Monday, August 1, 2016
While Pokémon Go hasn't even been out a month yet, the franchise has been around for years, together both the new app and the original games and movies have a large fan base. Tucson is no exception.
It's hard to go almost anywhere without seeing someone with their head buried in their phone trying to find the nearest Pokémon.
Tucson businesses have picked up on this offering specials for those playing or simply using their many poke stops and a few lures to their advantage.
While you can go to parks round Tucson or even attend Reid Park Zoo's Pokémon Go Safari Nights every Saturday to hunt, you can also party with other Pokémon trainers at the Loft.
On Wednesday, Aug. 3 the Loft Cinema (3233 E. Speedway Blvd.) is hosting a Pokémon party for all those with Pokémon fever.
Serving as both a PokéStop and a gym, the Loft is hosting a Pokémon-themed Cosplay costume on stage and showing the classic 2002 Pokémon theatrical release, Pokémon Heroes: The Movie!
Regular admission prices apply. Tickets and more information can be found on the Loft website.
Tags: Pokémon , The Loft cinema , party , PokéStop , gym , Pokémon Heroes , Video
The national campaign, which has been celebrated for 33 years, believes the safety of a community depends on knowing your neighbors, surroundings and local law enforcement.
Midvale Park Neighborhood is hoping to take the opportunity to bring police and neighbors together with an event from 5 to 8 p.m. at Grijalva Park, 5775 S. Oaktree Drive.
Providing a fun filled night full of food, safety demos and community, the group has received support from tons of neighborhood organizations and businesses such as the Tucson Police Department, Pima Count Sheriffs Department and O.K. Corral.
Event organizers are asking anyone interested in volunteering at the event to reach out via Facebook.
Tags: National Night Out , Midvale , Tucson Police Department , community-police partnership
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Bring school supplies to help students, donate anything from pencils to paper, you can even bring a backpack full of school supplies if you're feeling generous.
The UA Museum of Art and the UA Norton School of Family and Consumer Science are supporting the drive by acting as drop off sites for the donations.
You have until Tuesday, Aug. 2 to drop off donations at the UA Museum of Art (1031 N. Olive Rd) or the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences (650 N. Park Ave.)
Have items that need to be picked up? Email [email protected].
Don't worry if you find more school supplies after that date: The Tucson Desert Art Museum's supply drive starts the next day and continues through Sept. 30.
The Tucson Desert Art Museum is even offering a discounted admission to anyone who donates supplies.
More information about the La Escuelita drive and the Tucson Desert Art Museum drive is available online.
Tags: school , supplies , la escuelita , University of Arizona Museum of Art , Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences , Tucson Desert Art Museum
Monday, July 25, 2016
Twelve local craft breweries are converging on Borderlands Brewing Co. (119 E. Toole Ave.) on Thursday, July 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. to show off their latest creations created for the event using locally originating ingredients. For this first round, beers made with saguaro and prickly pear fruit will take center stage. Your $15 ticket also goes right to Tucson non-profits working to improve food security in the community including Desert Harvesters, Native Seeds/SEARCH Iskashitaa Refugee Network and Trees for Tucson.
If you can't make it to this first event there's no need to fret, the Baja Brews Project is a yearlong collaboration between Edible Baja Arizona and everyone's favorite regional craft breweries. Count on many more tastings and beer exploration in the coming months, where you can sample, schmooze with the brewers and get educated on the ever-expanding local craft brewing scene.
For more information on the event and to check out the entire tasting list with notes, look for the Facebook event page. In the meantime, keep calm and drink local.
From Tuesday, July 26 to Friday, Aug. 26 the TMA will be holding events to celebrate a local treasure and significant part of the TMA and Historic Block.
An elegant stucco covered brick two-story structure built in mission revival style, the J. Knox Corbett House was completed in 1906 and inhabited by the Corbett family for 56 years.
Completely refurbished, the house now features an extensive collection of unique and decorative objects from the arts and crafts era.
Know as a social hub in Tucson, the Corbett House Days will not only bring the property to life again by celebrating it's history, they will also bring funds to the Museum's Historic Block Restoration Fund.
The Corbett House Days program and events are as follows:
Daily tours, Tuesday, July 26 to Friday, Aug. 26
Tuesday through Sunday, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Free with museum admission
Free First Thursday, Corbett House by Twilight
Thursday, Aug. 4, 5 to 8 p.m.
Enjoy a special twilight tour of the house at 6 p.m. and then relax in the gardens and enjoy live music on the Corbett house porch at 7 p.m.
Restore + Celebrate
Friday, Aug. 26, 6 to 8 p.m., $50 a person
The evening will begin with a champagne toast on the Corbett House grounds, with a dine followed in the museum lobby catered by Cafe a la C' Art. Enjoy live music and a special presentation by Christine Brindza, Glasser Curator of Art of the American West while you dine.
