Cover Story
The Strange Worlds of Alex Italics
2014 was a good year for Tucson filmmaker Alex Italics. His short film, “Sheltered Love,” won nearly two dozen awards on the festival circuit to festivals, including the Best Short at the Delta International Film and Video Festival, the Best Student Film at Rainer Independent Film Festival and the Golden Gong Award right here at…
T-Town Sessions Seek to Showcase the Tucson Music Scene to the World
Although the advent of modern technology means new bands have more opportunities than ever to record their music on the cheap, Abril Castillo and Tucson People Magazine are looking to help local musicians record their music professionally while promoting the state’s music for the world. The T-Town Sessions is a partnership between locally-made Cloud Microphones,…
Ducey’s Tucson Tele-Town Hall on Education
I missed Governor Ducey’s tele-town hall on education February 5. A number of Tucson area people were called about the event, which featured Ducey and Lisa Graham Keegan, former AZ Superintendent of Education and a member of Ducey’s education transition team. But Ann-Eve Pedersen, my cohost on Education: The Rest of the Story, listened in…
DNA Test Confirms Female Gray Wolf Killed in Utah is the Same Spotted at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim
Remember the female gray wolf that was sighted in the North Rim of the Grand Canyon last October? That was, according to environmental officials, a huge step forward for the species because a gray wolf hadn’t been seen in that area for at least seven decades. Groups like the Center for Biological Diversity celebrated the…
Tucson Improv Movement’s Jessica Peck Proves Women Are Funny
Some people like to make broad and obnoxious generalizations. One persistent stereotype in the comedy world is that women aren’t and can’t be funny. Obviously Tucson Improv Movement’s Jessica Peck doesn’t agree and her weekly comedy night is out to prove those completely ridiculous people wrong. During the month of February, Peck and her troupe,…
H.T. Sanchez at State Capitol Today Defending TUSD Desegregation Funding
Tucson Unified School District Superintendent H.T. Sanchez spoke in a Senate Finance Committee hearing at the state Capitol this morning to testify against a bill that seeks to defund desegregation programs at some state schools. The bill passed the hearing, which means it is now headed to the state Senate floor, but sponsor and chair…
Kiehne Gearing Up For Second Run in Congressional District 1
Republican Gary Kiehne, who nearly upset former Arizona House Speaker Andy Tobin in the 2014 GOP primary, wants to run again for the congressional seat held by Democratic Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick. Kiehne, a rancher, oilman and rodeo cowboy, announced his run on Emil Franzi’s Inside Track radio show over the weekend. Franzi’s Southern Arizona News-Examiner…
ACLU of Arizona Sues DHS for Not Providing Docs Related to Allegations of Child Abuse Against the Border Patrol
The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona is part of a lawsuit filed in court today against the Department of Homeland Security over its “failure” to provide any records related to abuse and mistreatment of undocumented children while in the custody of Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection agents, particularly during the huge influx…
Men’s Journal: Cup Cafe One of America’s Top Brunch Spots
This comes as no surprise to me as downtown’s Cup Cafe is one of my favorite breakfast joints (and I’m immensely grateful that they serve breakfast until the very civilized hour of 4 p.m.), but Men’s Journal has named the Hotel Congress eatery one of the best brunch spots in America: If you’re looking for…
Tucson Mountains Trail Hound: Gates Pass Mystery Trail
Hello hikers! We have a good one for you today; a largely unknown, little used and (as far as I know) unnamed trail right on the top of Gates Pass. Why this beautiful trail remains such a secret is one of the real mysteries of hiking in the Tucson Mountains, but here’s the scoop, for…
TEDxTucson Arranges Local Speakers to Talk About Home
When you think of the word “home,” do you think of your house? Do you think of where you grew up? Do you th ink of the people that are or were there? Well, TEDxTucson is bringing speakers to the ZUZI! Theatre in the Historic Y to talk about just that for the “Home is Where…
Sorry About the Garden to Get Both Loud and Weird at Flycatcher
The Flycatcher is hosting a night of live local music on Thursday, Feb. 12 and Sorry About the Garden are the headliners. You can expect some out-of-the-world visuals paired with the trio’s self-proclaimed “weird” piano rock. Sorry About the Garden will be joined by Deschtuco and Demonymns. The show is $6 at the door and the music starts…
