Cover Story
A College Divided
Lee Lambert, Pima Community College’s new chancellor, stands out from the college’s recent executives—an advantage, seeing as the report that ultimately landed the college on probation specifically said Pima needs a change in leadership. Roy Flores held the chancellor position from 2003 until early 2012, when he retired citing health concerns. During his final days…
The Arizona Underground Film Festival has Released the Second Wave of Programming
For six years now, the Arizona Underground Film Festival has been bringing spectacular genre films to Tucson. They’ve also brought a wide array of film-makers, actors, and other behind-the-scenes types to town, and it’s one of the more personal and comfortable festivals I’ve attended. If you’ve ever wanted to cozy up to some of the…
Hey, Nonprofits: Need Landscaping?
Most of the press releases we receive are useless. (Sorry, folks out there in PR land!) So here’s hoping this one saying that Tucson’s Santa Rita Landscaping is giving away a $10,000 landscape package to a local nonprofit is more than just a way to get more likes on the company’s Facebook page. Nominations start…
The “White Women” We Assume Would Make a Great New First Lady
As incredible as it is that First Lady Michelle Obama is behind the production of a hip-hop album (even if it is one designed to promote her campaign to fight childhood obesity), apparently some people find it even more incredible that Mrs. Obama is doing more than just standing behind her husband and waving—a job…
The Bridge to My Heart: Why I Returned to Red-Blooded American TV Viewing
I’m really the last person at Weekly World Central who knows what’s what in American TV life. I’m far from being (and probably too old to be) a hipster, but I just can’t justify putting serious money down on a TV and cable on a reporter’s salary (and even if that changed, I’m still not…
Pima County Judge Nixes State Law Changing Tucson Election Cycle
The Arizona Republic reported today that a Pima County judge ruled yesterday afternoon that Phoenix and Tucson can retain control of their elections for mayor and city council. The law, passed in 2012, would have required local governments to move city council and mayoral elections to even-numbered years to go with statewide elections for president…
One-Joke Tumblr of the Day: This Charming Charlie
Sure, it’s only one joke, blending Smiths lyrics with panels from Peanuts comics, but it’s a pretty good joke.
Rum-Centric Saint House Opens Downtown Tomorrow
Blake Collins Nicole Flowers and Travis Reese are trying something new with Saint House, set to open August 15th at 256 E. Congress Street. Flowers and Reese love showcasing classic cocktails and serving good products at Scott & Co., but no one in town was doing rum. “It’s the most diverse spirit in the world,”…
Let’s Watch Tucson Girls Try To Win A World Championship
The softball team representing Sunnyside Little League is playing tonight in Portland, Ore., against a similar group of 11- and 12-year-olds from McLean, Va., for the Little League Softball World Series championship. The game is set to be broadcast live on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. local time. Sunnyside has gone 4-1 in the World Series…
Lamadrid Family Responds to DOJ Decision: “It’s Not Reasonable.”
The Nogales International’s Murphy Woodhouse reports on the recent U.S. Department of Justice findings on the Border Patrol shooting deaths of Carlos Lamadrid and Ramses Barron Torres: In the Lamadrid case, the DOJ said that “the evidence was insufficient to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges,” because “[u]nder the applicable federal criminal civil rights law,…
Implode Or Explode: With The D’Backs, You Get Both!
While they’ve probably already played themselves out of the postseason race, the Arizona Diamondbacks are at least making things interesting for the fans and viewers who stick around. By that I don’t mean just the ones who attend games or watch on TV. I mean the ones who actually catch the end of the games,…
We Should Vote for a Tucson Bar in This Beer Bar Poll
Last year, CraftBeer.com’s Great America Beer Bar Contest showed zero love for Arizona. In fact, on the map that accompanied the results, our state was largely covered by the event’s logo. To some extent, the snub is understandable. We’re stuck in the Mountain West region for the purposes of this competition and since that region…
Your Dreams Could Come True – As Long As Your Dream Involves Having a Tail
Kickstarter has been seemingly hijacked by already rich folk wanting to produce endeavors their industry didn’t want to touch with a ten foot pole (hey, Spike Lee has raised most of the $1.25 million he wanted!), but yet, there are still regular non-famous types out there with a desire that mainstream commerce just hasn’t satisfied.…
Michelle Obama to Release a Hip-Hop Album. No, Really.
