Mercury Portal celebration at the newly opened Monterey Court, 505 W. Miracle Mile (one block west of Oracle Rd.). Website: www.montereycourtaz.com.

January 28 & 29 2012

Day: Sat and Sun 11am – 3pm $6

Night: Sat doors @ 5pm $16 (21+)

The festival celebration will feature contemporary performance & installation art, live music & DJs, variety & characters and with guest performers DJ Camilo Lara from the Mexican Institute of Sound (Mexico City) and West Village piano bar icon Jim Allen (New York City), entertainer extraordinaire from the legendary Marie’s Crisis playing day and happy-hour in the Mercury Portal Piano Bar.

INCLUDING:

Salvador Duran,
Marianne Dissard,
Parasol Project DJ Carl Hanni,
DJ Sökó Niño The Missing Parts,
Trima Muzicante,
Whiskey Breath Burlesque,
20,000 Strong Men Time Travelling Vaudevillians,
Circus and More….

Monterey Court Cafe will be offering a sampling of their much anticipated menu featuring such specialty items as Citrus Ceviche cups, Monterey Gumbo soup, marinated lamb skewers, Primavera Pasta and assorted hot and cold empanadas with full liquor, wine and Arizona micro-brewed beers. Tickets are Available at Bookman’s.

Monterey Court is a newly opened collective of artisan galleries and shops in a remodeled courtyard area of a former motel on Miracle Mile. Call 520-582-0514, info@montereycourtaz. The Venue launch announcement for the Mercury Portal festival says to DRESS TO IMPRESS: “retrofit your dress for a 1930s – 1960s Sonoran road-trip.

List of current galleries at Monterey Court:
The Quantum Gallery
Gone to Pieces
Latin Spirit Designs
Dragon’s Spark
Silver Streak Gallery
Hacienda Bellas Arts
Victorian West
Jonathan Fine Art
Small Miracles Craft Mall
Blue Dog Confectionery and Gallery
Velvet Rags

For more about the Monterey Court renovation & upcoming event, click here for KUAT Channel 6 interview on 1/25/12.

Republican 2 term LD 26 House Rep. Vic Williams has filed to run for the District 1 Pima County Supervsior seat to be vacated by retiring Supervisor Ann Day. Prior to becoming a legislator in 2009 Williams was a small businessman & had started his first firm, Racksource, a warehousing equipment company in California, and had also invested in real estate.

House Rep. Vic Williams

Read more from his AZ House of Representative bio here.

Williams is entering a four-way Republican primary for this seat. Political newcomers Stuart McDaniel and Ally Miller, and former CD 8 House candidate/former AZ Republican Party chair Mike Hellon have previously announced their candidacies. Only former LD 26 House Rep. Nancy Young Wright is running in the Democratic primary for District 1 Supervisor (so far).

Williams and Marilyn Zerull won the September 2008 Republican primary for this House seat in LD 26 over Trent Humphries (Tucson Tea Party founder), and then Williams and appointed Democrat House Rep. Nancy Young Wright prevailed in the Nov. 2008 General Election for the 2 House seats. In August 2010 Williams and political newcomer Terri Proud won the Republican primary over Dr. Wade McLean in that race, and also prevailed in the General Election upsetting Democrat incumbent Nancy Young Wright.

So if Williams prevails in the District 1 Republican primary on August 28, he will face off once again against Young Wright.

Williams’ campaign website: www.vote4vic.com, (520) 390-9946 or info@vote4vic.com.

All Pima County Supervisors are up for re-election this year, and to date there have been no announced challengers to the present incumbents- Democrat Ramon Valadez (D 2), Democrat Sharon Bronson (D 3), Republican Ray Carroll (D 4), Democrat Richard Elias (D 5). For my previous May 2011 blog about these Supervisors, click here.

Pima County Public Library invites you to the grand opening of its Seed Library and introducing the new Pima County Public Library Bookbike!

Saturday, January 28
10am – 5pm
at Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone (south of Alameda) in downtown Tucson

Special guests will offer presentations and demonstrations about planting, cultivating, and harvesting your own food. Find out about resources for experienced gardeners, as well as ideas about getting started with your own patch. Get a look at the Bookbike and hobnob with bicycling enthusiasts.
The Seed Library

In the case of Pima County Public Library’s seed lending library, it’s a collection of edible, decorative, and herb seed varieties that community members will borrow, use to grow plants at home, and then return a portion of the seeds they harvest at the end of the season. Over time, the seed library’s collection will become self-sustaining and most importantly, the seeds will become super seeds–strong, resilient, and well adapted to Arizona’s harsh climate.

And, a Bookbike?

The Bookbike, and Bookbike volunteers, will represent Pima County Public Library at events in Tucson. Bookbike volunteers will stock the shelves of the Bookbike then accompany and assist the Pima County Bike Ambassador, who will ride the Bookbike to the event. The books will be given away free of charge to readers.

Grand Opening Activities

Talk with folks from local seed and garden organizations
Native Seeds/SEARCH, Sustainable Tucson, Marana Heritage Farm, Community Gardens of Tucson, Tucson Organic Gardeners, Arizona Native Plant Society, and others.
Photographic Wheat Murals
The Youth Photo Farm Project, with photographer Josh Shacter and Marana Heritage Farm, will create photographic wheat paste murals on the library’s exterior.
Demonstrations and Workshops
Autonomous Community Sustainability Project will bring a hand-cranked acorn mill and have an indoor milling demonstration.
A thirty minute workshop by Tucson Village Farm.
Seed Ball drop-in workshop by Josh Banno of Dry River Radical Resource Center.
“What is food mapping?”, you ask. Katie Martinez will explain.
Planting in soil? Marana Heritage Farm will demonstrate best practices.

Schedule of Events
Seed Library Grand Opening (and Bookbike Introduction)

Saturday, January 28, 2012
11:00am – 12:30pm
Joel D. Valdez Main Library
Why Organic and Seasonal is Best
Why eating seasonal organic food makes sense. How to meal plan using seasonal produce and how to store your farmer’s market bounties.
Presented by Certified Health Coach, Nutritional Educator and Culinary Playshop Artist, Tiffany Rose Wood

1:00pm – 2:30pm
Joel D. Valdez Main Library
Plan Your Garden Space
Use Legos to plan out your garden space. Plant a seed to take home.
Presented by the Community Food Bank

3:00pm – 5:00pm
Joel D. Valdez Main Library
Forks Over Knives Film Screening
In the film “Forks Over Knives” the idea of food as medicine is put to the test. Throughout the film, cameras follow “reality patients” who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes. Doctors teach these patients how to adopt a whole foods plant-based diet as the primary approach to treat their ailments – while the challenges and triumphs of their journeys are revealed.

So if you’re interested in this seed lending library and about planting, or the Bookbike, show up on Saturday at the Main Library to learn more.