Cover Story
Bull Session
It would appear as though Gov. Doug Ducey and GOP state lawmakers took an old saying to heart this year: “No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the Legislature is in session.” The session was completed in just 81 days—the shortest session since 1968. It might have gone on longer, but Senate President…
Let’s Make Some Noise at the May Day March This Evening
A very wide rage of issues are going to be represented at the May Day march later today: The fight for $15; demands to stop police and Border Patrol agents from continuing to kill unarmed, innocent people; immigrants and LGBT rights; support for indigenous rights at Oak Flat and Rio Yaqui; public education (reinstating Mexican-American…
Cap off Tucson Bike Fest at Borderlands on Thursday
The Living Streets Alliance is celebrating another successful month of Bike Fest in Tucson this Thursday with an event at Borderlands Brewing Co. The brewery will be serving up a range of their craft drafts, including the Agua Bendita barleywine, Citrana gose and Betty’s Beard sour stout. Food will be available by the Blacktop Grill…
Arizona DREAMers Rally at UA: We Deserve In-State Tuition
Dario Andrade Mendoza graduated from high school and Pima Community College with honors. His interests lie in engineering, so, naturally, the next step was obvious: enrolling in the University of Arizona’s College of Engineering and getting a degree—or several of them. In May 2014, right after he got an associate’s from PCC, the 20-year-old applied…
Hello, Curiosity: UA’s HiRISE Camera Snaps Photo of Little Mars Robot
The UA HiRISE camera in orbit around Mars has snapped a photo of the Curiosity rover as it makes its way around Gale Crater. It’s the teeny-tiny dot in the center of the above photo. The HiRISE Team tells us: Here we see the rover parked over dark sand in a valley bounded by light-toned…
Shining a Light on Rosemont Copper’s “Good Citizen” Gambit
Sure, Rosemont Copper plans to dig a huge hole in the middle of the Sonoran Desert, extract copper for 20 years, then fill up the hole* and close up shop, but that’s not what the company is really about. It’s about being a good citizen and giving back to the community. How do I know?…
First Amendment Forum Tonight
In light of several controversies near the UA, including clashes between students and Muslim mosque, Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik has put together a First Amendment Forum on “Free Speech and Civility: Striking the Balance” tonight. Here’s Koz’s tease of the event: The Klan marching in Skokie, Illinois, and burning an American Flag are both…
4th Ave’s Lit Home Casa Libre Moving Out of Its Venue As State Budget Cuts to Arts Begin to Trickle Down
Casa Libre en la Solana is moving out of the Fourth Avenue casita they’ve called home for more than a decade. The nonprofit, literature nest is one of many tightening the belt as Gov. Doug Ducey’s poor (to be polite) budget choices begin to trickle down to local arts organizations. In a beautifully written newsletter,…
Shop Local This Weekend at Mercado San Agustin’s Spring Bazaar
Looking to buy that very special, one-of-a-kind Mother’s Day bauble? Need to get a gift for a recent grad? Well, you’re in luck because Mercado San Agustin is hosting their Spring Bazaar on Saturday and Sunday for all of your local handmade and vintage needs. This year, the event will feature 42 of the towns…
Unpacking Washington Post’s “Most Challenging High Schools” List
I’m a little late for the party. The Star covered WaPo’s Most Challenging High Schools list a week ago. But I was out of town, so now I’m making up for lost time. The reason this is a big story locally is that three Tucson schools cracked the top ten, including two BASIS charters. BASIS…
Tell Me Which Tucsonans are Hilarious
I really love going to comedy shows. Concerts aren’t my bag: I don’t know much about music, I’m a notably bad dancer and I’m 5 feet tall, making my face pretty much at elbow level—no, thank you. So, l go to comedy nights (and I’m sure some of you tall, dancing, music experts do, too). So,…
Does Supervisor Ally Miller’s Chief of Staff Want To Unseat Supervsior Ray Carroll?
