Cover Story
Getting the Ax
Manny Lovio’s little stack of papers may be the only proof he has that at one time, his career at Target meant something. Some of the letters are from the principal and a teacher at Richardson Elementary School, thanking him for contributions he made in 2005 for several school events. Another letter is from a…
Artistic Range: David F. Brown at Temple Gallery
“Soup of Life” is among the pieces on display in David F. Brown: Paintings and Drawings from March 5 through March 30 at Temple Gallery, 330 S. Scott Ave. The exhibit is on display from Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and before Arizona Theatre Company Performances. The gallery hosts an is…
Dog of the Day: Doc
Doc is among the dogs that the folks at Cold Wet Noses are trying to find a home for. Here’s what Doc has to say at tucsoncoldwetnoses.com: Doc is a 10-12 month old Pit/ Sharpei mix. The Sharpei is more obvious in person, he has a wrinkled brow and a big bark (as if from…
Artistic Range: Jack Dykinga at Etherton Gallery
Jack Dykinga Tamaulipas Barrel “Tamaulipas Barrel,” by Jack Dykinga, is on display as part of A Radiant Land, continuing through May 29 at the Etherton Gallery, 135 S. Sixth Ave. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Works by Lynn Taber and Eliot Porter are also part of the show.…
J.D. Hayworth on Arizona Illustrated
Republican J.D. Hayworth, the former congressman who is challenging U.S. Sen. John McCain this year, stopped by Arizona Illustrated yesterday. Anchor Bill Buckmaster was kind enough to let me join him in questioning Hayworth. He talks about McCain’s record, waterboarding, the birther controversy and his vote to expand health-care entitlements during the Bush administration. You…
McCain Vs. Hayworth: A Scene From the GOP Civil War?
Ed Kilgore at The New Republic has a look at this year’s “Republican Civil War”: All across the country, Republicans are fantasizing about a gigantic electoral tide that will sweep out deeply entrenched Democratic incumbents this November. In their telling, this deep-red surge will be so forceful as to dislodge even legislators who don’t look…
Artistic Range: Lisa Kanouse at Candelabra
“Untitled,” by Lisa Kanouse, is among the works on display in Sins of Love at Candelabra Gallery, 412 E. Seventh Street. The gallery will host a reception from 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, March 6, that will feature live music by Juan Pablo y Los Sins of Amor. Cost is $3. The show will…
Dog of the Day: Lucinda
Lucinda The folks at Cold Wet Noses are trying to find a home for Lucinda. Here’s what Inga has to say at tucsoncoldwetnoses.com: My name is Lucinda and I am a very sweet little girl with impish looks. I can smile with my teeth though you have to catch me cause I don’t do it…
UA Prez Shelton at Tuition Hearing: “The UA Has Sustained a $100 Million Cut”
For senior architecture major Marie Taylor, $2,000 goes a long way. An additional $2,000 is the amount Taylor, a Colorado native, will have to pay if she wants to finish her degree at the UA next year. “I pay university tuition, have to buy all my own materials and then on top of that I…
Farley Report on State Budget: “Here Is a Review of Who’s Going to Get Hurt”
The latest report from state Rep. Steve Farley: Howdy, Friends O’Farley… Let’s start with a few stats. The House has finished hearing House bills and the Senate has finished hearing Senate bills. So this is a good time to look at what bills went where, and whether certain bills from members of a certain political…
WTF?! Lawmakers: No More Creating Goat-People
Rather than finding a way out of the budget crisis, the Arizona Legislature is busy tackling a far more immediate threat to the state: human-animal hybrids. A couple of weeks ago, lawmakers debated the merits of SB 1307, which would ban the creation of hybrids (so those hoping for new blue-skinned Avatar bodies will have…
Bad to the Bone: George Thorogood and the Destroyers
My brother can still remember seeing George at Dooley’s some three decades ago. We’re looking forward to the show tomorrow night at downtown’s Rialto Theatre. Details here.
