Cover Story
Native Flavor
Before writing about the heritage and traditional foods of Southern Arizona, I decided to first try my hand at making some of these foods—to savor the flavors and experience the smells firsthand. I already have some knowledge from my experiences as a foodie, food writer and chef in Tucson restaurants, where I was fortunate to…
Yesterday’s Message, In Five Words
Voters are mad as hell.
GOP: Willing to Ask for Recount
The Republicans closed Chuy’s down at 11 p.m., but before the tables were cleared, and the GOP packed away their PA system, Pima County Republican Party Chairman Bob Westerman told the remaining group of more than 50 people that if the difference between Democrat Nina Trasoff and challenger Steve Kozachik remained tight, he was prepared…
Election Results (as of midnight)—Kozachik Pulls Ahead
Steve Kozachik has pulled ahead—and Uhlich’s lead is down to 573. With 37772 early ballots counted, and 88 of 89 precincts in, the election results show: Ward 6 Nina Trasoff: 48.9 percentSteve Kozachik: 50.8 percent (up by 1,200) Ward 3 Karin Uhlich: 47.3 percent (leads by 573 votes)Ben Buehler-Garcia: 46.4 percentMary DeCamp: 6. percent Ward…
Trasoff-Kozachik Tightens!
With more precincts reporting—and we’re assuming they’re eastside precincts—the race has tightened between Councilwoman Nina Trasoff and Republican challenger Steve Kozachik. With 82 percent of precincts reporting, Trasoff now leads Kozachik by a mere 610 votes. We suspect this will take a few days to sort out. (Photo by Aleksa Brown)
Democrats Speak!
We’ve managed to catch up with the three Democrats on the ballot tonight. Nina Trasoff, who has the closest race against Republican Steve Kozachik, just told us: “I hope to return to office,” Trasoff said. “I’m proud of the work I’ve done and hope to continue it. It’s up to the people.” Karin Uhlich was…
GOP Party House 2009
I think Frank Antenori just turned into the Howard Dean of the local Republican Party. Antenori remarked to a still-upbeat crowd that even though Pima County had only 12 precincts counted (at the time), everyone needed to stay put and think positive. Antenori has now gone from angry politician to aggressively happy politician. It happened…
Happy Republicans
Remember the somber funerary atmosphere of the GOP party at Manning House last year? Well, it seems the local Republicans have had a year to heal, or maybe all that tea-bagging has renewed their Lincoln spirit. This year, the Pima County Republican Party is having a grand ol’ time at Chuy’s on Tanque Verde. According…
Democrats Surging Back
A set of cheers erupted just now at Hotel Congress as Democrats got a look at the first results from today’s poll voting. Councilwoman Nina Trasoff pulled ahead of Republican Steve Kozachik by more than 1,200 votes or 51.4 percent to his 48.3 percent. Councilwoman Karin Uhlich widened her lead over Republican Ben Buehler-Garcia by…
Democrats Worried About Their Candidates; Happy To See Prop 200 Headed For Defeat
Jeff Rogers (right) reacts to the first round of election results. Democrats were cheering the big defeat of Prop 200, but that was one of the few brights spots as the first election results were released moments ago at Hotel Congress. The first results, of early ballots, showed Councilwoman Nina Trasoff trailing Republican challenger Steve…
Buzzing Activity at the Polls
Let me preface this by saying it’s all anecdotal and the real data will come when they count the votes tonight. And tomorrow, and the day after, as early ballots come in late. Earlier today, I mentioned that one of our eastside spies had seen a lot of people hitting the polls and expressing an…
Get Yer Election Results!
