Cover Story
What a View!
On a beautiful day at Kino Springs, five miles east of Nogales, Ariz., Alex Mills is examining the southern end of his paradise, now lost to the border fence. His view to the north includes high-desert mesquite and grassland all the way up to Rio Rico, a speck on the landscape. And to the east,…
CD8: Miller Dropping out of the Race?
With less than two weeks to go before the Aug. 24 GOP primary, Tucson Citizen blogger Jim Kelley suggests that Republican Brian Miller might drop out of the CD8 race. Details here. Miller, who represents the Ron Paul wing of the GOP, has been overshadowed by the fight between Jesse Kelly and Jonathan Paton for…
Maddow Producers at Congress
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy According to the Maddow blog here, folks from her show fell in love with Tucson: We really did have a blast last night, watching the Rachel Maddow Show with the good people of Arizona. People packed the club and the Tap Room at…
Senate Set To Pass Border Security Bill
An update on the border-security bill we’ve been following this week: It appears that the U.S. Senate will reconvene to pass the legislation, which was passed by the House yesterday. Well, sorta reconvene. Only two members will be turning up to vote—and they won’t be U.S. Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl, despite their demand…
Paton Hit By Conservatives for Congress Committee
We mentioned yesterday that the Conservatives for Congress Committee had released a poll showing Republican Jesse Kelly with a big lead over former state lawmaker Jonathan Paton in the GOP primary race that will decide which Republican faces Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The Paton campaign has complained that the poll can’t be trusted because the Conservatives…
CD8: Paton Endosed by Anti-Abortion Leader
Former state lawmaker Jonathan Paton, who is running against Jesse Kelly, Brian Miller and Jay Quick in the Aug. 24 GOP primary that will decide which Republican candidate faces Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in CD8, has been endorsed by Cathi Herrod, who heads up the Center for Arizona Policy. The Center for Arizona Policy has…
Horne Wants Sheriff Joe Ads Off TV
State Attorney General candidate Tom Horne asked a Maricopa County Superior Court judge to issue a restraining order to keep Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s campaign ads off TV. Sheriff Joe isn’t up for re-election until 2012, and in the ads, he conveniently questions Horne’s views on illegal immigration. The Secretary of State’s elections office confirmed that…
Aqua Vita Natural Foods Reopens
Aqua Vita Natural Foods has reopened today, Wednesday, Aug. 11. The store closed about three months ago after a fire tore through the back of the building, causing about $400,000 in damage. Owner Harmeet Singh said this morning that the store is open and stocked with the natural foods, pet supplies, personal-care products, bulk herbs…
Brewer: Not Enough Money From Feds
We reported yesterday that Democrats in Congress had provided an additional $563 million to the state to help fund education and health care. Howie Fischer of Capitol Media Services reports that the Brewer administration says the health-care portion is not enough for the state’s needs: President Obama signed a $26.1 billion jobs-and-education stimulus bill Tuesday…
The Feast Blog
Been wondering what’s going on with the new Feast location? Read all about it on the blog that owner Doug Levy has been updating since construction started in June. The new Feast is under construction in a lot at 3719 E. Speedway Blvd., where that beat-up Mexican-restaurant building used to be. It is expected to…
Bookmans Opens New Store
According to a report Friday, Aug. 6 by Joe Pangburn at our sister pub Inside Tucson Business, Bookmans is going online: The online store is based on the same model as the company’s other retail outlets, selling items purchased from customers. A customized software aides buyers in making the decision of whether the book should…
Happy Ramadan: McCain Joins Anti-Mosque Campaign
The Muslim holiday of Ramadan is starting, so to our Muslim friends: Ramadan Mubarak! We also wanted to let you know that Arizona Sen. John McCain told The Weekly Standard that he opposes the development of a Muslim community center in New York City: For McCain, his opinion on whether the Ground Zero mosque should…
Huppenthal Wants to Stop ‘La Raza’
KGUN Channel 9 did a report yesterday on a John Huppenthal radio ad. In the ad, the Republican candidate for superintendent of public instruction said he wants to stop “la raza.” I don’t think Huppenthal understands that no one can stop la raza. Reporter Steve Nunez gave him a Spanish lesson you can see here.…
CD8: The Numbers Game
I’m a little late in getting around to examining the CD8 poll released last week by Conservatives for Congress, an independent campaign committee. (Forgive me for taking my annual South Seas summer vacation. And yes, it’s beautiful in Waikiki this time of the year.) Anyway, the CFC poll showed Republican Jesse Kelly with a two-to-one…
Mexico: More Forward-Thinking Than the U.S.
