Since the U.S. economy has been spiraling, the government has tried to reduce homelessness.

Between 2009 and 2011, programs like The Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program have reduced homelessness by 1 percent.

But, that still leaves more than 600,000 people in the United States without homes. More than 200,000 of those people live without shelter.

There is a misconception that all homeless people are alcoholics, drug addicts or just plain lazy. Many times, this is not the case.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, an estimated 23 percent of the homeless are veterans.

It is also estimated there are 25,000 homeless youths in the United States. Many are either runaways or have been forced onto the street because their families lost their homes.

Often people assume that homelessness is caused by hardship, mental illness or drug addictions. This many times is the case, but less often than one might think. Many insist they enjoy being on the street, saying a routine way of life is not living.

Some people claim to choose a life of homelessness in order to travel and meet new people. Jeremy Schmidt, commonly known as Rounder, is one of those individuals.

Schmidt, 33, received his nickname from his friend Levi after years of showing up to rainbow gatherings with a new “hippie chick” attached to his arm every time.

“I have the things I need to survive,” Schmidt said, pointing to his backpack. “The things people own give them a false sense of security.”

Schmidt has been homeless on and off for 16 years and says he will never change. He used to have a home and a job but was fired because of a 13-year-old felony.

His choices and lifestyle have caused him to lose touch with his family, including a 9-year-old daughter.

Schmidt sits on Tempe’s Mill Avenue between My Big Fat Greek Restaurant and the Valley Arts Theatre day after day. He has a guitar and holds a sign asking for alcohol.

Throughout the day he moves from sun to shade to prevent his pit bull, Hazel, from overheating.

He is one of many who live on Mill Avenue, each having a different story.

Many Mill Avenue transients are part of a younger generation. According to the Arizona Department of Education, youth homelessness in the state has grown more than 80 percent in the past five years.

“Many of the teens say that homelessness was a choice for them, when in reality there was something behind it,” Jana Smith, program manager for Tumbleweed’s Tempe Youth Resource Center, said. “It was better than the alternative choice.”

Cory Maldonado, 22, of Salem, Ore., has been homeless for eight years. His mother died a few years before his father was sent to prison.

He says he chose his way of life. “It kept me away from foster care.”

Traveling kids tend to look at their situation as a way to experience life and to see different cities, Smith said. The appeal of the open road and a sense of adventure attracts them to this way of life.

“I hate being called homeless or a transient,” Maldonado said. “It’s demeaning and generalizes people.”

Looking at his girlfriend, he said, “We’re wanderers. The earth is our home.”

Maldonado and Jessica Powell, 18, have been dating for five months. They met five years ago in Washington.

They plan on leaving Tempe soon with just the clothes on their backs, their dog, guitar and a sewing kit.

“Stuff gets stolen. It’s just stuff,” he said. “I’d be more upset if my dog went missing.”

People, or wanderers, come from all over the country. Mill Avenue is a hot spot because of all the tourists, businesses and easy access to food.

“I can make $30 a night if I try,” Schmidt said.

“I hold a sign just to fit the stereotype,” he added. “They say we’re a bunch of drunks and drug addicts, why not play off of it?”

Maldonado agreed. “If you go hungry, you’re stupid.”

Another homeless man on Mill Avenue, Mike Nissen, prefers to be called Skum. He said there have been places where people just give him food.

“People in L.A. are a lot friendlier, all the yuppies live here,” he said. “Still, it’s easy to get food.”

Food sources include places like the Potter House, the Salvation Army and Tempe Beach Park. Tumbleweed’s Tempe location also serve a warm meal each day around noon.

“I don’t mind the center,” Maldonado said, making Powell laugh. “You can eat as much as you want as long as there’s enough for everyone. They even have pastries.”

The Tempe center provided more than 2,700 meals to homeless youths ages 12-25 in 2010, according to Tumbleweed’s 2010 annual report.

People who live or have businesses on Mill Avenue don’t always approve of the services that organizations such as Tumbleweed provide. They say such programs enable the homeless to continue their free-ride attitude and lifestyle.

Megan Schneckloth, a bartender from Blondies Sports Bar and Grill, said she’s heard complaints from customers.

“I even had this one guy pretend he was deaf just for a free beer,” she said.

Other businesses say they lock their bathrooms to ensure that the homeless won’t take sponge baths in the sink. Some owners have gone as far as having the city of Tempe remove benches from in front of their stores, hoping to attract fewer homeless.

The Metro light rail makes it easy for transients to travel from Phoenix to Tempe. Many don’t pay.