Kyl on Extending Unemployment: “Disincentive For Them To Seek New Work”
Huffington Post reports: Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the Republican whip, argued that unemployment benefits dissuade people from job-hunting “because people are being paid even though they’re not working.” Unemployment insurance “doesn’t create new jobs. In fact, if anything, continuing to pay people unemployment compensation is a disincentive for them to seek new work,” Kyl…
Onto The Ice: Catching Up With the Phoenix Mars Mission
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A&M University Our friends at KUAT-TV present another Arizona Public Media production this evening: Phoenix Mars Mission: Onto The Ice shows how Peter Smith and his team at the UA Lunar and Planetary Lab dropped a robot lab onto the Martian north pole and sent back photos, weather reports and soil and…
Political Face-Off: Eckerstrom vs. Ash
Former Pima County Democratic chairman Paul Eckerstrom faces off against Republican National Committeeman Bruce Ash in this week’s political face-off on KUAT-TV’s Arizona Illustrated. It’s interesting to hear Bruce refer to the UA and University Medical Center as “nowhere.” Sure, we work there, so we may be biased, but we think it’s an economic engine…
Antenori Gets State Senate Seat
Pima County supervisors have picked state Rep. Frank Antenori to fill out the Senate seat that Republican Jonathan Paton gave up last week. Supervisors voted 4-1 in favor of Antenori, who was the top pick of precinct leaders in District 30. Democrat Richard Elias was the only vote against Antenori.
Video: Man Attempts to Eat Two 12-Patty Burgers
Man v. Food doesn’t have anything on Chad Rowland. Ever since the Travel Network’s food challenge show came to Lindy’s on Fourth last year, everyone’s been trying the hamburger place’s marquee challenge: Eat the 12-patty, 3-pound OMFG hamburger in 20 minutes or less, something Man v. Food host Adam Richman couldn’t do. The Weekly caught…
A Tucson Monorail?
This week in his column in Inside Tucson Business (which shares office space, a coffee machine and ownership with the Weekly), David Hatfield asks why the city is building a streetcar system when a monorail system is much cooler and safer. But as Tucson nears cashing in that giant federal check, I can’t help but…
Restaurant at Lodge on the Desert Reopens
Chef Ryan Clark of the restaurant at Lodge on the Desert says the eatery is open for business after a kitchen fire temporarily closed it last week. The fire broke out early Friday morning and caused $100,000 in damage before firefighters brought it under control. Clark said it took the staff about two days to…
Artistic Range: Martha Lee McKiernan at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson
Martha Lee McKiernan Desert Rubies “Desert Rubies,” watercolor by Martha Lee McKieran, is on display in Peripheral Visions, continuing through April 4 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, 4831 E. 22nd St. The Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Sunday from noon until 1 p.m.
Dog of the Day: Inga
Inga Inga is among the dogs that the folks at Cold Wet Noses are trying to find a home for. Here’s what Inga has to say at tucsoncoldwetnoses.com: Inga Dinga Do, that’s me, I am very special and cute, all 16 lbs and 5 years of me. I came from a tough neighborhood and believe…
The Plastic Brain
CARL PHILABAUM Leslie Tolbert, regents’ professor in neuroscience and vice president for research, is the speaker tomorrow in the latest free talk in the UA’s Mind and Brain Tuesday night lecture series at 7 p.m. at Centennial Hall. The human brain is the most complex object known to us. It contains billions of nerve cells,…
Brewer Attacks Martin on the Budget
Evidently weary of state Treasurer Dean Martin’s ongoing attacks against her, Gov. Jan Brewer is hitting back. Brewer complains that Martin, who hopes to unseat the governor in this year’s GOP primary, voted in favor of spending increases while in the Legislature. We think the YouTube clip is a little long, but we’re delighted by…
National Focus on CD8: The Fix Is In!
