Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page C006

C6 TUCSON REGION OBITUARIES Sunday, July 24, 2016 Arizona Daily Star FUNERAL NOTICES 'Stranger danger' talks timely as school nears WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW The suspect in a July 14 incident near Cardinal and Los Reales was described as a white man with short grey or light-colored hair and some sort of mark on the right side of his face just above his upper lip. He was wearing a white T-shirt and jeans with holes in them. The suspect in a July 18 incident near Cardinal and Valencia was described as a white man in his 40s or 50s, with blonde hair. He was wearing a University of Arizona baseball hat and may have been driving a newer model gray Volkswagen Beetle. CHILD SAFETY TIPS For more resources on child safety, visit: Kidsmartz.org ARIZONA DAILY STAR 2014 Talking to children like this kindergartner walking to school with her father about stranger danger is sensitive because youngsters should be aware, but not frightened.

By Alexis Huicochea ARIZONA DAILY STAR On a recent summer day, Esperanza Mendez braved the Tucson heat so her three boys could get in some time at her neighborhood park. Though she hadn't heard about recent reports of two attempts by strangers to lure children on the southwest side, she kept a close watch on her kids, ages 3, 9 and 13. "I always make sure I can see them," she said, though news of the incidents made her feel uneasy. "I tell my kids, 'Don't talk to strangers, even if they have candy'" Mendez said. That kind of communication, uncomfortable as it maybe, is important, and in at least one of the incidents, it made a difference.

On July 14, a 10-year-old boy was outside in his front yard when he was asked by a man standing across the street near a neighbor's fence to come over to him. "The boy's parents had just talked to him about not talking to strangers and that resonated with him," said Deputy Courtney Rodriguez, a Pima County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman. "That helped prompt him to go into the house versus staying outside where the stranger was." While it is unknown what the man's intentions were, sheriff's deputies are looking into the matter. Just four days later, about two miles away, two 10-year-old boys were offered $5 to get into a man's car, but the children refused and the man drove away. In both cases, the man involved was described as Caucasian, although the Sheriff's Department has no information that would lead detectives to believe that the incidents are connected, Rodriguez said.

parents can share with their children: Check first before doing anything, before going anywhere or before accepting anything. In examining more than 11,000 attempted-abduction reports over the last decade, the center found that suspects most often offered children a ride, candy or money. Suspects were also known to ask the child a question or to use an animal to lure a child by either asking for help to look for a pet or offering to show one. Take a friend. There is safety in numbers, and whether kids are playing at the park or walking somewhere, it's important they're with someone.

Tell people "no." Children have been brought up to respect their elders and naturally want to be helpful, but if they don't want to do something, if they don't want to go with someone they should know they have a right to say "no." Tell a trusted adult. If a child feels uncomfortable or confused or is asked to go somewhere, a trusting adult will help the child make a good decision. Depending on the situation, trusted adults can be a parent, a teacher, a police officer or even a store clerk with a name tag. With the school year already underway in the Vail School District and as other districts prepare to open their doors in the coming weeks, the conversation is especially important for children who will be walking to or from school. The center's study found that attempted abductions happen more often when a child is going to and from school or school-related activities.

The conversation leading into the rules could sound something like: "I'm your momdadauntuncle and I want to make sure you're safe. Here are some ways you can keep yourself safe," Colon said. Colon encourages role -playing to allow the BURKE, Robert B. Robert B. Burke died in Tucson, Arizona on July 20, 2016.

Robert was the only child of Ben R. Burke and Olive T. Burke. He served in the Army Air Corps in Italy and France during World War II. After his honorable discharge from military service, Robert graduated from Stout State University with a degree in Industrial Education.

In 1977 Robert retired from teaching and serving as an area coordinator of Industrial Arts and Home Arts and with the assistance of their children, moved to Arizona with his wife, Esther. Robert was a life member of the Disabled American Veterans, an active member of his church, served on the Village Board of Old Mill Creek in Illinois, and co-authored an article for the National Education Association Journal on "Industrial Robert was a widower, having been preceded in death by his beloved first wife, Esther, in 1987, and his second wife of 17 years, Ruth Hood, in 2013. Robert is survived by his son, Steven. His daughter, Ann, passed away in 2015. Memorial Services will be held at Desert Skies United Methodist Church at Houghton and Ft.

Lowell on Tuesday, July 26, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. Arrangements by EVERGREEN MORTUARY. To express condolences visit the guestbook at www.Legacy.comlucsonobituaries.asp CARLSON, Linda Kathleen On July 14, 2016 surrounded by family our beloved Linda Kathleen Carlson was called to her final resting place in our Heavenly Fathers loving arms. She passed away peacefully at home in her own bed as she wished to do. Born in Decatur, Illinois on July 11, 1960, her life was always about loving, caring, defending and protecting her family and friends.

