"It was totally gnarly," Dara Silverman, playwright and actor for the Agile Rascal troupe, says, "It was really rough."

Her group of seven cyclists and actors primarily from the Bay Area found, while bike touring their play from Encinitas to Tucson, that riding in the desert isn't easy in June. They started off carrying all of their set and props on their bikes with them, but quickly found they had to "make sacrifices" in order to get to their destination.

"We kept lightening the load and modifying how far we went every day. We were getting up at 2 and 4 in the morning, taking showers roadside with a solar shower and drinking lots of water," Silverman adds.

Now on the outskirts of Tucson, Silverman and her Agile Rascal team have already found parallels between their journey and the radical play that they will be performing at BICAS on Saturday, June 13. The play, titled "Sunlight on the Brink," centers around a gas station in the southwest during a time when a catastrophic drought forced a mass evacuation of the western states. The gas station attendant watches and waits as people move from one side of the country to another. However, Silverman says the donation-funded production has found the troupe at several southwestern gas stations already.

"We wrote the play with the intention of it overlapping with our trip, but I didn't know at the time how much I'd be living off gas station food along the way," Silverman says, jokingly.

"It wasn't meant to be but it's really become an experiment in taking care of each other," she says. "It's been intense."

The harsh surroundings getting to Tucson for the show also mirror the play's major themes, which deal with the preciousness of life and water as well as human's interconnectivity with the environment. Silverman says to keep the play light, as it is a family-friendly comedy, the use of "wacky" characters like sea creatures and the Internet come into play. Overall, though, she says wants the play's message to be up for interpretation.

"I think art asks questions," she says. "Anything where you can just say the meaning, then you can say the meaning and that’s it."

While the play itself only uses bikes as props in some scenes, Silverman and Agile Rascal will be biking across the country for a three month tour with their play "Sunlight on the Brink." You can see the only Tucson performance of the play on Saturday, June 13 at BICAS (44 W. Sixth St.) beginning at 8 p.m. Remember to bring money to donate, too, so Silverman and her crew can stop eating at gas stations.

After two years of selling vintage wares and handmade original art pieces, Eleonor Leon is closing her downtown boutique La Fashionista. The funky little shop located at 45 S. Sixth Ave. will shutter by the end of the month, which Leon attributes to many different factors.

"It's not just one thing," she says. "Everybody start out down here with good intentions but the longer you have to wait for things to change, the harder it is."

She points to other stores, like Buffalo Exchange, that have closed their downtown spaces and even the lack of gallery space downtown.

"We're getting a Super Cuts where the Buffalo Exchange used to be and we're losing the flavor of downtown, she says, "I mean where's all the art? It's up on Sixth and Sixth."

While the street car did seem to drive more people downtown, Leon says the student crowd it brought wasn't really looking for what she was selling.

"My aesthetic is more of a fashion artist and that wasn't appealing to them," she says. "I just look at downtown and I think, 'where are all the galleries? Is it just bars and restaurants? Is it just a party town now?"

Remember that silly little competitions we host every year called Best of Tucson®? Well, open voting is wrapping up at the beginning of next week. The end of the day Monday, to be exact. 

So, do you serve the best burgers? Do you have the best plant nursery? Do you tattoo better than everyone else in the Old Pueblo? Is your food truck SO DELICIOUS?

Well, if you want to be able to brag about being the best (the best! That sounds pretty impressive, eh?) you should probably let your devoted fans know they can vote for you.

Post the link to our survey on your Facebook page: http://posting.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/Survey?survey=4953400

Now, ballot-box stuffing is not allowed. You can't aggressively force people to vote for you, you can't offer incentives, you can't vote more than once. 

But fill out a ballot and have the people who love you do the same. Soon.

What truly defines a city? Its economy, its landscape, its businesses? It is all those things, but it's people that make a city home. It is the blend of cultures present that reveal its personal history through art.

The Southwest Folklife Alliance, a nonprofit organization of the UA College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, serve as historians of Tucson. The group documents the cultural heritage of local ethnic and folk communities and works to educate and plan ways to increase opportunities for these communities.

One of Tucson’s largest events, Tucson Meet Yourself, is the product of the Southwest Folklife Alliance and they are now unveiling a new program to serve individuals in the community who are expressing their heritage through art.