The Associated Press The Associated Press reported today: Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that all 31 states must recognize same-sex marriages performed in the capital, though its decision does not force those states to begin marrying gay couples in their territory. In a 9-2 decision, the tribunal cited an article of the constitution requiring states…
Dems Demand Private Prison Security Investigation
In today’s Arizona Republic, Attorney General Terry Goddard and Democratic lawmakers blasted Gov. Jan Brewer over the recent prison fiasco. Even members of Brewer’s own party said Monday they were concerned about what led to the escape of three violent inmates from a privately run facility near Kingman on July 30. Some are suggesting legislative…
CD8: Reading Tea Leaves. Plus: Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Julia Tymoshenko Figures Into The CD8 Race
Julia Tymoshenko Robert Mayer, a one-time organizer of the Tucson Tea Party, has launched a campaign to discourage people from voting for CD8 Republican candidate Jesse Kelly. Mayer, who has stepped away from tea partying to take a job campaigning for a health-care initiative on November ballot, sent out an email last week saying he’d…
RTA Puts Hold on Funding for Portions of Sun Tran Services
The Regional Transportation Authority is withholding funding for several Sun Tran programs until an agreement with city officials can be reached. The RTA made headlines recently when negotiations that could have brought Sun Tran under the organization’s authority broke down. After heated argument—and one meeting that ended with the RTA’s executive director threatening to shut…
Go See ‘Eating Disorder’
Does Christopher Johnson at Live Theatre Workshop’s Etcetera ever take a break? If you missed The Eating Disorder Talent Show last weekend, the latest offering from the late night theater series continues two more weekends on Fridays and Saturdays, through Saturday, Aug. 21, at 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the box office. The house…
House Votes To Bail Out States
Following the vote for more border funding, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to provide $26 billion to state governments to fund education and health-care programs. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords voted in favor of the legislation, which will send roughly $563 million to Arizona to help the state balance its budget. State lawmakers were counting on…
Border Funding Passes House (Again)
We mentioned yesterday that the $600 million border-funding bill passed by the Senate last week needed to go back to the House for approval—and that changes in the Senate bill meant that the House would need to send the bill back to the Senate. Today, the House voted to do just that—but representatives made a…
Politico: Ben Quayle Denies Role in Launching Sex-Gossip Site TheDirty.com
Nik Richie of thedirty.com is making a strange accusation about Ben Quayle, the son of former VP Dan Quayle who is running for Congress in CD3. Note: Link is probably NSFW. Politico reports that Quayle denies any role in developing the sex-and-gossip site: “I did not have a role in founding that site,” Quayle, a…
Hang Out With Rachel Maddow’s Gang
A group of producers from MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show are in town to do some reporting on the border for the show’s blog and they’ll be watching Rachel at Hotel Congress’ Tap Room tonight from 5:30 to 7:30. Stop by if you want to meet the crew and get a hat or T-shirt.