[Obligatory Entertainment Tabloid Lede] Watch your back, Queen Bey: There’s a new First Lady of Hip-Hop — and it’s the First Lady of the United States! Holla! [End Obligatory Entertainment Tabloid Lede] But seriously, Michelle Obama is actually behind a hip-hop album, featuring roughly three musicians I’ve heard of, and a whole bunch of other…
Chuck George Is Leaving KOLD
Tucson News Now He’s been off the air since June (one in a series of absences over the years) for reasons that haven’t been disclosed, but Chuck George has announced today that he’s leaving his full-time gig at KOLD to go back to school to get his doctorate. From the article on KOLD’s site: Chuck…
Baseball, Tucson, and Charlie Sheen: ‘Major League’ Tonight at The Loft
If you’re a fan of wacky ’80s romps, “can do” sportsmanship, and movies (partially) filmed smack dab in the middle of the Old Pueblo, you should check out Major League tonight at The Loft. It’s all part of a celebration for Tucson’s birthday month. In addition to the movie, there will be a Tucson-themed birthday…
Weed Lovers Rejoice on the Internets Over Gupta’s Change of Heart
In the upcoming Tucson Weekly, medical marijuana columnist J.M. Smith explores CNN’s star doc Sanjay Gupta’s recent retraction that he might have been wrong about the benefits of medical marijuana. in 2009, Gupta wrote an opinion piece for Time titled, “Why I Would Vote No on Pot.” Without getting into what Gupta’s change of heart…
Here’s a Semi-Embarassing Tweet About ASU
A hotel in China asked someone at ASU about some signage. The answer was, "Arizona St. University should suffice" pic.twitter.com/Ljmnuogs7H — Tim Ring (@timring3TV) August 13, 2013 The learning institution generally known as Girls Gone Wild University Casino sent its basketball team to China to buy discount iPads or something, which led to this wacky…
TucsonWiki: It’s What You Need to Know and Have to Say About Your Home Town
Raise your hand if you’ve ever assassinated an hour or two just following a thread through Wikipedia. My favorite was the time I started with the Bilderberg Group and wound up via sub-atomic particles, etc., at art taxidermy. Imagine how much you could discover about your home town if you had a Tucson-only “Wikipedia.” You…
The Charlie Daniels Band Aug. 11 at Desert Diamond Casino
The Charlie Daniels Band brought their hits from a nearly half-century career built on trenchant nationalism, Southern pride, and showing the folks a good time, at Desert Diamond Casino, Sunday, Aug. 11. Pan-genre music afficionado C.E. Elliott was there.
Michael Hicks Says the Sort of Thing Michael Hicks Would Say
Michael Hicks Michael Hicks, TUSD board member and burrito conspiracy theorist, made the Star today with his complaint that all these pesky citizens keep wanting to talk at TUSD board meetings. Sure, there is probably a conversation to be had about the public comment time and whether something can be done to keep the topics…
People Are Terrible, But Here’s a Baby Panda
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Lesson learned: When you’re in the media business, it’s probably a good idea to avoid exposing yourself in anyway. For example, a post that included a photo of my hand yesterday earned four posts from (seemingly) one heckler, including the brilliant “Nice hand,…
Brandenburg, Nogales? “Obama, Tear Down That Wall”
Tucsonan Murphy Woodhouse and Laura Carlsen, both of the Americas Program of the Center for International Policy, released this video recently that got to the heart of border issues using President Obama’s recent speech at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany.