“We treat them like any other person. We kick them off and if they want to ride they have to buy a pass,” Gilberto Roble, a member of light rail security, said. “But I can say it definitely doesn’t appeal to other riders.”

Traveling folk don’t like staying in one place too long. They like that they can pick up and go whenever they get bored.

On May 3, Schmidt will be done with probation and plans to hitchhike back home to Kalispell, Mont., to visit family.

Afterward, he hopes to meet up with the Rainbow Family of Light, a group that holds rainbow gatherings every year during the first week of July. The event is held in a different national park every time.

This year, they plan to meet in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire. The group will set up camp and experience life in a sharing, loving and respectful manner.

Jeremy Schmidt, known as Rounder, is a familiar sight on Mill Avenue in Tempe. Photo by Ana Ramirez.

“You have to go, you just can’t explain it,” Schmidt said. “Traveling the country shows you that there are so many good people out there.”

With fuel prices escalating, individuals and corporations are looking for new ways to save a buck.

Many pilots and student-pilots are replacing traditional paper maps with iPads, saving money on gas and books.

In August 2010, United Continental Holdings, Inc. announced it would convert to paperless flight bags and provide 11,000 iPads to its pilots. Since then, other airlines including American, US Airways, Alaska and UPS have started using them.

Pilots must take a variety of maps with them, depending on their destination. The flight bag weighs about 40 pounds.

The 1.5-pound iPad Electronic Flight Bag replaces operating manuals, flight checklists, logbooks, navigation charts and weather information. It’s estimated it will save $1.2 million worth of fuel per year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3,208 metric tons.

“You can take all of that and condense it down to an iPad,” said Boris Vasiley, a flight instructor at Arizona Flight Training Center. “It’s cheaper to download maps too.”

United predicts it will save 326,000 gallons of jet fuel and 16 million sheets of paper a year.

It is necessary for pilots to replace their maps every three to four months. It can become a safety issue if they aren’t constantly aware of any changes being made in airports or air spaces.

Pilots need about 40 maps to cover just the United States, Vasiley said.

The iPads update the most recent information automatically, saving time and worry.

“It’s a very handy tool to have all your maps and information with you at once,” Vasiley said. “You can download all the information you need.”

Bob Bingham, who received his private pilot’s license last September, said it would have been nice to have electronic versions of the expensive books.

“The instructor I had was old-fashioned and tried to encourage me to learn the traditional way,” Bingham said.

However, Bingham said he’s glad he learned how to fly using paper maps and charts, and always brings them when he flies.

“If technology went out, I’d still know how to fly,” he said.

Some pilots see a downside to the Electronic Flight Bag.

James Raynovic, an instructor at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, said the paper format remains his first choice.

“In my own personal experience as a private pilot, I still keep a paper sectional on hand due to the fact that the batteries don’t go dead,” he said. “I think the iPad is a great tool for aviation to supplement what we have but not a total substitute for paper format.”

The Federal Aviation Administration has approved the EFB but has yet to approve the use of the iPad’s GPS function.

Tom Wooden, a private pilot for 26 years, said part of the reason is that the iPad has just one GPS sensor. It give pilots a general idea of where they are but can’t pinpoint the exact location.

Instructors also say new pilots must learn how to fly before relying on the iPad’s GPS.

“I would never allow a primary student to utilize a ‘crutch’ such as the iPad for navigation,” Wooden said. “It would be as irresponsible as teaching basic math skills to an elementary student using a calculator.”

Vasiley said young pilots still need to learn the basics using traditional methods, but the iPad is useful for some aspects.

“It’s a good study tool and ground prep,” he said.

Photo illustration by Ana Ramirez

Since the 1980s, the United States has seen a drastic increase in the number of single parent households. Single parents have to work alone in figuring out their children’s future.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, children with two parents have an edge over children living in a single parent household. Children with both parents tend to have financial and educational advantages.

Mitchell Chi, 36, and Keasha George, 31, disagree that their children have fewer educational opportunities. Both of their children, ages 7 and 8, are at the top of their class.

“It depends on how involved the one parent is,” George said. She quit her teaching job to take care of her daughter and now works at a restaurant to pay the bills.

Chi says he put his life on hold until his daughter grows up. “Bartending is the only thing I can do where I see her enough and make enough,” Chi said.

Having earned degrees from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University, he has held more accredited jobs but doesn’t want to work long hours and never spend time with his “little princess.”

Both Chi and George said it’s not about how many parents are in a household but rather is about how much effort and time you put forth to your child’s future.

According to the 2010 census, fewer people are getting divorced and married but there is still an increase in single parent households.

In 1980, about 16 percent of people were getting married and in 2008 only about 10 percent. In 1980, divorce rates were about eight percent and in 2008 about five percent.

