Tucson Weekly Jan, 20 2021

CURRENTS: AZ COVID DEATH TOLL TOPS 25K

JANUARY 20 - 26, 2022 • TUCSONWEEKLY.COM • FREE

BORDERING ON ChAoS The number of illegal border crossers is reaching an all-time high

By Leo W. Banks ARTS: TMA’s Dynamic Duo

SONORAN EXPLORIN’: The Aisles of Grant Stone Supermarket

2

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JANUARY 20, 2022

JANUARY 20, 2022

JANUARY 20, 2022 | VOL. 37, NO. 3

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

The Tucson Weekly is available free of charge in Pima County, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies of the current issue of the Tucson Weekly may be purchased for $1, payable at the Tucson Weekly office in advance. To find out where you can pick up a free copy of the Tucson Weekly, please visit TucsonWeekly.com

STAFF

CONTENTS SONORAN EXPLORIN’

Miso & Money Trees at Grant Stone Supermarket

4

CURRENTS

10

Robotic semi-truck completes ‘no human’ trip between Tucson, Casa Grande

FEATURE

12

Bordering on Chaos: The number of illegal border crossers is reaching an all-time high

ARTS & CULTURE

17

ADMINISTRATION Steve T. Strickbine, Publisher Michael Hiatt, Vice President

EDITOR’S NOTE

Jaime Hood, General Manager, jaime@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Sick and Tired

Tyler Vondrak, Associate Publisher, tyler@tucsonlocalmedia.com Claudine Sowards, Accounting, claudine@tucsonlocalmedia.com

ARIZONA HIT A GRIM MILESTONE last week when the death toll from COVID-19 passed 25,000 people.

Omicron really is everywhere. As of Jan. 13, 17,528 COVID cases had been reported in Pima County since the start of the new year, according to Pima County Acting Administrator Jan Lesher. That’s compared to 14,753 for the entire month of December. As of last week, COVID patients were filling roughly one-third of all ICU beds and only seven beds were available across Pima County. Local schools saw 555 cases last week, with students making up about 85% of cases.

I could go on with unhappy numbers, but you get the idea. (And staff reporter Nicole Feltman has more for you in this week’s Currents section.) The bottom line: Vaccination might not stop you from getting COVID, but in nearly all cases, it prevents a serious case that requires hospitalization. If you haven’t gotten a shot yet, you should. And you should mask up indoors in public places where you can’t physically distance from others if you want to avoid the bug.

Speaking of unhappy numbers: In our cover story this week, longtime TW contributor Leo W. Banks brings us disturbing news from the border, where arrests of undocumented crossers are hitting an all-time high. It’s creating cha-

os for many of the people who live along the border while enriching the cartels that control the smuggling of people and drugs. Of course, many of those crossing are simply seeking a better life, but Leo’s report this week focuses on the cartels involved.

Elsewhere in the book: Managing editor Jeff Gardner tells you the latest about driverless trucks on the highway, as well as the opening of Tucson’s new water-treatment plant; Sonoran Explorin’ columnist Emily Dieckman strolls through the aisles of Grant Stone Supermarket; arts writer Margaret Regan takes in two new shows at the Tucson Museum of Art; XOXO columnist Xavier Omar Otero tells where to rock this week; Tucson Weedly columnist David Abbott looks at cannabis-related legislation up at the Capitol; and the Tucson Weekly Test Department tries out some gummies that might help you get a good night’s sleep.

Stay safe, stay healthy.

Jim Nintzel Executive Editor Hear Nintz talk about ways to have some virus-free fun in this town at 9:30 Wednesday mornings during the world-famous Frank Show on KPLX, 96.1 FM.

RANDOM SHOTS By Rand Carlson

Sheryl Kocher, Receptionist, sheryl@tucsonlocalmedia.com EDITORIAL Jim Nintzel, Executive Editor, jimn@tucsonlocalmedia.com Jeff Gardner, Managing Editor, jeff@tucsonlocalmedia.com Alexandra Pere, Staff Reporter, apere@timespublications.com Nicole Feltman, Staff Reporter, nfeltman@timespublications.com Contributors: David Abbott, Rob Brezsny, Max Cannon, Rand Carlson, Tom Danehy, Emily Dieckman, Bob Grimm, Andy Mosier, Linda Ray, Margaret Regan, Will Shortz, Jen Sorensen, Clay Jones, Dan Savage PRODUCTION Courtney Oldham, Production Manager, tucsonproduction@timespublications.com Ryan Dyson, Graphic Designer, ryand@tucsonlocalmedia.com Emily Filener, Graphic Designer, emilyf@tucsonlocalmedia.com CIRCULATION Alex Carrasco, Circulation, alexc@tucsonlocalmedia.com ADVERTISING TLMSales@TucsonLocalMedia.com Kristin Chester, Account Executive, kristin@tucsonlocalmedia.com Candace Murray, Account Executive, candace@tucsonlocalmedia.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING Zac Reynolds Director of National Advertising Zac@TimesPublications.com Tucson Weekly® is published every Thursday by Times Media Group at 7225 N. Mona Lisa Rd., Ste. 125, Tucson, Arizona. Address all editorial, business and production correspondence to: Tucson Weekly, 7225 N. Mona Lisa Rd., Ste. 125, Tucson, Arizona 85741. Phone: (520) 797-4384, FAX (520) 575-8891. Member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia (AAN). The Tucson Weekly® and Best of Tucson® are registered trademarks of Times Media Group. Publisher has the right to refuse any advertisement at his or her discretion.

A pair of shows at the Tucson Museum of Art explore radically different art forms

TUCSON WEEDLY

20

Legislative session begins with three MJ bills out of the gate

Cover image by Leo W. Banks

Copyright: The entire contents of Tucson Weekly are Copyright Times Media Group No portion may be reproduced in whole or part by any means without the express written permission of the Publisher, Tucson Weekly, 7225 N. Mona Lisa Rd., Ste. 125, Tucson, AZ 85741.

3

4

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JANUARY 20, 2022

SONORAN EXPLORIN’

PHOTO BY EMILY DIECKMAN

Grant Stone Supermarket, a melting pot of cultures, spices, taco shells, donuts, fennel candy, pork blood, and plenty else to fuel your next culinary caprice.

GROCERY RUN FUN Miso & Money Trees at Grant Stone Supermarket

When restrictions began lifting, and as my bookmarked recipe folder started to expand, I began venturing outside of trusty Fry’s to smaller stores for more LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE, I STARTED specialty ingredients. I got curry noodles spending a lot more time in the kitchen and chili paste at Sandyi Oriental Market, for example. At Nur Import Market during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. and Babylon Market, I’d find (and still Two of my greatest pleasures became cooking, one of the only activities find!) fresh dill and ginger, dried spices galore and ultra-specific items some I could really focus on, and grocery recipes called for, like pomegranate moshopping, pretty much the only activilasses. I even found yeast at Nur Import ty that involved me leaving the house Market during The Great Yeast Shortage (besides running or taking walks) for of 2020. several months. I don’t want to blather This week, I made it over to Grant on too much about my love of cooking, because I’m sure there have been plenty Stone Supermarket, which is something like an Asian Market +. I say Asian Marof essays in, like, the New York Times ket + because there are foods representand Bon Appetit about the art of food ing a wide range of places, from India and the magic of culinary spaces that say it much better than I ever could. But and the Middle East to Mexico and the I will say this: In a time where my world American South.

On one shelf, I see, in a row, a selection felt too small and the problems of our of cuernitos and cuchillos, a package of planet felt too big, creating something new on a simmering stovetop became a Chinese rice cakes, and a few American way to experience small pieces of places delicacies: Taco Bell Crunchy Shells and Hostess Donettes. Or there’s the aisle beyond myself.

By Emily Dieckman tucsoneditor@tucsonlocalmedia.com

where the Korean tempura powder, the traditional Taiwanese “oyster omelet powder” and the Red Lobster cheddar biscuit mix are next to each other. A beautiful melting pot of cultures!

I have my eye out for a couple of cans of jackfruit, wanting to try to imitate Tumerico’s tacos (I love you, Tumerico), but other than that, I figure I’ll just wander around and see what strikes my fancy.

There are several things that, while I’m sure they are nutritious and delicious, do not strike my fancy, such as an approximately gallon-sized tub of pork blood.

I later learn it can be used to make pig blood curd, a high-iron Cantonese delicacy that looks like pink tofu.

(My mom texts me a few minutes later to see what I’m up to, and I tell her I’m checking out a new grocery store. “You can buy a bucket of pork blood here, fyi, in case you’re ever looking,” I tell her.

She is not interested.)

I like to see the way people act in supermarkets. At Fry’s, there are the determined people, who blast down aisles with a sense of purpose that makes me envious. (They are so sure about which brand of salad dressing they want!)

There are the moms carefully herding kids through the aisles, trying to simultaneously shop and keep their kid from noticing the sugar-filled snacks being marketed directly at child’s eye-level.

There always seems to be a husband calling his wife to ask her what shape of pasta he’s supposed to get, or what brand of yogurt they usually buy.

At this store, there’s a similarly wide variety. I do see more than one elderly Asian woman, which makes me feel reassured about the authenticity of the place; if they trust the goods this place is selling, that’s good enough for me.

There’s a middle-aged man who looks like the archetype of a dad: polo tucked into his jeans and phone clipped to his belt, holding up and comparing two different money trees. A mom tells her young son that it’s time to leave, only for him to scamper off, in his red backwards baseball cap and tie-dyed mask, shouting, “I gotta get a snack!”

I leave with two cans of jackfruit, a small jar of curry paste, a bunch of cilantro, and a container of miso. I also buy a tin of jasmine tea because I liked

PHOTO BY EMILY DIECKMAN

the way the tin looked and I have no self-control—or at least no regard for the 14 different kinds of tea we already have at home. I take that back, actually. I must have self-control. Because I didn’t buy the ladle the size of my face, or the beautiful, tiny container of something called amyl acetate, which apparently tastes sort of like essence of banana. Or anything from the cracker aisle, or the jar labeled “lemon with salt and sugar” (“just add water!” the instructions explain). In an admirable show of restraint, I didn’t buy the dried black fungus or the fennel candy or the ground pomegranate. But there’s always next time. ■

PHOTO BY EMILY DIECKMAN

JANUARY 20, 2022

two years ago, noted in his weekly report that for the week ending Jan. 9, at least 108,783 Arizonans tested positive for COVID, a 104% increase of the 53,207 cases reported in the prior week. Gerald said the number “subAZ COVID death toll tops 25,000 as Omicron spreads rapidly across state stantially undercounts the true toll, as there are two to three undiagnosed cases for every one we know about.”

Given that cases are doubling weekly, Gerald predicted that one in across the state.

By Nicole Feltman 10 Arizonans would likely be infected As of Jan. 13, 17,528 COVID cases nfeltman@tucsonlocalmedia.com with COVID this week and one in four had been reported in Pima County since the start of the new year, accord- would have the illness in the month on January.

