The Goldwater Institute was crowing earlier this week about winning a legal victory against the city of Tucson on behalf of developer Michael Goodman, the mini-dorm developer who, in the words of Goldwater press release, "buys run-down properties in the downtown area and near the University of Arizona, and replaces them with new housing that meets or exceeds zoning requirements and building standards."

Meanwhile: Kathleen Williamson tell us what it's like to live in Feldman's Neighborhood, where the mini-dorms have the highest concentration. Some excerpts from her report:

Tonight about 11 pm the epicenter at Feldman's started sounding like a surround sound stadium of drunks. I took the dog for a walk to see if I could observe what and where things were happening (need to get that video camera!). There parties on 4th and elm and one starting on 4th and adams, the same house I videoed a few weeks ago and which should have been redtagged a dozen times this semester alone. Two guys on the corner of 4th and lee were cursing loudly and one got rid of his empty beer bottle by simply hurling it to the east about 30'. There was a girl, barely dressed, over whom they were fighting. A truck with a bed full of loud party kids came down 4th and called out to "Woody" the blonde tshirt guy swearing on lee to join the party. The truck pulled into the garage at the 4th/Adams party house and deposited its load of drunk revelers. The truck headed back up lee. Some people were in the alley toward 3rd avenue. I thought they might be heading toward this party but could not make that out.

In the meantime the familiar sound of police sirens were headed toward Feldman's. A fire truck/emt truck came up 4th and turned left on lee. I walked along in my invisible with dog on leash old lady way. I got to the area where goodman's offices are. The emgcy vehicle was pulling out and repositioning itself into the alley west of 3rd betw lee and adams. I walked into the area. There was a small mob of drunk jocks and one woman dressed like a whorish barbie doll. I don't know who these girls are who dress like this while in the company of a dozen drunk young vile men. Anyway, there was a young man obviously seriously injured laying in the alley dirt. He seemed paralyzed.

The emts had to put him on a gurney and take most of his clothes off to align him. He was also very drunk and

The New York Times brings us this tidbit from this weekend's health-care debate in the U.S. House of Representatives:

Representative John Shadegg, Republican of Arizona, held up the tiniest prop so far, a little girl called Maddie, 7 months old, whom he introduced as the daughter of a staff member. After saying he wished she were his grandchild, Mr. Shadegg apparently began channeling the infant’s hopes and dreams for the future of health care:

“Maddie likes America because we have freedom here, and Maddie believes in patient choice health care. She has come here to say she doesn’t want government to take over health care. She wants to keep her plan.

“Maddie knows if this bill passes, she knows her mom’s health care will go away and won’t be around for five years. If the bill passes, then no more health care for her mom, because it has to change. Maddie wants patient choice. She doesn’t want her mom’s premiums to go up. . . ."

Leaving aside the stupidity of Shadegg's belief that Maddie knows anything at all about her health-care options: If indeed Maddie is the daughter of a staff member, and that staff member is getting health-care coverage through employment by the federal government, isn't Maddie already getting government-provided coverage?

We liked this detail at the end:

Representative Henry Waxman, Democrat of California, conceded that the baby was quite remarkable, as was the ventriloquist act.

They lack the body fat to make it through the winter, so they travel in small packs, sometimes three or four abreast, often blocking the shared paths and causing bigger animals to slow to a crawl.

After a calorie-burning circuit, they prance about the cafe in special shoes, wrap-around shades and flamboyant spandex. The wind has eroded their faces into perma-scowls. Like preening birds, they display their fantastic colors against the beige stucco. And then, they tweet to each other. They exchange survival tips: divorce lawyers; hot stocks; protein recipes ... until the last drop of decaf, sugar-free, soy-milk java has been imbibed, when they rise as one, seemingly through mnemonic resonance, and place their thousand-dollar bicycles into their 8-cylinder vehicles, and migrate back to their familiar suburban stomping grounds.

The final City of Tucson election results:

Democratic Councilwoman Karin Uhlich now leads Republican challenger Ben Bueher-Garcia by 195 votes.

Republican Steve Kozachik now leads Democrat Nina Trasoff by 1,728 votes.

Prop 400 is now losing by 927 votes.

Uhlich has released a statement:

I want to congratulate my two opponents, Ben Buehler-Garcia and Mary DeCamp, for running strong campaigns. I also congratulate my two new colleagues on the City Council, Steve Kozachik and Richard Fimbres. I am ready to work with them to deliver for the City of Tucson.

