plenty of puppy kisses.

The highlight of the evening is the doghouse design + build competition featuring amazing custom canine abodes that will be sold at silent auction. Sixteen professional design + build teams have been commissioned to design, build and donate a swanky pet palace to the Design for Dogs event. These teams are made up of creative professionals from some of the leading local interior design, architecture, engineering and custom home building firms in the Valley. All proceeds from the event benefit AAWL. Facings of America has donated more than $130,000 to AAWL through the Design for Dogs event since 2015.

The doghouse entries in the Design for Dogs design + build competition are like no other doghouses you’ve ever seen. Designs from previous competitions have featured solar rooftop gardens, LED lighting, retractable floors, recirculating water systems, solar powered fans, skylights and even heated flooring! Once complete, the doghouses are displayed at the Facings of America showroom during the week prior to the event.

The custom doghouses will be judged by a panel of notable names in the Valley, including designer Peter Deise, popular radio host “Lady La” and renowned tile designer and marketing guru for Lunada Bay Tile, Feras Irikat. J.R. Cardenas, the host of Su Vida, will be the Emcee for the night. The judges will award trophies for Best of Show, Second Place and Third Place. There will also be a People’s Choice award that will be given to the doghouse that receives the most votes from the public through online voting.

AAWL was founded in 1971 by a group of concerned animal lovers led by Amanda Blake, who played Miss Kitty on the television program “Gunsmoke.” AAWL started out small scale, but by the late 1970s, the organization built its first shelter. Over the past 50 years, AAWL has grown from adopting a handful of animals each year to a full-service animal welfare organization and leader in innovative behavior

training, medical care, adoption, education and community outreach programs. Many of the animals that AAWL rescues come from rural shelters in Arizona, where animals are more likely to be euthanized due to the lack of resources to care for them.

For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, visit: www.designfordogs.org. To learn more about AAWL, visit www.aawl.org .