Cover Story
Batter Up
Sandwiched between a Chase Bank and a recently renovated restaurant space (that within days will become The Abbey), you’ll find a dream come true. For just more than a year, Patrick Davis has been mixing, whisking and baking in the kitchen of his quaint Sunrise Drive shop, Passion for the Love of Pastry. However, it…
Note to Jan Brewer: Drop the Foreclosure Metaphor in Future Speeches
While it doesn’t appear there’s anywhere online where one can hear Gov. Brewer’s acceptance speech in its entirety [update: Phoenix’s ABC 15 posted the raw video], the Phoenix New Times’ Paul Rubin has an interesting take on the seemingly extended-pauseless affair: “Tonight the calvary has come riding over the hill,” she started, which sounded more…
UPDATED: Election 2010: What’s Left To Count? An Estimated 38K Ballots in Pima County
With just a few thousand votes separating winners from losers in Southern Arizona’s congressional races, many folks are wondering how many ballots are left to count. Well, Pima County officials are still trying to get a handle on that number. Chris Roads of the Pima County Recorder’s Office tells The Range that an estimated 25,000…
It’s Not Looking Good for Fiorito’s
After calling for months, peeking inside the windows, corresponding with numerous Tucson Weekly readers and making every conceivable attempt to reach the owners, we’re here to report that Fiorito’s, which has served up great Italian food at 2702 E. Grant Road for more than 25 years, is experiencing major problems or closed. The restaurant hasn’t…
Democrat Party at the Marriott Shuts Down
If Gabrielle Giffords is going to give a victory speech, it won’t be tonight at the Marriott. The lights have been dimmed and we’ve been kicked out.
Paton Sticks It to the Unions
Aleksa Brown Former state senator and one-time Republican candidate for U.S. Congress Jonathan Paton took to the stage at the Republican fiesta and took a moment to talk about those nasty unions, the U.S. Constitution and sticking it to … you know, the unions. Paton is particularly happy with the way the vote is going…
Steve K on 400
Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik stopped by the Republican fiesta and took a moment with The Range to comment on Prop 400. Kozachik, the lone Republican on the City Council (not counting Mayor Bob Walkup), says the no vote “says, ‘We don’t trust you with our money.'” “We just had the Rio Nuevo audit. The…
Andrei Cherny: ‘Tonight We Came Up Short’
E-mailed message from Andrei Cherny regarding his campaign for State Treasurer: A year and a half ago, I began an incredible journey when I announced my candidacy for State Treasurer on the Capitol lawn. I was determined to stand up for all the people who had played by the rules but were getting the short…
Picture This: Starting Young
FRANKIE BRUN Looking toward the future. FRANKIE BRUN Democrats young and old packed into the Marriott ballroom. FRANKIE BRUN Young Democrats show their support at the Democratic Party headquarters.
‘Will They Listen?’
Joshua Morgan Shaun McClusky, chair of no on Prop 400 campaign, took some time to help emcee the Republican fiesta here at the Doubletree to talk about the tax proposition. “I think the voters have spoken,” he told The Range. The vote against Prop 400, “says the voters don’t trust the city manager, and they…
Giffords-Kelly Race Tightens: Giffords Up By Fewer Than 3K Votes
Tighter and tighter…
Picture This: Political Journalist on the Prowl
FRANKIE BRUN Tucson Weekly staff writer Jim Nintzel on the prowl at the Pima County Democratic Party Headquarters.
Picture This: Shattered Glassman (not really)
FRANKIE BRUN Rodney Glassman, flanked by supporters, addresses a galvanized Democratic crowd at the Marriott University Park Hotel. FRANKIE BRUN Glassman and spouse talk to the press. FRANKIE BRUN Glassman supporters did not backdown despite the near-landslide loss to Sen. John McCain. FRANKIE BRUN Glassman supporters strongly support their man.
LD29: Patterson Rocking the Vote, Kilburn Confused
It would be a huge surprise if a Republican nuzzled his way into a Legislative District 29 House seat, but Pat Kilburn thought he had a chance against Rep. Daniel Patterson. “All the things that guy has done, I tell you it’s kind of frustrating to me,” he says. “How Patterson is winning, it just…
Giffords: “Our Campaign Stood Up for the People”
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords praised her Cactus Roots supporters when she spoke to the crowd tonight. “There is a huge difference between a crowd and a community,” Giffords said as she thanked her supporters. “While other politicians bring a crowd along with them, we have built a community.” She added that Democrats had lost many seats…
Kelly’s Quickie
Joshua Morgan Jesse Kelly made a brief appearance here at the GOP party, just as he pulled to within a point of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. He spoke, without a microphone, to the thinned-out crowd, saying the precincts that haven’t been counted are all Republican strongholds. He then took a few minutes to talk with the…
Glassman Still Not Willing to Say “Sweet Home Arizona” Was a Bad Idea
On the infamous “Sweet Home Arizona” video: “We needed to cut through all the mudslinging with something that would promote our message.”