Chris Cillizza, the political blogger at the Washington Post, will be focusing on our own Congressional District 8 this year. From The Fix: Last week, we asked Fixistas to choose the House race they wanted to see get the full Fix treatment — the first of a series of chances you will have in the…
A Final Salute to Marine Lance Cpl. Alejandro Yazzie
With all that’s happening on the home front, it’s easy to forget the sacrifices being made by our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. National Public Radio did a recent story about a U.S. Marine offensive against the Taliban in the Helmand province. Lance Cpl. Alejandro Yazzie, a 23-year-old Navajo from Rock Point, Ariz., was killed…
Picture This: These Boots Were Made for Walkin’
JOHN DEDIOS Spence Barney, a rodeo contestant from Carthage, Texas, prepares his horse’s skid boots for the contest. Limo, the horse, did not like the rainy weather. For more pictures of Spence Barney preparing his horse Limo, click here.
Flake Endorses Paton in CD8
The GOP establishment continues to come out in support of Republican Jonathan Paton, who is in a four-way race for the chance to take on Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Today, Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake announced he was endorsing Paton. From the press release: Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake, a national leader in the fight against government…
Martini Mondays are Back!
Acacia at St. Philip’s (4340 N. Campbell Ave.) kicks off its Martini Mondays special today with half off specialty martinis from 5 to 9 p.m. They serve a dozen or so specialty martinis, and the outdoor seating overlooking the courtyard is a lovely place to enjoy a cocktail. We tried their espresso martinis made with…
Dog of the Day: Sailor
Sailor is among the dogs that the folks at Cold Wet Noses are trying to find a home for. Here’s what Sailor has to say at tucsoncoldwetnoses.com: I am a handsome, noble, dignified, purebred, overweight miniature Pincher or “min pin” as they say. My name is Sailor and I weigh 25 lbs. (should be 2/3’s…
Artistic Range: Shinsuke Higuchi
Shinsuke Higuchi Tucson “Tucson,” by Shinsuke Higuchi, is a new permanent installation at M3 Engineering an Technology, 2051 W. Sunset Road.
Antenori, Graf & Vogt In The Running For Paton’s Seat
District 30 precinct leaders have picked three names to forward to the Pima County Board of Supervisors to pick a replacement for Republican Jonathan Paton, who stepped down from his state Senate seat last week to run for Congress. The nominees are Rep. Frank Antenori, former state lawmaker Randy Graf and Ted Vogt, the District…
Friday Roundtable: State Budget, Congressional District 8 and More
The Arizona Illustrated Friday Roundtable gang discusses the state budget, the race in Congressional District 8 and more! Watch it after the jump.
Friday Rountable: City Manager Mike Letcher
City Manager Mike Letcher stopped by Arizona Illustrated’s Friday Roundtable this week to discuss the city’s financial troubles, the proposed downtown hotel and more. Watch it after the jump.
More Warhol Whirlwind
If you missed out on last night’s fabulous opening party for Andy Warhol Portfolios: Life and Legends at the Tucson Museum of Art, you still have a few months to get over there to see the show itself—and you really should. TMA deserves buckets of praise for bringing a show like this to Tucson. That…
Arizona Financial Report: We’ve Nearly Hit Bottom!
The bottom appears within sight. The latest state financial report notes that we had our first single-digit drop in year-to-year revenues since September 2008. This is good news, in the I’ve-been-down-so-long-that-it-looks-like-up-to-me sense. A few highlights noted by the JLBC staff: The January revenue results broke several long term trends. General Fund revenue collections were $1.44…
The Marshmallow Test
A fascinating clip exploring “temporal discounting” from last Tuesday’s lecture on “Building Brains, Making Minds” by Lynn Nadel, a Regents’ Professor in Psychology. The The UA College of Science continues its spring lecture series, focusing on the mind and the brain, next month.