Lumosity Says Tucson Isn’t Among the Nation’s 50 Smartest Cities — But Maybe We’re Just Not Falling For Their Games
Congrats, Tucson! We’re apparently in the top 100 for the smartest cities in the United States — and unsurprisingly, we’re beating Phoenix (suck it, losers!). Unfortunately, our 68th place ranking isn’t anything to crow about, in my opinion. Considering that we live in a city full of mostly-competent college students, tech geeks, engineers and all-around…
Here’s the 2013 KFMA Fall Ball Lineup
Brian J. Pedersen and I were discussing our predictions this morning for the KFMA Fall Ball announcement (full disclosure: most weeks I do an unpaid segment on the KFMA morning show with Fook) and while we couldn’t quite pin down the headliner (my guess was Imagine Dragons, he went with the Chester from Linkin Park…
Rep. Barber’s Statement on the Death of Dave Sitton
From a press release sent this afternoon: Dave Sitton came to Tucson four decades ago to play baseball at the University of Arizona – and he stayed, giving back to his adopted hometown in a way that few others have. Many knew Dave as the longtime voice of UA sports – but he was so…
Locals Representing Well At Arizona State Poker Championship
A record 1,299 people entered (and in some cases, re-entered) the 9th annual Arizona State Poker Championship over the weekend at the Casino Arizona Talking Stick Resort near Scottsdale, with 172 of them surviving to today’s play. I don’t know the names of every person who plays poker locally — some of you I just…
We Should All Vote for This Guy From the U of A
As someone with basically no business instincts whatsoever, I might not be the best judge of these things, but recent University of Arizona graduate Stephen Ost is in the running for College Entrepreneur of the Year for his post-class hangout app concept U Free. If he wins, he’d get $5000 in cash and some other…
I Found the ‘Parks & Rec’ Trading Cards at Target
After a seemingly endless quest (ok, looking at a few stores and trying to convince one of our interns to stock the cards at a game store she works at), I have found the Parks and Recreation trading cards I spent about two weeks thinking about. Thank you, Target on Grant near Tanque Verde, for…
RIP, Dave Sitton
Josh Morgan Dave Sitton, broadcaster, congressional candidate, rugby coach and advocate, and one of those guys everyone seemed to like, has died. Sitton had his hands in a number of endeavors from emceeing events, sitting on a number of boards, hosting a weekly radio show (following over three decades of broadcasting University of Arizona sports)…
NY Judge Rules That ‘Stop and Frisk’ Violates Rights
From the New York Times, the New York Police Department’s practice of “stop and frisk,” generally men of color, violates the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution: In a decision issued on Monday, the judge, Shira A. Scheindlin, ruled that police officers have for years been systematically stopping innocent people in the street…
“CVS Bangers” Is Truly the Greatest Mixtape of All Time
Sure, who wouldn’t want to hear a thirty minute tribute to the music playing in the background at your local CVS, including tracks by Roxette, Paula Cole and the woman who sang that “I Love You Always Forever” song (Donna Lewis, maybe? Doesn’t seem worth looking up, but I’m pretty sure she was on an…
Apparently, “Gangnam Style” Was a Sign of the Apocalypse All Along
Weekly Rangers, it’s time to introduce yourselves to a new brand of crazy: YouTube prophets! William Tapley has been prophesying on YouTube since 2008, where he’s spouted all manner of crazy theories about the apocalypse, Barack Obama, something called Godtube, and has a video entitled “IF YOU USE CONDOMS YOU WILL NOT BE RAPTURED.” Somewhere,…
AmoSphere’s James Hunt Passed Away Today in Michigan
Amochip Dabney of the AmoSphere posted on his band’s Facebook page that AmoSphere drummer James Hunt died today surrounded by his family in Michigan: Thoughts of James … ”The AmoSphere!” will forever remember James Hunt with that huge smile on his face. Playing drums, he lit the room up every time! Our musical brother dealt…
