April 2011
Vol. VI
No. 6
A new brokerage and a well known name
A Distinctive Place. A Distinctive Professional. Meet Bill Mack. “As a seller, now more than ever, you should insist on a creative marketing plan and an aggressive advertising budget to get your property sold.” ~ Bill Mack, Tubac Real Estate
T
ubac is, quite simply, a place like no other. Nestled peacefully in the heart of the Santa Cruz Valley, the distinctive quality of life here is unmatched.
Bill Mack,
Tubac Real Estate
11Circulo Nomada Office: 520.398.2945 Fax: 520.398.3184
Longtime residents Bill Mack and his wife, Clee Johnston understand this appeal well. As premier real estate professionals, they are committed to helping others make the most of their opportunities in the Tubac area. That’s why they are providing valuable information to assist you in Tubac. Tubac Real Estate has a wealth of listings and local information which will help you reach your real estate goals. Driven to provide the most comprehensive service around, Bill combines his knowledge and experience to ensure positive results for you.
www.Tubacrealestate.com BillMack@TubacRealEstate.com
BIlL MACK & TUBAC REAL ESTATE the source to go to for you real estate needs.
Remember, it doesn’t cost any more to work with the best. (But it can cost you plenty if you don’t.)
View Tubac Real Estate listings online at www.TubacRealEstate.com FEATURED HOME OF THE MONTH
2317 Balderrain This custom built 3600 S.f. home with a full view of the Santa Rita Mts. is of masonary construction. A gourmet kitchen for the discerning chef features a granite countertop island, wet bar with ice maker and wine cooler, double ovens, Sub Zero ref., Dacor cooktop.
A gracious entry leads your eyes to the landscaped yard, patio and pool. Extras include surround sound throughout, central vac., 2 large walkin closets and extensive builtins. Visit our web site www.tubacrealestate.com for a virtual tour of the entire home. Call Bill at 520-398-2945.
April 2011 La Paloma de Tubac 398-9231
Floating Stone Inn & Aqua Spa 398-3193
Tubac Community Center: follow Calle Igelsia around the bend, or from the East Frontage Road, take Bridge Road to the end.
April 2011 Villager Supporters Map art rendering by Roberta Rogers. Work in progress. This map is provided as a courtesy and is limited to the paying advertisers of the April 2011 issue of the Tubac Villager. Unmarked structures may be open businesses. Call 398-3980 for corrections.
El Presidito 398-9061
De Anza Restaurante & Cantina 398-0300 Tubac Plaza Main Stage 398-2542
Schatze 398-9855 Roberta Rogers Studios 979-4122 Florabundance 248-5039 Rogoway Gallery 398-2041 Heir Looms Old World Imports 398-2369 Tumacookery 398-9497
Jane's Attic 398-9301
The Artist's Daughter 398-9525 Old Presidio Traders 398-9333
ZForrest Gallery 398-9009 Bruce Baughman Gallery 398- 3098 La Entrada de Tubac laentradadetubac.com
Maria's Grill 398-3350 Casa Maya de Mexico 398-3933
Tubac Deli 398-3330
Koorey Creations 398-8360
This journal is made possible through the support of local advertisers, artists and writers... please visit their unique businesses and let them know where you saw their ad, art or article.
Shelby's Bistro 398-8075
Tubac Center of the Arts 398-2371 Beads of Tubac 398-2070
Old Tubac Inn 398-3161
Plaza de Anza 398-8700
Brasher Real Estate, Inc. 398-2506
Take the Frontage Rd north to Tubac Art Exchange (520) 237-5439 Realty Executives Team Sally Robling (520) 398-2770 & Charlie Meaker (520) 237-2414
Take the Frontage Road south to Wisdom's Café, (520) 398-2397 the Tumacacori National Historical Park (520) 398-2341
Tubac Villager (520) 398-3980. Head further north to the Tubac Golf Resort & Spa (520) 398-2211
Michael Chiago will be instructing a one day workshop in watercolor on April 13th, and Join the Tohono Village on Saturday, April 23rd in celebrating Michael Chiago's work. Learn more about Michael Chiago, Sr. art at the Tohono Village in Tubac at 10 Camino Otero, call 520-398-2223 online at www.tohonovillage.com
Hal Empie Gallery 398-2811
Quilts, LTD 398-9001 Casa Maya de Mexico (520) 398-9373
Tohono Village Trading Post 398-2223
Cover Art by Michael Chiago, Sr. "Tohono O'odham (Desert People) Fruit Harvest in Late June" watercolor 9" x 14"
& the Santa Cruz Chili Company (520) 398-2591
The Tubac Villager is a locally owned and independently operated journal, published monthly to celebrate the art of living in Southern Arizona. Opinions and information herein do not necessarily reflect those of the advertisers or the publishers. Advertiser and contributor statements and qualifications are the responsibility of the advertiser or contributor named. All articles and images are the property of the Tubac Villager, and/or writer or artist named, and may not be reproduced without permission. Letters are welcome. April 2011 Circulation: 10,000 The Villager is made available in racks and at businesses throughout the Santa Cruz Valley, and distributed by Certified Folder Display to hundreds of locations and hotel managers and concierges in Phoenix and Tucson. The Villager is also available at public libraries in Arivaca, Green Valley, Nogales, Rio Rico and numerous Tucson Libraries.
Advertisers Outside the Tubac Village A DOG'S LIFE PET CARE (520) 237-4422
AMADO TERRITORY STEAKHOUSE (520) 398-2651
FOWLER CLEANERS (520) 270-4105
LONG REALTY CHA CHA DONAU (520) 591-4982
ACCESS WISDOM HOME CARE (520) 398-8088
BARRIO CUSTOM PAINTING (520) 648-7578
ALL SAINTS ANGLICAN CHURCH (520) 777-6601
DAVID SIMONS PORTRAITS (520) 331-9735
JACOBSON CUSTOM HOMES (520) 975-8469
REALTY EXECUTIVES TEAM SALLY ROBLING (520) 398-2770 CHARLIE MEAKER (520) 237-2414
AMADO RV & SELF STORAGE (520) 398-8003
FIESTA TOURS INTERNATIONAL (520) 398-9705
LA ROCA EL BALCÓN BAR & RESTAURANT in Nogales, Sonora (520) 313-6313
RE/MAX VALLEY PROPERTIES CATHY MARRERO (520) 990-8127
SCOTT POTTINGER BUILDER (520) 398-9959 TUBAC ONLINE SERVICES (520) 398-2437
Mike Bader Paula Beemer Murray Bolesta
Kent Duryeé Vincent Pinto Carol St. John
TUBAC REAL ESTATE BILL MACK (520) 398-2945
visit the T U B A C P R E S I D I O S TAT E H I S T O R I C P A R K Books • Museum • Art • Displays and Knowledgeable volunteers. Showcasing the incredible history of Southern Arizona. Call the Tubac Historical Society for more info 520-398-2252
Advertising, Articles, Deadlines
4
Artist Profile
Michael Chiago, Sr. by Carol Egmont St. John
A
t the recent Art Walk in Tubac, I met Michael Chiago, who was demonstrating at the Tohono Village Galleries. He is a Native American, father of two, fancy dancer, artist, Marine, traditionalist, sensitive, teacher, caretaker, soft spoken, gentleman and a spokesperson for his nation. Beyond his Sonoran landscapes, his art has a storytelling nature, usually depicting the traditions of his people, the Tohono O’odham. Chiago is half Tohono O’odham and half Pima-Maricopa and has lived his life in both nations. Now, after twenty-five years of caring for his mother in Casa Grande, he has returned to the Tohono O’odham reservation, his birthplace, in Southern Arizona. He says it is a better place than it was when he left. The people are finding employment opportunities with the casinos, and improved housing has raised the comfort levels of those who have chosen to stay. Michael Chiago learned he had a special talent for art from his second grade teacher, and even though he was a working child from first grade on, art remained an important part of his mindset. It is clearly still his passion above all else. He paints everyday. Pictures come to his head and he paints them. It is not work for him. It is his peace and purpose. His paintings are about the daily life and the ceremonies of his people. They are celebratory paintings meant to keep the traditions alive. Scenes of dancing and picking fruit tell of the old ways of the people. He knows some of the young will leave the reservation and take up a secular modern life, but he hopes his images will stay in the minds of the young to remind them of who they are and whence they came. That is also why he was a fancy dancer, to keep the spirit of the people alive. For years he danced to the sound of the drum, wearing the costume of feathers and porcupine quills, bells and ropes, making the past present. Before he went into art as a full blown career, Chiago had quite a journey. He remembers that as a boy he was sent to one of the government schools for Native Americans. At ten or eleven he rebelled by running away. He just walked and walked until he was so parched with thirst he drank from the cattle’s watering hole. With no where to go and nothing to do, his steam ran out and he decided he would have to return to face his punishments. For high school he went to St. John’s Catholic High School, a fine school in North Phoenix, and says he learned a discipline there that has never left him. After graduating he decided to become a barber. He did that until he joined the Marines. When the troops heard he was a barber, he was a great asset to them and made some extra money doing haircuts for fifty cents a piece before every inspection.
After his military service he began the career that has given him great joy and recognition. He went to art school and then expanded his art and reputation so he could retire from commercial art and focus on the fine arts he does today. His credits go on and on. He has created murals such as those on the walls of the Gila River Indian Community Cultural Center, been the poster artist for O’odham Tash in Casa Grande, AZ and many others, including the famous Heard Museum. His illustrations for Singing Down the Rain, the charming children’s book, are in many a household. He traveled to London with an exhibit entitled, “Rain”. He’s been featured in Time-Life Magazine, Arizona Highways, and Readers Digest. And this is just a small smattering of Chiago’s journey. His prestigious 2006 Arizona Living Treasure Award says it all. He is a treasure; to his people, to history and to art. He is returning to Tubac to do a one day workshop in watercolor on April 13th. He teaches by demonstration and a four step process. If you want to meet Michael or study with him, you are in for a treat. He assumes nothing about those who arrive in his classes, taking them from the basics right up to a finished product. The place is at the Tohono Village Galleries at 10 Camino Otero in Tubac. Call 520 398 9425 for information or to register.
5
Hand-tossed New York Style Pizza!
Historic Tubac, Arizona TUBAC F ITNESS C ENTER 520-398-9940 Total Health & Wellness, Short/Long term memberships, Personal Training, Classes, Yoga and Message Therapy. TUBAC R ANCH FURNITURE 520-398-8381 Furniture & Design with the West in Mind sunsetinteriors.com M ARIA’S G RILL 520-398-3350 BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER, OPEN 8AM EVERY DAY. A FOOD ADVENTURE ! I TALIAN P EASANT R ESTAURANT 520-398-2668 LUNCH & DINNER NEW YORK STYLE PIZZARIA Dine in or take-out. 11am to 9 pm, 7 days. B ACA F LOAT WATER C OMPANY 520-398-3177 Serving the Barrio de Tubac for Water and Sewer. B RASHER R EAL E STATE 520-398-2506 Re-Sale and New Home listings
L ONG R EALTY TUBAC 520-398-2962 Arizona’s Premier Full Service Real Estate Company. longrealtytubac.com MIJ H AIR & N AILS 520-398-3206 TUES - SAT, 10AM - 5PM. NAILS, HAIRCUTS, MANICURES, PEDICURES, HIGHLIGHTS, WAX & MORE! TUBAC M ARKET & D ELI 520-398-1010 Your local grocery and deli with a large selection of wine. Great food and fun serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, Specials Daily anzamarketplace.com
ITALIAN PEASANT RESTAURANT- 520-398-2668
LUNCH & DINNER , NEW YORK STYLE PIZZARIA DINE IN OR TAKE-OUT. 11AM TO 9 PM, 7 DAYS.
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A NZA DE TUBAC 520-398-8700 A Property Management Company - Tubac, Rio Rico, Green Valley anzadetubac.com
Great Chicken Pot Pie! MARIA’S GRILL 520-398-3350 BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER, OPEN 8AM EVERY DAY. A FOOD ADVENTURE!
E VERYTHING
YOU NEED IS RIGHT HERE ,
IN
T UBAC !
Free Parking, conveniently located near footpaths to the rest of the Village.
Your one stop Plaza for Great Food, Health & Living
More information available
520-398-8700
6
Fire district board member resigns
As a result of the resignation of Tubac Fire District governing board member Dennis Scanlan, the board is accepting applications from interested individuals. The position is unpaid, and board members generally attend one meeting a month. The current term runs until Nov. 30, 2012, Fire Chief Kevin Keeley said. Scanlan told board members he decided to resign because his wife accepted a job in Tucson and that he wouldn’t be living full time within the Tubac Fire District. At the March 30 meeting of the governing board, members agreed to post an announcement of the vacancy at four local post offices.
The announcement said, in part, “Board member duties include, but are not limited to: attendance at meetings; review and approval of fire board policies; working with TFD staff in the preparation and approval of the annual budget; working as a team with the fire chief, TFD staff, and community members in the best interests of the fire district.” Letters of interest with a resume, and an answer to
several questions, are due by noon, April 22. For information, call Nancy Lindsey at the Tubac Fire District at (520) 398-2255.
The other four members of the Tubac Fire District board are Chairman Dick Lockwood, Dottie Bergmann, Mike Burns and Herb Wisdom. Board members said they would like to discuss the applicants at the April 27 meeting and can either appoint someone, or decide to wait.
New manager slated at post office
More than 20 people have expressed interest in submitting a bid package to receive a contract to run the Tubac Post Office.
The current contractor, Gayle Peterson, announced in early March that she’ll retire May 26. The post office is run as a contract station so the manager isn’t a post office employee, said Tumacácori postmaster Joanne Stupy. On March 23 she forwarded a list of 21 people to the Denver office of the U.S. Postal Service, Stupy
said. Each will receive a bid package within a few weeks so they can apply to be considered, said Peter Hass, a spokesman for the Arizona District of the U.S. Postal Service. He said it generally takes two to three months to select a new contractor in this type of situation.
Residents don’t have the option of delivery to their homes or neighborhood boxes in Tubac. Stupy said there are more than 877 boxes rented at the Tubac post office, while some other Tubac residents use a Tumacácori post office box. Postal patrons will not face difficulties, Stupy said. “We don’t anticipate any break in service in Tubac. We’ll be in there to make sure the contract is manned” until a new contractor takes over.
Bird watchers pushed away
How many bird watchers are too many for Tubac? If you asked shop owners, they’d probably say there are never too many. However, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’s Office has to deal with safety issues when a large group of people gathers to observe birds.
www.tubacrugs.com
520-398-2369
Tubac, Arizona 7 Plaza Road Open 7 Days
Charlie Meaker, Celebrating 31 Years in Tubac!
Santa Cruz County Update continued... Two birders, Patty Kane and Aviva Tirosh, complained after a March 19 visit to Tubac, saying a deputy told them to leave the Tubac Bridge area. Kane said there were up to about 50 people on the bridge due to the migration of hawks at that time. The order made some in the group so angry that they left Tubac without staying for lunch or shopping, she said in an email to the Tubac Villager. Lt. Raoul “RJ” Rodriguez of the Sheriff ’s Office wrote to Kane in an email on March 24. He suggested she or others apply for a $10 permit in advance. He said with that, he would “dedicate two deputies at no cost to you” to ensure there are no complications and the group would be safe.
Discussion ongoing for unpaid taxes
The board of the Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District No. 35 was scheduled to discuss at the April 5 meeting if they will agree to help pay costs in regard to legal action to collect unpaid property taxes.