Trent AZ Congressman Trent Franks: Abortion Is Worse Than Slavery For Blacks
Talking Points Memo reports: In an interview with blogger Mike Stark, Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) appeared to say that African-Americans are worse off today because of legalized abortion, than they were compared to slavery. “It seems like humanity is very gifted at hiding from something that’s obviously true. I mean in this country we had…
Picture This: Boys and Girls Club
MCKENZIE SHELDON Anthony Taylor, Damon Jaines, Chase Herzog and Gabe Oro Peza play foosball at the Frank and Edith Morton Clubhouse. Another snapshot after the jump. MCKENZIE SHELDON Tucson kids like Jacob Dibbern, 6, spend time at the Frank and Edith Morton Clubhouse for the Boys and Girls Club.
Fire at Lodge on the Desert
An early morning fire broke out in the kitchen at Lodge on the Desert today, causing $100,000 in damage before fire crews brought it under control. Tucson Fire Department Capt. Trish Tracy, a fire department spokeswoman, said a Tucson Police Department officer called in with reports of smoke coming from a window at the Lodge…
Five Bands for Five Bucks!
Local bands Golden Boots, Pork Torta, Mr. Free, Cadillac Steakhouse and Lenguas Largas will be putting on a show at Rialto Theatre tomorrow night for only $5. That’s a better deal than a five-dollar footlong!
Artistic Range: Andy Warhol at the Tucson Musuem of Art
Andy Warhol, Muhammad Ali, 1978, one of four screenprints on Bristol Strathmore paper. © 2009 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts/Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York. The name, image, and likeness of Muhammad Ali appears courtesy of Muhammad Ali Enterprises, LLC. Bank of America Collection. Tonight’s the big night: Andy Warhol Portfolios: Life…
Progressive Love
One the best Valentine’s Day presents I got a couple of weeks ago came from Mike Carson and Jack Pruitt in the form of a new blog they recently started. It’s a fun and smart read that’s sure to alleviate (albeit temporarily) our fears for the Legislature’s sanity or the future of our state. Check…
The Water Project: Water Rave $10
A couple of weeks ago, we interviewed Jodi Netzer about a new festival she’s helping to put together, The Water Project: Tucson’s Synergistic Water Festival. “THE WATER PROJECT: Tucson’s Synergistic Water Festival”, March 26-28, 2010, celebrates, educates and facilitates creative and proactive problem-solving to protect our most precious and endangered resource—WATER. The festival promotes conservation…
Loft Cinema: “White Ribbon” Opens
The White Ribbon opens this week at the Loft Cinema. Details here. City of Lost Children is the Loft’s late-night cult classic this weekend. It’s a treat on the big screen. Trailer after the jump.
Sierra Club Legislative Update: “A Dreadful Week at the Arizona Capitol”
Sandy Bahr, legislative lobbyist for the Sierra Club, has sent out her weekly bulletin: Hi everyone! This week was a dreadful week at the Arizona Capitol, but there was some end-of-the-week redemption. First of all, after passing HB2701 electric utilities; renewable energy standards (Lesko, Antenori, Barnes, et al) in the Government Committee on Tuesday evening…
Dog of the Day: Poppy
Poppy is among the dogs that the folks at Cold Wet Noses are trying to find a home for. Here’s what Poppy has to say at tucsoncoldwetnoses.com: Hi, my name is Poppy—isn’t that all you need to know? I’m the most adorable, lovable, little pit bull terrier mix you’ve ever seen. Remember that “terrier” is…
La Fiesta de los Vaqueros Rodeo Parade
El Independiente’s Web editor Josh T. Saunders presents the 85th La Fiesta de los Vaqueros Rodeo Parade in video, sound and in photos. More than 200,000 people from all over Southern Arizona lined the streets along the much shorter parade route this morning. More than 100 participants took part in the parade this year, including…
Graf Working For Rosemont? Who Knew?
