Foothills News, Aug. 18, 2021

Downtown gallery comeback | Page 4 • Champion BBQ ribs | Page 6 • Helping the Humane Society | Page 8

FOOTHILLS NEWS August 18, 2021 • Volume 11 • Number 16 • www.TucsonLocalMedia.com

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Foothills News, August 18, 2021

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Desert To-Dos

The Standby Lear. We love a good meta-story here.

This show at Live Theatre Workshop is about a cast putting on the play King Lear. But, at the last minute, the actor playing King Lear falls ill, leaving the understudy, Augie, to step up. This is, like, the role of a lifetime, and to get the opportunity to play it at the last minute is truly incredible. And this could be the last great opportunity in Augie’s long acting career. But is he up to the task? Or is it too late?

Both comedic and heartwarming, this show is directed by Rhonda Hallquist and written by John W. Lowell, award-winning author of The Letters. David Johnston plays Augie, and Molly Lyons plays Anna.

7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays through Aug. 28. Bonus Saturday matinee on Aug. 28. Live Theatre Workshop, 3322 E. Fort Lowell Road. $15 for Thursday shows, $20 GA and $18 for students, seniors and military.

Wild World of Bugs. Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium has a new exhibit! Rather than zooming out to consider far-off galaxies and planetary bodies like usual, this exhibit zooms way in, taking a look at what a huge role insects play here on Earth. You’ll see a four-foot long model of a giant mesquite bug, a large ant fungus farm, Madagascar hissing cockroaches (for the brave), and blue beetles. There are

An Enterprise of the Tohono O’odham Nation.

you out of? For the artist, whether they are self-taught beginners or masters with years of training, intuition is innate and irreplaceable.

The newest exhibit at Tohono Chul is focused on artists that have trusted their sparks of intuition to create unusual, visionary works.

Royce Davenport, Patrick Hynes, Ed Larson, Mary Bohan and Ralph Prata are all exhibiting. Come pick up some inspiration!

Opened in the Tohono Chul Entry Gallery (7366 Paseo del Norte) on Aug. 12. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. $15 GA, $13 Downtown Clifton Sum- military/student/senior, $6 mer Jazz Series. True or kids 5 to 12, free for memfalse: Summer is the jazziest bers and kids under 5. season. Food for thought, right? Whatever your feel- HUB Restaurant Rooftop ings about the best time of Dinner Summer Series. If year for jazz, you don’t want you haven’t been to one of to miss this supper club at these fantastic meals on the the Downtown Clifton. En- rooftop of the HUB yet this joy a private courtyard per- summer, this is your last formance by the jazz group chance! This five-course Yardfire, accompanied by meal was created by the the DJ stylings of DJ Dibs. HUB’s Chef Dave specifWhile you watch, enjoy a ically for this night, and delicious three-course din- each course is paired with ner of Stone Avenue Sal- a wine from Flying Leap ad, masa dumplings and Vineyards. We’re talking fizzy fruit pies. Afterward, white wine paired with the hotel hosts a Jazz Af- blackened Ahi Tuna! Three ter Dark event in the Red different types of prosciutLight Lounge with more DJ to! A habanero chili grenand jazz stylings. A perfect ache paired with beef tenway to spend one of these derloin and goat cheese! dog days of summer. 7 to And chocolate puff pastry 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21. with peanut butter mousse.

Downtown Clifton, 485 S. Is your mouth watering yet?

6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 19.

Stone Ave. $45.

Playground Bar & Lounge Visionary Revisions. Rooftop Patio, 278 E. ConWhere has your intuition gress St. Call 207-8201 to taken you in your life? Or make a reservation. $95 per what trouble has it kept person, plus tax and tip. also plenty of hands-on and digital activities, like the build-a-bug station, and a roly poly skeeball game.

You’re gonna want to make a bee-line over there ASAP. Exhibit opened at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14. Starting Aug. 17, the center will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesdays through Sundays.

Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, 1601 E. University Blvd. $9 adults, $7 kids 4 to 17 and free for kids 3 and under. Tickets for the planetarium show are sold separately and are the same price.

Cover photo courtesy of Technicians for Sustainability

Foothills News

The Foothills News is published twice each month and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout the Catalina Foothills. To find out where you can pick up a free copy of the Foothills News, go to www.TucsonLocalMedia.com

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Foothills News, August 18, 2021

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Foothills News, August 18, 2021

How a trio of downtown galleries are keeping art alive Margaret Regan

Special to Tucson Local Media

“I

have a Motherwell in my window,” says Athena A. Roesler, proprietor of the Gallery 2 Sun in the Warehouse Arts District.

The work, by the famous Robert Motherwell, is a collage in black and tan, with a fragment of sheet music that suggests a violin. But the window also features paintings by living local artists.

Currently, Howard Kline is showing bright works partly inspired by Abstract Expressionists like Motherwell.

In fact, Roesler says, “much of Howard’s work is an ode to mid-century artists.”

Right now, the gallery is closed because of COVID. But fans can visit by calling for an appointment with Roseler, who says she’s available most days. And if all else fails you can take a gander at a batch of gallery works Roseler has hung at her brother’s restaurant, Bacio Italiano, near the UA. Or you can get a good look through the 2 Sun windows.

The window works are excellent examples of the

gallery’s unusual specialization in both “local artists and vintage modern art.” In the renowned artist category, besides Motherwell and others, there’s the late Israel Levitan, a sculptor of the mid-century New York School. Levitan once said he aimed “to produce sculpture of such simplicity that it hardly seems carved or modeled.” Visitors can see if he succeeded in the gallery’s collection of his work.