The interim manager for Santa Cruz County, Carlos Rivera, spoke at the board’s March 22 meeting to explain the situation. He said the threemember Board of Supervisors has requested financial support from all the taxing entities who are owed the money but that he didn’t know what the cost to the school district would be. Rivera said on March 22 that he expected the Board of Supervisors would set up closed-to-the-public executive sessions to talk with other boards about the issue.
Since 1999 Vatere, an Arizona corporation, has not paid property taxes on about 2,400 vacant lots in Rio Rico. If paid, the money would go to the school district, two fire districts and Santa Cruz County. The total owed, including interest and penalties, is about $6.5 million, said Santa Cruz County Treasurer Caesar Ramirez. The potential legal action would involve trying to remove the deed restrictions placed on the lots by the previous owner, Rio Rico Properties,
in 1999. The deed restrictions state that homes or other structures can’t be built on the lots in question. The county has given indications that if the restrictions are removed, the lots would become more valuable. After that, the supervisors could consider approving foreclosure action on the lots.
The Tubac Fire District board heard a summary from Fire Chief Kevin Keeley at the March 30 meeting. Keeley said he’s still awaiting more specific information from Rivera before he recommends that the board discuss the situation.
Tubac Office – 2251 E. Frontage Rd. – Just south of the Post Office
520-237-2414 CHARLIE@TUBAC.COM
F E AT U R E D H O M E Charlie Meaker THIS MONTH 1 1 4 C I R C U LO V E S P U C C I
On March 28 Rio Rico Fire Chief Jose Muñoz said he is also awaiting more information from Rivera before he recommends that the topic be discussed at a governing board meeting of the fire district.
Reducing risks from hazards
A planning team comprised of representatives from Nogales, Patagonia and Santa Cruz County as well as emergency response agencies will be meeting regularly to participate in a hazard mitigation planning process.
S A N T I AG O ’ S F I N E S T – U P G R A D E S G A LO R E FOR RENT OR LEASE (unfurnished)
The plan will focus on the area’s most threatening hazards to citizens and property and will provide a strategy to reduce or eliminate the risk from those hazards.
The team will develop a MultiJurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan for Santa Cruz County, according to The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA2K).
The DMA2K requires all local, county, tribal and state governments to have a FEMA approved hazard mitigation plan in order to be eligible for federal hazard mitigation funds. The planning team anticipates having a plan draft in mid 2011, at which time the public will be provided the opportunity to review the plan and comment. For more information regarding the hazard mitigation planning process, contact Kevin Irvine at (520) 3757900.
Originally built for one of the principals, this Dorn home - Expanded Sabino Grande model has almost every conceivable upgrade, and extra rooms galore, including a study alcove off the Master bedroom, a Media Room in the casita, and an air-conditioned Studio/Workshop off the garage. Extras include oversize Viking appliances in the spacious kitchen, ceiling fans throughout, “Solatube” skylights, intercom and whole-house vacuum. It’s perfect for entertaining – the Great Room has French doors that open to the courtyard’s fountain and fireplace on one side, and on the other side to the covered patio that overlooks the mesquite bosque, with just a short path to the Anza Trail. There’s even a “Stairway To The Stars”! And wait ‘til you try the shower in the Master Bath – with four water controls and six shower heads – what fun! 3,048 square feet of Luxury Living. LET ME SHOW IT TO YOU! Call me at 520-237-2414. REDUCED TO $ $435,000 OWNER FINANCING AVAILABLE
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Do you enjoy the Villager's coverage of Southern Arizona? Let the advertisers, artists and writers in this issue know. It makes all the difference in the world. They make this publication possible. Their ads build the stage and pay the writers and artists. Let them know your appreciation by patronizing their businesses and mentioning where you saw their ad.
Realty Executives Team
Charlie Meaker
520-237-2414
SOUTHERN ARIZONA’S BEAUTIFUL SANTA CRUZ VALLEY
8 Thurs, Apr 7th - Frontier Printing Press Demonstrations at the Tubac Presidio from 9am to 2pm. Professional printer and teacher James Pagels demonstrates the 1858 Washington Press used to print Arizona’s first newspaper and answers questions about hand press printing, type setting, and other aspects of this marvel of industrial engineering. Admission $4 adult, $2 youth (7–13), children free (0–6). 398-2252.
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays, until April 15th - Birding Walks at Patagonia Lake at 8am. The birds’ spring migration is on! If you are a birder or someone who would like to learn about the birds of our area, there are opportunities to go with a guide who will identify the birds and show you where and how to look for them. Pre-registration is not necessary, but you will need to pay the entrance free at Patagonia Lake State Park ($10 per car) if you do not have an annual Park Pass. Meet at the east end of the campground (turn right at the stop sign after the entrance station) and drive to the kiosk at the end. For more information call 520-820-5101.
Thurs, Apr 7th - The Male Choir of Tucson presents the SONS OF ORPHEUS at 7pm at the Community Performing Arts Center, 1250 W. Continental, Green Valley. The 20th Anniversary Spring Concert features an eclectic mix, from opera choruses to cowboy classics, featuring special guest soloists, as well as the Balalaika Orchestra and the Moonstruck Coyotas. Tickets: $12 in advance; $15 at the door. For more info visit www. performingartscenter.org or call 520-399-1750.
Wednesdays - Al-Anon meetings at 7pm at the Tubac Community Center, 50 Bridge Rd. For more info, call 3988114. Fridays & Saturdays - Live Entertainment at Stables Ranch Grille at the Tubac Golf Resort & Spa. 398-2678. Saturdays - Bird Walks at The Nature Conservancy just west of the town of Patagonia, at 9am. Group tours can be arranged by calling 520-394-2400. Now thru May 1st - The Encaustic Exhibition, Playing With Fire at the Tubac Center of the Art's Smith Gallery. 398-2371. Sat & Sun, Apr 2nd & 3rd and Apr 9th & 10th - the 3rd annual Santa Cruz Valley Open Studio Tour. Here dozens of local artists from: Green Valley, Amado, Tubac, Rio Rico, and Nogales will open their studios to the public for two consecutive weekends allowing visitors the rare opportunity to see where creativity begins. The amazing two weekend studio tour offers patrons insight into the creative process and work environment of area artists while also allowing them to purchase works directly from the artists themselves. The Santa Cruz Valley Open Studio Tour provides a glimpse into the sometimes “unknown world” of artists. Traveling from studio to studio visitors will get an unprecedented look at artists and their work. There is also plenty of room for exploration given the natural beauty of the region. Visitors will find a diverse
Thurs, Apr 7th - Plein Air Painting at the Tubac Presidio. Plein air painters participating in a workshop led by Green Valley artist Lois Griffel will be painting on the grounds of the Tubac Presidio. Griffel is the author The Prickly Pair by Josh Cicci of “Painting Impressionist Color.” The public is invited to attend a slide show and talk by the artist from 9-10am. selection of art, culture, fine dining, furnishings, history, shopping, Workshop information at www.losreyes.com. Park hours museums, hiking, and lodging. The tour is free. Visitors will be are 9am to 5pm and admission is $4 adult, $2 youth (7–13), able to plan their own agenda, tour the area, and visit the artists' children free (0–6). 398-2252. viewing locations during the two weekend long event. Local resort Esplendor in Rio Rico will be hosting area artists, offering Thurs, Apr 7th - Kangen Water Seminars at Floating Stone food and drink specials, and featuring live music each day of the Inn & Aqua Spa 16- 18 Calle Iglesia. Call (520) 398-3193 for more tour. Additionally, the Tubac Golf Resort and Spa is offering a information or to reserve your space. From 5:30-7pm. 20% off room rates to Studio Tour visitors during both weekends. TCA will publish a full color catalogue with maps to dozens of Fri, Apr 8th - live music by Amber Norgaard from 5-8 PM and studios, artists’ profiles, listings of events, restaurants, lodging and our Fish & Chips special all day at Wisdom's Cafe in Tumacacori. shopping. A list of catalogue pick up points as well as a virtual 398-2397. catalogue will also be available at www.tubacarts.org. Copies of the catalogue can be ordered by calling the Center at 520-398Fri, Apr 8th - Southwest Brass Band performs at the Tubac 2371. The tour will be launched with a preview exhibition of Center of the Arts at 7:30pm. $20. Call 398-2371 for tickets. artists' work on display at Tubac Center of the Arts from March 18 – May 1.
FINE ART, ELEGANT HOME ITEMS & MESQUITE FURNITURE WITH INLAID STONE MADE LOCALLY BY TREESTUMP WOODCRAFTS.
MADE IN AZ
Spring Clearance SALE at ZForrest! 10% - 50% OFF during April Tubac’s Zforrest Gallery is located in LA ENTRADA shopping plaza
398-9009
On non-consignment items.
9 Sat, Apr 9th - EQUINE VOICES RESCUE & SANCTUARY HOSTS ITS 7TH ANNUAL FUNDRAISER - “A Very Special Horse Event; Building a Community of Compassion” from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30pm at the Brandi Fenton Memorial Park, 3482 E River Rd in Tucson, AZ. Equine Voices Rescue & Sanctuary™ was founded in 2004 and is a 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt organization dedicated to saving Premarin (PMU) mares and foals from slaughter. This organization also works with law enforcement agencies to provide services to horses suffering from abuse, abandonment, starvation, and cruelty experienced when used to transport illegal contraband across the border. There has been a marked increase in the number of requests for assistance. Money raised at this special event goes directly to the rescue, rehabilitation and recovery of horses in desperate need. Live and silent auctions with items of interest for everyone, raffles with extraordinary grand prize drawings, and spectacular facial artwork. Author Juanita Havill will be featured and available for a book signing of Call the Horse Lucky. Pirate, mini mascot of Equine Voices, will be at the event to share Gulliver’s journey from rescue to recovery, along with several other special equine friends. Pirate will also be available for photo opportunities with horse lovers of all ages. Cost to attend the Fundraiser is $5 for adults and includes one raffle ticket. Children 13 years and under are free. For more information about Equine Voices or to make a monetary donation to help out the horses, contact Claudia at 520-398-9312 or claudia@equinevoices.org. Visit the Equine Voices Rescue & Sanctuary web site at www.equinevoices.org or stay in touch on face book at http://www.facebook.com/EquineVoices. Sat, Apr 9th - Mary Baker Live, the Sophisticated Lady at the Michael Arthur Jayme Studio & Gallery in the Amado Territory Inn, I-19 exit 48, from 12 to 2pm. Hors d'oeuvres and cash bar. 520-270-7462. Sat, Apr 9th - Live Music by Bill Mazanedo at Wisdom's Cafe in Tumacacori from 5 to 8pm. 398-2397. Sat, Apr 9th - Ballet Folklorico La Paloma performs at 7pm as a fund-raiser for their upcoming Summer Olympics performance in London. Tickets $25 includes appetizers & refreshments including tamales, empanadas, chips, salsa & guacamole. At the Community Performing Arts Center in Green Valley. Call 399-1250 for more info. Sat, Apr 9th - Al Foul & The Shakes perform at Old Tubac Inn at 7pm. Country/Rockabilly. 7 Plaza Rd, 398-3161. Sun, Apr 10th - Tish Hinojosa - Spanish Borderland Songs at the Tubac Presidio at 2pm. The “Tubac Presidio Artist in Residence Concert Series” presents renowned Southwestern folk singer-songwriter Tish Hinojosa. Hinojosa’s music crosses borders between cultures, languages and genres, embracing folk, country, pop and Latino styles, visit her website www.mundotish. com. The Presidio’s Artist in Residence Teodoro “Ted” Ramirez will open the concert. Tickets $22. Call 398-2252 to reserve tickets. Sun, Apr 10th - The Pimeria Alta Historical Society's annual home tour will highlight the Court Street Historic District in downtown Nogales. Visit the 1904 Santa Cruz County Courthouse to see the restoration that has occurred in the building and to tour the Arizona Cowbelle and Arizona Rangers’ museums. From there, visitors may walk or join a bus tour, led by a PAHS docent, to visit the Court Street Park and tour neighboring homes. Refreshments will be served and a silent auction, featuring enticing gift baskets, will take place on the day of the tour. Tickets are $30 and are available for purchase at the Historical Society Museum, located at 136 Grand Ave in Nogales, or by calling the museum at 520-287-4621. Tickets may also be purchased on the day of the tour or by contacting Sigrid Maitrejean at 520-2872305 or by emailing pahstickets@yahoo.com Sun, Apr 10th - Friends of Madera Canyon Concert Series presents Classix - Rainbow of Songs at 3pm at Proctor Ramada at Madera Canyon. Tickets $15. Classix’ range of music includes folk, traditional, classical and music from their Beatles collection. The arrangements are in close six-part harmony featuring soloists with voice accompaniment. Sun, Apr 10th - Kangen Water Seminars at Floating Stone Inn & Aqua Spa 16- 18 Calle Iglesia. Call (520) 398-3193 for more information or to reserve your space. From 4-6pm. Sun thru Fri, Apr 10th thru 15th - Alkaline Living Workshop at Floating Stone Inn & Aqua Spa 16- 18 Calle Iglesia. Call (520) 398-3193 for more information or to reserve your space. Tues, Apr 12th - COYOTES: FACTS AND NATIVE AMERICAN MYTHS. Nature talk and slide show. Drawing on music and art, Tamara Kahrimanis weaves the natural history of these "Song Dogs of the West" with their unique role as trickster in Native American myths from across the U.S. At 10am at the
Community Performing Arts Center, 1250 W. Continental Rd., Green Valley. 2nd in a series sponsored by the Friends of Madera Canyon. Free to the public, please RSVP to 399-1750. Wed, Apr 13th - Michael Chiago Workshop at the Tohono Village Trading Post from 10am to 4pm. $200 per person. 3982223. Thurs, Apr 14th - SENIOR BRAIN CAFE 9 am. Come share experiences of memory loss with others in a casual setting over breakfast. It's important to stay connected and keep the conversation going. Breakfast Buffet ($8) and free endless coffee refills. Kristofer's Bistro, Amado Territory off I -19 Exit 48, East. Call Philip Newlin,625-9616 or drop in. Thurs, Apri 14th - Kangen Water Seminars at Floating Stone Inn & Aqua Spa 16- 18 Calle Iglesia. Call (520) 398-3193 for more information or to reserve your space. From 4-6pm.
Thurs, Apr 14th - Archaeologist Dr. Eric Eugene Klucas will present Recent Excavation of Hohokam Sites in the Tucson Basin at 7pm at the North County Facility at 50 Bridge Road in Tubac. This program is free to the public. Dr. Klucas will discuss three recent projects conducted by Tierra Right of Way Services, Ltd., that have provided important new information about early Hohokam settlements in the northern Tucson Basin. These projects date to the Tortolita phase (ca. A.D. 500–700), a period that witnessed a transformation of the cultural landscape of the region, including the first appearance of fully sedentary villages. Together, these projects add important new data on agricultural technology and social organization during this transitional period and also give a good indication of the resourcefulness of Arizona’s earliest farmers and how they were able to adapt successfully to a harsh desert environment. For more information about the Santa Cruz Valley AAS Chapter and its activities, call Alan Sorkowitz at 520-207-7151 or inquire via e-mail at asorko@cox.net.