Tags: corbett house , tucson museum of arts , corbett house days , historic bloc , mission revival
Friday, July 22, 2016
It always seems to happen so quickly: The final round of Best of Tucson® is about to come to a close. Have you voted? Are you sure?
Best of Tucson is a long survey, we know, so we try to help you out. You can save your ballot and come back to it, no problem. But what happens if you don't come back? We've got more than a thousand ballots sitting in Best Of limbo.
Remember that however you typed your name the first time you filled our a survey on our website is your forever password into all surveys on our website. Remember that we're not going to count your ballot if you don't vote in at least 30 categories. Remember to hit the "submit" button at the end of the ballot so your votes don't get completely ignored when we're tallying everything up.
Best of Tucson voting ends next Sunday, July 31. Get yourself a watermelon eegee and fill out your ballot before the month comes to a close.
Tags: best of tucson , get your votes in , make sure you hit submit
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Celebrate Sun Link's second anniversary this Saturday.
The streetcar is offering free rides all day this Saturday, July 23 sponsored by Tucson Electric Power, Fourth Avenue Merchants Association and Main Gate Square.
KXCI and Main Gate Square are also offering a free concert with Jimmy Carr and the Awkward Moments.
At 6 p.m. board the streetcar at the Avenida del Convento stop and enjoy live music all the way to Main Gate Square where there will be festivities and more music.
Since July 2014, the streetcar has given rides to more than two million passengers. Whether it's your first on the link or your 100th enjoy your Saturday with live music and fun.
Tags: sunlink , street car , anniversary , Jimmy Carr , San Mercado
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Omar Ramos, owner of the Men’s Room Barbershop (2523 N. Campbell Ave.) had just started his first haircut of the day on Tuesday, July 12, when he was abruptly interrupted by a car crashing through the front of his shop.
“I had heard the screeching of brakes so I went to the window to check it out,” Ramos said. “I saw the car coming towards us, so I yelled 'everyone move!' I’m glad my customer listened and everyone else listened and got out of the way.”
No one was injured in the accident. Ramos says the driver failed a sobriety test and was taken away by police.
The shop was closed for a couple of days but, despite what people may think when driving by, has reopened.
“It just looks like we’re shut down forever, but we’re up and running,” Ramos said, referencing the plywood that now covers the front of his business.
Ramos was initially worried that he would lose a lot of business from the ordeal, but was surprised by the loyalty of his customers. “When this happened we had a lot of customers come by asking if we’re open. I felt bad because I didn’t know when we’d be open again so I couldn’t tell them a couple days, or a week, I just didn’t know. Lucky for us they all came back when we opened back up. I love my customers.”
Tags: The Men's Room , Barber Shop , accident
Living River, a report newly released by Pima County and the Sonoran Institute, reveals that upgrades to water reclamation centers have improved the water quality and surrounding natural environments of the Lower Santa Cruz River. The EPA-funded report has been tracking changing conditions in this part of the river from Oct. 1, 2014 to Sept. 30, 2015.
The Lower Santa Cruz runs year-round through northwest Tucson and Marana and gets much of its water from WRCs Tres Rios and the new Agua Nueva, both of which receive and treat a portion of the over 62 million gallons of sanitary sewage a day seen by Pima County's treatment facilities. The state-of-the-art Agua Nueva, in particular, helps Pima County meet EPA standards of effluent discharges in the Santa Cruz River. This stretch of the river focused on by the report is the largest length of river dominated by effluent (wastewater) in the state.
Since the improvements to Tres Rios and the establishment of Agua Nueva, the report shows improvements to water quality/clarity and a decrease in odor. The report also states that four species of fish now reside in the river, three more than in previous years. Increased recharge of the aquifer, another positive change, means water pollution no longer flows as far downstream as it used to. Areas that saw a reduction in aquatic habitats as a result of this pollution now "appear to be reverting to a more desert-like environment" according to the release.
Tags: water , treatment , report , findings , river , pollution , Image
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Tucson Parks and Recreations has granted youth 17 and under free admission at 17 city pools in Tucson.
While most pools are participating, a fee will still be charged at the Edith Ball Adaptive Recreation center, Catalina park splash pad and Balboa heights splash pad, $2 for adults and $1 for youth.
We all know it's only going to get hotter before leaves start to fall and it gets cooler, but don't worry. Tucson Parks and Recreations will be offering this scorching deal until Aug. 3.
Grab the kids, the floaties and some sunscreen and head over to your nearest city pool for a relaxing family swim.
Tags: swim , free , City of Tucson , city pools , heat record