Jack Busby, one of the local artists, is a 70-something native Tucsonan who has only shown work publicly in recent years. The hard-working Busby has been a wrangler, a hair stylist, a store owner and a landscaper, but he spent “decades training and immersing (himself) in painting,” Roesler says. “His eclectic style is colorful and charming. He does bright acrylics on canvas. Some are ‘folk arty,’ but he also does abstraction.” He has “a broad perspective on humanity,” she adds, “and a unique sensitivity in his work.”

Other locals now displaying their work include Danielle Niebling, a painter and ceramist who lives in the Rancho Linda Vista art colony; and painters Layla

Edwards and Eric Jabloner.

The gallery also carries the works of French African painters from Burkina Faso, including Souleimane Barry, who makes abstracted human figures. Roesler did a show for the group when they came to Tucson for the Gem Show a few years back.

The pandemic has prevented their return for now, but Roesler has had luck selling their work on online in Paris and elsewhere.

The internet and sites like Artsy and Esty have absolutely kept Gallery 2 Sun and other small galleries afloat.

“I sell a couple (of works) a month,” she says, enough to keep the business going.

Early this year, she tried an experiment, reopening the gallery to visitors on Wednesdays and Fridays.

But hardly anyone came.

“There was minimal traffic and then when the heat came it met with a dead stop,” she said. Likely it didn’t help that the road construction for the Downtown Links Project has been roaring past her space for months. She ended the effort in June.

Depending what the scary Delta variant does in the next few months, Roesler is entertaining the idea of

Painting by Tucson artist Jack Busby at Gallery 2 Sun

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few doors down from Gallery 2 Sun, a bevy of nine women artists have filled Contreras Gallery’s small space with cheerful art.

Sylvia Garland’s “String Theory” is an acrylic abstraction in red, orange and yellow, the colors of dawn Gallery 2 Sun, 100 E. and a new day. Carolyn Sixth St. gallery2sun.com. King’s “Serenity” and “Res520-360-8074; pbstorm@aol. toration,” part of a series mixed media nature works, com. picture curly plants—and staging an indoor-outdoor salon starting in October.

“Maybe on certain Saturdays and then various receptions every quarter,” she says.

“As weather permits, they will be outside as well as inside to mitigate germs.”

human hands—softly putting the world to rights. Leslie Hawes’s colored pencil drawings conjure up a much needed fairyland of flowers and waterfalls.

These optimistic pieces are the first artworks hanging in the gallery since it shut down a year and a half ago. The pandemic is raging once again, but the works are filled with hope for the future.

Continued on P6

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Out door dining, Take-out, or Delivery!

Call Today: 520-797-4284

Foothills News, August 18, 2021

UA announces return to live theatre for upcoming season Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

S

tudents from the University of Arizona’s School of Theatre, Film & Television are finally returning to the stage for in-person performances this October.

The School of Theatre, Film & Television recently announced its 2021 & 2022 season, which will comprise four shows produced by the Arizona Repertory Theatre and two productions by the student-devised Next Performance Collective, including a brand new festival.

“Top of mind was coming back and providing performance and production opportunities for our acting & musical theatre students, our theatre students, and our design and tech productions students in an ethical and robust way,” said Hank Stratton, UA assistant professor and artistic director of the Arizona Repertory Theatre.

“So much has happened in the last 18 months. There’s been a constellation of crises and moments that need to be answered. In the interest of equity for the entire school, I wanted to make sure there were more theatre students that were given access to main stage experiences. Giving them visibility is really important, and it’s important to honor theatre-making on every level.”

The season will open with two Arizona Repertory Theatre shows: “Into the Woods”

by Stephen Sondheim, running from Oct. 10 to Oct. 24, and a new version of Chekhov’s “Three Sisters,” running from Nov. 7 to Nov. 21.

“The first show we’re do-

ing is ‘Into the Woods,’ which is not necessarily a new opportunity, but it seemed like a fantastical and lyrical way to invite the patrons, audience and campus back to the theatre. I feel the mix of whimsy and menace that it holds matches the moment we’re in,” Stratton said. “I also wanted to represent female artists in a more honest way, and Sarah Ruhl has a gorgeous adaptation of Anton Chekov’s ‘Three Sisters’ that I had been dying to produce, and this seems like the perfect time.

We have a lot of strong women right now, and I wanted to represent them.”

The Next Performance Collective, a UA initiative for works by emerging playwrights, will then take the stage with “Everybody” running from Dec. 3 through Dec. 5. This show by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins examines “the meaning of life and the mystery of death” with a lottery twist.

Arizona Repertory Theatre will return with “Living Dead in Denmark,” by Qiu Nguyen running from Feb. 27 to March 20, 2022. This sequel to Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is part adventure, part horror set five years after the original, when the undead rise from the grave, and resurrects many of Shakespeare’s great female characters.

This is followed by an Arizona Repertory Theatre performance of the rock-and-roll musical “High Fidelity” from April 10 to April 24. Based on the book by David Lindsay-Abaire, with music by Tom Kitt and lyrics by Amanda Green, the show centers around a record store owner

whose life takes a musical turn when he’s unexpectedly dumped.

Finally, the season will conclude with the New Directions Festival from April 29 to May 1, which features a variety of original plays from UA students.

“The New Directions Festival is sort of an amalgamation of a one-act festival we did a couple of years ago,” Stratton said. “It was a huge success and a gain for our students. The New Directions Festival in the spring will be curated pieces and original one-acts that are all student-generated. They will be receiving production support from our design and tech division, but the actual content is original and directed by students. We are really proud we have representative voices.

It was top of mind when we were choosing our programming.”

All shows will take place at the Tornabene Theatre, except for “High Fidelity” on the School of Theatre, Film & Television’s Outdoor Stage, because the UA’s Marroney Theatre is undergoing renovation.

Due to the relatively unpredictable nature of COVID, safety precautions are still in the works for the upcoming season, but Stratton says they will likely align with broader University recommendations.