Cool Down in
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by Mike Bader
H
Skies of Santa Cruz
aving asked for inputs regarding last month’s article about the history of Tubac Airports I received several. Ann McQueen, a Tumacacori resident, said that her dad, Walter Hanson often flew out of the Tubac airfield with Chuck Tougas and Chuck Van Sicklen. She also pointed out that the Flying W field on Bridge Rd. was originally built by Jiff Tougas and Randy Williams. The “W” in “Flying W” originated from his last name.
The View from Above
We tried to identify buildings and restaurants that we know in Patagonia but the real joy is seeing all of the surrounding roads, valley, foothills and ranches that sprout out in all directions. Turning west we flew just a few hundred feet over the San Cayetano range and tried to find Atticus’s house – not as easy as you might think. After circling it we proceeded north on the west side of I-19. At this time of year the airborne view of the serpentine flow of bright green Cottonwood trees following the Santa Cruz River shows nature’s Curiously enough this month’s beauty at her best. The Tumacacori story starts with Randy Williams. Mountains to the west offered us His family lived here for many views of steep canyons and hiking years and he is an accomplished trails in the wilderness area. The pilot and airplane mechanic with intervening foothills flow with Tiffin Aviation at the Nogales Southern Arizona's Santa Cruz Valley, Tubac and the verdant Tubac Golf Resort. ripples like the skin of a Shar Pei Airport. When I asked him Tumacacori Mountains & Atascosa Mountains in the background. Photo by Joseph Birkett. pup, a perspective that you cannot about a flight over the valley he experience from the ground. As volunteered to be the pilot and show we approached Amado we turned west towards us the sights with his historic eye. Since we would around and talk flying and airplanes, usually called Arivaca. The maze of roads that start at the Hunter’s “Hangar Flying” and you can often see their hands be flying in a Cessna 172, a four-passenger plane, I Access on the west Frontage Rd. quickly branch out in the air in all sorts of contorted simulated airplane invited the publishing editor of the Villager, Joseph to dozens of trails in many different canyons. We Birkett (he was paying for the flight anyway) and his maneuvers. discovered newly blooming sycamore trees at an 5 year old son, Atticus to go with us. I remembered Tiffin Aviation is the only operator at the airport apparent spring with running water and promised my first flight when I was about 10 years old. My with rentals, sightseeing and training available. ourselves a 4-wheeler trip to check it out. Reversing neighbor took me flying and I was so enthralled I Larry Tiffin, the owner also manages the airport east across I-19 we could easily locate Amado and knew that I wanted a career that would allow me for the county. As a pilot with experience in the Rex Ranch, which surprised us with it size and to fly. So taking a kid on this flight brought back military, general and commercial aviation I found picturesque setting with Elephant Head trumpeting that exciting time for me and an opportunity to just Tiffin Aviation a top-notch professional team. in the mountain background. maybe introduce another to the love of flying. They certainly provided our group a safe, fun and Now navigating south on the east side of the valley memorable experience. The Nogales Airport was first started in about 1928 we were afforded a much closer look at Tubac and it as a grassy strip and has evolved into a modern But now on to our flight. After a short briefing by surrounding area. The Golf Resort nestled amongst facility with a 7200 ft. asphalt runway. Located on our pilot we started up and were soon taxiing out the green Cottonwoods and Mesquite and the the Patagonia Highway 7 miles NE of Nogales it for our take-off on runway 21 (designated by the homes, farms and ranches on both sides of the river sits at an elevation of 3955’ above sea level. It does runway’s magnetic heading of 210 degrees). Atticus all seemed to fit just right. The green farm fields not have an operating control tower but does have was sitting in the back seat with wide, excited near Carmen and Tumacacori with many large ranch a customs officer on duty. During WWII it was bright eyes with his yellow camera in hand. This houses sometimes hidden amongst the Mesquite host to a Navy training program and the Civil Air was his first flight. We rolled down the runway Bosque were certainly a distinct yet integral piece of Patrol. In the 1980s the airport terminal consisted and were soon climbing out with a turn towards the puzzle. of a small structure that housed customs and served Patagonia. Those of you that have flown light as a place to meet and greet arriving and departing Further south, Rio Rico became a large expanse airplanes know how vastly different the land looks aircraft. Santa Cruz County owns and maintains the from the air. Trying to recognize landmarks is part of homes and warehouses. As we approached field and a new terminal was built in 1993. It has Nogales and the border we had an expansive view of the challenge. Joseph observed that it looked more organized from the bird’s eye view, much like a of the difference in size of these border sister cities. a small restaurant in the lobby that serves breakfast and lunch. On weekends one can usually find several finished jigsaw puzzle. Nogales, Sonora is huge with every valley and hillside pilots that have flown in for a meal. They like to sit covered in structures.
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Opposite page, left - Walter Wilson's Bonanza aircraft and the Nogales Airport Terminal and Customs House in 1988. Note the river rock used as a chock on the front wheel. Photo by Walter Wilson. Opposite page, middle - The airplane's shadow in the foreground of the Nogales International Airport upon takeoff with San Cayetano in the background. Photo by Joseph Birkett. Opposite page, right - Patagonia Lake lies nestled in the Sonoran Desert a with Sonoita Creek winding and depositing its waters into the lake. Photo by Joseph Birkett. Above, left - From the perspective of flight, the Southern Arizona landscape reveals its vast, rugged beauty. Photo by Atticus Birkett. Above middle, Mike Bader, Atticus Birkett and pilot Randy Williams. Above, right - Atticus gives the thumbs-up sign from the cockpit. Photos by Joseph Birkett.
Turning east over downtown the stunning, profound sight of the Border Wall comes into view. Stark, large, foreboding and sad that it is there. It appears as a very dominant scar on the physical beauty of our land. The wall soon leaves Nogales and cuts a swath due east. Yet I can see a large gap ahead. When it approaches the Santa Cruz River with its flowing water and budding trees it stops, skips the river and starts up on the other side. Maybe a little respect for Mother Nature. As the wall approaches the mountain range it stops. Randy tells us at that point it changes to the vehicle barriers, which are not so evident – at least from the air. One last turn to the north and we are on downwind approach to the Nogales Airport. Atticus quickly
sees it out his side of the aircraft and Randy talks us through the approach, flap extension and finally a smooth finish to another great life experience.
The entire flight lasted less than an hour and was awesome. But the real highlight that made my day was watching Atticus as he discovered the wonders of flight. His excitement at first viewing cows, horses, houses and cars from 2000 ft. was infectious. He told me after the flight that he had decided what he wanted to be when he grew up. I waited with muted excitement. He said, “ I want to be three things: a scientist, a football player and a musician.” Yeah, you’re right, I thought he might say “pilot”. But my mood was not dampened. His experience and this adventure will always bring a smile. A few days later
Joseph told me that he had added pilot to that list – a reprieve. Seeing and experiencing this flight through a child’s eyes and spirit should teach us all a lesson. We can all remember those whimsical, fearless days of childhood discovery. Shouldn’t we as adults be able to put aside our cynicism and capture exciting experiences with that same innocent sense of adventure. It’s much more fun that way and doesn’t cost a penny more. Next month: Military and Border Patrol Aviation around our valley. For inquiries into touring the Santa Cruz County Skies, contact Tiffin Aviation at 520-287-9120, online at www.tiffinaviation.com
Southern Arizona’s Premier Destination Resort
Sunset on the Patio at Stables featuring live entertainment Friday and Saturday evenings. Happy Hour daily from 3-6pm. Select Dos Silos specialties now featured on Stables’ menu. For private events and weddings visit us online at www.tubacgolfresort.com. Call 520-398-2678 to reserve your spot and discover specials and events for Easter, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day & Independence Day.
520.398.2211
www.tubacgolfresort.com
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Located just over the border in Nogales, Sonora, La Roca's dignified charm and hospitality along with spectacular food has made the restaurant an important destination for 38 years. Left, the courtyard at La Roca. Above, professional wait staff, live entertainment and one of many dining rooms. Visitors can call ahead to request an escort to and from the restaurant from the border.
LA ROCA DELIVERS ON PROMISE OF EXQUISITE FOOD by Paula Beemer
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life-changing-craving is what I would call the quesadilla that Jimmy Wilson could not find in the menu of a local restaurant in Nogales, Mexico 38 years ago. Frustrated by the lack of good service, and motivated by the need to have not only a quesadilla, but the best quesadilla, he made the decision to start his own place and he called it La Roca. A hacienda style, Spanish colonial architecture with a natural rock wall, handcrafted elements of the country as decoration, and traditional Mexican art and colors are some of the characteristics that identify and charm his creation. Still carrying out Wilson’s vision, La Roca continues in the hands of Tubac residents Chris and Alicia Martin, with the help of loyal employees who provide the most exquisite, unique and authentic flavors of Sonoran cuisine and who have achieved levels of excellence in service.
MONDAY - FRIDAY 8 am to 5 pm
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Well known since
On a recent Friday evening, my husband and I dressed up for our date, took the kids to grandma with their backpacks and PJs and drove 20 minutes from Tubac to the parking lot in Nogales, Arizona. To ease the worries of the potential dangers suggested by the media, I called La Roca to make sure we would be safe. They assured us it would be okay and for extra comfort they would be happy to provide escort services both ways as they do for anyone who requests it. We had plenty of options for safe parking on the American side. For only $4.00 one can spend 12 hours enjoying Mexico.
After finding our spot, we walked down the ramp, and through the “to Mexico” gate. I felt as if the world had opened the doors for us. A few blocks away, within walking distance we entered into the courtyard of La Roca. The trickling water of the fountain in the middle, the colors, the stones, the big Mexican pots, the music... they all made me feel as if I was in some old town in the interior of Mexico. Upstairs in the restaurant we were received by Lupe, the maitre d’ and our waiter in his impeccable white vest and black bow tie. We were seated at a booth table with plates set over pewter and a candle burning. It was just the right amount of light to forget that my date and I have been together for over 20 years, enough light to sooth the eyes into a relaxing and inspiring evening. Immediately, as we sat down we were presented with a very attractive menu from which we ordered the traditional lime margarita and a less traditional flavor one; tamarindo margarita which surprised us by the addition of red chili to the rim of the glass, giving it an unforgettable flavor and making it our new favorite. Soon after we had a plate of “mochomos” (fried shredded beef) with corn tortillas on the side, delicious guacamole, fresh salsa and chips!
SAT 10 am to 5 pm
y brands of fi ne c h m an r il i u
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Most residents of Santa Cruz County along with friends, neighbors and out of state visitors have enjoyed on more than one occasion this wonderful place. Whether for business, family events, romance or just as part of a day’s adventure across the border, we all have more than one nostalgic memory of our visits here. When I was given the opportunity of writing about my experience in La Roca, I was delighted. I knew that I would be representing many people’s opinions.
Give the gift of the Southwest
Gourmet Spices • Cookbooks • Gift Ideas Visit our Ranch Museum 3 Miles South of Tubac.
(Just south of Tumacacori National Monument.) Closed Sundays Call for Holiday Hours
FLOATING STONE INN & AQUA SPA
Kangen Water Seminars
Thurs April 7, 5:30-7pm Sunday April 10, 4-6pm
Thurs April 14, 4-6pm Thurs April 21, 5:30-7pm
Alkaline Living Workshop April 10-15 Call (520) 398-3193 for more information or to reserve your space.
16 – 18 C ALLE I GLESIA , T UBAC , AZ Opening Soon (A Water Wellness Center)
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Above, left - the dishes served at La Roca feature an array of Sonoran cuisine. Above, right - Tubac resident and La Roca Proprietor Alicia Martin. Photos by Paula Beemer.
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or our entrees, our minds were set on certain dishes, “filete mediterraneo,” beef tenderloin with a colorful sauce of capers, green olives and sweet mini- peppers; directly from the family farm in Sinaloa, served with a side of spicy spaghetti with mushrooms and “camaron al mojo de ajo” shrimp sautéed in butter with garlic, with a side of rice and sauce. For dessert, we chose the Strawberry cheesecake, not too sweet but sweet enough to fight my date for the last little piece on the plate. Dessert was accompanied by a nice aromatic coffee. Not only were we enchanted by the lighting, the food, the decoration, the service but also the live music played by
the Estrada Brothers, well-known in Nogales. All night we were serenaded by soft ballads as (performed by them every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. By 10:30 that night we were putting our jackets on and Carlos, our escort, was getting ready to take us to the border. We walked the streets of Nogales, Mexico with confidence and ease. In less than 20 minutes we were back in the U.S. feeling energized by such a fun evening and planning our next visit to La Roca. Maybe next time it will be for their famous brunches or breakfast buffet or for dinner again, the options are many. Dining at La Roca is a lot more than a food experience;
it is an opportunity to be kindled by culture, music, art, service, loyalty and love. I encourage people to go and live it. It is worth every extra step it takes you to get there! If you would like more information about La Roca, visit their website at www.LaRocaRestaurant.com or call 520-313-6313 (Editor’s Note: Paula Beemer grew up in Valdivia, Chile, and has lived in Tubac for 12 years. She recently wrote for the Tubac Villager about spending a year on a sailboat in the Pacific Ocean with her family.)
Select from one of the finest collections of Latin & South American Art available - Anywhere.
VISIT OUR 1861 ADOBE AND EXPERIENCE HISTORIC OLD TOWN, TUBAC.
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Left, Ana Thompson shows off some of the various permanent flowers stocked in her new shop, Florabundance. Above, along with silk flowers which trick the eye into appearing live through artful arrangement, Thopson has also filled her shop with unique items such as hand-painted Easter eggs from Germany.
TUBAC FLOWER SHOP FEATURES
T
he option of fresh flowers for decoration is somewhat limited when a person lives in the desert. So Tubac and nearby area residents will be cheered to learn that a new shop, Florabundance, offers colorful flower arrangements that are permanent.
The blossoms on view at Florabundance, which opened in February, include roses, sunflowers, poppies, orchids, ranunculus, hydrangeas and much more. Shallow dishes hold attractive collections of varied succulents. Everything looks realistic and it takes a lot of scrutiny to determine the flowers aren’t freshly cut. Meanwhile, a delightful floral scent emanates from scented candles. Those are among other gift items such as notebooks, cards and earrings.
The shop is tucked into a courtyard across the street to the north of the Tubac Center of the Arts. There’s a feeling of discovery when one enters the courtyard, itself home to an array of vines, plants and trees.
the best in artificial blooms by Kathleen Vandervoet
Before this latest adventure, owner Ana Thompson had already bid goodbye to the floral business and sold a successful gift center in Portland, Ore. “I had an outdoor European-style push cart in the Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland,” she said. She also ran an “enormous” outdoor flower stand in front of the bus mall, she said. In addition, from her home she created floral arrangements for weddings and other events and supplied flowers for art galleries and offices.
The business, which she nurtured and saw grow from 1993 to 2007, was sold and she decided to move to Tucson for a welcome change of climate based on lots of sun and little rain. Her parents live in Tubac and after many visits, she said she decided to move to Tubac a year ago. Her mother, Patricia Thompson, is now her partner.
As recently as September, she said, “I had no idea I would be opening a shop.” Her
PORTRAIT
7 Camino Otero
plans came together in about five weeks’ time after she was encouraged by friends. She decided, “There’s a market for what I want to do here.”
Thompson isn’t handling fresh flowers but uses her floral arranging skill with the artificial, or permanent, flowers she stocks. She has a range of vases and other containers and welcomes customers who bring in their own vases in which she’ll develop a pleasing arrangement.
She can also refresh floral arrangements that may have been in a person’s home for some time, offering just the right artistic changes for a new look.
