– for living in the United States of America, a land of freedoms
– for the beautiful vistas & weather of Arizona and the Southwest
– for the lovely flowers blooming around you (even in November)
– for your family, friends, convivial associates and neighbors (community)
– for your health
– for your education & the teachers who inspired you
– for all your blessings (religious, spiritual, otherwise)
– for the ability to love

There lots to be thankful for today — Thursday, November 25, 2010. And be thankful you’re alive to read this. I am reflecting upon the friends and relatives who passed away this year and are no longer here on Earth to read this.

This is what I wrote last year for Thanksgiving (click here), and it still applies, even more so since my friend Hearing Officer Bill Beards has now departed. And the Tucsoncitizen.com is still thriving online, with new bloggers/citizen journalists.

May you enjoy today and your meal. Happy Thanksgiving!

Readers, what else are you thankful for? This week Hugh Holub (“View from Baja Arizona”) wrote a blog about the things you need to survive & be happy, and he mentions “a loving spouse” (click here.) And he goes on to say “And to whatever degree you have the things you need to survive…that’s what you have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.”

Over 1000 community leaders, business leaders & clergy and members from over 50 institutions (churches, synagogues, schools & non-profits) across Pima County convened today at 2:30 to 4 p.m. at the Tucson Conventon Center’s Copper Ballroom to present an agenda that builds stronger families & communities in Southern Arizona, through “values reflection, inquiry, and constructive action.”

Sitting politicians (federal & state) and candidates seeking those offices were asked questions pertaining to workforce development, education, services to families, and immigration.And they were asked to promise to meet with PCIC delegations after the General Election.

Here’s a list of who attended today (supposedly all Democrat & Republican candidates of these offices were invited):

Congressman Raul Grijalva (D), CD 7
Ruth McClung (R), candidate in CD 7

State Senate candidate Chery Cage (D), LD 26
State House candidate Terri Proud (R), LD 26
State House Rep. Nancy Young Wright (D), LD 26

State House caniddate Robert Compton (R), LD 27
State House caniddate Sally Ann Gonzales (D), LD 27
State House candidate Macario Saldate (D), LD 27

State Senator Paula Aboud (D), LD 28
State Senate candidate Greg Krino (R), LD 28
State House Rep. Steve Farley (D), LD 28
State House candidate Ken Smalley (R), LD 28
State House candidate Bruce Wheeler (D), LD 28

And for the statewise offices:
Gubernatorial candidate Terry Goddard (D), current Attorney General
Attorney General candidate Felecia Rottellini (D)
Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate Penny Kotterman (D)
Corporation Commission candidate David Bradley (D), current LD 28 House rep.

Statements were also made by TPD Chief Robert Villasenor and Councilmember Regina Romero in support of Proposition 400, to raise the city sales tax by one half cent/dollar.

Question asked of the State Legislature candidates:
Will you vote to enact additional revenue sources so that funding for vital services such as education & health care can be protected? (All State Senate & House candidates responded “yes” in their one minute replies, some with conditional responses.)

Questions asked of the Gubernatorial candidate:
1. What measures will you take & what leadership will you provide to ensure that budgets are not balanced on the backs of our children & most vulnerable citizens?
2. Will you support our efforts to expand innovative job training initiatives like Job Path throughout the state?

Questions asked of the Attorney General candidate:
1. What role can you play as attorney general that would benefit our families that are abused by mortgage companies? 2. Will you ensure that the enforcement of SB 1070 is done in a humane manner, and that local police departments receive accurate & just interpretations of the law?

Question asked of the Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate:
In light of the budget crisis, what leadership will you provide to improve public education in the State of Arizona?

Tucsoncitizen.com fellow blogger David Morales (“3 Sonorans”) was present videotaping this candidate session, so hopefully he will be able to provide a video later with the specific responses.

Protesting outside the Tucson Convention Center were Independent candidates Ted Downing and Dave Ewoldt (both for LD 28 Senate), and Green Party candidate Kent Solberg (for LD 27 House), who were apparently not invited to participate. Solberg handed out a statement which read that “Limiting debate, discussion & points of view is not discussion and is not consistent with the Pima County Interfaith Council’s stated goals and purposes.”

Also in the audience today were former Mayor George Miller, former TUSD Superintendent Stan Paz, current TUSD Governing Board candidate Miguel Ortega and member Adelita Grijalva, and former Pima County Attorney candidate Claudia Ellquist.