She was a loving and caring wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother and friend. For many years she worked for the Dept. of Child Safety and helped save countless abused children. She lost her battle with cancer but fought very bravely and courageously to the end. She is survived by husband, Scott; brother, Mike; sister-in-law, Toni; son, William, daughter-in-law, Liz and grandchildren, Elijah, Marcos, Jesus and Jaime.

She was preceded in death by her son, Patrick. She will always hold a special place in all our hearts and will never be forgotten. In lieu of flowers please donate to the Linda Carlson Grandchildren Education Fund at Pima Federal Credit Union. To express condolences visit the guestbook at www.Legacy.comTucsonobituaries.asp ESTRADA, Benny R. 9241965 7182016 preceeded by parents Jim and Jenny Estrada.

Survived by wife Diana; children, Brittany, Jasmin, Eric; grandchildren five; siblings, Barbara, Debbie (Saul) Martinez, Jimmy Jr. (Martha), Christopher (Carla) and many nieces, nephews, family and friends. Service Tuesday, July 26, 2016 at CARRILLO'S TUCSON MORTUARY, North Chapel, at 8:00 a.m. burial to follow at Holy Hope Cemetery. To express condolences visit the guestbook at www.Legacy.comlucsonobituaries.asp LEIDER, Michael David, 77, of Vail, AZ passed away June 27, 2016.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years, Nina; loving son, David (Kim); treasured grandchildren, Sydney N. and David M. (Claudia); cherished great-grandson, Oliver; proud brothers and sisters, Karen (Wayne) Florczak, Darlene (Bob) Zeier, Gary (Barb) Griffin, and Roger (Mary) Griffin; many nieces and nephews; and his adored rescue children, Sophie Ricky, Amy Joy, China Marie and Oliver. Moving to Vail in 2002, Michael was a certified water operator for various AZ companies. Michael will be greatly missed by his family and a wide circle of friends" To express condolences visit the guestbook at www.Legacy.comlucsonobituaries.asp I VI RGREENJ Phoenix to turn palm fronds IT CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE Talking with children about stranger danger is a sensitive matter because parents want to make sure their children are aware, but they also don't want to scare them, said Ju'Riese Colon, executive director of outreach for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

"We want kids to be able to walk around and play without fearing they are going to be harmed or abducted," she said. "But it's really important that parents talk to their children about these types of things when they arise "It's something that can happen anywhere, in any city big or small. "It's about safety making sure kids are safe at home, at school and anywhere in between." To help with that, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children developed a program called Kidsmartz that relies on four basic safety rules that partner. "Nobody knows what to do with palm. We're basically taking trash and making it into a nutritious feed." Earlier this year, the city sought proposals from companies with ideas to turn palm fronds into a usable resource.

They found Palm Silage a California-based company, and city officials recently approved a contract to pay Palm Silage to dispose of all palm fronds that land in city dumps. The deal is intended to save money by reducing how much garbage the city must haul to its landfill in south Buckeye. Finding a use for palm fronds will also help the city as it tries to improve recycling rates an area where Phoenix lags behind some other major cities. the use of fuel and energy, among other goals. The trust's grazing leases above the Grand Canyon cover 830,000 acres.

The plan says the area will get less precipitation and higher temperatures in coming decades. By mid-century, average annual precipitation could be as much as three-quarters of an inch less, while the temperature climbs up to 5.6 degrees higher. "The trust is being very proactive," Leonard said. "Because they have eyes on the ground and monitoring in place we are probably going to have an increased ability to detect changes and therefore a greater ability to be responsive to change." Trust land programs director Ed Grumbine said the effort requires federal cooperation and that the plan could be a model for similar efforts. By Dustin Gardiner THEARIZ0NA REPUBLIC PHOENIX Consider it an oddity of living in a desert oasis: Palm fronds are among Phoenix's biggest recycling headaches.

The coarse, thorny leaves of palm trees take decades to biodegrade, especially in dry climates, and are too fibrous to mulch with other green waste. And they're everywhere in the Valley of the Sun Phoenix alone dumps about 34,000 tons into landfills each year. But the city may finally have found a way to keep the fronds from piling up at the dump. It recently partnered with a company that grinds them into livestock feed. "This is actually a nationwide problem," said Jim Parks, CEO of Palm Silage the city's new message to sink in a study by the center found that a common pattern with the children who escaped their would-be abductors is that the child did something proactive like yelling to draw attention, running or physically pulling away, as opposed to being passive or polite.

In addition to role-playing, it is also important to talk about the fact that strangers don't necessarily look like the villains on TV and that the nice-looking man asking for help to find a lost puppy is indeed a stranger. "The idea of a stranger is not something a child can really grasp because anyone can be a stranger," Colon said. "And it doesn't take much time for you not to be a stranger anymore." Contact reporter Alexis Huicochea at ahuicocheatucson.com or 573-4175. On Twitter: AlexisHuicochea FUNERAL NOTICES ACKER, Robert Flint Died peacefully at his home of natural causes on June 25, 2016, age 95, surrounded by his wife and children. Dr.