Your juicy rumor of the day: Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller’s chief of staff, Jeannie Davis, wants to try to unseat Supervisor Ray Carroll next year. There is no love lost between Miller and Carroll, the two Republicans on the Board of Supervisors. Although Carroll supported Miller after she won her primary in 2012 and…
Join the Conversation about Mass Incarceration in America at the YWCA
As part of the YWCA’s mission to empower women and eliminate racism, the community center, located at 525 Bonita Ave., is hosting a series of forums that discuss the issue of mass incarceration in America. On Wednesday, the second part of the series will discuss mass incarceration of women and people of color in the…
Arizona Board of Education Set to Review Common Core
The Arizona Board of Education has created a committee that’ll be in charge of reviewing the Common Core standards for math and English language arts. The 17-member committee—made up of Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas (who based her entire campaign on her opposition to Common Core), business owners, college deans, teachers and parents —will…
Company Cleans Up The Fox Theatre
A cleanup company called Priority One took care of the graffiti mess at The Fox Theatre yesterday afternoon. “We are honored to have been chosen to remove the graffiti from the historic Fox Theatre!” The company’s Facebook said. The Fox’s entire entryway was tagged over the weekend. There are no cameras, so authorities and theatre…
Agave Fest Celebrates Much More Than Tequila This Weekend at Hotel Congress
To me, the easiest way to explain the relationship of tequila and mezcal is that old thing your high school geometry teacher used to say about quadrilaterals and squares: all tequilas are mezcals but not all mezcals are tequilas. Actually there’s bacanora, sotol, raicilla and the more common mezcal de Oaxaca too. So, what’s the…
Make a Special Donation to Help Clean Up The Fox Theatre
To help cover restoration costs for the vandalized Fox Theatre, you can visit its website and make a special donation (or call 547-3040)—anyone who gives $75 or more will get a free one year membership. “The response from many in the community who wish to protect and preserve this beautiful historic theatre has been overwhelming,”…
Conference Hopes to Make Healthcare More Inclusive of LGBT People
Quality and inclusive healthcare for LGBTQ will be the focus of an annual conference hosted by local behavioral health providers. The event, going strong on its fourth year, will have several workshops and keynotes to discuss the best clinical care practices for LGBTQI adults and children—both already in places and emerging methods. From a Community…
Bao and Dumplings on the Cheap at China Pasta House
Conveniently located right near campus for those broke as a joke college kids in town, China Pasta House is a haven of quick, cheap and tasty eats. Even if you’re not in school, the modest restaurant, located at 430 N. Park Ave. just south of 6th Street, is a good spot to check out for…
Rothschild Set To Deliver Mayoral Petitions & Has Already Maxed Out Fundraising Limits
Today is the first day that candidates for this year’s city election can file their nominating petitions with the city—and Mayor Jonathan Rothschild plans to celebrate by dropping of the maximum number of signatures as well as all the paperwork to max out the city’s matching-funds program. The signature part demonstrates solid campaign organization, but…
Leo Needs a Home
Leo—5-years-old —Pit Bull Mix—M—#798406 Leo is nothing short of a doll! This handsome man came to Humane Society of Southern Arizona in the beginning of January looking for his own new beginning. Leo is a sweet boy that just wants to be at your side. He can be nervous in some situations, so he is…
“The Salt of the Earth”: Terrific Documentary on Photographer Sebastião Salgado
I don’t normally recommend films, but I’ll make an exception here. The Salt of the Earth, a documentary about photographer Sebastião Salgado playing at The Loft, is a terrific film for anyone interested in photography and social justice—and photography used as a tool for social justice. For my money, Salgado, born in Brazil and trained as…
The Fox Theatre Was Vandalized This Weekend
It appears someone thought it was a great idea to vandalize a Tucson historical landmark, The Fox Theatre. A few photos were posted on the Facebook page Weird Stuff You’ll Only See In/Near Tucson late last night and this morning. Now, this isn’t weird, it’s just an asshole move. If you recognize the tag from other…
What Makes a Tucson Legend?