“With this season we look forward to amplifying under-represented voices, and to providing students across the School with an opportunity to work on a broad range of classical, contemporary and self-devised work,” says TFTV director Andy Belser.

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Foothills News, August 18, 2021

Just how do you create award-winning BBQ ribs?

Matt Russell

Special to Tucson Local Media

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ou can smell the smoke the moment you land at Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

Every Labor Day weekend, the small town of Sparks, Nevada hosts what’s often called the Masters Tournament of barbecue rib competitions.

And that smoke? It gets measurably thicker as you make the five-mile trip from the airport to Victorian Square.

Joining a typical turnout of 500,000 people, who collectively consume more than 100 tons of pork ribs, I’ll soon be returning for my 10th year as a judge at the double-blind Nugget Rib Cookoff, which USA Today has dubbed the nation’s “Best BBQ Festival.”

In preparation for this important assignment, I sat down with decorated Tucson pit master Brandi Romero as she shared her strategy for wowing judges at similar competitions.

Romero was a multiple award-winning fixture on the local and national barbecue

competition circuit for several years before her food truck hit the streets in 2016. The community response was overwhelming, and the kind of affirmation she needed to open a restaurant two years later, Kiss of Smoke BBQ & Catering, at 663 S. Plumer Avenue.

Rib competitions typically include three scoring categories—appearance, texture, and taste. Appearance is key, since we all eat with our eyes, particularly when you’re staring down a righteous rack of ribs.

“The work that’s required to produce a great appearance begins long before you rub the ribs and put them into the smoker,” said Romero.

“There are many fine details in the way a rack of ribs is trimmed that makes it competition-worthy.”

One of her trimming secrets is to round the corners near the bones so the meat will more efficiently pull back towards the center of the rack as it’s smoked. This technique results in that classic glamour image with the ends of the bones protruding slightly from the meat.

Galleries Continued from P4

Courtesy photo

Kiss of Smoke BBQ & Catering rounds the corners near the bones so the meat will more efficiently pull back towards the center of the rack as it’s smoked.

A beautiful color is also central to scoring big appearance points, and Romero aims for a deep mahogany that requires dedicated doses of paprika and brown sugar in her rub.

Nailing the texture category is all about that delicate balance of time and heat. Smoking ribs too long will make the meat fall off the bone. While this is the preferred style of ribs at many restaurants, it will put you at risk in competition.

“Judges want ribs to have a bit of a pull when they bite into them,” she said, “and we do this best when working with meatier racks. We want judges to experience a slight crispness from the exterior crust, then that gentle pull, followed by a melt-in-yourmouth tenderness.”

If you score big on appearance and texture in competition but come up short on taste, you’ll go home without hardware. The flavors must work together in a way that impresses judges after just one bite, which is all your ribs generally get from each judge.

“We want a balance of fla-

Michael and Neda Contreras were adamant from the early days of COVID that they would keep the gallery doors shut until an effective vaccine was widely available. A month ago, with excellent vaccines offered free for all U.S. residents from age 12 and up, the coast was clear and they threw open the doors on July 3.

So far they have not gotten a lot of people in the gallery and Michael suspects that the road construction is deterring some people from visiting. But “we’re going to stay open regardless,” he says. “We want to bring the people back.”

In the meantime, to make sales, Michael is putting everything online, from his own handmade silver jewelry to Neda’s charming ex voto paintings to each of the works in the Chicharra show. And he’ll do the same for every exhibition in the future.

The title of the current show, Chicharra, promises better times. It’s Spanish for “cicadas,” and it evokes the insects’ long years underground and their eventual emergence into the light.

vors in one bite, so we apply a very thin layer of rub that combines notes of sweet, salt and heat with the smoke,” she said. “We also use a blend of pecan, cherry and apple wood, which allows for a slower smoke without becoming overpowering.”

I’ll be reflecting on my conversation with Romero while performing my judicial duties in smoky Sparks. And I know where to go the moment I return home.

While Kiss of Smoke is open every Wednesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., their ribs are only available on Fridays. So follow Contreras Gallery, 110 the fragrance to South Plumer Avenue and East 17th Street E. Sixth St. Contrerashousefineart.com. 520-398-6557. and save me a seat!

Park on west side of building. Open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Contact Matt Russell, Tuesday through Saturday. whose day job is CEO of Rus- Call before you go. Masks sell Public Communications, required. at mrussell@russellpublic.com.

Russell is also the publisher of ach summer, Raices OnTheMenuLive.com as well Taller 222 Art Gallery as the host of the Friday Weekand Workshop stages end Watch segment on the Agua Sagrada (Sacred “Buckmaster Show on KVOI Water): A Monsoon Exhi1030 AM. bition. One of the show’s

E

duties, in my view, is to get the rains pouring down all over Tucson. This year was its best ever: the exhibition began in early July and by the end of the month the city had gotten 8 inches of rain, making it the wettest month in Tucson’s recorded history.

And the 38 artists in the show have done their part, using paint and metal and pencil and cameras to create their visions of sacred water.

Patrick Hynes painted a luminously blue waterfall on a tall and skinny metal screen.

Chris Tanz photographed stately pelicans enjoying the waters of the Sea of Cortéz.

Jana Welch used pencil on wood to depict a woman diving into the ocean. And Luis Rodriguez’s print on canvas pictures a young boy in a bountiful Arizona river, one that’s been carefully protected for this child and all Arizonans.

The show is entirely online because Raices has not yet opened up. “We had been thinking of opening but then the variant came out,” says the gallery’s John Salgado. Plus, he adds, “It’s hard for people to get in and out” with all the ongoing road work.

At this point, he’s hoping the variant will subside and he can open by November.

For now, Raices will stick to the virtual gallery. As most gallerists know by now, “Online shows do well.”

Raices Taller, 218 E. Sixth St. raicetaller222.com.520881-5335. The show will be online until August 21.