For more information on PCIC:
639 E. Speedway Blvd. #1, Tucson, Arizona
520-903-2333, office@pimacountyinterfaith.org

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Moreover, Mayor Walkup and Council Member Paul Cunningham have proclaimed September 23, 2010 (today) as Anti-LGBT Bullying Awareness Day.

“A recent increase in reports of Anti-LGBTQ bullying and harassment at area schools motivated Wingspan advocates and staff to organize the event. The target audiences for the event are affected youth and their guardians, educators, school administrators and staff, as well as concerned community members.

The goal for the event is to raise awareness of this specific type of violence and to gain a commitment from attendees to address this type of violence in their respective schools and campuses. Local advocates and experts will be speaking at the event. Representatives from local organizations working to end violence will be available at a community resource fair held in conjunction with the event. ”

For more information on the event or to participate in the resource fair, please contact AVP Manager Oscar Jimenez at ojimenez@wingspan.org, or 520-624-1779.

And congratulations to Wingspan for just being awarded the Tucson Weekly’s 2010 “Best Local Activist/Advocacy Group” award for seven years in a row. (Tucson Weekly’s Best of Tucson issue of 9/23/10, www.tucsonweekly.com).

And for a movie on this very topic — Himmel Park Branch Library will be hosting a re-screening of “Out in the Silence” on Saturday, September 25, 2010 between 2:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. Local musician and singer Namoli Brennet wrote and performed the music for this film. This PBS documentary is open to the public and free.

DVD movie cover

“Out in the Silence is more than a movie, it’s part of the movement for fairness, equality and human rights for GLBT people.” (from the movie’s website)

I saw this movie at an earlier screening at Himmel library, and it is a powerful documentary about a 15 year old male teenager in rural Pennsylvania, facing discrimination and constant harassment for being openly gay at his high school. Find out what he has to do to overcome this bullying. It really made me reflect upon how difficult it is to be “different” in a rural setting, and how sad it is when adults (teachers & administrators) let the bullying continue. For more info contact Librarian Suzanne (Sue) Parker at 520-594-5305, suzanne.parker@pima.gov.

Himmel Library is at 1035 N. Treat Ave (SW corner of E. 1st St, south of Speedway).

Ongoing performances will be on September 17-19, 23-26, and October 1-3, all at 7 p.m. Bring a blanket so you can sit comfortably on the sloping, grassy hill of this outdoor amphitheatre watching the actors perform on the grassy mound/stage. Temperatures are getting cooler, so this should be a fun family activity.

DVD cover

“Much Ado About Nothing” was probably made famous by the 1993 Kenneth Branagh movie, starring that British director/actor, his then-wife Emma Thompson, Michael Keaton, Keanu Reeves, and Denzel Washington. Rent it as well on DVD.

Suggested donation $5, and proceeds provide a stipend for the actors. This is the 4th Shakespeare in the Park performance by the El Rio Theatre Project, sponsored by the City of Tucson Parks and Recreation Dept.

I’ve read this play and seen performances at other theaters/parks over the years. It’s very clever and witty, and unlike its title, the play is “much ado about something” special. For more info, call 520-791-4196.

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The Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival On Tour brings together award-winning environmental and outdoor adventure films designed to inspire and motivate you to go out and make a difference in your community and around the world.

This year’s touring films were chosen from among the favorites at the annual film festival held in the Sierra Nevada foothills each January. The chosen films not only highlight environmental concerns but also provide solutions, reaching people through beautiful imagery, and inspiring local individuals to get involved in “Conserving the Wild & Scenic Places Close to Home.”

The festival has grown to receive local, regional, and national acclaim for celebrating the spirit of environmental activism and has become the largest traveling festival of its kind in North America, hitting more than 70 cities across the country.

The feature film of the evening is Eric Bendick’s documentary DIVISION STREET. This film highlights the environmental challenges presented by North America’s vast system of roads. Roads are the largest human artifact on the planet; they have fragmented wild landscapes, ushered in the ‘age of urban sprawl,’ and challenged our sense of community. This film looks at the promise of wildlife corridors, the potential for ‘greening’ our highway system, and the fusion of high-tech engineering with the best and brightest environmental research happening today.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to explore hot-button environmental issues and solutions through cinema, and support the important ongoing work of the Coalition right here in Southern Arizona!

For more information visit:
www.sonorandesert.org
(Running time: approximately 3 hrs.). Get your tickets today before they sell out!

The Loft Cinema is at 3233 E. Speedway (east of Country Club).

Saturday, September 11th at 7:30 pm, the 9th anniversary of the attacks of 9/11, the Tucson Multi-Faith Alliance will hold a community prayer service entitled Songs of Humanity: A 9/11 Commemorative Concert at Temple Emanu-El.

