Cover Story
Noise Fight
When Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik was up for reelection he learned what others had learned before him—question anything related to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and you’re branded anti-military or anti-base. All Kozachik did was question the ability of the feds to deliver the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to the base and whether or not…
Dance for Thanks Benefit Aims to Keep the Folk Fest Free
Prepare your ponchos because it’s time to get folky. On Saturday, November 29, local folk musicians like The Wayback Machine, Clay Brown, and Stefan George will be hitting the Boondocks Lounge stage in support of the 2015 Tucson Folk Festival. Joining those performers are Shanti Foster, Gene Holmes, Les Merrihew, Gary Mackender, Mitzi Cowell, Bryan…
Team Barber Gets Its Day in Court: Will Disqualified Ballots Get Back Into the Mix?
Kevin Fink wants his vote counted. He dropped off his early ballot at a polling station on Election Day, just like plenty of other folks. But his ballot was disqualified because his modern-day signature didn’t match the one he put on a voter-registration card he filled out some dozen years ago. He remembers he got…
Don’t Be Bored on Thanksgiving Eve, Go to One of These Concerts Instead
As the Tucson ex-pats start flooding back into town for Thanksgiving, it might be easiest to just corral the old gang at one venue for one event and stick to it. Dancing and DJs, local favorites, and even a bit of burlesque are on the list—all you have to do is get everyone to agree…
The Loft Cinema Is Showing the UA/ASU Game Friday
If you don’t have tickets for Friday afternoon’s match-up between the Arizona Wildcats and the football team from Girls Gone Wild University and Casino, well, you’re going to need to find somewhere other than the stadium to watch, since the game has been sold out for awhile. However, the fine folks at the Loft Cinema…
Fired UA Marijuana Researcher on List for Colorado Funds
Yesterday, Colorado state’s Medical Marijuana Scientific Advisory Council recommended eight medical MJ research grants for funding, including $2 million for fired UA researcher Sue Sisley, doing groundbreaking research on use of MJ to treat veterans with post traumatic stress disorder. A final decision will be made next month. For a list of all recommended marijuana…
Tanias 33 Offers 12 Soups to Warm You Up
Not to get all Doris Day on you, but it’s cold outside, which means it’s time to get soup and a lot of it. At this point, if you don’t know of Tanias 33 in Barrio Hollywood (614 N. Grande Ave; Monday – Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.),…
Tonight: Rich Hopkins Returns to Tucson for Annual Casa Maria Benefit Show
For 12 years Rich Hopkins has shown a lot of love to Casa Maria Catholic Worker Community the South Tucson soup kitchen that in turn shows a lot of love to people less fortunate in our city and anyone fighting the good fight. Hopkins returns to Tucson tonight for the 12th Thanksgiving Casa Maria benefit…
Doug Ducey’s Education Transition Team
Image courtesy of shutterstock.com Let’s move the focus off of Ed Supe-elect Diane Douglas and check out what’s happening education-wise with our Governor-elect Doug Ducey. He’s chosen his three education advisers for the transition period: Lisa Graham Keegan, Matthew Ladner and Erik Twist. It’s not exactly Lincoln’s Team of Rivals. No one from a school…
Tucson Responds to Ferguson
“We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions.While we understand that many others share our pain, we ask that you channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change. We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen.…
Tucson Mountains Trail Hound: Brown Mountain/Cougar Trail
We’re back with another edition of Tucson Mountains Trail Hound, again singling out one of the lesser known or under utilized trails in the Tucson Mountains, west of the city. Hiking weather is officially, definitively here, so we can look forward to several months of pristine hiking weather. Today’s trail is the Brown Mountain/Cougar Trail…
Team Barber Goes To Federal Court To Push To Count More Ballots
Congressman Ron Barber’s legal team filed action in federal court this morning to force state officials to include ballots that were rejected in the Nov. 4 election. Barber trails Republican challenger Martha McSally by 161 votes. Press release from Team Barber: This morning attorneys for Ron Barber for Congress and Southern Arizonans whose votes have…
Mystikal’s Appearance on Saturday Night Live Was the Highlight of Your Weekend (Whether You Knew That or Not)
While I would have been better off not going to Wikipedia to see what it was New Orleans rapper Mystikal went to prison for, his No Limit-meets-James Brown appearance with Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson on Saturday Night Live was a spectacular bit of live music on TV. Then again, if you throw the horns…
Sneak Peek: “Zona Politics” Looks at Obama’s Executive Order on Immigration
Zona Politics Eps.6 from Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel on Vimeo. On this week’s Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel: Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Lea Marquez Peterson and Pima County Democratic Party chairman Don Jorgensen talk about President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration; the Latino voter turnout in the 2014 election;…
Party Poop: County Leadership Changing Next Year
The Democratic and Republican parties will both see changes at the top next year. Pima County Democratic Party Chair Don Jorgensen is stepping down after one two-year term heading up the party. As far as we know at this point, Cheryl Cage is the only candidate to replace Jorgensen. Meanwhile, Pima County Republican Party Chair…
