Etherton Gallery's latest show is Then + Now, a collection of photography by Mark Klett. The show continues through March 21, with an opening reception from 7 to 10 p.m. this Saturday, Jan. 10. More details here.

Here's the word on the show, via Etherton Gallery:

Etherton Gallery is pleased to announce a new exhibition of work by photographer Mark Klett, Then + Now. Both narrator and participant, poet and geologist, Mark Klett is renowned for reinventing landscape photography beginning in the 1970s by rephotographing locations previously visited by 19th and early 20th century photographers and pairing or incorporating the earlier images with his photographs to comment on physical and cultural changes in the western landscape. Klett has spent his career exploring the ways in which a subject—whether the Grand Canyon, Yosemite or Yellowstone—is defined and even misrepresented through photography. The show contrasts images from the series, Revealing Territory (c. late 1970s to late 1980s) with work from the recent series, Camino del Diablo (2011-2013). Both series record Klett’s personal observations of the landscape. Camino del Diablo is based on the memoir of Raphael Pumpelly, a young mining engineer who journeyed by stagecoach along the dangerous Camino del Diablo trail to take a job at the Santa Rita copper mine in 1860. His memoir, Across America and Asia (1870) was written roughly during the same period as the first western geological surveys that Klett covered in his early work. Revisiting the Camino del Diablo, which partly parallels the U.S.-Mexico border, took him through the Barry M. Goldwater Bombing Range and the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, suggesting a continuous narrative of violence in the American west, from the lawlessness of the Camino del Diablo to the violence of border politics that now dominates the area.

The question of whether a preliminary injunction from last month allowing Arizona DREAMers to issue licenses should become permanent or not is in the hands of a federal judge at the moment.

Yesterday, U.S. District Judge David Campbell, whose Dec. 18 ruling immediately allowed for as many as 22,000 young immigrants under Obama's DACA program to be issued a driver's license, heard arguments from the state and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Attorneys representing DREAMers argued the injunction should be permanent, while the state wants Campbell to put the no licenses policy back in place, and to maybe take the whole thing to a full on trial, ACLU of Arizona Senior Counsel Dan Pochoda explained.

Pochoda said they are confident Campbell will make the injunction permanent. After all, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in July sided with the DREAMers, saying the ban was probably unconstitutional.  And, last month, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld that ruling, denying then-Gov. Jan Brewer's request for a stay.

“It is important to remember that courts have yet to consider the full merits of the case, and I believe that Arizona will ultimately prevail. Consequently, I have instructed my legal team to move forward in pursuing a full review of this matter before the United States Supreme Court as soon as possible," Brewer said in a statement last month.

In an Arizona Republic article, Gov. Doug Ducey's spokesman, Daniel Scarpinato, said Ducey is "continuing to monitor the case and reviewing options with lawyers."

Campbell said he'd be quick in making a decision, according to various news outlets. 

Here's an in-depth article by the Capitol Media Services on what's happening—"Fate of AZ dreamers driver's licenses could depend on rational basis."

U.S. Representative Martha McSally spoke on the House floor to mark the Jan. 8 four-year anniversary that killed six people and wounded 13 others. Her press office released the following statement:

"Four years ago, our community was shaken to its core by an act of senseless violence that took the lives of six of our own and wounded thirteen others. They were our friends, neighbors, and loved ones. Our community still carries the enduring pain of their loss but also the bright recollection of their lives and memories."

"We remember the victims and what they came to do that day: speak with their elected representative. We remember the selfless acts of bravery and love by those who put themselves in harm's way, even giving their own lives to save others. We remember how the city of Tucson came together, in grief and consolation, to move forward with a spirit of compassion and strength that was felt across the nation."

"Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family and loved ones of those lost or wounded, who carry the pain of what happened on that quiet Saturday each and every day. We are inspired by their courage; made stronger by their strength."

"Today, as the bells ring out from the University of Arizona and in the moments of silence that follow, our community, united and strong, proclaims with one voice: we will never forget those we lost."

Christina Taylor Green

Dorothy Morris

John Roll

Phyllis Schneck

Dorwan Stoddard

Gabriel "Gabe" Zimmerman

*In recognition of the anniversary, the above statement along with the names of those who perished will be entered into the Congressional Record.

The local distilling world is about to get a bit bigger this spring when Independent Distillery fires up their fermenter and mash tun and still and starts cranking out locally made liquor downtown. Located off of Arizona Avenue between Congress Street and Broadway Boulevard next to the future Johnny Gibson Downtown Market, the distillery plans to open about the same time this spring as the market, which will share a large outdoor patio with the bar and distillery.

Although Hamilton Distillers have already made a name for Tucson craft liquor, the team behind Independent Distillery sees their project as a partner to Hamilton. Founder Don Northrup explains that he sees craft distilling as an up-and-coming market in Tucson that definitely has more room for growth.