LD26: Proud Wins Early Vote and Melvin Pulls Ahead
Aleksa Brown Republican newcomer Terri Proud took the lead ahead of Reps. Nancy Young Wright and Vic Williams in the Legislative District 26 House race, but she’s not letting her slim margins go to her head. “I don’t anticipate making a victory speech until at least tomorrow,” she says. Williams is pulling last but took…
Antenori Concedes For Kelly
Joshua Morgan “I don’t think Jesse is going to pull it off,” state Sen. Frank Antenori told a group of constituents at the GOP party. Kelly is currently leading Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Cochise and Pinal counties, but is losing bad in Pima and was down about 10,000 early votes. No sign of Kelly here…
Giffords Speaks at the Marriott, Glassman Concedes (We Think)
Gabrielle Giffords and Rodney Glassman have taken the stage at the Marriott tonight: Giffords to remark on the tone of the campaign and to thank her staffers, and Glassman to mention his conversation with McCain and talk about what’s next for him (diapers and reserve duty). The feel of this night was evident in the…
Election Results: U.S. Senate, Congress, Statewide Races
Note: Early ballots are included here, too, so the results are more comprehensive than the precinct reporting figures may indicate. Congressional District 7 (103/261 precincts)GRIJALVA, RAUL M. (DEM) 48.0 (48,089)MCCLUNG, RUTH (REP) 46.4 (46,417)KEANE, GEORGE (LBT) 2.6 MEYER, HARLEY (I-N) 2.9 Congressional District 8 (109/352 precincts)GIFFORDS, GABRIELLE (DEM) 50.2 (89,623) KELLY, JESSE (REP) 45.9 (81,800)STOLTZ,…
McClung Pulling Out Her Hair
Aleksa Brown Rookie Congressional candidate Ruth McClung tried to ease the crowd over here at Republican HQ, saying: “We really are neck-and-neck, so I’ll admit I’m very nervous. We’re all here biting our nails together, or pulling our hair out.” She is currently about 700 votes behind Congressman Raul Grijalva, or less than 1 percent…
Election Results: Southern Arizona Legislative Races
Note: Early ballots are included here, too, so the results are more comprehensive than the precinct reporting figures may indicate. State Senator: LD 25 (61/109 precincts)ALVAREZ, MANNY (DEM) 46.2GRIFFIN, GAIL (REP) 53.6 State Representative: LD 25 (61/109 precincts)FLEMING, PATRICIA V. (DEM) 24.0ORTEGA, RUBEN (DEM) 22.8 JUDD, PEGGY (REP) 27.0STEVENS, DAVID (REP) 26.2 State Senator: LD…
Election Results: Ballot Propositions
Note: Early ballots are included here, too, so the results are more comprehensive than the precinct reporting figures may indicate. Percentage of precincts reporting (statewide): 573 of 2239 complete; 1261 of 2239 partial Proposition 106 (Health Care)Yes: 55.5No: 44.6 Proposition 107 (Affirmative Action)Yes: 60No: 40.1 Proposition 109 (Hunting Laws)Yes: 43.8No: 56.2 Proposition 110 (State Trust…
Council Richard Fimbres on City Sales Tax: “We Gave It a Shot”
Tucson City Councilman Richard Fimbres says he was disappointed to see Prop 400 going down to defeat. “We gave it a shot,” said Fimbres, who must now join with his council colleagues to bridge a $50 million deficit. “We’re going to have to make some tough decisions.”
Picture This: Human Project-ing at the Democratic Party
FRANKIE BRUN Performers of the Human Project entertain the Democrats on Election Night.
Picture This: Gabby Greeting
FRANKIE BRUN Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., greets supporters at the Democratic Party Headquarters at the Marriott University Park Hotel.
A Little From Ruth McClung
Josh Morgan When early results showed Ruth McClung had a strong lead against U.S. Congressman Raul Grijalva, and we asked her how she felt. “I am excited for America! We are diverse, and I believe that makes us strong. We need to unite together and work as Americans. This is our country and together we…
Picture This: Gabby Joins the Human Project
FRANKIE BRUN Rep. Gabby Giffords joins the crowd after introducing the Human Project.
