Cover Story
A Streetcar Named Development
All Aboard! When Mayor Bob Walkup proudly announced in February that Tucson had received sufficient federal funds to likely ensure the implementation of a modern streetcar line, he bubbled, “Everything now changes.” Similar enthusiasm was expressed in 2006 by the now-defunct Tucson Citizen. Before the successful Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) election, the newspaper proclaimed: “Supporters…
Artistic Range: Portraits: Louis Carlos Bernal, Ann Simmons-Myers, Hirotsune Tashima
“Self Portrait,” by Louis Carlos Bernal, is on display in Portraits: Louis Carlos Bernal, Ann Simmons-Myers, Hirotsune Tashima, continuing through Oct. 22 at Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery, Pima Community College West Campus, 2202 W. Anklam Road.
Have You Seen This Art Box?
Our circulation manager, Laura Horvath, informed me today that on this holiest of holy days—the day that our Best of Tucson(R) starts appearing on Tucson’s streets—we discovered that one of our Tucson Weekly art boxes has been stolen. David Horowitz’s “Scuba,” which had been placed outside of the Trader Joe’s at Swan and Grant Roads,…
Florida Ruling a Double Rainbow
If anything can ease yesterday’s defeat of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” perhaps it’s today’s win for gay adoption in Florida. Read more here on the ruling that the sunshine state’s law against adoptions by gay people is unconstitutional. Yes, let’s hear that collective “Duh.” “Finally, a piece of 30-year-old prejudice has been struck from the…
Artistic Range: Expressionist Paintings by Albert Kogel, Judith Burns McCrea and Robert Royhl
“Along the Banks of the Kamogama,” by Robert Royhl, is on display in Expressionist Paintings by Albert Kogel, Judith Burns McCrea and Robert Royhl, continuing through Oct. 23 at Davis Dominguez Gallery, 154 E. Sixth St.
Picture This: Target Practice in the Desert
Project photographed and produced by Casey G. Sapio/Arizona Sonora News Service Die-hard shooters are provided with a great venue at unofficial shooting ranges at Reddington Pass in Tucson. This multimedia project was created by UA School of Journalism senior Casey G. Sapio.
Goddard Campaign: New Poll Shows We’re Gaining Ground
Yesterday, Jim Nintzel noted that the political world was buzzing about a poll showing that Terry Goddard had pulled within single-digits of Gov, Jan Brewer. Well, the Goddard campaign just came forward with the details. Note that the poll referenced was not done statewide; it was simply done in Congressional District 5, a Republican-leaning swing…
Something Sweet’s Sugar OD Challenge Completed!
After 70-odd failed attempts, Something Sweet’s Sugar OD Challenge has finally been completed—by a 5-foot-3, 120-pound competitive eater who calls herself Cardboard Shell (aka Michelle Lesco), no less. To get an idea of the scope of this accomplishment, the Sugar OD is made of four brownies, four pieces of cheesecake, four scoops of ice cream…
Prop 111: Are Independents Prohibited From Seeking the Gov’s Office?
Rob Robb fires back at the chairmen of Prop 111, which would replace the Arizona secretary of state with a lieutenant governor: According to the co-chairmen of the Proposition 111 campaign committee, Tom Simplot and Jonathan Paton, “there is nothing in the proposition that would preclude the election of an independent candidate for governor and…
Arizona Illustrated: Political Face-Off
Republican National Committeeman Bruce Ash had a hard time getting a word in edgewise against Democrat Paul Eckerstrom on last night’s Political Face Off on Arizona Illustrated. But when he did talk, Ash got at least one fact wrong when he said that Giffords had voted in favor of the auto bailout. She actually voted…
CD7: Boycotting Raul
The blogosphere has lit up this week with rumors of polling that showed Congressman Raul Grijalva was in a dead heat with little known Republican candidate Ruth McClung. We haven’t seen any polls, but even Democrats are telling us that Grijalva has a much bigger fight on his hand than he anticipated going into the…
CD8: Nate Silver Upgrades Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ Odds of Victory
Stats wizard Nate Silver upgrades Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ odds against Republican Jesse Kelly: She now has a 57 percent chance of winning in November, up from 51 percent last week. Read his analysis here.
Kyl: “Bothered By Anything That Makes It Less Likely That We Can Elect a Republican”
The Hill reports that U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl appears unhappy that a Tea Party candidate won an election in Delaware and unhappy that U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski would continue to challenge a Tea Party candidate in Alaska: Murkowski’s decision to mount a write-in campaign risks splitting the Republican vote between two candidates and could cost…
Camper Leaving Chamber of Commerce
Less than two weeks ago, I asked Jack Camper, the boisterous executive director the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, when he was planning on retiring. As you can see in the above clip, Camper said he’d let us know when he was ready. Well, that didn’t take long. Today, Camper announced he would be stepping…
No Christmas at Winterhaven?