Obama’s Immigration Action: Explanation & Reaction
President Barack Obama laid out his executive action on immigration yesterday. You can read his whole speech here or check out a breakdown of the elements prepared by the White House here. Talking Points Memo breaks down what it all means here.Here’s reaction from various Arizona elected officials: Southern Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva: Today marks…
Rampant Cheating On High Stakes Exams — In China
The story has a great punchline. After a metal detector was used to find and confiscate students’ cell phones and secret transmitters before the test that helps determine which university Chinese students attend, . . . an angry mob of more than 2,000 people had gathered to vent its rage, smashing cars and chanting: “We…
Watching Obama’s Speech At St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist Church
I watched Obama’s speech describing his executive order on immigration with a group of people who gathered at St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist Church where Francisco Perez Cordova has been in sanctuary for the past few months. Obama’s executive action means that Francisco will able to live in the U.S. without fear of…
Arizona Is The 5th Worst State To Be Poor, Tax-Wise
Image courtesy of shutterstock.com Everybody knows Arizona is a low tax state. Our legislature has been cutting rates for decades, and as a result, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, we’re number 35 in overall state taxes; only 15 states have rates lower than ours. Not so if you’re poor, however. If…
Grijalva Lands Post of Ranking Member on House Natural Resources Committee
Southern Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva has landed the spot of ranking member on the House Natural Resources Committee. The bulletin from Grijalva’s office: Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) was elected Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, which is charged with preserving America’s public lands, nation’s parks, fisheries, wildlife, as well as oversight over Native…
Artisan Market This Weekend at Tucson Museum of Art
“Travel Totem II,” by Rand Carlson, will be among the wares on sale at this weekend’s Holiday Artisans Market This weekend, The Tucson Museum of Art will be hosting its annual Holiday Artisans Market, featuring more than 100 local artists selling their wares in the museum’s courtyard. For hours and details, click here.The market will…
Watch Obama’s Immigration Announcement at Southside Presbyterian
Can’t imagine any other place I’d want to be tonight when President Obama is expected to announce his immigration reform executive action—Southside Presbyterian Church, 5:45 p.m., and listen to his speech with Rosa Robles Loreto, in sanctuary at the church now for more than 100 days. There will also be a similar gathering tonight at…
Doubt and Debates
Family vacations are designed to be a relaxing getaway, but the Griswolds proved time and again that it doesn’t always work out that way. Putting the family holiday on the ski slopes, “Force Majeure” is a crisply photographed week-long death spiral for the marriage of Tomas and Ebba. Because Tomas (Johannes Bah Kuhnke) has been…
Editor’s Note
It hasn’t been a great week for UA students. Sure, the sports teams in session went undefeated last weekend. The new look McKale is nice. Old Main’s renovated and fancy now. People are still learning things there. However, between members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity attacking members of Jewish fraternity Alpha Epsilon Pi, 11…
Cinema Showdown
YOU JUST FOUND THE MARBLE IN THE OATMEAL! Somehow, this year is the 25th anniversary of the cinematic release of “UHF,” Weird Al Yankovic’s attempt to expand his media empire. The film came out on Blu-ray this month, but even better,you can see the movie on the big screen this weekend at the Loft Friday and Saturday…
Police Dispatch
HE GOT SERVED (AND LIKED IT) WEST ORANGE GROVE ROAD OCT. 29, 7:19 P.M. Cheap Chinese food was a man’s cuisine of choice when he decided to steal something simply because he missed jail—suggesting a taste for both abominable living quarters and mediocre provisions—a Pima County Sheriff’s Department report stated. Sheriff’s deputies were called to…
Worth the Wait
If there is such a thing as Little Italy in Tucson the crossroads of Campbell Avenue and Sunrise Road has to be it. On three of the four corners sit four different Italian restaurants each with their own personality and style. On one corner there is North, a thoroughly modern venue with a noisy, hip…
Claim Jumper
Here’s the latest twist in the ongoing war between Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller and the other four members of the Board of Supervisors: One of Miller’s former employees said last week that Miller pressured him into filing a bullying complaint against fellow Supervisor Ray Carroll. Joe Cuffari, who was fired by Miller in August…
Noshing Around
OUT OF THE ASHES Guadalajara Original Grill, the one on 1220 E. Prince Road, will be re-opening on November 19th with a Grand Re-Opening on Friday, Nov. 21 following renovations to repair major fire damage. Emma Vera, owner and manager of Guadalajara Original Grill, gave thanks for the support during their time of closure and…
The Skinny
McSally claims victory; Team Barber says not so fast
This Week in Craft Beer
I fought to subdue a cringe as the customer waived off my attempt to pour his 22oz bottle of one of my favorite imperial stouts into a glass. “Do I have to use a glass?” he asked, waving his credit card. An imperial stout worthy of a slow and calculated pour into the finest glassware,…