"We love what they're doing at Hamilton and we're not trying to step on that," he says. "There's enough room for a few more distilleries in town even."

To that extent, Northrup says they won't be making single malt whiskey, which Hamilton is known for. However, the crew, which currently includes his wife Toby Hall and their friend Trevor Streng, will start by distilling vodka and a couple of styles of gin (with secret botanical composition) and then move on to aged spirits like bourbon and rum. Northrup says they also plan to make bitters.

Streng and Hall met initially through the service industry as coworkers and all three have worked in the industry locally for years. 

"This is what I know, but I knew I didn't want to do it for anyone else anymore," Northrup says. "We combined all of our experience and now we just want to have an impact on the community and to make a good product. There's a reason that we're here. This is our home."

The distillery team says they're excited to be downtown, which, until very recently when the state approved the issuance of a Series 18 craft distillers license, wasn't even possible. 

"The development that's going on in this area in the next year is going to be nuts," Hall says. "We're just happy to be a part of it."

That development Hall is referring to includes partially turning the Arizona Avenue corridor into a more pedestrian-friendly area with outdoor seating, storefronts, and less dumpsters, according to Streng. However, just being neighbors with currently operational local businesses that they plan on partnering with like Pueblo Vida Brewing Company makes the location ideal for them too.

You can stay up-to-date with the distillery's progress by checking out their Facebook page.

The TUSD board voted 3-2 Tuesday to give Adelita Grijalva a third term as the board's president and to make Kristel Foster the board's clerk for the 2015 calendar year.

"The consistency in leadership has been key to the success we've had so far," Foster told me via phone today. "Our team is working well together, why would we change something that's working well so far?"

The votes opposing to keep things as they've been came from board members Michael Hicks and Mark Stegeman—Hicks suggested Stegeman should be the new board president but none of the other board members backed him up.

Tuesday was the first meeting of the year, so the focus was on district appointments. 

The next meeting is Jan. 20 and the board will probably be discussing the culturally relevant curriculum scrutiny then.

Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly offer their thoughts on the fourth anniversary of Tucson's mass shooting:

Four years ago today, at a Safeway in Tucson, Arizona, we lost six members of our community to a senseless act of gun violence. Thirteen others were injured that day.

They were friends and neighbors, colleagues and a young child. We came together and mourned ... and eventually, we began to recover.

Two years later, shortly after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, we decided that we must act to make our communities safer from gun violence — that it was time to "Do something," Gabby said, "Not just talk."

So on the two-year anniversary of the shooting in Tucson, we started Americans for Responsible Solutions. And we would have never guessed that since that day, over 800,000 Americans would transform our message of responsible gun ownership into a national movement.

Treat yourself to a fancy pants dinner over at Agustin Kitchen when the culinary creative minds behind Agustin and The Coronet join forces for one special wine-paired dinner. The four-course meal will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. You can reserve your spot for $65 plus tax and gratuity by calling 398-5382.

Here's what you can expect:

Spend an extra $6.2 trillion on education over the next 20 years, get a return of $225 trillion on the investment. That's what Randall Lane, who edits Forbes, suggests in the magazine's December 15 issue (Hat tip to commenter Michael S. Ellegood for pointing me to the article). That's Forbes, the business magazine.

Lane discusses the costs of five educational policies and estimates the returns on the investment.

The investment required to implement all five would run somewhere in the neighborhood of $6.2 trillion, spread over 20 years. Or $310 billion a year in today’s dollars. And the payoff, as calculated by factoring in all those additional, better-skilled high school and college graduates on our national GDP? Almost $225 trillion, spread over an 80-year time horizon, which incorporates an entire generation’s professional achievement.

Lane didn't create the policy suggestions. They came from a number of educators and people involved in education policy.

I don't have to agree with all the policy suggestions—I don't—or be convinced the costs and return-on-investment figures are accurate—I'm not—to be encouraged that an article in Forbes talks about spending on education as a good investment, not "throwing money" at schools. I'm also encouraged that this isn't an ideological shopping list compiled either by a like-minded group of educational privatizers or progressives. It's an honest attempt to look at ways to spend money on education to get positive economic results, drawing from ideas across the spectrum.

Here's a quick summary of the five policy changes:

1. Teacher Efficacy. Raise teacher salaries to attract top candidates for the job. Adding 50% to salaries would mean most new teachers would come from the top third of college grads. Investment: $4.8 trillion. Return On Investment: $64.5 trillion.

2. Universal Pre-K. Guarantee pre-kindergarten education for every child. Investment: $1.1 trillion. Return On Investment: $38.4 trillion.

The notice of noncompliance John Huppenthal sent out to TUSD on his last day as Arizona's superintendent of schools Jan. 2, saying some of the district's culturally relevant classes violated state law, is still on the table. But school district Superintendent H.T. Sanchez says Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas is willing to collaborate to soon put the issue to rest.

