Cover Story
2018: A Space Idiocy
If we are really building a Space Force, can the current occupant of the White House lead the charge into the final frontier? We can think of plenty of other nitwits and ne’er-do-wells we’d like to send up to space with him, whether they were the LSD-gobbling airmen tasked with safeguarding our nuclear missiles or…
Laughing Stock: Fringe Freedom Finds the Funny
The first time actor, director and Rincon High School drama teacher Maryann Green staged a play she’d written herself, she sold out the house. Twice. Those two shows were part of the 2013 Fringe Festival that hooked her on fringe for life. Now she heads up a volunteer crew of 15 to produce the Tucson…
Five Great Things to Do in Tucson Today: Thursday, Jan. 3
Mezcal Tastings at Exo Roast Co. Feel like drinking and learning at the same time? How about learning about what you drink? Mezcal tasting proprietor Doug Smith is at Exo Roast, and will give you a high-quality education about high-quality mezcal. Come on, you live in Tucson—you’re surrounded by agave! You might as well know…
Grab Your Gear and Fish at Agua Caliente Park
One of the ponds at Agua Caliente Park is scheduled for restoration, but first, grab your fishing gear and head out to the water. From Jan. 2 to Jan. 31 anglers can fish in Pond 1 for bluegill, bass and catfish. Pima County recommends using top-water lures or weedless lures and are asking that grass…
Freezing Temps Dangerous for Animals Not Used to Cold
With overnight lows in the high 20s to mid 40s and generally cold weather predicted over the next few days, Pima Animal Care Center is asking area pet owners to bring their furry friends inside or provide adequate shelter outdoors. “If you’re cold, your pet is cold,” said PACC Director Kristen Auerbach, in a press…
Picking Up Where I Left Off — Though Less Frequently
The problem was, after declaring in November I was hanging up my blogging hat (“Pretty much, anyway,” I added in the headline, just in case) and I had a no-pressure month during which I enjoyed the freedom from deadlines and putting the right words in the right order, I found myself reading something and thinking,…
Tumamoc Scheduled to Close For Repaving
Tumamoc Hill will close later this month to accommodate a complete repaving of the 1.5-mile long road leading to the top. Starting Jan. 22, the hill will be inaccessible while University of Arizona crews pulverize the current road to create a base for the new asphalt road. The process is expected to take two weeks,…
Local Nonprofit Launches Online Guide for Migrants Headed Towards the Border
An Arizona nonprofit recently launched two new websites that can be used to help migrants currently travelling to the U.S.-Mexico border. Robin Hoover, president of Migrant Status, Inc. worked with the help of Mexico City-based journalist Laura Garciandia to get valuable information about traveling through Mexico to Central American migrants via a downloadable PDF guide…
OSIRIS-REx Breaks Record: Smallest Object Ever Orbited by Spacecraft
The University of Arizona-led spacecraft OSIRIS-REx celebrated New Years its own way, by entering into orbit with the asteroid Bennu. When OSIRIS-REx completed its first orbit of the 1,614-foot long spherical asteroid, Bennu became the smallest celestial object ever orbited by a human spacecraft. “The team continued our long string of successes by executing the orbit-insertion…
Four Great Things to Do in Tucson Today: Tuesday, Jan. 1
Taco Techno Tuesday. Celebrating Batch Cafe’s birthday just got a little more lively—and tasty! It’s the third anniversary of Batch Café & Bar, so they’re busting out some awesome tacos and electronic beats. This event falls on the first Tuesday of every month, and this time it happens to be Jan. 1. So if you…
Happy New Year’s Eve!
There’s so much going on in the Old Pueblo to kick off 2019 tonight! Here are just a few of your possible options: Through The Decades Party at Congress. Hotel Congress is putting the cap on A LITERAL CENTURY of business with this bash from the past. Featuring music and decorations from the best decades…
Arizona 360: Looking Ahead to 2019
Happy new year, everyone! If you’re wondering what lies ahead in 2019, I joined Yellow Sheets editor Hank Stephenson and Green Valley News editor Dan Shearer to talk about issues to watch in the coming year on Arizona 360, AZPM’s new public affairs show with host Lorraine Rivera.
