A campaign started in the 1970s helped teach Tucson about water conservation. Pete the Beak became the face of the campaign.
TUCSON, Ariz. — The Beat the Peak campaign started in the late 1970s in Tucson. It was launched by Tucson Water as a way to reduce water usage during the hot summer months.
In the spring of '83, Phyllis Klingenfus and her husband Bob owned Creative Costumes in Tucson. Someone from the city asked her to create Pete the Beak. The Beat the Peak campaign was a major success, reminding Tucson to water only ever other day and never water between 4 and 8 p.m. Tucson Water updated the costume in later years, but you can still find the original Pete the Beak costume at the their headquarters downtown."Made Sunny Sun Tran, that's a big yellow, I don't think they even use it anymore," remembered Klingenfus."The reason for it was helping children learn how to use the public transportation. That was real successful. That head was as large as my round kitchen table.
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