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Foothills News, August 18, 2021

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Foothills News, August 18, 2021

Cathey’s Sewing Drive Supports Humane Society Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

M

ore than a hundred shelter animals awaiting adoption are now a little more comfortable — and stylish — thanks to a donation from Cathey’s Sewing & Vacuum to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona.

The donations are part of Cathey’s annual Christmas-In-July sewing event, where customers and staff create specialized items for local nonprofits. In addition, Cathey’s also raises funds for the selected nonprofit from raffles and events. This year, the Humane Society of Southern Arizona received 165 pet bandanas, 85 cat

beds and $3,250.

“Every year we try to choose a different nonprofit, as locally oriented as possible, with a sewing challenge we can connect them to,” said owner Donny Cathey. “Often it’s not too difficult to come up with something for a charity… Animals touch everyone’s lives, so to support a charity that helps house and support animals is always worthwhile.”

The sewing takes place during Cathey’s Saturday classes, and culminates in awards given to the volunteers who are most artistic and go above-and-beyond.

During the finale, attendees vote on their favorites and the best use of embroidery to decide the winners. Award categories include “Pawsome

(L to R) Andy Cathey, Donny Cathey and Carly Timpf at the Christmas-In-July event.

Embroidery,” “The Cat’s Meow,” and best of show. In addition, above-and-beyond awards went to Rita Morrow, who created 19 cat crate beds,

and Rosalee Zipp, who created 30 pet bandanas. Rewards for award-winners include gift cards for customers, or a paid day off for employees.

Photo by Gavin Dunham/HSSA

“We see some unbelievable examples of creativity from our staff and community,” Cathey said. “It’s a hot time of year, and there’s not a

lot of events going on in July in Tucson. So we thought this was a good way to keep people engaged. And connecting it to a charity is a good way to give back. Tucson’s been exceptionally good to my family, and we have a responsibility to give back.”

Cathey says the idea for the Christmas-In-July event came from him and his wife, and they’ve been hosting it for more than 20 years. They started tying it to local nonprofits 10 years ago. They select nonprofits by asking their staff and customers for a list of potential charities to support, then select ones they can connect with a sewing challenge. Previous charities include Aviva Children’s Services, as well as initiatives for breast cancer awareness.

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Foothills News, August 18, 2021

Staff Best of Show bandana winner created by Carly Timpf.

“We are over the moon about the funds, because it will help us save a lot of homeless pets,” said HSSA spokesperson Camille Hall.

“Generally, the money goes

wherever we need it. We never know what case will come through our door next, so we put that money wherever we can to help pets... The people who par-

Courtesy photo

ticipated in Cathey’s event really got to customize the bandanas with whatever embroidery they wanted.

They say really adorable things like ‘ready to go

home.’ Others have cute patterns, suns and glitter.”

Other phrases on the pet bandanas include “Ready to be rescued,” “Take me home,” “I heart to chew toys” and “Looking for my forever home.”

The Humane Society will not be selling the donated bandanas and crate beds.

Instead, they will give the items to the animals in their shelter, who will be able to keep them even when they’re adopted.

“This really touched our hearts for a number of reasons,” Hall said. “The transition to a home for a shelter pet can be really difficult.

Switching from environment to environment can be very stressful for a pet, and having a familiar item, like a bandana for dogs or a crate pad for cats, can really make that transition easier.”

Customer Best of Show bandana winner Carisa Cook

Courtesy photo

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Foothills News, August 18, 2021

Marana teen competes in national rodeo competition Tom Danehy

Special to Tucson Local Media

F

resh back from the 2021 National High School Rodeo championships, Maryn Buchanan is both blazing a personal trail while adding to the well-earned fame of her extended family.

Maryn is the latest standout in the legendary Parsons clan that includes patriarch Charlie; rodeo legends Clay, Joe and Cutter; rodeo star and multisport athlete Erin; and stud basketball players Mallory and Carly. (Maryn’s mom, Tracy, is a Parsons.) The Parsons family is synon-

ymous with both Marana and rodeo, so Maryn has both a solid base and a whole lot to try to live up to. She’s off to a good start.

The National High School Rodeo is actually misnamed. It doesn’t just feature the top highschool age rodeo competitors from the United States, but also draws people from Mexico, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This year’s event was held in Nebraska; for the next two years, it will be in Wyoming.

She reached Nationals by competing on an almost year-round basis, piling up points along the way as she headed into the

must lasso a running calf and then signal for her horse to stop. Once the calf pulls the rope taut, the rope breaks loose from the saddle horn so as not to injure the calf and, more importantly, to signal the end of the event to the timer.

It is not unreasonable to see times in this event in the double digits of seconds. The least-fast time at the Nationals was 14.14 seconds.

Maryn did it in 2.5 secPhoto by Acentric Rodeo Photography onds. That was fast enough Marana teen Maryn Buchanan recently competed at the 2021 National High School Rodeo championships. to win her pool of 13 ropers. She would end up finishing 11th overall out of State Finals in Prescott. select few to reach the Na- so next year.)

The top four finishers in tionals in multiple events.

Her best mark was in more than 200 competieach event are invited to (She didn’t qualify in Bar- Breakaway Roping, in tors in the event. A roper Nationals. She was one of a rel Racing, but hopes to do which a rider on a horse from Texas won the event

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Foothills News, August 18, 2021

with a mind-boggling time of 1.92 seconds.

Seriously, can you imagine a sporting event involving two animals, a human, a rope and a perfectly executed tug on the reins accompanied by a voice command, all accomplished under three seconds? It’s crazy.

Maryn actually has two different horses for her competitions. Chiquita is her Roping horse, but for Pole Bending, she rides Joe. (Pole Bending is the rodeo equivalent of the Giant Slalom in skiing.

