Cover Story
Predators and Prey
There’s a house in my neighborhood that’s mostly like any other, with its tidy trim, its agave-dotted yard and its slightly askew metal mailbox. Anyone living nearby has driven past it hundreds of times without a second glance. In this house dwells a man few of us have ever seen, though we already know his…
Phoenix: One Mars Year Later
NASA/JPL/University of Arizona NASA has given up hope that the Phoenix Mars Lander will transmit any new signals after being buried under Martian ice. Daniel Stolte of University Communications tells us: NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander has ended operations after repeated attempts to contact the spacecraft were unsuccessful. A new image transmitted by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance…
The ‘Tucson Weekly’ Goes to Washington
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords held up the Tucson Weekly issue containing the story about murdered Douglas rancher Robert Krentz at a Washington D.C. press conference held yesterday to announce the deployment of 1,200 National Guard troops to the border . It’s not the first time the Weekly has been used in Giffords’ fight to get Washington…
More Trouble for Minerals Management Service
The Wall Street Journal reports on more troubles for the Minerals Management Service in Louisiana: Employees of a federal agency that regulates offshore drilling—including some whose duties included inspecting offshore oil rigs—accepted sporting-event tickets, meals, and other gifts from oil and natural-gas companies and used government computers to view pornography, according to a new report…
Giffords: National Guard Troops Headed for Arizona Border
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords tells us that 1,200 National Guard troops will be deployed on the Arizona-Mexico border: U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today is announcing that the White House has finally agreed to her repeated requests to deploy National Guard troops to the U.S. border with Mexico. “The White House is doing the right thing,” said…
Center for Biological Diversity: Protect the Bluefin Tuna in the Gulf of Mexico
The Center for Biological Diversity wants endangered-species protection for Atlantic bluefin tuna, who spawn in the Gulf of Mexico. Here’s today’s release: The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal scientific petition today to protect Atlantic bluefin tuna under the Endangered Species Act. Overfishing has erased more than 80 percent of the bluefin tuna in…
Kromko Is Back!
Heeeee’s back! Former state lawmaker John Kromko, last seen trying to defeat the one-cent temporary sales tax that voters approved last week, has filed to run for an Arizona House of Representatives seat in Legislative District 27. Kromko lost a bid for a House seat in LD 27 in 2008 and ended up getting indicted…
TONIGHT: Seashell Radio at Preen
Sure, they do good cover, like the Talking Heads (above) from the Great Cover-Up, but Seashell Radio is best wild and free, with Fen, Courtney, Esme and Cassie doing their own thing. Tonight they play at Preen, 210 N. Fourth Ave., 7 p.m.; no cover.
‘LOST’ at the Loft
Admission is free, but you still have to get tickets to see the season finale of LOST at the Loft, 3233 E Speedway Blvd. Word is there are “some” tickets left, limit two per person. Doors open at 5 p.m.; the LOST recap broadcast starts at 6 p.m., and the LOST series finale starts at…
Brewer’s Rebranding of Arizona Begins With a Puppet Show
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s rebranding effort aimed at rebuilding Arizona’s image has begun, with a puppet and partisan shots at the Obama administration. Bet that’s going to help reassure the folks unhappy with SB 1070 that we’re a welcoming place. You betcha!
SB 1070: NYT Looks At Political Fallout Nationwide
The New York Times looks at how Arizona’s new immigration law is playing in political races across the states. The whole thing is worth a read here. A look at California: The decision on whether to support or oppose the law can have almost immediate political consequences. The latest evidence may be Meg Whitman’s declining…
Center for Biological Diversity: Fire, Baby, Fire
Kierán Suckling, executive director of the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity, has called for the head of John Goll, the Alaska regional director of the Minerals Management Service, in the wake of a New York Times story that revealed that MMS had ignored concerns about drilling in Alaska. And, by the way, served a cake…
Phil Krentz: ‘I Just Don’t Know What’s Around the Next Bend’
Phil Krentz, younger brother of murdered rancher Rob Krentz, called the other night and talked at length to a reporter for the first time since March 27. He opened up about his life on the ranch now, the impact that terrible day has had on him, and the support he and other family members have…
Sausage Shop Meat Market
The owner of the Sausage Shop Meat Market at 1015 W. Prince Road just faxed me his menu, and I am experiencing conflicting emotions. I am thrilled to know there’s a family-owned place that sells more than 100 different sausages and 53 sandwiches, but how did this place escape my notice until now, even though…
Clean Elections Revived
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed a decision knocking down the matching funds provision of Clean Elections. Attorney General Terry Goddard, who is using Clean Elections in his gubernatorial campaign, was happy with the decision. “It was always an option, although perhaps the least anticipated,” Goddard says. “It’s a vindication and a validation…
Picture This: Man’s Best Friend
MELISSA TAN A man and his puppy enjoy a nice moment at Christopher Columbus Park during an evening stroll.