Guest Commentary
From governor to school board member, many races were on the November 2014 ballot—including two seats on the five-member Arizona Corporation Commission. The Commission has a number of functions, but one of the most important is the regulation of utilities. In fact, there’s a rule change before the Commission now that could cost Arizonans $9…
He Found the Essence Rare
Fans of local music may know Gabe Sullivan as sideman or a producer. He’s played with Howe Gelb in Giant Giant Sand; he’s the co-frontman of Chicha Dust; he recently produced Billy Sedlmayr’s celebrated “Charmed Life.” But the 26-year old’s glacial and beautiful new album, “Jvpiter” could easily change all that, and put the focus…
Opinion
Well, the elections are over (except for the CD 2 recount) and my side lost in a big, ugly, painful way. I thought I’d give myself a couple weeks to absorb the results and try to find some perspective, but that didn’t help. I simply can’t imagine how it could have been any worse (except…
Drawing Outside the Lines
Purling Hiss frontman Mike Polizze is a doodler by nature. With a pen or a guitar, he just starts with something simple, a line or a riff, and let’s his art develop from there. “I always have stuff that’s floating around, but I don’t really know where things are going to go. I’ve tried to…
Media Watch
DEAR ARBITRON DIARY, THANK YOU FOR THE RADIO RATINGS EXPERIENCE In this column, on a number of occasions, I have made references to the absurdity of the outdated Arbitron radio ratings system in this and other medium to small markets. In markets lower than 52, Tucson is No. 62, the company responsible for tabulating information…
Soundbites
BURY MY ROBOT BONES IN THE UNCANNY VALLEY It’s been 620-ish days since the last Seashell Radio show, since multi-instrumentalist Fen Ikner left for New York City and cellist Esmé Schwall headed off for the Pacific Northwest, but hey, on Sunday, Nov. 23, the chamber pop band will be back at Flycatcher for a night with…
Music Rhythm & Views
The debut from this Austin quintet (formerly known as The Baker Family) is a mix between the heavier and the dreamier sides of alt-rock. Crisp production and fluid sequencing guide the album’s strong first impression, but the album’s broad stylistic range leaves Young Tongue with a somewhat vague identity. Opening track “Horse And Whales” splits…
Linguistic Gymnastics
Hebrew is flying fast and furiously as the lights come up on Invisible Theatre’s “Handle with Care,” a romantic comedy whose central figure, Ayelet, speaks very little English. It’s Christmas Eve and Ayelet is urgently pleading with an American delivery guy who seems to have screwed up something big time. Soon enough we learn that…
Nine Questions
Tucson native and tattoo artist Lisa Cardenas, selected by Tucson Weekly readers as Best of Tucson 2014 Best Tattoo Artist, learned to tattoo in 2008 at Red Sky Studio, where she worked three years before going out on her own to open her own studio, Haunted Hands. Her studio name is a name she’s used as…
Stripping Bare
The clothes do come off at the end of “The Full Monty,” a Broadway musical based on the 1997 movie. But the out-of-work working-class men are stripped bare long before the climactic one-night-only show. Nothing reveals a man’s insecurity and vulnerability quite like unemployment. Losing a job is enough to make anyone feel naked. A…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: Why do Mexicans and gabachos resemble each other so much? Both are very conservative about sex, marriage and family. Both are very Christian, either Catholic or Protestant. Both keep similar attitudes towards immigrants. Both are very patriotic or nationalistic. Both deal with the same social issues like high rates of sexual and domestic…
Mesquite & Pancake Time
The Watershed Management Group’s Edible Shade Mesquite Pancake Breakfast is Sunday, Nov. 23, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the organization’s Living Lab and Learning Center, 1137 N. Dodge Blvd., and this isn’t your average pancake feed. There’s music, an artisan market and educational presentations on sustainability practices. Plus, you can bring your TEP bill…
Mexican-American Identity: Cool Beans
The artwork of Ruben Urrea Moreno, Rocky Cyfi Martinez, and Adan Banuelos is the focus of Cool Beans, an show on Friday, Nov. 21 and Saturday, Nov. 22, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Art Gallery, 1122 N. Stone Ave. The show features a variety of media—painting, sculpture, prints and drawings—that explore the tensions…
Remembering: International & Transgender Day of Remembrance
An outdoor vigil, as part of Transgender Awareness Week from ASUA Pride Alliance on the UA campus, takes place Thursday, Nov. 30, 6 p.m. at Old Main Fountain for International Transgender Day of Remembrance. This is a time to honor and mourn transgender people who have died the past year, and raise awareness of hate…
Thanksgiving in the Barrio
For 16 years, Luz Social Services has organized a Thanksgiving feast with additional community resources, and this year it takes place Tuesday, Nov. 25, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at El Pueblo Center, 101 W. Irvington Road. Each year the event hosts close to 2,000 people. Besides the meal, there will be a community…
In Support of Ayotzinapa
On Sept. 26, 43 students from the teacher’s college in Ayotzinapa went missing in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico. The group traveled there to protest what they saw as discriminatory hiring practices by the Mexican government. On the way to the protest, the students were reportedly detained by police and then handed over to a local crime…