Competitors on horseback weave in and out of closely spaced poles that are stuck in the ground.)

There was again a wide range of times at the Nationals, ranging from a winning time of 19.811

seconds down to a time of 43.962. Maryn’s time of 26.777 seconds put her in the middle of the pack of 200-plus competitors.

“I know I can do better than that,” she says. “It just wasn’t a good day for me and Joe.” Well, considering that Joe is 22 years old(!), every day is a good day for him. Isn’t that kinda old for a horse to be competing?, she was asked.

“Well, maybe. Very few horses compete over the age of 20, but Joe still has a lot of spirit and competitiveness in him. Besides, he doesn’t know that he’s 22.”

You’re keeping it from him?! Doesn’t he deserve to know?

“We’ll (both) know when it’s time,” she

explains.

Maryn is already training horses that could potentially take his place when Joe applies for the equine version of Social Security.

She is entering her junior year of high school, so she has two more years to compete at Nationals.

She has thought about trying to squeeze in highschool sports (she used to play volleyball and softball and, at nearly 5’ 9”, ought to be able to carry on the Parsons tradition of playing basketball), but there just isn’t enough time in the day.

“I’m up with the sun, checking on the horses, then there’s school and then practicing. My days are full.”

She hopes to compete

in rodeo in college and perhaps even earn an athletic scholarship to do so.

(I wouldn’t bet against it.)

One quick side note: While doing the research for this, I looked online at the results of the Nationals, poring over the lists for odd stats and/or unique names. Unique?

More like priceless. In one of the events for boys, two of the top finishers were Cash Robb and Chance Story. It’s like it was written by Elmore Leonard.

Speaking of names, what’s with Maryn?

“I’m named after Marin County in California, but my mom put a ‘y’ in there just so people would mess it up for my entire life.”

Yeah, well, at this point, just about everything else seems to be going right.

Acentric Rodeo Photography

Maryn Buchanan: “I’m up with the sun, checking on the horses, then there’s school and then practicing. My days are full.”

YOUR VOTES FOR

THE

Best ® f Tucson o Legends st! the We 2021 OF

Vote now through September 1 www.tucsonweekly.com Presented by

and

POOL SAFETY

Golder Ranch Fire District is asking you to be informed about Pool Safety. A drowning can happen to anyone at any time but the only way to ensure that everyone has a safe experience in the water is to supervise children around and in the water. Here’s to a safe swim season!

• Never swim alone, always use the buddy system regardless of age.

• At parties, assign a designated “Water Watcher” whose responsibility is to monitor the number of people in the pool and be prepared for an emergency.

• The designated “Water Watcher” should not be engaged in conversation, eating, or drinking alcohol. They should have a phone available pool side to call 9-1-1 in the event of an

emergency.

• The “Water Watcher” should be an adult. They should take turns with other adults at the gathering in 20-30 minute intervals.

• Avoid “horse play” around the pool to prevent injuries.

• When it is time for everyone to get out of the pool, secure the pool area by ensuring that pool gates are closed, and that all swimmers are accounted for and out of the pool area.

Golder Ranch Fire District Administration | 3885 E. Golder Ranch Drive, Tucson, AZ 85739 | grfdaz.gov

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28 32

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44 47

48

51

53

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65

67

68

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54 59

62

36

49 52

61

35

45

58

ACROSS 1 Gets rid of, so to speak 5 Parties with glowsticks

Old-fashioned taste?

13 Menu at un café 15 Amazon’s biz 16 Subj. for some aspiring bilinguals 17 Clamoring for “The Bonfire of the Vanities”?

19 They can help you get out of a rut, for short 20 Business plan 21 One of 20 on the Titanic 23 TV alien played by Robin Williams 24 Selling someone on “The Importance of Being Earnest”?

26 Group with lodges 28 Exam with logic questions, for short 29 “Any other place besides here?”

34 Genesis creator 10

34 39

43 46

50

25

31

37

2 Crime drama set in the

22

55

56

57

60

63 66 69

37

Curse

38 Kindle, e.g. … or a hint to this

puzzle’s theme?

Hair color of about 2% of the world’s population 42 Not fooled by 44 They’re a bit of a stretch 46 Some jeans features 49 Humorist Bombeck 50 Spot to store “A Confederacy of Dunces”?

54 ___ Zor-El, real name of Supergirl 58 Battle with clearly defined sides 59 “Now wait just a second!”

61 With 14-Down, what “Fin” might mean 62 Positive review of a Nancy Drew mystery?

64 “Jingle Bells” contraction 65 Architect born in Guangzhou 66 A dance or a dip 67 Narc (on) 41

Midwest 3 Fast-food fixture 4 Rascal 5 Counterpart of “FF” 6 Bikini, e.g.

7 Sound 8 Towering figure of architecture?

9 Is out 10 Creatures that have the densest fur of any mammal (up to 1 million hairs per square inch) 11 Hayes with three Grammys and an Oscar 12 “Lady Lazarus” poet Sylvia 14 See 61-Across 18 Onetime popular blog that covered Manhattan gossip 22 Predisposition 25 R&B’s ___ Brothers 27 Big name in jeans 29 “___ goes there?”