MORE THAN 25,000 ARIZONANS ing to Pima County Acting AdminHe noted that rates were highest have now died after contracting istrator Jan Lesher. That’s more than among people between the ages of 15 COVID-19. were reported in the entire month of The virus has killed 25,212 people as December, which saw 14,753 cases. As and 24, with 2,342 cases per 100,000 of Monday, Jan. 16, including 3,304 in of last week, COVID patients were fill- population, and lowest among those Pima County, according to the Arizo- ing roughly one-third of all ICU beds 65 and older, with 711 cases per 100,000. and only seven beds were available na Department of Health Services.

Roughly one-third of Arizona’s 8,763 The grim milestone came the same across Pima County. Local schools general ward beds were occupied by saw 555 cases last week, with students week the state recorded more cases COVID patients and just 446 beds rethan any other week in the pandemic, making up about 85% of cases. mained available for use as of Jan. 13.

Dr. Joe Gerald, an epidemiologist including a single-day record of 20,257 who has been tracking the pandemic Intensive care units are facing greaton Saturday, Jan. 15, as the Omicron since it first arrived in Arizona nearly er pressure as well, with with 630 of variant continued to rapidly spread

CURRENTS

GRIM MILESTONE

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

5

those beds (or 38% of the state’s total) now occupied by COVID patients and just 75 ICU beds available statewide.

To make matters worse at hospitals, healthcare workers are contracting the virus, leading to staffing crunches at hospitals.

As a result of the staffing crunch, some Banner Health urgent care locations are closed, causing longer wait times at other urgent care facilities, according to Dr. Marjorie Bessel, Banner Health chief clinical officer, who gave a media briefing on Tuesday, Jan. 11.

Banner is following the crisis CDC guidelines when allowing health care workers to return to work after being infected with the COVID virus. All healthcare workers have to remain out of the workplace for five days from the date of their positive tests and are screened for symptoms before returning to work process. Individuals that are asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic may return to work.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

6

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JANUARY 20, 2022

COVID

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

In addition, Banner is using outside contracted workers at its hospitals during this surge to compensate for the staffing shortage.

With crowded emergency rooms and long waits, Bessel asked Arizonans to consider primary care doctors and urgent care clinics for non-emergency needs.

She also urged Arizonans to get vaccinated and receive a booster shot because it’s “the best way to prevent serious COVID illness that requires hospital level care.” She also said people should mask up when indoors (preferably with a fitted KN95 mask), stay home when feeling sick and to get tested when experiencing symptoms.

COVID treatment options remain limited. Sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody treatment for those who test positive, is in short supply and will

require a doctor’s recommendation for patients. Due to limited supply, not all eligible patients will receive the treatment.

Oral antivirals such as paxlovid and molnupiravir, which have received emergency use authorization by the FDA for patients that meet the clinical requirements, are also in limited supply and are being distributed to roughly 32 retail pharmacies across the state. These medications also require a referral.

Bessel said Omicron has yet to peak but she predicted it will be in weeks to come based on how the virus has behaved in other countries, where the descent of the variant has been just as rapid as its spread.

Meanwhile, Northwest Healthcare announced last week that it was once again admitting cardiac patients at Oro Valley Hospital. Northwest Healthcare had redirect ambulances with cardiac patients to other hospitals because of staffing shortages. ■ GRAPHIC FROM THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES

The Omicron surge has resulted in the most COVID cases Arizona has ever experienced.

JANUARY 20, 2022

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

7

8

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JANUARY 20, 2022

CURRENTS

PHOTO BY JEFF GARDNER

“Even though these types of projects are not the sexiest, they’re one of the most important that we can make in the quality of life of our residents and Tucson Water customers,” said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero.

WATER PRESSURE

City of Tucson Inaugurates PFAS Groundwater Treatment Facility water from the aquifer, cleaning as much as 360,000 gallons per day.

“Even though these types of projects are not the sexiest, they’re one of the most important that we can make in the quality IN 2009, ENVIRONMENTAL of life of our residents and Tucson Water scientists discovered some unexpected customers,” said Tucson Mayor Regina chemicals in the groundwater along the Romero at the ribbon cutting. “This is a Santa Cruz River. The chemicals turned out to be PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl success… Still, there is much work to do to substances), which are used in everything clean up and remediate PFAS throughout from adhesives to non-stick cooking sur- the Tucson region.”

The Central Tucson PFAS Project faces to electrical wire insulation. They do covers roughly five square miles just not naturally break down in the environment, instead seeping into the soil where north of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, which has admitted to previously they can cause a variety of damage. allowing chemicals to wash into the soil After further testing, Tucson Water and the Arizona Department of Environ- and sewers. To date, Tucson Water has mental Quality began the Central Tucson discovered PFAS in more than a dozen wells throughout the Tucson basin, with PFAS Project to prevent the chemicals from impacting additional water sources. the highest concentration of the chemical detected near Davis-Monthan and along On Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, the City the Santa Cruz River. However, the vast of Tucson and ADEQ unveiled a pilot majority of wells throughout Tucson have groundwater treatment facility in a quiet no detectable PFAS. suburb in southeastern Tucson that is The central well fields within the working to remove PFAS. According to the City, the facility uses a former Tucson Central Tucson PFAS Project area serve Water supply well to pump contaminated as the primary drinking water source for

By Jeff Gardner jeff@tucsonlocalmedia.com

JANUARY 20, 2022

more than 65,000 people year round, and as the secondary drinking water supply for another 600,000 people year round, and are a key source to Tucson’s drinking water supply.

“As a reminder to our community, this treatment plant is a groundwater cleanup project, not a drinking water project.

Tucson’s drinking water is safe,” said Tucson Water interim director John Kmiec.

“We have avoided certain areas of the aquifer system where PFAS is present, and continue to use our renewable water supplies, like the Central Arizona Project water, to meet the daily needs of the Tucson Water customer.”

According to the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, high levels of PFAS may result in an increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer, decreases in infant birth weights, decreased vaccine response in children, increased cholesterol levels, and changes in liver enzymes. However, the agency says scientists are still learning about the health effects of exposures to mixtures of different PFAS. Romero said she recalled how the dumping of the solvent TCE, or trichloSORENSEN

roethylene, affected Tucson’s south side after the chemical was discovered in drinking water in the 1980s.

“We are all too aware of the painful history of water contamination throughout our region, especially those impacting disadvantaged communities,” Romero said. “Tucsonans know what happens when environmental impacts go unchecked.”

The Central Tucson PFAS Project began in March 2020 when the City of Tucson asked the State of Arizona for assistance in stopping PFAS from reaching drinking water sources. ADEQ dedicated $3.3 million from the limited state Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund to address the City of Tucson’s request.

“These partnerships demonstrate that environmental projects need not take years and years before we take action,” said ADEQ director Misael Cabrera.

“These partnerships demonstrate that we can coalesce to address an urgent need, the need to address chemicals that are contaminating our groundwater.

This project represents one of the fastest large-scale investigations designed, and commencement of operations, that any

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

9

PHOTO BY JEFF GARDNER

of us who’ve been in the business can remember.”

In 2018, the City of Tucson and Town of Marana moved forward with lawsuits against five companies, including the chemical manufacturer 3M, to pay for the removal of the chemicals from the groundwater. 3M has previously been smacked with paying an $850 million settlement in Minnesota for PFAS pollution.

“Returning this aquifer to the PFASfree condition is what our challenge is, so as to ensure Tucsonans of the future can come back to this part of the central well fields for their water supply, if needed,” Kmeic said. ■ For more information about PFAS in Tucson, visit tucsonaz.gov/water/pfas

10

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JANUARY 20, 2022

CURRENTS

PHOTO COURTESY OF TUSIMPLE

Technology company TuSimple plans to have a fleet of thousands of self-driving semis in the next few years.

LIFELESS IN THE FAST LANE

Robotic semi-truck completes ‘no human’ trip between Tucson, Casa Grande really exciting to get it done before the holidays and start 2022 off on the right foot,” said Jason Wallace, director of marketing for TuSimple. “There’s a lot of moving parts. We have to work with ON DECEMBER 22, 2021, a semi-truck drove the I-10 from Tucson the Arizona [Department of Transporto Casa Grande without any humans on tation] and law enforcement. Although board. This trip was the culmination of it is on the open road, it is supervised by law enforcement and it’s not something years of road tests for the autonomous we can do anytime we want. It has to be trucking company TuSimple, which well-orchestrated.” plans to operate an eventual fleet of During the driver-out trip (also thousands of self-driving semis begincodenamed “Ghost Rider”), the autononing in 2024. mous truck was accompanied by three TuSimple’s trucks have already other vehicles. The caravan comprised conducted multiple trips between another TuSimple truck with humans Tucson and Phoenix, as well as into Texas and Florida. However, these trips on-board some five miles in front to watch out for irregularities on the road, have always included two humans on a TuSimple van a half-mile behind board, even if they weren’t steering. the autonomous truck, and finally an The Dec. 22 trip, which was an 80-mile unmarked law enforcement vehicle at run between the Port of Tucson and a retail distribution center, was the first of the back.

The drive took place at night, both TuSimple’s “driver out” tests. And more due to reduced traffic, and according to are on their way.

“Last year we were so focused on get- Wallace, for an added challenge.

“If you do this test during the day, I ting this driver-out test, and there was a lot of pressure to get it done, so it was don’t know if it’s assumed you can do it

By Jeff Gardner jeff@tucsonlocalmedia.com

JANUARY 20, 2022

at night. But our feeling was if you do it at night, it’s assumed you can do it during the day,” Wallace said. “We felt the AI system had to be at a very mature state before we removed the driver from the cockpit. The system had to be capable of surface streets, highways, lane changes, cut-ins, emergency vehicles, on ramps and off ramps and more.”

TuSimple plans to continue these trips through the first half of 2022 on a monthly basis. However, there are still a number of tests and advancements needed for the technology.

“There’s still a lot of challenges to overcome in this field,” said Hao Xin, a University of Arizona professor of electrical and computer engineering, and co-founder of the automotive radar company LuneWave. “One of them is perception: How are you going to be able to provide better-than-human perception in these systems? That’s a big thing we’re working on [at LuneWave].

There’s also control within the self-driving algorithm. But beyond science and engineering, there’s work that needs to be done in policy and regulation.”

Tucson-based LuneWave develops automotive radar sensor systems for autonomous vehicles. Their specialty antennas provide a 360 degree field of view, and can see nearly 1,000 feet in the distance. Because LuneWave’s sensors also view in 3D, they can be useful for autonomous drones as well as cars.

“I think a big reason there is so much of this in Tucson is that the state of Arizona is advanced and progressive in terms of policy and encouraging companies,” Xin said. “And once you start to have a cluster of these types of companies, more companies come in.

It’s a positive feedback effect.”

LuneWave has also been conducting road tests throughout Tucson for multiple years, retrofitting vehicles with their “sensor suites” that utilize radar, cameras, and LIDAR. Xin has personally seen how this technology can make for safer and more efficient roads.

“Most traffic accidents are caused by human error,” Xin said. “So assisted driving and eventually autonomous driving will be very beneficial for avoiding this, and I think it’s actually a huge-

ly underestimated part of the field.”

