Cover Story
420
In upcoming weeks, Earth’s Healing dispensary will get to christen a 10,000 square-feet cultivation site with new medical marijuana strains. The one they are most proud of was donated to the dispensary by a caregiver who wanted the special medical strain he’d been harvesting for years to have a legacy. The so-called Champasu is highly…
Joesler Home Tour This Saturday
If there’s an architect who defines Tucson style, it’s Josias Joesler. The Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation is sponsoring a home tour of some of his spectacular homes in the Catalina Foothills and elsewhere from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday, April 25. Cost is $40 and the proceeds benefit the fine work of the…
UPDATE: Free Nicoll: Guatemalan Transgender Woman is Given Asylum After 6 Months in All-Male Detention Center
(Added after publication at 7:30 p.m.:) Nicoll Hernández-Polanco was given asylum in the U.S. We heard the news a couple hours after a judge set her bond. She is en route to Tucson as we speak! “Nicoll won her asylum hearing today and was released on her own recognizance! This is the best possible result we…
Mother Jones Report: Gun Violence Costs Arizona $5.44 Million
The magazine Mother Jones is conducting an on-going investigation on how much money gun violence is costing the country. The say the U.S. spends about $229 billion a year (a compilation of healthcare for shooting survivors, criminal trial costs, prison costs, etc.) in dealing with the aftermaths of homicides, suicide and mass shootings. Arizona is…
Ryan Adams’ Live Set at Rialto Proves Whiskeytown Is Dead
For a person who puts his pants on one leg at a time, Ryan Adams can sure deliver the intergalactic star quality. His most dazzling talent is still his prolific songwriting, soulful poetry chock-a-block with emotionally incisive take-away lines. And he has no fear of a deeply pretty chord progression. Onstage, his retro-seventies guitar solos…
College Tuition for DREAMers Might Drop But Fight for In-State Rate Isn’t Over
The Arizona Board of Regents will soon vote on possibly adding a new policy that would create another non-resident undergraduate tuition rate specifically for students who graduate from an Arizona high school but don’t otherwise qualify as residents. The proposal would directly affect so-called DREAMers, young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. They have…
13 Questions with Casa Video’s Tony Jensen Before He Retires
After 30 years working at Casa Video, Tony Jensen is going to recommend his last movie (at least in a professional setting) on Friday, April 24. However, before he goes, we had a few questions for the long-time pillar in the Tucson movie community. What did you do before Casa Video? I worked on the…
Want to Drive to Phoenix for a Diamondbacks Game?
We’ve got four tickets to Wednesday night’s Diamondbacks game against the Texas Rangers.The game starts at 6:40 p.m at Chase Field in Phoenix. We’ll draw the winner Wednesday (“tomorrow” from when this was published, “today” when most of you will see it) at Noon. You have to be able to pick the tickets up at…
A ‘Debt-Free College’ Resolution Was Introduced in Congress Today
A resolution that seeks to make the college and university experience debt-free for students was introduced in Congress today. (Our very own U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva was among the representatives who introduced the House version. By the way, the resolution is sponsored by all Democrats). They want to increase financial aid, lower tuition and offer…
Dine Out for Safety Pairs Local Restaurants with a Nonprofit
On Wednesday, April 22, the Dine Out for Safety event will allow Tucson diners the opportunity to have a great local meal and contribute to a nonprofit that provides education and support for victims of sexual abuse. Now in its 19th year, the event features about 20 different local joints that will be donating a…
Show Us the Money: Tucson City Council Set To Debate $1.3 Billion Budget
Interim City Manager Martha Durkin has delivered a $1.368 billion proposed budget to the Tucson City Council for review at today’s meeting. That’s a bump of $103 million from the current budget of $1.265 billion. Most of that increase—close to $80 million—will be in the form of spending on big-ticket capital projects, with city staffing…
North’s Community Dinner Serves a Taste of Piedmont, Italy on Wednesday
North is providing some escape as we leer into summer with a dinner series that hopes to provide a taste tour of Italy. This Wednesday, Aprill 22, chef Carlos Calderon will head the event with a four course meal inspired by Piedmont. Since the region is known for its wine first and foremost, but also among…
Elote, Tanning and Shot Fans: We Need Your Input
If perfectly spiced elote makes your heart sing, tanning salons help you look like a true Arizonan through the winter or if you know the secret to drinking shots in the Old Pueblo, we need to hear from you. See, Best of Tucson® balloting is going well. However, these lovely categories are feeling a little…
Earth Day: When Endangered Species Awareness & Sustainable Condoms Meet
On this year’s Earth Day (tomorrow), the Center for Biological Diversity wants you to think about the link between human population growth and wildlife extinction, so they’re putting images of some of the planet’s endangered species on sustainable condoms. The project, a collaboration between the center and Sustain Condoms, is focusing on polar bears,…
Fight the “Fight for Fifteen”
Much like malaria, we are never totally cured of the the “living wage” myth which erupts every few years on the political scene. This time around the Service Employees International Union is leading the charge along with Progressive Democrats of America. The goal is to create a nationwide $15 an hour minimum wage. The focus…
Marijuana Policy Project Files Weed Legalization Initiative with State
The Marijuana Policy Project has mended ties with activists and dispensary representatives, so the group officially filed its weed ballot measure with the Secretary of State’s Office Friday to begin the signature gathering campaign. This comes less than one month after a plan B group—Arizonans for Responsible Legalization—headed by MPP of Arizona’s former campaign chairwoman Gina…
Did You See a Fight in the Maynard’s Parking Lot in March?