30 Lay figure?

31 People person, perhaps 32 Portuguese title with a tilde 33 Cusps 35 “My word!”

36 Often-skipped parts of podcasts 39 Coarse 40 Dashboard abbr.

43 “Essential” things 45 Gold insignia of the armed forces 47 Babe or Wilbur, in film 48 Conceptual framework 50 Aristotle, to Alexander the Great 51 Tony nominee Milo 52 A host 53 Host 55 Singer of the titular song in 2012’s “Skyfall” 56 Clear one’s plate, in a way 57 Bothered terribly 60 Gives the thumbs-up 63 “___ Last Bow” (Sherlock Holmes story)

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’re skilled in the art of diffusing tension and de-escalating conflict. In difficult and complicated negotiations, you’re the calm eye of the storm. When things seem to be reaching an emotional peak, move slow, talk low and come up with a reason to leave for a moment. In stepping back, you get closer.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). At times, you’ve felt you were reacting to life -- dealing with its impositions and struggling through its obstacle course. This week represents a shift in your approach. You become proactive -- an artist with a strong vision. You’ll invent your life in your head first and then live your creation.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). It feels like you are fighting the good fight on a grand scale, though perhaps it’s really a small scale approached with grand feeling. Either way, you can be sure you’re making a difference, and your growing passion will have even greater impact in the future.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’ll witness a shift in a relationship this week. Your sense of emotional security doesn’t ride on this. Wisdom has taught you how relationships don’t really progress -- they just change. With an accepting spirit, you can see differences as beautiful in their own way. One form isn’t better than another.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Forget about trying to be popular, appropriate or correct. Cooperation is more important than any detail or technicality. Solve the matter at hand. It is said that love is the answer, but not for this week’s problem. Love is too open to interpretation.

What’s needed here is more cut and dried. The answer: respect.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). The right decision is not to decide. Stand in one place, and let the scene move around you. It’s like you’re in a cloud that lets the light in dramatically and unpredictably, highlighting various meanings and options. By the end of the week, you’ll have many new insights about the environment and your place in it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The spider spins a gossamer web -- intricate, symmetrical and artistic. And though this may be the spider’s lovely home, its primary purpose is to catch a meal. This week, stay far away from the glittery attractions designed to catch more than just your interest, which are stickier and more dangerous than they look.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’re still processing an event from years ago and will be surprised at how it pops up as a topic this week.

Friends may not seem to completely understand you or relate to you in the way you’d prefer, but interactions will still have benefits that far outweigh what you can learn by keeping everything to yourself.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). People won’t surprise you too much; your predictions about them will be about right. You can definitely use this to your advantage. When the rewards come, accept them as perks of the people skills you’ve honed. Your sharp observations and keen knowledge of human character were bound to pay off sometime.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). If you only interacted with the people and things you liked, your world would be small and sad. While some new interests spark immediate and obvious affinity, many are slow-growing attractions -- tastes, talents and passions that must be cultivated. It will benefit you to give things a chance to grow on you.

Crossword Puzzle Answers

26

1 Philosopher with a “razor”

P L A T H

24

DOWN

19 21

23

69 Units of poetry

A T O L L

18

20

29

16

F R Y E R

17

15

F A R G O

14

O C C A M

the periodic table

13

R E G W A W K E R

68 Six of the first 10 elements on

A D S

12

S A O

11

I S L E Y

10

A T E A T

9

S S I L E S E A A E B O A P I T C S A T S E G R R E P O S E M A K A R O L D I K E E N S A L S F E E

8

V E A I L F I F D E L E D E G A E R S T H H Y I S

7

E M C E E

6

H E A P S

5

S C H E M A

4

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Power is not freedom.

The power position often has more limits, rules and responsibilities than a lower-status position. Another thing to consider: Everyone in power owes a debt to someone. Before you seize the high-status position, be sure you know the cost. Ask yourself, “Is it really worth it?”

S T E I N N D K E L R E E O I P L E S T P I G

3

ARIES (March 21-April 19). There is no good reason your success should elude you. You’re ready; you’re talented; and you have the goods.

Additionally, this thing you want would be a stellar fit for your life. If it remains out of reach, it’s only because it remains out of focus.

Stop dividing your time. Prioritize ruthlessly.

Organize around it.

W H E H E X O N T R O V E R T

2

HOROSCOPE By Holiday Mathis

O S H E A

1

Foothills News, August 18, 2021

T U T O R

12

13

Foothills News, August 18, 2021

Worship Guide 520.797.4384

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Reconciliation: T-F at 7:30 AM, Sat at 2-3:30 PM and by appointment.

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Come join us every Sunday for worship!

OUR DOORS ARE OPEN! Oro Valley Location Saturday Vigil: 4 PM Sunday: 7 AM* and 9 AM 11 AM Bilingual (4th Sunday is Spanish Mass) 5 PM

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Foothills News, August 18, 2021

METHODIST Methodist VISTA DE LA MONTAÑA UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

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Foothills News, August 18, 2021

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HOME SWEET HOME 2021

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HOME SWEET HOME 2021

Reimagining your Projects around the house: Contractors, Home Sweet Home licenses, costs and quality

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egardless of whether they’re planned or an emergency, home improvement and renovation projects can have you pulling your hair out — but that doesn’t have to be the case! Just as it’s important to have the right tool for the job, it’s also crucial to have the right person with the right tools.

With Tucson’s currently super hot real estate market, home improvements can add even more value to your home than they usually would.

These can range from projects as simple as painting, professionally cleaning and lawn maintenance to large-scale projects like paving and roof repair.

There are even home projects that can save you money in the long run, such as xeriscaping your lawn to be more water efficient and updating air

conditioners and lights to be more energy efficient.

But living in Arizona, the biggest energy-saving projects are solar panels, which brings us to this special section’s cover story: we spoke with local solar technicians about the main aspects to weigh when considering solar panels, as well as how to get their costs as low as possible. Of course solar panels pay off in the long run, but we don’t want to be breaking the bank in the moment, either.

We also spoke with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors about the most important things to keep in mind when hiring a contractor for work around your house Your house is your sanctuary, so let’s make sure your improvement projects keep it a home sweet home.

Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

T

he past year and a half have seen multiple reasons Tucson homeowners might be interested in updating or renovating their homes.

If it wasn’t the downpour from a historically rainy July, it was the strong winds and soot from last year’s major fire season.