Sanchez and Douglas met for an hour and a half in Phoenix today to chat about TUSD's culturally relevant curriculum, and specifically about the U.S. history and English from a Mexican-American and African American perspective classes that are reportedly in violation of HB 2281—the Jan Brewer statute that outlawed TUSD's Mexican American Studies program about two years ago.

The meeting went so well, according to Sanchez, Douglas even invited him to join an advisory committee that'll work to implement studies on the contributions Latinos have made to Arizona and the rest of the country into the state's Common Core Standards, or College and Career Ready Standards.

"I don't feel that the state agency (Arizona Department of Education) wants to shut down our program, but wants to take a look at how we can work together and address any concerns...with the law (HB 2281) that is in the 9th Circuit right now. Until that case is done, the law is the law," Sanchez said during a press conference this afternoon at Utterback Magnet Middle School. "If her desire was to eliminate ethnic studies in TUSD, she would not have invited me to serve in a committee that is going to (create) instructional standards that provide the perspective of Latinos into the state curriculum."

Now, it's all about opening the classroom doors to members of the state Department of Education, show them what is going on, the materials being taught, so that trust and communication can be rebuilt. All of that will hopefully lead to the state not cutting TUSD's funding (if the district doesn't fix whatever the state doesn't like in the next two months, they face losing 10 percent of the state's monthly aid).

Sanchez said he isn't concerned—and a big chunk of that is because he knows his district is not teaching hatred and instigating students to overthrow the government, which is what Huppenthal alleges.

"(In the classroom), you see students that are eager to learn, you see teachers who love their kids and love teaching, and that is the best thing that could happen to us is have them come in and see what we do, meet our kids, meet our teachers, understand their passion, to understand what they are trying to put forward to the students, and I'm not opposed to an open dialogue," he said.

In regards to whether Douglas likes or dislikes these culturally relevant classes, Sanchez said that during the talk, Douglas suggested all TUSD schools should offer them rather than just a handful—surprised?

But keep in mind that just because Douglas is not going after the content of the classes itself, it all is safe. The tables have turned to looking at how the content is being taught, and who knows if the teachers are going to be willing to modify their procedures and the relationship they have with their students to comply with the state.

Arizona Game and Fish Tuesday served a notice of intent to the Department of Interior Secretary and the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They hope to push for an updated recovery plan for Mexican gray wolves. 

From the Arizona Game and Fish release:

“This Notice of Intent is an effort to ensure that the Fish and Wildlife Service adheres to its legal obligation to develop a thorough science-based plan that will lead to a successful recovery outcome that recognizes Mexico as pivotal to achieving recovery of the Mexican wolf given that 90 percent of its historical range is there,” said Arizona Game and Fish Department Director Larry Voyles. 

The notice, which Interior Secretary Sally Jewell has to respond to in the next 60 days or it becomes a full on lawsuit, is to put some pressure on a November suit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that was filed by a coalition of wolf conservation groups and environmental organizations, including the Center for Biological Diversity.

An email from the center's spokesman Michael Robinson said:

By duplicating our efforts, the AZGF evidently seeks to join the case so as to help shape any possible settlement agreement.

The November lawsuit argues the nearly four-decade old recovery plan has had a lot of failures.

From a Center for Biological Diversity November press release:

“The opportunity to recover the Mexican gray wolf is slipping away due to genetic problems and inadequate management policies, but the government still hasn’t created the basic recovery blueprint that the law requires,” said Earthjustice attorney Timothy Preso, who is representing the groups. “We are asking a judge to order federal officials to develop a scientifically-grounded recovery plan before it is too late.”

Earthjustice is representing Defenders of Wildlife, the Center for Biological Diversity, retired Mexican Wolf Recovery Coordinator David R. Parsons, the Endangered Wolf Center and the Wolf Conservation Center.

“For three decades now, Fish and Wildlife officials have been dragging their feet on completing a recovery plan simply to appease state leaders and special interest groups opposed to sharing the landscape with wolves,” said Michael Robinson, a wolf advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s shameful that the very people charged with recovering our wildlife have turned their backs on these beautiful creatures, leaving them to battle inbreeding and a host of other threats pushing them to the brink of extinction.”

They go on to say that Wildlife Service has admitted its recovery plan from 1982 is incomplete, and that it was intended only for "short-term application."

From the November press release:

Service-appointed recovery scientists drafted a plan in 2012 that called for establishing three interconnected Mexican gray wolf populations totaling at least 750 animals as criteria for delisting, but the plan has never been finalized. The abandonment of the 2012 recovery planning process leaves Mexican wolf recovery guided by the legally and scientifically deficient 1982 plan, which did not even set a population recovery goal.

Attorney General Mark Brnovich said he supports the lawsuit, the Game and Fish release said.