This fiesta on Grande Avenue (between Speedway and St. Mary’s Road) in Barrio Hollywood is in its 10th year — but this year, Little Joe y La Familia, 5-time Grammy award winner will be performing. Wow, now that’s something to celebrate.

Live Music on the stage
Games & activities for the kids
Arts & Crafts
Food & Beer for purchase
Classic Car Show
Carnival
…and information booths. Admission is free.

I’ve been to this fun two-day event over the last 10 years, and once even walked in their morning parade for the Kino Heritage Society, with Justice of the Peace Carmen Dolny (District 4) and attorney Mark O’Hare.

Enjoy Fiesta Grande once again!

The Arizona Women’s Political Caucus Tucson chapter celebrated the holidays and the victory of most of their endorsed, pro-choice candidates tonight at the home of attorney Sherry Teachnor. In previous years this party was held at Sherry’s former Galeria La Sirena on Broadway/Country Club which closed in January, 2010. Sherry still has some of the Caribbean & Latin art (paintings) at her home studio for sale.

Arizona Women’s Political Caucus (AWPC) President Pat Weidhopf welcomed the thirty women & men in attendance and said that the holiday event was to celebrate the victories of their endorsed candidates, to honor the great campaigns, and to encourage pro-choice women to “advance their convictions.”

Speaking tonight were elected officials:
–Pam Simon, Outreach Coordinator for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (CD8)
–Olivia Cajero Bedford (LD 27 Senator-elect, current LD 27 House Rep.)
–Linda Lopez (LD 29 Senator)
–Paula Aboud (LD 28 Senator)
–Sally Ann Gonzales (LD 27 House Rep.-elect)
–Patti Noland (Clerk of the Superior Court, and the only endorsed Republican)

Also speaking were the candidates who did not win their elections:
–Pat Fleming (LD 25 House Rep.)
–Nancy Young Wright (LD 26 House Rep.)
–Cheryl Cage (LD 26 Senate candidate)
–Mohur Sidhwa (LD 28 House candidate, lost in the primary)
–Andrea Dalessandro (LD 30 House candidate)

Many of these officials and candidates spoke of the help they received from the AWPC, saying that the Caucus was their “backbone”, “anchor”, “sense of sanity.” Many encouraged their supporters to continue their hard work and to monitor the upcoming State legislature, especially in terms of issues pertaining to education and families.

Also attending tonight were F. Ann Rodriguez, Pima County Recorder and Justice of the Peace (Precinct 4) Carmen Dolny.

10% of tonight’s sale of art goes to the AWPC girls’ leadership project, and another 10% to Haiti relief efforts. If interested in purchasing colorful, authentic Latin and Caribbean art, contact Sherry Teachnor at 520-319-1262.

Not attending tonight were statewide endorsed candidates Felecia Rotellini (for Attorney General) and Penny Kotterman (for State Superintendent of Public Instruction).

For my previous blog on AWPC prior to the General Election (click here).

My husband located his on the Northeast panel and I found mine last night on Southwest panel 1, as all 4 panels are now up on the walls. We were excited to finally locate our portraits amongst the thousands of other tile portraits.

Check it out at www.tucsonportraitproject.com. The photographer was Darren Clark and the concept was created by Gary Patch.

I blogged about this project on August 21, after Tucson’s Birthday Celebration in 2009, but only one panel (the Northwest one) was up at that time. Click here to read my original blog, with details on how to locate your face.

What a great sense of community we felt by being amongst 7,000 other Tucsonans.

Note: Here’s a partial list of some faces I recognized:
NE panel – Randy Accetta, Michael Carson, Al Classen,Tim Keene, Phil Lopes, CT Revere, Ruben Reyes, Regina Romero, Ken Scoville, Chris Tanz;

NW panel – Donna Branch-Gilby, Michael Patrick Brewer, Michael Bryan, Gail Cordy, Albert Elias, Gene Einfrank, Julia Fonseca, Bud Foster, Joyce Gee, Jim Glock, Nancy Janetta, Roslyn Miller, Ron Spark, Karin Uhlich;

SW 1 panel – Laura Burge, Roger Carrillo, Pat de Vito, Carmen Dolny, Rodney Glassman, Maurice Grossman, Jim Hannley, Gary Low, Pancho Medina, Monique Martin, Jim Nintzel, Tom Prezelski;

and SW 2 panel – Katie Bolger, Raul Grijalva, Sat Bir Khalsa, Erika O’Dowd, Alan Leibensperger, Diana Rhodes, Shirley Scott, Nina Trasoff, Robert Walkup.