Well? From an email I received from Raymond Duron of Optimus Investigations: WITNESS? On March 14th, 2015 at about 2:00 a.m., a physical altercation involving law enforcement officers and an individual occurred on the north east area of the parking lot of Maynard’s Kitchen. If you saw altercation or witnessed events leading up to the…
Ruger Needs a Home
Ruger—1-year-old —Corgi Mix—M—#804147 Ruger is simply too cute for his own good! This little guy is petite and just the perfect size. Ruger is looking for an adult home or one with older children that can offer him plenty of patience and adjustment time. This handsome boy is shy and nervous to new situations, but…
What I Learned from Viva La Local Food Festival
Local food lovers swarmed to Rillito Park Race Track on Saturday, April 18 for Viva La Local’s spring event. The event, which was so successful in previous years that it’s become bi-annual, fuses a farmers market with a tasting event—at least that’s what I expected before going. The first thing I realized about the event…
Tough Luck Club Releases New Spring Menu and More “Meta-Conceptual” Cocktails
Friday night marked the release of Tough Luck Club’s new cocktail menu. Like the last, it’s a four page zine-style booklet complete with cocktail recipes. However, according to bartender Niklas Morris, what sets this new menu apart is the bar coming into its own. “The bar is finding its identity,” he says. “First menus are…
TUSD Searches for an Internal Auditor & Volunteers for an Audit Committee
Tucson Unified School District sent out a press release Friday afternoon saying it plans to hire an internal auditor and that it is seeking for volunteers for an Audit Committee. Transparency of budget expenditures has been a years-long issue between the district and its critics. The governing board argued the district didn’t have anything to…
Chef Ryan Clark of Agustin Gears Up for Third Annual Slow Food Fundraiser
For Ryan Clark, chef at Agustin Kitchen, being a board member at Slow Food Southern Arizona gives him the opportunity to give back to a community he both believes in and is a part of. His annual F & B Tasting event works as a way for him to bring all of the factions of…
Zona Politics: Councilman Kozachik & Supervisor Elias
ZonaPol4-16-15final from Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel on Vimeo. This week on Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel: Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik talks about the Broadway widening project, potholes, homelessness in Tucson and a lot more, while Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias discusses the county’s upcoming bond project, whether county employees who smoke should pay…
Court Hears Emergency Appeal to Temporary Block of Obama’s Extended DACA, DAPA Programs
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals finally heard the U.S. Department of Justice’s emergency appeal to the temporary block of President Obama’s November 2014 immigration actions. In February a federal judge stalled applications for the extended Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, as well as deferred action for parents of U.S. citizens and legal residents (U.S.…
Enjoy 20 Years of Madness While Celebrating Public Access TV This Weekend
Public Access TV can be glorious, or it can be horrible, or it can be somewhere in-between, but it’s always the efforts of your neighbors creating their own vision on a low budget and big dreams. A retrospective of one of the better efforts to create a show, 20 Years of Madness, will be showing…
Celebrate Three Years of Dragoon Beer on Saturday with 16 Brews
It’s been just three years, but Dragoon Brewing Co. quickly solidified its spot in the hearts of beer enthusiasts as a favorite for creative brews in Tucson. Whether you’re the type who gets the Dragoon IPA every time or you like to venture out and try new things, you should head to the brewery, located…
Who Wants to go to the 4/20 Pig Roast?