Musical representatives of many different faith communities will participate in a concert of instrumental and vocal music. (From Temple Emanu-
El website, http://www.templeemanueltucson.org.)

My husband and I attended last year’s 9/11 multi-faith service at the same temple and here’s my write up on that somber event (click here ). Speakers/performers from the Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Baha’i, and Sikh communities of Tucson participated last year.

The Tucson Multi-Faith Alliance’s mission statement is “building mutual understanding and community across the boundary lines of religion, race, creed, orientation and ability.”

Temple Emanu-El in Tucson

Temple Emanu-El is at 225 N. Country club, north of Broadway, phone (520) 327-4501. It is the oldest Reform Jewish synagogue in Tucson.

Two for the price of none: 2nd Saturdays Downtown and Rendezvous on 4th Avenue, both on 9/11. Read on about these two free urban street fests:

On the Scott Avenue Stage (between Congress and Broadway):

6:30pm-7:30pm: The Dusty Buskers – Performing with their latest four-man lineup, featuring award-winning banjo player Rudy Cortese and Hadji Banjovi of The Brambleberries on bucket bass. “Celtic-bluegrass tunes with a punk attitude and a subversive comedic slant.” TucsonScene.com

7:45pm-9:00pm: Sentido – Featuring guitarists Justin Fernandez and Brian Scott (formerly of Tesero) and bass player Andrew McClarron, the band showcases traditional Spanish flamenco music, while also incorporating lively danceable rhumba pieces. The style is comparable to the likes of the Gipsy Kings and Paco de Lu

9:15pm-10:30pm: Fourkiller Flats – “An alt-country combo that combines elements of post-punk rock with a decidedly country bent.” – Stephen Seigel, Tucson Weekly

And at the Fox Tucson Theatre (free concert) at 17 W. Congress St.:

7pm-9pm: Anna Warr and Giant Blue Band – “rock and blues served with brass and sass!”

Doors open at the beautiful Fox Theater at 6 p.m.

STICKSnFINGERS Caribbean group with dancers on August 14 at the Fox Theater, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

2nd Saturdays Downtown is more than the music performances, it’s an urban street fest with vendors selling all kinds of food, arts & crafts, some advertising programs. There have also been human statues, street musicians, telescope viewing, circus acts, free advice by a guy with a stand, tarot card readings at the past 2nd Saturdays– since the inaugural event on May 8, 2010. And most of the businesses on and around Congress Street are open for business, even the art galleries.

Big Skye pie makers, courtesy of Donovan Durband

I usually look for the friendly pie makers (Big Skye) at Ronstadt Transit Center, to enjoy one of their many delicious pies. And they’re inexpensive too!

So venture on downtown via car, bus, bike, motorcycle, skateboard, or walk under the 4th Avenue Underpass for another family-friendly urban street fest on Saturday September 11, the 9th anniversary of 9/11/01.

“Rendezvous on 4th Avenue” is also happening Saturday night as well, from 5 to 9 p.m. between University Blvd. and E. Ninth Street (north of that 4th Avenue Underpass). Live music, merchant sidewalk sales, fashion show at 7:30 p.m. at Winsett Outdoor Performance Center, 316 N. 4th Avenue. More info: www.fourthavenue.org

Rendezvous on 4th Avenue poster

UPDATE: Photos of this great 9/11 event, courtesy of Donovan Durband:

http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/2010/09/12/photos-of-another-great-2nd-saturdays-downtown-fest/

“Teaching & Helping will be fielding teams of Mentors and volunteers on October 10 to weatherize and insulate as many homes as we can. We expect to be able to simultaneously do 6-10 homes, train 15-30 volunteers, and reduce annual energy use at least $150 and CO2 production by at least 1500 pounds (probably more). We will be doing some combination of weatherization, insulation, and window replacement, depending on the houses’ needs.

On October 10, you can participate, regardless of your income. If you own your own home and are of modest income (See below), we have a County grant to cover the cost of the Mentor and overhead. You pay for the materials. If you have more income, you can still take part in October. The Mentor and overhead cost will be about $300 +/- as well as the materials. Someone will inspect your house in September and give you a closer estimate of the total cost. (Weatherization involves caulking, sealing, and/or weather-stripping outlets, switches, plumbing penetrations, light fixtures, doors and windows.)

Also, if you meet the County’s requirements (See below), we are looking for two homes to weatherize where we can train some of our experienced volunteers to be team leaders on October 10. An experienced Mentor will lead a small volunteer team to practice the special techniques we are developing for efficient weatherization of older homes.