One of my favorite of my Best of Tucson® categories is probably one of the more challenging ones: Best Local Legend. I love it because of the huge range of answers we’re getting so far. Sadly, I can’t share those with you. Well, not the specifics, at least. I love that some of the people being…
Penca’s Jicaro Is a Lightly Spicy, Agave-Centric Cocktail
It’s no secret that Penca’s Bryan Eichhorst has a passion for agave distillates. Recently, he created a full menu for the downtown restaurant listing all of their mezcals—there are 32—in categories with notes on how it’s made and from where it originates. With a few new spring cocktails and old favorites like the housemade tepache,…
Check Out Tucson High’s 8th Unity Festival Tomorrow
Unsure of what to do tomorrow? The eighth annual Unity Festival is happening—a day of hip hop, urban art, cultural events and workshops, lots of food and aguas frescas to celebrate youth, and encourage them to express themselves in a a positive and creative way. It is put together by Tucson High and the school’s…
Maker House Founder Feels Threatened by Homeless Activist & It’s Hard to Grasp Why
KVOA posted a story last night with the headline, “Downtown Businessman Said He Was Threatened by Homeless Camp Founder.” The businessman is Maker House’s John Jacobs, and by “homeless camp founder” they refer to John McLane, one of the creators of Safe Park—an advocacy group made up of Tucson’s houseless residents. Read McLane’s message below:…
Zona Politics Goes Into Outer Space
ZonaPol4-23finalb from Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel on Vimeo. On this week’s episode of Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel: UA Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Professor Dante Lauretta, the principal investigator for the OSIRIS-REx mission, stops by the set to talk about the plans to send a robotic spacecraft to explore the asteroid Bennu. You can…
Filmmaker Kirby Dick at the Loft Tonight With Campus Rape Film
Campus rape is a difficult issue, for all kinds of reasons—victims sometimes have spotty memories as a result of alcohol consumption or because they were drugged against their will; there may not witnesses; sometimes it boils down to a he-said/she-said situation; and pursuing charges can be even more traumatizing for a victim. That shouldn’t be…
So What’s New?
So what’s been happening the past few weeks I should know about, and maybe write about? I’ve been traveling in southern Spain, and the reason you go there isn’t to follow current events, though thanks to the miracle of wireless-in-every-hotel, I kept up a bit. The main lure of the area is getting a glimpse…
Hotel Congress Wins Best Breakfast Dish at the Arizona Foodist Awards
Last night in Tempe, the Arizona Foodist Awards announced their winners among the list of 2015 nominations. Hotel Congress’ Cup Cafe was recognized for their popular breakfast dish: cast iron baked eggs. The dish features two eggs, ham, leeks and gruyere cheese that are baked in cream and herbes fines in a cast iron pan…
Wildcat Baseball Tickets are Waiting for You
It’s that time again! Friday morning and I was handed a stack of baseball tickets for games this weekend! Four tickets for each game! So, if you want to see the Wildcats do their thing against California this weekend, enter below. I’ll draw winners at 1 p.m. You have to be able to pick the…
Try Freedom Stories: How the UA Is Providing Medical Help Around the Globe
The nonprofit Try Freedom Stories has a new documentary about the UA’s groundbreaking work in training doctors to help with medical crises around the world. As the organization explains: The documentary gives us an in-depth look at global health and how the program at the UA is different. Their approach focuses on the community and…
Best of Tucson Voting: Settle the Guacamole Debate
Guacamole is important to me. So important, it seems, that when someone saw the Best Guacamole section on their Best of Tucson® ballot, he put my name down*. But, I’m not going to make guacamole for you, dear Tucson Weekly/The Range reader. That would be weird. Know what else is weird? That there doesn’t seem…
We’ve Still Got a Few Tickets to the Pima County Fair
Hello there, Fair people. The Pima County Fair is wrapping up on Sunday night. So, if you want to make it to the top of that ferris wheel you had better hurry up. We’ve still got a few tickets to give away. Enter our drawing and let us know how many tickets you’re interested in.…