Did y’all know that Rhonda has a blog now? She noted yesterday that Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll was experiencing some heartburn over the idea of appointing Randy Graf to the Senate seat recently surrendered by Republican Jonathan Paton, who is off and running against Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Turns out that Graf is working for…
Nan Tian BBQ
Nan Tian BBQ is open at the mighty Lee Lee Supermarket at 1990 W. Orange Grove Road. Unless you’re doing something really important, other than, like, reading this blog, you should drop everything and get down there. Good eats. Allow me to drop the knowledge: Roast duck, pork, duck wing, duck feet, duck tongue (one…
Grijalva: Bring Back the Public Option!
Congressman Raul Grijalva keeps fighting for the public option. The latest from the Congressional Progressive Caucus: Washington, D.C. — Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva and Lynn Woolsey, co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, released the following statement on the president’s health care summit: “Today’s summit was an important opportunity for the American people to learn about…
Pima County Supes: Slow Down Marana Landfill
Pima County Supervisors are preparing a resolution to ask the town of Marana to slow down their race to slap down a landfill outside their town limits and on the edge of several Pima County neighborhoods out north of Avra Valley Road. The resolution cites several concerns, including the size of the dump, which is…
New Martian Pics: Pasteur Crater
NASA/JPL/University of Arizona A new batch of photos from the HiRISE camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter are up. HiRISE team member Colin Dundas tells us: This observation shows a portion of the central sedimentary deposits in Pasteur Crater. The deposits in this image now being eroded into knobs and ridges. The erosion is probably…
Picture This: Tucson Rodeo Parade
SEAN O’NEILL-RYAN Luann Read and her daughter Lavita, 1, try to catch a glimpse of the parade participants at the 85th La Fiesta de los Vaqueros Rodeo Parade. Reed joined thousands of Tucsonans pack and line the streets along South Park Avenue for the shortened route.
Water Harvesting in Tucson
A dispatch on Tucson’s new water-harvesting ordinance from Cronkite News Service: By YVONNE GONZALEZCronkite News Service TUCSON—Rain falling on the roof of this new QuikTrip gas station trickles into pipes that water willow acacia trees and native shrubs. The parking lot slopes, directing water into deep gravel that keeps it around for the desert landscaping…
Giffords on Health Care: “Put Partisanship Aside and Get This Job Done”
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords on the health-care summit: The House on Wednesday took a significant step toward achieving real health insurance reform by voting to repeal the antitrust exemption enjoyed by health insurance companies. I was proud to stand with the strong bipartisan majority that voted for the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act. The legislation…
Artistic Range: David Kish at Tucson International Airport
“Untitled from the Saguaro Rubbing Series” by David Kish is among the works on display from March 1 through June 19 at the Tucson International Airport, 7250 S. Tucson Blvd. There is an artist reception on April 25 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Upper Link Gallery.
Obama Vs. McCain
Arizona Sen. John McCain tries to score political points at the healthcare summit. Obama responds: “Let me just make this point, John, because we’re not campaigning anymore. The election’s over.”
Dog of the Day: Ubu
Ubu is among the dogs that the folks at Cold Wet Noses are trying to find a home for. Here’s what Ubu has to say at tucsoncoldwetnoses.com: Hey guys, check me out: I’m always smiling! I may look scary but I’m a big baby! If you’re afraid of all those high-maintenance youngsters out there, I’m…
Pandering?
How nice of J.D. Hayworth to try to pander to the transgender community, but I still don’t think it will work. But if it catches on, could be interesting to see what McCain does in response.
Picture This: Kitt Peak Stargazer
JOSHUA MORGAN Professor Arlo U. Landolt from Louisiana State University regulates the temperature of the 2.1-m telescope at Kitt Peak. Landolt prepared the telescope for use despite the rainy conditions in hopes of being able to do more research on his final night with the telescope. He was allotted 6 1/2 nights with the telescope.…
Artistic Range: Maxed Art 27/6
Our friends at Maxed Art are celebrating the six-month anniversary of an international project they began called 27. The idea is that on the 27th of each month, photographers take pictures based on a different theme, from transportation to portraits, using only lo-fi cameras—disposable, cell phone, web cams, scanners, toy cameras, vintage cameras, etc. You…
Could There Be Another Way?