Federal Border Funding Hits Snag
You know that $600 million for border security that the U.S. Senate finally passed last week? The New York Times reports that the spending package has hit a procedural snag in the House of Representatives: With the House coming back, the Senate then gave surprise 11th hour approval to a $600 million immigration enforcement measure…
Waddell Signs Extension to Stay With KGUN
KGUN Channel 9 anchor Jennifer Waddell has signed a three-year contract extension with the ABC affiliate. “We’re thrilled to have renewed our contract with Jennifer and look forward to more success,” said KGUN news director Forrest Carr. Waddell made an impact on the market immediately upon her arrival. She has an engaging personality and ability…
Trace Adkins Tells Crowd to ‘Blow’ Him If They Don’t Like Sheriff Joe Arpaio
The Phoenix New Times reports that Trace Adkins shared a few words about SB 1070 at his concert in Phoenix last night: Well, it looks like Lady Gaga’s not the only one who can’t keep her mouth shut about political issues during concerts. At last night’s Toby Keith show at Cricket Wireless Pavilion in Phoenix,…
Calexico Live at the Newport Folk Festival
Our favorite local band, Calexico, performs at the Newport Folk Festival. NPR has other performances from the fest here.
Throwdown With Bobby Flay: Tucson Edition
Can Bobby Flay beat Teresa’s Mosaic Café in a huevos rancheros throwdown? Will Flay’s mastery over Southwestern flavors falter when the Matias family brings generations of Mexican-cooking experience, quite literally, to the table? Find out when the episode of Throwdown With Bobby Flay featuring the westside restaurant airs Wednesday, Aug. 11. More details are available…
Bus Strike Ends; Service Resumes Monday
The bus strike is over, and normal bus service resumes Monday, Aug. 9. This press release from Sun Tran has the details: SUN TRAN AND TEAMSTERS APPROVE CONTRACTStrike ends, regular bus service resumes Monday, August 9 TUCSON, Ariz. — Sun Tran and Teamsters Local 104 have officially agreed to a two-year agreement, and union membership…
Election 2010: AG Candidates Debate on Arizona Illustrated
Tom Horne and Andrew Thomas, the Republican candidates for Arizona attorney general, debated on Arizona Illustrated on Friday, Aug. 5. This has been one of the most brutal of the GOP primaries this year, with Horne saying that Thomas has abused his prosecutorial power as Maricopa County attorney by going after politicians and judges that…
Tentative Settlement Reached in Bus Strike
KOLD is reporting that Sun Tran and the Teamsters local have reached a tentative agreement that could end the week-old strike. A vote by Union members is expected to take place on Sunday, August 8. If the members approve the recommended contract, the strike will end, and striking workers would return to work on Monday,…
Sun Tran Strike Update: Negotiations Reopen at Meeting Tonight (Friday)
This just in, via a Sun Tran press release: Professional Transit Management officials and representatives of Teamsters Local 104 have agreed to reopen negotiations on the terms of a new contract for drivers, mechanics and other bargaining unit employees. The parties will meet later tonight at an undisclosed location. The current contract expired at midnight…
An Open Letter to Seashell Radio
Dear Seashell Radio, I love you. There, I said it, but it doesn’t mean I’ll feel better. It just means I have to get my ass to your show tonight at Plush so I can confirm that my love for you is real and true. Really, I don’t know what it is I love about…
Ben Quayle Family Fake
If Comedy Central misses a day of making fun of Arizona, Keith Olbermann usually steps in. The latest was a good poke at former Vice President Dan Quayle’s son, who is running in the state’s 3rd Congressional District primary. Mailers show 33-year-old Ben Quayle with a couple of girls over this statement: “Tiffany and I…
Hayworth Attack Ad: McCain Is a Liar Who Supports Amnesty
