TUCSON, ARIZONA — In the August 28 Primary election, the Tucson Association of REALTORS® (TAR) have endorsed Herb Kai and Jack Neubeck for the Marana Town Council and Mayor Satish Hiremath and Councilmembers Lou Waters, Mary Snider and Joe Hornat for the Oro Valley Town Council.

“Councilmember Herb Kai brings years of experience and valuable knowledge to keep Marana moving forward. We are also proud to endorse Jack Nuebeck to join the Marana Town Council.  Jack will bring both energy and new ideas and will be a welcome addition to the Council,” said TAR Chief Executive Officer Randy Rogers.

“Marana is a community with a rich history and bright future.  The leadership of Herb and Jack will honor that history and continue to build that future,” Rogers continued. “We look forward to working together with Herb and Jack in the years to come.”

“Mayor Satish Hiremath, along with Councilmembers Lou Waters, Mary Snider and Joe Hornat, have earned our support for their results-oriented leadership in Oro Valley.”

“Oro Valley is a gem in Southern Arizona.  The leadership of Satish, Lou, Mary, and Joe have built a town with great job opportunities, well maintained streets, safe neighborhoods, vibrant arts, and beautiful park and recreational assets.”

“We look forward to working together with Satish, Lou, Mary and Joe to continue to shape the town that many of our association members are proud to call home,” Rogers added.

A new State Veterans’ Cemetery is coming to Marana. Gov. Jan Brewer announced Friday the Arizona Department of Veterans Services was awarded a $7.6 million federal grant for the cemetery which will fund the construction of the 32 acres of donated land.

“This is fantastic news for Arizonans, and especially for the Southern Arizona veterans and advocates who have championed for this cemetery for more than a decade,” Gov. Brewer stated in a news release. “This grant will help Arizona in our continued mission to properly honor those who have nobly served and sacrificed on our country’s behalf. I thank the Kai Family Foundation for graciously donating this land, as well as everyone involved in this important effort.”

More than half-a-million military veterans live in Arizona, including nearly 135,000 in Pima and surrounding counties.

The first seven to ten-acres will provide for in-ground burials, columbarium and in-ground cremated remains burials. It will also house an administration building, maintenance building, assembly area, committal shelter and parking.

The Kai family, led by Marana Town Councilman Herb Kai and his brother, John Kai Jr., donated the land for a cemetery to the Arizona Department of Veterans Services back on May 31. The property had been in the Kai family since the mid-1940s and is located west of Interstate 10, bordered on the west by North Luckett Road and on the north by the Pinal County line. Luckett Road, currently unpaved leading into the area, will be paved as part of the project.

Construction is expected to begin in July 2014 and should be complete by Oct. of 2015, according to the release.