Gabby Hits the Stage
FRANKIE BRUN Rep. Gabby Giffords hits the stage at the Pima County Democratic Party Headquarters to an energized crowd. A little uneventful, but Giffords just walked in at the Marriott, surprising nearly everyone here as she went straight to the stage to introduce The Human Project, a crew of breakdancers performing to a song by…
Picture This: ‘Hit Me With the Digits…’
FRANKIE BRUN Jeff Rogers, the Pima County Democratic Party chairman, reads off Pima County results to an anxious crowd.
Grijalva: I Am Essentially Battling McCain
The Weekly’s Emily Bowen just asked Raul Grijalva—currently neck and neck with opponent Ruth McClung—how he feels. “I feel good,” he said. “We worked hard. We are basically running against John McCain, his infrastructure. If we win, it’s a humiliation of him.”
Props 400/401 Headed to Defeat
Pima County has yet to release any Election Day numbers, but the early ballots show Prop 400, the proposed sales tax, being rejected by 61 percent of the voters. Meanwhile, Prop 401, a collection of city charter changes (including a raise for Tucson City Council members), is also being rejected by 55 percent of the…
A Surge of Possibly Misguided Optimism at the Marriott
At the Marriott, Jeff Rogers, chairman of the Pima County Democratic Party, announced numbers from early Pima County returns which showed the Democrats in contention for nearly every statewide office. While that data resulted in a number of cheers across the audience here, Pima County voters might not be the best arbiter of how things…
CD8: Giffords Takes Lead Over Kelly; Grijalva Neck and Neck
Pima County’s early-ballot numbers have been added to the Secretary of State’s totals. That has Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords with 51 percent of the vote over Republican Jesse Kelly’s 45 percent. In raw numbers, Giffords has a lead of roughly 9,000 votes. Congressman Raul Grijalva, meanwhile, is in a neck and neck race with challenger Ruth…
Picture This: Reporting on Deadline
FRANKIE BRUN School of Journalism students gather, champing at the bit for their class deadlines on Election night.
‘Rent Needed’
Josh Morgan As we were looking around for somewhere to station our computers to blog live at the Republican election night party at the DoubleTree, we came across a man stationed in the back corner of the grand ballroom, we hoped maybe we could sit down at the table behind him. He was sitting in…
Picture This: Having Their Cakes: Will They Be Eating It Too?
FRANKIE BRUN Staffers bring in cakes at the Democratic party HQ. FRANKIE BRUN More cakes for the Democratic party
Picture This: Half Court Press
FRANKIE BRUN Members of Tucson’s broadcast news teams are geared for the start of the Democratic Party.
The Announcements and the Numbers Start Rolling in at the Marriott
One screen at the Marriott has been switched over to the Secretary of State’s website, which currently shows Ruth McClung way ahead of Raul Grijalva. The buzz in the room here turned ugly relatively quickly, but an announcement went over the PA to try to calm the crowd, assuring everyone that the numbers on the…
Antenori Feeling Safe
State Sen. Frank Antenori is feeling fine as the first bit of results start rolling in. He spent the day handing out LD 30 Republican ticket cards at the polls, and out of 300 cards handed out, he only had one thrown back at him, he says. “There might have been some closet Democrats voting,”…
Men Dig Jan Brewer
… and so do women (though not nearly as much), according to this CNN exit poll.
Why Won’t People Just Do What’s Good for Them?
Interesting topic of conversation at the Marriott: two women discussing Thomas Frank’s 2004 book What’s the Matter with Kansas?, an examination of why people tend to vote seemingly contrary to their best interests. The book was en vogue during the Bush administration and the last run of Republican control of Congress, but may see a…
Picture This: Anticipation …
FRANKIE BRUN Pima County Democrats gather around projectors at the Marriott to keep up with national results.
Kelly Reads the Tea Leaves
Jesse Kelly is reading the tea leaves and making predictions. He wont guess how long it will take to count the votes — “talk to Pima County on that one, boss” — but he is setting hard numbers to his win tonight.”I wouldn’t predict any hard numbers,” he said. “I predict we’re going to win…
File Under ‘Duh’: Voters Who Like SB 1070 Like Brewer
The Associated Press is reporting that according to Arizona exit polls and other polls, fans of SB 1070 are also fans of Jan Brewer. Meanwhile, Terry Goddard does well with Latinos and people who dislike 1070: Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer scored well Tuesday among voters who support the state’s controversial new immigration law and feel…
Picture This: Tedski With the Dems-ki
FRANKIE BRUN Blogger Ted ‘Tedski’ Prezelski chats up the crowd as Pima County Democrats begin to fill the Marriott ballroom.