DOJ Closes Investigation in LaMadrid Shooting: No Wrong Doing
On Friday, Aug. 9, the U.S. Department of Justice released a statement that a federal investigation into the death of Carlos LaMadrid, the 19-year-old shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent on the U.S. side of the border in Douglas, Ariz., in March 2011. According to the statement, the DOJ will not “pursue federal…
AZ Illustrated Politics: Obama’s AZ Visit, Gubernatorial Hopefuls, Jeff Smith’s Passing & More
On last night’s AZ Illustrated Politics: Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Lea Marquez-Peterson, Tucson Tea Party founder Trent Humphries and former Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers talked about President Barack Obama’s visit to Arizona, what kind of help the federal government can provide homeowners, next year’s gubernatorial race, the expansion of Tortolita…
Goodbye TUSD: Happy New School Year
I’ve written some about Tucson Unified School District, but I never thought as a parent of a TUSD student that I’d be one of those families who finally gave up and left, and that’s exactly what we decided to do this year. My mom is a graduate of Tucson High, as are her sisters and…
Former Tucsonan Has a Warped Way of Using Old Books
Today, in cool things found on the Internet, artist Andrew Hayes has created a new use for old books: damn wicked metal sculpture. According to Hayes, his metal work allows for the books that he’s repurposed to tell “a new story”: The book is a seductive object to hold and smell and run your fingers…
The Trailer for ‘CBGB’ Looks Pretty Lame
In case you missed it, the trailer for CBGB debuted this week, and I’m not surprised that it appears rather lackluster. It looks like the famed punk/underground rock ‘n’ roll club got the bland Hollywood treatment, and there’s enough bad wigs in this piece to make Oliver Stone blush. Die Hard and Harry Potter star…
There’s A Youth Hockey Open House This Weekend, If Your Kid’s Into That Sort of Thing
The Wildcat Youth Hockey Association, an upstart organization entering its third year of existence, is holding an open house event from 2-4 p.m. Sunday at the University of Arizona Student Union. Wildcat Youth Hockey has spots open for kids ages 4 to 18 of all levels of ability. Considering the overall lack of ice sheets…
New Diaz Mural Gets Time-Lapse Treatment
Phoenix filmmaker Bea Quiz’em took this time-lapse video of Angel Diaz working on the the Carlos La Madrid mural near the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Sixth Street west of Plus that we wrote about this week. La Madrid’s family was there from beginning to end:
Werner Herzog Made a Film for AT&T About Texting While Driving
It would be fair to say, I think, that Werner Herzog has put together one of the most uncompromising careers in film history, alternating between fiction and documentaries, eating his shoe, etc. Last year, he released a television series in the UK looking at the stories behind several Americans on death row, but I don’t…
Changes Made to Wildcat Radio Sports Coverage
As the Media Watch Columnist for the Tucson Weekly, I’ve covered my share of firings in radio and television. That typed, it’s still admittedly a bit odd writing my own epitaph. On Thursday, August 8, Cumulus Tucson Operations Manager Herb Crowe took the time to call Brad Allis and I and let us know the…
If You’re a Terrible Tucson Driver, You Might End Up on Reddit
There are only two posts so far, but a new subcategory on link-sharing behemoth Reddit has been set up to shame Tucson’s inconsiderate drivers. Here’s what will apparently get you in trouble: Double parking.Parking in places not meant for vehicles.Parking in handicap spaces without proof of ability to do so.Parking too damn close to other…
Hey, Huppenthal! Did You Find Out Being a Tea-bagger Doesn’t Pay?