SB 1070 Anniversary Protest Fuses with Demand to End Apprehension of LGBTQ Immigrants, Asylum Seekers
A march in Phoenix to mark the anniversary of the anti-immigrant law SB 1070 will also be a celebration for the release of Nicoll Hernández-Polanco, a Guatemalan transgender woman who was given asylum in the U.S. yesterday. She had been apprehended at all-male detention facility for the past six months. Nicoll’s case is one of…
Calexico Meets Cronenberg
A few weeks back, we posted a video for Calexico’s new single, “Falling From the Sky,” that was shot inside downtown Tucson’s Wavelab Studios. Now the band has a new video for the opening track on Edge of the Sun (which you should buy ASAP because it’s great). This one reminds me more of a…
Ducey: Allow Gays To Adopt Kids in AZ
The Weekly has been critical of Gov. Doug Ducey’s push to cut taxes for Arizona’s wealthiest while shortchanging schools, universities and social services, but we have to praise him today for reversing a policy that made it harder for gay couples to adopt children. Ducey did the right thing, no question, after the Arizona Capitol…
Love, Laugh and Family
Community chorus Desert Voices Chorus celebrates mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers and all those beautiful friends we claim as family in the performance Love, Laugh and Family on Saturday, April 25, wrapping up its 26th season. Musical selections range from Sondheim to Sister Sledge. Bring your family, biological or chosen, and explore all of our…
Star Gazing
Tucson has one of the best astronomy programs in the country and offers some of the best sky viewing around—why not take advantage? On Friday, April 24, from 7 to 9 p.m., the Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation will host a night under the stars at the Historic Hacienda de la Canoa Ranch,…
Literary Performance
Local “mischief makers” Kaitlin Meadows and Penelope Starr will put on a literary performance full of inquiry and illumination. Antigone Books, 411 N. Fourth Ave., will host the event on Friday, April 24, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The theme of the night is balance. The performers will explore how to manage asking, receiving, and…
Charles Mingus Hometown Music Festival
The 7th Annual Charles Mingus Hometown Music Festival continues to keep the tradition of jazz music alive in today’s society. On Saturday, April 25, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the First Fidelity Bank Plaza, 825 N. Grand Ave., Nogales, Arizona, local jazz bands will perform in the classic American style. The Nogales festival…
Stand Against Racism
This national call for action will be at the forefront of our minds on Friday, April 24, as Tucson and other YWCA locations unite over 300,000 activists to take a stand. Though there are several ways to get involved, including signing an online pledge against racism, the brown bag lunch events are the most visible.…
Editor’s Note
“Many Bones, One Heart” Pardon me. This is a late thank you note, but it’s important enough to make sure not another week goes by before thanking Leslie Ann Epperson for the gift she’s given Tucson in her documentary, “Many Bones, One Heart,” which explains, honors and tells the story of the All Souls Procession.…
Magic and Moody Melodies
It is magic, of an unusual sort. And it is definitely rough, both the proceedings and the script which gives them birth. Winding Road Theater Ensemble most assuredly exhibits truth in advertising as it brings us “Rough Magic” a very bizarre play by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Some of the bizarre aspects are confounding; some are, well,…
Dust Devil
Snowbird Alas, our winter stay has almost ended. We will miss you friends and neighbor, mountains and desert, palo verdes and mesquite, road-runners and coyote. Just a month now and we’ll be back to our Chicagoland home. People ask, why do we return to our area of birth? We tell them that we miss the…
Human Like
Suppose that futurist Ray Kurzweil is wrong about the Singularity. That’s the moment at which, theoretically, machines will no longer need all of us pea-brained caffeine junkies, and perhaps a mechocalypse will follow. Their influence will be positive instead, helping us reach closer to some sort of immortality. Check back in 2045, Kurzweil says. Even…
Police Dispatch
