The Presidential Inauguration on the Big Screen!

Monday, January 21st at 8:00 a.m.

Free Admission!

TV on the big screen is made possible by Cox Communications.

Tasty and refreshing “Obama-mosas” will be available for sale at the snack bar! Raise a glass as President Obama officially takes office!

This year, celebrate MLK Day by joining together with others in the Tucson community to watch the live simulcast of President Barack Obama’s inauguration, projected on The Loft’s big screen! The official theme for the 2013 inauguration is “Faith in America’s Future,” commemorating the United States’ perseverance and unity, marking the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation! What could be a better reason to get up this early in the morning?

Commemorate this momentous moment AND celebrate the lasting legacy of the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with your fellow Tucsonans as we gather together to usher in the beginning of a new chapter in American history!

January 21, 2013 also happens to be the Martin Luther King Day holiday, so a celebration will be happening over at Old Main on the UA Mall from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day. This is a fitting coincidence of America’s first Half African American President’s 2nd inauguration on Martin Luther King Day. From Blog for AZ calendar:

March and Festival, University of Arizona Mall. March will begin at 9:00 a.m. in front of the MLK Center on the corner of 2nd Street and Mountain Avenue. The March will end in front of Old Main (East side). Speeches and entertainment begin at 10:00 a.m. For more information please contact Donna Liggins at (520) 237-7806 or Diedra Jones at (520) 370-6528.

Also at the Loft, a free movie “La Source” at 5 p.m. for MLK Day:

Narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda), the new documentary La Source tells the uplifting story of Josue Lajuenesse, who grew up in the rural town of La Source, Haiti, where the residents live without plumbing or electricity and must embark on a treacherous hike up a mountain every day in order to obtain clean water. Now working as a janitor at Princeton University by day and a cab driver by night, Lajeunesse is convinced that there must be a better way for his hometown friends and family to live. Together with his carpenter brother Chrismedonne, who still lives in Haiti, Lajeunesse decides to return to his country after the devastating 2010 earthquake and organize an effort to finally bring what is most fundamental to his village’s survival; clean water. This award-winning documentary from director Patrick Shen (Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality, The Philosopher Kings) is not just a movie about clean water and community transformation; it is a story of one unlikely hero, empowered by a vision, who did whatever it took to ignite the passion of people thousands of miles away to change the lives of those in La Source forever.
In 2011, Josue Lajuenesse was awarded Princeton University’s MLK Day Journey Award, which recognizes efforts to continue the journey to achieve Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of social change. (Dir. by Patrick Shen, 2012, 71 mins., Transcendental Media) Digital

Good luck Mr. President for another 4 years.

The Tucson Progressive Film Festival

“Lights, Camera, Progressive Action”

The Tucson Chapter of Progressive Democrats of America, The Screening Room, and Tucson MoveOn announce the first ever Tucson Progressive Film Festival – “Lights, Camera, Progressive Action”. It is aimed at engaging the Progressive community through viewing and discussing films featuring issues of importance to Progressives. The Festival will be at The Screening Room and will take place Oct. 26-28. A total of six films will be shown followed by a discussion lead people either involved in the film’s production or who have expertise in the subject of the film.

PRICE AND HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS:

$8/ film

$10/ one day pass

$15/ entire festival weekend

To pay admission, go to http://pdatucson.blogspot.com/, at bottom of far right column entitled Tucson Progressive Film Festival is the Pay Pal button. Use the Pay Pal receipt for admission.

WHERE: The Screening Room, 127 E Congress

FESTIVAL FILMS, DATES, AND TIMES

Fri. Oct. 26, 7 p.m.
“Heist: Who Stole the American Dream”, discussion with filmmaker Frances Causey

Sat. Oct. 27, 3 p.m.
“Urban Roots” (the Greening of Detroit), discussion led by Tucson urban gardeners and a representative from the Community Food Bank

Sat. Oct. 27, 7 p.m.
“Koch Brothers Exposed”

Sun. Oct. 28, 1:30 p.m.
“Cyanide Beach”, discussion with film maker John Dougherty (former U.S. Senate candidate in Arizona in 2010)

Sun. Oct. 28, 2:45 p.m.
“Vote”, discussion with State Senator Paula Aboud (LD 28)

Sun. Oct. 28, 4 p.m.
“Laramie Inside Out”, discussion with filmmaker Beverly Seckinger

CONTACTS:
Leslie Hunten – lhunten@gmail.com
Pam Powers – 520-609-0178, pjp333@gmail.com (blogger “Tucson Progressive” here at Tucsoncitizen.com & over at Blog for Arizona)
Phil Lopes – 520-861-7654, lopesphil@gmail.com (former LD 27 State House rep.)

I’ve seen two of these films — the deeply moving “Laramie Inside Out” about the killing of gay student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, and just a few weeks ago the Arizona women’s film “Vote” about the importance of voting and the continued fight for women’s reproductive rights. And I have yet to see recently released “Cyanide Beach” about the same people who are proposing the Rosemont Mine in Southern Arizona.

Reminder: TUSD candidates’ forum tonight at Drinking Liberally, The Shanty, 401 E. 9th St. (NE corner of E. 9th St. and 4th Avenue), at 6 p.m. Seven of the 12 candidates
(all Democrats) have confirmed attendance: Don Cotton, Miguel Cuevas, Ralph Ellinwood, Kristel Foster, Camy Juarez, “Betts” Putnam-Hidalgo, Dr.Mark Stegeman. The event will be moderated by Blog for Arizona blogger/former educator David Safier.

And three other upcoming forums listed below in October:

A free forum for the Board candidates for the Tucson Unified School District will be presented from 6:30 to 8:30 PM on Monday, October 1, at the YWCA building, 525 Bonita Ave. Sponsors of the forum are the Tucson YWCA, the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson, the Metropolitan Education Association, and Voices for Education. The moderator will be Greg Hart, formerly head of Pima County’s Adult Education (1982-2007) and currently Founder and President of The School, Inc. for struggling youth. All candidates for the three open positions in this non-partisan election have been invited.

12 candidates (including the 3 incumbent board members) are seeking these 3 positions. Click here for earlier post about the 12 official candidates, and another blog post about who’s run for TUSD governing board in the last 10 years (click here).

Other forums on October 4th and 10th:

Save TUSD’s Neighborhood Schools will host a forum at El Casino Ballroom, 437 East 26th St., Thursday, Oct. 4, from 6:00-8:30 p.m. More info on this group on their Facebook page.

A Candidate Forum for TUSD Governing Board will be held on October 10, 7 pm at the Multi-Purpose Hall of Tucson Estates, 5900 W. Western Way Circle, Tucson, AZ 85713. It is sponsored by the Education Watch Committee of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

Vote wisely on or before Nov. 6.