Host Bob Lee interviews Ora Mae Harn, Historian, Town of Marana. Harn was Mayor of Marana from 1989-1997. Harn is currently heading up the newly formed Marana Heritage Conservancy, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Marana’s heritage.
Harn says the town incorporated in 1977 to protect the water rights of its farmers. She says the town floundered economically until it annexed the Orange Grove Road-Thorneydale Road area in 1993. She says the fast growing retail sectors of that corridor provided the town with a steady revenue source. She says the first year, the town took in 4.5 million dollars in tax revenues. The town Council, she says, thought that was a “fortune.”
Harn says the Twin Peaks interchange, a new highway south of town connecting to Silverbell Road, will provide a convenient straight drive to Tucson. She says this will also provide a bridge to the Continental Ranch community, whose residents will be drawn to the businesses and recreational opportunities in Marana.
Harn says the Heritage Project she’s working on commemorates the area’s importance in Arizona History and celebrates its future as the community continues to innovate in the face of rapid change. She says the Project inspires pride in Marana’s cultural and natural heritage. She says Marana’s heritage prepares it to be what it is becoming: a hometown, a destination and an amenity-rich respite from the pressures of city life.