And that’s not even getting into all the time trapped at home thinking about projects to spruce up your surroundings. Of course, there are many home improvement projects that require a professional’s help. And while their time, cost and necessary materials can vary greatly, there are many resources to ensure your home-improvement project turns out picture-perfect.

The Arizona Registrar of Contractors, a regulatory agency that licenses and regulates residential and commercial contractors, says the two most important steps before hiring a contractor are understanding the details of a project and not making a hurried decision. They remind homeowners to make sure a detailed list of every aspect of the project is included in the contract and to ensure the price if possible. In addition, the responsibility of obtaining building permits should be included in a contract, and you should always get it in writing! To put it simply, they say that if you and

the contractor do not interpret the written documents the same way, “disputes are to be expected.”

But aside from ensuring you’re on the same page with your contractor, it is of equal importance to make sure your contractor is licensed. The Arizona Registrar of Contractors can receive more than 2,000 unlicensed complaints each year, and that’s just in our state. By August 2020, they had received more than 1,000 complaints, and that was even during a famously low-productivity year.

Unlicensed contractors can cost homeowners hundreds or even

Courtesy Photo

thousands of dollars, and the homeowner is often stuck with the bill whether they’re happy with the results or not. Should a homeowner experience problems with a licensed contractor, there are pro-

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Home Sweet Home 2021

Home Continued from P3

their six-digit license number. The Arizona Registrar of Contractors even has a new podcast where they speak with construction professionals and industry partners about all things related to construction in Arizona, such as workforce development, technology, licensing requirements and more.

Before formalizing a project with a contractor, you may also request a list of references, ask for written estimates from other contractors, and verify that the person you are negotiating your project with is an authorized representative of the licensed contractor.

While there are dozens of types of home improvement projects for many different buildings, one specific housing project is particularly common in Tucson: roof repair. For as much as we may celebrate living in the southwest, the local climate can be particularly damaging to your roof. Extreme temperatures, monsoon downpours, strong gusts and even the occasional snowfall may mean your roof is in need of a fix.

This can be a major investment, and that means careful planning. While there can be clear signs your roof needs repair, such as damaged shingles or a leak, you may also want to pay attention to your neighbors’ roofs. Nearby homes are often built around the same time, and that can mean the roofs have a co-

inciding lifespan and repair schedule.

If the visible damage isn’t enough, you can also schedule a roof inspection, either from a professional roofing service or your insurance company. The size, material, angle and amount of layers all play a factor in the price of roof repair, which often costs homeowners between $5,000 and $10,000, even with insurance.

“Roof repairs and roof installations are common roofing projects in Arizona. A homeowner is typically only going to hire a contractor to repair or replace their roof when there is a problem and a roofing problem usually means a leak is noticeable inside the house. Homeowners and contractors alike are advised to both take photos of damage caused by the initial leak before work is done to remedy the leak,” said Breanna Bang, public information liaison for the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. “AZ ROC all too often will receive a complaint against a contractor who fixed a leak/replaced a roof and an investigator is often unable to determine when a leak occurred; whether it was before or after the contractor’s work.”

Roof repair can also be a critical step before solar panel installation. Arizona regularly ranks among the best states for solar, and with Tucson’s 350+ sunny days per year, it’s no wonder why. Before installing solar, make sure your roof doesn’t need to be repaired

or replaced, as solar panels often have a lifespan of more than 30 years, and you don’t want to have to remove them in the comparatively near future. You should also ensure what material your roof is made of; solar panels work best on strong materials like asphalt shingle or concrete tile. If your roof is made of wood shingles or clay, a specialized solar installation may be necessary.

Google’s Project Sunroof is a helpful tool that allows you to analyze solar benefits, compare financial plans and map out the best areas for solar potential.

One final note about smart home repairs: there are more risks to home improvement projects than a lack of license. Construction scams and phony home repairs are also a common occurrence in the state, and believed to take place nearly every day.

These can include people soliciting and performing “bogus or inferior construction services” such as painting, asphalt repair, paving and roofing repair.

“During monsoon and wildfire seasons, Arizona has seen activity from unlicensed individuals traveling to storm and fire damaged areas from outof-state in order to target damaged home and property owners,” Bang said.

“These individuals will typically offer to make lowcost repairs and to start immediately. In some cases they succeed in getting either a down payment or a signed over insurance check from the damaged homeowner who may be in a hurry to get the damage repaired. Often, these un-

Courtesy Photo

licensed individuals abandon the job, performing little to no work.”

Prevent these scams by avoiding door-to-door solicitors who offer low-cost construction, performing license checks and obtaining a written contract that

includes all discussed services, dates and costs. If you believe you may have been scammed, you can contact AZ ROC’s Tucson office at (877) 692-9762.

A payment schedule can also ease disagreements between a contractor and

homeowner. For large projects, a payment schedule usually starts around 10% at contract signing, followed by three payments of 25% evenly spaced over the duration of the project and a check for the final 15%, according to the Registrar.

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Homeowners can save money by switching to solar, but shine some sunlight on the details electric bill each month while increasing their home’s value, according to research conducted by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

A PV system transforms the energy produced by sunlight into electricity by utilizing a network of solar panels, cables and energy converters.

Technicians For Sustainability co-owner Brian Park said home and business owners can enjoy numerous environmental and economic benefits by retrofitting their property with a PV system. For instance, homes equipped with solar power typically produce 80% fewer carbon

Austin Counts

Special to Tucson Local Media

A

s the average electric bill in Pima County increases each passing year, many Tucsonans wonder whether solar power would be a benefit to their home or business.

Living in a city that receives more than 300 days of sunshine each year lends itself to generating copious amounts of solar power, which is cheaper to produce and deliver to the customer than typical coal energy sources.