Where or Where …
Kelly’s in the house, Antenori just showed up, and Steve K is fielding some hugs, but so far no McClusky. Are you ready to take bets on when the Secretary of State is going to start posting results? Or how about when Pima County will finally put something up, too? I have $5 down at…
Source: CNN Exit Polls Show Reid With Narrow Edge on Angle
My friend Steve Sebelius, the editor of Las Vegas CityLife, brings us this tidbit: CNN exit polls have Reid up 2 percent in Nevada Senate race, Sig Rogich tells #8NewsNow. Sid Rogich is a longtime Nevada Republican operative who is supporting Reid, btw.
The Republican Fiesta Has Started
Josh Morgan Jon Justice If there is any differentiation between the Tucson Tea Party and the Pima County Republic Party fiestas here at the Doubletree Hotel on Alvernon tonight, perhaps it is the crowd. From 4 to 7 p.m. the Tea Party partied at the Grand Ballroom; now the Republican fiesta has started. In between…
Kelly Takes the Mic
Aleksa Brown Congressional candidate Jesse Kelly took his first stand on the stage at the Republican party minutes ago. Though he acknowledged it would be a late night of counting votes, the political newbie offered the crowd a little comfort in his record.”I know a lot of you are nervous, you don’t know what’s going…
Picture This: Send in the Clowns …
From the Marriott University Park Hotel, the Pima County Democratic Party Election night headquarters. Photographer: Frankie Brun FRANKIE BRUN The Pima County Democrats slowly file into the Marriott University Park Hotel for what may be a bad night for national Democrats.
Big Shock (Not): McCain Projected to Beat Glassman
CNN, NBC and pretty much every other media outlet is projecting that John McCain will be re-elected to his U.S. Senate seat.
Welcome to the Land of Measured Expectations
So far, not much happening down at the Democratic Party party, where the press seemingly outnumbers the number of actual attendees. No one seems that unhappy yet even as the giant TV screens displayed the Senate race called for McCain by MSNBC. Lots of signs and senior citizens wearing many buttons chowing down on the…
Angle-Reid Results May Be Delayed
The Nevada election results—and thus the results in the Harry Reid-Sharron Angle race—may be delayed, so says a statement on the Nevada secretary of state’s website: There may be a delay in reporting early returns in all statewide Nevada races due to a power outage at a Clark County polling location. All voters in line…
Nate Silver: An Anticlimactic Election So Far
On a national level, it’s been an anticlimactic election day so far, uber-analyist Nate Silver of The New York Times says: Although relatively few toss-up races have been called in the House, Republicans hold leads in most of them, and our model now expects them to somewhat overperform its expectations going into the evening. It’s…
What to Expect Coverage-Wise on Election Night
The polls close at 7 p.m. here in Arizona, and the first batch of election results is expected in sometime after 8 p.m. And that first batch of results will be a biggie, containing the results of early voting—so we’ll know a lot with that first batch. We’ll be updating the results here on The…
Your Nearly Comprehensive Southern Arizona 2010 Election Guide + Highlights From the Campaign Trail
If you’re just tuning in to Election 2010, we’ve got all the highlights you’ll need to understand how to vote. We’ll be moving this post to the top of the blog on a regular basis to as our service to the magnificence of democracy. If you want to just cut to the chase and see…
Calder Quartet with Pianist Gloria Cheng, Tomorrow Night (Wednesday 11/3)
The Calder Quartet, with pianist Gloria Cheng, will perform on Wednesday, Nov. 3, at 8 p.m. in the Leo Rich Theater at the Tucson Convention Center. General admission tickets are $25, and student tickets are $10. To purchase tickets, contact Arizona Friends of Chamber Music at (520) 577-3769, or visit their ticket page.
Mama Said: ‘Politics and Religion Don’t Mix’
Perhaps during the election season, the old saying, “Its best not to talk politics and religion,” went out the door along with civility. A recent letter to the editor in the Arizona Jewish Post, a locally produced Jewish-community newspaper, got to the heart of that age-old wisdom when it questioned why Republican Bruce Ash posted…
Fun With Fan Mail
On Mon, Nov 1, 2010 at 3:05 PM, Skip Dotson wrote: I am surprised that someone could obtain a job such as you have with the obviously low intelligence you demonstrate in every piece of literary trash that you publish. You are never objective. You can only spout hate and promote corruption in government. You…
Jimmy McMillan, We’ll Miss You (A Little)
In case you hadn’t noticed, today is Election Day. That means decisions will be made across the country that will change the course of our collective history. Also, the novelty candidates that briefly entertained us will likely fade back to wherever they came from. And no novelty candidate was quite as novel as Jimmy McMillan…
When Your Status Goes From “In a Relationship” to “Single”
As they say, breaking up is hard to do, but in the digital age, it’s hard and complicated. Do you tell your former flame that it’s over in person, or text them, or change your Facebook status and let them get the hint? Who knows, but at least someone’s doing the research to find out…
Something to Do Tonight Other Than Watching Election Stuff on TV
Since you’ll clearly be getting all the election news you’ll need by following coverage here on The Range, why bother staying home tonight? Club Congress has an election party tonight if you’ll looking for somewhere to celebrate your joy or drown away your pain, but the real highlight is that you can see Marnie Stern…
CD8: Nate Says Odds Are in Giffords’ Favor
Sure, Nate Silver is off on the East Coast somewhere, crunching numbers for every congressional race, so there’s plenty of reason to think that he could be way off on this one. But he keeps boosting Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ odds of victory tomorrow, although he sees a tight race. Here on the ground, it sure…
A Little Fun with Halloween and Math
Biola University professor Matt Weathers brings a brand new bowlful of tricky treats to his annual Halloween-themed “Nature of Math” class.
If You Can’t Figure Out Where to Vote on Tuesday …
Google makes it simple with their Maps-based page. The Arizona Secretary of State’s website also has the same information, but it seems a little cooler coming from Google, right?
World Record Matzo Ball Attempt This Weekend!
Chef Jon Wirtis of Shlomo and Vito’s New York Delicatessen will attempt to set the record for the world’s largest matzo ball at the Jewish Food Festival this weekend. The previous record was set last year by Noah’s Ark Deli in New York City with a 267-pound matzo ball. Wirtis will attempt to shatter that…
The Morning After: of Montreal
Last night, indie rockers of Montreal put on a theatrical, high-energy performance at Rialto Theatre, complete with raunchy dancing pigs, machine-gun-armed fish and giant skeletons dancing on stage. Keeping the Halloween spirit alive, the Georgia-natives even closed out the show by covering “Thriller.” Check out more pictures after the jump!
If the Election Doesn’t Go Her Way, Giffords Has a Backup Career
Gabrielle Giffords worked a brief shift—heavy on the hand-shaking—yesterday at the Trident Grill, as reported by KMSB Fox 11 (home of the Entertainment Searchlight, featuring someone from the Weekly and the always charming Lou Raguse). The first pour they show looks like a good one, but the one near the end of the clip seems…
That Guy From ‘The Hangover’ Sees Dragons on HBO
I’m not sure if having a bearded comedian light up on premium cable is going to sway any voters in California (or by proximity, Arizona), but I’m going to guess that Zach Galifianakis would encourage a “Yes” vote on Proposition 203 tomorrow. The Tucson Weekly agrees in our current issue: Prop 203 would legalize medical…
Arizona Democratic Party Reaches Into the Pocket of Bad Ideas
While possibly effective, there’s a danger to promoting a candidate from a different party, but that’s not stopping the Arizona Democratic Party. From the Espresso Pundit: Wow, talk about a desperate move by those whose ideas have been rejected by the populace. The Arizona Democratic Party is sending out mail advocating for the Libertarian Candidate…
Like Oregon Trail, but With More Brain Eating
I can’t believe I’m writing this, but I might be reaching my breaking point on enjoying zombies, although the quality of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” on Sunday night will make a big difference whether I write off the undead for a few years. However, I will always welcome Oregon Trail parodies, so the zombie theme…
Downing Goes From Protesting the Post Office to Battling City Attorney
Independent candidate Ted Downing, who is angling for a Senate seat in midtown Tucson’s Legislative District 28, is mad because Democrat Paula Aboud used a picture of a city fire truck in her campaign materials. He demanded the city do something about and city officials asked Aboud to remove the image, which she did. But…
(Halloween) Weekends Were Made for Fun
Halloween falling on a Sunday has a weird effect on the weekend ahead of it…when are adults supposed to go out and wear our Jersey Shore costumes? Friday and have barely any time to get dressed? Saturday? Sunday and then suffer at work the next day? Decisions, decisions. If you are going out tonight, Club…
Rio Nuevo Audit Due
We hear release of the long-awaited Rio Nuevo audit from the Arizona Auditor General is due out today.
AZ Secretary of State: “No Evidence” To Back Up Jesse Kelly’s Story
The Arizona Republic notes that Republican Jesse Kelly, who is seeking to unseat Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, is making up stories about Mexicans being bused into Arizona to vote: In an interview Wednesday on The Mark Levin Show, Kelly told the conservative talk show host, “There’s actually rumors people have video of them busing people across…
Writer’s Block: William Ascarza
Local author William Ascarza’s new book, Tucson Mountains, has been published by Arcadia Publishing, and is part of the Images of America series ($21.99, 127 pages). Summary (from publisher): The Tucson Mountains are located several miles west of downtown Tucson. For thousands of years, this mountain range has been inhabited, explored, and traveled by Native…
Old Pueblo Children’s Academy Helps Prevent Waste
Kids and faculty over at Old Pueblo Children’s Academy have taken to recycling all of their used-up Capri Sun pouches through a company called TerraCycle. As of Oct. 21, the students have helped to keep 8,221 pouches out of landfills, and raised $164 for their school. Nationwide, 50 million drink pouches have been recycled so…
Porn Pirates Beware!
