The Range: The Tucson Weekly's Daily Dispatch
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Sunday, February 12, 2012
Politics / News State Sen. Paula Aboud To Announce Congressional District 2 Campaign
Posted by Jim Nintzel on Sun, Feb 12, 2012 at 8:15 PM
State Sen. Paula Aboud is set to announce plans to run for the new Congressional District 2 this year.
Aboud, who has reached her term limit in the Arizona Senate, tells The Range she will make a formal announcement on Monday, Feb. 13.
Aboud joins Democrat Matt Heinz, a state representative and physician, in seeking the seat.
Congressional District 2, created in the recent redistricting process, covers much of the same territory as Congressional District 8, where Democrat Ron Barber and five Republicans are now running for the chance to complete the term of Gabrielle Giffords, who resigned from Congress last month.
But the new CD2 does not include GOP-heavy districts in SaddleBrooke, Oro Valley and Marana, which means the Republican voter registration in CD8 has essentially been eliminated in the new district.
Barber, the longtime district director for Giffords who announced his plans to run for CD8 on Thursday, Feb. 9, has not closed the door on seeking the CD2 seat later this year, although he'll have to make a decision before nominating petitions are due at the end of May.
Other Democrats believed to be mulling a run for the new CD2 include state Rep. Steve Farley and Nan Stockholm Walden, a lawyer and former Congressional Hill staffer who now owns pecan groves near Sahuarita.
Republicans in the race for the CD8/CD2 include state Sen. Frank Antenori, 2010 CD8 nominee Jesse Kelly, marketing businessman and sports broadcaster Dave Sitton, former Air Force fighter pilot Martha McSally and political newcomer John Lervold.
Chow Your Valentine's Day Plans Involve Waffles
Posted by Dan Gibson on Sun, Feb 12, 2012 at 12:00 PM
While the idea of non-alcoholic champagne is offensive to me, it's nice to have a diverse number of options regarding Valentine's Day. I should be able to serve my romantic dining duties and get smothered hash browns.
No news yet on whether any Tucson locations will participating, but I'll keep you updated.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Music RIP, Whitney Houston
Posted by Dan Gibson on Sat, Feb 11, 2012 at 6:26 PM
Crazy news today, as her publicist announced that Whitney Houston is dead at the age of 48. No real details yet, but Houston has largely been an enigma in recent years, falling far from her heights as one of the world's biggest recording artists (she sold over 55 million albums in her career). I still remember hearing her music nearly everywhere in 1987 and 1988 when her album Whitney came out. By that time, I wasn't going to the roller rink anymore and I was trying to reshape my musical taste into something cooler than the oldies my parents listened to, but I still probably sang along to "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" whenever I heard it, even if I drew tributes to Husker Du and the Replacements on my school notebooks. Those songs were just absurdly hooky, even if they're wildly dated now, and Whitney managed to bring the big soulful sound of gospel to lightweight pop.
It's really a shame that her odd behavior, issues with substance abuse and a particularly embarrassing stint as a reality TV star will likely overshadow what an immense talent she was, both on record and as an actress.
Politics / Media Chomsky Occupies Centennial Hall
Posted by John deDios on Sat, Feb 11, 2012 at 2:47 PM
- Zachary Vito
- Noam Chomsky, a renowned activist and philosopher, speaks in front of a packed crowd at UA's Centennial Hall. Chomsky lamented the state of the educational system.
The American education system is under attack. That’s according to Dr. Noam Chomsky, who told a packed house at Centennial Hall Wednesday evening that American education has been intentionally designed to create a passive, apathetic public riddled with debt.
Chomsky’s lecture provoked some timely questions, particularly in considering who and what education is for. Chomsky argued, quite convincingly, that the educational system is moving us away from valuing the greater common good, and toward support of the corporate state.
The bigger question he posed centers around what this means for our collective national future, as public education becomes more rigid and less affordable.
Chow A Very Good Idea: The Neighborhood Chef
Posted by Adam Borowitz on Sat, Feb 11, 2012 at 12:00 PM
There is a wonderful melding of art and cuisine happening in Tucson.
When I spoke to David Aguirre of Dinnerware Artspace last year he said the creativity of many local artists extended beyond the studio and into the kitchen, and he saw it as a great way to help artists supplement their income while developing another creative talent. His idea was to buy a food truck so those artists could have a mobile kitchen with which to express themselves. The truck was purchased and used at one event that I know of. It should also be noted that Aguirre is heavily involved in and a huge supporter of the local food-truck movement at large, and that the Food Truck Round-Ups benefit Dinnerware Artspace.
Dinnerware Artspace also shares a physical space with the new Borderlands Brewing Company, which has been steadily gaining momentum since opening its doors a few months ago.
Now Aguirre is once again delving into the culinary side of things with a new event called Neighborhood Chef. The first one is loosely scheduled for Tuesday, March 6, at Ralph's Gas Station on the corner of South Fourth Avenue and 19th Street, in Armory Park, and will feature cuisine by Jamie Castro of food truck Jamie's Bitchen Kitchen. There will be music and maybe live art performances. Aguirre, good man, you are a genius.
It should also be noted that a group of artists associated with Aguirre also hold amazing underground supper clubs. The underground supper club is a concept that is big in other places, but hasn't really taken off here. They typically include multi-course meals, sometimes with copious amounts of good wine and libations, in intimate and sometimes unusual settings. My prediction is that this will be the next hot thing to hit the Tucson dining scene. Actually it's sort of happening already, but very few people know about it because it is, well, underground. So far we've got a couple of them we can tell you about, but more are in the works. You can click over here and here for more on those.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Politics / TV / News Political Roundtable: Ron Barber vs. the Crowded GOP Field in CD8 Special Election, Higher Ed Reform (and Guns) at the AZ Legislature & More!