She said she’s open to considering selling fresh flowes. “I’m exploring the idea of bringing in fresh flowers. I can’t guarantee it because there’s no wholesaler in Tucson at this time. If there’s enough interest in the community, I’d like to find a way to offer it on some basis,” she said. Meanwhile, Thompson juggles two jobs. She is a dinner waitress at The Italian Peasant restaurant in Tubac and said that
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customers there enjoy hearing about her retail shop and visiting it.
“That’s been a wonderful way to meet everyone in the community and it’s helped my business,” she said. Florabundance, at 3D Calle Baca, is open Wednesdays through Sundays. Thompson said in the fall, she plans to be open daily and to have an expanded inventory. Meanwhile, “I love it here. I’ve always wanted to live in a very small town,” she said. “I came here and it just felt right. Everyone is so friendly.”
Editor's note. Located on Plaza Road, Florabundance is located next to the Red Door Gallery and is open Wed-Sat 10- 5, and Sundays 12 - 5. Mondays and Tuesdays Ana is available by appointment. Contact the gallery by calling 520-2485039
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by Kathleen Vandervoet
VOLUNTEERS FUEL SUCCESS AT HISTORIC PARK
After nearly a year of management by a volunteer organization at the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, results are outstanding.
Visitation has risen in the past year. For example, the 837 visits in December 2010 was 43.8 percent higher than the same month one year earlier, which brought in 582 visitors, Kinsley said.
Attendance is up, and a wide range of attractions and improvements have been installed. The gift shop has more items and the park’s walking tour is easier with new signs and a guidebook.
When asked about budget details for the upcoming year, Kinsley said that’s being studied carefully. “When we finish our first year, then we’ll know.” The historical society took over management on May 17, 2010.
Helping fuel the success are local history enthusiasts. “We have about 40 volunteers,” said Park Director Shaw Kinsley, who’s also president of the Tubac Historical Society.
The park has just one paid employee, which is Kinsley, although his rate of pay, he said, is lower than that of former state employees. He said the Arizona Parks Board required at least one full-time employee when it agreed to transfer the responsibilities. In addition to Cullen, the members of the park management committee are Gary Brasher and Sam Chilcote.
Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, the park includes a museum with 15 glass-enclosed exhibits, an 1885 schoolhouse, the Otero Hall, the Rojas House, and an archaeological area. Arizona State Parks voted to close the park March 29, 2010, as a result of the state legislature deciding to remove much of its funding for other budget items. But after much work by many individuals, it was agreed that the Tubac Historical Society, through an agreement with the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, would keep the park open.
“It’s costing close to $70,000 this year to operate the park,” Arizona’s oldest and first state park, said Carol Cullen, a member of the historical society’s park management committee.
Of that, approximately $30,000 is provided by entrance fees, while the other funding comes from fundraising activities and donations. No state or county funds have been provided in the past year. To keep the park for the upcoming year, a new 2011-2012 fundraising drive is now under way and donations are being requested from businesses, non-profit groups and residents. Donations can be mailed to Tubac Historical Society, P.O. Box 3261, Tubac, AZ 85646.
LIVING HISTORY RETURNS
The volunteers have been instrumental in providing activities. Kinsley said the award-winning living history program has returned. In it, individuals dress in clothing of 150 to 250 years ago and talk about food preparation, clothing and tools. This year it was presented twice a month on weekends from January through March.
Lunch 7 days 11:00 - 4:00
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ALAN B. DAVIS ART GALLERY
Tubac Presidio Painting by William Ahrendt The interior of the visitors’ center was redesigned and “the change was so magical,” Kinsley said. The gift shop area had been blocking the reception desk so it wasn’t easy for volunteers to make eye contact and welcome visitors. Now the gift shop is on the east side of the room. An eye-catching model of the Tubac Presidio, or Spanish fort, as it appeared in the 1750s, is on display under protective plastic just steps from the entry door. “It has more light around it, and it makes it obvious what we’re about” at the park, Kinsley said.
The living history activities for schoolchildren held in the 1885 schoolhouse had not operated regularly in recent years. Kinsley said, “We’ve been successful in reviving it” and so far have 19 schools lined up to participate this year.
Another income-enhancing idea is that admission tickets can be purchased in a package of 12 for $40, which provides two free tickets, Cullen said. They can be used as gifts or awards. The park is available for rental for family or business parties, Kinsley said, as another way to increase funds.
Two upcoming events are planned at the park. On Sunday, April 17, at 2 p.m. the park will host the unveiling and dedication of the Alan B. Davis Gallery, named after the long-time resident who died in December.
Admission is $20 and includes a reception with food and beverages. Sixteen paintings covering Arizona’s history, publicly displayed together for the first time, will be unveiled at the park. Artist William Ahrendt, renowned painter of the American West, will be in attendance for the unveiling and dedication ceremony. For reservations, call (520) 398-2252. Kinsley said a first anniversary party at the park is being planned for Sunday, May 15, which will include living history, entertainment and exhibitions.
More park volunteers are always welcome. Kinsley said he appoints volunteers to the type of jobs that they’re most interested in doing. The park’s entry fee is $4 for ages 14 and older, $2 for ages 7-13, and free for those 6 and under. The park, located a block east of the village entrance, can be reached at (520) 398-2252.
To help spread the word to tourists, small “table-top cards” extolling the park were developed that are placed on tables at many local restaurants.
520-398-8075
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Portrait Painting
aritcle by Carol Egmont St. John Faces have a lot in common. All faces are approximately five eyes wide. The placement of the eyes is about halfway between the crown and the chin. The distance from the chin to the hairline, (for those who have hair) is about the stretch of the thumb to the tip of the forefinger. The nose falls from the center of the face halfway from the eyes to the chin, the nostrils lead to the bows of the lips. Ears rest between the eyes and the nose, unless they are very droopy older versions. I mean it’s all formulaic! So why is it so hard to capture a face?
explains that he looks for the beauty in a face and has never been disappointed. To him, painting a portrait is finding the uniqueness of each person. “It’s a spiritual thing. The painting takes place in the mind. It is a heartfelt response to a person’s inner self. On the canvas it becomes a matter of color dots and suggested shapes.” Personally, I think this is the most intriguing part of Simon’s process—the magical part. Only an incredibly sensitive person can capture a face. Formulaic approaches leave it flat on the page. Insinuations of life and liveliness come from light and suggestion rather than hard lines or attempts to copy individual parts. The artist must see beyond the parts, view the composition as a whole, with lights and darks and shapes in relationship.
In the western hemisphere, portraiture once lived exclusively in the realm of royal families and those important enough to command images to insure their posterity. Kings and Queens continue the tradition, but now portraiture is more available to people from all walks of life. However, finding a good portrait painter is a challenge. Few artists can capture a likeness that reflects a person’s spirit and character. It requires a kind of sensitivity and knowledge that few of us have, and even then it is not an easy thing to make a patron happy.
Often Simons is drawn to a face because it has a story etched in it. For this reason his subjects are diverse: Cowboys, the homeless, Native Americans and the elderly are among his favorite subjects. He confesses he finds age more intriguing than youth, and actually prefers to discover subjects for himself. He will meet someone and think, I want to do this face.
I remember when Lyndon Johnson received Peter Hurd’s commemorative painting, the one he hoped would be the official Presidential portrait to be hung in Washington, DC. The President snorted with disgust when he saw it and supposedly said, “Why that’s the ugliest thing I ever saw!”
Walter Wilson says he has done thousands upon thousands of portrait sketches, using charcoal, pencil and pens as tools. Such is the groundwork of the portrait painter. It is a way of learning to see, not just the planes of the face but the character.
Walter Wilson has been commissioned to do a number of serious, formal portraits, "Nelson" oil, 16" x 20" some of which are hung in galleries and halls, The precarious art of portraiture is alive and commissioned portrait by Tubac artist, David Simons and accessible today for public viewing. He well in Tubac, thanks to David Simons and understands the rules of the road in embarking Walter Wilson. Neither would claim this on such assignments. The posture, clothing, the background of his subjects are all particular avenue as their exclusive path, but both have found great satisfaction important ingredients to the overall success of the work which should convey a in the discipline. certain iconic dignity. A conundrum for the painter working on a commission might be whether that He also understands that many people don’t know what to expect when they wart should remain on the end of a person’s nose? Does it differ from how the decide to commission a portrait, so he makes a point of helping them think it subject wants to be remembered? Who gets to make those decisions, the artist through. Before the painting is started, a patron must decide if it should be a or the patron? bust or a fuller pose including hands. To include the hands is adding a second When I asked David Simons about warts and all, he said, “If the wart is part to the painting and increases the time and cost of the work considerably. important, it can be included. If the subject hates it, it isn’t really necessary.” He It then requires appropriate clothing, comfortable posture and generally adds Oops. End of Mr. Hurd’s commission.
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experiment on earth; the concocting of a nation. Imagine if we were to choose friends to hang in our dining rooms today. Who would be honored in yours?
to the size. And size matters. Heads should be no bigger than the average head, because it may be uncomfortable to the viewer. “A huge, bigger than life portrait can dwarf those who look at it,” he says.
In colleges, universities, museums, hospitals and offices around this nation you will see the faces of the men and women who have shaped the course of history. We should look closer and see the art embedded in those faces.
To find a likeness, Wilson looks for the fleeting expression, the gesture, the glint in the eye that makes a person an individual. As an official observer, he feels an obligation to get it right, and therefore regards portraiture as a collaborative between the subject and artist. This means a lot of ground work during the process, a kind of checking-in to get it right. “Formal portraiture is something that must smack of the eternal. It should reflect the past, present and future,” he says. Portraits found in the book, Walter Blakelock Wilson: An American Artist, display a wide diversity of approaches. In his current series of artist’s portraits he has placed them in contexts that extend their stories. Georgia O’Keefe is in an O’Keefe landscape, N.C. Wyeth perched on a mountain peak, Frida Kahlo posed with parrots. The backgrounds around the subjects cleverly reflect the artists’ styles, but retain an intended formality. Formal portraits hang in the dining room at Jefferson’s homestead in Monticello. They are
My grandfather’s portrait hung above the fireplace wearing some kind of uniform. He did not inspire love, but he surely commanded respect. I wonder where that piece of history went? Like so many other things in this world, my wonderment has come too late. Editor's note: If you are interested in commissioning an original portrait: "Cory Bourke" oil, 16" x 20" portrait by Tubac artist, Walter Blakelock Wilson portraits of the men Jefferson admired most. Somehow, he foresaw that he and his peers, Locke, Adams and Hamilton, were conceiving the greatest
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Photos and Text by Murray Bolesta A glittering, gala “First Annual Fashion Show Extravaganza” brightened the already shining Tubac Golf Resort & Spa on Sunday, April 3. The success of the show was due to the fine merchants of the Village of Tubac, the gorgeous (and handsome) models of all ages, and the event organizer, Kristina Valdiviezo. The frosting on the cake was that the event benefitted the Tubac Rotary Club.
Kristina, who is a in the region (I kn the event as enor a long length of ti everybody in the took a village to b could count on.”
The 2-hour sold-o
also the director of the most pampering spa now by personal experience), described rmously successful. “It came together over ime, with lots of planning, reaching out to Village, and everybody delivered. It literally bring it together. And my amazing staff that I
out event took place on the resort grounds in
the packed Mission Chapel, one of the charming structures on the property built to blend in perfectly with the cultural heritage of southern Arizona. The pace of the event was flawless considering the large number of local merchants represented, thanks to the driving rhythm of youthful music and the organizers, including Dennis Palmer, Vice President of Golf Operations. Merchants from Tubac and throughout Santa Cruz County
boasted their spring fashions, jewelry, accessories and handbags. They included Fresh Produce Resort Wear, Tubac Golf Resort & Spa, Crowe’s Nest, Más y Más, Old Presidio Traders, Sole & James Culver, Mariah’s, Cowboy’s Sweetheart, Manos Gallery, Prickly Pear Studios, Cowgirl Ugly, Bracker’s, Kory’s and Hem & Her Bridal. Everyone’s looking forward to next year. Can this year’s extravaganza be surpassed?
The Borderlands Photographer
Images Top, left - Federally designated wilderness surrounds Baboquivari Peak, here photographed from the southeast in Altar Valley. Top, right: Fewer people experience Baboquivari from the west side.
Middle, left: Folks in my photography tour group are expressing their disappointment with the scenery near the Ed Center.
Middle, right: A scene of stark wilderness and clear skies is enhanced artfully by monochrome photography and a foreground element, in this case an expired century plant or two. Bottom, left: The natural bridge at the end of the trail is brightened by the presence of flowering shindagger and the Arizona state butterfly, the two-tailed tiger swallowtail. Bottom, right: Ranching relics abound here, such as stone walls climbing the hillsides, with a view of the peak in the background.
TheÊBorderl andsÊPhot ographer
BrownÊCa nyonÊa ndÊBa boquivari Text and Photos by Murray Bolesta
The “Ed Center” is the man-made heart of Brown Canyon, a gathering ground for all sorts of trekkers coming to appreciate this place and get educated.
A former ranch house, this spacious structure is part of the allure of this canyon for so many folks. Other canyons cut through our borderlands landscape, but few of them boast such comfortable public facilities as this, complete with catered meals, serving as base camp. So here I was in March, hosting borderlands photographers, eager to share a dual vigorous experience with night-time photography and a wilderness outing. Being a rugged iconoclast, I slept outdoors. John Wayne would have advised laying a rope around my sleeping bag to discourage snakes, but I improved on that by tossing a pickup bed around me. This was the night of the Super Moon. Truthfully, beforehand, I was aware only that it was going to be a standard-variety full moon. My “Moonlight Photo Safaris” in this canyon exploit both this monthly phenomenon and the clear sky of the higher elevation combined with the absence of light pollution.
This March, a brilliant result ensued. The group’s twin photographic goals were to gain confidence with low-light photography and with monochrome photography, and everyone performed ably. Low-light conditions provide what I believe to be most of the remaining technical challenges in photography today. With digital technology, the computer chip does all the thinking and has made exposure control much too easy.
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At night, however, more patience and prudence are required to obtain a quality result. A dramatic impact can
also be made: time exposure emulates the vision of an owl. A three-minute exposure of a moonlit landscape has an effect surprising to most beginners. A tripod and remote shutter release are necessary. No flash is allowed. Other tricks include light painting, wherein a flashlight is used to illuminate an object, such as a cactus, against a dark night sky. The inverse of that is using the same shape darkened as a silhouette against a brightened night sky with time exposure. The latter technique also creates striking “star-streaks” created by the rotation of the earth. Light tracing can be done by using time exposure and a pin-light to draw shapes around an object or compose words in space against the night sky. Your arm becomes virtually invisible due to time-lapse.
In Brown Canyon in March, the landscape was dry from this year’s winter weather patterns. The dryness limited the natural color palette, creating a fine opportunity for monochrome, or black-and-white, photography. In photography’s beginnings, there was little choice, but today monochrome is just another technique, one that’s overlooked by many.
In choosing monochrome, my rule is that when color is not a salient point of an image, such as when photographing a wildflower or the glow of a baby’s cheeks, then often it’s best to discard color altogether. This artful effort is guided by two more rules: it may require a high contrast setting or filter, and it may be improved by tinting. The tinting usually employs either a warm or cool hue, i.e. a yellow or a blue, or both separately. In this way, the creative photographer can achieve both a winter and summer version of the same image. Brown Canyon is run by the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge and the Friends of Buenos Aires (FOBANWR, at www.friendsofbanwr.org). Facilities are staffed partially by volunteers.