In January, Oregon voters passed several tax increases to counter the state’s $700 million budget shortfall—doing just the opposite of the Arizona Legislature—namely tax increases on corporations and those with higher incomes. The one-cent sales-tax initiative that goes in front of Arizona voters in May won’t get close to raising what the state needs to…
Hearts of Darkness: Gemstone Workers Die Young in India
The National Labor Committee recently released a report detailing the illness and deaths of gemstone workers in India from silicosis. Since Tucson hosts an enormous gem show every year, this is something to be aware of. Here is a portion of the press release: The National Labor Committee has released an explosive new report: “Hearts…
Talk of the Nation: Margaret Regan
Tucson Weekly arts editor Margaret Regan talked yesterday about her new book, The Death of Josseline, on NPR’s Talk of the Nation. Listen here.
Police Dispatch
Later-life crises; with police like that, who needs burglars?
T Q&A
Sonya Brinton
Danehy
On the afternoon of June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip sat at a café in Sarajevo, eating a sandwich and bemoaning his bad luck. He had been a part of a conspiracy to assassinate visiting Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, but had apparently missed his chance. There were seven conspirators in all, stationed along the route…
Just Dance
While the UA basketball teams are unlikely to make the Final Four this year, the university is among the top four when it comes to another type of action—dance. Four seems to be the theme for the UA dance show Premium Blend. For the opening of the show, Tucsonans have the rare chance to see…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I am a lifelong resident of Arizona and have worked side by side with illegals for 25 years as a bloquero. In all that time, I’ve never known ONE of them to be an aspiring American. In fact, their loyalties remain with their home states; they listen to mariachi and cumbia; and their…
Messina
Marsha Powell, an inmate at Perryville prison in Goodyear, spent the last hours of her life not in an indoor cell, but in an outdoor wire cage. Powell waited four hours in the 107-degree heat to be transferred between wards on May 19, 2009. She collapsed from heat exposure and died the next day. Powell…
City Week
The 19th Annual New Play Festival; Peace Corps Fair; Tucson Cine Mexico 2010;
Top Ten in Books
Antigone Books best-sellers for the week
Guest Opinion
What can a grieving mother do to bring some meaning to the death of her daughter, and to keep alive her memory? After my daughter, composer and filmmaker Jessica Grace Wing, died in 2003 at age 31, one way was clear: to enable Tucson audiences to see the musical, Lost, that she composed during her…
Elegance in Simplicity
Veteran Tucson singer-songwriter Namoli Brennet calls herself a “lyrics person,” but she doesn’t discount the importance of good melody. “Good lyrics with a bad melody don’t really do much for me,” Brennet says during a recent interview at a downtown coffeehouse. “But I can live with bad lyrics with a good melody. It’s weird, because…
Readers Win!