We bid goodbye to Star editorial page editor Ann Brown as she departs the morning daily and the Arizona Illustrated Friday Roundtable.

Police Chief Roberto Villaseñor and Fire Chief Patrick Kelly stopped by the Friday Roundtable. We got them to confess to their photo-radar speeding violations!

Watch it after the jump.

We mentioned in The Skinny this week that the state-owned warehouse that's home to Solar Culture is set to go to auction on Tuesday:

More than two decades ago, artist Steven Eye first opened the doors to an abandoned downtown produce warehouse on Toole Avenue that he had rented for the princely sum of $300 a month from the Arizona Department of Transportation.

That warehouse, which had been acquired by the state and was slated for destruction to make way for a Barraza-Aviation Parkway extension that was never built, has blossomed into Solar Culture, which is part art gallery, part performance space and part artistic hub of the downtown Warehouse District.

But there are dark clouds gathering over Solar Culture's building, which is set to go up for auction next week as the cash-strapped state seeks to unload surplus properties in an effort to find revenue.

Dave Devine was on the scene as another downtown warehouse—the one right on Toole and Stone avenues that used to be home to Zee's mineral gallery—went up on the auction block today. He reports:

After a spirited bidding process, real estate company Peach Properties bought the vacant warehouse at 1. E. Toole Ave. Appraised at $165,000, the warehouse was sold for $252,000.

Artist David Aguirre, who heads up Dinnerware Gallery, says he's a partner in the project and will manage it. Aguirre says Dinnerware and some other galleries will move into the space.

Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11. Here's a sampling of discounts offered to veterans at some local and national establishments. Hats off to these organizations, and to all current and former members of the military, thank you for your service.

Every day:
-Sport Clips offers veterans and active-duty service men and women a 20 percent discount. On Veterans Day, all stores in Arizona will be donating $1 from every haircut to the VFW's Operation Uplink, "the premiere calling program for deployed service members that provides free phone time to active-duty military personnel and hospitalized veterans." (7625 N. Oracle Road and 1880 E. Tangerine Road)

Now through Wednesday, Nov. 11:
-The Home Depot offers a 10 percent military discount for in-store, single-receipt purchases.
-Lowe's offers a 10 percent discount for active, reserve, honorably discharged, retired military and their immediate families on in-store purchases.

Mondays: Nov. 9, 16, 23 and 30
The Salsa Soulseros team invites veterans from Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom to a free, introductory salsa class. (512 E. Sixth St. 396-4864)

Wednesday, Nov. 11:
-Applebee's: Veterans and active-duty military will be able to choose a free entree from six menu favorites.
-Simoniz Car Wash: Veterans and active military will receive a free full-service car wash.
-Chick-fil-a (3605 E. Broadway Blvd.): Veterans will receive a free eight-count order of chicken nuggets.
-Participating locations of Outback Steakhouse will offer veterans and active-duty military a free bloomin' onion and beverage.
-Dollar General (155 W. Valencia Road): Veterans, active-duty military, National Guard and Reserve and their immediate families will receive a 10 percent discount with a Veterans Day coupon (available at the store).

Monday, Nov. 16 (5 to 9 p.m.):
Golden Corral offers a free thank-you dinner for veterans, retired, currently serving, National Guard and Reserve personnel.

The Weekly's token libertarian, Jonathan Hoffman, delivers this dispatch from the GOP celebration on election night:

Mayor Bob Walkup showed up long enough to give a few interviews and leave. Though a Republican, Mayor Walkup is not very popular with members of the party. He did nothing for the Republican city council candidates, and when asked for an endorsement by Steve Kozachick, he refused saying that if Kozachick lost it wold make it harder for him to work with the Democrats. At one point, while Walkup was speaking with Sate Representative Frank Antenori, a Republican activist shook Walkup's hand and thanked him for all the work he did on behalf of the Republican candidates. When some people began to laugh, Walkup asked Antenori at what were people laughing. Antenori replied, "He was making fun of you, and you deserve it."

The morning daily proclaims in a hard-hitting editorial, "Facebook Group is shortsighted, destructive":

We're distressed and baffled by a destructive Facebook group that is opposing the planned 7,000-square-foot restaurant and bar at the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and East Congress Street, across from the Rialto Theatre block.

Former state lawmaker Tom Prezelski's response on Facebook:

After years of slanted reporting about Downtown, the Star comes out with an editorial characterizing criticism of redevelopment as destructive.