A Little Harry Potter Nostalgia to Completely Ruin Your Day
Ugh, alright fellow Harry Potter people. Everybody knows Severus Snape’s story these days—he was a tragic, mysterious and an all around layered character. He gathered many fans as his story came together on screen. Now, somebody has pulled his story together in chronological order and it is devastating. This had me looking a little foolish…
McSally’s Border-Security Bill Remains Stalled in GOP Congress
Congresswoman Martha McSally’s first border-security bill is on hold in the House of Representatives as conservatives complain that it’s a distraction from an upcoming showdown with President Barack Obama. McSally promised to lead the fight to secure the border in Southern Arizona, but it appears as though the Southern Arizona Republican is having some trouble…
Local Radio Host John C. Scott Wants to Help Raise Funds for Habitat for Humanity
Radio host John C. Scott is dedicating his entire radio program Thursday, Feb. 12 to help Habitat for Humanity Tucson raise funds for its work to end poverty housing. Scott is having several guests come by during his live show from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., where they will discuss Habitat’s work and why people…
See a Special Screening of David Cross’ “Hits” at The Loft
You might know David Cross as the never-nude brother-in-law Tobias Funke on “Arrested Development,” but the comedian is really a lot more than that. Of course, he was half of the “Mr. Show” comedy duo with Bob Odenkirk in the mid ’90s and over two decades later played the comically tragic lead in the show…
Borderlands Fuzz Fiesta Brings a Full Line-Up of Stoner Rock to Tucson
For those of you who look at festival line-ups and think “there just isn’t enough stoner rock on the bill for me,” Borderland Fuzz Fiesta will be just the event you’ve always dreamt of. To kick off the fest’s inaugural event, you can expect bands with totally sick names like Skulldron, Yeti Ender, Conqueror Worm and Methra. Fireball…
Take Full Advantage of Being a Few Hours Away from These Towns in Sonora
Living in Tucson, I think it is fascinating that we are two, three, four hours away from some rather interesting towns in Sonora, Mexico. You wake up in the Old Pueblo and by noon you can be eating birria tacos from a street vendor and looking at the remains of Father Kino through a glass.…
Best Anti-Opt Out Line Ever
In New Jersey, they’re acknowledging the inevitable. Lots of parents will be insisting their kids opt out of state assessments, and there’s really nothing the state or the schools can do. The state can say the tests are mandatory, but that only means the schools have to give them. What, actually, can state and school…
Talking Comics: “Robert Kirkman is Not a Member of OUTCAST!” Edition
It’s Talking Comics Time again here at Tucson Weekly. For the first time ever, they’re reviewing an entire graphic novel—Outcast, volume one, written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Paul Azaceta. This one is a bit spooky, and might keep you up after reading. Brought to you by Heroes & Villains comic & gaming store.
Mexico in Season Shuttered on Saturday, Will Continue Catering
Bad news came for fans of Mexico in Season this weekend. The owners posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page on Thursday, Feb. 5 that Saturday would be the last day guests could come and enjoy their fresh Mexican food offerings. To all our loyal customers we say thank you and goodbye. We have no words…
New Refugee, Parole Program Offers Some Minors in Central America Legal Option to Come to US
The Department of State and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services launched an in-country refugee and parole program for certain minors in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. The influx of undocumented Central American children into the U.S. escaping violence and extreme poverty in their native countries, or trying to find a parent or relative already…
Keep Talking About Education Funding, Daniel Scarpinato
Daniel Scarpinato has been a reporter for the Star, worked on Republican campaigns, was Director of Communications for Republicans in the Arizona House and was National Press Secretary for the RNCC. Now he’s a spokesman for Governor Ducey. He’s either a very talented guy, or no one wants him around for long. Me, I want…
Lying is Important to Relationships, New York Times Says
Have the heart-shaped chocolate boxes and suddenly sky-high flower prices got you feelin’ the romance? Well (good news?), the New York Times says if you want to make your relationship work, you should probably be doing some lying. According to Good Lovers Lie, an opinion piece by Clancy Martin, “on average in an ordinary conversation,…
Bobby Jindal for Arizona Governor!