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The trail into the canyon from the Ed Center is not long and not too steep as it approaches its end, the rocky ramparts of a natural bridge. This particular geological feature is not an arch, since there is seasonal water underneath, meeting the definition of a bridge. (The other natural bridge I’m aware of in southern Arizona is in Muleshoe Ranch, east of Tucson.) Brown Canyon’s natural bridge is somewhat photogenic and worth the hike.
Baboquivari Peak, the pinnacle of this place, is visible for a hundred miles around. It juts skyward sharply from the surround Baboquivari Mountains and this fact accounts for much of its stature with native peoples as a sacred place.
The peak itself requires technical climbing skill to reach the top. Approaches to it are from both the west, via nearby Thomas Canyon, and from the east, via the Tohono O’odham Nation. The western approach contains very different habitat, pure Sonoran desert, unlike the high desert grasslands of Altar Valley. The Indian Nation side of the Baboquivari Mountains is, by any reckoning, even more rugged, and is reached via the town of Topawa, the site of a new modern cultural center. A fine campground awaits the photographer on that side. These are among the ruggedly wonderful north-south mountains of borderlands Arizona where the jaguar and ocelot still roam. And you, the adventurous photographer, should too. Murray Bolesta has written this article monthly since 2007. His CactusHuggers Photography is a celebration of southern Arizona; it specializes in borderland images and supports the preservation of our natural, rural, and cultural heritage. Murray’s art can be seen at www.CactusHuggers.com and Creative Spirit Gallery in Patagonia. �
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TheÊG eologyÊ ofÊ Baboquivari aÊt ripÊr eport
by Kent Duryeé One Monday afternoon in March, while carrying on my day to day life, I was presented with the opportunity to consider my responsibilities vis-a-vis the prospect of getting out in the fresh air, to once again plant boot on trail and nose firmly on rock - cavorting once again on a geology field trip.
We were to explore Brown Canyon on the east flank of Baboquivari. The trip was one of several programs and walks sponsored by the Friends of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, (BANWR), a volunteer group of citizens dedicated to supporting the National Wildlife Refuge system and BANWR. Brown Canyon is open only to groups under the direction of Friends of BANWR, and the base of operations, so to speak, is the Brown Canyon Environmental Education Center, a beautiful old ranch house that hosts a view down the canyon and out to the east over Altar Valley. A visit to the Center is worth the a trip all on its own.
Scheduled just a day before the spring equinox, I was signed up to explore the geology of the Southern Arizona landmark, Baboquivari. The weather reports were promising, and the birds and leaves and warmth were returning to the desert after a record-breaking cold snap. The geology, trail, and rocks won out handily over other pesky responsibilities. No one ever lay on their death bed and rued having shirked their responsibilities for a day of cavorting outdoors. As Richard Bach wrote in his little book Illusions; the adventures of a reluctant messiah,, “We are the otters of the universe” - I take my playtime serious.
Baboquivari Peak, in addition to being a well-known, easily identified landmark throughout Southern Arizona, is also the most sacred place, the axis mundi, of the Tohono O’odham people, (Tohono translates as “desert,” while O’odham roughly translates as “people”). The Tohono O’odham’s lands once covered the area from north of Phoenix to southern Sonora in Mexico, and from the San Pedro River on the east, to the Gulf of California on the west. The vastly diminished area where the Tohono O’odham Reservation is now located, on the west flank of the Baboquivari Mountains, is just a small part of their ancient land, but Baboquivari Peak has always been considered to be the religious, cultural, and physical center of their world. Their deity, I'itoi, inhabits a cave on the northwestern flank of Baboquivari, and a large part of Tohono O’odham life revolves around making pilgrimages to the cave to leave offerings and prayers, just as it has for thousands of years. The well-known Man in the Maze symbol is intimately tied to Tohono O’odham religion, known as himdag, or “path,” and represents I’itoi as the man in the maze of life’s journey.
After a week of drudgery, Saturday dawned. I laced up my dusty hiking boots and quietly slipped out into the last morning of winter, just as the sun was breaking over the Catalina Mountains to the east of my house, on Tucson’s northwest side. A quick stop for water and lunch, then I turned the grill of the truck southwest toward Baboquivari. The drive south from Tucson through Altar Valley is unlike anything else. The valley is covered in places by lush native grasses playing host to gnarled, bonsai-like mesquite trees. On the west, the valley is rimmed by the Baboquivari Mountains, with Kitt Peak at the northern end, home of the National Observatory, and Baboquivari itself rising bold and vertical above the central portion of the range. Several isolated collections of mountains make up the valley’s eastern boundary: the Sierritas, the Cerro Colorados, and the Las Guijas. Further ranges stretch south toward the border and Mexico beyond, as does Altar Valley itself. The valley seems almost uninhabited for most of its length. Only the occasional small signs and mailboxes along the side of the road indicate that there are ranches with fellow humans sharing the valley’s silent, primeval expanse. OPEN DAILY
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As I continued my southward journey, I paid attention to what wildlife I could see from inside my truck – that morning it was all of the avian variety, well represented by raptors: Harris hawks, Red tail hawks, Kestrels, and the ubiquitous, black-robed, philosophical Turkey vulture. These large birds hinted at other, hidden inhabitants of the valley, just as surely as the signs and mailboxes along the road hinted at the presence of other humans. Where there’s life, there are those who take it, and there are those who clean up afterward. Peaceful, clean, and natural; I sipped my water and contemplated the Turkey vultures as they contemplated me. I checked the gauges on the dash to make sure oil, gas, and coolant were in good supply – no sense in hurrying my no-doubt eventual rendezvous with those big, brooding, soaring birds. Providing the vultures with a moment of exhilaration and hope, while absorbed in these musings, I sailed on by the right turn that would take me to Brown Canyon. I circled back around and found the road leading west off the highway – the big “Brown Canyon” sign facing the other way from which I had come – and was merrily on my way up the dirt road, headed straight for the base of Baboquivari, vultures silently cursing their luck, forever circling in the distance.
After several miles I came to a trailhead parking lot and a locked gate. So, I thought, this must be where we would meet. I turned off the truck and gamboled about the place a bit, eyed an informational display with maps and brochures, looked out over the way I’d come, and enjoyed the silence and space. Cicadas whirred away in the grasses, and scrub jays and little brown birds went about their daily ways, paying little attention to me and the cooling engine of my truck, emitting ticks and pings as the stressed metal of motor and exhaust systems contracted volubly back into their normal state. After some time had passed, a man in a pickup truck came by via the direction of the locked gate, looked at me and surmised immediately that I must be a member of the geology group. He kindly gave me directions to where the rest of the group was congregating about four or five miles back down the road the way I had come; had I read the material that was sent out to all of the participants, I probably wouldn’t have needed this kind man’s help at all. I was still giving those vultures little moments of hope despite myself. Back into the truck, back down the canyon road, I came across the 20 or so souls that would make up the group for the rest of the day. The leader of the walk,
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The grasslands of Altar Valley on the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Joseph Birkett Richard Conway, was summarizing the surrounding geography and giving a vulture’s eye view of the geology around us. We were at a high point between the valley floor and the base of the Baboquivari Mountains. Some agency, probably the Wildlife Reserve or the Border Patrol, had erected a wireless beacon with the following instructions to those who might not be as fortunate as we were to have been standing there in the desert, voluntarily enjoying the scenery: If you need help, push the red button. Rescue personnel will arrive shortly to help you. Do not leave this area
The message was translated from English in to Spanish, and also the native tongue of the Tohono O’odham nation. Not everyone can laugh at themselves for giving vultures hope for a meal, or even find the concept amusing at all. After our orientation we bundled back into our vehicles and wound our way slowly up the dirt road into Brown Canyon. We arrived at the Environmental Education Center, collected ourselves and our gear including lunch, and met at several benches strewn with rocks. We must be in the right place. Richard had us sit and start looking at the rocks while he discussed basic geologic concepts related to the rock cycle – how rocks are born, change into other rocks, and melt back into the earth’s crust again, only
to emerge again in another guise somewhere else on earth. The nature of the rock cycle is that any given type of rock, a chunk of lava for instance, is always in the process of becoming something else. It might be in the process of eroding into sedimentary sandstone at the earth’s surface, or it could be buried deep within the earth and being changed into another rock entirely. Richard calls the names we have chosen to call rocks “boxes.” He does so derisively. He prefers a more holistic view of the entire concept of rocks; something called a “rock continuum” would probably make him happier than placing labels on different rocks like basalt, diorite, rhyolite, granite, limestone, all the while insisting that the rocks conform to our names for them. Labels, names, or “boxes,” don’t account for the dynamic and changing nature of the earth itself, and as such limit our understanding of the earth processes that we witness around us every day. Geology, for all its accuracy in mapping, rock chemistry and geophysics, is at its core a very vague science, which attempts to shed light, not only on our earth, but on the dynamic and changing nature of the universe itself. Nature can’t be fit into a box so easily. After our introduction to “Conway’s Rock Continuum,” and a brief
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overview of the rocks we would encounter on our walk, we were ready to head further up the canyon and put our noses to the outcrops, as geologists refer to the act of getting out in the field. After the primer, we all walked with our eyes down in front, looking at the rocks that passed by under our feet in a way that most of us usually don’t. Every so often we would stop and Richard would describe a certain rock and its relation to the surrounding geology, and the participants would dutifully note these things in their spiral-bound books and nod their heads in eager understanding. It’s wonderful to see people pay attention as never before to their surroundings, and see the most basic of things – rocks and dirt – in new and exciting ways. New discoveries are always exciting, and a trip like this is always an unearthing of discoveries and new insights for people who simply take time to look closely at where they stand. It turned out that by walking up-canyon toward
TheÊG eologyÊof ÊBa boquivari,Ê aÊt ripÊre portÊc ontinued... Baboquivari, we were actually traveling in Deep Time ourselves, on our way to discovering how the Baboquivari Range came to be formed. But first we needed to stop for lunch. A tree-lined, dry wash with towering sycamores in their first green leaves of spring, and lots of rounded boulders and logs made a nice glade to stop at, so we all gratefully shed our packs in the thin shade and dug in to our individual ideas of lunch. I had Italian salami, Swiss cheese, a small boule of French bread – a very Euro-style feast – and very satisfying after a morning walking along in the sunshine nourishing an appetite. Washed down with still-cold water from my pack, I could feel my muscles relaxing and eyelids giving in to gravity, but there was more to be seen and discussed.
Above, Friend of Buenos Aires and geology instructor Richard Conway describes the ever changing nature of rocks at the Brown Canyon Educational Center in the Metamorphic core complexes have been Baboquivari Mountains. Photo by Kent Duryee. compared to pimples. Aside from the derision
While the rest of us were dropping packs and digging in, Richard had gone on ahead and rounded the next corner in search of something. He brought back a large, rounded rock. I thought that he had searched out that particular rock to use as a place to sit and eat lunch; no one could blame him for that, it was a nice rock. However, the rock held a telling clue as to the processes that were responsible for the rise of the Baboquivari Mountains, and was instructive about many of the mountain ranges of the Intermountain West, all the way from Mexico to Northern Canada.
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changed – metamorphosed – into a kind of hot paste, (picture Silly Putty), which allowed other, cooler rocks closer to the earth’s surface, to crack and literally slide over the slippery metamorphing rocks bulging above the intruding magma body. This sliding action can take place over many miles, and it leaves evidence in the form of the very type of rock that Richard brought back from around the corner and plopped in our midst. It was one of the semi-molten rock types that allowed the sliding of rock layers to occur above it; solid evidence of the complicated mechanism that produces something called a metamorphic core complex. Baboquivari Peak is the cooled remnant of the magma bubble that rose within the crust.
He set it down in our midst, and sat a short distance away on an unobtrusive log and began the story I’d been waiting for.
I declared geology as my first major in college precisely because of field trips like this. Sadly I wasn’t up to the math involved in the major, and so, (after many, many geology lab and field courses, and of course field trips), followed history as my field of investigation instead. Geology is nothing if not history, so I now feel equally comfortable studying human history, or studying the almost infinitely deep and vast geologic history of the planet and universe – Deep Time, as it has been called. When applying the Deep Time scale, a million years suddenly turn into the minimum time it takes to get something done. Our lifetimes, and in fact all of human history, flash like sparks and disappear in less than an instant, all but unnoticed while the universe and the earth continually unfold, indifferent to us and our own tiny time scale and imagined, inflated sense of importance. Theories vary but generally speaking, in the recent geologic past, 30 – 35 million years ago, tectonic events took place off of what would become the west coast of the North American continent that lead directly to the formation of the Baboquivari Mountains. Some say that it was an oceanic plate that thrust under early North America. Others say that island arcs like Japan and the Aleutians rammed into the continent. Whichever scenario occurred, the result was an upward buckling of the continental crust between the then-west coast, and what are today the Rocky Mountains. When the earth’s crust buckles like this, it has to stretch to accommodate the strain. Just like inflating a balloon, when the earth’s crust stretches, it thins. This thinning makes it easier for magma within the crust to rise, and not only erupt in volcanoes, but also to interact with and change existing continental rocks through heat and pressure. Now, just like in a lava lamp, a huge bubble of molten magma neared the earth’s surface. Can you picture the crust bulging above the rising bubble? That is precisely what happened where the Baboquivari Mountains are now. As the magma bubble continued to rise within the crust, surrounding rocks were
involved in the comparison, the analogy is a good one. Seen perhaps through a high speed playback of 10 or 15 million years, the bulging, erupting, cracking, sliding, and cooling process would indeed look much like the formation of a pimple. A sad analogy to be sure, but nonetheless, one that’s easy to grasp. There are literally hundreds of metamorphic core complexes throughout the Intermountain West from Mexico to northern Canada. The Catalina Mountains north of Tucson are perhaps the most obvious and well-studied of these geologic features. The next time you come into town, notice how the layers of rock above the Foothill communities look like they could still be sliding down the inner sides of the mountain range. That’s exactly what happened.
