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Our 2024 Citizens of the Month ranged from non-profit communitarians, to scholars, to our public servants.
Bonnie Quinn, Co-Founder of Rockin’ 4 Heroes, gave us the full story of how OV’s biggest concert event of the year was born.
Jim Williams talked about his work of deep scholarship: OV: The First 50 Years. Pat Spoerl, Co-Founder of the OV Historical Society, told us about specific properties of historical significance and why they are important to our community and our legacy.
We also were able to recognize the OV Police Communications Bureau for its critical role in maintaining a state-of-the-art, 24/7 communications center that can dispatch emergency services in a matter of seconds.
Finally, if you’ve been living in a cave in the Catalinas for the past 6 months, you might have missed the fact that 2024 was an election year.
We featured profiles of all the candidates for city government. We carried out revealing – and encouraging — conversations with three very distinct City Council members: Mary Murphy, “Mo” Greene, and Elizabeth Robb.
“I don’t think there is any one person that can say they “shaped OV”…There are some forces at work here that are bigger than any person.”
— Jim Williams, author of Oro Valley: The First 50 Years.
What’s the best part about being a law enforcement officer?
“Being the voice of the victim.”
— Kara Riley, Chief, Oro Valley Police Department
“I believe that awareness of our history and our environment are important in making progress to a sustainable future – learning from the past. The more awareness and appreciation of these elements the better decisions a town, city, or nation can make.”
— Pat Spoerl, Co-Founder, OV Historical Society
“I would say the biggest improvement would be for greater public understanding and education for what role emergency communication centers and public safety telecommunicators play in emergency services. The lack of understanding for what information is needed when calling 911 can add stress to an already stressful situation. I think a greater understanding would not only make it easier to access emergency service but would also create a greater appreciation for the unseen responders during an emergency.”
— Ben Johnson, Public Safety Telecommunications Supervisor, Oro Valley Police Department
“We immediately saw that people were happy to be out and about, but also people were grateful to have the opportunity to express their appreciation for these groups. Most of us take for granted that these people are going to come when we call, or fight to protect our freedoms. We believed – and were proven correct – that many people wanted to participate in this giant thank you!”
— Bonnie Quinn, Co-Founder, Rockin’ 4 Heroes
“We subsequently passed the children’s health care law that became the model for the country.”
— “Mo” Greene, OV City Councilman
“Council members are definitely not in it for the money, if that’s what you’re asking. Actually, if you break down the limited compensation to an hourly wage, I think it would pencil out to a whopping 35 cents per hour. The decision to run for any office should never be a financial one, in my opinion. It needs to come from your heart. As a Council member, I would never ask residents to increase my compensation because I want them to be confident that I serve from my heart.”
— Mary Murphy, OV City Councilwoman
“I was surprised that I was going to be paid. I’m used to being a volunteer, so I’m used to not being paid. Being paid is a bonus! It’ll cover the clothes that I have to buy because I’m used to being a mom and a chicken farmer!”
— Elizabeth Robb, OV City Councilwoman