Forget about Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal’s presidential aspirations. He’s a perfect fit for Arizona. So perfect, if fact, for all we know, he might even be governor right now—unless, of course, he and Governor Ducey were separated at birth. They’re certainly brothers in right wing fiscal policy. Here are some excerpts from an NY Times article, As Jindal’s…
Savor Food & Wine Festival Serves Up Samples in a Beautiful Setting
Food enthusiasts flooded into the winding pathways of the Tucson Botanical Gardens on Saturday, Feb. 7 to get a taste of some of Tucson’s top dining destinations. Diversity was the name of the game for the event this year with dishes ranging from Hawaiian to Vietnamese to Cajun to Japanese to Italian. Comfort food bites…
Get Your 50 Shades of Grey Passes (Or Win VIP Seating Tickets)
We are giving away passes for you and a friend for the whipping cinematic experience you’ve been waiting for — “50 Shades of Grey.” The screening is Wednesday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m. at AMC Foothills. You can come by our office at 7225 Mona Lisa Rd. Ste. 125; or dear readers, you can also pick…
Sneak Peek: “Zona Politics” Talks with Supervisor Valadez, Councilwoman Romero and More!
Zona Politics Eps.17 from Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel on Vimeo. This week on Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel: We’ve got one-on-one interviews with Pima County Supervisor Ramon Valadez, Tucson City Councilwoman Regina Romero and David Higuera, the Southern Arizona director of the Children’s Action Alliance. Watch it here online or tune in at 9:30…
US Education Dept.: Pima Community College Has Fixed Issues Found in Its Administration of Financial Aid Programs
The U.S. Department of Education has told Pima Community College that it has resolved all issues cited in a review report on the college’s handling of Title IV student aid programs. Title IV, or the Higher Education Act of 1965, covers the administration of the United States federal student financial aid programs. In a September…
Give This Pug Puppy with a Broken Elbow All of Your Money Already
For just a couple minutes, let’s all suspend our cynicism here and rally together in support of a little pug puppy named Apple. Poor little Apple jumped off of a high sofa and fractured her dog elbow. She found her way to the Hug A Pug AZ Rescue and Adoption Group after her original owners…
Celebrate Ten Fifty-Five Brewing’s Second Anniversary with Brews and Bites
Although Savor Food and Wine Festival is on Saturday at the Tucson Botanical Gardens to fulfill all of your food and beverage desires, the $75 day of ticket price might be a bit rich for your blood. If that’s the case, no worries—head on over to Ten Fifty-Five Brewing Co. at 3 p.m. for their second…
Opt Out Week on the Range: Day Five (Potpourri)
No PARCCing! That was one of the signs held up during a New Jersey Board of Education meeting in January. PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) is one of the high stakes tests for Common Core being used in some states. Today is the last day of my Opt Out Week…
Diane Douglas: ‘Smart Snacks’ Requirements at Schools are Federal Overreach, Seeks to Strike Down
Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas plans to form a committee, made up of current and retired school district officials, that will review Title 15, the Arizona statute dealing with all things education, to identify regulations and requirements in the statute that are “antiquated, overreaching or unnecessary.” The announcement was made Wednesday during a meeting…
Opt Out Week on the Range: Day Four (Colorado and Illinois)
Today is two-states-for-the-price-of-one day, since we’re approaching the end of Opt Out Week on the Range. I’m featuring a couple of states where some people have taken aggressive, activist stands against our obsession with standardized, high stakes testing. First, Colorado. We begin last November when 5,000 seniors opted out of the recently adopted state social…
I Got an Email from an Alleged Washington Insider Sharing Some “Obama Intel” That Includes “Sticky Boom Boom”
I received this email today, and I don’t have to say much else, except that there are some spelling and probably factual errors. I would email back but it might lead to my identity being stolen. To whom it Concerns I’m a high level Washington insider who has the meat or big stick on Obama’s…
Tucson City Council Votes To Allow Midtown Apartment Demolition, Parking Lot Expansion