So, with a new and deeper understanding of how the landscape around us was born, evidence of the event littered around our feet, we finished our lunches and relaxed for a few minutes more in the shade of the greening sycamores, and then it was time to head back out of the canyon, back to the Education Center and our cars, and from there back to our own lives outside of Brown Canyon. We all returned with eyes open a little wider, and minds expanded a little more by walking in Deep Time. As I neared the pavement, I slowed and looked up into the afternoon sky. There they were. Four Turkey vultures circled high above me, riding invisible air currents, scanning the horizon for miles around – engaged in their own continuum of life and death above the rocks and peaks of Altar Valley. My muscles felt used, I was comfortably tired, and had enjoyed a full day outside in a gorgeous canyon exploring wonderful terrain. I thought about the responsibilities that I had shirked for the day and smirked, not feeling the smallest shred of guilt. My inner otter smiled. There are many adventures and educational experiences to be had at the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge and the Friends of BANWR can assist you. For more information, call 520-405-5665 or email fobanwr@gmail.com. A great deal of information is available online at www.friendsofbanwr.squarespace.com
Shelby’s Bistro welcomes return of Clinton Tay
by Kathleen Vandervoet
Shelby’s Bistro, the Tubac restaurant that so many locals enjoy taking visitors to, or where they head for a casual meal or special anniversary, has a new executive chef. For years, Shelby’s Bistro has been helmed by Anthony Tay, and his brother, Clinton Tay, recently joined him “to revitalize dinner menus,” Clinton said. Clinton oversees dinners, offered on Fridays and Saturdays, he said. “I wanted to revitalize (Anthony’s) night time menu and get him pumped up. I wanted to get some of the buzz back in Tubac.” Clinton and his sister, Joan Bucklew, founded Shelby’s Bistro in 1997. Joan now lives in Las Vegas, and her daughter, Shelby, the toddler for whom the restaurant is named, is 17 years old, Clinton said. Trained at the New England Culinary Institute
in Vermont, Clinton worked in many restaurants throughout the United States until about 2003, when he went to work for a food service company in Boca Raton, Fla. Now he and his wife, Shantelle, live in Tucson where they’re raising their two young children. His daytime job is for Sysco Arizona, a food service company. He’s excited about creating new menus, Clinton said. “I like to focus on ethnic diversity” and he also searches out local fresh foods. “I try to do things that people can relate to, but with a twist.” Because his father is French and his mother is Spanish, Clinton said, “I like to use French technique and execution in cooking.” But he’s a fan of Mediterranean and Southwest cuisine and will continue to explore those. He brings with him a vast range of experience creating memorable food. “My first culinary experience was at the La Paloma Resort (in Tucson) in 1991, when I volunteered to do the Mother’s Day Brunch. I spent five years there and worked at every outlet.” He and his sister bought the restaurant that’s now Shelby’s about 15 years ago and he worked there for three years. Following that, he enrolled in the New England Culinary Institute, Clinton said.
Among the positions he held after his professional education were as executive chef at the Federal Reserve Bank and for Sodexo, which operates large food service facilities, and Sheraton hotels, including a 700-room beach-front resort in Ft. Lauderdale. Shelby’s restaurant, located over the foot bridge in the Mercado de Baca plaza on Tubac Road, is open seven days a week for lunch, and Fridays and Saturdays for dinner. Call (520) 398-8075 for information. �
NEW BOOK BY TUBAC, ARIZONA AUTHOR, GARY ISAACSON
Arizona publisher, Flying Fish Books, announces the release of a new book by award winning Tubac, AZ author, Gary Isaacson. “Son of Born-Again Liberal”, a collection of humorous essays on subjects as diverse as haircuts, investments and international travel, is now available at Amazon Kindle and Kindle apps for computers and smart phones. Isaacson’s very funny take on experiences everyone can relate to is a great read with short pieces that are, as he puts it, perfect timing for a visit to the “necessary room”. His latest comic/thriller novel, “Crude Customs”, recently won two Bronze Awards from the 2010 eLit Awards in two categories, “Thriller/ Suspense/ Mystery” and “Humor”. Now Live-in Care for 50% less than hourly
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26
L a r g e
v i s t a s
p u l s e
w i t h
c o l o r
new book
by Tubac artist
Walter
Blakelock
Wilson is dynamic
by Kathleen Vandervoet Celebrating Tubac’s most acclaimed artists can be managed in a variety of ways. Most frequently, that’s accomplished through special gallery shows that last for only a few weeks. A permanent commemoration can be achieved through a book, and that’s what is now available to showcase the paintings of Walter Blakelock Wilson. After meeting him in 1988 as a Tubac neighbor when he and his wife, Patty, moved to the community, I looked forward to seeing a large number of Wilson’s lovely art pieces at one time. I knew that enjoyment of creative work deepens when one can connect it with the artist’s personality and character. The book, “Walter Blakelock Wilson: An American Artist, 66 Years of Painting,” is a treasure and the retrospective is handled beautifully. Within its 224 pages are several hundred works of art, most in
color. Some are given a full page, while others are combined three or four to a page. The book opens with biographical information that helps the reader gain more insight into Wilson’s first creative attempts, and explains how his talent developed. The volume reveals how he’s experimented with various forms ranging from realistic to nearly abstract, over the years. As artist Carol St. John wrote for the book, “He would not allow himself to be limited by one
direction… Wilson obviously believes the true artist stays open to new visions and new ideas.” The majority of the works in the book are grand landscape vistas of the southwest, featuring mountains and encompassing dozens of miles in one view. In some, color dances off the page, while in others, the palette is muted with variations of green, or of gold. He’s also a noted portrait painter and so there are more than 25 portraits included. In his younger days, Wilson was an Air Force pilot
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Along with the the 254 color plates in 224 pages, Wilson's book also contains essays and biographical information about the artist.
in the Korean War and he’s included photos of work he completed during that time. Chapter 4 is an overview of his years as an artist and high school teacher in Colorado. Chapter 5, titled “Aerial Views,” is filled with western horizons in which there’s usually a distant backdrop of magnificent mountains while the main part of the painting is formed on geometric proportions. Upon reaching Chapter 6, titled “Mesas, Arroyos & Abstractions,” the viewer stops for a moment to take stock. Yes, the preceding paintings were wonderful. But now, the progression becomes deeper and richer. The arresting 1960 painting titled “September Mesa” is cunningly simple and complex with its alternating dark and light segments. Patty Wilson wrote: “For 50 years, the mountain winter landscapes were Walter’s most consistent form of expression. For that reason, ‘Colorado Eagle River’ was chosen for the cover of this book.” The scene shows late winter, with hints of a sunny, early spring morning. Portrayed in a zig-zag pattern, sparse snow rests in gullies. Pine trees are in the mid-distance while a meadow punctuated with
soft yellow and pumpkin-orange grasses is at the forefront.
The depth and complexity of his art has clearly been enhanced by the couple’s world travels. Wilson was awarded a Ballantine Fellowship to study art in 1972 and this was the beginning of many years of foreign travel. As an outgrowth of his journeys, he opened Old World Imports in Tubac in 1988 to sell top quality rugs imported from around the world. This retail experience clearly opened new horizons and experiences that have been reflected in his creative work. A touching and incisive aspect of the book is that his adult children provided comments of one or two sentences for many of the paintings, entwining memories of childhood events with their father alongside the art work.
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Wilson’s gallery is located at 2243 E. Frontage Rd., Tubac, and his website is www.walterwilsonstudio.com. The book is priced at $50 and shipping and handling is $15. Write to P.O. Box 4281, Tubac, AZ 85646 or call (520) 237-5439. Wilson has proven to be a treasured resident of Tubac. He’s outgoing, cheerful and friendly. Humble about his accomplishments, he exhibits easy-going confidence at the same time. The collected paintings on display in his new book are an excellent addition to any collection that highlights this region. �
...continued from page 9
Sun, Apr 10th - Tish Hinojosa - Spanish Borderland Songs at the Tubac Presidio at 2pm. Call 398-2252.
Fri, Apr 15th - Live music by Eduardo Valencia and Fish & Chips special all day at Wisdom's Cafe in Tumacacori from 5 to 8pm. 398-2397. Sat, Apr 16th - Tucson Audubon Society Celebrates the Upper Santa Cruz River Important Bird Area (IBA) at the Tubac Community Center. The morning will start with birding walks through the habitat of the IBA starting from 7:30 am to 8 am and going to about 8:30 am. There will then be a series of short talks about the IBA program and the importance of the Upper Santa Cruz IBA for birds and the communities near it. All attendees will then be invited to enjoy some refreshments, visit information tables, ask questions of the experts present, and generally enjoy themselves. Significant populations of species of conservation concern that are found within the Upper Santa Cruz River IBA include breeding populations of: Gray Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo,
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Sun, Apr 10th - The Pimeria Alta Historical Society's annual home tour will highlight the Court Street Historic District in downtown Nogales Call 520-287-2305.
Bell’s Vireo, Lucy’s Warbler, Yellow Warbler, and Abert’s Towhee, and smaller numbers of Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Rufous-winged Sparrow, and Varied Bunting; and wintering populations of: Belted Kingfisher and Lawrence’s Goldfinch. Also of note is the migration corridor the IBA provides, especially for northbound raptors, most notably the Common Black-Hawk (abundant in March) and Osprey (smaller numbers). For further information on the Arizona Important Bird Areas program please visit www.aziba.org or contact Scott Wilbor at Tucson Audubon Society, 300 E. University Blvd. #120, Tucson, AZ 85705; 520-629-0510 ext. 7004. Sat, Apr 16th - Frontier Printing Press Demonstrations at the Tubac Presidio from 10am to 3pm. Professional printer and teacher James Pagels demonstrates the 1858 Washington Press used to print Arizona’s first newspaper and answers questions about hand press printing, type setting, and other aspects of this marvel of industrial engineering. Admission $4 adult, $2 youth (7–13), children free (0–6). 398-2252.
Center from 12noon to 9pm. Free Admission, pot-luck dinner 5:30 to 6:45pm. For more info visit http://aiffarivaca2011.tumblr. com/. Sat, Apr 16th - Meet the Copper State Artists at Rogoway Gallery, 5 Calle Baca, from 1 to 4pm. Annella Campbell, Pat Doughty, Bimbi Jacob, Alma Laurmann, Lil Leclerc, Jean Makela, Carol Swiggett. 398-2041. Sat, Apr 16th - 3rd Annual COWBOY NIGHT at Wisdom's Cafe in Tumacacori. A juicy steak and our very own "Javelina" bratwurst will be sizzling on the grill while Long Lasso Billy plays from 5-8 PM. Reservations for this special menu required (our regular menu will be available). Call (520) 398-2397. $25 per person, proceeds to benefit Jesse Wisdom Park.
Sat, Apr 16th - Sacred Union, workshop featuring Ann Mortifee and Paul Horn from 10am to 4:30pm at the Sonoran Desert Center for Spiritual Living, at the Amado Territory Ranch. Discover tools to integrate mind, body, emotion and spirit; the ability to use your physical body as an ally in staying grounded in the present moment; a better understanding of your spirit's reason for being here at this time and place, through music, story, improvisation and meditation. $85 per person includes lunch. Email equinoxent@cox.net. Call 520-870-2025.
Sat, Apr 16th - Santa Cruz Community Foundation celebrate Folklorico 2011 from 6 to 11pm at the Villa De La Dolce Vita on historic Crawford Street in Nogales. You and your fellow guests will experience a night of transcendent art, music, food and fellowship and provide support to the outstanding community service provided on both sides of the border by The Santa Cruz Community Foundation and the 30 non-profit agencies who benefit from the services and funding provided by the Foundation. This is your once in a lifetime entrance into a magical place where wonderful things happen. Where we forge the future of the 3rd country, the borderlands. Get your tickets now while they are still available. Call 520-761-4531.
Sat, Apr 16th - 2011 Arizona International Film Festival's 20th Anniversary Touring Program - at the Arivaca Community
Sat, Apr 16th - Haywire performs at Old Tubac Inn at 7pm. Dance to Rockin' Country Blues. 7 Plaza Rd, 398-3161.
S e e W o r k i n g Tu b a c a r T i S i S The Working Artists in their studios at
EL PRESIDITO Continue to create original art in Tubac. Visit our galleries and see the artists at work.
Photogenesis: by Dante
Kiva Sculptorium
Irene Wisnewski Gallery
Tower Studios
Wolf Den Gallery Custom Leather
For great shopping, visit El Changarro just next to La Roca.
www.larocarestaurant.com www.facebook.com/larocarestaurant
Sat, Apr 30th - Dr. Russell Means – “Where is America’s Constitution?” at 3pm Tubac Plaza Main Stage. Call 398-2542.
Located on Calle Iglesia in Old Town, Tubac
Fox Den Feathers Aleda’s Studio Gallery
29 Sat & Sun, Apr 16th & 17th - A Discovering Brown Canyon Weekend: The World of The Baboquivari Mountains. Week-end workshop; Leaders: Mary Scott, Richard Conway and Refuge biologists. Spend a weekend relaxing, hiking and enjoying an introduction to the hidden world of Brown Canyon in the Baboquivari Mountains southwest of Tucson. Guests will enjoy the comfort of the striking Brown Canyon Environmental Education Lodge and be treated to three catered meals. Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning will be times to relax at the lodge and enjoy the splendid views of the Baboquivari Range and the Altar Valley or walk the canyon trails. Brief walks and class sessions by staff from the refuge and local experts on plants, birds, butterflies and rocks will introduce participants to the canyon's natural history. Saturday evening after dinner, we will use pictures and stories to explore the natural history of the region. Brown Canyon is one of the most important protected enclaves of western sky island ecology in southern Arizona and this weekend interlude will provide an opportunity to discover it in a casual and comfortable style. All activities are optional (except enjoying yourself) and the walking is easy on a dirt road and good trails. Registration required. Overnight workshop fee is $95 for members and $105 for nonmembers. To learn more about the program, times and places go to http://friendsofbanwr.squarespace.com/workshopsand-walks/, email fobanwr@gmail.com or call 520 405 5665. Sun, Apr 17th - Unveiling and Dedication Ceremony of Alan B. Davis Gallery at the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park at 2pm. William Ahrendt, renowned painter of the American West, will be in attendance for the unveiling and dedication ceremony. A reception will follow. Never before seen together, this unveiling represents the first time these 16 paintings covering Arizona's history will be publicly displayed together in one exhibit. In receiving this donation, the Tubac Historical Society will dedicate the exhibit in memory of Alan B. Davis, longtime Tubac resident and businessman. The permanent collection will remain on display in Otero Hall at the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, Arizona’s first State park, now managed and operated by the Tubac Historical Society. Light refreshments will be provided. Admission is $20. Seating is limited. Make your reservations in advance by calling 520-398-2252. Thurs, Apr 21st - Fishtank Ensemble (from San Fransicso) an outdoor concert at the Tubac Plaza Main Stage, 29 Tubac Plaza. Visit www.GlobalChangeMultiMedia.org or call 398-2542 for more information. Tackling everything from French hot jazz to wild Serbian and Transylvanian gypsy anthems, Flamenco,
and oddball originals, the band is a not to be missed event for world music lovers...and everyone will love this intoxicating mix of music! $15adv/$17dos; ½ price for kids; Free for ages 5 & under. At 6pm. Thurs, Apr 21st - Kangen Water Seminars at Floating Stone Inn & Aqua Spa 16- 18 Calle Iglesia. Call (520) 398-3193 for more information or to reserve your space. From 5:30-7pm. Fri, Apr 22nd - Live music by Eduardo Valencia and Fish & Chips special all day at Wisdom's Cafe in Tumacacori from 5 to 8pm. 398-2397. Sat, Apr 23rd - Michael Chiago show at the Tohono Village Trading Post. 398-2223. Sat, Apr 23rd - Live Music by Bill Mazanedo at Wisdom's Cafe in Tumacacori from 5 to 8pm. 398-2397. Sat, Apr 23rd - Frontier Printing Press Demonstrations at the Tubac Presidio from 10am to 2pm. Professional printer and teacher James Pagels demonstrates the 1858 Washington Press used to print Arizona’s first newspaper and answers questions about hand press printing, type setting, and other aspects of this marvel of industrial engineering. Admission $4 adult, $2 youth (7–13), children free (0–6). 398-2252. Sat, Apr 23rd - Retro Rockets perform at Old Tubac Inn at 7pm. Great music of the 60's. 7 Plaza Rd, 398-3161. Sun, Apr 24th - Easter Sunday Buffet Brunch from 10am to 2pm at Maria's Grill in Plaza de Anza. $22pp, kids under 12 $8.95. Reservations encouraged. 398-3350. Sun, Apr 24th - Easter at Avalon Gardens in Tumacacori, from 11am to 3pm. Bring the kids for a hayride, Easter egg hunt, music, refreshments and more! The schedule of activities is: 11am – Hayride to Easter Egg Field Hunt; 12pm – Tour of beautiful Avalon Organic Gardens, Farm, and Ranch; 1:30pm – Live Music by Gabriel of Urantia’s Bright & Morning Star Choir. Suggested donation is $6 for adults, $4 for teens, and $3 for kids 11 & under. Proceeds go to the nonprofit Global Community Communications Schools for Children & Teens. For more information call (520) 603-9932 or visit www. GlobalChangeMultiMedia.org. Sun, Apr 24th - Annual Easter Buffet at the Amado Territory Steakhouse. Prime rib carved to order, an impressive array of entrees, salads and desserts. Reservations required. 398-2651.
