Monday, July 16, 2018
Bellecourt has also founded or co-founded other organizations that further his work as an activist in the United States: The Heart of the Earth Survival School, the first culturally-based education program under parent control in the country; the Legal Rights Center, which provides criminal
defense and restorative justice services to people with low income; and the Minneapolis Indian Health Board, the country’s first urban Indian program. Bellecourt also works on changing racist mascot names and school names throughout the country as a current coordinator of the National Coalition Against Racism in Sports and Media.
“Clyde Bellecourt Speaks – American Indian Movement: Past, Present
Tags: American Indian Movement , Clyde Bellecourt , things to do , American Indian , Native American , book signing , events , Image
Mirror Lab Tours. You’ve probably heard of the UA’s mirror lab, but might not know exactly what it is, or at least haven’t seen it in person. But you can! They have tours all the time! If you haven’t checked it out yet, why not this week? You’ll have the chance to see LITERALLY the biggest and most advanced telescope mirrors in the world (like 27 feet across), because they’re made at the UA campus. The stuff that goes on in the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab make it possible for astronomers to look deep into the universe, and, technically, if you walk through the lab, you can say you’re a part of it, right? Monday through Friday at 1 p.m. 527 National Championship Drive. The lab is located on the east side of the UA Football stadium. Adults $20, seniors and military $18, students 10-20 years old with ID, $10. Details here.
Zoo Summer Camp. Do you have a future zoologist on your hands? Send ’em off to a summer camp that will make their dreams come true. There’s lots of games, crafts and behind-the scenes opportunities, but it’s also super educational. Kids get to see how the staff use science, technology, engineering and math every day to take care of the animals, and to learn about why wildlife preservation is so important. Each week of camp also includes swimming sessions at the Edith Ball Adaptive Recreation Center. Bring your own lunch, or order it at the Zoofari Market Café. Open to kids entering grades 1 through 6. 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, July 16 through Friday, July 20. Other dates throughout the summer as well! Reid Park Zoo, 3400 E. Zoo Court. $275 for non-zoo member kids and $235 for zoo member kids. Details here.
Dog Days of Summer menu. Bring your four-legged friends to Café Botanica inside the Tucson Botanical Gardens from now until Sept. 30 for a chance to try out the café’s new menu. Your dog can enjoy an upgrade from their bone; the café is debuting three different options from a dog-friendly menu, such as a hamburger, chicken and rice or a handmade dog biscuit. For the humans, the café offers a menu including apricot-glazed chicken, sweet cornbread strata and more. To visit the café, pay the Tucson Botanical Gardens’ admission, which for non-members is $15 for adults and $8 for children over 3. Admission for dogs is $3 a day and $10 for additional dogs. 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 2150 N. Alvernon Way. Details here.
The Resiliency of Hopi Culture: 500 Years of Planting. There’s something about photographs taken or curated by a member of a community, rather than from the outside looking in, that gives pictures a certain power. This exhibit at the Arizona State Museum, guest curated by Hopi farmer, photographer and UA PhD candidate in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment Michael Kotuwa Johnson, is a perfect example. This series of photographs illustrates traditional Hopi farming practices and the values they’re based on. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday through June 29, 2019. Arizona State Museum, 1013 E. University Blvd. $5 adults and free for museum members, anyone 17 and under and UA faculty, staff and students with a Cat Card. Details here.
Events compiled by Emily Dieckman, Dylan Reynolds, BS Eliot, Ava Garcia and Jeff Gardner.
Tags: Things to do , Monday , events , Tucson , fun , family , friends , summer , happenings , Image
Friday, July 13, 2018
Tags: Alice Ripley , Catherine Ripley , JCC , weekend , show , things to do , Saturday , July 14 , Broadway , Tucson , Image
Teachers, here's a pop quiz. How will you receive information trying to convince you to drop ties with the teachers union? (a) Email. (b) Snail mail. (c) Phone call. (d) Knock on your door. The correct answer is (e) Any or all of the above.
The Public School Wrecking Crew scored a huge win when the Supreme Court decided public-employee unions cannot make nonmembers contribute to collective bargaining in its recent Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees decision. The ink was barely dry on the written arguments when right wing money began pouring into campaigns to persuade teachers to walk away from their unions.
Right-leaning think tanks and advocacy organizations have placed anti-union ads on Google and social media and sent targeted emails to teachers across the country. Some plan to go door to door to reach educators during the summer.One group is trying to uses states' open records laws to get the email addresses of union members to make targeting even easier.