Saying they had only bad options in front of them, the Tucson City Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to allow the demolition of a small apartment building so that the owners of Broadway Village could expand their parking lot. Some residents of the Broadmoor-Broadway Village Neighborhood south of Broadway Village at Country Club Road and…
Nuevo Bazaar Brings Vintage Vendors to Seventh Street
Whether you’re looking for an outfit nobody else has or some mid-century modern furniture to jazz up your home, Nuevo Bazaar is the place to be on Saturday, Feb. 7. Now in its fourth year, the open-air pop-up market will feature 20 vendors offering up vintage, antique and other collectable wares. Past favorites like Collected Artifacts…
More Than 174K Arizonans Have Signed Up for Obamacare This Enrollment Period
Don’t forget everyone, you have until Feb. 15 to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Pima County is hosting a couple more of events to help you through the process, paperwork, etc., including one this Saturday at Tucson High Magnet School. If you don’t sign up by the deadline, you won’t…
UPDATE: State Environmental, Business Groups Urge TEP to Pull Support for New Mexico’s San Juan Generating Station
A coalition of state environmental, community and business groups, including the Sierra Club, Tierra Y Libertad Organization, Robert Bulechek Energy Management, Borderlands Brewing Co., Solar Possibilities Consulting, Sustainable Tucson, Casa Maria Tucson and the Sky Island Alliance, have asked Tucson Electric Power to get their hands off a New Mexico-based coal-fired power plant by the…
The Skinny
Turning in his Badge Sheriff Clarence Dupnik announces retirement after more than three decades on the job Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik confirmed last week what many had anticipated for some time: He’s decided to retire rather than run for a 10th term in 2016. Dupnik, 79, announced his plans to resign from office, most…
Strings of Fury
It takes little more than the word “Metalachi” to convince you to go see this band live. In fact, as someone who is far from a mariachi expert and very choosy when it comes to metal, even I uttered an “oh hell yes” in my head when I saw that the band was coming. Originally…
Media Watch
Kedzierski leaves Tucson Local Media for position in Salem Ryan Kedzierski, the publisher of Tucson Local Media, has accepted an opportunity as director of sales for the Statesman Journal in Salem, Ore. “It’s a daily and a larger operation than what we’re running in Tucson,” said Kedzierski, who in the director of sales position will…
B-Sides
AN ISLAND GETAWAY Celebrating its second year, El Tambó is back at Club Congress bringing all of those sweet tropical jams to downtown Tucson dancers. Hosted by DJ Dirtyverbs, first-timer and TW favorite DJ Herm and L.A.’s Cuicani will be spinning all of the salsa, cumbia, merengue, reggaeton, dancehall and dub your ears have room…
Ask A Mexican
Dear Mexican: Do Mexicans sling racial slurs at each other or casually refer to each other as “wabs,” similar to the way blacks call each other “nigger”? What’s your take on the whole “nigger” thing anyway? Kingfish the Cabrón Dear Blackfaced Wab: What do I think of “nigger”? Um, it’s bad? I think you mean…
Hemp Time
State Sen. Lynne Pancrazi, a Democrat from Yuma, recently introduced a bill asking for the creation of an industrial hemp study committee to examine the economic opportunities associated with the industry. The one-page bill, SB 1225, lists the people who should be part of this study committee, including two members of the state Senate appointed by…
Danehy
It should come as a shock to absolutely no one that the guy y’all elected governor is following the Right Wing Playbook to the letter. Actually, it’s the updated Seventh Edition of the Right Wing Playbook, with a forward on Vindictive Action and Teacher Humiliation written specifically for Gov. Ducey by his friends and masters…
The Pleasure Activist
How to introduce a sex toy into your relationship Sex toys can launch your sexual routine to a new and exciting level, opening the door to a new world of sexual play and experimentation. If you and your partner are not already there, this can be a very inspiring transition that infuses your relationship with…
A New Gemeration
The 9th annual Gem and Jam Music Festival is an outgrowth of the renowned Gem & Mineral Show, which brings an influx of people into Tucson each year. The festival, which takes place on Thursday, Feb. 5, 6 and 7 from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., integrates precious minerals into its stage design and with…
Dessert Gazing