Their Master-Apprentice Grant Award Program, announced May 29, works to “support and encourage the preservation and perpetuation of traditional art forms present and thriving in Arizona.” This grant program is the first of its kind in the state, joining 20 states nationwide with similar programs.

Grants will be awarded to three local, traditional artists who have proven themselves to be masters at their craft. To fulfill the mission of this program, spreading community based traditions through one-on-one teaching, each master artist will identify an apprentice (or apprentices). The grant will award each artist $2500 and $500 to their apprentice.

The funds are meant to expand the horizons of its awardees and may be used for compensation, travel expenses and materials and supplies.

This June Tucson's Desert Harvesters will be busy talking to folks in town about how to use up all of the edible plantlife that exists around us.

On Tuesday, June 9, you can head to La Cocina (201 N. Court Ave.) for an "Evening of Story, Food, Drink, and Music." From 5 until 10 p.m., dinner and drinks will be served featuring native plants, such as a margarita made with locally harvested prickly pear juice. Beginning at 7:30 p.m., Desert Harvesters' co-founder Brad Lancaster will speak about wild food propagation and strengthening our local community and ecosystem. Hey, Bucko! will be playing at the event as well. 10 percent of all proceeds from food and drink sales will go to the Harvesters and Lancaster's talk is free to listen to.

Then, on Thursdays this month, the Santa Cruz River Farmers’ Market in conjunction with the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona will be offering a Desert Harvest series designed in collaboration with the Desert Harvesters. The events, which take place from 4 until 7 p.m. at Mercado San Agustin (100 S. Avenida del Convento), will cover a range of topics, featuring farmers, fermenters and chefs who know their way around Sonoran specialties. 

The series caps off on Thursday, June 25 with the 13th Annual Mesquite Milling and Wild Foods Fiesta at the market. While the event will feature tastings and more, those looking to mill can purchase mesquite to grind to nutritious flour on-site for $3 per gallon with a $10 minimum.

Wrapping it all up on Friday, June 26, the harvesters will host a happy hour at Tap & Bottle (403 N. 6th Ave. #135) that will showcase regional brews infused with native ingredients. A portion of the sales will go to benefit the organization for beers bought between 5 and 8 p.m.

So, you know, get out there and start foraging and creating unique desert treats before the monsoons come.

Over the weekend, Tucson lost one of its legendary performers and educators, Burney Starks. A longtime teacher at Pueblo Magnet High School, as well as an actor and singer in many local productions, Starks touched the lives of many in town—a fact that became evident as many spent the last two days voicing condolences.

News came on Sunday, May 31 of Starks' passing and his Facebook page was quickly flooded with people remembering everything Starks had done for the community. Whether that's his two decades of teaching, work as a Juneteenth organizer or musical theater chops, Starks contributed many things to Tucson. Aside from that work professionally, Starks was also a well-loved facet of Tucson's karaoke community, often showing up to many local karaoke nights to sing Motown hits.

Ynot Entertainment's karaoke host Deanna Cross made the announcement in a post to Stark's page on Sunday saying:

I have unfortunate news, friends. It has come to my attention that our longtime karaoke regular and friend Burney Starks has passed away. He collapsed at church this morning and despite given CPR immediately, paramedics were not able to revive him. He will be remembered by his genuine and loving spirit and of course his beautiful voice!

Information on services for Starks is yet to be announced, but The Flycatcher is hosting a special karaoke night in memory of him. The event is free to attend and begins at 9 p.m.

For now, check out a video of Burney Starks doing what he did best:

Once again, a month has come and gone impossibly quickly. June starts on Monday, meaning it's time to brace your bank accounts for your impending rent payment, your wardrobe for 100+ degree weather and your hearts for June 15—the day the first round of Best of Tucson® balloting ends. 

In case you're new here, Best of Tucson®  is the annual opportunity for our readers to tell us what's what all around the Old Pueblo. In the first round of balloting, you can vote for anyone/thing/place for any category. Then, come Round 2, we'll take the top nominees for each category and the winners will be decided (by you!) from there.

So, if you've been putting off finishing your ballot because you just can't decide which ice cream shop is The Best, get to it! Spend this weekend sampling ice cream at all your favorite places! Take an informal Twitter poll! Ask your mom for advice! Whatever it takes. The deadline is fast approaching, and we need your input. The world needs your input.