Law and Disorder brings us a legal tidbit we missed earlier this month: The film and music businesses couldn’t stop file-sharing, but the porn industry has a plan to drive piracy into the shadows in 15 months or less. Can DogFart, Lords of Porn, and Naughty Bank succeed where others have failed? They certainly hope…
What Kind of Ride Is McCain Giving McClung?
It’s pretty clear that Sen. John McCain is giving a big assist to Republican Ruth McClung, the political newbie whose unlikely campaign against Democratic Congressman Raul Grijalva has made her a contender. But is the piggyback ride crossing the line set by McCain’s own legendary campaign-finance reform laws? Huffpo investigates here: John McCain’s Senate campaign…
Finally, Confusing Art Films and Retro Gaming Collide
Personally, if I had my choice of video games based on Paul Thomas Anderson movies, I might choose Magnolia (Dodge the falling frogs! Try to get the money for your corrective oral surgery!), but this would do, I suppose. Super There Will Be Blood from Tomfoolery Pictures on Vimeo.
This Won’t Help NPR Make Friends With Conservatives
From a story on NPR’s “Morning Edition” today: NPR spent the past several months analyzing hundreds of pages of campaign finance reports, lobbying documents and corporate records. What they show is a quiet, behind-the-scenes effort to help draft and pass Arizona Senate Bill 1070 by an industry that stands to benefit from it: the private…
Maybe We Shouldn’t Worry So Much On Halloween
Is poisoned candy something to be worried about on Sunday? The author of Free-Range Kids contributed an opinion piece to the Wall Street Journal which decidedly says no. I grew up with a slightly paranoid mother (thanks for keeping me alive, Mom!) who demanded that the candy be inspected before I ate enough to make…
New Opportunities
John Gardner stood motionless in the dance studio. He was watching, intently, as a dozen dancers leaped across the Ballet Tucson studio to the strains of one of Handel’s “Concerti Grossi.” Moving through a complicated pattern of intersecting circles, the dancers were trying their best not to crash into each other. They didn’t always succeed.…
Guest Commentary
Recently, I returned from a second visit to my dentist, who works “en el otro lado”—the other side. I live in Arizona, so that means across the border, in Mexico. Emilia Saenz is a fine dentist, but her assistant, José, a gracious young man, is even finer, as far as I’m concerned. That’s because he’s…
Education Issues
Voters will be selecting two Amphitheater School District governing board members next Tuesday among three choices: Jeff Grant, Susan Zibrat and Scott Leska. Grant, 64, is currently president of the board of the north/northwest-side school district and works as a human-resources director. His four children attended Amphi schools, and he was first elected to the…
Dreams vs. Entrenchment
August Wilson is the undisputed master of interpreting for the stage the African-American experience of the 20th century, and Arizona Theatre Company’s current offering, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, powerfully bears this out. Ma Rainey is part of the August Wilson Century Cycle—10 plays, each based in a different decade last century. Ma Rainey is set…
A Community Ignored
When vehicles from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Border Patrol parked in front of Summit View Elementary School at the end of the school day on May 10, it sent waves of fear and panic through the nearby, mostly Spanish-speaking wildcat neighborhood off of Old Nogales Highway. Neighborhood activists say this is to…
Part of the Herd
Go to the far northwest side of town, and take a scenic drive through Saguaro National Monument West. Head down a couple of bumpy dirt roads, and there, you’ll find that Shelby Brawley is busy feeding all kinds of creatures—both of the four- and two-legged variety. At her Marana farm, HoofsnHorns, Shelby and her mother,…
Now Showing at Home
Romeo + Juliet (Blu-ray); The Exorcist: Extended Director’s Cut and Original Theatrical Version (Blu-ray); Apocalypse Now: Three-Disc Full Disclosure Edition (Blu-ray); Paths of Glory (Blu-ray)
Police Dispatch
Possible side effects include insanity; It’s just ketchup
Italian Style
Welcome dear readers, to our third installment of remembering our favorite, but now closed, Tucson restaurants. This time, we’re doing Italian. So many places have closed over the years, and information about them has faded into the sunset. But the children of two places that helped define modern Italian dining in Tucson carry on their…
Solo No More
From the first jangle and piano runs of its opening track, “I Feel Ya’ Strutter,” False Priest suggests a new of Montreal. Since 1997, Kevin Barnes has been of Montreal, as a revolving cast came and went. Although False Priest began as another solo endeavor, its overhauls by sui generis producer Jon Brion and additional…
Weekly Wide Web
I’m a Poindexter!; The week on The Range; Comment of the week; Best of WWW; and more!
