On this week’s show: We’re focusing on development in Tucson’s west side. - City Council Member Regina Romero has represented the area for nearly a decade. We chat with her about how the west side is evolving and what the obstacles have been. - Arizona Daily Star columnist Ernesto Portillo has a long personal connection to the west side neighborhood Menlo Park. He spent much of his childhood there and is a current resident. We sit down with Neto, as he’s known, to talk about how neighbors feel about the changes and why he loves that part of town. - The Gadsden Company, which owns and operates the Mercado San Agustin, has been a major player in developing the west side. We talk with owners Kira Dixon-Weinstein and Adam Weinstein about their vision for the neighborhood. -When voters authorized Rio Nuevo in 1999, a major component of the project was construction of historical and cultural sites at the base of A Mountain, known as Tucson’s birthplace. Only one of those projects has come to fruition – the Mission Gardens. We go for a visit and talk with outreach director Dena Cowan about how the area could in the future look very much like it did in the past. - And lastly, Sentinel Peak, or A Mountain, is one of the west side s most iconic landmarks. Each year a tradition on the mountain marks the beginning of the U of A’s homecoming festivities. We’ll check in on this year’s ceremony.