Last Thursday, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal did an interesting turn-around (OK, well maybe not so interesting or surprising since this is Huppenthal after all, whose election wasn’t actually based on improving education or getting more money in Arizona’s classrooms, but fighting “La Raaaaza”). At a press conference announcing annual school grades and…
Rejoice, Sahuarita Drinkers: You Will Soon Have An Actual Bar
Sahuarita is not a dry community by design. Believe me, you live down in this Stepford-like community long enough and you’re going to want to drink. But when the El Charro restaurant on Rancho Sahuarita Blvd. closed in mid-June, it left this suburb of 26,000-plus without an actual place to sit down and enjoy a…
Tucson Is Playing Host To a Major National Racing Event. No, Seriously
There’s not much the Tucson Convention Center is good for nowadays. Except, apparently, for holding thousands of tons of dirt. The USA BMX Southwest Indoor Nationals take over the TCC this Friday through Sunday, converting the Tucson Arena floor into a dirt bike track full of hills, valleys, moguls and, during race time, hundreds of…
Your Thursday Morning Immigration News Round Up
Talking Points Memo’s Sahil Kapur runs through a scenario that could lead to the passage of comprehensive immigration reform: Democrats’ prime directive is to get to a House-Senate conference committee, which requires the House Republican majority to bring up and pass core components of reform, including bills to beef up border security, overhaul the guest…
How Pima Has Addressed Probation So Far
Pima Community College has spent the last few months coping with its accreditation probation. On Aug. 6, the Higher Learning Commission approved the college’s Monitoring Report, a plan to improve operations at the college. Pima has, however, already made several moves to address issues laid out by the HLC: Revoked the remedial education admission standardPerhaps…
One Man’s Crusade to Capture a Package Thief Proves That Not Everything Out of Phoenix is Terrible
A Phoenix man (who apparently loves the hell out of being in front of TV cameras) had a package stolen from off of his doorstep, and took his fight to the streets — and to Phoenix’s KPHO. Now sure, the guy has a sense of humor about the whole matter (after all, he only lost…
Liza Smith: “My Dad Was the Toughest Person I Know”
Courtesy PK Weis Jeff Smith and his truck Liza Smith wants to have another cup of coffee with her dad, newspaperman Jeff Smith, who passed away over the weekend at age 67.”He loved a hot cup of coffee in the morning,” Liza says. “He had just bought a new coffee maker and I really excited…
Brilliance, Guaranteed
If you’re not familiar with the brilliant writing team of Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire, now is a perfect time to get acquainted. Arizona Onstage Productions is presenting one of the pair’s musical revues, Closer Than Ever. And because the production is a very good one, chances are that you’ll be inspired beyond mere…
Editor’s Note
There’s still a lot of time between now and when the vote-by-mail ballots go out in October, but whatever vague excitement I had that I might have an actual choice to make between Karin Uhlich and Ben Buehler-Garcia in the Ward 3 race was dashed this weekend by his Tweetathon, held over six hours on…
Water Wishes
An “environmental history” of a dam-ruined, over-allocated, drought-ravaged river seems like it would be a downer, but it turns out there may be hope for the once-mighty Colorado after all. Well, maybe. In Contested Waters, a thorough new history of our uses and abuses of the Colorado River, April Summitt, an assistant professor of history…
Danehy
The Tucson Weekly, I am proud to say, is coming up on its 30th year of serving Tucson, Southern Arizona, and the entire world. (I can make that latter claim because I once got a hate email from Pakistan. It was cool. The email writer didn’t sign it, so when I responded, I referred to…
Dynamic Duo
2 Guns offers a couple of intriguing possibilities. Denzel Washington, who has been fine on the dramatic and action sides, has always shown a flair for the funny, yet he hasn’t made many comedies. He made Carbon Copy in 1981 and Much Ado About Nothing in 1993. He’s a drama guy who sometimes dabbles in…
Media Watch
