Posted on 08/09/2003 8:45:11 AM PDT by cyncooper
Today we know a little bit more about President Bush's visit to Tucson Monday.
It's a visit to tour the wake of the Aspen fire and promote a forest health plan.
The President is expected to talk about his plan to reduce delays that slow forest thinning projects that can prevent wildfires.
Monday's visit is also expected to draw some protestors.
Many people up on Mount Lemmon who were hoping to see the President might be disappointed.
President Bush will speak to an invitation-only crowd.
Some of the residents on the mountain are disappointed, but say regardless- they welcome the national attention a presidential visit will bring.
President Bush will spend nearly two hours on Mount Lemmon Monday morning.
Not everyone will get to see him. John and Thompson Hughes lost their cabin to the Aspen fire. They were hoping to catch a glimpse of the president in person, but they probably won't.
Even the executive director of the Pima County Republican Party is not invited to Monday's mountain meeting. Ed Parker, "The President's here on business. Unlike previous presidents, he's not here for a political grandstanding. He'll see to his business and then he's leaving."
John and Thompson Hughes, "I think we're disappointed. I was going to come see him with my daughter-in-law. I wanted be a part of everything. But we understand."
Certain members of the Mount Lemmon community will get to see the President. Some will even get to speak to him.
Bob Zimmerman is chair of the Mount Lemmon Fire District Board. He recently received a phone call shuttled up to briefly meet the President. "We're very honored that he would come to our scrappy little town of Mount Lemmon. We welcome the national attention. We are true environmentalists up here and we are dedicated to protecting the forest."
KGUN 9 will carry the president's visit live. Our coverage will begin at 9:30 am.
A Tucson woman will not only get to meet the president- she will receive a special presidential honor.
"I was overwhelmed. It is a tremendous honor." Last week, Deborah Toland received a very memorable phone from the US Freedom Corps office. She will be honored by President Bush as part of his Tucson visit.
Toland volunteers for the Citizen Corps Council for Homeland Security of Southern Arizona- a group assembled by Mayor Walkup as a result of September 11th. Members help Tucson families prepare physically, economically, and psychology for disasters.
She is a child and family therapist who's also being honored for helping evacuees of the Aspen Fire through her volunteer work with the Red Cross. "Our role as mental health workers were to provide support and comfort to those families in distress...what had happened to their homes."
Toland volunteers about 40 hours a week. She says the presidential honor is not about her- but about the need to help families feel safe and secure in the event of a local disaster.
Toland has been told she'll have about 10 minutes to speak with the President outside Air Force One right after he arrives. She'll then be helicoptered up the mountain to receive her award.
I'm sure he'll fly into Davis-Monthan Air Force base and helicopter up to the mountain.
Give the guy a break, he's on vacation.
Thanks, but it doesn't sound like I will get a chance. I just checked our Sunday paper and as I guessed, he's flying into the Air Force base and coptering up to the mountain. The road to the mountain will be closed, too, so he isn't even going to be driving by to wave to.
That's not to say I'm not very pleased he'll be here and will have tv on to local coverage. Here's the latest from the Daily Star (I do not subscribe to this "paper" for obvious reasons):
The Visit
• President Bush will fly into Davis-Monthan Air Force Base from his Texas ranch Monday morning.
• He'll take a helicopter to Mount Lemmon, where he will tour some of the nearly 85,000 acres burned by the Aspen Fire in June and July.
• Mount Lemmon will be closed to all traffic from 7 a.m. to noon Monday.
There is a long article about the plan he'll propose and the paper chooses to criticize it already (not enough funding is the complaint). It's available at the above link.
'04 politics at heart of Bush trip
Now I'm trying to find more news. Just heard on local news that some drunken fool went up the mountain this morning, breeching their security line and he ended up being shot and killed. The last I heard is today's presidential visit is now in question!
I will post any updates here.
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