Soundbites
No tricks, but lots of treats; Guitarist extraordinaire; Electro-funk-punk revived; Are you ready to tango?; From hamlet’s home to tucson; Short takes;
Fresh Is Difficult
Hundreds of nearly identical little tomatoes sit in tight rows at the grocery store. While they look flawless, they taste … well, they don’t have much flavor at all. Just as the porn industry has cheapened sex, and blogs have cheapened journalism, factory farms have cheapened dining out. This lack of flavor—coupled with the chemicals,…
Top Ten in Music
17th Street Guitar and World Music Store’s top sales for the week ending Oct. 22, 2010
The Place Has Something
At first glance, CafePassé looks like most coffee shops on Fourth Avenue. It is small and artsy, and serves espresso, drip coffee and a smattering of breakfast and lunch items. Red tables dot the sidewalk in front of the small doorway where a large hanging metal sign reads, “Sabine’s Cafe Passé Tucson.” Inside, wooden tables…
Biggest Little Festival
Mike Headrick, of the Desert Bluegrass Association (DBA)—the sponsor of this weekend’s 11th annual Desert Bluegrass Festival—will be the first to tell you that he covets the huge crowds and attendant publicity that come with Tucson’s big annual blues and folk festivals. “Of course, at times, I’m envious of the support and publicity these (other…
Ballot-Box Basics
It’s been an election season to remember. Who’s likely to forget, for example, Gov. Jan Brewer’s weird meltdown during the one and only gubernatorial debate against Democrat Terry Goddard? (We’re sure Brewer would like us to forget, of course, but we’ll always have YouTube to remind us.) Not that Brewer’s odd stumble—or the way she…
Deposited by Angels
Tucson’s exquisite San Xavier is such an unexpected apparition in the Arizona outback that Bernard “Bunny” Fontana likes to imagine it was brought here by heavenly messengers. “There is no tradition—yet—of Mission San Xavier del Bac’s having been deposited in the desert by angels, carried from some unknown place,” he writes in the opening pages…
Nine Questions
Michelle Hotchkiss
Get Your Clay On
This weekend, the Tucson Clay Co-op will host its second Clay Festival and Clay Olympics. “It is a kickoff for our capital campaign. We are looking for more storage space for our members and room for new wheels,” said Tucson Clay Co-op member Cynthia Jones. This year’s event is dedicated to the memory of Maurice…
Different Acting Languages
The words “based on a true story”—or the classed-up “inspired by a true story”—are now imprinted on the opening credits of quite a few films. The number of movies that are spawned from actual events is spreading like a virus, if Wikipedia can be believed: The total more than doubled from the 1990s to the…
Live
Thrones, Christian Mistress: Solar Culture, Monday, Oct. 25
City Week
A Sense of Wonder: A Celebration of Children and Nature; Seventh Annual Alley Cat Bicycle Scavenger Hunt; QTango Orchestra in concert; The Color Purple
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video top rentals for the week ending Oct. 24, 2010
Breathe Owl Breathe: Magic Central (Hometapes)
Straight outta rural Michigan comes this chamber-folk trio, equipped with a fifth album of whimsical tunes, refreshing melodies and gentle rhythms. Considerable cheers are owed to Micah Middaugh (guitar, banjo, vocals), Andrea Moreno-Beals (cello, piano, harp, vocals) and Trevor Hobbs (drums) for pulling it all off with nary a hint of irony or cynicism. Breathe…
T Q&A
Jennifer Lohse
Top Ten in Books
Mostly Books’ best-sellers for the week ending Oct. 22, 2010
BK Special: Hope Springs (Self-Released)
Nostalgia generally refers to a yearning for past circumstances and a longing for home. Such emotions are at the center of the second CD by this local acoustic-music trio. Bobby Kimmel, Stefan George and Lavinia White use tasteful restraint with a bittersweet sensibility. The 14 tracks seem at first unassuming, but slowly reveal a rich…
He Sees Dead People
The title of Clint Eastwood’s latest directorial effort suggests that the film might explore some of the questions we constantly ask ourselves about the great beyond. Instead, Hereafter is pretty much a movie about how hard it is to get laid when you are a psychic. Eastwood and writer Peter Morgan take three characters (an…
The Corin Tucker Band: 1,000 Years (Kill Rock Stars)
The title of Corin Tucker’s post-Sleater-Kinney solo album reminds me of the title of an old Magnetic Fields song, “100,000 Fireflies,” and upon reflection, the vague similarity provides a useful metaphor: 1,000 Years, like a firefly, flickers. At times, 1,000 Years is more polished and refined than any Sleater-Kinney effort (save The Woods, one of…
Your Election Headquarters
The Tucson Weekly has long been known for our honest, incisive election coverage that is never, ever boring. Well, over the next week, as Election Day approaches, we’ll be going into election-coverage overdrive to bring you all of the latest news on The Range, our daily dispatch, at daily.tucsonweekly.com. On Election Night, we’ll have the…
The Skinny
Why Jesse Kelly is full of crap—plus, the real architect of the Kelly tax plan is revealed!