Temptation hits the second you step through the double doors at Café a la C’Art located off the patio at the Tucson Museum of Art. There, in all its glimmering glory, stands a glass pastry case filled with the most amazing assortment of treats: fruity trifles, three-layer cakes dressed to the nines, crumble bars in…
Quick Bites
EYES ON THE PIES You might have been peeking in the lower level of the TransAmerica Building, wondering what was in store for the small cafe space. Well, the wait is finally over because Pie Bird is officially open for breakfast, lunch, and pastries on the go. Of course, that includes pies of all sorts,…
Mixing Abroad
When it comes to cocktail-week-style events, there’s one that’s known internationally as the crème de la crème and that’s Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. This year, one of Tucson’s own will lead a pack of high-level bartenders in helping organize the event. Ciaran Wiese, bar manager at Agustin Kitchen and Scott & Co.…
Myths of Creation
Dubbed “the ‘Iron Chef’ of the torchworking world,” the Flame Off has become a highly anticipated staple of the Gem & Mineral Show. Over a dozen glass artists will compete in one of two sessions, each a 90-minute interval, on Friday, Feb. 6 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Sonoran Glass School, 633 W.…
Scouts Alternative Honor
Adults and children alike rejoice on National Girl Scout Cookie Day and its message that cookie season is upon us once again. The genius new grown-up way to celebrate this day and get your fix of cookies is to head over to Tap & Bottle, 403 N. 6th Ave., on Sunday, Feb. 8 from 3…
Augmented Reality in Paris
As part of a larger series on multimedia, “Walking the Spirit: Augmenting the Paris Experience” is a talk on Wednesday, Feb. 11 by UA Assistant Professor Bryan Carter that will examine the relatively new technology of augmented reality. This innovation utilizes software and smart devices to allow users to see the world differently. With tourism…
Time Tested Art Tradition
Arizona’s longest-running festival, the Tubac Festival of the Arts, continues its 56th annual show Wednesday, Feb. 4 through Sunday, Feb. 8. The event boasts 175 art booths with work from artists from around the country. Featured mediums include painting, sculpture, ceramics and wood, leather and glasswork. The focus on diversity extends to the festival’s food…
Not Photos, Paintings
Jessica Rebik’s portraits are so hyperrealist that you’d swear they were photos. Take “Grey,” a close-up of a young woman in the group show “Portraiture Now: New Contemporary” at Baker + Hesseldenz Art. Every hair, every freckle, every bump on the woman’s skin is pictured in exacting details. But “Grey” isn’t a photo: Rebik is…
Editor’s Note
We’re told that when times are difficult that the best cure is to think about all the things you are grateful for in your life. To be honest, I haven’t always been good about reminding myself to sit down and compile a list, although I tell you, I know it would cover several legal-size pages.…
All the Wrong Ways
Long story short: They should have stayed in the water. Now here’s the long story. The animated series, “SpongeBob Squarepants,” has had a long life and has acquired a lot of fans. They released a movie in 2004 that did pretty well, but that was five years into the series’ mainstreaming. Now? Seems like that…
Police Dispatch
I’m too Sexy for this Jail Foothills Area Jan. 9, 5 p.m. An intoxicated woman in classy clothing almost burned down her brother’s luxury home, causing extensive damage with graffiti she called “art” and later claiming she’d been arrested because she was too attractive, according to a Pima County Sheriff’s Department report. Sheriff’s deputies smelled…
Tripped Out
Although psych rock’s revival began arguably with Brian Jonestown Massacre’s formation in 1990 (though some would put it a little further back with Echo and the Bunnymen), the last five or so years has seen the genre completely explode—with specialized labels and festivals including Austin Psych Fest (or Levitation as it’s now known) and Burgerama…
The Waiting Game
For Rosa Robles Loreto, January was the roughest month out of the now six she’s been living in sanctuary at Tucson’s Southside Presbyterian Church. The mental and emotional strains of not being home with her husband and two boys, and witnessing her case with the Department of Homeland Security remain static—it’s catching up to her.…
I and Love and Live
Through the years, one thing has been a constant for the Avett Brothers. From the days of slowly building a small audience in their North Carolina home to recording major-label albums with legendary producer Rick Rubin, the Avett Brothers have always put their main focus on performing. “One thing throughout the years and throughout the…