FLICK, MURILLO FEATURED IN CABLE SHOW ABOUT STIDHAM MURDER Every murder trial carries a degree of tragedy with it. Very few are as bizarre as the Dr. Brian Stidham trials that led to the convictions of fellow eye doctor Bradley Schwartz and the man he hired to carry out the murder, Ronald Bruce Bigger. In…
True TV
Strike Back Friday, Aug. 9 (Cinemax) Season Premiere: This series is more macho than Jason Statham crashing a Hummer into an MMA octagon where Ron Swanson and Nickelback are fighting over a rib-eye, but the addition of Rhona Mitra to the cast of military actioner Strike Back last season brought at least a little feminine…
Fuck Buttons: Slow Focus
One of the oddest and most impressive things about Slow Focus is how it manages to burble, groan, stammer and seethe and yet it never crosses the line from melody into discord. From the cacophonous percussion that ushers in the opening track, “Brainfreeze,” Slow Focus often seems as if, at any moment, it might break…
Mailbag
Wait, Someone Agrees With Us? Thanks to Jim Nintzel and the Weekly for the feature article “Ballot Boxing” in the Aug 1 – 7 edition. HB 2305 was pushed through in the waning hours of the last legislative session with a near total lack of opportunity for public input. Its ostensible purpose was to combat voter fraud,…
Dark Secrets
From the outside, half a world away from the bombings and the fighting in the streets, it seems as though the conflict between Israel and the Muslim world is destined to rage forever. For most of us, it’s never closer than the second segment of the national news. But to Dr. Amin Jaafari (Ali Suliman),…
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are leading a 21st century hippie revolution with sprawling, jangly folk-rock. The 10-or-more-person collective formed in 2007, with some vague back story featuring front man Alex Ebert taking on the alter ego of Sharpe, a musical savior preaching peace and love. With ambitions that don’t seem much different than…
Police Dispatch
POOR EXCUSE FOR AN EXCUSE CATALINA JULY 12, 9:01 PM. A man gave a terrible explanation for seemingly possessing drug paraphernalia—yet escaped scot-free, according to a Pima County Sheriff’s Department report. A sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to a suspicious-person call at a Bashas’ parking lot, where he found a male talking to another “shady” young…
Particular and Pricey
A good burger is a deceptively complex dish to master, with many components and variables. I mean, in just the patty alone, you have to master the fat ratio within the meat, juiciness, level of doneness, seasoning, density, size, thickness and cooking method. That doesn’t even take into account the bun: traditional or something more…
Nine Questions
Michelle Cormier is the store manager for the Zia Records location on Speedway Boulevard. Outside of work, Cormier enjoys movies (horror, musicals and Disney), reading, and walking her dog Gypsy, an 11-year-old Shar Pei and Boxer mix adopted from the pound. What was the first concert you attended? The Outfield opening for Starship on the…
For Carlos
Angel Diaz is standing under the Tucson summer sun with different shades of blue spray paint laying at his feet, and somehow, at high noon, the Phoenix muralist barely breaks a sweat under his hat, sunglasses and long-sleeve T-shirt. Maybe it’s the mission he’s on this Saturday, Aug. 3 — painting on more than 10…
Now Showing at Home
Bad Parents A suburban mom (Janeane Garofalo!) is thrust into the high-stakes world of kiddie soccer, facing off against long sleeves, crazed parents and a driven coach (Christopher Titus!!) in the movie that slams the coffin lid on ’90s alt-comedy. (Gaiam) A Band Called Death The SXSW rock-doc about early ’70s Detroit sibling trio Death,…
Mother Falcon and Sun Bones, Solar Culture Gallery, August 3
Local foursome Sun Bones is pretty hot right now. They have great songs and an interesting musical approach. They swap instruments, sing intricate vocal harmonies, and have a damn good drummer who happens to only play two drums and a couple of cymbals. So at first glance, their Talking Heads- and New Order-influenced new wave/funk…
The Skinny
DESPERATE TIMES Democrat Fred DuVal, who is seeking to become governor of Arizona next year, had a weird early skirmish with the Arizona Republican Party last week. It all started with a relatively lame press release from AZ GOP Chairman Robert Graham, who said that he and a crew of fellow Republicans down at the…