The fate of the Winterhaven Festival of Lights is the topic at a special meeting tonight at the St. Frances Cabrini Roman Catholic Church, 3201 E. Presidio Road, from 6 to 7 p.m. Residents will vote on whether or not to continue the two-week holiday light decoration tradition that goes back to 1949. The neighborhood…
CD8: Giffords Rolls Out New Ad Hammering Kelly on Support for National Sales Tax
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords starts out Monday with another new ad hammering Republican challenger Jesse Kelly. This time, Team Giffords is focusing on Kelly’s statement that he’d support a new national sales tax over the current income-tax system. As we’ve noted before, Kelly has said he’d support the so-called Fair Tax, but he’d rather do a…
Fighting Words in the Antenori-Camenisch Race
Democrat Todd Camenisch complained last week that state Sen. Frank Antenori was avoiding debates with him after the League of Women Voters canceled a Sierra Vista event when the group didn’t hear back from the Republican lawmaker. “I’m quite surprised,” Camenisch says, “but I guess Frank realizes that a Marine can kick an Army guy’s…
New Gov Poll Today?
We hear there’s a new poll on the race between Gov. Jan Brewer and challenger Terry Goddard coming out today that will show Goddard within single digits. Stay tuned.
Opening Tonight (Friday, Sept. 17): Tiki Tim’s Grill
That little chrome trailer to the left is Tiki Tim’s Grill. Tiki Tim’s Grill opens tonight at the Hut … but a bunch of Hawkeye fans have rented the place out! It looks like they’ll be the first to get a taste of owner Timothy Stevens’ island-inspired burgers and hotdogs. We’ve heard that more than…
Prop 111 Backers: We’ll Fix the Problems Through Legislation
Former state lawmaker Jonathan Paton and Phoenix City Council member Tom Simplot push back against Rob Robb’s concerns about Prop 111: If proposition 111 is approved by the citizens of Arizona, the state constitution would be amended to change the position of secretary of state to lieutenant governor. The name change would be authorized at…
Jasper Food and Mixology
The bar pictured here is where some seriously interesting cocktailing has been going on lately. Everything from bacon-infused whiskies to strawberry mojitos are being poured, and we’re just scratching the surface. While we’re on the subject of the recently renovated and renamed Jasper Food and Mixology (formerly Cafe Jasper at 6370 N. Campbell Ave., Suite…
Free Big Brother and the Holding Company Concert in Less Than Two Hours!
Big Brother and the Holding Company is playing a free concert at 3 p.m., today (Friday, Sept. 17) at the 17th Street Market. More information here. Joplin’s old back-up band still puts on one hell of a show, or at least they did when I saw them play a few years back. They played a…
Cocktail Class With Tony Abou-Ganim Announced
Tony Abou-Ganim Tony Abou-Ganim is a cocktail badass. He is the national ambassador of the U.S. Bartenders Guild and an associate member of the Museum of the American Cocktail. Widely regarded as one of the best mixologists alive, he even beat Mario Batali in an Iron Chef cocktail competition a few years back. Hotel Congress…
Like Food and Wine? Consider This Sunday …
The Dish (3131 E. First St.) is holding its second “A Few of Our Favorite Things” wine dinner this Sunday, Sept. 19, at 6 p.m. If you like food and wine (and who doesn’t?), then I strongly recommend this event. I attended the first “Favorite Things” dinner, and it was amazing. I still have dreams…
No More Independent Candidates for Governor?
Arizona Republic columnist Rob Robb notes something very disturbing about Prop 111, which would create a new office of lieutenant governor: Under Proposition 111, the office of secretary of state is abolished. Its duties are transferred to a lieutenant governor. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run separately in the primaries. But the successful nominees…
Artistic Range: Ojos Bien Abiertos / Eyes Wide Open at Etherton Gallery
“Fuera de Moda,” by Rodrigo Moya, is on display in Ojos Bien Abiertos/Eyes Wide Open, continuing through Nov. 6 at Etherton Gallery, 135 S. Sixth Ave.
New Community Donation Center
Big Brothers Big Sisters is opening up a new community donation center at 4650 N. Flowing Wells Road. The center will mainly collect clothing, shoes, towels, bedding and household items. They will take any household item that one person can carry, such as blenders, toasters, glassware, etc. The grand opening weekend will be held on…
Muscle Milk “Social Studies” College Music Tour
On Friday, Sept. 17, there will be a free performance for UA students from Kelley James and Shwayze, who are on their Muscle Milk “Social Studies” College Music Tour. The performances will be held on the university campus. Kelley James will play from 7:20 to 8:05 p.m., and Shwayze from 8:25 to 9:25 p.m.
TAMMIES Slideshow!
Check out this slideshow of last week’s TAMMIES 2010 concert, shot by Danni Valdez. Click here for the winners list and here for videos of some of the performances.
Hey, GOP: Is This a Setup?
The last time we wrote about the lack of Republican candidates at an election forum, it was at an event organized by the Southern Arizona Black Chamber of Commerce. Democrats showed, but no Republicans. Ken Moyes, a campaign volunteer for Frank Antenori, David Gowan and Ted Vogt, claimed the whole thing was “designed to be…
Out of India
I’ll always favor an ambitious effort that falls short over a bland success. Therefore, I applaud the Rogue Theatre for its production of Nāga Mandala—but I found myself largely immune to the show’s sinuous charms. As is typical at the Rogue Theatre, there is plenty to enjoy in the way of fine acting, expert music,…
Noshing Around
Arizona Restaurant Week; Make That an Extra Large; Get Your Greek On; Openings
Stripped Away
Atrio of naked boys stands in line in a schoolroom. They crisscross their hands in front of their genitals, and the lead boy bows his head in shame. A severe woman in a tight bun sits at a desk and glares at them. The windows in the room are big enough to let in light,…
Loving the Rough Edges
When Black Rebel Motorcycle Club pulls out the stops, few acts around today can match its combination of garage-rock jangle, raw blues bark, psychedelic rush and roar, Gothic drama, feedback-induced transcendence and rock ‘n’ roll poetry inspired by everything from Romanticism to the beat generation. Drummer Leah Shapiro, while modest and reluctant to toot her…
Wrangling to Mastery
There are writers, and then there are writers who make money by writing. Transforming the former into the latter is one of the main goals of the Society of Southwestern Authors (SSA). And it’s arguably the main goal of the group’s Wrangling With Writing conference, a yearly event held by the organization to allow local…
Party Crasher
When Republican Greg Krino, a former Air Force fighter pilot and first-time political candidate, withdrew his House of Representatives bid in Legislative District 28 and entered the Senate race as a write-in candidate, political junkies lifted an eyebrow. Republican candidates don’t normally have much of a chance in the midtown Tucson district—which is home to…
In a Snit
After reading this week’s Currents section, I am in a snit. Why, you ask? Well … • Jim Nintzel’s piece about Prop 400 (To the Core), which will ask city voters to raise the sales tax another half-cent per dollar, is just downright depressing. Our choices: Pay a 9.6 percent sales tax—up from 8.6 percent…
Soundbites
KXCI meets big brother; Fresh gin; Time for jazz; The riveting rosie; Tejano over two nights; Flamenco returns!; On the bandwagon
Forbidden Fiction
Fifty years after the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel remains one of the most controversial books taught in American public schools—and with parents able to dam digital information streams with passwords and software, paper and ink may today be more of a threat to overly concerned parents than the Internet.…
Top Ten in Books
Mostly Books best-sellers for the week ending Sept. 10, 2010
Top Ten in Music
The 17th Street Guitar and World Music Store top sales for the week ending Sept. 10, 2010
City Week
Gin Blossoms; Ecstatic Dance Tucson; Aaron Boyd and Kimberly Toscano in concert; “Douglas Trumbull: A History of Special Events in Film”
Danehy
Dear nationally known sportswriter(s)/commentator(s): You know who you are: You’re cool; you’re hip; you know the latest handshakes. (Before we even get started, I’m obviously not talking about the Arizona Daily Star’s Greg Hansen, who is very, very good at what he does, but, to the best of my knowledge, is neither hip nor cool.…
Nine Questions
Degas Lopez
Downing
I like a world in which the passing of the season … is a matter of some importance; and I have often wondered why newspapers did not contain wires from Italy reporting flights of storks … —American poet Wallace Stevens, in a letter Everyone’s monsoon is different. This year’s was pretty good regionally, but here…
Media Watch
Jim Parisi moves forward with Internet TV/radio show
Inferior Déjà Vu
Life During Wartime is more of the same from director Todd Solondz, who emerged in the mid-1990s with the shocking Welcome to the Dollhouse. Dollhouse is Solondz’ most notable and most streamlined film, but it might also be his least personal. Since Dollhouse, the New Jersey-born writer and director has focused on experimental ensemble dramas…
Live
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
Mailbag
Electronic Books Have an Environmental Impact, Too; The Rosemont Mine Would Destroy a Scenic Route; And Now, for Your Entertainment, a Bizarre Rant; A Comment From a Reader at TucsonWeekly.com
Prison Problems
A 5,000-bed private-prison complex approved in July by the Pima County Board of Supervisors doesn’t yet have the final approval it needs from the Arizona Department of Corrections to house Arizona prisoners. The ADC put out a request for proposals last year for prison companies to provide 5,000 more beds in the state. According to…
Top Ten in Movies
Casa Video’s top rentals for the week ending Sept. 12, 2010
Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl: Children of Fortune (Self-released)
This terrific CD goes well beyond my expectations of this duo from Bisbee. I’d heard some murmurs from music cognoscenti about their Southwestern-style take on indie-acoustic folk, but I hadn’t really heard much music from the team of Derrick and Amy Ross, despite the fact that they have released two previous albums since their formation…
A Big Bust … or Two
I had hopes for Resident Evil: Afterlife … I really did. I’ve experienced sporadic moments of enjoyment with this franchise, and I knew that this would be a “Real 3D” experience. In other words, producers always intended for us to be wearing the funny glasses while watching the film, as opposed to 3-D conversions like…
Police Dispatch
Stroll from the pole; Underage thinking
To the Core
The Tucson City Council has a big request for voters this November: a hike of a half-cent per dollar in the sales tax. And this request for a five-year “core tax” comes just months after voters approved a one-cent sales tax across the state. If Prop 400 passes, the sales tax inside the city of…
Weekly Wide Web
Ten things about Facebook; The week on The Range; Comment of the week; Best of WWW; and more!
Now Showing at Home
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (The Rich Mahogany Edition Blu-ray); Bored to Death: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray); My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done
Superchunk: Majesty Shredding (Merge)
On 2001’s Here’s to Shutting Up, Superchunk moved away from the plaintive pop-punk grit that was their hallmark. They’ve never not sounded like Superchunk, but as early as Indoor Living’s “Unbelievable Things,” the band was moving in a more orchestral direction. This was pushed further under Jim O’Rourke’s tutelage on Come Pick Me Up, where…
Seeking Refuge
Two years ago, it seemed that the relationship between humanitarian activists and the managers of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge couldn’t get much worse. It didn’t. But today, despite a stunning court reversal and a much-trumpeted policy shift, humanitarian groups argue that the relationship hasn’t gotten any better, either. Instead, a bitter struggle between…
Menomena: Mines (Barsuk)
Portland, Ore.’s Menomena is one strange band. An art-pop trio with a case of personality disorder, the band offers a sound that contains moments of pure beauty, madcap experimentation and smashing energy—sometimes within the same track. Despite some hiccups, Mines is an enjoyable listen. Opener “Queen Black Acid” is a twinkling, thrilling and soaring anthem,…
T Q&A
Ilynn Adler and Alan Maness
Musically Delicious
Music and food nerds alike can geek out at the new Café Tremolo at the Foothills Mall. Paul Blackwell—former chef at the Tohono Chul Park Tea Room and an all-around music lover—opened Café Tremolo in the space once occupied by Gavi, and offers the experience that you wish you could have at other music-themed restaurants…
¡Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I work at a large hotel in Orange County where 80 percent of the employees are Latin American, primarily Mexican. I love all of them and enjoy working with them. The one thing that bothers me is that when they are speaking to each other, they only speak in Spanish. They do it…
Missed Connections
Theater folk in Tucson can be fearless, which often results in exciting—though far from perfect—productions. Such is Shining City, Conor McPherson’s enigmatic but compelling play which opened last weekend to kick off the Beowulf Alley Theatre Company’s sixth season. McPherson’s play, and Beowulf Alley’s production, offers not so much a story as an experience. It…
The Skinny
The Rio Nuevo Board takes aim at the Rialto Theatre, its one downtown success … Reading the tea leaves in the race between Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Republican Jesse Kelly … Why won’t Sen. Al Melvin sack up and face Democrat Cheryl Cage in a debate? … and more!
Rialto Dischord, Update
An update of our Rialto Theatre story from earlier today: The Rio Nuevo board voted this afternoon to try to work out a new agreement with the Rialto Theatre Foundation. The two sides have until Oct. 7 to come to some kind of deal so that the foundation won’t seek protection in the bankruptcy court.…
To the Core, Updated
My story this week, “To the Core,” focuses on the city’s economic troubles and the pitch for a half-cent sales tax. One of the things that surprised me, as I researched the story: There didn’t seem to be a very active campaign in favor of the tax, which voters will decide on Nov. 2. Today,…
Arizona Illustrated: LD30 House Debate
The LD30 House candidates debate on KUAT-TV’s Arizona Illustrated.
Coming Soon: Mr. Head’s Art Gallery and Bar
Micah Blatt hopes the combined bar and art gallery he’s opening on Fourth Avenue will put a little bit of money in the pockets of local artists. Mr. Head’s Art Gallery and Bar is a joint venture between Blatt and his father, David Blatt. It will fill a vacant space and patio that stretches from…
The Abbey Names Virginia Wooters Executive Chef
Chef Virginia Wooters has been hired to head up the culinary team at the Abbey, the new restaurant the owners of jaxKitchen plan to open next month. Wooters, a Tucson native with more than 20 years in the business, has been the executive chef at McClintock’s and Wildflower. She also did a stint as the…