While this technology may eventually threaten job security for truckers, it can also solve current problems in the industry. In 2017, the American Trucking Association reported the trucking industry was short roughly 50,000 drivers. Estimates also include the shortage growing to more than 175,000 by 2026.

ATA blamed these shortages on an aging driver population, lifestyle issues, and regulatory challenges.

“This on-demand economy that we’re living in and all enjoy, where you can order something online and have it delivered tomorrow, is placing extreme strain on the supply chain in general, even outside of COVID,” Wallace said.

“The pandemic has exacerbated the issue, but these consumer behaviors are driving the need for the supply chain to become more efficient. There’s a really high demand for this technology.”

TuSimple’s next goals include being able to operate in cold weather, and automating multiple “lanes.” By lanes, the company is referring to one point to another. The Dec. 22 trip was to a single destination. However, the company plans to have their self-driving trucks be able to pick up freight and drive between multiple cities all without humans on board.

“The entire supply chain for this technology is still relatively young. So it’s really important for us to continue to work with manufacturers and developers to help evolve the supply chain as a whole,” Wallace said.

Although the self-driving semi-trucks are TuSimple’s most tangible endeavor, Wallace says they are “fundamentally a software company.” To this end, TuSimple recently announced a new collaboration with computer and microchip company Nvidia. In this partnership, TuSimple and Nvidia are co-developing the “computational brain” of the trucks’ computers.

“We’re no longer 100% reliant on suppliers to create the hardware for our system,” Wallace said. “We’re now involved in co-developing the brain.

And that’s a huge step for us because it will make sure the hardware meets the demands of our software. In a sense, we’re in control of our own destiny.” ■

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 11

PHOTO BY JEFF GARDNER

“This is the kind of innovative, unique and groundbreaking company we’re glad to have in Arizona,” Gov. Doug Ducey said at a press conference in 2018 when TuSimple announced plans to double the size of their Tucson warehouse. “This company could have chosen anywhere to invest and they chose Tucson.”

12

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JANUARY 20, 2022

BORDERING ON CHAOS

The number of illegal border crossers is reaching an all-time high

COURTESY ANONYMOUS

These illegal crossers were photographed near Arivaca in April 2021. The smuggling gangs outfitted them in camouflage clothes and carpet booties made by the thousands on the south side. The booties obscure crossers’ footprints, making it more difficult for Border Patrol trackers.

By Leo W. Banks tucsoneditor@tucsonlocalmedia.com IF PRESIDENT BIDEN HAD SET OUT to make the Arizona-Mexico border more dangerous for American citizens, he’s done a fine job. His policies have opened our southern border to the world, creating an epic mess.

“It’s the worst I’ve seen it,” says Ron Colburn, retired national deputy chief of Border Patrol. “When I entered Border Patrol in 1978, not beyond my wildest imagination could I have pictured it this bad.”

Across the agency’s 262-mile Tucson Sector, from Douglas and Nogales, to Arivaca, Ajo and onto the Tohono O’odham Reservation, illegal crossers keep coming, lines of them wearing camouflage clothing and carpet booties to throw off trackers.

They trek over our mountains and deserts and cram into the trunks of load vehicles. Border Patrol is overwhelmed.

Their radios squawk nonstop.

In fiscal 2021, Tucson Sector agents recorded 120,509 arrests, almost as many

as the previous four years combined, according to agency statistics. So far in fiscal 2022, arrests are up 73 percent over that.

A growing number are not the desperately poor of popular belief. They dress in nice clothes and have newer iPhones than the agents who encounter them.

Some say arrests looks worse than they are because of a Trump-era public health policy, still in effect, intended to deal with COVID. Known as Title 42, it allows border officials to quickly push crossers back into Mexico. About 35 percent of them are arrested again, boosting the numbers.

But annual arrest numbers have always included multiple arrests of the same individual, and Border Patrol says the arrest recidivism rate has remained steady at around 35 percent since the 1990s.

The argument also fails to acknowledge the large number of gotaways, those who are spotted but evade capture. This summer, after Biden forced him out as Border Patrol’s chief, Rodney Scott said in TV interviews that there were more than 400,000 known gotaways across the Southwest border last year.

A fourth of those—120,000—passed through the Tucson Sector, according to

the agency. These are people walking into the country unchecked for possible criminal backgrounds and almost certainly unvaccinated.

Of those arrested in the Sector last year, 1,743 had prior criminal convictions in the U.S. The worst of the worst show up on the Sector’s Facebook page as significant arrests (see sidebar).

On a single day, Oct. 25, agents working near Bisbee arrested three felons previously convicted in the U.S.—for sodomy in Georgia, for lewd and lascivious acts with a child in California, and for assault with a deadly weapon, also in California.

To be sure, these dangerous individuals make up a small percentage of those crossing. But we can also be sure there are many more criminals of every kind among the gotaways.

The Facebook page also lists failure-toyields, in which law enforcement lights up a suspected smuggler and the driver takes off. Their number has increased, along with wrecks, causing fatal crashes on Arizona’s highways.

In June last year on the Arivaca Road, a smuggler wreck killed one and sent seven to the hospital. In Pinal County last Au-

gust, a Jeep Liberty stuffed with 11 people crashed on I-10, killing three.

In November in Cochise County, Wanda Sitoski, 65, from Benson, was killed when an alleged smuggler, a 16-year-old boy from the Phoenix area, ran a light and hit her. Sitoski died instantly. She was headed to her birthday party.

“Our pursuits are off the charts,” says Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels.

“It’s twenty-four-seven.”

PICKING UP ILLEGAL CROSSERS and driving them away from the border has become big business. The smuggling gangs solicit drivers, many of them American teenagers from Maricopa County, on WhatsApp, Snapchat and Facebook.

They’re paid $1,000 for every illegal they stuff into their car.

In December, Dannels stopped a car for speeding. The occupants, male teenagers from Greenway High School in Phoenix, admitted they were there to pick up illegals. He clocked them going 23 mph over the speed limit.

Two hours before, DPS and Border Patrol had them going 105 mph.

JANUARY 20, 2022

“These are kids coming to my county to take part in a criminal enterprise with a drug cartel,” Dannels says. “That’s upsetting.” He says that between 900-1000 cars a month come to Cochise County to make these runs, according to figures provided to him by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The impact on the Cochise County’s finances has been dramatic. Between July and the end of the year, Dannels says the cost to handle border-related crimes at the Cochise County jail was $830,000.

“We have so many people working long hours it’s kicking our butt,” he says, adding that the state recently stepped up with money to help defray some costs.

THESE HIGHWAY WRECKS ARE heartbreaking. But on the border, there’s plenty of heartbreak to go around.

Roughly every two weeks, at around 1 a.m., smugglers push a group of up to 180 people, many of them unaccompanied children, across the border near Sasabe, about 70 miles southwest of Tucson.

The kids, shivering and scared, some as

young as 8, wait there until Border Patrol can pick them up.

It’s a tactic. The agency calls it task saturation.

The smugglers have scouts on the mountains on the south side and sophisticated communication networks on the north side to monitor every move by law enforcement. They know the kids will be bused to Tucson for processing, and exactly how long that will take.

When the agents leave, the smugglers bring in people and drugs, including those little blue fentanyl tablets. Between April 2020 and April 2021, the U.S. had 100,306 overdose deaths, 274 a day, according to Centers for Disease Control.

Some 62,338 of those were from synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration says that more than 95 percent of the fentanyl that reaches American cities comes across the Mexican border.

Pima County mirrors the national trend. As of December, there had been 436 overdose deaths in 2021, 58 percent from fentanyl, according to Mark Person, program manager for the Pima County

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 13

PHOTO BY US BORDER PATROL

Taken November 1, 2021, this photo shows a group of children, their faces blurred, in Border Patrol custody awaiting buses to Tucson for processing. They were brought to the border by smuggling gangs and sent across the line near Sasabe. They were part of three groups, totaling 202 people, apprehended over Halloween weekend. Children made up more than half of each group.

Health Department. The final count for 2021 isn’t ready, but he’s certain it will be the third straight record-setting year.

Numbers from Pinal County illustrate the fentanyl surge. Sheriff Mark Lamb says his officers didn’t seize any fentanyl pills in 2018. In 2019, they seized 700 pills and in 2020 the number was 200,000.

From January through December of

2021, the count soared to 1.2 million pills seized. Most are shipped across the country, and there’s a lesson in that.

“People think this is an Arizona problem or a Southwest problem,” Lamb says. “But it’s an American problem. It’s a major, major plague.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

14

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JANUARY 20, 2022

PHOTO BY US BORDER PATROL

In Santa Cruz County just before Christmas, a U.S. citizen driver sped away from Border Patrol’s I-19 checkpoint north of Nogales. The car caught fire. Agents pulled two illegal crossers from the trunk before they burned up.

BORDERING ON CHAOS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

Here’s a second important lesson: The country sees the open border as an immigration issue. But it’s more about crime.

The cartel bosses who control all the land on south side of the line and ‘own’ trails on the north side, aren’t in business to help crossers achieve a better life.

There’s no Statue of Liberty on the border road near Sasabe.

To them, those kids waiting in the dark are cargo to be exploited, nothing more.

For the cartels, it’s about money. No child, family unit, or single adult steps across the line unless the cartel boss Welcome winter & gem show visitors

approves it, and the profit is staggering.

The average pass-thru fee is $8,000 per person, and in fiscal 2021, there were 1.6 million arrests at the Southwest border, the most ever recorded.

On Sept. 6, two men who’d been shot and wounded in Mexico scrambled across the line south of Arivaca Lake seeking medical care. In the same area on Sept. 16, it happened again, a man wounded on the south side fled north.

The next day, Sept. 17, Border Patrol agents working on the line near Holden canyon reported shots fired from the south side. The gunmen might’ve been shooting at the agents, although that is unclear. The agents didn’t return fire and were not hurt.

On Oct. 13, on the border in California Gulch, roughly the same area, gunmen on the south side fired shots in the direction of workers for Fisher Industries, the border wall construction company. No one was hit. The company did not return a call seeking comment.

Says Ron Colburn, “That’s the cartel saying, ‘We own this border now. If you get in our way, we’ll shoot you.’”

The latter two incidents occurred on land rancher Jim Chilton leases from Forest Service. After the Sept. 17 shooting, he received a call from that agency saying the shooting was done by three men carrying long rifles and warned him to stay away from the area.

At other times, Chilton has made appointments with Forest Service person-

nel to work near the border, but they’ve cancelled because of the danger.

At the urging of his wife, Sue, Chilton has stopped going alone to his border pasture. When he does go, he is sometimes accompanied by two friends, retired L.A. County sheriff’s deputies. They serve as his private security.

James Copeland, district ranger for the Nogales Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest, didn’t respond to messages seeking comment.

The future promises more of the same as the number of Border Patrol agents drops. The Tucson Sector is down 900 agents over the past two years – to 3,300 from 4,200 – and that number will likely fall to 2800.

As one agent said, “My expectation is we’ll continue to see an increase in hard narcotics coming across the border. That will draw rip crews and armed encounters. I’m confident that will take place over the next year or two if we continue down this path.”