Thurs, Apr 28th - SENIOR BRAIN CAFE at 9 am. Come to learn about keeping your memory working. Keep talking to maintain your memory. Breakfast Buffet ($8) and endless cups of coffee. Kristofer's Bistro, Amado Territory, off I-19, Exit 48, East. Call Philip Newlin. 625-9616 or drop in. Thurs, Apr 28th - “Death Clouds on Mt. Baldy” Book Event at the Tubac Presidio at 10am. A presentation and book signing by Cathy Hufault, author of Death Clouds on Mt. Baldy, the haunting story of the boy scouts trapped by a blizzard while hiking in the Santa Rita Mountains in 1958. Hufault, sister of one of the survivors, recounts the events of the largest search and rescue mission in Arizona’s history. Admission $5. 398-2252. Fri, Apr 29th - Frontier Printing Press Demonstrations at the Tubac Presidio from 9am to 1pm. Professional printer and teacher James Pagels demonstrates the 1858 Washington Press used to print Arizona’s first newspaper and answers questions about hand press printing, type setting, and other aspects of this marvel of industrial engineering. Admission $4 adult, $2 youth (7–13), children free (0–6). 398-2252. Fri, Apr 29th - Fish & Chips all day and Live music at Wisdom's Cafe in Tumacacori from 5 to 8pm. 398-2397. Opening Fri Apr 29th - Santa Cruz Shoestring Players’ present “Zombies from the Beyond” at 7pm at the Community Performing Arts Center in Green Valley. An outerspace research station in Milwaukee is Earth's only hope to turn back flying saucers filled with women intent on transporting every male on the planet to their own galaxy. The zany musical, borrowing from B-movie flying saucer stories of the ‘50s, will also be performed April 30, May 1 and May 6 and 7. All performances will be at 7pm except the May 1 matinee starting at 2pm. Tickets ($12 advance; $14 door) will be available through CPAC at 3991750, Green Valley/Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce, both American Hair locations, and at www.performingartscenter.org. Meet the actors at an opening night reception. Sat, Apr 30th - Dr. Russell Means – “Where is America’s Constitution?” at 3pm. Russell Means has dedicated his life to American Indian activism and constitutional rights for over three decades. Means has lived a life like few others in this century revered for his selfless accomplishments and remarkable bravery, he has devoted his life to eliminating racism of any kind, and in so doing leaves a historical imprint as the most revolutionary Indian leader of the late twentieth century. $20adv/$25dos; ½ price for kids; Free for ages 5 & under. Outdoor event at Tubac Plaza Main Stage, 29 Tubac Plaza, Tubac, AZ. www.GlobalChangeMultiMedia. org (520) 398-2542.
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Let Brasher Be Your Guide
Brasher Real Estate is committed to our clients and our community. As the oldest independently owned real estate firm in Tubac, we are proud to provide you with the highest level of service using cutting edge technology, along with the combined experience of our team of real estate professionals. Representing buyers and sellers for Residential, Land, Commercial, Development and Consulting Services in Southern Arizona for over 25 years. • STOP IN OR CALL ONE OF OUR TUBAC BASED REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS:
Mindy Maddock..(520) 247-8177
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Sat, Apr 9th - EQUINE VOICES RESCUE from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30pm contact Claudia at 520-398-9312
“Zombies from the Beyond” Shoestring Players at 7 p.m. April 29 at Community Performing Arts Center. Call 399-1750.
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays, until April 15th - Birding Walks at Patagonia Lake at 8am. For more information call 520-820-5101.
Sat, Apr 30th - Live Music by Bill Mazanedo at Wisdom's Cafe in Tumacacori from 5 to 8pm. 398-2397. Sat, Apr 30th - Chuck Wagon and The Wheels perform at Old Tubac Inn at 7pm. Swinging Country Rock & Western Roll. 7 Plaza Rd, 398-3161. Sat & Sun, Apr 30 & May 1st - A Discovering Brown Canyon Weekend: The Birds of the Baboquivari Mountains and Altar Valley. Week-end workshop; Featured Leader: Jeff Babson with Brown Canyon naturalist staff. This workshop will give the participants an opportunity to see the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge area during the spring migration. Jeff Babson is an expert and active regional naturalist that leads Sky Island Tours (http://SkyIslandTours.com). He is very knowledgeable about arthropods, birds and more. This weekend he will focus on resident and migrating birds of the area. Saturday afternoon Jeff will join the canyon naturalist staff in a brief reconnaissance of the spring canyon. After dinner he will present a show and talk about the region’s birds. Sunday morning before breakfast Jeff will lead a walk in the canyon near the Lodge. After breakfast Jeff and his helpers will walk up the canyon in search of the world of Brown Canyon. The walkers will return in time for lunch. The weekend will end about 2PM. All activities are optional (except enjoying yourself) and the walking is easy on a dirt road and good trails. Registration required. Overnight workshop fee is $95 for members and $105 for nonmembers. This includes lodging and three catered meals. To learn more about the program, times and places go to http://friendsofbanwr.squarespace.co Sun, May 1st - Tapestry Music Ensemble at the Tubac Presidio at 4m. The Santa Cruz Foundation for the Performing Arts will present “Tapestry - Artists in Residence” in a program that recreates a typical Tombstone Opera House offering of the late 1890’s. Among the artists will be Christina Wilhelm at the piano, along with Judith Saber, soprano, Anne Quirin, flute, and Ken Morrow, accordion The venue is the 1885 Schoolhouse on the grounds of the Tubac Presidio. Tickets $12, call the Presidio Park at 398-2252 or the Foundation at 520-394-9495. Online ticket purchases at www.scfpapresents.org. Wed, May 4th - Wisdom Cafe's monthly BBQ RIBS special. Slow smoked on our grill until tender with just the right flavor. We sell out so please call to reserve yours (520) 398-2397 BEFORE Sunday, May 1! 398-2397.
Sat, May 7th - Neil Russell perform at Old Tubac Inn at 7pm. Kickass Country. 7 Plaza Rd, 398-3161.
Thurs, May 5th - CINCO de MAYO ~ celebrate with us with Mexican beer specials and live music, at Wisdom's Cafe in Tumacacori from 5 to 8pm. 398-2397. Fri, May 6th - FIRST FRIDAY! Live music by Duo Libre & 2-for-1 margies from 5-8 PM and our delicious Fish & Chips special all day, at Wisdom's Cafe in Tumacacori. 398-2397. Fri, May 6th - at the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park - The Tucson Street Rod Association will showcase pre 1963 & older vehicles. Call the Tubac Historical Society for more information. 520-398-2252, online at www.ths-tubac.org Sat, May 7th - Earth Sustainability Day, 10am to 5pm. Bring the family out to enjoy an atmosphere of environmental and higher cultural awareness featuring an EcoFair with booths on a variety of topics on how to help Mother Earth. At the Main Stage will be presentations by Youth Forums with students from Nogales, Rio Rico, and Tumacacori discussing important eco-issues, as well as uplifting musical entertainment by Global Change Music bands, Israfel Awakened and Van’sGuard. Admission is free (donations for Global Community Communications Schools are appreciated). Event is held at the Tubac Plaza Main Stage at 29 Tubac Plaza next to The Out Of The Way Galleria. For more information call 520-603-9932. Sat, May 7th - Tucson Audubon Society Celebrates the Santa Rita Mountains Important Bird Area(IBA) in Madera Canyon, in conjunction with International Migratory Bird Day festivities. There will be expert-led bird walks, some led by the IBA crew, into the famous habitat of this IBA. There will also be brief talks on the importance of this IBA to native birds as well as a demonstration of how IBA surveys are conducted at Proctor Loop Trail. Attendees will also be invited to enjoy refreshments and take advantage of the plethora of information available from the attending experts. All festivities will be centered at the Proctor Road ramada. For further information on the Arizona Important Bird Areas program please visit www.aziba.org or contact Scott Wilbor at Tucson Audubon Society, 300 E. University Blvd. #120, Tucson, AZ 85705; 520-629-0510 ext. 7004. Sat, May 7th - Wisdom Cafe's annual MOTHER’S DAY evening with live music by Bill Manzanedo and specials just for mom! 3982397.
Sun, May 8th - Paw's Patrol Cat Adoption Fair from 1pm to 4pm at Green Valley Canine, 750 W Camino Casa Verde (near Friends in Deed). All cats and kittens are raised in our foster homes. For more information, call 520-207-4024 or see our website, greenvalleypawspatrol.org. Sat, May 14th - Chuck Wagon and The Wheels perform at Old Tubac Inn at 7pm. Swinging Country Rock & Western Roll. 7 Plaza Rd, 398-3161. Sat, May 14 - Aug 6 artists from Tubac and surrounding area will be exhibited at the Tucson International Airport, with an opening reception May 14, 6pm-8pm. At the ticketing level, main gallery. Artists Fred Collins, Jutta de May, Virginia Hall, Michael Jayme, Marlene Knutson, David Simons, Mike Taylor, Jim Toner and Bobb Vann. Parking will be validated. Listings are free for free, public, non-profit events. Commercial events are free to supporting advertisers. Please send a concise version of your press release along with your full press release, accompanied with images that we may have permission for reproduction. Please indicate if a photographer or artist needs credit and include the name. Read the Tubac Villager in online magazine format at www.tubacvillager.com Contact Joseph with your article suggestions, corrections, or questions about ad rates.
tubacvillager@mac.com or mail to Tubac Villager, PO Box 4018, Tubac, AZ 85646. Call 520-398-3980 for more information. �
TUBAC HOME SALES - Resale home SALES as reported by MLS - February 28th - March 29th Address
117 Circulo Sabino
Area
$ per sq. ft.
Days on Market
Dorn Home, built 2005, 2862 sq. ft.
$605,000
$211.39
477
2 BR Dorn Home, built 2010, 1943 sq. ft.
Sanctuary
Dorn Home, built 2007, 2789 sq. ft.
Sanctuary
3 Figueroa Ct.
Golf Resort
113 Powell Ct.
Barrio - Trails Head
2203 Embarcadero Way
Sales price
Sanctuary
65 Rosalies Ct.
217 Cir. Veranera
Description
Barrio - Sentinel Hill
$391,500
$490,000
$201.49
$175.69
23
338
Large 3BR home, built 1997, Foreclosure
$260,000
$81.12
159
2 BR Patio Home, built 2006
$250,000
$135.57
385
3 BR upscale townhome, built 2006, Short Sale
This report furnished as a courtesy by Charlie Meaker - Realty Executives Team
$255,000
$112.58
18
Questions or comments? - contact Charlie at 237-2414 or e-mail charlie@tubac.com
REMEMBER: When temperatures reach 55 degrees and above!
State Law provides greater enforcement power to authorities trying to protect animals from harm.
Arizona Revised Statutes allow police and animal control officers more latitude in enforcing the animal cruelty laws and rendering aid to animals in need. ARS 12-2910 makes it a criminal offense for anyone who "intentionally, knowingly or recklessly leaves an animal unattended and confined in a motor vehicle and physical injury or death of the animal is likely to result.
ALL SAINTS ANGLICAN CHURCH
Dining . Shopping . Golfing . & More
Tubac is Southern Arizona
Part of the Anglican Church in America and the Traditional Anglican Communion The Rt. Rev’d EVERY SUNDAY 8:45 AM Wellborn Hudson, Bishop in Charge 520-777-6601
WE HAVE MOVED
520.975.8469
Now Worshiping at Assumption Chapel
9 Amado Montosa Rd. Amado Arizona 85645 Mail: P.O. Box 1386, Green Valley, AZ 85622
Additions · Remodels
P.O. Box 4599 Tubac, AZ 85646
AllSaintsSoAz.org
License No. ROC239369
32
Above, left - The Headwaters of the Santa Cruz River in the San Rafael Grasslands. Above, center - Edible Panic Grass Seeds . Above, right - Healthy native grassland near Chiricahua Mountains
TAKING A NEW LOOK AT GRASS or
Native vs. Non-native Grasses: Heros and Villains by Vincent Pinto
W
hat images does the word “grass” conjure in your mind? Are you instantly transported to a verdant or dun-colored field waving with these familiar plants? Perhaps instead you think of a manicured lawn - neatly trimmed, water-consumptive, and (often) full of toxic chemicals aimed at killing all other plants. A few more botanically savvy individuals may even picture a bamboo forest or a stand of reeds at the water's edge, as these too are grasses. Rice is a grass. Even corn or maize is a grass. Modern society as we know it would wither and blow away without grasses.
Here in the Sky Islands Region of southeastern Arizona we are blessed with a diversity of grass species that indeed sometimes conspire to dominate and define a habitat. In particular our semidesert grasslands speckle the landscape at low to middle elevations. All evidence in fact indicates that such native grasslands used to be more prevalent prior to the introduction of livestock by Anglos. Overstock the grasslands with livestock. Watch them overgraze the grasses. Witness the soil blowing away. Enter a hodgepodge of mostly native desert shrubs and trees grateful to see the grasses (mostly) gone.
Of course the word “grass” has long-since been co-opted by marijuana-smoking types, even though Cannabis bears absolutely no physical resemblance to grasses. But that's another story...
No grasses, no fire. No fire, no grasses. Grasses in general rely upon the sweeping action of fire to clear the landscape of trees and shrubs that might otherwise outcompete them over the long haul in grasslands. Grasses, unlike their woody counterparts, can often readily sprout from underground structures after a fire razes their home. Humans, despite their long and varied employment of fire as a land management tool in various parts of the Southwest, have now vilified this once powerful agent of change.
Familiar in general form, yet unfamiliar in detail. That is how I would characterize the Grass Family (in latin = Poaceae) as a whole. Most people if pressed to draw a grass, would leave out the anatomical details, unable to describe any one particular species. The grass family encompasses some 168 genera and 1220 species in the United States alone. Whole habitats are dominated by grasses. Prairies, plains, and steppes are often composed mainly of various grass species. So too savannas, though their sparse trees may tend to dominate our impressions of this particular habitat.