We’re hearing stories of big turnout and hostility toward incumbents at on Tucson’s east side. That’s not good news for the Democrats. We’ll be posting election results and analysis here on the TW blog this evening. I’ll be at the Democratic Party’s party at Hotel Congress downtown, while Mari Herreras will be at the Republican…
Odds on the Odd, Updated: Slight Changes in the Spread and Nintz’s Picks
In light of the flood of early ballots, we’re updating the line on some of the over/unders in the TW Spread. Some folks have asked if these are our predictions. No, these are spreads for the purpose of wagering. My picks follow after the jump. TRASOFF: 3 percentage points over KozachikUHLICH: 5 percentage points over…
On the Eve of Election ’09…
Armed with sophisticated technology, both Democrats and Republicans are chasing the 30,000 or so early ballots that are still in the hands of city voters, as well as additional high-propensity voters who traditionally vote at the polls on Election Day. We have it on good authority that Democrat Party Chair Jeff Rogers himself was down…
Early Ballots: Early Report
More than 6,000 ballots from city voters came through Pima County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez’s office today, bringing the total from the six wards to 38,828. Roughly 30,000 early ballots are still out there; our insiders within county estimate that half of them will turn up at polling places tomorrow. The big number: Democrats have…
R.I.P. E.V.T.: Another Newspaper Folds
It seems like we’re playing a game of Survivor: Arizona Newspaper edition. Today the East Valley Tribune, which won the Pulitzer Prize for local reporting earlier this year, announced it will be closing its doors by the end of the year. From the Tribune’s Web site: The Tribune Newspapers will cease operations on Dec. 31,…
Early Ballots Turning Up!
County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez, who has been absolutely terrific about getting us number regarding early ballots, says that today’s report will be a little later than previous ones because the Recorder’s Office got 27 mail trays of early ballots today. That explains why only half the voters had sent in ballots as of Friday.…
Steve Kozachik, Black Swan?
Is Republican Steve Kozachik Tucson’s black swan? A black swan, for those of you who haven’t heard of the theory, is a transformational event that could not be foreseen and dramatically changes the playing field. (The term comes from a book from Nassim Nicholas Taleb.) You can argue about how much a Kozachik victory would…
Republican Ben Buehler-Garcia Stands By Prop 200
Republican Ben Buehler-Garcia is not among the conservatives out there who are opposing Prop 200, no matter what KGUN-9 is reporting. The Pima County Democratic Party sent out a bulletin following a KGUN-9 report last night that Buehler-Garcia did not have a position on Prop 200. But Bueher-Garcia says the KGUN reporter misunderstood what he…
Political Parties: Where To Howl on Election Night
If you want to watch the election returns with the political parties, we’ve got the scoop: The Democrats will be at downtown’s Hotel Congress from 7 to 10 p.m. Party chair Jeff Rogers is promising some good chow for a change. Meanwhile, Republicans will gather at Jonathan’s Tucson Cork, 6320 N. Tanque Verde Road, from…
Odds on the Odd: Place Yer Bets on Tuesday’s Election
OK, Tedski, Az Blue Meanie, Tucson Vice, Red Star, Thumper, Nate1980 and all you other political junkies out there: Here’s the TW Spread on next week’s election. Feel free to place your bets in the comments section. Side wagers welcomed. TRASOFF: 3 percentage points over KozachikUHLICH: 5 percentage points over Buehler-GarciaFimbres: 10 percentage points over…
Friday Roundtable: Election Predictions, Brewer’s Poll Numbers & Yet Another Discussion of State Budget Problems
The Roundtable gang makes election predictions and more, after the jump. My predictions: Democrats squeak by in City Council races; the Public Safety First Initiative loses and takes down the TUSD override with it.
City Manager Mike Letcher on the Friday Roundtable
City Manager Mike Letcher stops by the Friday Roundtable to talk about the cost of Prop 200, the Museum of Contemporary Art’s move into the downtown firehouse and the hotel deal. Watch it after the jump.
Half of Early Voters Still Have Not Returned Ballots
The return rate of early ballots has yet to crest the 50 percent mark as of today, which means that more than half the ballots mailed out have yet to be cast. We’ll stand by our earlier prediction that we’ll see the lowest rate of return yet with early ballots. We’ll also stand by the…
The Hog Pit Smokehouse Bar and Grill
I challenge anyone to enter the new Hog Pit Smokehouse Bar and Grill in the old Taco Bron location at 6910 E. Tanque Verde Road without embarking on an eating binge that will leave you sauce-smothered and craving more of what comes out of the magical smoker. I’m just going to come clean here with…
Prop 200 Supporters: Don’t Worry About the Money!