Acker received his Bachelor degree in chemistry in 1942 from the University of Indiana. Enlisting in the navy following graduation, he served in World War II as a communications officer in the Pacific theater, returning to the University of Indiana at the end of the war to complete his Master's degree in bacteriology in 1948. He married Phyllis Fry Nickerson that same year. Dr. Acker attended Rutgers University as a full-scholarship PhD candidate under the supervision of Dr.

Selman Waksman, who received the Nobel Prize in 1952 for the discovery of streptomycin, the first effective treatment for tuberculosis. Awarded his Doctorate degree in microbiology from Rutgers in 1953, Dr. Acker conducted research in microbiology at Purdue University as a postdoctoral fellow before accepting a faculty position at Iowa State University. Dr. Acker held various positions through his career, including Assistant Dean for Research at Northwestern University, Executive Director of the American Society of Microbiology and Director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

Dr. Acker retired to Tucson in 1989. After his wife's death in 2005, Dr. Acker married Helen Crawford Stephens. Helen brought great happiness to his life and a wonderful extended family that visited them regularly.

The Acker family is grateful for the love and partnership Helen gave our father. Throughout his long life, Dr. Acker was an active member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, the American Academy of Microbiology and the American Institute for Biological Sciences. He was active in each of the Presbyterian congregations of which he was a member throughout his life. Dr.

Acker is survived by his wife, Helen, three of his four children, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be held for friends and family at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Tucson on Saturday, August 6, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. To express condolences visit the guestbook at www.Legacy.comTucsonobituaries.asp into feed The company plans to lease land at one of the city's waste facilities and could create 12 jobs and up to $10 million in sales per year, Roeder said. Palm Silage uses fronds to make a haylike substance and pelletized feed for cows horses, chickens and pigs.

The company says its feed, which includes dates as a sweetener and a few other ingredients, is as nutritious as medium -grade hay. Parks, a palm-tree farmer, said he got the idea for reusing palm fronds during a trip to Tunisia, where he noticed cattle eagerly eating coarse palm fronds. When Phoenix's program takes effect this fall, residents and businesses can take palm fronds to either of the city's two waste disposal centers that has yielded several heat -related deaths across Arizona. GRAND CANYON North Rim fire could smolder for months A wildfire that has been a potential threat to ahighway serving the Grand Canyon's North Rim will likely smolder for the coming weeks, possibly even months. Fire managers said Friday that the lightning-caused fire may naturally help restore the forest until the next snowfall.

Firefighters are mainly focused on strengthening fire lines and facilitating the reopening of Cape Royal and Imperial Point roads for park visitors. A lodge and other facilities at the North Rim's village as well as State Route 67 remain open. Since it began June 29, the blaze has charred 22 square miles. Roughly 500 firefighters and other personnel are assigned to the fire. The Associated Press Grand Canyon Trust's climate-change plan The city has a goal to increase its citywide waste -diversion rate, the portion of its trash that gets recycled, composted or doesn't end up in a landfill, to 40 percent by 2020.

But the city has a long way to go: Its waste -diversion rate is 20 percent. Nationally, the average is about 34 percent. Yvette Roeder, a spokeswoman for the Public Works Department, said recycling 34,000 tons of palm fronds will improve the city's diversion rate by about 3 percent. Roeder said the contract with Palm Silage could also save the city about $170,000 in annual waste-hauling costs. The city spends about $578,000 per year to haul palm fronds to the landfill.

It will pay Palm Silage about $408,000 to dispose of them. STATE BRIEFS PHOENIX Boy, 12, dies after hiking in high heat A 12-year-old boy has died after hiking in north Phoenix during triple-digit temperatures. Phoenix police say Cody Flom was hiking with a man, a family friend, Friday afternoon in the So-noran Desert Preserve when he became ill, The Arizona Republic reported. Both were carrying at least two liters of water, police said. Firefighters responded, and the boy was airlifted to Phoenix Children's Hospital in extremely critical condition.

He was later pronounced dead. According to the National Weather Service, Phoenix reached 100 degrees by 10 a.m. on Friday and hit a high of 112 just after 5:30 p.m. The boy's death comes in the middle of a summer THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FLAGSTAFF The largest grazing leaseholder of land north of the Grand Canyon is working to adapt the area for climate change. The nonprofit Grand Canyon Trust recently released a plan to assist the U.S.

Forest Service in helping the ecosystem adapt, the Arizona Daily Sun reported. Part of the plan calls for surveys that are currently underway to prioritize the restoration of springs that are considered the most vulnerable. Kaibab National Forest planner and climate change coordinator Ariel Leonard said the trust's effort will be a boon to the Forest Service's work on its climate-change goals. Leonard said the nonprofit's effort aligns with the Kaibab National Forest's climate -change checklist, which calls for reducing.