Posted by Jim Nintzel on Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 9:09 PM
This week on Arizona Illustrated's Political Roundtable: Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers and GOP strategist Sam Stone talk about the race to finish Gabby's term, the ongoing battle between Pima County and Marana, and the latest at the Arizona Legislature, including higher reform (aka guns on campus and mandatory fees for students). Plus, an interview with Pima County Bond Advisory Committee chairman Larry Hecker about proposed legislation to give suburbs veto power over county bonds.
Snapshot The View From Downtown Tucson
Posted by Dan Gibson on Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 4:58 PM
Lots and lots and lots of stuff happening downtown this weekend, including rides ($4!) on this Ferris Wheel, captured in Hipstamatic form by Jim Nintzel.
Project White House 2012 Project White House 2012: From the Mind of Simon Bollander
Posted by Dan Gibson on Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 4:00 PM
We love democracy, so we're offering Arizona Presidential Primary candidates the opportunity to share their views here on The Range. Today, we're sharing the unedited perspective of Simon Bollander, Republican candidate for President.
Simon Bollander the adminstrator of Worlds Masterminds is extremely upset in the way our Country is managed. You will not believe this I Love the law proffession & if I had a second life I would be an attorney. Law is fun & is the foundation of our great country. But when it comes to our country being violated by our Congress that is of 70 percent of law degrees. Im very angry.
Politics / News Pima County Supervisor Faces First Challenger in 13 Years
Posted by Mari Herreras on Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 3:45 PM
Republican Ray Carroll was appointed Pima County District 4 Supervisor in 1997 and was elected in 1998. In the 13 years Carroll's been in office he's been reelected every election in 2000, 2004 and 2008 — all without opposition. Until now.
According to the Quail Creek Republican Club newsletter, Carroll's challenger for the District 4 seat is Sean Collins, a U.S. Air Force veteran who owns the Vail Dairy Queen with his wife Tracy. "Collins was in the Air Force for almost 22 years, stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base from 1999 until he retired as a senior non-commissioned officer in 2003." (He'll be speaking at the group's meeting on Friday, Feb. 17, 9 a.m. at the Quail Creek Madera Clubhouse).
We called Collins and are waiting to find out more from him regarding his interest in running or politics. However, political buzz is that this is what happens when you take a stand against Rosemont Copper Mine. Running what some say is a final lap to a doomed project, so the company continues its efforts to make friends and influence folks with community donations, and now a political race.
Arizona's current tea bag political climate could make Carroll more vulnerable than previous campaigns. We were told Rick Grinnell, a failed mayoral candidate, self-described Rosemont lobbyist, and a member of the delusional state-appointed Rio Nuevo board, along with failed gubernatorial candidate John Munger, are driving the Collins' campaign boat and raising thousands of dollars to put Carroll down.
However, Grinnell told us today that he's not involved in Collins' campaign. Still waiting to hear back from Munger.
Perhaps Collins will take the jobs argument on behalf of Rosemont. After all he and his wife are entrepreneurs who provide jobs at their new Dairy Queen — a business they opened with the help from a Small Business Administration Patriot Express loan specifically for veterans. Although, for others water is still going to be considered this desert's most precious resource.
That was Carroll's argument when the mine's proposal first came before Pima County three years ago when he beat the Democratic majority in defending water forcing the county to get into a needed defense mode. So, Carroll may be vulnerable this year because ultimately he's not a tea bagger?
Of course that doesn't mean he doesn't have those classic Republican ideologies that have sometimes made life miserable for Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckleberry and the Democratic majority on the board. The annual process to approve the county budget is a great example of this.
However, Carroll's work to defend the Santa Rita's and the Davidson Canyon aquifer, and at the same time fight for taxpayers during the budget season, have helped him create a wide base of support and he's been recognized for those efforts — in 2007 he received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Outstanding Achievement Award for Public Service; in 2007 he received the Hero of the Taxpayer Award by the Arizona Federation of Taxpayers; in 2008 the Sky Island Alliance Award for Public Service for his leadership in opposing the proposed Rosemont; and in 2009 the Governor Howard Pyle Award by the Republican Party of Arizona for his political leadership in Southern Arizona.
Fun in General / Do This! New Oxygen Bar Opens Downtown
Posted by Adam Borowitz on Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 3:00 PM
A new oxygen bar and tea room called Breathe, Drink & Design has opened at 416 N. Seventh Ave. St., right down the street from Che's Lounge. The place serves tea and oxygen for two for $20, and the oxygen is apparently infused with various scents. Facebook tells us more:
Our O2, or in lay-man's terms, "Oxygen", is derived from a very special and rare part of our planet that we like to call "The Atmosphere." Using complicated machinery handed down to us from ancient, yet technologically-advanced race of Space-Mayans (basically Mayans that became astronauts and come back to Earth every so often. Ironically, they might be the origin for the Quetzalcoatl myth, but that's a story for another time...). So, anyway, they gave us this machinery that allows us to harness the atmosphere and draw in it's precious O2 and use it for evil, capitalistic reasons... I mean, pleasant, altruistic reasons. Yeah... that's it... they're buying it... move on... *AHEM* So, as I was saying, we infuse delicious and soothing scents into the O2. The infused O2 then travels into your nose-holes (technical term) and into your brain making you feel "all sorts of good." Do that for anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes and you are solid. Good to go.
A friend of mine started one of these places in Flagstaff like a decade ago, and although the business was short-lived he swore by the effects of the oxygen.