I spent last Saturday evening at the American Advertising Federation Tucson’s 2010 ADDY Awards wingding. While most ceremonies like this are about as fun as a tax audit, I actually had a fine time. I got to talk with all sorts of interesting people; I got to heckle my friend Dave Hatfield, the editor of…
Life on the Edge
Borderlands Theater has tagged its season, “What’s Under that Skirt? A Borderline Look at Gender.” Two of the season’s three plays are contemporary works written by women. First came She Was My Brother, which dealt with a fascinating issue but was not very effective dramatically. The second and current offering is Between Pancho Villa and…
Putting It All Together
It’s a common—but difficult to pull off—trick of literature to have a superficial story riding on top of a subtle set of background clues that provide a more satisfying and richer explanation for everything that occurs, if only the audience can put the pieces together. You see it in Nabokov’s Pale Fire, Melville’s Moby Dick,…
Nine Questions
Chris Black
Crazy Good
Director Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio triumph with Shutter Island, a true spellbinder from one of the greatest living directors. Scorsese manages to keep the audience off-balance for the entire experience, while DiCaprio blasts the roof off the place with a gut-wrenching performance. Neither of them misses a beat, and the film will captivate those…
Tindersticks: Falling Down a Mountain (Constellation)
Rising from the infectious rhythm of the title song, the muted trumpet of Terry Edwards sets a jazzy atmosphere on the eighth album by this remarkable British band. Soon, singer and guitarist Stuart Staples is intoning mantra-like lyrics of a vague come-on variety against a punk-funk guitar progression. Most important, though, is the groove. After…
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week
Now Showing at Home
Dead Snow; Alexander the Last; Ran (Blu-ray)
The Swigs: Let It Come Down (Sapient)
Kevin Henderson and his band, the Swigs, obviously adore classic and progressive rock, but it comes off as experimental and challenging, rather than passé. The band’s no-holds-barred attitude, combining noisy jams and instrumental virtuosity, sounds inventive even in this postmodern age of information overload. The group both nods to and challenges the conventions of classic…
From Ancient Days
Perhaps it’s easier to imagine the members of Midlake as cloaked druids performing secretive rituals than as a group of former jazz students from Texas. It’s certainly by design that the band’s new record weaves its spell from ancient days, conjuring that same sense of elemental, shrouded powers at play that drives fantasy art. Midlake…
STS9: Ad Explorata (1320)
It may seem odd for a mostly instrumental band to define themselves in political terms, but STS9 have strived to push beyond clichés since their not-terribly impressive start as an electro-jam band. Born as Sound Tribe Sector 9, the politics- and keyboards-heavy quintet quickly built a loyal following by touring ceaselessly. Meanwhile, their studio efforts…
Getting Back to Work
The stories of these now-unemployed Target employees sound all too familiar to Janet Marcotte, the executive director of the YWCA in Tucson. Two years ago, the organization took over a job-search and skills-building program based at the UA that was originally developed for displaced homemakers. The program, called YWorks, broadened its scope under the YWCA…
Portable Plants
Each spring, I visit a garden center near my house and load up on portulacas, verbenas and marigolds. Then I spend an hour or so plugging them into the pots that are spread around my yard. And then I spend the rest of the growing season moving the pots around in search of topographical perfection—a…
All About Soul
Mediterranean food is hot these days, and with good reason. The genre covers a large geographic area; the cooking styles are simple and straightforward; and the ingredients found along the lovely sea are fresh, plentiful and varied. What more could a chef—or diners—ask for? A quick perusal of the menu at Azul, at the Westin…
Flyover Future
Tucson International Airport, a base for fighter-jet training since the 1950s, is one of five locations being considered as a home for the F-35, the military’s next-generation aircraft. Opponents warn that if the F-35 comes to Tucson, city residents will be heavily impacted by noise and safety issues. Supporters, on the other hand, predict economic…
Soundbites
FRIDAY ON MY MIND If anyone out there has been tinkering with cloning projects in the basement—oh, wait, Tucson doesn’t really have basements—in the, uh, workshop, and you’re looking for a willing test subject, please let me know before Friday, Feb. 26, woncha? There’s so much good stuff happening that night that I’d love to…
Costly Cutbacks
Word of pink slips came in January. And by February, city prosecutor Laura Brynwood had said goodbye to five of her staffers, including three prosecutors. Those cuts immediately rippled through Tucson’s Mental Health Court, an innovative program that helps many offenders, mostly for petty offenses, avoid costly imprisonment. Without enough prosecutors, the court would cease…
Live
From Tucson to Haiti: World Music Benefit Concert
Bright Ideas?