CHILTON IS SEEING IT ALREADY. Between November of 2020 and November of 2021, his motion-activated cameras identified 830 drug smugglers and illegal entrants on his land. But that represents a

IN THE CURRENT CHAOS, THE stretch of remote Coronado National Forest land from Nogales west to Sasabe, about 40 miles, is especially hard hit.

In the adjoining Mexican state of Sonora, cartel factions are fighting a brutal war for control of lucrative smuggling corridors, and some of it is spilling over.

Arizona residents have reported, and federal sources confirm, four shootings on that frontier in recent months.

Vegetarian & Vegan Entrees * A Sanctuary in the City

ALL YOU CARE TO EAT BUFFET 11:30am to 2:30pm for Lunch Wed -Sat 5pm to 8pm for Dinner, Tues - Sat 11am to 2:30pm for Sunday Brunch

711 E. Blacklidge Dr. • 520-792-0630 E. of 1st Ave., 2 Blocks S. of Ft. Lowell

Closed Mondays / Tuesday is “India Night” Lunch is $9.95, Dinner & Brunch $11.95 for a delicious 14-course meal w/ salad bar Student & Senior discounts apply Dine In or Take Out - Spacious Patio Dining See complete menu at govindasoftucson.com

COURTESY ANONYMOUS

On November 30, 2021, a hidden camera photographed this group in the mountains of Santa Cruz County. Although it is not known what these men were carrying in their backpacks, those who can’t pay the crossing fee sometimes work off their debt moving drugs.

As one Border Patrol agent said, “With a very high level of confidence, I can say they’re backpacking narcotics through those rural areas. We’ve caught some, but we miss more than we catch for sure.”

Happy New Year 2022!

JANUARY 20, 2022

fraction of what’s crossing.

He estimates there are upwards of 200 smuggling trails on his ranch and he has cameras on three of them.

About five miles of Chilton’s border with Mexico is blocked by the 32-foot wall built under President Donald Trump. But it’s unfinished.

Although the Department of Homeland Security recently said it would close small openings in the wall, there’s still a half-mile opening along Chilton’s land, and multiple water gaps through which smugglers can easily enter.

“Since President Biden stopped the wall last Jan. 20, we’ve seen a huge increase in traffic,” says Chilton.

His neighbors, Tom and Dena Kay, have, too, and they’re wary of the people crossing. “Their aggression is unbelievable,” Dena says. “They have no fear.”

On the hill right outside the Kays’ back door, illegals have a layup where they wait for load drivers to take them to Tucson. The site is littered with trash.

For several years, Dena had stopped carrying her .38.

But she has gone back to keeping it close, and she watches for every alert from her faithful watchdog, a Rottweiler named Sherman.

“Over the last two years of Trump, we didn’t see any illegals around here at all,” Dena says. “Our fences were not torn up like they are now. Tom wasn’t nervous about going to the border by himself and we didn’t feel like hostages in our home. Now we’re reluctant to leave the house unguarded.” ■

Significant Arrests in the Tucson Sector A small percentage of those arrested crossing into Arizona from Mexico have been previously convicted of serious crimes in the U.S. Border Patrol posts those arrests on the Tucson Sector’s Facebook page under Significant Arrests.

This list runs from Dec. 4, 2021, to January 13, 2022.

• Jan 13, Cochise County. Border Patrol agents stopped a convicted rapist from smuggling a mother and her three children, ages 3, 15, and 16. The registered sex offender, a U.S. citizen, is on parole from his 20-year-sentence and was turned over to the Sheriff’s Office • Jan. 12, Douglas. A Mexican citizen convicted of 2nd degree murder and aggravated battery on a peace officer in Albuquerque, NM. • Jan. 10, Douglas. A Mexican citizen convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 and sexual acts with a minor in Alameda County, CA. • Jan. 8, Douglas. A Mexican citizen convicted of taking indecent liberties with a child in North Carolina.

• Jan. 6, Douglas. A Mexican citizen convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor in Orange County, CA. • Jan. 2, Lukeville. A Mexican citizen and registered sex offender convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Will County, Ill. • Dec. 24, Nogales. A Mexican citizen and registered sex offender who’d plead guilty to 2nd degree rape of a person under 15 in Kings County, New York.

• Dec. 18, Naco. A Guatemalan citizen convicted of felony kidnapping in New Jersey.

• Dec. 14, Douglas. A Mexican citizen convicted of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor in Fresno County, CA. • Dec. 12, Ajo. A Salvadoran citizen and registered sex offender convicted of sexual assault of a child in Houston, Texas.

• Dec 11, Eloy. A Mexican citizen convicted of felony endangering the welfare of a child, sexual conduct, in New Jersey.

• Dec. 9, Douglas. A Mexican citizen convicted of taking indecent liberties with a child under 15 in Virginia.

• Dec 8, Naco. A Mexican citizen convicted of participating in a street gang, assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder in Orange County, CA. • Dec. 5, Douglas. A Guatemalan citizen convicted of felony lewd or lascivious acts with a child in Los Angeles, CA. • Dec 4, Three Points. A Guatemalan citizen and registered sex offender convicted of 1st Degree Rape of a child under 13, Suffolk County, N.Y.

PHOTO BY JIM CHILTON

Arivaca rancher Jim Chilton displays a collection of carpet booties found on his ranch.

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 15

16

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JANUARY 20, 2022

Editor’s Note: While we are delighted to see Tucsonans once again gathering for fun events, we are also aware that variants are in widespread circulation. Please consider getting vaccinated against COVID if you haven’t yet.

Tuesday Art Talk: Kate Long Hodges.

Tuesday art talks are a chance to learn more about Tohono Chul’s exhibiting artists.

This week, you can hear from Hodges, the artist behind the mobile art school Little Lightning Studios and the co-director of The Land With No Name, Sanctuary for Homeless Sculpture. She grew up on an apple orchard in Vermont, and since has been busy with gigs ranging from teaching art in Brazilian orphanages to earning an MFA in sculpture at the UA to working on large-scale installations in New York. Now, she’s pursuing her own work in Arizona.

Hear from her at noon on Tuesday, Jan. 25.

Tohono Chul, 7366 Paseo del Norte. Free with admission: $15 GA, $13 senior/military/student, $6 kids 5 to 12.

Docent Art Talks: The Harlem Renaissance – The Awakening of Black Pride Through the Arts. Art Talks at the Tucson Museum of Art will be taking place every Wednesday through April 30, and they’re a fantastic chance to learn more about some of the art at the museum, as well as different historical art periods. In this virtual chat, you’ll hear about African Americans’ fit for dignity, equality and self-expression through the arts. You’ll also discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of American values, from freedom to racism. 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26. Virtual event; visit tucsonmuseumofart.org for tickets. $5.

FireTruck Brewing Company 8-Year Anniversary Party. To celebrate eight years of being in business, this midtown microbrewery is throwing an ’80s themed party! Come dressed in your best neon legwarmers and permed hair to enjoy food and drink specials throughout the evening.

They’ll also be playing ’80s movies all day long. With so many businesses closing their doors over the last couple of years, we think that’s all the more reason to celebrate this milestone for a hometown favorite.

Bottoms up! 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21.

FireTruck Brewing Company, 4746 E. Grant Road.

New Beginnings at the Wilde Meyer Gallery. Though sometimes it feels like 2022 is already flying by at lightspeed, it is still January, apparently. So it’s still the season of new beginnings, and there’s still lots of year ahead of us to fill with joy and fulfilment. In honor of that, this local gallery is featuring paintings, sculptures and more by artists including Pamela Ambrosio, Peggy McGivern, Jess Davila and plenty more. The work is on display throughout the month, but they’re holding a reception with mingling and live music by Vanessa Myers. 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21. Wilde Meyer Gallery, 2890 E. Skyline Drive.

by Emily Dieckman Jack and the Beanstalk and Other Adventures in Folklore. The latest show over at Red Herring Puppets is, as always, full of creativity and charm. In this one, Rowby the alien puppet shares some of his favorite folktales from planet Earth.

For instance, there’s a Celtic version of Jack and the Beanstalk and a hip hop version of The Three Little Pigs.

Then there’s The Drum, a story from India about kindness and generosity.

Red Herring Puppets is owned by Lisa Sturz, who has worked everywhere from Disney to PBS to Jim Henson Productions, so you know she knows her puppet stuff!

2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23, Jan. 30 and Feb. 6. Red Herring Puppets, 4500 N. Oracle Road, suite 421. $8.

Sons of the Pioneers. Founded back in 1934 by Roy Rogers, Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer, this band forever transformed cowboy music with its one-of-a-kind harmonies and lyrics evoking the Old West. The band has remained together continuously since then, rotating through a total of 47 members over the years. The current group of members includes Roy Rogers’ son! Come hear them play classics like “Cool Water” and “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” at the Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley. 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 21, 2 and 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22, and Sunday, Jan. 23. Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road. $31 to $40.

Mahler’s Vision of Paradise. The Tucson Symphony Orchestra has got quite the show lined up for us this weekend. First, you’ll hear Dances in the Canebrakes, by Florence Price, who was the first female African American to be recognized as a symphonic composer. Though heavily influenced by the European tradition, Price’s work also weaves in musical elements from the African American church. Then, Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 will feature soprano Nicole Cabell. And Mahler’s Symphony No. 4., which includes themes of suffering, triumph, and a child’s vision of heaven, is sweeping and lovely. 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 21. And 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23.

Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. $17 to $83.

Tucson Roadrunners vs. Bakersfield Condors. I doubt you have anything more fun planned for your Wednesday night than cheering on our local hockey team at the top of your lungs. Listen in to Beef Vegan Presents on 102.1 KFMA in the morning for a special code word to get 50 percent off tickets. The night’s concession special is $10 Kilt Lifter brats + a beer or soft drink. If you’d rather make your own brats and beer from the safety and comfort of your home, did you know you can tune in to the games on AHL TV? You can get all-access packages, get a package to view all of the Roadrunners’ games or just tune in for one night.

6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26. Tucson Arena, 260 S. Church Ave. $15 to $66+.

Venus in Fur. Next Stage Theatre Southwest is bringing this show by David Ives to the Arizona Rose Theatre. The two-person play is about Thomas Novachek, a writer and director who is opening a new play in NYC based on the novel Venus in Furs, which is the novel that inspired the term “masochism.” After a frustrating day of watching auditions from actresses who just aren’t capturing the essence of the female lead, in walks Vanda for a reading. What ensues is an audition that ends up blurring the lines between theater and reality and launching the two into a game of submission, domination and role reversal. Spicy!

7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m.

Sundays from Jan. 21 to Jan. 30. Arizona Rose Theatre in the Tucson Mall, 4500 N. Oracle Road. $25 with discounts for seniors, students & military.

JANUARY 20, 2022

ARTS & CULTURE

Two Artists at Tucson Museum of Art Olivier Mosset until Feb. 27 Patrick Martinez: Look What You Created until April 24 Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday to Sunday. $12 adults; $10 seniors 65 and up; $7 college students and teens ages 13 to 17. Free for children 12 and under, members, veterans and active military.

140 N. Main Ave. Tucsonmuseumofart.org. 520624-2333 Visitors must reserve timed tickets online in advance. Masks and social distancing required.