Here’s Republican J.D. Hayworth’s latest ad attacking U.S. Sen. John McCain. Guess what? Hayworth says McCain supports amnesty. McCain, who has slid back and forth on the issue of illegal immigration, says he would insist on a penalty before allowing illegal immigrants to remain in the United States. And he sometimes says illegal immigrants should…
Chewing the Fat With Chef Albert Hall
Chef Albert Hall called this week with an update on the various projects he and his wife, Lila Yamashiro, have going on around town. Hall says he’s hired Odell Baskerville to be the executive chef at Acacia at St. Philip’s. Baskerville is an instructor at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Tucson.…
Anchor-Baby Debate: Adios, GOP
According to Sen. Lindsey Graham, pregnant women are running across the border and over the river to give birth. It’s apparent that the South Carolina Republican has never been pregnant, and should do his homework. In Tucson, it’s wealthy Mexican woman who cross the border, with a visa, to give birth at programs that market…
Tucson Food Amabassador Kim Fox Travel Update
Local-eats ambassador Kim Fox left the Moldy Pueblo in June to start a year-long food trek from Paris to Vilnius, Lithuania—all on her trusty bicycle. “I want to visit organic farms, farmers’ markets, food banks, seed banks, nonprofit agencies, Friends of the Earth representatives and other anti-GMO (genetic modified organisms) stuff. I’ll have a blog…
End of Sun Tran Strike? Emergency Meeting Today (Friday)
KOLD Channel 13 reports that an emergency meeting has been scheduled to discuss transferring the authority over Sun Tran’s bus system from the City of Tucson to the Regional Transportation Authority. Gary Hayes, the head of the RTA, made the front page of the daily today for threatening to shut down work on the downtown…
Vogt Whines About the Liberal Media
Ted Vogt, a GOP candidate for Legislative District 30, has a response to one of this week’s Skinny items, “Neocon Cash,” in which we simply pointed out that he’d gotten $2,200 from Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and others close to them. Oh, and we pointed out that out of about $22,000 he’d raised for his…
We Take the Rosemont Mine Tour
This week in our Currents section, Tim Vanderpool writes about Chiricahua leopard frogs near the proposed Rosemont Mine site. Along with the online version of the story, you can see a video of our recent tour of the planned copper mine in the Santa Rita mountains, about 30 miles southeast of town. Officials at Rosemont…
At Least 4,000 People Like Us
Our Shameless Self-Promotion Department has just informed us that we’ve just reached the 4,000 Facebook fan milestone. That means we’re 70.17 times more popular than the morning daily’s Facebook page! If you’d like to be part of one of the least-exclusive, but most-attractive Facebook pages in Tucson, head over to http://www.facebook.com/tucsonweekly and join the alternative…
Not the Same Old Thing
We’re just a bunch of music nerds.” That’s how keyboardist Cassie Van Gelder and, by implication, her three partners in the up-and-coming Tucson rock-band Seashell Radio describe themselves while explaining the diverse range of music produced by their efforts. While Van Gelder and cellist Esmé Schwall have classical and jazz backgrounds, drummer Fen Ikner and…
Down One Fan
Every week, we post our “motto”—the hilarious, poignant and timely (?) phrase that we put on this page in every issue—on the Tucson Weekly Facebook page as our “status.” Last week’s motto was: “Clutching our papers with fear and concern.” We went to press before the injunction that blocked much of SB 1070 was announced,…
Soundbites
Reasons for optimism; Like a poetry reading, but with dancing; Sugar with substance; For fans of colonial federalism; Short takes; On the bandwagon
Danehy
The point guard next year for the high school team I coach is named Kya. She gets really good grades, and she can dribble with her left hand, so the talking to plants and other hippie stuff she does are just pleasant eccentricities on her part. When the summer basketball leagues ended in late June,…