San Xavier Beat February 25, 2:30 a.m. A meth-addled man pushed the “blame-it-on-her-period” cliché to the extreme when he told sheriff’s deputies that his girlfriend went crazy, punched herself and ran outside naked all because she was out of tampons … when in fact, deputies determined, she was perfectly sane and had been running away from…
B-Sides
A LOTTA BIT COUNTRY If you’re a country music junkie, chances are you’re going to be pretty torn on Thursday, April 23. 73-year-old country music icon Merle Haggard is playing at Fox Theatre at 17 W. Congress St. that night beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are available in advance for $47 to $67, depending on…
Partial Freedom
From the fragile age of 16 until her early 20s, Beth Jacobs didn’t live, she survived. After a few sips from a drugged up beverage, she was kidnapped and forced into prostitution thereafter. Her pimps demanded a few hundred dollars daily, with nothing but a handful of quarters for her possession. She escaped at 22,…
Louise Le Hir: Diving In
Louise Le Hir is careful to choose her words, often pausing for moments on end to compose the proper response. It’s that sort of intentional and conscious execution that bleeds into her first full-length release, which will make its debut this week at The Flycatcher on Saturday, April 25. However, if you’re a KXCI listener,…
Guest Opinion
The powerful giants of the fossil-fueled electricity system are facing choices to change their business models, as a result of two developments: Regulations to decrease carbon dioxide pollution, and price drops in solar energy allowing more ratepayers to install rooftop photovoltaic systems. However, many utility companies are not responding in ways that will allow customer…
Sir Richard Bishop: Traveling Man
As much as he’s able, Sir Richard Bishop spends his time on the road. As a member of the avant-garde band Sun City Girls or as a solo guitarist, he’s spent much of the three decades of his career in motion—moving from Phoenix to Seattle, and then Portland, and spending time, traveling across Europe, Asia,…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: Why do Mexican men have thicker hair than Caucasian men? Because I’ve seen more Mexican men with thicker hair and a lot more of it that Caucasian men. Why? Is it because it runs in the genes? (I am only asking about hair on the head not body hair). —Frankie Dear Gabacho: It’s…
The Skinny
Joint Effort Pro-legalization advocates come together to file marijuana initiative After a brief separation over various issues, it appears as though the nationally based Marijuana Policy Project and the Arizona-based Arizonans for Responsible Legalization are once again working together on a ballot prop to legalize weed in the Grand Canyon State. Some dispensary owners formed…
Legal Theft, Part I
Read Part II On a May evening about two years ago, Ron Johnson claims he woke up to someone banging at his front door. He dragged himself out of bed and opened up. Before he could even ask what was going on, a Tucson Police officer handcuffed and shoved him in the back of a…
Danehy
Just a few things that need to be said: Cameras, cameras everywhere… – We’ve all seen the videos of cops acting up in most-unprofessional ways. Running away from the police is almost always a crime, but it shouldn’t be punishable by death. I wonder whether those two most recent videos of guys running away and…
Pleasure Activist
I have to admit- until very recently, wearing a female condom felt a bit like stuffing a plastic bag inside of my vagina, and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how to feel sexy with the ring of large outer portion dangling outside of my vulva. That said, due to more experience…
Media Watch
One of the important financial streams for the lifeblood of Arizona Public Media looked in jeopardy last year when UA President Ann Weaver Hart announced a plan to sever funding to the local PBS and NPR affiliate. A significant outcry followed, which played a role in backing away from the doom and gloom nature of…
Presta Coffee: Precision Roasting
Curtis Zimmerman stands next to his roaster as it charges—he’s heating it up to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare it for unroasted coffee beans. The beans go into the roaster a greenish beige and about 10 minutes later come out a light brown, but there’s plenty going on in that ten minute span. Zimmerman,…