Lyft Working to Reduce Drunk Driving This NYE
New Year’s Eve is supposed to be an evening of fun and festivities, but becomes dangerous when people get behind the wheel after drinking. The number of accidents due to drunk driving as well as DUI arrests skyrockets on Dec. 31 each year. The Southern Arizona DUI Task Force is teaming up with Lyft this…
Pulitzer Prize-Nominee Teaches Media Literacy at The Loft Cinema
Before Mort Rosenblum reported on international wars, joined the Associated Press, or received eight Pulitzer Prize nominations, he attended the University of Arizona as a young Tucsonan. Now, after more than half-a-century of journalism, Rosenblum is taking to teaching local citizens about news literacy, and how to find out what’s going on in these complex…
Steve Wilks Fired by Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals will be in the market for a new head coach, after firing Steve Wilks on Monday. Wilks, who was hired by the Phoenix-based franchise in January, coached the Cardinals to a 3-13 record in his lone season in the Desert. That record was the worst for the franchise in 18 years, thanks…
Claytoon of the Day: Go Fund Yourself
Find more Claytoonz here.
Three Great Things to Do in Tucson Today: Monday, Dec. 31
Animal Month at the Madaras Gallery. Maybe you know Diana Madaras for her landscape paintings, her still life works or her pieces depicting some of Tucson’s loveliest buildings. This month at her gallery, some of her animal paintings, artwork and gifts will be on display. Desert wildlife like birds and bobcats, yes—but also cows, dogs,…
Local Churches Step In to House Migrants Released from ICE Custody
Several Tucson churches received word yesterday afternoon that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had orders to release 70 Central American migrants from detention centers. In the past, migrants have been dropped off curbside at bus stops with no information for how to find shelter or food while they wait for their asylum cases to be processed.…
UA Rescues OSIRIS-REx from Government Shutdown
Just as the University of Arizona-led spacecraft OSIRIS-REx prepares to begin orbiting the asteroid Bennu, it turns out the consequences of President Trump’s continued government shutdown over a border wall reach into outer space itself. According to a message by OSIRIS-REx communications lead Erin Morton, “For the duration of the shutdown, we are unable to…
Chris Black | A Song Per Week
ChamberLab mastermind, composer/performer Chris Black is charging into the New Year with a glut of fresh material. And, he’s pledged to release a song per week exclusively to his email list. Here’s what you have missed so far. Week 1 delivered “Angel Goodnight.” A lullaby for solo double bass using natural harmonics. Week 2 introduced…
Get To Rocky Point While You Can: Prez Trump Threatens “To Close the Southern Border Entirely”
Sounds like someone is at a loss as to how to get himself out of the political corner he’s painted himself into and is now issuing very hollow threats: We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also…
16 Great Things to Do in Tucson This Weekend: Dec. 28 to 30
One Week of Free Classes at Circus Sanctuary. First, let’s just take a minute to reflect on how wacky and wonderful of a town Tucson is to have MORE THAN ONE circus school. Now, let’s move on to celebrating that the newest one, Circus Sanctuary, has been in business for a whole year now! Their…
Celebratory Cocktails
While champagne is the classic choice for your New Year’s Eve toast, fill the hours leading up to midnight with seasonal and celebratory cocktails.
Now Hear This
This year flooded us with more new music than we can hope to listen to, but the Weekly’s intrepid music writers—Jeff Gardner, Christopher Boan and Eric Swedlund—are here to curate a list of the best that reached their ears in 2018
Know Your Product
The band name tells youa lot of what you need to know: Katie Wise & Bhakti Explosion are a music outfit without borders.
XOXO
Live shows playing around town this week
Marijuana Memories
Needless to say, cannabis acceptance is growing around the country and the world. So why are people still fighting it?
Editor’s Note
As 2018 draws to a close, the Weekly is once again doing the year-in-review thing—and as is our wont, Leo W. Banks tips his hat to Esquire’s classic “Dubious Achievements” issue.
Quick Bites
All the best foodie events in a very foodie week!
City Week
Fill your holiday with great local events
Trees, Fire, Rust and Quilts
Two years ago, the Tucson Botanical Gardens made a giant splash with a garden-wide art exhibition about the influence of plants on Frida Kahlo’s artwork.
Stages of Life
Yes, the time when editors yearn for features that designate the most significant happenings that occurred during the year in a writer’s particular purview. So after drifting into a reverie populated by the ghosts of this year past, here is the year-in-review, theater-wise.
A Brush With Insanity
Who better than director Julian Schnabel and actor Willem Dafoe to present the final days of painter Vincent Van Gogh? This turns out to be the perfect duo to tell one of art history’s strangest stories.
Reel Indie
Indie films to see this week
Border Bucks
The Pima County Board of Supervisors accepted a grant from Arizona’s Department of Public Safety to employ three full-time law enforcement officers to monitor trafficking crimes near the border.
Neo Pueblo
Nearly every field of science is advancing thanks to research and discoveries made in Southern Arizona this year.
Police Dispatch
A Joe Blow–type guy—who might’ve been high—went berserk in a mall, destroying large planters and trees and almost attacking an adult male bystander, according to a Pima County Sheriff’s Department report.