Noshing Around
Havana Nights Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails is highlighting the dishes of Havana through Sept. 2 as part of its “Downtowns Around the Globe” summer promotion. The menu features such Cubano-inspired dishes as cubano tomato gazpacho with crab, and spice-rubbed, guava-glazed pork belly. Specialty cocktails include mojitos and cubano coolers. The restaurant, at 135 S. Sixth…
More Roadway Wordplay
Broadway Boulevard has undergone many transformations over time, from buggy path to pulsing midtown corridor. But as the old road preps for its latest metamorphosis, words keep mucking things up. Or at least they did until recently, when the “functionality” demanded of the roadway design was released from its definitional straitjacket. While the plow-and-pave crowd…
Falsetto and Funk
By the time you read this, anything could’ve happened. The hype surrounding Demon Queen and its just-released album Exorcise Tape (Rad Cult/Frenchkiss) has been seismic. Pitchfork Media and SPIN Magazine, among other outlets, have been promoting this record with fierce anticipation. Exorcise Tape is worthy of that praise: It’s salacious, grimy, innocent, minimal and epic,…
Children’s Crusade
The Children’s Action Alliance released its report card for this year’s legislative session last week. Lawmakers were graded on their votes on six bills related to the funding and polices of Child Protective Services, support for foster children, a change in eligibility for unemployment benefits, and the overall state budget. All Southern Arizona Democratic lawmakers…
David Lynch: The Big Dream
“No, no, no, I don’t drink that foreign beer,” legendary filmmaker/weirdo David Lynch chortles at the end of the electro-blues vamp “Sun Can’t Be Seen No More.” This being Lynch, the whole song is sung through a vocal modulator that transmogrifies his pipes into something akin to an asthmatic Donald Duck. Undeniably, Lynch is the…
Pedersen on Sports
My kids went back to school this week, meaning that instead of taking up space in front of the TV all day, they’re learning how to be (hopefully) productive members of society. Which means yours truly no longer has the excuse of parenting to hide behind, and therefore must get back to providing this paper’s…
Soundbites
R.I.P., MICHAEL BEGALA Tucson lost a beloved local musician last week. Michael Begala, a Tucson resident since the late ’70s, played mandolin for The Desert Drifters and sometimes played guitar with the Wayback Machine and the West River Band; but he was perhaps best known as a singer and guitarist for Grateful Dead cover band…
Ask a Mexican
Dear Mexican: My coworker was driving to work this morning when she realized she was being followed by a Mexican in his vehicle. He followed her for at least three miles on the road, and during this time he waved at her, smiled when she frowned, and even puckered his lips. She took small streets…
Excellent on the Eastside
A truck can’t kick up a rock in Arizona without cracking a windshield … or hitting a medical cannabis dispensary, apparently. Forty are near opening statewide, and eight of the 10 Community Health Analysis Areas in and around Tucson have dispensaries now. One new one, Desert Bloom Re-Leaf Center, is in my old stomping grounds,…
Healing Power of Art
Downtown’s quaint and eclectic Café 54 offers more than just a lunch menu. Along with a wide array of healthful food options, the restaurant provides a “unique employment training program for adults recovering from mental illnesses” through job coaching and training for a variety of restaurant positions, as well as psych support and resources. In…
City Week
SPECIAL EVENTS Think You Can Spell? 3rd Annual Adult Spelling Bee Tournament of Champions 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 13 Sky Bar536 N. Fourth Ave. 622-4300; skybartucson.com While attending a conference in Portland, Ore., Karen Greene took part in a spelling bee held at a bar. Greene loved the idea so much that she brought the…
TQ&A
After retiring in 2007 from the U.S. Department of State, Jane Lee Gray began focusing on her passion, painting. Gray was a Foreign Service officer working in consulates and embassies for 20 years in Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Bahamas and Nicaragua. Originally from Texas, Gray left to get her bachelor of arts in New…