Sam Behrend Out At Access Tucson
As the city continues to cut Access Tucson’s funding, the Board of Directors has voted to let Executive Director Sam Behrend go. Behrend helped launch the non-profit public-access television station in 1984 and had been executive director since 1987. Lisa Horner, training director with the station, will take the reins as executive director. Here’s the…
Rasmussen: Brewer Leads Goddard, 52% To 39%
Rasmussen releases a new poll showing that Republican Gov. Jan Brewer is ahead of Democratic Attorney General Terry Goddard in the governor’s race: After championing her state’s new immigration law in the face of criticism from President Obama and others, incumbent Arizona Governor Jan Brewer for the first time now attracts more than 50% support…
Rasmussen: 68% Oppose Boycott of Arizona Over SB 1070. Plus, Two in Five Americans Would Rather Have Members of Congress Randomly Drawn From Phone Book Than Elect Them
Rasmussen reports that 68 percent of adults oppose boycotting Arizona. Unfortunately, 14 percent do think it’s a good idea, which could still screw up the tourism biz. Boston and Los Angeles were among the first to announce boycotts of Arizona, but 68% of Americans say it’s a bad idea for other cities or states to…
Grijalva: “Our Rules Aren’t Effective, Our Rigs Aren’t Necessarily Safe, and We Can’t Keep Ignoring the Problem”
Congressman Raul Grijalva talks about the gulf spill in today’s Roll Call: Energy companies, including BP, promised the Congress, the Minerals Management Service and the public that this terrible accident could not happen. Proponents of expanded drilling eagerly swallowed these company promises and used them to justify expanded drilling. Opponents — those who warned that…
Tucson’s Everyday People: Teeing Up the Town
This week, Charlie De Mar, a UA journalism student, introduces us to golf instructor Mark Terry. Terry has been a golf instructor for more than 20 years, and takes pride in helping people improve their performance. He spends his winters in Tucson, while traveling to Northern California for the summer. Terry said he enjoys teaching…
Thursday Night at Cinema La Placita: “Harold and Maude”
The classic Harold and Maude shows outdoors at Cinema La Placita this evening. Suggested donation: Just $3. Details here. If memory serves, I first saw this at the pre-renovation Temple of Music Art, in my high-school days, when they used to show old flicks on weekends. (Yes, kids, that was in the days before we…
Coming Soon: Joe Mama’s Grill
A new restaurant called Joe Mama’s Grill will start slinging fast-casual fare next week at 4230 N. Oracle Road, Suite 100. Sean and Krista Kanter, a husband-and-wife duo who have spent most of their adult lives in the restaurant business, expect to open the eatery on Friday, May 28. It’s not their first restaurant venture,…
Deepwater Horizon Update: Leak Is 20 Times Worse Than Previously Estimated
From McClatchy: WASHINGTON — The latest video footage of the leaking Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico show that oil is escaping at the rate of 95,000 barrels — 4 million gallons — a day, nearly 20 times greater than the 5,000 barrel a day estimate BP and government scientists have been…
Good News for State Parks
This just in. A total of 23 Arizona State Parks will stay open. The full press release below: Arizona’s Rural Communities Rescue State Parks from Closures (Phoenix, AZ – May 19, 2010) – The Arizona State Parks Board voted today to keep five more State Parks from closing on June 3 by directing Executive Director…
Rasmussen: Seven in 10 Arizonans Support SB 1070
A new Rasmussen survey shows that support for Arizona’s new immigration law is growing: Arizona voters now support the state’s new immigration law more than ever and are still more inclined to think the law will be good for the state’s economy rather than bad. A lot of voters in the state are thinking it’s…
Grijalva: Shut Down BP’s Other Rig in the Gulf
Reuters reports that Congressman Raul Grijalva is calling for BP to shut down another rig in the Gulf until it can be inspected: A group of U.S. lawmakers will recommend BP (BP.L) be ordered to idle its Atlantis oil and gas platform in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico until federal regulators can prove the region’s…
Slick Politics: Update From The Deepwater Horizon Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico
This week’s “Slick Politics” examined the Center for Biological Diversity’s concerns over the permitting process for deep-sea drilling in the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Yesterday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he was revising his plan to divide Minerals Management Service, the scandal-plagued agency that oversees leases with oil…
NYT Weighs in on Undocumented Students Arrested at McCain’s Tucson Office
From today’s New York Times editorial page: Four young immigrant students risked everything on Monday when they sat down in Senator John McCain’s office in Tucson and refused to leave. They were urging passage of the Dream Act, a bill offering a citizenship path to illegal immigrants who, like them, were brought to the United…
Rasmussen: Brewer Takes Big Lead in GOP Primary
Rasmussen tells us that that Gov. Jan Brewer has taken big lead over her GOP rivals, all of whom opposed the tax hike that passed with 64 percent of the vote: Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, following her signing and passionate defense of the state’s new immigration law, now claims 45% of the vote in the…
The Skinny
Sarah Palin comes to Arizona’s rescue. … Former state lawmaker Ted Downing goes rogue. … Another downtown development stalls … and more!