If you are interested in finding out more — either to include your home in the project, or to participate as a volunteer and learn yourself and help others — please contact me at 795-3413 or tres@sustainabletucson.com.

Tres English

Tres

Tres English
Empowering Local Communities, Inc.
129 S. Irving Ave • Tucson AZ 85711
(520)795-3413

———————- Please pass along ————————

Special chance to save energy and money — and do a little good in the world

Don’t miss this special chance for you or a neighbor to cut your utility bills by $100 to $200 (or more) per year at a cost of less than $100. And you can give volunteers the chance to learn how to weatherize their own homes, in the process.

The Teaching & Helping program is looking for two families who want to make their homes more energy efficient. (To qualify, they must own their homes and have limited income.) During September, we will organize a small team of volunteers and an experienced Mentor and weatherize your home in one day on either the weekend of September 11-12 or 25-26. The host family (you?) will pay for the materials and the labor is provided under a grant from Pima County.

Even if you don’t qualify by income, you can still be a part of the 10-10-10 Climate Action Day on October 10. That day, Teaching & Helping will be upgrading as many houses as we can with weatherization, insulation, and/or insulated windows. If you qualify for the County grant, you will only have to pay for the materials. If not, there will also be approximately $300 cost for the Mentor and overhead to lead the volunteer team.

We are also looking for volunteers who want to learn how to weatherize or insulate their homes or windows, and also help neighbors and Tucsonans in need. Maybe YOU would like to join us on 10-10-10?

If you are interested, please contact Tres English, 795-3413 or tres@sustainabletucson.com. If you can pass this on to your neighbors, possibly thru your neighborhood newsletter or contact list, PLEASE DO.

Thanks for you help.

Tres
Tres English
Empowering Local Communities, Inc.

Teaching & Helping is a program of Empowering Local Communities, a local non-profit corporation dedicated to developing tools for Tucson”s long-term sustainability.

Income limits for County grant assistance
$32200 (1 person) $36800 (2 people) $41400 (3 people) $46000 (4 people)”

La Fiesta de San Agustin
Time: 4pm – 9:30pm
Admission: Free To The Public
Location: St. Augustine Cathedral – Placita
Address: 192 S. Stone (downtown, south of Broadway)
Phone: 623-6351 (work)
Contact Name: John @ 404-9974 and Leilana @ 294-9812
Email: johnj4698@gmail.com

“Arts and crafts, food booths, native American dancers, Las Donas de Los Descendientes– Diverse cultural entertainment, including the Menehune Hawaiian Dancers (Halau Hula O Ualani), the Maguire Academy of Irish Dance, Los Chanquitos Feos, and Ballet Folklorico Tapatio.

As is tradition, the fiesta will also have a mass at 5:30 p.m. with Bishop Gerald Kicanas and a procession with a statue of St. Augustine. The bishop and representatives of a variety of cultures will walk to the music played by Los Changuitos Feos.

The procession will go around the block and end in the placita adjacent to the cathedral, where the bishop and a Yaqui medicine man will give a blessing before the rest of the party goes underway.”

Where else can you a hula show, mariachi performers, Mexican folklorico dancers, Irish dancers and a Yaqui medicine man all at the same event? Enjoy Tucson’s diverse cultures and celebrate Tucson’s 235th Birthday.

St. Augustine cathedral

UPDATE: Photos by Jon Scanlon of this fiesta, click here.

“Arizona,” the 1940 movie showing

movie poster

Aug 28, 2010

Time: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Location: Arizona Historical Society (AHS)
Donation: $5 suggested
Address: 949 E 2nd Street (west of Park Avenue) in Tucson
Phone: 520-628-5774

Contact Name: Anne Felker or Sarah Tunnell
Email: sam.felker@cox.net or stunnell2@cox.net

Website: www.arizonahistoricalsociety.org (link is Tucson Birthday Events)

Actor Jim Easterbrook will introduce the movie “Arizona” with a short talk about Arizona cowboys, as well as his “experiences in western movies and on the set at Tucson’s film studio.” You can also view AHS collections as related to this movie.

The movie set at Old Tucson was built in 1939 for the filming of the movie “Arizona”, which stars William Holden, Jean Arthur, and the stagecoach now on display at the Arizona Historical Society.

Popcorn and refreshments will be available for purchase (no outside food or drink will be allowed).

Contact Name: Anne Felker or Sarah Tunnell
Email: sam.felker@cox.net or stunnell2@cox.net

For the remaining Tucson Birthday events for this birthday month of August, log onto www.tucsonsbirthday.org.