Henry Koffler was the first alumnus president of the University of Arizona and died in March at 95-years-old. On Monday, Nov. 19, UA will be honoring Koffler with a tribute to his life.

Koffler was president for nine years in which UA saw increases in enrollment by 30 percent. Koffler led the Century II Capital Campaign, the UA’s first major fundraising activity with a goal of $100 million and he raised $198 million. He also led UA as it was elected to membership in the Association of American Universities which is the top 62 research universities in the U.S. and Canada. Koffler allowed the UA community to reach international commerce with ties to Mexico, Canada and the United Kingdom among others.

He expanded the general education and honors programs and started the first online student information system. Koffler invested in central computing capacity, facilitated collaborations with community colleges and won efforts to improve enrollment rates and graduation rates of undeserved students.

Also, several new teaching and research buildings were constructed during his tenure that are still here today including the Chemistry and Biological Sciences Building, renamed the Henry Koffler Building in 2000, the Gould Simpson building, a new Center for Creative Photography, the Karl Eller Center, now known as the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship and a renovated Centennial Hall.

He was vice president of academic affairs at the University of Minnesota, several positions including department head of biological sciences at Purdue University and he was chancellor of the University of Massachusetts when he was chosen to become the 16th president of the University of Arizona.

He earned a bachelor’s degree at UA in 1943, a master’s degree from University of Wisconsin in 1944 and a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin in 1947. He earned many awards and recognitions for being a distinguished microbiologist and biochemist including the Guggenheim fellowship and the Eli Lilly Award in Bacteriology and Immunology.

The tribute will take place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in The Fred Fox School of Music at Crowder Hall. 

On Oct. 26, Women’s Super League referee David McNamara accidentally left his coin in the dressing room before the start of the game between Manchester City and Reading, which was televised.

In soccer, a coin is tossed before the game to determine who gets to start with the ball and what side of the pitch the teams will play on. Without the coin, McNamara had to improvise and made the team captains play rock, paper, scissors as a decider.

Soon after, McNamara was suspended by the Football Association for not following the rules and acting unprofessionally. 

This has provoked reactions from around the world at the absurdity of something so small and harmless ending in punishment but has also provoked reactions from several grass-root soccer referees who intend on using rock, paper, scissors this weekend out of protest.

BBC quotes several anonymous referees as saying:

"I'll have a coin just in case anyone is unhappy but I don't see it being an issue. Rock, paper, scissors is an equally fair way of doing things. The suspended ref has shown initiative and thought quickly on his feet. The whole thing is a bit ridiculous..."

“I will be doing it to show support. It will probably serve as a light-hearted way to introduce myself to both captains.”

BICAS (Bicycle Inter-Community Art & Salvage) has been serving Central Tucson and surrounding communities for over 27 years now! The recycling center is a nonprofit that works to teach bike repair for sustainable transportation and uses bike parts to make art.

They are calling for artists to submit awesome bicycle-themed art donations by Nov. 25th to their store location, 2001 N 7th Ave., during shop hours Tuesday - Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Art should be ready to hang, and should also include a name, email and phone number.

As for the auction itself, Nov. 30th and Dec. 1st will mark their 23rd annual auction and will be at the Y.W.C.A. at 525 N Bonita Ave. The event is free and open to anyone and will include live music.

The University of Arizona and Operation Hat Trick have teamed up to help support wounded service members and veterans.

Operation Hat Trick is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2008 by Dot Sheehan in New Hampshire. It became a national nonprofit organization in 2012. The organization's mission is to help support and create awareness for wounded services members and veterans. The organization raises money by selling Operation Hat Trick merchandise.

A portion of all proceeds go to organizations that meet the standards of OHT. UA is now selling OHT merchandise on campus. According to the press release, proceeds from Arizona OHT stay in Tucson to help support the local military community.

Last Friday, the founder, Dot Sheehan, attended the UA football game for military appreciation night. He donated $3,500 to the Fisher House, a "home away from home" for the loved ones of active duty or veterans receiving care from Tucson VA.

UA has also been nominated for the OHT Excellence in Service Award, which could provide an additional donation between $3,500 and $10,000 in May 2019.

To learn more about OHT, click here.

Many believe the historic hotel was established in 1919, but with more research on the history, it was found that the building had a soft opening in Nov. 1918. On Sunday, Nov. 18 Hotel Congress will celebrate 100 years of business with the Copper Jubilee.

The Copper Jubilee will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. at Hotel Congress. There will be free birthday cake with 100 candles, historic hotel tours, poetry readings by UA Poetry Center contest winners, historic lectures, painting of the Hotel Congress on the Tap Room patio, food and drink specials from the era, live music all day and a huge surprise at dusk!

Bring items that represent Hotel Congress and downtown Tucson to help fill a 100-year time capsule. The reason for the year-long celebration is to showcase Hotel Congress’ strongly rooted heritage, give thanks to those who have left footprints and set their eyes on the future as they strive to go beyond and continue to be a true travel destination.

The celebrations will continue through Dec. 2019 with events toasting the hotel’s dedication to serving the Tucson community and world travelers for the past century. There will be a variety of new and new versions of events, art exhibits, lecture series, historical and modern additions to the hotel and much more!