Nine Questions
Hans Hutchison
Serraglio
Once upon a time in Tucson history, there was a regular phenomenon known as Downtown Saturday Night. Thousands of people would converge on the city center to engage in loosely organized milling about. Vendors lined the streets; bands played in the alleys; shops and art galleries stayed open late; and—at least for one night per…
Live
TAMHA ‘CACTUS CATFIGHT’
Guest Commentary
We have the food system we asked for. There’s a reason a burger at McDonald’s sells for about a buck. There’s a reason the food is of such poor quality in places where healthy nutrition is most important—our schools, hospitals and nursing homes. What we support prospers; what we feed grows. If we support Walmart,…
HAIRSPRAYFIREANDGIRLS: I Am. And I’ve Been Looking for You (self-released)
Based on the lineup alone, HAIRSPRAYFIREANDGIRLS has the makings of a great rock band: Josh Levine (Red Switch, Apocalyptics) on vocals and guitar, Ernie Gardner (Red Switch) on drums, Noah Gabbard (Bombs for the Bored) on guitar, and Justin Lillie (Chango Malo, The Gentlemen of Monster Island) on bass. Veterans of the Tucson music scene…
Mailbag
Claim: ‘Tales From the Outskirts’ Piece Was Condescending Nick Smith is an entertaining writer. More importantly, he’s a very good writer. In “Tales the Outskirts: Ajo” (July 22), however, his tone—as a very French friend of mine would say—is off. Ajo, a non-incorporated community sweetly and inconveniently distant from Tucson by 135 miles, is a…
Magic and Kindness
The Valley of the Moon Fantasy Tour isn’t new to anyone who’s lived in Tucson for any amount of time. After all, the tour has been going on since the park was built by George Phar Legler in the 1920s—and the fact that the tour can capture the imaginations of children and adults time after…
Carissa’s Wierd: They’ll Only Miss You When You Leave: Songs 1996-2003 (Hardly Art)
Although Mat Brooke and Jenn Ghetto formed Carissa’s Wierd in Tucson in the mid-’90s—they’re natives—they found their footing once they settled in Seattle, becoming one of the most revered acts in the Pacific Northwest until splitting up in 2003. Ghetto continues to record under the name S, while Brooke helped Ben Bridwell, another Carissa’s Wierd…
Frog Flurry
Nobody would accuse Rosemont Copper of enjoying a cozy relationship with government overseers. At times, in fact, their dealings have been downright snarky. For instance, company officials have repeatedly grumbled about delays in getting their proposed mine approved by the Coronado National Forest. Although the mine itself would be on private land, the company needs…
City Week
Unleash Your Creativity Arts and Crafts Show; Dancing in the Streets Is Good for the Hood; Screenings of The Awful Truth; Tucson’s First and Only Art-o-mat
The Love Language: Libraries (Merge)
Ultimately, a record can be like any other work of art, the product of hours upon hours of painstaking attention to detail and consideration of tone. The Love Language’s Libraries is a testament to that process: Recorded entirely by Stuart McLamb and producer/engineer BJ Burton, Libraries shimmers with the same intricate aura of a Bruegel…
The Skinny
The F-35 numbers game … Dems complain about Paton’s mileage money … Neocon cash goes to Vogt … Terri Proud heads to primary polls for the first time … City says no to Rialto, Bookmans murals.
T Q&A
Lissa Gibbs
Police Dispatch
A night of screaming; Dragonfly by night
From Solar to Nuclear
Three Phoenix residents are vying in this month’s Arizona Corporation Commission Republican primary for two places on the Nov. 2 general-election ballot. An ACC incumbent with additional political experience, Gary Pierce says he enjoys the utility-infrastructure-planning component of the position. “These are exciting things,” Pierce says about ACC decisions. “Being a part of it (for…
Lesson Learned?