EXTRA: The museum is open 5 to 8 p.m. on First Thursday, Feb. 3. Free. Music and art activities included. Reserve tickets online two weeks before the event.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TUCSON MUSEUM OF ART

A neon sign designed by Patrick Martinez in the exhibit “Look What You Created.”

DYNAMIC DUO

A pair of shows at the Tucson Museum of Art explore radically different art forms

By Margaret Regan tucsoneditor@tucsonlocalmedia.com IF YOU EVER WANTED TO TEST YOUR

taste in art, get yourself down to the Tucson Museum of Art. The curators have spiced the place up with two radically different art forms on view at the same time but in different galleries.

Olivier Mosset, a Swiss-born artist now in his 70s who has lived in Tucson for many years, is devoted to pure abstract painting and color. Patrick Martinez, an LA artist, prizes multimedia work that exposes injustice and highlights the lives of people of color.

Upstairs in the main gallery, a show named simply for its artist, Olivier Mosset, is stacked with enormous

abstractions. Many hue to one color: you’ll see a giant painting of three yellow circles, another piece that’s a rectangle all in white, and a deep black work that stretches over an entire gallery wall. The trend of all black painting goes back to a Russian artist Kazimir Malevich from the avant-garde in 1915.

The point of Mosset’s single-colored “monochrome” piece, writes curator Julie Sasse, Ph.D., is that it’s the “ultimate vehicle to eliminate all meaning from the painting and allow the work to stand on its own as an object.” There is no meaning beyond color and shape.

Those are fightin’ words for diehard fans of narrative art. But the other show at the museum is equally serious, if not

as cheerful. Patrick Martinez, an LA artist born in 1980, created the installation Look What You Created, a painful exploration of racial discrimination. Inspired in part by the horrors of 2020— including police murders—Martinez’s work is about history and injustice. He uses his narrative art to denounce evils across the centuries in his first solo museum exhibition.

Like Olivier Mosset, Martinez uses materials both beautiful and ordinary.

Tongva Landscape, a masterful, multimedia painting uses neon lights, stucco, earth and metal bars to cover the long and sorry history of the Tongva, the name given to the various indigenous peoples who lived in California long before the arrival of the Spanish.

But the work brings us from past to the present, a time when migrants are reviled.

A feathered Tongva warrior leans against a contemporary building covered with prison bars. A neon sign on the jail window reads: No Body Is Illegal. Small red ceramic roses—both mournful and joyful—are scattered everywhere.

Other works include drawings of Chicano teens, sometimes dealing with the police. A couple of “cake paintings” feature portraits of the late heroes Frederick Douglass, the abolitionist, and Nipsey Hussle, a rapper who particularly inspired black men. They too are

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 17

honored with flowers.

Neon signs are everywere. “I am tired of talk that comes to nothing,” says one; “Hate is too great a burden to bear,” declares another. The title of the show, Look What You Created, has two possible meanings: the past may have been heartbreaking, but we can try like hell to create a better future.

Mosset’s work is also about making the world better, by creating beauty that gives us joy. When you step into his galleries, you (or at least I) get transported by the colors and shapes.

Some of the works remind me of the first objects that are given to infants.

The clear colors—think of those yellow circles—are just the thing a baby wants to see, and chew. If that’s what we loved as newborns, yellow circles might be just what we need now.

The artist, born in 1944, moved around in radical circles early on.

In the 1960s, he went to Paris, a hot spot for new work, and became enamored with monochrome. According to the text at the show, Mosset, following the efforts of other artists, became known for his single-color works. By 1977, he was in New York and a member of the Radical Painting group.

By the ’90s, in Tucson, he began experimenting in “shaped canvases,” a form that banished the idea that paintings had to be rectangles. He works in paintings of all shapes, from giant X forms to Ls and circles and arrows. The new shapes brought a fresh geometry to his work. One piece work in the show is a gloriously colored pieces of geometry with, a big triangle in blazing orange and a second triangle—pure white—that’s upside down.

Mosset is still working. Lately he seems interested in flat rectangular canvases once more. He has a number of delightfully painted squares: a long one in shades of pale green, and some lovely rich blues on paper. The most dramatic, perhaps, is a giant flat checkerboard in the colors of the Tucson sun.

Called Camino de Oeste, its red and pink squares blaze in the sunset sky. ■

18

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JANUARY 20, 2022

and African influences that pervade El Barrio they call home. At Rialto Theater…

Pushing boundaries, electronic synth duo Boy Harsher’s fifth release isn’t really a traditional album, but rather, a soundtrack to a short horror film. Balancing cinematic instrumentals with pop songs, Boy

By Xavier Omar Otero Harsher presents The Runner (2022). At tucsoneditor@tucsonlocalmedia.com Club Congress… After unceremoniously announcing the band’s imminent demise in 2003, post-hardcore/alternative rockers This week: Jenny & The Mexicats, Shiner have apparently reconsidered and Shamarr Allen, David Huckfelt & Billy return with Schadenfreude (2020) their Sedlmayr, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Joan Osborne, The Sons of the Pioneers, first studio album since 2001’s The Egg. Like the album title suggests, Shiner Martin Sexton, Orkesta Mendoza y derive pleasure from another person’s mismucho mas. Get the jab and mask up! fortune. At Rialto Theater… Embarking on an eclectic flight path, at a turn peaceful then turbulent, their ever changing sound can land listeners on a dance floor or in a mosh pit. Lisa Lemke and Mik Garrison, deliver Space Adventure 2020 - Episode 1 THURSDAY, JAN. 20 (2020) their latest EP. The Bird Lords. Live In New York’s East Harlem, not a day goes & Free. At Tap & Bottle (downtown)… by when the intoxicating rhythms of salsa, boogaloo, and Latin soul can be heard waftFRIDAY, JAN. 21 ing through the air. Born on the city streets, this rich musical legacy is deeply ingrained “Ay ay ay ay ay, que bonito es el amor pero in this ensemble’s identity. Coming at you me gusta más el vino.” In “La Cumbia del full force, three-time Grammy winners, Vino,” Jenny Ball professes her affinity Spanish Harlem Orchestra are dedicated for wine over the beauty of love. Ten years to celebrating the rich Latin, Caribbean after walking into a Madrid tablao [a ven-

MARK YOUR CALENDARS…

ue where flamenco is performed] where the odyssey of Jenny and The Mexicats began—when this trumpet-wielding firebrand of an English singer joined forces with a Mexican rockabilly double bassist and the “best flamenco/punk guitarist” in Spain—it remains the seductive rhythm of the music that will not release Ball from La Diabla inside. Like Romani nomads possessing an untamed spirit ill-suited to the conventions of society, the band has never been under contract with any record company. They function independently: No borders, no labels, no prejudices and no shortcomings. Jenny & The Mexicats promise a Fiesta Ancestral. At Rialto Theater. With Santa Pachita… What was hidden shall be made known. Searching for the light of truth, Room Enough, Time Enough (2021), the brand-new album of songs by midwestern folk singer David Huckfelt, marks the junction of rivers where poetry, activism, conservation and Native Americana meet. (Huckfelt has been active in the fight against Line 3, a tar sands pipeline that violates the treaty rights of the Ojibwe people and poses significant environmental threat.) Recorded in the borderlands of Tucson, the album’s cast of outlaws, Native musicians, and cowboys includes Greg Brown, Dave Simonett (Trampled By Turtles), Billy Sedlmayr (who contributed the song “Cole Younger”), Howe Gelb, Pieta Brown, Jackie Bird, Keith Secola and Milton “Quiltman” Sahme. In troubled times, the former theology student’s music functions as a darkly poetic canticle to protect all things vulnerable and sublime. David Huckfelt & Billy Sedlmayr with The Mother Higgins Children’s Band (Gabriel Sullivan, Winston Watson, Connor Gallaher and Thøger Lund). At 191 Toole… A musical chameleon who is equally at home playing modern jazz, salsa, country or rock, drummer Arthur Vint left his home in Tucson, Arizona, for the bright lights of New York City in 2007. There he built a career performing as a sideman with Post-

COURTESY PHOTO

Folk singer David Huckfelt is performing music from his latest album Room Enough, Time Enough with Tucson blues legend Billy Sedlmayr at 191 Toole on Saturday, Jan. 21.

modern Jukebox, Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks, country singer Zephaniah O’Hora and others. He assumed the role of bandleader—exploring themes from the great Spaghetti Western soundtrack composer Ennio Morricone—for his second studio recording, Death Rides A Horse (2017), which was met with critical acclaim. The Huffington Post called it, “One of the most refreshing, melodic, and successfully themed albums this year.”

Arthur Vint & Associates take audiences on a trip Through The Badlands. At Hotel Congress (plaza stage)… The stuff of legend. Tucson’s Latin dance party sin fronteras El Tambó celebrates the cultural remezcla of the borderlands. DJ Humblelianess presides. At Hotel Congress (plaza stage)… Melding the mystical strains of Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, Baba Marimba create a potent mix, compelling bodies to dance. At Monterey Court… Highlighting the vocal talents of soprano Nicole Cabell, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor José Luis Gomez, unveil Mahler’s Vision of Paradise. “I’m excited to introduce Tucson audiences to Florence Price, the first female African-American composer

Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar Daily Specials Half Price Rolls $6 Sake Bombs All Day 5036 N Oracle Road 888-6646 M-F 11:30am to 2:30pm & 5pm to 10pm Sat 12pm to 10pm Sun 12pm to 9pm

shoguntucson.com

JANUARY 20, 2022

of classical music, whose beautiful music is finally enjoying deserved appreciation,” Gomez says. At Tucson Music Hall…

Formed in 1934 by Roy Rogers, Bob Nolan, and Tim Spencer, The Sons of the Pioneers’ accomplished musicianship and soaring harmony vocals—along with a stage show romanticizing the image of the American West—forever transformed cowboy music. “Cool Water” and “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” have become anthems of Western lore that can be heard echoing off canyon walls. Time-travel with the Sons of the Pioneers, in the first of a series of five performances. At Gaslight Theater (Oro Valley)… In a production abounding in laser lights, video walls, and special effects, Phoenix’s Shine On Floyd: A Tribute to Pink Floyd perform The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety, along with other Floyd classics. At Berger Performing Arts Center…

SATURDAY, JAN. 22 As the title to his 2019 song suggests, trumpeter Shamarr Allen is a “Bandhead for Life.” Just like the music, art and the second-line funeral processions that emanate from the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans—vibrant and fiercely independent, with a history of survival—Allen has influenced jazz, hip-hop, rock, funk, blues and country through collaborations with a diversity of artists: Willie Nelson, Patti LaBelle, Harrick Connick Jr, Lenny Kravitz and others. He is a music composer, lyricist and producer, in addition to being a trumpeter with an edgy sound, Shamarr Allen transcends musical boundaries. At Hotel Congress (plaza stage)… “As punk as the Sex Pistols and as violent as Pérez Prado.” Throughout Orkesta Mendoza’s discography, bandleader Sergio Mendoza, who grew up in both Sonora, Mexico and Nogales, Arizona, has jostled between two distinct musical and psychological spaces created by the influence of biculturalism and bilingualism germane to life to the borderland, where mestizo-infused genres like boogaloo, cumbia, chicha and mambo intersect. “Their music goes in myriad directions, rhythms and modes—big-band orchestrations mixed with lo-fi electronica, vocals en Español combined with moving instrumentals,” says Calexico’s Joey Burns. Orkesta Mendoza presenta Curandero (2020), their fifth studio album.