Homeowners with a photovoltaic system (PV) tend to save money on their

emissions than fossil fuels, according to a University of California—Berkeley study. Park also notes using solar power reduces the amount of water needed to produce energy as compared to fossil fuels.

“Another interesting thing comes from data we’ve gotten from TEP [Tucson Electric Power].

For every kilowatt-hour of solar produced, it needs about a half-gallon less water than typical energy generation,” Park said.

“Considering we live in a desert that gets less water than other places in the country, I think that’s a pretty great environmental benefit to [using] solar,

Photo courtesy Technicians for Sustainability

as well.”

A kilowatt-hour is equivalent to the power consumption of 1,000 watts per hour.

On average, a home PV system can cost anywhere from $17,500 to $20,000

or more, depending on the size of the home and the energy needs of the resident. For businesses, the price could range anywhere from $25,000 to upwards of $700,000, said Park. However, there are

considerable federal and state tax credits available to lower the price of a PV system.

The federal government’s Investment Tax Credit can reduce the cost of a PV system for home or business use by 26%.

Homeowners can take an extra 25% off of their personal income tax filed the year the PV system was installed—up to $1,000— with the Residential Arizona Solar Tax Credit. The state tax credit for solar is not available for business owners.

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HOME SWEET HOME 2021

Solar

Continued from P5

solar panels would cost approximately $18,500 if purchased and installed

by Technicians For Sustainability. The federal government’s tax credit would lower that cost by more than $4,800, bringing the total to around $13,700. A homeowner could drop that price down to around $12,700 by using the state’s tax credit. Arizona also waives sales tax on residential PV systems with the Solar Equipment Sales Tax Exemption and homeowners don’t have to pay additional property taxes should the PV system increase the home’s value, thanks to the state’s

Energy Equipment Property Tax Exemption.

TEP customers who use solar power also receive a monetary credit to their monthly bill of 8.6 cents per kilowatt-hour of unused energy that is returned to their power grid. Trico Electric customers in Marana and unincorporated Pima County could expect a 3-cent credit for each kilowatt-hour returned to Trico’s power grid.

When purchasing a PV system, customers typically choose to either lease or finance instead of buying the system outright, said Park. His company works with a credit

union to secure loans for his customers who would rather finance. Other local solar companies like Solar City lease PV systems to customers who would like to use solar power but are not looking for a longterm commitment.

Tucson resident Richard Stanley chose to lease his Tesla PV system from local company Solar City for his midtown home instead of purchasing it. The 65-year-old said he is approaching retirement and did not want to invest upwards of $20,000 in solar for his home while preparing to live on a fixed income.

“I wish I could afford to own them, but I can’t,” Stanley said. “The lease deal was favorable for me and my situation.”

Stanley said while he

does see savings on his monthly electric bill, it isn’t as significant as some companies promise—and he is OK with it. He still pays less each month than he did before owning a PV system, he said.

“The bottom line is people think they’re going to save thousands of dollars. They’re not,” Stanley said. “But, I’m saving hundreds of dollars and that’s still savings. It isn’t what some people might expect but it still adds up on a calculator.”

While solar may be the perfect choice for many Old Pueblo dwellers, Park said interested homeowners should consider what their energy needs are, make sure their home is able to handle a PV system and research the company they plan to use

for installation. Two of the most common repairs homeowners face are roof repairs and electrical panel upgrades, according to Park.

“Part of our process is that we check things out, get on the roof and measure, and do all of our due diligence on the design,” Park said. “If we flag something that isn’t in the best shape, the homeowner would have to call a roofer to find out what’s going on. It really depends on the condition of the home.”

Sales staff for numerous solar installation companies use gimmicks and high-pressure sales tactics to get potential customers to sign because their income is commission-based, according to Park. However, the

customer soon finds out they are paying the same amount for electricity— or more—as they were before installing solar, said the TFS co-owner.

“You do need to be a responsible consumer and do some due diligence. If it looks too good to be true, then it is,” Park said. “I think there are a lot of unrealistic scenarios people are presented with when checking out solar. ” Park said people need to watch out for claims that the local energy provider is going to significantly increase the cost per kilowatt-hour by 6% to 8% when in reality Tucson Electric Power averages about a 1% to 2% increase annually. Another unsavory sales tactic some companies use involves offering an ex-

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HOME SWEET HOME 2021

tremely low-interest rate to finance a PV system and then tacking on extra fees that were not previously discussed.

“They’re advertising a very low-interest rate but then put together a loan proposal $10,000 to $15,000 more than if they [the customer] would have bought the system outright,” Park said. “It’s the same system, the same number of panels, same technology, same installation. These companies are able to advertise that low interest because they’re adding all these fees to it.”

Homeowner Deborah Partiz and her partner, Rocky recently purchased a larger house to accommodate their growing family. After Partiz received her first TEP bill

for around $500 at the family’s new home, she said she started looking at solar power to reduce their energy cost. She ended up going with a national company that was able to help the family secure a loan for the system. In the end, Partiz purchased a large 44-panel PV system to help reduce her monthly energy bill.

However, she said she is not pleased with the system’s results after the first two months of use.

While the PV system has lowered her TEP bill by an average of $50 a month, the cost of the loan—at around $175 a month— far outweighs the savings she is receiving. She said she contacted her company to audit her system and make sure it was

working correctly. They told her to give the system a year to see if it improves, said Partiz. Her loan terms state she needs to pay nearly a quarter of the loan amount within the first 18 months or her monthly payments will rise to $225 a month.

“I’ll give it a year, but in hindsight, I wish I would have gone with a local company, done a little better vetting and gotten a more concrete idea of exactly what I would need to actually get rid of the entire energy bill,” Partiz said. “I mean...44 panels is a lot. It’s a heavy-duty system and everybody that’s checked it out tells me it’s huge. But it’s a drop in the bucket because it’s not doing too much for me.”

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Home Sweet Home 2021