The Prop 200 campaign sent out a bulletin yesterday assuring everyone that there would be plenty of money to pay for the Public Safety First Initiative, which is estimated to cost $150 million or so over the next five years and more than $60 million a year after that. Realtor Bill Arnold cited a report…
Valley Of The Moon Show Kicks Butt (With Kindness)
I guarantee that if you don’t get to the Valley of the Moon Halloween show, with or without a child by your side, you will wake up Sunday feeling like a soulless schlub … really, you will wake up feeling sad, and the sight of the soon=to-be-rotting pumpkin on your porch will only make you…
Supernanny Comes to Arizona
Hey, moms and dads! Having a challenging time with your kids? You can audition for the fifth season of ABC’s Supernanny with Jo Frost. The casting folks are scouting in Arizona to find families in need of Jo’s wisdom. Here’s part of the press release: The casting team of ABC’s popular parenting series Supernanny is…
Online and Upcoming
Stuff worth noting this week: • I am sure you’ll just love our Yum! dining guide this week, and after that, we have a ton of other special issues coming up. Mark your calendars: Our Gift Guide hits the streets on Nov. 19, with its companion piece, our last-minute GASP! gift guide, coming out on…
Police Dispatch
UNPROVOKED MOONING WEST SCHAFER DRIVE OCT. 4, 4:10 P.M. A mentally handicapped man revealed his most intimate areas to strangers after getting angry for an unknown reason, according to a Pima County Sheriff’s Department report. The reportee told deputies that he had been in his neighborhood with his son and his son’s friends when a…
Culinary Tourism
Call it locavore culinary tourism at its finest. The Salsa Trail is a route that meanders through parts of Cochise, Greenlee and (primarily) Graham counties. Along that route, food-lovers will find friendly folks, a beautiful countryside, a wealth of Arizona history and Mexican food that rivals any found in the Old Pueblo. The route is…
Mailbag
Prop 401, 402 Supporter Is Disappointed in the ‘Weekly’ Many thanks to the Tucson Weekly for endorsing Propositions 401 and 402 to help improve funding for schools in the Tucson Unified School District (Oct. 8). I know the Weekly also understands the important role of our local print media in accurately describing the complexities of…
Marquee Event
What would the world be like without Quentin Tarantino? Movies today might be a lot less bloody, but it would be a pretty dull existence had Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs never blown us away with their gritty, low-budget appeal. Independent films are often revered, but they don’t enjoy lavish movie premieres and big Hollywood…
Live
Lagoon, Umbrella Bird, Rescue Lights
The Slits: Trapped Animal (Narnack)
Thirty years after they turned punk and dub reggae on their ears, The Slits are back with Trapped Animal, sounding as uncompromising and relevant as ever. Essentially the first all-girl British punk group to make a mark, The Slits blew a hole in the boys’ club of British punk and held their own with touring…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: For most of my life, I was oblivious to the hate that Mexicans have for Salvadorans. I became aware of it when I made the huge mistake of marrying a Salvi. Once I became engaged to my Salvi girlfriend, or whenever I would tell any Mexican that I married a Salvi, I was…
Nurses: Apple’s Acre (Dead Oceans)
On paper, the Nurses’ formula sounds a shade of awful: hootenanny percussion, two guys singing in layered high-pitched caterwauls, and plinking pianos topped with synthesizers. But what music ever sounds good on paper? In actuality, Apple’s Acre is instantly invigorating, caterwauling and all. Aaron Chapman and John Bowers have created an alternate universe (or acre,…
Tourist Tripped
Government-sponsored art is a thorny issue to many artists. On the one hand, state-funded institutions and grants offer financial incentives and exhibition opportunities to advance one’s career. On the other, a gallery in almost any city or county building is typically a dead zone, with only a trickle of visitors bothering to even glance at…
Spiral Stairs: The Real Feel (Matador)
Pavement’s Scott Kannberg has finally released his first official “solo” album under his infamously random stage name, Spiral Stairs. Kannberg spent most of the ’00s in Preston School of Industry, releasing two glittering albums of anthemic California pop tinged with Americana. Between these albums and Stephen Malkmus’ work with the Jicks, Pavement fans could tide…
Top Ten in Books
Mostly Books best-sellers for the week
Nine Questions
Mike Gray
Media Watch
‘Star’ employee buyout in the works; KIIM wins summer ratings battle
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week
T Q&A
Bill Ford
Top Ten in Music
Zia Records top sales for the week
Home Innovative Home
The fanciest thing about Mark Bergman’s home is the backdrop: Practically on his doorstep, the Santa Catalina Mountains soar magnificently toward the sky, their peaks shimmering in a midmorning haze. Few of man’s creations can compete with that. But what the Bergman home has achieved is a simple elegance that belies one of the region’s…
Lots of Gesture
Ten days before Halloween, the dancers of Ballet Tucson were trying on their masks. Elaborately painted and jeweled, the papier-mâché masks were for the new ballet “Masquerade.” Mask-maker June Mullin made the eyeholes unusually large, the better for dancers to see where to glide into their glissades. But no one knew how well they would…
City Week
Pets in Dress Halloween Dog Day and Mini-Adopt-a-Thon 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 31 Cat Mountain Station 2740 S. Kinney Road 578-8795; www.catmountainstation.com Dogs like Halloween, too. OK, they may not care much for the constant doorbell-ringing and all of the crazy-looking children coming into their yard all night—but even though they might not…
Mixed Signal
One downtown neighborhood’s traffic solution could exacerbate another’s traffic problem—but a change of direction remains possible. Because of the planned widening of 22nd Street and the construction of a grade-separated interchange at Kino Parkway, business owners in the Millville neighborhood—located north of 22nd Street and east of Park Avenue—hope for continued street access, especially for…
Accessible Songs
Call Stephen Paulus’ house in Minnesota to arrange an interview, and he’s more than agreeable. “Any time works for me,” he says. “I’ll be here, just writing music.” That kind of dedication has resulted in more than 350 Paulus works for orchestra, chorus, chamber ensembles, solo voice, keyboard and opera. Within the next few days,…
Soundbites
A RATHER FUN NIGHTMARE When I was young, we children ruled Halloween. We’d dress up as Gene Simmons, get as much candy as we could lug around from neighbors we didn’t otherwise engage with, and feast on our bounty for what seemed like months. However, I don’t remember my parents ever coming home sloshed dressed…
Battle Breakthrough
For five years, Mike Carson and other members of the Empire-Fagan Coalition have been telling anyone who’ll listen that there’s something remarkable about the ocotillo-covered hills of Davidson Canyon, southeast of Tucson, and that the area deserves protection from mining leases approved by the Arizona State Land Department. Someone is finally paying attention. Two government…
Dead on Arrival
George Is Dead is in critical condition. Arizona Theatre Company has followed its beautifully crafted Kite Runner with Elaine May’s roughly stitched-together comedy. On opening night, the patient—er, play—demonstrated a fine sense of humor but, unfortunately, a compromised state of health. In theory, George Is Dead has everything working for it. May, the acclaimed Oscar-nominated…
Hard-Core Troubadour
Old-school country-folk beatnik-cowboy singer/songwriter Tom Russell holds a certain measure of respect for the Southwest indie-rock scene, especially younger artists who recently have emerged from Tucson’s Wavelab Studio with killer tunes and classic albums—artists like Calexico, Neko Case, DeVotchKa and Los Lonely Boys. Why else would Russell hole up in producer Craig Schumacher’s sonic lair…
The Skinny
EARLY NOTICE Election Day hasn’t yet arrived, but nearly 24,000 Tucsonans had already cast their ballots as of Monday, Oct. 26. Early ballots promise to be a huge factor in this year’s city election. In previous city elections, voters had to ask for a mail-in ballot; in this election, more than 62,000 early ballots went…
Now Showing at Home
Labyrinth (Blu-Ray); Audition: Collector’s Edition (Blu-Ray); Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection Remastered; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live
Frozen Favorites