At Hotel Congress (plaza stage)… Armando Moreno’s latest release, Here and Back Again (2019), processes the death of his beloved mother, pouring his heart into soul-stirring lyrics to take the listener on an unforgettable journey of love, heart-

ache and hope. Armando Moreno & The Revival. At Saint Charles Tavern… Mr. Skynyrd pays homage to the late Ronnie Van Zant and Lynyrd Skynyrd crew. At Encore… Accompanied by slide guitarist Joe Novelli, whiskey-and-cigarette-cured singer-songwriter Joe Peña (Greyhound Soul, Sundowners) performs his gritty, darkly soulful original compositions. At MotoSonora Brewing Company. With an opening set by Tempe’s The Blinding Suns… Turntablists Bex & Halsero drop napalm bombs on the dancefloor. At Hotel Congress (plaza stage)…

SUNDAY, JAN. 23 Connie Brannock’s Little House of Blues keep the charcoal red hot. Congress Cookout. At Hotel Congress (plaza stage)…

MONDAY, JAN. 24 Club Whutever DJs alice.km, Hot Leather Disco, and PC Party spin EDM. At Hotel Congress (Tap Room patio)…

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 26 With a sweet tooth for classic pop songwriting, Minneapolis indie rockers Bad Bad Hats perform material from Walkman (2021), their third LP. With The Ophelias.

At 191 Toole… Austin Meade was a drummer for years before finding his voice when he began playing guitar as a teen in his pastor father’s church band. Inspired by country music legends like Johnny Cash, Kody West took to the road as soon as he could put a band together. Country rockers Austin Meade & Kody West tie loose ends. At The Rock. With special guest Charlie Stout… With a score that spawned hits “Defying Gravity,” “Popular,” and “For Good,” Broadway blockbuster Wicked by Winnie Holzman has been hailed by The New York Times as “the defining musical of the decade.” Wicked, the untold true story of the witches of Oz, runs through Feb. 6. At Centennial Hall…

THURSDAY, JAN. 27 A hit single can change your life. Citing American poetry (the works of Walt Whitman in particular) as inspiration for her songwriting, Joan Osborne was a well-regarded figure on New York’s blues club scene, but practically unknown elsewhere at the beginning of 1995,. But that had changed by March, when the release of Relish (1995), her debut studio album,

ascended the Billboard Hot 100. Propelled by hit single “One of Us,” the album peaked at No. 4, garnering seven Grammy nominations and forever changing everything. It was a blessing and a curse.

“When I had that big song,” Osborne admits, “I was grateful, but I froze up inside. I was afraid. I didn’t want to make a misstep. I got tied up in knots trying to please everyone, even myself. I became the poster child for the sophomore slump.” She never had another single on the pop charts. Twenty-seven years after her breakthrough, she follows her restless musical heart on her latest release, Trouble and Strife (2020), exploring a diverse range of genres. “We were going for a ’70s AM radio vibe,” says Osborne. Taking a hard look at transgender rights, climate change, immigration and disinformation, she adds: “These songs are the most political I’ve ever written.” Joan Osborne & The Weepies continue to break new ground. At Fox Tucson Theatre… In 1988, after moving to Boston, blue-eyed soul/ folk-rock singer-songwriter Martin Sexton launched his musical career busking on street corners around the city. As his following grew, his collection of self-produced demo recordings, In The Journey (1991), released on an 8-track cassette, sold an impressive 15,000 copies to fans.

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 19

Shifting his voice effortlessly in-and-out of falsetto, on “Women and Wine” Sexton toes the line. “Like the mist of morning, my dream remains. Hanging in the burnt fields. The flames hiss a chorus of your disdain. Picking up the past I left behind.”

Taking to the high road, with what Rolling Stone calls his “soul-marinated voice,” an acoustic guitar, and a suitcase full of heartfelt songs, Martin Sexton presents 2020 Vision (2021). At 191 Toole… Traveling through the forgotten landscapes of Nogrod, one of two Dwarven cities in the Blue Mountains, slumber drunk, inspired by grunge, dripping with sheets of sopping guitars and ’90s angst, these 20-something Tucson alternative rockers are making quite a racket. Droll live up to their moniker. At Club Congress. With Class and Deep Stay… A revolving cast of guest DJs spin dubstep, house, and drum ’n’ bass. The Underground Clubhouse. At The Rock… Recently voted Best Musical Act of 2021 (by TW’s Best of Tucson® readers poll), Miss Olivia & the Interlopers radiate their signature soulful, funky grooves and tell Tiny Tales. At Tap & Bottle (downtown)…

Until next week, XOXO…

20

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JANUARY 20, 2022

HIGH STAKES

Legislative session begins with three MJ bills out of the gate

By David Abbott tucsoneditor@tucsonlocalmedia.com THE 2022 LEGISLATIVE SESSION kicked off on Jan. 10, so it is time once again to start the long slog through the sausage of lawmaking to sine die as legislators trip over one another to prove who’s Trumpiest in the post-reality world.

There are already several bills intended to honor the Great Man, from “President Donald J. Trump Day,” to renaming State Route 260 as the “Donald J. Trump Highway,” both proposed by Sen. Wendy Rogers, one of the wackiest elected officials in the state if not the country.

But we’ll leave orange derangement aside, as we here at the Weedly have enough on our hands tracking legislation, often proposed by prohibitionists seeking to weaken weed laws. (There is the rare legislation intended to create a more equitable cannabis program for Arizona consumers.)

From last year’s failed bill to set limits on THC blood content for DUI—which would be unconstitutional in Arizona, given the language of Prop 207—to Speaker Rusty Bowers’ continuing efforts to paint cannabis users as violent, child-eating zombies, proposed cannabis legislation continues to remind us that the definition of “legal” is often a moving target.

While some bills go off to die in obscurity, or are pulled by their sponsors in the case of the aforementioned DUI bill, others awaken like the undead in a B-grade

horror movie, keeping advocates busy in their attempts to protect voter rights.

That can be a pain in the ass for bills that would do some good for citizens who voted for Prop 207 with the belief that it would actually legalize weed and not just make it a vehicle for wealthy lawyers to get even wealthier in the nascent adult-use, recreational market.

Under normal circumstances, the legislative process is an arcane and confusing affair, but this session looks to be particularly contentious and filled with intrigue, as 13 lawmakers have tendered resignations, whether because they’ve had enough of the rancor or they’re seeking higher office.

There is a possibility there could be even more defectors, as nine more lawmakers are running for higher office.

As of Monday, Jan. 17, nearly 700 House bills and more than 200 Senate bills have dropped. Among them are three that would affect cannabis laws should they make it through the process.

The most pressing cannabis legislation proposed in the early days of this session is a House bill intended to address glaring problems with the social equity program that is part of the Prop 207 law.

MORE ON THE SOCIAL EQUITY FRONT THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF Health Services, which oversees both the medical marijuana program and adult-use recreational, spent several months last year writing and rewriting the rules intended to give communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs a piece of the massive economic pie that has come with the legal cannabis industry.

HB 2545, introduced by Representatives Kevin Payne (R-LD21) and David Cook (R-LD8), attempts to right some of the wrongs, by not allowing recipients of social equity licenses to sell the license within 10 years. If they do, the license would have to go to another individual who qualifies for the program.

As the bill works its way through the process though, ADHS is preparing to have the lottery that will decide who among the 1,500 applicants will get the “golden tickets” worth at least $10 million each. That could happen as soon as early February.

Social justice advocates across the state have attempted to get ADHS to CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

JANUARY 20, 2022

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 21

22

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JANUARY 20, 2022

TUCSON WEEDLY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20

suspend the program until more equitable rules can be written (there is a lawsuit to that end making its way through the courts), but there are several problems with this effort, according to Julie Gunnigle, the former Arizona NORML political director.

“On its face, it looks like a good rule, but social equity advocates want a complete rewrite,” she said. “The licenses should belong to the communities most directly affected by the war on cannabis, and not individuals who might be tempted to sell out to the big players.”

Gunnigle said that one of the program’s biggest failings is that there is no funding source associated with it, which opens the door for big operators to game the system.

HB2545 also does not specify any consequences for non-compliance and, given the small window of time before the lottery, is not an emergency bill. The licenses might already be dispersed by the time it becomes law.

If it passes.

“It’s a noble call, but it doesn’t address

the core issues,” Gunnigle said. “The true grift is in the way the management contracts are written and it doesn’t address that. If this bill passes, it would incentivize people to sell their licenses before the law even takes effect.”

ADVERTISING BILL RETURNS HB2082, SPONSORED BY Joanne Osborne (R-LD13), would not allow dispensaries to offer samples to customers, but also brings back an unpopular attempt to stifle dispensary advertising.

This one is a reprise of a bill submitted by former Tucson Rep. Randy Friese that severely limits advertising and event sponsorship by dispensaries and can be seen as another effort to keep legitimate cannabis businesses at arm’s length from the “free market” other types of businesses enjoy.

While not as Draconian as HB2809, HB2802 has some common-sense elements, such as not selling to customers who are obviously intoxicated, or not allowing free samples for on-site use.

There are also specific limits on advertising to individuals under the age of 21 and within certain distances for church-

es, schools etc.

The real harm comes from limits on contributions to events that allow cannabis dispensaries to become more integrated into their communities. Some contributions would be allowed, albeit without “brand acknowledgement” that could benefit the company making the contribution.

Prime Leaf CEO and co-founder Brian Warde said he knows about the bill, which could be introduced to its appropriate committee as early as this week, and believes there would be unintended consequences should it become law.

“As an organization that has been civically minded since 2014 and has a history of supporting the schools, arts and athletic events in the area, we have concerns about limits being placed on how we can help the community,” he wrote in a recent email. “While our contributions have always been appreciated by the entities that we help, the Prime Leaf’s ability to give has been particularly important throughout the COVID pandemic, which has severely and negatively impacted a number of live events. Contributions like ours have allowed groups to continue operations and serve our community, which we look

forward to doing for years to come. We feel like the restrictions outlined in the bill are an unnecessary and problematic overreach.”

Given the bill is still in its infancy, Warde and other dispensary owners, including members of the Arizona Dispensary Association, are following its progress and will likely meet with Osborne to give input and try to reduce the damage that could be done.

AUTISM AND PTSD AS QUALIFYING CONDITIONS HB2260, INTRODUCED BY Representatives Espinoza (D-LD19) and Andrea Dalessandro (D-LD2), seeks to add autism spectrum disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder for veterans, as qualifying conditions for an Arizona medical cannabis certification.

The bill would allow a pediatrician to prescribe medical cannabis to youths under the age of 18 under strict guidelines and also help destigmatize cannabis use for PTSD among U.S. veterans.