It can be hard to figure out why a theater chooses to present certain plays—and I’m certainly wondering about Live Theatre Workshop’s choice to produce Herb Gardner’s A Thousand Clowns. Of course, most theaters regularly commit to re-creating pieces which are decent representations of their period, and have solid scripts and interesting and durable themes.…
Weekly Wide Web
One of the great things about our information culture is you don’t have to pay much for music anymore—as long as you aren’t bent on displaying a record collection at your house to wow visitors. You can stream just about any song you want online for free. Internet radio has been around for some time,…
Shades of Red
When Legislative District 26 voters cast their ballots for the House of Representatives in the Republican primary, they’ll help determine the direction they want the Republican Party to take. On the far right, running on responsible spending and gun rights, is Tea Party sympathizer Terri Proud. Vic Williams, the incumbent who lies somewhere between the…
Inventing the Hualapai
Before the 1850s, Northwestern Arizona’s small Hualapai (WALL-uh-pie) Tribe didn’t really exist. It was the federal government’s idea to join 13 autonomous bands of Yuman-speaking Pai Indians, who had lived on the high, dry plains near Grand Canyon’s western reaches for eons, as the “People of the Tall Pines.” Before the colonial clampdown and the…
Media Watch
The Mountain’s format has changed—on paper, if not in reality; Rogers gets gig in Grand Caymans; Schuler makes jump to Orlando
The Amazing Race
On the Republican side of the state Attorney General’s race, you have two choices: a former Maricopa County attorney currently being investigated for unethical conduct, and an outgoing state superintendent of public instruction best known locally for his fight against ethnic-studies classes. In March, the State Bar of Arizona asked the Arizona Supreme Court to…
Top Ten in Books
Mostly Books best-sellers for the week ending July 30, 2010
¡Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I am a retired gringa living in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. Most of us foreigners here are liberal and sympathetic to the immigration problem, which the U.S. Congress refuses to address in a meaningful way. Unfortunately, I get lots of e-mails from acquaintances “apprising” me of the horrible situation in el Norte, about how all…
Paris, With a Bullet
Micmacs could only be a film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, with its instantly recognizable Paris. The director of A Very Long Engagement and, more importantly for these purposes, Amélie, Jeunet creates a Paris that may not actually exist anywhere but our minds. His whimsical city of lights, however, is the perfect backdrop for his films. The…
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week ending Aug. 1, 2010
A Modern Family
Some tremendous acting forces deliver The Kids Are All Right, one of the best films I’ve ever seen about family and the constant struggle to keep things harmonious. Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Hutcherson and Mia Wasikowska make this funny and blisteringly honest film one to be cherished. Jules and Nic (Moore and…
A Favorite Revived?
In 2007, Tucson Weekly readers decided in our annual Best of Tucson® poll that Sushi Ten had the city’s Best Sushi. It was the seventh consecutive win for the Speedway Boulevard restaurant. But in 2008, Sushi Ten didn’t win—nor was it one of the runners-up. It hasn’t come close to the winners’ circle since. As…
Top Ten in Music
The 17th Street Guitar and World Music Store top sales for the week ending July 30, 2010
Noshing Around
The Abbey Eat + Drink; New Home for Baggin’s; Brand This Food; Non-Alcoholic Nimbus; Closed: Brundog’s
Now Showing at Home
Crumb; Rambo: The Extended Cut (Blu-ray); Batman: Under the Red Hood (Blu-ray); Elvis on Tour (Blu-ray)
Equality Arizona Endorsements
Equality Arizona, “Arizona’s only statewide LGBT civil rights organization,” has announced its primary election endorsements. Here’s a news release: Our state and our community have faced a difficult last two years. We are fortunate to have many candidates who are willing to step up to build a better, more inclusive Arizona. After careful consideration, the…
Felecia Rotellini on the Issues
After the deadline for this week’s story about the Democratic primary for attorney general, Felecia Rotellini got back to us with e-mailed answers to questions that Mari Herreras sent her. Here are those answers: In the first Democratic candidate debate, you and Vince Rabago disagreed regarding his follow-through on his cases before resigning to run…
Judge Overturns Prop 8; Wingspan’s Response
Wow, sanity and justice prevail. Let’s hope it continues. Great coverage on today’s Prop 8 ruling from the Los Angeles Times here. Here is a statement released today from Linda Thomas, Wingspan’s director of programs: The ruling to overturn Proposition 8 by a federal judge in California is encouraging for same sex marriage supporters. This…
New Brewing Supply Store Opens
Brewers Connection, a Tempe-based store specializing in supplies needed for making beer and wine, has opened a Tucson location at 4500 E. Speedway Blvd., Suite 28. Amie Blethen, general manager of the Tucson store, says the store is open for business even though it’s not completely stocked. She said a grand opening is scheduled for…