Two groups spearheading the campaign are The Mackinac Center and The Freedom Foundation. Both have strong libertarian, "free market" leanings. That puts them in the same ideological camp, and funding stream, as UA's "Freedom Center," which created the high school course, Philosophy 101: Ethics, Economy, and Entrepreneurship, currently on hold in TUSD, though it's still being taught in other local school districts as well as charter and private schools. (To give you the complete buzz word, dog whistle experience, the center's full name is the Center for the Philosophy of Freedom. It is housed in the recently created Department of Political Economy & Moral Science.)
Let's look at the two groups funding the anti-union push.
Tags: Janus v. American Federation of State , County , and Municipal Employees , Mackinac Center , Freedom Foundation , Koch Brothers , Freedom Center , Betsy DeVos , Image
Here in Tucson we are lucky to have some truly delicious options when it comes to fried potatoes, from traditional fries and ketchup, British-style chips and malt vinegar, Eegee's style fries with ranch, and multitudes of carne asada fries, you can't go wrong.
In the 2017 Best of Tucson competition, three local spots won reader votes for Best French Fries:
1. Eegee's
2. Diablo Burger
3. Graze Premium Burgers
Agree or disagree with these top three? The final round of voting for this year's competition is open now. Cast your vote for 2018 Best of Tucson here.
Now, it's lunchtime and time to celebrate in style, get out there and get some French Fries!
Tags: french fries , national french fry day , today , things to do , holiday , fries , Friday the 13th , food , Image
Summer Safari Nights. Mosey on over to the Reid Park Zoo for their summer program, where this week’s theme is “Fighting for the Underdogs,” and your chance to checkout some of the world’s lesser-known and more mysterious animals. We’re talking capybara, tapir, rhea, tortoise, chuckwalla, trans pesos, black & white ruffed lemur and flamingos (seriously, what is the deal with flamingos? How do they even stand?) As always, there will be plenty of local vendors, wildlife activities and food and drink specials. The Freddy Parish Band provides the live music. Get to exploring! 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 13. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court. $10.50 adults, $8.50 seniors, $6.50 children ages 2 to 14. Half off for zoo members. Details here.
Make & Sip: Pick Your Craft! Grab all of your best craft-lovin’ friends and head down to Scott Avenue for a night that’s going to be just as full of class as it is fun! Creative Tribe is celebrating one year of hosting Make & Sip events, and they’re celebrating with a craft jamboree, where participants can choose from a number of crafts the group has hosted over the past year. Choose from options that include terracotta pot painting, watercolors, friendship bracelets, stemless wine glass painting, wood bead keychains and Perler beads. Materials are first come, first serve, so get there early if you’re dead set on one in particular. Food is welcome, and so are drinks, but a reasonable amount—40 oz. of beer, 750 ml of wine or four ounces of distilled spirits. Let’s get crafty! 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 13. Creative Tribe, 236 S. Scott Ave. $7. Details here.
Ren Coffeehouse Grand Opening. There’s a new coffeehouse opening in town. Here’s the chance to try it out before all the college kids come back and make it their new study spot. Ren Coffeehouse is celebrating its opening with complimentary yoga and kombucha on its patio, drink specials and prizes. There will also be a frozen T-shirt contest, and the winner gets a bag of coffee every month for a year. 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 14. 4300 N. Campbell Ave. Details here.
Second Saturdays at Steam Pump Ranch. There’s nothing like spending a weekend morning at the farmer’s market, especially if you can get there early enough to beat the worst of the heat. Plus, if you walk or ride your bike on the shared use path to get there, you get a $1 coupon to use at one of the vendors. (Offer limited to the first 20 people, and be sure to drink plenty of water!) This week, there’s a free teddy bear picnic basket craft for kids. Due to weather, there will be no Pusch Ranch House tours (it’s hot in there), gardening activities (it’s hot out there) or live music (too hot to sing/instruments might melt/the sound waves could risk making the air hotter). 8 a.m. to noon. Saturday, July 14. Steam Pump Ranch, 10901 N. Oracle Road. Free entry. Details here.
Vegan Brownie Sundaes Free Class. Is there such a thing as healthy brownies? Head on over to Natural Grocers in Tucson Broadway Village to find out. The store is holding a class, led by Chef James Ray, that will lead you through a recipe to make brownie sundaes the vegan way. So what’s the secret? Black-bean brownies and coconut milk-based ice cream. At the end of the class, you can try it for yourself. Free and open to all ages. 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 14. 3016 E. Broadway Blvd. Details here.