Hey, frozen-yogurt fans: Imagine what frozen-yogurt heaven would look like. It’s a place where that first chilly spoonful makes you shut your eyes and sigh. Perhaps you serve yourself and get to choose from a variety of low-calorie flavors. However, there’s no judging in yogurt heaven: If you want a mix of chocolate and mango…
Danehy
I did the Bisbee 1000 Steps thing a couple of weeks ago. (See “Stairway to Heavin’,” Oct. 15.) I can’t really say that I ran it; that would be misleading, or, more correctly, hilarious. Neither can I say that I competed in it. “Competed” connotes that others were aware of my presence and had to…
Cuddle Porn
Watching Bright Star was like having dinner while sitting across from a couple who are completely in love. “Wow, you guys sure like to touch noses. Umm … waiter? Can I get some more bread? Waiter? Hello?” But Bright Star doesn’t start out that way, and is actually pretty decent for the first 45 minutes…
Campaign Briefs
The city of Tucson campaign season is entering the final stretch. Next Tuesday, Nov. 3, voters will decide the future of the Tucson City Council and the fate of the Public Safety First Initiative, aka Proposition 200. Meanwhile, voters in the Tucson Unified School District will have to decide whether to give TUSD more money…
Serraglio
You’ve probably never heard of Dwight Metzger or the Gloo Factory, but if you’ve been in Tucson for longer than a few hours, you almost certainly know of their work. You may have seen one of Dwight’s stickers on the back of a car, his posters in a shop window, his fliers tacked to a…
Maze Malaise
Do you like scary stories? Well, there’s nothing for you in the actual plot of the Saw sequels. But it seems like the Saw movies will never end, that they will return every year like an evil plague—a scaly, slimy demon determined to steal your money. I know this very notion gives me serious nightmares.…
Growing With Love
Anorthwest-side farm is making a big name for itself—in only its first year of business. Sleeping Frog Farms snuck up on Tucson, quietly breaking ground last fall in an old horse pasture at 1801 W. Overton Road. Since then, the organic outfit’s vegetables have sold out at farmers’ markets and the Food Conspiracy Co-op, when…
Guest Opinion
Dr. Ben Chavis, a Native American from North Carolina who earned both a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate in education from the University of Arizona, took over a failing charter school in Oakland, Calif. He instituted high academic standards and was a tough disciplinarian who passed out detentions freely. Dr. Chavis’ American Indian Public Charter…
Pause, Stop, Relax
Marie Antoinette and her French posse were known to take breaks from oppressing peasants for afternoon tea. The leisurely ritual fell somewhere in between lunch and dinner, and was accompanied by tiny sandwiches and frivolity. Antoinette and most of the aristocracy wound up getting their heads chopped off, but Tamara Read, owner and founder of…
Daily Show Skewers McCain’s “Internet Freedom Act”
Jon Stewart goes after Sen. John McCain’s legislation to allow Internet providers to block whatever they want—and KOLD’s Mindy Blake makes her Daily Show debut! The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c <td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;' colspan='2'From Here to Neutrality www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care…
Update: Latest Early Ballot Numbers
Early voting in the city election continues to climb. Here’s the latest, with numbers as of today: A total of 68,201 ballots had been mailed to city voters. Of those, 28,921 ballots had been returned, which comes out to roughly 42 percent. Party breakdown: • 32,365 of those ballots went to Democrats; 14,115 of those…
Trouble For the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter?
NASA/JPL/University of Arizona Otto Ross at the morning daily reports that the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has the UA’s HiRISE camera aboard, is having some computer problems: The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter carrying UA’s HiRISE camera is entering its ninth week in a precautionary safe-mode, facing its greatest challenge since it launched in 2005. Engineers are…
A Green Perspective: Candidate Mary DeCamp’s Platform
Green Party candidate Mary DeCamp, who is seeking a City Council seat in Ward 3, has sent us her campaign platform. Check it out: Global situation: Peak oil & Global warming. Petroleum reserves are shrinking & are harder to access while the planet is heating up and climate patterns are changing. Local response: Retrofit Tucson’s…