Then why are there so many single parents? It’s because there has been a huge increase in the number of unmarried women giving birth in this country. It went from about 18 percent to 40 percent in a span of 28 years.

What’s the hardest part about being a single parent?

“Just having to do everything for her financial and hoping that she grows up normal,” George said with laugh.

“It’s difficult not having the other parent around when you need them,” Chi said. “It’s hard to schedule time with the other parent.”

Tiak Williams, also known as Ty, says, “You’re always doing something and it’s not for yourself.”

Williams, 34, loves everything about being a father but says at times he struggles to pay the bills. “You learn to cook more dinners,” he said with a chuckle.

They all have had roommates at times to help keep living expenses down. They say they have to know the person and trust them before introducing a new person into their child’s life, especially when it comes to dating.

“I’ve only had one girlfriend since my divorce five, almost six, years ago,” Chi said. “I have to be real picky because of my daughter.”

Williams said he tried to date but wasn’t giving enough time to that person. “It’s the time,” he said. “When you have a job and come home to another job (raising his 3-year-old daughter), it’s difficult to find the time to date.”

Chi says it’s all worth it when “I see my standings in her come out.” He says the best part about being a single father is, “the little things she does and says that puts a smile on my face.”

Mitchell Chi, 36, enjoys time with his daughter Leyla, 7. Photo courtesy of Mitchell Chi.

Pima Community College Students Cassie Laflin, left, and Alena Crepea sit on the center mattress during an empathy rally held at the University of Arizona mall on Feb. 13. Aztec Press photo by Lance Puckett.

Aztec Press photos by Lance Puckett

iEmpathize is a non-profit organization with a goal of eradicating child exploitation. The website, iempathize.org, estimates that two children per minute are trafficked for sexual sexploitation. The University of Arizona organized Empathy Week during the week of Feb. 13 to raise awareness.

Pima Community College’s Downtown Campus will soon feature four newly restored vintage neon signs for the community to view. Promoters hope the “art walk” will serve as a tourist attraction.

The unique 1950s-era signs, created by filling glass tubes with electrically excited neon gas, will be permanently mounted on 15-foot poles at West Drachmann Street and North Stone Avenue.

“It will provide some real color and definition to the Downtown Campus,” Tucson Historic Preservation President Demion Clinco said.

Signs selected for display are from Medina’s Sporting Goods, Tropicana Motor Hotel, Canyon State Motor Lodge/Arizonan Motel and Magic Carpet Golf. The signs were originally dispersed throughout Tucson.

The family-owned De La Cruz Neon Sign Company restored the Magic Carpet Golf sign. The three other signs were refurbished by Cook & Co. Signmakers.

Tucson Historic Preservation and the Oracle Area Revitalization Plan are the two driving forces behind the signs’ revival.

Clinco said completion of the project would have been impossible without help from PCC, with specific assistance from Bill Ward, the assistant vice chancellor for facilities, and from Downtown Campus President Luba Chliwniak.

Ward is overseeing installment of the signs and expects the poles to be mounted by April 27. He said Downtown Campus will hold several celebratory events during that weekend, but details are still being ironed out.

In order to draw more tourists to the new attraction, promoters are creating a driving guide titled “The Neon Pueblo.” It will pinpoint locations of the best and brightest signs that Tucson has to offer.

The 30-page booklet, funded by the Arizona Humanities Council, should be available throughout the community by the end of the year.

The Tiki Motel on North Oracle still uses its vintage neon sign. Aztec Press photo by Elizabeth Peterson.

“It gives visitors something else to do while they are here,” Clinco said. “It’s one more nice thing we can offer them.”

The art walk plays a small part in a larger plan to restore the Oracle area between Speedway and Miracle Mile as a key gateway to the heart of downtown Tucson.

Clinco and other Tucson Historic Preservation members feel that Downtown Campus is an ideal location for development of a neon sign corridor that can re-brand the historic area as a safe, culturally significant and economically viable district.

“My hope is by doing this we will help reshape how the city views this part of the city,” Clinco said.

This sign, currently in storage, will soon be displayed along a Downtown Campus "art walk." Aztec Press photo by Elizabeth Peterson.

Crowds gather at the giant ferris wheel on North Toole Avenue during the Arizona centennial celebration held in downtown Tucson on Feb. 10-12. Aztec Press photo by Larry Gaurano.

Aztec Press photos by Larry Gaurano

The Grand Canyon State is looking pretty good for being 100 years old.

Performers and partygoers alike were on hand to ring in the state’s birthday in downtown Tucson on Feb 10-12.