Messina
Dear Tourists of the World, As an Arizonan, I understand that some of you don’t like us very much these days. Many of you have called for boycotts of my state—public officials from Los Angeles, Austin and even St. Paul, Minn., refuse to visit or do business here. I think of all the everyday workers…
Media Watch
Dupnik, Garcia unhappy with Jon Justice, KGUN
Guest Opinion
On May 10, the multi-platinum rap group Cypress Hill canceled their May 21 appearance at the Rialto Theatre due to their opposition to SB 1070, the immigration bill recently signed into law by Gov. Jan Brewer. Despite our fervent attempts to persuade the group to use the appearance as an opportunity to speak out against…
Top Ten in Music
Toxic Ranch Records top sales for the week
Weekly Wide Web
When you log in to Facebook, a display in the upper-right-hand corner of the page shows a box with people you may know, or things you may like. Last week, Facebook was asking me to like Clorox. Why would I join 95,000 people who share such a fervent loyalty … to bleach? Is this a…
The complete TAMMIES winners
Here’s the complete winners lists for the Tucson Area Music Awards (TAMMIES): 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Readers’ Choice Awards Critics’ Choice Awards 2006 Readers’ Choice Awards Critics’ Choice Awards 2005 Readers’ Choice Awards Critics’ Choice Awards 2004 Readers’ Choice Awards Critics’ Choice Awards 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1995 1994 1993
Now Showing at Home
The Road; The Messenger; Stagecoach
Police Dispatch
On the wrong track; toothpick revenge
The Weekly Miracle
Every issue of the Tucson Weekly includes the work of about 30 writers, photographers and artists—and it seems like every week, something goes wrong with at least one of those 30 people that affect their contribution to the newspaper. Usually, whatever goes wrong is nothing truly serious, but it nonetheless creates a delay, or necessitates…
T Q&A
Linda Lumsden
Pure and Perverse
It should come as no surprise that if you mix stupid, cash-strapped and desperate into some sort of white-trash cocktail, you’ll end up serving it to the devil, or at least one of his official representatives. We and the Smith family learn this quite bluntly in Tracy Letts’ Killer Joe, which Etcetera, Live Theatre Workshop’s…
Batucaxé: The Blessing of the Beat (Self-released)
The Blessing of the Beat, the first CD from local Afro-Brazilian collective Batucaxé, includes songs from Brazilian artists, as well as original songs written with South American and African music in mind. The Blessing of the Beat (a translation of the name Batucaxé) is not just a blend of musical styles, though; it’s a blend…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Readers: Over the past couple of weeks, the Know Nothing nation has invaded my inbox, asking why the United States can’t follow the stringent immigration laws of Mexico. They’re merely parroting a recent column by the reprehensible Michelle Malkin, who thought that bringing up the issue was an original angle to rankle Reconquistas. ¡Que…
Rise of the Synth
The last couple of years have been eventful ones for Shawn Foree. It started when he was still living in Tucson, after he moved from Yuma to attend the UA as an American-literature major. Foree, now 34, spent the bulk of his downtime recording synth-based music in his bedroom, eventually giving it the name Digital…
The New Pornographers: Together (Matador)
I’ve never really figured out what the songs of the New Pornographers are about. Bandleader Carl Newman writes idiosyncratic, impressionistic verses drawn from (one must assume) personal experiences and tumultuous emotions, but the results often are lyrically abstract. However, this hasn’t hampered my enjoyment of this band’s glorious, explosive and cathartic power-pop—charmingly obtuse songs carried…
Music Frame of Mind
French-born guitarist Marc Antoine has helped redefine the genre of Spanish guitar. Blending a background in jazz, classical, Afro and pop music with a unique flair, Antoine spent the 1990s playing with the likes of recording artists including Sting, Celine Dion, Rod Stewart and Cher. He has composed and performed major movie soundtracks, working on…
The Mission Creeps: Dark Cells (Refractory)
This always-intriguing local act is polishing its sound—a combination of surf, psychobilly, Goth and horror-movie soundtrack influences—to a hard-lacquered sheen. Still tough as nails, but not as raw, The Mission Creeps is a band hitting its stride. Leadoff track “Boneyard Scene” dips into R&B rave-up territory, with revving motorcycle-movie lead guitar licks and a delicious…
Neighborhood Heartbreak
There are no bullies at Richey Elementary School, according to 8-year-old Jordan Olvera, and that’s enough of a reason to keep his school open. “If we go somewhere else, there might be bullies,” Olvera told attendees of a Wednesday, May 12 meeting regarding the school’s possible closure. “I feel safe here. … If they are…
Inspired Asian
There are some truly great things going on over at OM Modern Asian Kitchen. This relatively new eatery comes with some serious cred; it’s owned and operated by the folks behind Seri Melaka and Neo of Melaka. This restaurant includes offerings from all over Asia—and there’s even a full sushi bar. The dinner menu is…
Live
Jessica Fichot, Gabriel Sullivan and Chris Black
Slick Politics
In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster that has many thousands of barrels of oil a day gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, the Center for Biological Diversity has filed suit against the federal government to force the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service to do more environmental reviews before granting future off-shore-drilling permits. “The…
Conservatives and Cash
There have always been crooks in politics, and there will always be corruption in high places. But that should not lead us to an apathetic acceptance of sleazy governance any more than the fact that there have always been mouse parts in canned food should lead us to smile indulgently at a mouthful of rodent…
Nine Questions
Jason Steed
Ink on the Runway
If the usual picture of a young entrepreneur is a studious nerd wearing glasses and toting spreadsheets on his memory stick, Felicia Patterson blows that stereotype out of the water. At 23, this dynamic young woman has formed a modeling agency dedicated to destroying stereotypes and presenting a new ideal of the All-American Girl. Tattered…
Noshing Around
Coming Soon: Tiki Tim’s Grill; New: CeeDee Jamaican Kitchen; Sleeping Frog Farms Expands; Technique Classes
City Week
Tucson Roller Derby Charity Event; ZUZI’s Crossing Boundaries; Bookmans Video Game Challenge for Adults; “Sounds of the Soles of the Southwest,” in celebration of National Tap Dance Day
Mailbag
The USS Arizona Should be Shown Proper Respect I have no problem with your paper or Rand Carlson, but the May 13 “Random Shots” has a picture of a boat that is sinking. I don’t wish to be hypercritical, but as a retired Navy chief who several times passed by in honor of the USS…
Feeling Robbed
Russell Crowe sports his Gladiator haircut once again for director Ridley Scott in Robin Hood, a disastrously boring and dour take on the infamous archer. This film has a lot in common with Scott’s equally dreadful Kingdom of Heaven, which was also expensive to make yet lacked a script that could keep viewers awake. Rather…
Shameless Self-Promotion
Tucson Weekly writers took home five awards in the Arizona Press Club’s 2009 awards, including top honors in one category, and second-place in three categories. The results were announced at a gathering of journalists on Saturday, May 15, at the Arizona State University Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in downtown Phoenix. All of…
Top Ten in Books
Antigone Books best-sellers for the week
Brothers’ Keepers
In the mid-1990s, the U.S. Border Patrol concluded that the best way to stem the incoming flow of migrant workers from Mexico was to intensify security around border towns, cities and highways—until then, the primary points of entry into the U.S.—and let the intervening desert take care of itself. After all, as the thinking went,…
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week
Fools, Fairies, Etc.
For the third time this century, César Rubio is playing Puck, the lovable Shakespeare sprite who flies across stage on a leafy swing and utters the immortal words: “What fools these mortals be.” Except in the ballet version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Puck doesn’t speak the words out loud. In the dance version, on…
No Mediocrity
At the end of this month, Jay C. Cotner has an appointment to audition for the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. But the 39-year-old actor—who wowed Tucson audiences in performances with theater organizations including Arizona Onstage Productions, Studio Connections and Etcetera—won’t make that appointment. Cotner died on Wednesday, May 12, after suffering from cardiac arrest…
Soundbites
Rialto replacement; classic-rock Sunday; two cd-releases, one night; so long, Mark!; On the bandwagon
Danehy
Have you ever been at a game with a buddy when, all of a sudden, he just goes nuts and starts screaming at a ballplayer or a referee or maybe even another fan? I’m not talking Julia Roberts doing the Arsenio Hall “whoop, whoop” at a polo match in Pretty Woman, but rather somebody you…
Bubby’s Chicago Style
Mike Joseph owns the new hot dog shop Bubby’s Chicago Style at 9190 N. Coachline Blvd. I typed the restaurant’s name into Google and found a cached flier with the following printed on it: Bubby’s Chicago Style is the realization of my lifelong dream of opening a hot dog joint. As a kid growing up…
Picture This: Arizona, The Times, They Are A-Changin’
ASHLEY JAMES Kyle Cummins, 20, spends time at Udall Park.
Immigration = Bad Politics For Democrats This Year?
William Galston warns Democrats to stay away from immigration this year in The New Republic: I believe in comprehensive immigration reform—so much so that I helped organize a bipartisan task force on the matter. (Here is the report.) I understand that most Americans have qualms about taking harshly punitive measures against illegal immigrants. And there…