We’ve got two pairs of VIP wristbands for Monday night’s pig roast at CLUB XS, hosted by medical marijuana dispensary Desert Bloom. Now, the wristbands offer Medicated VIP access, but only if you’ve got an MMJ card. You can enter if you don’t have a card, but you’ll only get non-medicated VIP access. I’m sure you’ve heard…
Hey, Diane Douglas Wants to Listen to Your State-of-Education Woes
Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas is launching a statewide tour that will make a pit stop in Tucson at the end of May to listen to your concerns on all-things K-12 education. There will be a series of public meetings throughout the so-called “We Are Listening” tour to pair up with recommendations from the…
Medical Pot Researcher Sue Sisley Will Be on CNN’s Weed Show Sunday
Arizona is going to be on the spotlight this Sunday on CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s Weed 3: The Marijuana Revolution. Gupta followed Sue Sisley—who was ousted from the University of Arizona last summer (she says because of political pressure over the “controversy” of her marijuana research)—to discuss her study on medical marijuana as a treatment…
We Have a Ton of Tickets to the Pima County Fair
Seriously so many. The Pima County Fair opens today and we’re giving away tickets in pairs and in fours. We’ll be drawing names a little bit randomly—a couple of times a day until the fair is over. If you win but are no longer interested in attending, let us know and we’ll give those tickets…
The Fight to Save Oak Flat Comes to Tucson
You may not have heard much about Oak Flat, and that’s no surprise. After all, this patch of natural beauty sprawls across federal forest land, out in a rural corner of Arizona. It’s way off the radar for most major newspapers, and far from the hum of metropolitan life. But Oak Flat hits close to…
See the Dark Side of Ambient at Tiny Town Gallery on Friday
Some people go out to unwind on Friday nights. They dance to ’90s hip hop with drink in hand and let loose. That’s all fine and good, but if you’re looking to stand in a wind tunnel of black ambient sound, you should most definitely head to Tiny Town Gallery on April 17 for a…
A Night of Print
Tucson’s Women Art Collective is pairing up with Tucson Community Print Shop to offer a fun, artistic night for all. On Thursday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Tucson Community Print Shop, 14 W. 35 St., experienced artists and beginners alike can produce screen-printing, monotype printing and woodblock objects. Attendees must bring their own…
The Skinny
City Hall Brawl, 2015 Edition Mayor Rothschild kicks off campaign as this year’s City Council elections start to shape up Mayor Jonathan Rothschild formally announced his plans to run for reelection last week. Rothschild, who is finishing up his first four-year term, told Democrats and others gathered on the patio at downtown’s Connect co-working space…
ATC’s ‘Picasso’ Sure to Draw a Crowd
If you are an actor, sometimes you run across something—a role in a play, a character from history—that you just seem destined to make yours. It’s someone you love or understand or you identify with intimately or have great respect for—actually, probably all of these things. And then you recognize that not only can you…
Preview: Trouble in ‘River City’
“This play has excited me more than any in a long time,” says Esther Almazan, who directs Borderlands Theater’s production of “River City” by Diana Grisanti. A young woman’s father dies and she makes some surprising discoveries as she deals with the things he left behind, including a photograph which prompts a journey to uncover the secrets…
Celebrating Nancy
Walk into the Nancy Tokar Miller retrospective at Etherton Gallery and you enter a world of light, color and beauty. Forty years’ worth. For four decades the prolific Tokar Miller, who died a year ago at the age of 73, was one of Tucson’s best painters. A single gallery is not nearly enough to hold…
Bad Company
What starts as a sad story about a girl and her abandoned dog steadily builds into a horror show with echoes of “Cujo” and “Planet of the Apes” in “White God,” last year’s official submission from Hungary for the 87th Academy Awards. Man, they make some crazy films in Hungary. Lili (Zsofia Psotta) is having…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: Do Mexicans know that if just one of their grandparents was born in Spain, they could immigrate immediately not just to Spain, but also any other country in the European Union? I know this is not an option for a lot of Mexicans, but it certainly seems like a better one for those…
Editor’s Note
Tucson is not perfect, and we don’t have to point out the potholes or our odd brand of Baja Arizona politics to prove it, but it has a way of capturing our hearts. I know several people who tell the “my car broke down on the freeway so I stayed” story, and every artist who…
Danehy
While the economy is getting better, a lot of us could probably use a little extra money. Well, I’ve got the perfect job for you—become a state legislator. The pay ($24,000 a year) is really good, considering the meager amount of “work” that must be done in exchange for all that skrilla. Why, in the…
Dust Devil
Granddad You were in the porch swing gazing at the spring grass in the fields you used to farm. I stood at the steps for the first time in eight years; a young man now, with a wife, wondering if with eighteen grandchildren you would remember me. The railing wobbled at my touch and you…
Baby Gas Mask Records: Home Label
