Tucson’s Birthday photographer Jon Scalon shot lots and lots of photos during this birthday month of August. I even found myself in a few of them.

photographer Jon Scanlon in his aloha shirt at the Big Kahuna Tropical Bash, taken by Albrecht Classen

The community birthday events were quite diverse: from the kick off at Mission Gardens at the foot of “A” Mountain, to various Pima County library celebrations, to San Xavier Mission (where I ate birthday cake), to De Grazia Gallery of the Sun (more birthday cake), to the Big Kahuna Tropical Bash downtown (even more birthday cake).

What a terrific way to connect with fellow Tucsonans. And what a lot of birthday cake, even at La Fiesta de San Agustin this past Saturday night.

Here’s the online link (click here) to the Tucson Birthday website to view his photos via Flickr from Yahoo. You can also comment below them, identifying yourself and others. There are 30 sets of photos, each labeled with the event heading.

Otherwise, go online to www.tucsonsbirthday.org, link is “Follow/friend us” on the top right, then click on “Flickr” and you’re there!

Go to the website for the final listing of birthday celebrations today August 31. And attend tonight’s finale, Noche de Luz Flashlight Parade:

Time: 6:45 pm
Admission: Free
Contact Name: Linda Ray
Email: tucsonsbirthday@gmail.com
Location: Start on Mission Rd. (see directions below)
Phone: 520-327-7544

“Volunteers, event organizers and friends will gather to close out the Birthday month with the Noche de Luz flashlight parade honoring all our ancestors. A $20 prize will be awarded for the flashlight decorated to best represent an individual’s personal heritage.

The official route will be approximately one mile, round trip.The parade begins on Mission Road at the foot of “A” Mountain’s eastern face, south of the Mission Garden and north of 22nd Street. We will proceed along the Santa Cruz River trail, and the DeAnza Trail, between 22nd Street and Mission Lane. Energetic paraders can extend the route another mile.

Please bring water!
Please rsvp to tucsonsbirthday@gmail.com.

Thanks to Pima County for co-sponsoring this event!”

Happy Birthday Tucson, till next August, 2011.

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Judge Richard E. Gordon of the Arizona Superior Court issued a ruling on Friday invalidating the candidacy of Dr. Cassandra Bolden for T.U.S.D. governing board, due to less than the required number of valid signatures (400).

Three petitions were filed in Arizona Superior Court on August 17 and 18 challenging the validity of some of the signatures submitted by candidates Dr. Bolden (who works at the Tucson Urban League) and also by Michael Hicks (who works for the City of Tucson’s Transportation Dept.)

Since Bolden only submitted 398 signatures (less than the minimum required),when 29 of the signatures were found invalid, her candidacy was no longer viable, and her name will not be on the November ballot.

Hicks’ petition challenge was ruled valid by Judge Gordon. Hicks issued a press release about the petition challenge on August 26 (click here.) Although 65 signatures on his petition were found invalid, he had 420 valid ones, over the minimum required.

Two separate petitions were filed against Dr. Bolden by Ralph Lim, and Jan Allard. The petition against Michael Hicks was filed by Ruben Carlos Romero. Bolden submitted 398 signatures and Hicks submitted 485 signatures by the deadline of August 4, in order to qualify to run for one of 2 seats open on the the T.U.S.D. Governing Board.

According to the Pima County School Superintendent’s Office August 18 was the deadline to file petition challenges to these governing board candidates’ signatures. The filing fee for such petitions in Superior Court is $236. The Judge assigned to these petitions has 10 days from the filing date to schedule a hearing and to determine the validity of the challenges. Hearings on these petitions were held on August 25 and 26. Bolden did concede that she did not have enough valid signatures in court.

See my earlier blog (with photos) announcing the 5 candidates seeking two seats up for election this November. (click here)

The other candidates are Ward 3 Council aide Miguel Ortega, attorney Armand Salese, and incumbent Governing Board member Adelita Grijalva, who has served since 2003. There were no petition challenges filed against these 3 candidates.

Questions about these petition challenges can be directed to Ricky Hernandez (Chief Financial Officer) at 520-740-8451, Pima County School Superintendent’s Office.

Delicious and inexpensive Jamaican food in the form of a $5 lunch special (11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.) can be found on the NE corner of N. Swan and E. 1st Street (south of Speedway) at CeeDee’s Jamaican Kitchen. Address is 1070 N. Swan, phone 520-795-3400. They are open Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 to 9:30 p.m.

They offer the usual jerk and curry chicken, but also curry goat, brown stew chicken, and steamed tilapia, along with other specials, including rum cake and potato pudding. I tried the lunch special of jerk chicken with rice, a plaintain (banana) and steamed vegetables. It was a terrific deal, plus I had my favorite drink, guava juice, from their selection of tropical juices including soursop, mango, passion fruit, coconut. I even got to taste their unique sorrel juice drink. (We don’t have that plant back home in Hawaii).

“Cee” (for Cardell) and “Dee” (for Deon) the co-owners, moved here from New York, but they are both from originally from Jamaica (St. Catherine and St. Elizabeth, respectively). They opened this small, colorful Jamaican restaurant on Mother’s Day, 2010. The place is very charming, with colorful walls, Jamaican flags on the ceiling, maps of Jamaica on the tables of the four booths, Bob Marley photos on the walls. There’s even a counter with 6 stools, all decorated Jamaican style.

Catering is also available, just call.

I previously blogged about D & D’s Jamaican lunch wagon this summer (click here).

And we’re all still waiting for Caribbean Platinum (N.1st Avenue, between Grant and Glenn) to open.

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