Economy got you down? Does the thought of paying more for garbage collection, water and other city services got you feeling a little blue? Especially when you know darned well you won’t be getting any better better services when it comes to filling potholes. Are you worried about the future? 

There is reason to cheer up. If you read the printed version of this week’s Inside Tucson Business from front to back, by now you’ve read through our annual special section honoring nine Up & Comers. That has got to give you good reason for a positive outlook for this region’s future,

It’s not just this year’s class of Up & Comers, either. I particularly enjoyed the refresher article on the previous honorees, most of whom are still here and making a difference.

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Maybe I’ve been hit with a bit of the malaise that seems to afflict so many Tucsonans but of late I’ve been feeling less enthused about the propspects for this region’s future. The hot summer is coming on. There are parts of Tucson that aren’t what I’d call attractive but thanks to the city’s budget woes, it is looking even more ragged around the edges than usual. 

So the Up & Comers special section was a timely antidote for that.

For me what’s best about the special section is the event in which this year’s class meets up with previous honorees.

If you need a shot of positive vibes, let me suggest you join us for this year’s reception. It’s going to be May 20 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa, 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with a tequila toast on the resort’s Salud Terrace after which we will move to what the resort calls the Plunge area for the reception. (Sounds like it might be near a pool. I suppose you can check to see if you can bring a bathing suit when you make your resevation.)

E-mail or call Laura Enriquez in our office at lenriquez@azbiz.com or call (520) 294-1200, ext. 0, by May 13 to make your reservations. The cost for the event is $25 per person — past and present Up & Comer honorees are complimentary.

Moving Tucson Forward

Another spirit booster last week came in the form of the Moving Tucson Forward organizational meeting April 22 put on by Rick Grinnell’s Smart United Business Strategies (SUBS). For starters, it was emceed by Dave Sitton and if that guy can’t put a positive spin on something, I don’t know who can.

Topics ranged from the various taxes being proposed by the City of Tucson to solve its budget issues, the never ending saga of Rio Nuevo — or, as somebody called it Rio Nunca (Rio never) — to public safety initiatives, economic development and Spring Training.

About 100 business leaders and a few politicians were there showing a willingness to take a hands-on, collaborative  approach to helping re-energize the region.

Congratulations to Grinnell and his SUBS organization. It looks as if there is some traction there.

See? Things are looking up already.

E-mail comments for publication to editor@azbiz.com.