10 Historical Facts about Hotel Congress:

1. In 1934 Hotel Congress caught on fire and John Dillinger was captured and tried in Tucson.
2. In the 1940s, because of the fire, Hotel Congress went from 80 to 40 rooms.
3. In 1959 Tiger (Thomas Ziegler) began working in the Tap Room and still works there today.
4. In 1985 Richard and Shana Oseran purchased Hotel Congress and Club Congress, a center for Tucson nightlife opened its doors.
5. In 1989 Muralist Larry Boyce painted the lobby.
6. In 1990 the Cup Café, an eatery that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner opened.
7. In 2000 an event space called the Copper Hall opened.
8. In 2010 the 1930’s cooler was replaced with air conditioning.
9. In 2011 Local Muralist Joe Pagac painted the private guest patio into an urban oasis.
10. In 2013 the Tap Room was renamed “Tiger’s Tap Room” in honor of his 80th birthday.

Does a day of games, prizes, face painting, crafts, inflatables, tennis, disc golf and class demonstrations sound like fun for you and your family?

On Saturday, Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Cigna and Tucson Parks and Recreation presents the 13th annual Family Festival in the Park. The event is free and Reid Park Zoo will have $1 admission. Attendees are also invited to bring non-perishable food donations to support the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

The event will take place at Reid Park and the Edith Ball Adaptive Recreation Center will host free swimming with an inflatable obstacle course.

Volunteers from Friends of the Reid Park Rose Garden will be giving tours of the garden during the event. There will be entertainment throughout the day and a variety of foods for purchase from local vendors.

Find more information here.

Not all of El Tour is in Tucson. This year’s new 25-mile segment will start at Marana Heritage River Park, located at 12375 N Heritage Park Dr.

This new option provides cyclists with a shorter distance, later start and easier parking than the 75 or 100-mile routes.

For those who don’t know, El Tour de Tucson is an annual event in the Tucson area that has been going on for 36 years. Cyclists make their way around “the loop,” a 130-mile bike path that goes in and around Tucson and Marana.

This year’s loop will end at Armory Park for the Downtown El Tour Fiesta, featuring live music, awards ceremony, a beer garden and plenty of food vendors to refuel.

The Marana route starting line will also have food trucks, information booths and music. The starting time for the Saturday, Nov. 17 event will be at 1 p.m. sharp. Festivities will begin at the park a little earlier at 12.

The registration fee for the 25-mile route is $125 for cyclists 15 and older and $44 for those 14 and younger.

Learn more about Marana’s El Tour route here.

Less than a day after Sen. Jeff Flake vowed to use whatever remaining leverage he has to push a bill protecting the Mueller investigation, he saw that leverage pulled away from him Thursday, at least for now.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley delayed action on 15 judicial nominees – including Bridget Bade from Arizona – who were scheduled to have their nominations voted on Thursday.

Grassley said the nominees were withheld to settle a scheduling conflict with committee Democrats, who complained that nomination hearings were held during the Senate’s October recess. He did not indicate when they might come up for a vote.

The delay temporarily scuttles Flake’s plan to oppose all judicial nominees until Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agrees to allow a vote on the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act.

That bill, approved by the Judiciary Committee in April but stalled in the full Senate since, would prohibit the White House from interfering in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into possible Russian meddling in the 2016 election. President Donald Trump has often referred to the probe as a witch-hunt.

Flake, an Arizona Republican, and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, said Wednesday that Trump’s decision to force out former Attorney General Jeff Sessions and replace him with a critic of the Mueller investigation makes it more important than ever to pass the bill protecting the probe.

They are also concerned that the acting attorney general, Sessions’ former Chief of Staff Matthew Whitaker, has not been approved by the Senate, which they said is required.

“When you have the attorney general fired and when you have the oversight for the investigation moved to someone who has not received Senate confirmation, who has expressed open hostility to the Mueller investigation, there’s a problem, and I think most of our colleagues feel the same way,” Flake said Wednesday.

But Grassley challenged the claim that Whitaker needs Senate approval to work in an acting capacity, and called it “incredibly ironic that members are now distraught over Attorney General Sessions’ resignation last week” when they so vigorously challenged his appointment in 2017.

“President Trump acted in strict conformance with the law, and Acting Attorney General Whitaker’s appointment is perfectly legal,” said Grassley, adding the he is confident Whitaker “will carry out the functions of the Justice Department to the best of his abilities.”

Grassley vowed that the Senate will “properly vet” whomever Trump nominates to be the next attorney general, saying the Senate is “never a rubber stamp for any president.”

Flake remained firm Thursday in his criticism of Whitaker’s appointment.

“To have the president go and elevate someone who would then stop the probe, that has to provoke a constitutional crisis,” Flake said. “I think all of us on my side of the aisle have said that at one point or another.”

He said he stands by his original plan to withhold his vote on judicial nominees – a threat that has to be taken seriously with Republicans holding only a one-vote majority on the Judiciary Committee.

Flake conceded that McConnell could simply wait until January, when Flake will be out of office, or call in the vice president as tie-breaker, so that nominations could “theoretically … still pass” without his vote. But that hasn’t changed his plan.

“All I can do is say, ‘I’m not going to vote to advance anybody who is before the committee, and I won’t vote for any of these nominees until we have a vote on the Mueller probe,'” Flake said.

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