Replacement by woody plants, though quite common in our area palls in comparison with the incredible devastation wrought by invading foreign or non-native grasses. These are species purposefully or accidentally imported here by humanity. Given their ability to outcompete native grasses for space and other resources, a fiestatoursint@gmail.com T U B A C healthy habitat is soon rendered unrecognizable from a species-assemblage perspective. The change is profound, yet subtle. By comparison, imagine a Celebrating 25 years of Cultural Experiences in Latin America and the Greater Southwest whole forest being gradually replaced, species by species, by non-native trees. You still have a forest. Plenty THE LAND OF ETERNAL SPRING of trees... They're just not the same species. This exact * Antigua – appreciate Central America’s intriguing colonial history process is happening to * Quetzaltenango – mingle with modern Mayan society and learn about its fascinating culture our native grasslands. They are becoming and have * Chichicastenango – colorful markets and folklore figures become alien landscapes. * Magical Lake Atitlan – tour the lake towns by boat – take a cooking class, enjoy a talk from a You'll recognize them as local Mayan educator – Aldous Huxley claimed it is one of the most beautiful places on earth grasslands, though they are shells of their former selves. * Mayan archaeology – pre and post classic sites
HIGHLANDS OF GUATEMALA
* Optional extension to Tikal
FEBRUARY OF 2012
$3249 per person double occupancy
See the full listing of great tours on our web site at www.fiestatoursint.com
Or call for a detailed brochure at 520 398-9705
So what? Well... the implications of this transformation are profound, diverse, and long-lasting. A healthy grassland covered
in Grama grasses, Tanglehead, 3-awns, and other native species supports a corresponding diversity of insects, other invertebrates which in turn feeds birds, reptiles, mammals, and even amphibians. In short the food chains (who eats who...) and the intricate web of life supported by native grasses is indeed impressive. An in-depth look at a grassland dominated by non-native grasses (usually only one or two species) reveals a landscape depauperate in both plant and animal species - a virtual biological desert. Enter now the villains. These are grasses from other continents that some well- meaning, yet ill-informed people decided would improve our grasslands. Forget all of that diversity - Pronghorns, Mule Deer, Bighorn Sheep, Prairie Dogs, Rattlesnakes, Jaguars, Lupines, Grizzly Bears (now unfortunately extirpated from Arizona and the Southwest), Prairie Falcons, Mexican Poppies, Tiger Salamanders, Robber Flies, Tarantulas..... Ok, you get the point. What exactly were these folks trying to improve? In the early and mid 20th century they saw a landscape raped by unchecked livestock grazing and further raped it by purposefully introducing aggressive grasses from other lands. Perhaps few people thought of the potential dire consequences possible with such extreme tinkering. Lehmann's Lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmannii) was introduced in the 1930s to help control erosion. It now outcompetes native species wherever it shows up, which is most places between 3000 and 6000 feet of elevation. It controlled erosion alright - completely at the expense of native plants and animals. Even livestock do far better on a diet gleaned from a healthy, native grassland verses the nutritionally poor fare in a Lehmann's Lovegrass landscape. I used to truly loathe this species, knowing its ecological impact. Nowadays, I'd rather channel that energy into helping native grasses and their fellows. My wife Claudia and I have vowed to rid our 42-acre Nature Sanctuary of Lehmann's Lovegrass, as well as the lesser scourges of Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon), Natal Grass (Melinis repens), and the rare Bufflegrass (Cenchrus ciliaris). All of these (excuse my French, please) bastards have their own sordid tale of ignorant introduction to tell. Bermuda Grass is often used to create unsustainable lawns in arid Arizona and other parts of the world. The U.S. hub for growing and distributing the seed in the of this supreme pest is (are you ready for this?).... Yuma, AZ. I nearly lost it when I first heard that. Talk about being “hoist by your own petard”! We, fortunately, have only a few patches of Bermuda Grass, though they can easily take over if left to their own devices. Just take a walk near the Santa Cruz River by Tubac. It's the most common grass in many areas there. You can control it on a local scale, but the roots and underground parts are very difficult to eradicate. Usually
33 this is with a pick and shovel for us, as we refuse to resort to toxic chemicals to do the job. If you repeatedly hit the same patch this way, grubbing all the roots you can, then you may one day rejoice in the absence of this land-killer.
To us they say “please remove me now!” As with the above species, Natal grass can overrun a grassland. It too is truly difficult to remove, though we have made great progress to this end. In fact the tide truly turned against this ragtag bunch of invaders when we, brilliantly, one day decided to employ them in various projects. We turned an onerous task into a rewarding one. Bermuda Grass that we pulled became mulch to further check its progress. Lehmann's Lovegrass too served as mulch to smother itself and to help barren areas recover. Further, this species became a key component in a variety of survival and stone-age shelters that we use to teach people. It covers two of our shade ramadas, affording relief from the often intense Arizona sun. Roots in tact and placed upside down it is also a mostly waterproof shingling for a small wickiup shelter in our Stone-age Village. Another non-native grass that we employ for shelters is Giant Reed (Arundo donax) - introduced by Spanish explorers likely for its utility in so many realms. This bamboo-like grass, which easily can exceed 15 feet in height, is an ideal shelter material. It's both strong and durable. I even make blowing tubes and survival whistles from it for our survival kits. It can also make deadly arrows or spears. We collect this from roadside areas where the few native plants not yet overrun by Giant Reed seem to respond well to the increased sunlight.
Perhaps more than all of these and other uses combined, native grasses stimulate my senses and feed my soul. They lure me to meander through their wide-open spaces. So too they beckon me to lay upon them, gazing up at the clouds rolling by. Countless creatures - some known, many mysterious - reveal themselves in the tangle of low growth. Grasslands frame the mountains, making these forested heights even more special than if the whole was blanketed with trees. Anthropologists claim that we evolved in Africa amidst the grassland and savannas.
ROBERTA ROGERS
I'm not sure how Natal Grass got introduced. It is impressively beautiful for a grass. The fluffy pink inflorescences (yes, grasses have flowers, though not often showy ones) arrest your attention. Perhaps somebody thought that Arizona was lacking in beauty.
It's not only non-native grasses that we find useful. I eat the tasty seeds of a Panic Grass (Panicum sp.) that grows along moist canyons in some Sky Island ranges. Some species of Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia spp.) have served as excellent bedding for my wilderness shelters. Their pithy and also hollow stems insulate me from the vagaries of ground temperatures. Dead and dry native grasses of many varieties have often formed the basis of my tinder bundles, as I transform a fire-by-friction ember into actual flame. Any handy native grass serves as a quicky-brush to clean the annoying glochids off of both Prickly Pear and Cholla fruits. When a plant helps me to survive and to thrive, then it's truly a hero to me!
working artist studio 6 Camrino Otero 520-979-4122
Bufflegrass has been deemed a wonderful food for cattle, so vast acreages of native habitats are cleared in the name of creating glorified cow pastures with this species. This is especially true in Mexico and even Texas. Here in Arizona we're surprisingly enlightened with regards to Bufflegrass it's banned! If you've ver tried to extract a lone clump of this species - let alone an entire hillside of it - then you know that it's best not to promote it in the first place. Beyond replacing native grasses, Bufflegrass also invades many areas of Sonoran Desert habitat where, being a grass, it promotes fire. Hmmm, fire and succulents (e.g. cacti ) equals more Bufflegrass and few to no succulents. In other words take good photos of intact Sonoran Desert habitat, as it may not be there if we allow this species to run rampant.
Once turned into a valuable commodity these non-native grasses have swiftly been removed from large swaths of our Nature Sanctuary. The subsequent return of native grasses and wildflowers has been nothing short of spectacular. Infrequent patrols of these recovered areas reveal minor attempts of non-native grasses to re-invade. Repeat pullings of these areas seems to insure at least the short-term stability of healthy communities of native plants. This, along with the fact that our Nature Preserve is entirely fenced off from livestock, helps to ensure the maximum biodiversity possible in a day and age when species are disappearing at an alarming rate.
Prints available! 11" x 17" $20 through Tubac Presidio Park www.robertarogerswatercolors.com
Over 20 Years Experience in Customizing Homes!
So, if you can suffer some humble advice. Get out. Enjoy our grasslands. Learn about them, their inhabitants, and all they can afford you. So too, come to recognize the nonnative villains and pitch in to help control them. The time of admiring Nature from afar and taking it for granted is gone. We have actively degraded our Grasslands, so now we must take a proactive role in restoring them. Naturalist, Survival Instructor, and Writer Vincent Pinto (nature- journeys@hotmail.com) and his wife, Claudia, run RAVENS-WAY WILD JOURNEYS - devoted to teaching people about Nature and our many roles within it. Explore their website at: www.ravensnatureschool.com. They offer classes in Habitat Restoration, as well as Grassland Nature Tours. �
Decorative Painting Faux Finish Interior/Exterior Stain & Varnish Roof Coating Waterseal
not just in the Barrio!
Licensed Bonded and Insured
...
LOOKING FOR... ·OPEN HOUSES IN TUBAC?
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In the Legends-DORN Built 2X6, open plan 2Bedrm & den ....$175,000.00
·WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR??
I would appreciate the opportunity to help you find your “HOME SWEET HOME”
520-591-4982
We also have over 150 Hopi Kachinas • 300 Zuni Fetishes
300 Pieces of Native American Pottery NAVAJO HAND WOVEN RUGS $50 - $4,900
Come see for yourself... the selection will amaze you!
Bringing Honesty, Integrity & Selection to you for Over 30 Years OPEN 7 Days a week 9 - 5 27 Tubac Rd. 398-9333 online store at www.oldpresidiotraders.com
What a busy month our April is, Palm Sunday, a week before Easter celebrates Christ's entry into Jerusalem,
First Day of Passover is April the 19th and it's a Jewish spring festival commemorating the Exodus from Egypt, then Good Friday on the 22nd commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus, then Easter Sunday on the 24th reminding us of the resurrection of Jesus, what a grand and glorious day. We've much to be thankful for, family, friends, Easter Sunday, the birds in our sight.
Easter is quite late this year, just remember, Easter is always on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon which is on or after March Happy, happy Easter dear friends! 23rd, he rstt fi y f dapring. o S
If you can't be a lighthouse, be a candle.
Life is a building, it rises slowly.
SPRING IS GOD THINKING IN GOLD, LAUGHING IN BLUE, AND SPEAKING IN GREEN.
B I R D DAY This day is the 27th of March, a cool day after a very windy yesterday. Today the orioles came, perhaps on the wings of the wild winds yesterday. They are simply gorgeous. And they took my breath away, there are three males and two females and they finished off a pint of sugar water and today, the day after their arrival, they're working on another pint. What a gift! The yellow finch came back March 3rd, welcome home dear beautiful birds, all of you! The Pyrrhuloxia are still here, have thinned out a wee bit. Last minute tid bit, as I turn this paper into my Editor Joseph, the orioles are finishing off their fifth pint of sugar water, its nearly April 1st!
BAKED EGGS For a simple Easter brunch or even dinner, this meal has the works, along with the Bunny Salad what could be finer?
Baked Eggs
Bunny Salad What a great side dish for your Easter dinner, not only tasty, but pretty to look at. Lettuce leaves pear halves, chilled raisins cinnamon candies almonds cottage cheese
1 pkg. crescent rolls 10 eggs beaten 1 onion chopped finely 1 tsp. prepared mustard 2 cups milk or half and half 1 cup cheddar cheese 1/2 lb. cooked ham or bacon salt and pepper Press flat sections of dough over bottom of 9 x 13 inch baking pan to cover. Mix all other ingredients together, make sure bacon or ham is cut into bite size pieces before cooking, pour over dough and bake in preheated 350° oven 30 min. or until set. Cut into squares to serve.
Cream Puffs C'mon you can do it! Now!
Place lettuce leaves on salad plate, arrange pears on plate, cut side down. Have narrow ends of pears face center of plate. Place 2 raisins on each pear half for eyes, 2 almonds for ears, they just stick in the pear easily, shape tail with a 1/4 c. cottage cheese. Add cinnamon candies for the nose.
Amazing Hot Fudge Sauce
1 can condensed milk 1 c. Karo syrup 16 oz. pkg. semi sweet 1 tbl. butter choc bits Mix all ingredients in saucepan and whisk till smooth, over low heat. Break cream puff in half, put in 1/2 c. or more ice cream, ladle syrup on top, put puff together, add more syrup and serve.
1/2 c. water 2 eggs 1/2 stick butter 1/2 c flour (slightly rounded) Turn oven to 400°. In saucepan heat water and butter till butter is melted, stir with wooden spoon. Add flour all at once and stir till stiff. Cool slightly, then add one egg, stir again till stiff, then add other egg stir till stiff. Don't give up the ship, to stir egg in throughly takes time. This will make 6 large puffs or 24 tiny puffs (for chicken salad or shrimp salad). When ready to pace batter on pan put 6-8 spoonfuls of dough on baking pan and put on lower shelf in 400 degree oven. Check after 20 min, 10 more min is desired time. When puffs are golden, prick each puff with tip of long knife, leave oven door open and turn off, remove pan in 5 min.
Discover the art of Mexico.
Decorative items and silver jewelry displayed in our two locations: 14 Tubac Rd. and 16 Plaza Rd.
An Important New Art Book
Walter Blakelock Wilson An American Artist
v
66 Years of Painting
“…sensory excitement…a celebration of the conjunction of earth and sky…remarkable portraiture.” —Norman A. Geske “…unified, luminescent and schooled. He is the quintessential American painter.” —Carol St. John
Walter Blakelock Wilson An American Artist v 66 Years of Painting
• 11 X 8.5 inches, soft cover • 224 pages, 316 illustrations • 254 color plates
• Book $50 plus $5 S&H • 4 insightful essays • 62 black & white photos
To order, send check for $55 to: Walter B. Wilson Art Book • P.O. 4281, Tubac, AZ 85646 Landscapes, Portraits, Historical Subjects, Famous Artists.
520.237.5439 • www.walterwilsonstudio.com • walterwilsonart@aol.com
1st Edition sold out: 2nd Edition copies still available.
Ross Stefan Ross Stefan (1934–1999) (1934–1999)
Tubac Art Art Exchange Tubac Exchange v
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Fine Art since since 19761976 FineServices Art Services v
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A Unique SalonSalon Gallery A Unique Gallery v
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Important Important 19th 19th & 20th Century ArtistsArtists & 20th Century v
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Museum quality masterpieces Museum quality masterpieces at estate sale prices at estate sale prices TubacTubac Art Exchange Art Exchange 2243 East Frontage Road Road 2243 East Frontage Tubac,Tubac, AZ 85646 AZ 85646
ÒF . Dexter CheneyÓ by Walter Wilson Collection of the Fountain Valley School of Colorado
Walter Blakelock Wilson On theOn Navajo Reservation Oil on Oil Canvas 24” x 30” the Navajo Reservation Canvas 24” x 30” Portraits of on Distinction
circa 1958 circa 1958
www.tubacartexchange.com www.tubacartexchange.com 520.237.5439 520.237.5439
Tubac Real Estate Team
Sally Robling
TUBAC IS CLEAN!
On Saturday, March 26 the clean up process for the East and West Frontage Roads began early in the morning. Thirty-four Cerro Pelon and Palo Parado homeowners teamed up to clean the West Frontage Road. th
Twenty four people arrived at Realty Executives Team office. Clean up started at the Village entrance and continued north to the Chavez Siding overpass. Participants included residents of Tubac, Tubac Rotary members and other willing volunteers!
Thank you for helping!
Martha & Dan Franklin, Carey Daniel, Susan & Robert Maurer, Dotty Bergmann, BC & Mike Jacoby, Joe Wooller, Peter Benequista, David Denson, Judy & Brian Baumbach, Chris Hackett, Margaret & Roland Groseilliers, Nancy Lilly, Judy Roger, Mary Robidoux, Jim Case, Jeanette & Dick Keil, Carol Rhinehart and Sally Robling. 2251 E Frontage Rd., Suite #2 (just south of the Post Office)
©
Sally Robling: (520) 398-2222 Office: (520) 398-2770 Email: Tubac@Tubac.com
2008 Realty Executives. Realty Executives® is a registered trademark. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity.