Today is Tucson’s birthday, and if you look at the schedule here, notice things got started early—8 a.m., with plenty of free stuff all over the city: free chocolate chip cookies, free admission to the zoo, FREE stuff.
Then, of course, there’s the Fourth Avenue Underpass party from Main Gate Square to downtown. This is probably the day we get to see if any higher power is paying attention. There will be loads of people showing love to our city and celebrating the reunion of downtown and Fourth Avenue, while some will be looking at the underpass bridge wondering why it was so spendy. If we get through the day in peace and harmony, with a few smiles on our faces and maybe a short monsoon to help us prepare for winter, perhaps we’ll all go home tomorrow night ready to do the right thing when it comes to our city and downtown.
Let’s just hope we all wake up Friday with a clear vision of what the hell that means. Hey, one can hope, right?
This article appears in Aug 20-26, 2009.
So say we all! And how about a round of applause for regular Weekly contributor Linda Ray for all she did to bring the party on today?
I’m applauding. Tucson’s accomplishment that was realized yesterday was splendid and could have only happened in a community with a proper love of its artistic and cultural core. I think the Weekly is owed a debt of gratitude for that; it taught a lot of us to appreciate a lot of things over the years; the nighttime and daytime version of our wonderful downtown not the least of them.
So yes; to you, Miss Ray, and to you, Mr. Nintzel, and all of your fine journalist and writer friends… hat’s off.