This bill is a reprise of HB2154, which died in the 2021 session. ■

JANUARY 20, 2022

HIGH MAINTENANCE Select Snooze Bites Might Help You Get Some Shut-Eye By the Tucson Weekly Test Department tucsoneditor@tucsonlocalmedia.com WEED CAN MAKE YOU SLEEPY; there’s a reason bird-watchers talk about spotting the elusive droopy-eyed bong sucker. Leaving aside the strains that can trigger frantic all-night housecleaning, when you get high, you’re more likely to sit on the couch and watch TV than to go out for a night on the town.

So it’s no surprise that people who toss and turn through the night are turning to weed as a sleep aid. One of the latest edibles on the market is Snooze Bites.

Coming to us from the folks at Select, a 100mg pack of Snooze Bites contains 20 5mg blackberry gummies. The low dose makes it great for beginners and veterans alike; 5mg (or even half of that) can be enough to send many people off to the land of nod. As an added bonus, the gummies contain CBN (aka cannabinol, not be confused with cannabidiol, aka CBD). WebMD tells us CBN is “a weaker version of THC” and advises that while not much research has been done on CDN, a few studies have “shown CBN to have sedative properties that could relieve conditions like insomnia. However, more research is required.

Well, if you’re having trouble sleeping, why not help out with that research by experimenting with Snooze Bites?

The fruity blackberry notes cover up the residual pot flavor that some edibles carry. It’s also part of Select’s Nano line, meaning the cannabis takes effect more

quickly. Most edibles can take roughly an hour to give you a buzz because they are absorbed in the liver, but these gummies have been broken down into tiny, water-soluble molecules that allows them to be absorbed in the mouth and stomach, providing uplift in about 15 minutes.

If you’re in need of a good night’s sleep and nothing else is working, Snooze Bites are definitely worth a try.■

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 23

LEARN TO GROW A POUND PER PLANT! A Grower’s Paradise Become a member for just $39.99 a year!

520-420-8506 • 4837 E Speedway Blvd AZ420Recreational.com

Take the guess work out!

Now featuring premixed nutrients Now Offering High-Grade CBD Oils -Highest in the three omegas -$69.95 plus discount for members

24

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JANUARY 20, 2022

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

By Rob Brezsny. Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s EXPANDED WEEKLY HOROSCOPE 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700 $1.99 per minute. 18 and over. Touchtone phone required.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In October 2021, the Vancouver Canucks hockey team played the Seattle Kraken team in a Seattle arena. A fan named Nadia Popovici noticed that the Canucks’ equipment manager Brian Hamilton had an irregular mole on the back of his neck—possibly cancerous. She found a way to communicate her observation to him, urging him to see a doctor. In the ensuing days, Hamilton sought medical care and discovered that the mole was indeed in an early stage of melanoma. He had it removed. In the spirit of this inspiring story, Aries, I invite you to tell the people in your life things they should know but don’t know yet—not just what might be challenging, but also what’s energizing and interesting. Be their compassionate advisor, their agent for divine intervention.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): CanadianJamaican songwriter and recording artist Kreesha Turner isn’t a mega-star like Beyoncé or Rihanna, but she has had a successful music career. What’s the secret to her constant creative output? Here’s what she has said: “I love to surround myself with people who are the best at what they do. My idea is I want to be a sponge and absorb everything they teach, experience their energy, view them in their element, and have the opportunity to ask them questions.” The coming year will be one of the best times ever for you to emulate her strategy, Taurus. And now is a perfect moment for formulating plans to make it happen.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini author Lisa Cron says that when we’re telling a story, we should give each successive scene “new information, rather than rehashing things we already know. Never tell us the same fact twice. Because it’s boring and stops the flow of the story. Never tell us the same fact twice. Because it’s boring and stops the flow of the story.” In accordance with astrological omens, Gemini, I suggest you apply this counsel to everything you say and do in the next three weeks. Don’t repeat yourself. Keep moving right along.

Invite novelty. Cultivate surprises and unpredictability.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Years ago, I reluctantly gave up my music career. To do so was sad and hard. But it enabled me to devote far more time and energy to improving my writing skills. I published books and developed a big audience. I’m glad I did it. Here’s another redemptive sacrifice I made earlier in my life: I renounced the chaotic pleasure of seeking endless new romantic adventures so I could commit myself to a relationship with one particular woman. In so doing, I learned a lot

more about how to be a soulful human. I’m glad I did it. Is there potentially a comparable pivot in your life, my fellow Cancerian?

If so, the coming weeks and months will be a favorable time to make a move.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo actor Claudia Christian has appeared in over 50 films, including many in the science fiction genre. She has played a variety of roles in movies with more conventional themes. But as for the sci-fi stuff? She says, “Apparently, I’ve been typecast: I’m a Russian bisexual telepathic Jew.” If Christian came to me for astrological advice right now, I would suggest that the coming months will be an excellent time for her and all of you Leos to slip free of any pigeonholes you’ve been stuck in.

Escape the mold! Create niches for yourself that enable you to express your full repertoire.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The coming weeks will be a favorable time to meditate on your job and your calling—as well as the differences there may be between your job and your calling. In fact, I regard this as a phase when you can summon transformative epiphanies about the way you earn a living and the useful services you provide to your fellow humans. For inspiration, read this quote from photographer Margaret Bourke-White: “Even while you’re in dead earnest about your work, you must approach it with a feeling of freedom and joy; you must be loose-jointed, like a relaxed athlete.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Author Marguerite Yourcenar wrote, “All happiness is a work of art: The smallest error falsifies it, the slightest hesitation alters it, the least heaviness spoils it, the slightest stupidity brutalizes it.” If what she says is true, it’s bad news, isn’t it? She makes it seem like cultivating joy and well-being is a superhuman skill that few of us can hope to master. Personally, I am not as stringent as Yourcenar in my ideas about what’s required to generate happiness. But like her, I believe you have to work at it. It doesn’t necessarily come easily and naturally. Most of us have never been taught how to cultivate happiness, so we must train ourselves to do it and practice diligently. The good news, Libra, is that the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to upgrade your happiness skills.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In 1891, a cultural organization commissioned Scorpio sculptor Auguste Rodin to create a statue of beloved French author Honoré de Balzac. The piece was supposed to be done in 18 months, but it wasn’t. For seven

years, Rodin toiled, producing over 50 studies before finally finishing the piece.

We shouldn’t be surprised, then, that one of his mottoes was “Patience is also a form of action.” I’m recommending Rodin-like patience to you in the coming weeks, Scorpio. Yours will be rewarded long before seven years go by.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “I am ashamed of confessing that I have nothing to confess,” wrote author Fanny Burney.

Actor Jennifer Lawrence said, “I started to write an apology, but I don’t have anything to say I’m sorry for.” I nominate these two souls to be your role models for the coming weeks. In my astrological opinion, you are currently as immune to karmic boomerangs as it’s possible to be. Your guilt levels are abnormally low. As far as I can determine, you are relatively free from having to answer to the past or defend your actions.

How do you plan to make maximum use of this grace period?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “New truths become evident when new tools become available,” declared Nobel Prize-winning medical physicist Rosalyn Sussman Yalow (1921–2011). She was referring to developments in science and technology, but I think her idea applies to our personal lives, too. And it so happens, in my astrological opinion, that the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to acquire new tools that will ultimately lead you to discover new truths.

Comics

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Self-help teachers and New Age gurus are fond of using metaphors about opening doors. They provide a lot of advice that encourages us to knock on doors, scout around for doors that are open just a crack, find keys to unlock doors, and even kick down doors.

I will not be following their lead in this horoscope. In my opinion, the coming days are an excellent time for you to heed the contrary counsel of author Paulo Coelho: “Close some doors today. Not because of pride, incapacity, or arrogance, but simply because they lead you nowhere.” Once you carry out this assignment, Aquarius, I believe you’ll start finding interesting new doors to open.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In 2017, Piscean film director Jordan Peele released his debut film, Get Out. It was a success with both critics and audiences. A year later, Peele became the first Black screenwriter to win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. As he accepted the Oscar, he said, “I stopped writing this movie about 20 times because I thought it was impossible.”

Personally, I’m glad Peele didn’t give up his dream. Here’s one reason why: He will serve as an excellent role model for you throughout 2022. As you reinvent yourself, Pisces, don’t give up pushing ahead with persistence, courage, and a quest for what’s most fun.

Homework: What’s the best blessing you could bestow on yourself right now?

Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

JANUARY 20, 2022

SAVAGE LOVE FAST AND FURIOUS

By Dan Savage, mail@savagelove.net

me want to jerk off and maybe one day I’ll meet a gay guy like you and suck and blow him.

—Gooning About Gay Guys In Naughty Gowns

I’m a straight guy but my whole life I have wanted to be spanked by older men.

Does this make any sense?

Because I’m confused. I don’t like or want penis. Yet I want to be spanked as a punishment by men. I don’t understand myself sometimes.

—Sincerely Pondering And Not Knowing The truly important question here isn’t why you want this, SPANK, but how much more time you’re gonna waste sitting on your ass wondering why you want this when you could be out there getting that ass spanked? And even if you came up with a neat and tidy answer, you’re still gonna want older men to spank you. Because getting to the bottom of a kink— identifying some childhood trauma that explains everything—isn’t a cure. Instead of seeing the spankings you want as a riddle you need to solve you should see them as a reward for all the wondering you’ve had to do.

If you need a label, SPANK, just say you’re bisexual for spankings. Not bi for blowjobs, not bi for anal, not bi for JO or mutual masturbation. Just bi for spankings.

I like the way you walk the talk because gay guys in women’s clothes get me hard and horny and when I see a gay guy dressed in sexy clothing it just makes

Articles of clothing don’t have genders, GAGGING, because anyone can wear anything, as Billy Porter was sent down to earth to teach us. Also, not all gowns are naughty—think night, hospital, dressing, etc. That said, GAGGING, I don’t wear the kind of clothing the cishet patriarchy would have us believe is for women alone. Well, I don’t wear that stuff anymore. I used to drag, GAGGING, and the pictures are out there, but I haven’t worn so much as a skirt for years. So, you can stop thinking about sucking my dick.

I’m hoping to get an objective POV on something. I’m a 31-year-old male bottom.

I have been in an open relationship with an amazing 31-year-old male top for twelve years. One year ago I started to suffer some gender dysphoria. At roughly the same time he expressed a desire to be topped. I never had any desire to top someone, I’ve never even felt that male urge to thrust my hips, but I hate that I’ve let my BF down. I can do this, but only with the help of ED meds. How can I get some pleasure out of it?

—Topping Burden You could penetrate your BF with toys, or you could take one (or give one) for the team once in a while (by taking ED meds and topping him), or your boyfriend could bottom for other men, seeing as your relationship is already open.

Or all of the above. And if it’s the thrusting and/or being in control that turns

you off (or tweaks your gender dysphoria), take an ED med and let your boyfriend ride your hard dick—then instead of you fucking him, he’ll be fucking himself.

Power bottom, sub top!

I’m wondering how AJ, the FinDom you quoted at length in your most recent column, wound up on your radar and getting what amounted to free advertising in your column. You said he lives in the Pacific Northwest. Isn’t that where you live, Dan? And you said his bathroom is always spotlessly clean. How would you know that? Are you his bathroom?