Festivites included concerts, movies, dances, carnival rides, interactive children’s activities, a car show, historical re-enactments and food vendors.

The centennial celebration was a joint venture involving the Arizona Centennial Commission and 2012 Foundation, Downtown Tucson Partnership, Second Saturdays Downtown, University of Arizona and city of Tucson.

Arizona officially marked a century of statehood on Feb. 14.

The state was the last in the contiguous U.S. to be admitted into the union.

A street performer. Aztec Press photo by Larry Gaurano.

Clay Schaeffer of Dickinson, N.D., sits pretty atop Sky Dancer during the Feb. 19 competition. Aztec Press photo by Leftrick Herd.

It’s rodeo time again, vaqueros and vaqueras, so get your spurs and bronc-bustin’ gear out of storage.

Or at the very least be prepared take in some thrilling action at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds, as the annual Fiesta de los Vaqueros rides again.

The event has been attracting tens of thousands of locals and visitors from all over the world to the Old Pueblo every year since 1925.

As one of the top 25 rodeos on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association calendar, the rodeo brings in the sport’s current and former world champions, all vying for a share of tens of thousands of dollars in prize money.

Competitions range from bull riding to barrel racing. Other events include the parade, a barn dance and children’s activities.

Adrian Robles hangs on tight to win the Mutton Bustin' contest. Aztec Press photo by Leftrick Herd.

Brandon Bates of Mexico Springs, N.M., skids to a stop. Aztec Press photo by Leftrick Herd.

Carter Downing of Woodruff, Utah, dismounts the hard way from bull Bad Habit. Aztec Press photo by Leftrick Herd.

Bobby Mote from Culver, Ore., floats in the saddle while riding Red Wings. Aztec Press photo by Leftrick Herd.

The Pima Community College women’s basketball team recently pulled out two home victories and dropped two road contests to put them at 17-10 for the season.

The No. 19 Aztecs lost to Mesa Community College 65-42 on Feb. 8. PCC was led by freshman A’jha Edwards who had 24 points and 15 rebounds. Sophomore Na’Derra Carey also added 16 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

The Lady Aztecs rebounded to beat Cochise College at home, 71-67 on Feb. 11.

Edwards contributed 24 points and 15 rebounds in the win. Carey was just off of a triple-double, with 16 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

The Aztecs defeated South Mountain Community College 71-59 on Feb 15.

Edwards notched her third straight double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Carey tallied 12 points, six rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

Sophomore forward Tyahnna Higgs chipped in 12 points as well.

The squad fell to Eastern Arizona College on the road falling 77-63 on Feb. 18. Edwards scored 15, while Carey finished with 12.

Higgs believes her team is ready for the regional playoffs, which begin Feb. 27.

“Since the season is coming to an end, our focus has gotten more intense every day,” Higgs said. “The freshmen have improved mentally and physically with their game. We are also more aggressive with our opponents. We’re ready to go.”

PCC was scheduled to play Glendale Community College on Feb. 21. The game took place after Aztec Press went to press.

Sophomore Na'Derra Carey goes up for a layup against Mesa Community College. Aztec Press photo by Larry Gaurano.

Pima Community College baseball and softball teams had there annual Group Signing event Jan 15.

The baseball team has commitments from 14 student-athletes from Southern Arizona.

PCC picked up seven pitchers Sean Patrick Carroll (Canyon Del Oro High School), Robert Andrew Petty (Rincon/University High School), Troy Kyle Petty (Ironwood Ridge High School), Zachary David Smutzer (Rincon/University High School), Jeremy Mark Timpf (Sabino High School) including two southpaws Benjamin William Skuro (Sabino High School) and Treyton John Stender (Ironwood Ridge High School).

The Aztecs infield gained Devon Miguel Carrillo (Sahuaro High School), Benny Diego Garcia (Sunnyside High School), Tyler James Kimbrogh (Salpointe Catholic High School) and Carlo Alfredo Tacchia (Sunnyside High School).

They also acquired catchers Forest Champan (Cienega High School), Daniel Anthony Peters (Sabino High School) and outfielder Adam Michael Borboa (Sahuaro High School).

The softball team had commitments from seven student-athletes, all from Southern Arizona.

The Aztecs signed catchers Alyssa Guevarra, Cienega High School, and Danielle Stensby, Buena High School.

Pima picked up infielders Hannah Alcocer, Cienega High School, Victoria Mariscal, Douglas High School, and Stacey Ramrez, Benson High School. They also gained outfielder Stephanie Ramirez from Benson High School.

The Pima baseball team practices this week. The Aztecs acquired 14 student-athletes. Aztec Press photo by Mylo Erickson.