If you’re among the Arizonans who are disturbed by the idea that you’ll have to start using those newfangled compact-fluorescent light bulbs, Rep. Frank Antenori is working for you. Antenori, a freshman Republican who represents Tucson’s eastside, Green Valley and Sierra Vista, has sponsored HB 2337, which would allow companies to set up shop in…
Families in Conflict
Iron Kisses is an odd title for the play currently running at Invisible Theatre. It penetrates the complexities of family dynamics, but does so with warmth and humanity rather than a cutting edge. The show begins with actor Dwayne Palmer alone on stage, sitting in a plain wooden chair and speaking to the audience in…
Historic House
The house at the northwest corner of Euclid Avenue and Sixth Street draws the attention of almost everyone who passes by. On the east wall, foot-high, sky-blue lettering spells out, “Happiness Is Submission to God” on off-white stucco. The words are chipped and discolored in the places where graffiti has spattered them multiple times, changing…
Top Ten in Music
Toxic Ranch Records top sales for the week
The Skinny
A desire named Streetcar; a note of resignation; delayed departure
Creating Opportunity
Artist Diane Aldrich-Kleiss grew up on a farm in Iowa and in the woods of Minnesota. She lives in Tucson now, but the fertile soil of the North still finds its way into her art. Her encaustic “Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall,” at the UA’s Kachina Gallery, is a celebration of the land’s richness, season to…
Media Watch
Clear Channel gives MIA more high-def signal exposure; ‘Star’ fails to ID Hansen sibling in sports column pic
Noshing Around
Tavolino moving to old VinTabla Spot; new wine Store; roadside dining; cooking with the chef
Weekly Wide Web
I’ve been avoiding NBC’s sappy Olympic coverage; I happen to prefer Vancouver news in the form of viral videos and quick checks of the medal table. The first nontragic viral video from these Olympics provides a lesson in what not to do if you’ve got your hands on something everyone wants to see. After U.S.…
Health-Care Blair House Summit: The Coolest Thing on TV Today!
We’ve set the TiVo. Who will have the best liveblog?
Artistic Range: Kate Breakey at Etherton Gallery
PHOTO BY JEFF SMITH One hundred photograms of Sonoran desert mammals, reptiles, birds and insects (along with common and not so common desert plants) by Kate Breakey are on display at Etherton Gallery, 135 N. Sixth Ave., through Feb. 27.
McCain: Hayworth Is A Nut!
Sen. John McCain suggests J.D. Hayworth is a nutbag for siding with the likes of Orly Taitz of the birther conspiracy movement in a new campaign ad. Sam Stone of Huffington Post notes: Hayworth has himself meddled in the birther movement, raising questions about Obama’s birth certificate and justifying them by insisting that the country…
Burns Shuts Down Committee Work Next Week
Last year, Senate President Bob Burns, who will be our guest on Arizona Illustrated’s Friday Roundtable on March 12, allowed few non-budget bills to be heard for the first half of the session. It was meant to make lawmakers focus on the budget, although that remains out of balance even today. It did, however, slow…
Cost of Health Care Cuts: $2.7 billion
Remember how we mentioned that the Arizona Chamber of Commerce didn’t like the notion being floated by Gov. Jan Brewer and state lawmakers about cutting more than 300,000 people below the federal poverty line from state health insurance? Turns out that somebody crunched some numbers. Casey Newton of the Arizona Republic reports: An estimated $2.7…
Dog of the Day: Merry
A new feature on The Range: Dog of the Day! There are a lot of hounds out there who need adoption. Merry is just one them. You can find out more at Cold Wet Noses. Here’s what Merry has to say at tucsoncoldwetnoses.com: Hi, My name is Merry. I was a stray picked up and…
Unhealthy Proposal
Glenn Hamer of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry says Gov. Jan Brewer’s plan to save hundreds of millions of dollars by cutting health-care insurance coverage hundreds of thousands of Arizona workers is the wrong way to go. Brewer wants to ask voters to rescind the Healthy Arizona proposition they passed in 2000. That…