—Dan’s Ethics Are Lacking I’ve never met AJ in person, there’s more than one city in the Pacific Northwest (and we don’t live in the same one), and I found AJ looking for gay FinDoms on Twitter who might want to answer CASHFAG’s question. That said, DEAL, while I’m far too cheap to be anyone’s finsub (or their sugar daddy, for that matter), I do enjoy cleaning bathrooms—but not in a pervy way. I enjoy cleaning bathrooms in an eat-an-edible-and-listento-musicals-and-zone-outdoing-housework-whilethe-husband-and-his-boyfriend-are-at- the-gym sort of way. So, while I wouldn’t necessarily say no to cleaning AJ’s bathroom, I haven’t been asked, DEAL, and consequently haven’t had the pleasure.

This is about your recent response to UNCUT, the guy who met men who believed they were uncut when they were very much cut. You suggested that these men were lying about being uncircumcised. But not knowing might be more

common than we assume.

This is from Epidemiology, the authoritative textbook written by Leon Gordis of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health: “They asked a group of men whether or not they had been circumcised. The men were then examined by a physician.

Of the 56 men who stated they were circumcised, 19, or 33.9%, were found to be uncircumcised. Of the 136 men who stated they were not circumcised, 47, or 34.6% were found to be circumcised. These data demonstrate that the findings from studies using interview data may not always be clearcut.”

—Some Truly Are Thrown While it’s true that men lie to prospective sex partners all the time—and, yes, #NotAllMen and #SomeWomenToo—it turns out that men may not be lying about this. In addition to the textbook example you shared, STAT, other readers sent along a clip of Patrick Stewart on the Graham Norton Show. In it, Stewart tells Norton he got into an argument with his wife about his dick one day. He insisted he was circumcised, she insisted he was not. Stewart, who thought he knew his own dick, followed up with his doctor and it turned out his wife, who may have had a larger frame of reference, was correct: contrary to what Stewart believed about his own dick, he was not circumcised as an infant or at any time in his life. The clip, which is easy to find on YouTube (and very funny), is yet more evidence—anecdotal, in Stewart’s case—that some men don’t know from their own dicks. questions@savagelove.net Follow Dan on Twitter @ FakeDanSavage.

Columns, podcasts, books, merch and more at www.savage.love!

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 25

CLASSIFIEDS

520.797.4384 Classifieds@tucsonlocalmedia.com

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL

IMMEDIATE POSITIONS AVAILABLE Drivers/Chauffeurs Bookkeeper/Data Entry

F/P time available Flexible Scheduling Vehicle Detailers Must be 25+ years old Valid driver’s license Working weekends and some major holidays

Please Call for Info 520-271-8762

Catalina Transportation

180 W Magee Rd. #116, Tucson, Arizona 85704

Catalina Transportation Services, Inc is an E.O.E and Drug/Alcohol Free Workplace

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL

Join our experienced inside sales team!

Do you have print media/digital advertising selling experience? We may be looking for you! Lots of outbound calls selling advertising! Our 20 Arizona publications, newspapers, magazines and digital solutions fit pretty much every need!

Great team environment Our small team wants to grow with you! Do you get excited when you sell? Do you talk louder when you are selling something you believe in? We get it - it's exciting to sell!

Do you learn quickly, like to stay organized, multi-task, are you familiar with Gmail, Google Docs/Sheets/Voice, Word, Excel, internet browsing etc?

This is a full time job Mon-Fri with benefits. If you think you are the missing puzzle piece, please apply! EOE Wait, did I mention we are a FUN team?

Send your resume with cover letter to Elaine ecota@timespublications.com

HANDYMAN Handyman Service

Doors* Drywall* Painting Roof Repair/Coating*Hauling Coolers* Odd Repairs Minor Plumbing/Electrical* BBB Member.

Not a licensed Contractor

520-425-0845

CARPET CLEANING DIRTY TILE DIRTY CARPET

2 rooms $59 30k steamers 520 -331-7777

orovalleycarpetcleaners.com

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JANUARY 20, 2022

CLASSIFIEDS

AUTO PARTS/ACCESSORIES

MEETINGS/EVENTS

L E N

Tucson and surrounding areas

Call 520-797-4384

E S T H S E

Family Owned and Operated

Get your Message to our Readers

R E E R E R D

New, Old, Running, or not!

Protect your future. Senior Prideʼs Honoring A Life Workshop takes away the mystery of Advance Medical Care Planning for LGBTQ people. Register for workshop: https://soazsenior pride.org/events Learn more: eol@soazseniorpride.org

I Buy Record Collections Large or Small. Rock, Jazz, Blues, Soundtracks etc. $Cash$ and I will come to you.

Call 520-389-8668 (Text only) 559-355-5935 Local Company

E B L I I S

520-271-0546

MEETINGS/ EVENTS

O B R B E S

FREE PROFESSIONAL REMOVAL

Call 520-797-4384 to Advertise

G A S B I L L

$CASH$

For ALL unwanted Cars, Trucks & SUVs Call or text anytime for quote

C E L S

AUTO SERVICES

Crossword Answers

WANTED TO BUY

A F L A T

Body Rub Ajo and Kinney area.

You all stop by and enjoy a stress free body rub by a man for a man.

Private/Discreet.

Call or text Oliver: 520-358-7310

Mature Woman Full Body Massage Satisfaction Guaranteed.

Provided by a woman for a man.

10 am to 8 pm Text or Call 520-278-0597

O T I W I L D N E T E S I D E U N S P S R B A E R R I N E R S L Y R I N B O G G C A S U E R U P

MASSAGE

A B S O G N U O A E F M S U E D EW R D L Y I S N I N G L E K E

 FULL BODY RUB Best full body rub for men by a man. West Tucson. Ajo and Kinney. Privacy assured. 7AM to 7PM. In/Out calls available.

Darvin 520-404-0901.

No texts. 

MASSAGE

A S S T D A

MASSAGE

Classifieds@tucsonlocalmedia.com

H O D A D S

520.797.4384

A G R E B R E A B E M U Y E A T R E R E MA I N O B E Y B E D P S H E O P E R B E F U E X T

26

MISC FOR SALE

OPK

Old Pueblo Knitters’ Guild

YARN SALE: Priced way below retail!

Thousands of skeins of yarn.

All types of yarn including; wool, acrylic, cotton, blends etc.

WHEN: January 22, 2022

Complete and All Auto Parts & Metals Top $$ For Cars Running or Not

10am- 3pm

WHERE: St. Francis in Foothills United

Methodist Church 4625 E River Road-Tucson, AZ 85718

We buy Propane Tanks All Auto Parts, All Aluminum Metal and Automotive Parts Complete Cars, Trucks & Metal Catalytic Converters from LICENSED sellers only

520-999-0804 Se Habla Español

Showing ONLY at Century 20 El Con Jan 21st - 26th 3601 E Broadway

JANUARY 20, 2022

Edited by Will Shortz ACROSS

Corresponds Very much 11 Hot temper 14 Something often held underwater 15 Flummox 17 Flummox 18 Shakespeare, notably 19 Call of support 20 Grazer with a bushy beard 21 Joined forces (with) 22 South American arboreal snake 26 Laser tag equipment 27 Depictions of lands’ ups and downs 29 Seriously shortchange 32 Focal points of a debate 34 Offensive line 35 Mind 36 Brambles with edible purple fruit 39 Resting place 40 Uncompromising sorts 42 Small bouquet 43 Setting for Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” 45 Casts off 47 Weekly 90-min. TV show 48 Cowboys’ grp.

50 Word with room or system 52 Flummox … or a classic word game represented by the central grid of shaded squares, in which 15-, 17- and 55-Across can be found

55 Flummox

1

56 Nonchalant

7

57

No. after a no.

58 Drink sometimes served in a masu cup 59 Hits the roof

1

3

4

5

6

8

9

10

15

17

11

12

13

29

30

31

16

19

20 22

23

24

21

25

26

1

27 32

28

33

34

35

36

39

40

37

41

42 45

38

43

46

44

47

50

51

55

48 52

53

49

54

56

57

58

31 Dangerous pellets 32 Rabble 33 Figure on a fiver 34 Winter exclamation 37 Photo lab request: Abbr.

38 Singer Lana del ___ 40 Surfer wannabes 41 Subordinate in the

prosecutor’s office: Abbr.

42 Its flag has vertical stripes of red-white-red 44 Key just above G 45 Glasses, informally 46 Weight

59

47 Old dagger 49 Collectible cartoon

Looking for Lillian Honickel, born 12/5/1932. Last known address was Cherry Home Board and Care, 4416 N. Camino Real, Tucson. Her 99 year old cousin wishes to speak to her again. Please help us find Lillian.

Call Jeannie Brady (949) 228-4950

CLEANING SERVICES

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL

Experience

Finance: Optimizely, Inc. seeks Strategic Account Executive in Tucson, AZ to dev & manage the custmr accounts & drive revenue from lg companies by analyzing & understanding their financial & tech needs & mapping those to products & solutions that Optimizely provides. 20% trvl req.

Telecommuting acceptable. Ref job #5314941 & send res to Hayley.Skinsley@optimizely.com

Cleaning Services

(520)-396-8695

Free In Home Estimates Marisol Gomez ExperienceCleaning150@ gmail.com

• • • • • • •

25+ yrs Experience Low Prices Licensed & Insured Disinfecting Eco-friendly Detail is a focus Satisfaction is a Priority

Want to see your ad here?

Call 520-797-4384

frames

50 Award turned down by

Alan Rickman: Abbr.

51 Variety 52 Pre-A.D. 53 Piece of equipment

for certain summer Olympians 54 Atlanta sch.

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

Casas Adobes Congregational Church

An Open and Affirming Congregation of the UCC

No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!

Join Us In-Person and Online

Classifieds@tucsonlocalmedia.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NEW THOUGHT

18

CLASSIFIEDS 520.797.4384

WORSHIP GUIDE CLASSIFIEDS 520.797.4384

Classifieds@tucsonlocalm 520.797.4384 Classifieds@tucsonlocalmedia.com

7

14

DOWN

“Sesame Street” Muppet with magical powers 2 Hug or kiss, maybe 3 Took a second?

4 Three-vowel French word that sounds like a fourth vowel 5 French connections 6 ___-wolf 7 “___ Ben Adhem” (Leigh Hunt poem) 8 “Dancing With the Stars” judge Goodman 9 Comes clean 10 Certain marketing gimmicks 11 Pensée 12 Liberal arts college in Portland, Ore. 13 Transgress 16 Former Fords 18 In a real mess 20 Runs out of water 23 Start of a count-off 24 Name that drops “-jah” 25 Dumbbell curls build them, for short 26 Monthly utility statement 28 Sound from a crib 29 Giving a boost 30 Unrefined material

2

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM 27

Sundays at 9:30am

Want to see your ad here?

Call 520-797-4384

www.caucc.org/welcome 520.297.1181 | info@caucc.org | 6801 N. Oracle Road

28

TUCSONWEEKLY.COM

JANUARY 20, 2022