Remember: You can save your ballot and come back to it—Just make sure you have at least 30 opinions saved and submitted by June 15. Get to it!

Although Tucson has an unwavering love of hot dogs year round, it is officially hot dog season with baseball in full swing and summer barbecues heating up. That means it's the perfect time to test your love of the dog and see just how many you can competitively cram into your craw in the span of ten minutes. At least, that's the thinking behind the second annual 4th Avenue Delicatessen Hot Dog Shoot-Out.

Last year, Dustin Cox managed to eat 12 hot dogs in ten minutes at the event's inaugural competition. However, this year the competition will likely be a lot stiffer as the event organizers are offering a $500 prize to whomever can chow down the most dogs. 

Owner Austin Counts says the event will serve to create buzz around Fourth Avenue during the dreaded summer slow down that many local businesses feel.

"Tucson is a hot dog loving city and I felt this city I love needed a hot dog eating competition," Counts says. " Also, anyone who works in the Fourth Avenue and downtown area knows how slow it can get during the summer months. This competition is a good way to help promote the establishments that host this event, as well our local sponsors and area as a whole."

The qualifying events for the final competition will be held at The Flycatcher on Friday, June 12 and Che’s Lounge Saturday, June 20 with both rounds running from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. Each event will potentially have two rounds with ten competitors each, depending on how many sign up. There's a $20 entry fee for competitors, which includes all you can eat (in ten minutes) hot dogs and a free t-shirt designed by Carne & Queso.

Interested eaters who are 21 and over can sign up now by going to 4th Avenue Deli, located at 425 N. Fourth Ave., and signing a waiver. Participants can also sign up at the qualifying events up to ten minutes before the competition begins. The events are free to watch.

The grand finale will pit ten people against each other at The Rialto Theatre as a part of Bob Log III’s Great ‘Murican B-Day Bash on Friday, July 3. Eight first and second place winners, last year's winner Dustin Cox and a third place wild card competitor (the one who eats the most hot dogs in third place) will compete. Bob Log III, The Jons, Pork Torta and Dep't of Descriptive Services will entertain crowds.

Tickets for the final competition are $12 in advance and can be found on the Rialto Theatre website, along with more information.

We know a ton dogs are lost every day but Courtney Robbins is pretty special. She's out of town and her pup Charles ran off a few days ago. Have you seen him?

From the Craigslist post about Charles:

Charles/Charlie is a cream colored poodle terrier mix with shortish wavy/curly hair. He weighs between 20-25 pounds, and he has a microchip. He was last seen on 4th Avenue at 8th Street in front of Sacred Art Tattoo around 6pm on May 17th. He's very friendly and probably very scared. Please call, text, or email me if you have any information. Thanks!

Christabelle
two seven zero zero two one five

As you should already know (because you should have already read the introduction and started your ballot—you only have until June 15 to participate in the first round!), this year's Best of Tucson® theme is Our Ink Stained Heart. 

In case you missed it:

Tucson leaves an impression. It doesn't matter if you grew up picking cholla out of your shins or if you just stopped by for few years at the UA, Tucson pens itself on everyone. And, like the tattoos so many of us desert rats bear, we carry our Tucson with us—through the holes in the road, the sweaty summers and that gentrification our commenters love to complain about.

The fact is, Tucson has an ink stained heart—fragile, strong, in love, in pain, but definitely covered in ink. Our ink. It's true, we newspaper folk have ink-stained everything... but Tucson stains souls. We'll show you in this year's Best of Tucson®—that's the theme of our annual guide to all things good and loved in the Old Pueblo.

Now, we want to see your ink. We need to illustrate our Best Of edition and we thought, hey, maybe our readers have some tattoos that might do the trick. Now, we are specifically looking for heart tattoos (what have you got? Maybe something anatomical? Something a little abstract? Textual?)  that we might be able to use to pair with the ballot but we're also looking for some cool tattoos for the issue as well. (You have a pizza tattoo? We have a pizza category! Literary tattoo? We have several book categories! Tooth/Lisa Frank/color-by-numbers tattoos? We have—well, nothing, but we might still want them in the paper).