NEW IN TOWN

Green Monkey consignment store opens Tuesday

Tucson real estate appraisers Julie Burdick and Lisa Law say they are putting their love for fashion and fun together to open The Green Monkey, a consignment store offering upscale women’s and children’s clothing and accessories at affordable prices.

The Green Monkey, 5575 E. River Road in River Center, opens Tuesday (Sept. 9). A grand opening is planned for the week of Sept. 29.

Burdick and Law say a portion of each sale will go to a charity of the customer’s choice and they will focus on local animal and children’s charities.

Store hours are 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Friday. The phone number is (520) 577-1610.

Sunset Interiors moves to Fort Lowell District

Sunset Interiors, which has operated for the past 18 years in Catalina, has opened a 5,000 square-foot design showroom at 3602 E. Fort Lowell Road in the Fort Lowell Furniture District.

Along with furniture and design services, Sunset Interiors offers flooring and window covering options. The flooring department offers carpet, tile, wood, and custom rugs.

MANUFACTURING

Army orders more Raytheon portable missiles

Raytheon Missile Systems says a joint project it has with Lockheed Martin has received an $111.6 million U.S. Army Global War on Terror contract to deliver additional Javelin man-held portable medium-range missiles.

The additional missiles are due to be delivered in spring 2011. The 49-pound Javelin is designed to be used by one person and is currently being used by the Army, Marine Corps and 10 allied customers.

TRANSPORTATION

Sun Tran wants input on express bus routes

Sun Tran is looking for input from potential customers on three new express routes it plans to launch in February from Oro Valley and Rita Ranch.

Information is being taken online at www.suntran.com to link to the appropriate survey.

Two of the planned routes are from Oro Valley, one to downtown Tucson and the other to Raytheon Missile Systems. The third route would link Rita Ranch to downtown Tucson.

Sun Tran anticipates operating the bus routes during weekday rush hours.

Gas prices continue to fall despite hurricane

With Hurricane Gustav’s relatively mild impact on the Gulf Coast, gas prices lost one excuse for going up last week, and instead continued their downward trend. The average price for a gallon of unleaded regular last week in Tucson was $3.462, down about 2½ cents in a week, according to AAA Arizona’s weekly survey.

Arizona’s statewide average was $3.596 per gallon, down about 3 cents in the last week. The national average is $3.678 per gallon.

RETAIL

BBB offering online business quick quotes

The Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona has introduced a service called BBB E-Quote, a free program allowing customers to submit requests for estimates from accredited business and then compare costs.

Customers can go onliine at www.tucson.bbb.org and click on the "request a quote" link. Consumers can then make a selection from a list. An e-mail containing the customer’s contact information is then sent to the participating business.

Giffords-Bee debate set for Sept. 13

A public debate is scheduled between U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and her Republican challenger, current state Sen. Tim Bee. The debate will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 13 in the ballroom of the University of Arizona’s Student Union, 1303 E. University Blvd. It is free and open to the public.

The debate will be broadcast live on KUAZ 89.1-FM and shown on the UA Channel, which is carried on Cox cable channel 116 and Comcast channel 76.

Moderating the debate will be Christopher Conover, political correspondent for KUAT-TV 6’s "Arizona Illustrated." Asking questions will be a panel made up of Ann Brown, editorial editor for the Arizona Daily Star, Blake Morelock, political reporter for the Tucson Citizen, and a UA journalism student who is yet to be selected.

The debate is hosted by Cox Communications, Arizona Public Media, the League of Women Voters and the Associated Students of the University of Arizona.

HUMAN RESOURCES

‘Wiser Worker’ job fair set for Sept. 24

A campaign called Employ the Wiser Worker, designed to bring together older workers with companies seeking their talents, will hold a job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Tucson Expo Center, 3750 E. Irvington Road.

Workers age 40 and older seeking employment, and participating employers representing industries such as health care, customer service, hospitality, finance, sales, insurance, skilled trades, transportation, security and more are encouraged to participate. Contact Amy Hoster at Amy.hoster@employmentguide.com or call 1-888-606-7896.

The job fair is a combined effort of the Employment Guide, Pima Council on Aging and Tucson One Stops.

11% of Tucson applicants search for jobs online

Eleven percent of job searchers in the Tucson area do it online, according to Scarborough Research, a New York-based consumer and media research firm. The national average is 12 percent.

The firm said online job searchers are 62 percent more likely to be between the ages of 18 and 34 and 23 percent more likely to have some college education.

The metropolitan areas with the highest rates of online job searchers are the San Francisco Bay Area, at 16 percent, and Boston, at 15 percent.

NONPROFITS

Johnjay & Rich raise $250,000 for TMC

Radio personalities Johnjay and Rich raised more than $250,000 during a three-day KRQ Cares for Kids Radiothon for Tucson Medical Center held Aug. 21-23 on KRQ 93.7-FM.

The amount brings the five-year total they’ve raised to almost $1.4 million. The money is contributed through the Children’s Miracle Network.

NY Life Foundation gives grant to United Way

The New York Life Foundation gave a grant of $2,200 to support the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona.

The New York Life Foundation awards approximately 130 grants annually to local United Ways nationwide to boost community programs.

KUDOS

Volunteer Center gives 5 Community Hearts Awards

The Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona honored its 2008 Community Hearts Awards winners Sept. 4.

The winners and their respective awards were:

• Drew Abromowitz of the Students in Free Enterprise Team at the University of Arizona wins the Citi Financial Education Award for volunteer service promoting financial literacy and responsibility.

• The board of directors of Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault wins the Desert Diamond Casino Community Leaders Award given annually to a board of directors of a nonprofit organization whose service to the community contributes to enhancing quality of life.

• Tom Rizzi and the Santa Cop Program wins the Southwest Gas Right From the Start for Children Award given to a community project and/or partnership that provides measurable benefits for children.

• Joseph Heller from the Primavera Foundation wins the Tucson Citizen of the Year Award presented annually to an individual for outstanding volunteer service.

• Vicki Mongeon of Catalina Community Services wins the Volunteer Center’s Ellen Hargis Award, which honors an administrator of volunteers whose efforts allow volunteers to produce significant achievements.