Danehy
Now that Rip Van Obama has awakened from his 20-something-month slumber and is back on the trail reminding us why we voted for him, things might be looking up slightly for next Election Day—but it will still probably be a bleak night. Here are 10 things that I really don’t want to happen, in order…
Hit Pieces
Hit pieces are filling your mailbox and draining candidates’ bank accounts. They’re nasty, dirty—and effective. In the Legislative District 26 Senate race, state Sen. Al Melvin has been playing catch-up, trailing money machine Cheryl Cage as she surpassed $100,000 in her second campaign against him to represent the Oro Valley-area district. But in October, Melvin…
Serraglio
As you may have noticed, Tuesday is Election Day. Like most elections, this one has been laden with sound and fury, but embarrassingly short on sense. In many ways, however, it has been the most dysfunctional, dissociative and downright disturbing of any in modern times. Parsing the current public discourse is not unlike listening to…
¡Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I was a history major at the University of Arizona in Tucson, which I believe was part of the Gadsden Purchase, the last piece of old Mexico the United States “acquired.” That got me thinking: What was the citizenship status of all Mexicans/gringos who lived in parts of Mexico “acquired” by the United…
Looks at Love and Sex
Two plays, two theater companies, two looks at love and sex. Tucson theatergoers right now have a choice between a frivolous French farce about adultery, and a black comedy about the erotic undertones of the Dracula story. Don’t Dress for Dinner at Live Theatre Workshop is the French piece, and hands-down, it is more fun…
Mailbag
Taxes Are Bad, Damn It!; Legalize Pot, and Tax Another Vice!; Card-Check Elections Would Lessen Worker Intimidation; Grijalva = Fighter for Green Jobs; Grijalva = The Second Coming, Basically; Correction
Media Watch
Wick shuts down Tucson press operation; KOLD adds morning host, reporter; parts ways with sales manager; Buckmaster hopes to remain attached to roundtable; Tucson West launches UA sports publication
Tucson Innovative Home Tour and Tucson Solar Tour
On Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 30 and 31, “practical sustainability” will be the focus of the Tucson Innovative Home Tour and Solar Tour. Check out the press releases below for detailed information: This exterior view shows the masonry and insulated concrete form (ICF) construction of the home’s outer walls. The low-maintenance, low-water-use xeriscape landscaping is…
Halloween Safety Tips
Maracay Homes is offering Halloween safety kits through Sunday. Stop by one of their locations (Entrada Bonita Enclave at Rancho Sahuarita, 647-2153, or Entrada Bonita Village at Rancho Sahuarita, 396-4192) and pick up a cool kit which includes Halloween Hot Dots (stickable reflectors that react to headlights), a coloring poster with crayons, a list of…
Return of the Planet of the Crepes
First of all, Planet of the Crepes is the best name for a food truck, ever. Second of all, owner Jessica Kraus has 15 years of experience in the pastry-making business and is the former head of the pastry programs at Hacienda del Sol, Harvest Restaurant and both Zona 78 locations. Need more reasons to…
Former Tucsonan Gets A Big New Gig
In “Let’s Here It for the Local Guy” news, Mike Pedicone, former drummer for the Bled (who played a nearly infinite number of shows in town in the early part of the 2000s before moving to LA) has been hired as the new drummer for My Chemical Romance ahead of the release of their new…
Now I Know Why People Want to Run for the Arizona Legislature
The Arizona Republic ran a AZ Fact Check story today (although I’m not entirely sure what AZ Fact Check is, outside of being a section of the Republic that does what newspapers should probably be doing anyway) on whether Gov. Brewer once hit someone on Interstate 17 while drunk on scotch. While I suppose that’s…
Where You Should Eat Tomorrow: 17th Street Grill
Catfish po’ boys, pulled-pork sandwiches, burgers, fish tacos and bánh mi sandwiches are what you’ll find at the new 17th Street Grill at the 17th Street Market. It’s not open today, but the new mobile kitchen (which also does catering) will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. Here’s the menu.