Mini Cupcake and Beer Pairing. Have your cake, and drink beer, too. Beer and cupcakes come together for a sweet tooth’s dream pairing at Dillinger Brewing Company, which will host an event serving up flights of the pairing in partnership with Tucson Roller Derby. Check out pairings such as pretzel cupcake and Hunny Porter, pineapple upside-down cupcake and Tiki Party Gose and strawberries and cream cupcake with Boat Shoes IPA. If you’re just here for the sweet stuff, no worries: you can purchase cupcakes individually, too. Pairings cost $12 each. 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 14. 3895 N. Oracle Road. Details here.
Art After Dark at the Children’s Museum. Second Saturdays at the Tucson Children’s Museum always feature local art groups coming together for some hands-on fun. This week, we have Tucson’s resident tot idol, Mr. Nature, bringing his favorite instruments and singing songs with the kids. There’s sure to be plenty of dancing as well, especially during numbers like “I Like Bees,” and “Mac and Cheese.” As usual, kids must be accompanied by adults, and vice versa, for this event. The first 400 people to attend get a pass for one free visit to the museum. Start your vocal warmups now! 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 14. Children’s Museum Tucson, 200 S. Sixth Ave. Free. Details here.
Little Anthony’s Diner Classic Car Shows. In the evenings, as it starts to cool down (however slightly), what better way to let the stress of the day roll off your back than by grabbing a meal at a local diner and then walking up and down rows of some of the most beautiful cars in town? Even if you’re not into cars, you gotta admit that the food and live music make this event perfect for the whole family. And you can go every other Saturday for the whole rest of the year, if you want! 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 14. Little Anthony’s Diner, 7010 E. Broadway Blvd. Free. Details here.
MOCA at GLOW! Launch. Oh yeah, there’s another thing to look forward to in the summer: the return of GLOW, the annual multimedia event with visual and performance artists, a full moon and lots and lots of glow-in-the-dark stuff. Join the folks over at MOCA in celebrating the launch of this year’s event, which goes through September and October. GLOW! And MOCA artists are presenting a glow-in-the-dark treasure hunt, pop-up installations and live performances. Be sure to wear your most fashionable glowing outfit! (Dior has a great glow-in-the-dark line out this year, but if that’s out of your price range, the Dollar Tree is a great place to get lit quick). 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday, July 14. Triangle L Ranch, 2805 N. Triangle L Ranch Road, Oracle. $10 suggested donation. Details here.
Mamma Mia Sing-Along. If the aforementioned Audrey Hepburn screening isn’t quite scary enough, head on down to Casa Video for a real horror show. Before you race to the theater to see the upcoming Mamma Mia sequel, this is your opportunity to sing out the entire movie to your heart’s content. It’s really the only chance you have to do this in public and not get angry looks. 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 14. 2905 E. Speedway Blvd. Details here.
Cool Summer Nights. Night at the Desert Museum, and the stars are the star of the show, with folks from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and the Tucson Amateur Astronomers here for a special astronomy night! You can check out interactive solar system activities that are perfect for families, marvel at faraway celestial bodies at one of the telescope stations and enjoy a special astronomy presentation by Kevin Hainline. As always, there’s the fine art exhibit “Becoming Animal,” plenty of docents full of fun facts, soothing live flute music, the stingray touch exhibit and the Packrat Playhouse for kids (parents, did you know you can skip the line by reserving time in the Packrat Playhouse in advance?) 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 14. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road. $22 GA, $20 seniors 65 and up, $9 kids 2 to 12, $18 military, $17 Arizona/Sonora resident. Details here.
Employee Ice Cream Competition. Take a break from the heat with a cold one—and a cone. 1912 Brewing Co. is hosting an Employee Ice Cream Competition to see who can create the best ice cream, using a 1912 beer, which will then also be paired with the beer. Though it’s a contest, with beer and ice cream, there can only be winners. Head over to try out the combos yourself. 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 15. 2045 N. Forbes Blvd., Suite 105. Details here.
The Estrogen Hour. Happy National Ice Cream Day! Today, the gals at the Estrogen Hour are celebrating ice cream secondarily—first and foremost, the show is in honor of their late friend and fellow comedian Jennifer Finley. While you’re enjoying comedy by the likes of Amber Frame, Bridgitte Thum and Cindell Hanson (plus special “Guestosterone Dominic DiTolla), you can feel good knowing that your ticket money is going straight to Jennifer’s family at their time of need. Doors open at 5:30, show starts at 6:30. Sunday, July 15. Laffs Comedy Caffe, 2900 E. Broadway Blvd, suite 154. $15, plus Laffs has a two-item minimum. 21+. Details here.