Baby Gas Mask Records is on a mission to capture the depth, breadth and quality of musicians from Tucson and across Arizona. With the West Foot Forward series, the local record label will curate and release a run of 12 split 7-inch vinyl singles, with one song each from 24 bands. The first release, featuring…
Medicate Here
As a new collaborator of the 420 Social Club, =Spencer Grijalva went into it with one of his best friends in mind. His friend, who’d like to keep his name private, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma—a type of blood cancer—about one year ago. Grijalva saw his friend go through the unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy…
B-Sides: Viva La Vinyl
A WHOLE NEW STORE On Saturday, April 18 at 10 a.m., Wooden Tooth Records will open its doors to vinylphiles in Tucson to sift through their wares, and there’s going to be a lot to look through. For the initial inventory, there will be about 7,000 records on hand bought up large collections from two…
No Surrender
Set back is not in Sue Sisley’s vocabulary. When the researcher was fired from her UA non-tenured clinical assistant professorship last summer, Sisley took center stage on news outlets across the country. While the UA denied it, Sisley claimed political pressure from a conservative and anti-marijuana state Legislature led to her contract not being renewed,…
Built to Spill: Living Live
When it came time to record “Untethered Moon”—Built to Spill’s eighth album and first in almost six years—Doug Martsch found himself having more fun than usual. With modern guitar hero Martsch at the helm, Built to Spill formed in 1992 and has remained one of the most dependably excellent bands in American rock music for…
420 Happenings
A Pig Roast Celebration The big 420 in the Old Pueblo is medical marijuana dispensary Desert Bloom Re-Leaf Center, 5851 E. Speedway Blvd., with its first annual 4/20 Pig Roast brought to you by Brush Fire BBQ from noon to 2 a.m. There will be a medicated area for all medical marijuana patient card holder,…
Police Dispatch
Foothills Area March 6, 4:48 p.m. A sheriff’s deputy went out to handle a man who’d reportedly peed in public, but he ended up arresting a different (apparently very drunk) man—at the same location—after this second subject threatened to likewise publicly piss, according to a Pima County Sheriff’s Department report. The deputy was responding to…
Green Halo: Sugar High
There’s a difference between tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). To really boil it down, THC is the compound in cannabis that’s typically associated with the “high” of smoking (or ingesting or whatever else you’re doing) marijuana. CBD is actually gaining more and more clout as a natural medicinal way to help with poor blood circulation,…
The Pleasure Activist
Despite common misconceptions, not all sex toys are strictly for women and not all sex toys are vibrators. This week, I’ll spend a minute discussing cock rings (aka penis rings). Many people have either heard of this device, passed them by in a sex toy store, perhaps even purchased one out of curiosity without knowing…
End Violence, Eat Good Food
Celebrate Hump Day by grabbing grub, drinks or a pastry with a friend or five—it’s for a good cause. On Wednesday, April 22, over a dozen local restaurants are donating up to 20 percent of their profits to the Southern Arizona Center against Sexual Assault. Each participating restaurant is different, with some donating the funds…
Police Dispatch
Rincon Beat March 2, 7:29 p.m. A man was spied “trying to defecate” in a Safeway parking lot with his pants down—but still wearing underwear—a PCSD report stated. The Safeway manager said the subject had come into the store seeming very intoxicated, but he’d refused the manager’s offer to call him a cab and left…
Cyclovia
The public can reclaim the streets for walking and riding once again on Sunday, April 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The five-mile route from downtown to South Tucson will be closed to motorists once again and “reopened” to the public so that they can enjoy the open road on foot, bicycle, board, or…
No Rematch
Democrat Ron Barber, who lost his last congressional race to Republican Martha McSally in November 2014 by just 167 votes, said he would not seek another rematch with McSally in 2016 during an appearance last Sunday on “Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel”. “It’s been a hard decision,” Barber said. “For the last three-and-a-half months, we’ve…
Viva La Local Food Festival
Now becoming a staple in the community, the Viva La Local Food Festival returns for its third installment on Saturday, April 18 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The fest boasts a sundry of Tucson’s best food destinations all in one place, Rillito Park, 4520 N. 1st Ave., along with the established Heirloom’s Farmers Market.…
Guest Opinion
By Jonathan Rothschild With a Congress that has little use for federal assistance programs, President Obama has had to look for new ways to help Americans who are struggling. He’s issued a number of challenges. Ending veteran homelessness, which Tucson is working on, is one. To date, we’ve housed 920 formerly homeless veterans—more than halfway…
TAPE
As a hyper-local spinoff of Tucson Comic Con, its sister event, Tucson Art Press Exhibit (TAPE) highlights the local alternative media art scene. At the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave., on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tucsonans are invited…
Media Watch
Our time is limited. We all know it, but we don’t all act on it. Perhaps, among other things, because we don’t have the semblance of an exact amount of time that remains. Forrest Carr does, and he’s going to spend as much of that time as he can on a passion for writing. As…