Nosferatu. How do you have a name like Max Schreck and not play as a horror icon? The Screening Room is having a little Halloween come early with a vampire film so comparatively archaic, its stills are part of our collective nightmares whether we’ve seen it or not. Nosferatu offers a chilling look at a forgotten castle devoid of all but cobwebs, an undead king, and any unlucky enough to wander inside. 7 p.m. Sunday, July 15. 127 E. Congress St. $7. Details here.
Arizona Biennial 2018 at the Tucson Museum of Art. Artwork from all over the state was juried into this exhibition by guest juror Rebecca R. Hart, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Denver Art Museum. Works by dozens of artists, in dozens of mediums, will be on display in the James J. and Louse R. Glasser Galleries, the Chann Gallery and the Green Gallery. After all, you can’t spell “Tucson, Arizona” without “art.” On display through Sunday, Sept. 16 at the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. $12 adults, $10 seniors 65+, $7 college students with ID and youth 13-17, free for kids 12 and under, veterans and museum members. Details here.
Events compiled by Emily Dieckman, Dylan Reynolds, BS Eliot, Ava Garcia and Jeff Gardner.
Tags: things to do , weekend , Tucson , events , movies , art , family , fun , Image
Thursday, July 12, 2018
With an initial $3 million investment, the State of Arizona joins the NextGen initiative this year to foster the youth vote and give voice to marginalized identities in progressive movements.
“NextGen is one of the largest movements in history targeting youth voters from 18-35,” said Regional Organizer Richard Gallon.
NextGen is part of the youth organizing movement and aims to encourage young people to actively enroll in the elections and make their voices heard on issues of their interest.
Billionaire Tom Steyer sponsors the initiative to keep the first and ninth congressional districts under democratic control. Organizers are committed to replacing Gov. Doug Ducey with someone who they say is committed to causes that work for the interest of the people of Arizona and NextGen.
According to organizers, young voters today consider causes that serve their communities first, like immigration, healthcare and education funding, rather than casting their votes based on individuals.
Organizers are reaching out to young voters not only to educate them about the voting and registration process, but also to learn their views on causes of interest. In addition, organizers are visiting voters where they are, either schools, colleges, movie theaters, etc., to reach out to the largest community possible.
As of July 9, the youth vote program shows 7,793 registered voters and 6,242 supporters signed up, with 306 active volunteers working with the youth in the field.
Local organizers met today for the office opening in Tucson. The inauguration event celebrated art and how it represents social justice cases, to allow young voters to realize the connections between voting and what they are fighting for. Read more about NextGen here.
Tags: NextGen , politics , voters , youth , young people , voting , political involvement , voter suppression , paintings , Image
Monsoon season is rolling in and giving the Tucson desert a much needed dose of rainwater. However, it’s important to remember that with each passing year, Southern Arizona is becoming drier and hotter. Without being engaged in the decisions that define our region’s water supply, who knows where we might be a few years down the line.
Luckily, the Sustainable Water Workgroup is hosting the second of a public hearing series to discuss the current and future state of Arizona’s groundwater.
On their website, the Sustainable Water Workgroup, made up of 30 involved coalitions across the state, say that the Arizona Department of Water Resources plans to meet future water needs through "augmentation," or increasing state water supplies through expensive projects that essentially move water from one area to another.
The group opposes these ideas, and believe in conserving the water we currently have, restoring water in natural rivers, streams and springs, and evaluating alternatives that may offer the most cost-effective way to supply water.
Thomas Meixner, Ph.D., will be in attendance to explain the current state of Arizona’s environmental waters. Meixner is a professor and Associate Department Head of the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Arizona. In addition, Julia Fonseca will be there to discuss the county’s management of environmental water and some current legal challenges they are facing. Fonseca is the environmental planning manager for Pima County’s Office of Sustainability and Conservation.
The presentations will be followed by a Q&A session. Anyone from the interested public is welcome to come to the event, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 17 at Pima County’s Water Energy and Sustainability Center, located on the eastern bank of the Santa Cruz River at 2955 W. Calle Agua Nueva.
Tags: water , Sustainable Water Workgroup , public hearing , conservation , sustainability , Tuesday , July 17 , Image
