Meet & Greet from 1:15 p.m
Islamic Center of Tucson, 901 E. 1st St.,Tucson

1:45pm Welcoming Ceremony at Islamic Center of Tucson

2:15pm Peace walk begins

4:45pm Arrival Ceremony at Temple Emanu-EL
225 North Country Club, Tucson

6:30pm Dinner at Temple Emanu-EL

For the 9th year in a row, PeaceWalk Tucson is planning to walk for peace. We invite People of Faith, Way, Religion, and/or Passion who share our vision of mutual respect, understanding, and love for Muslims, Jews, and all human beings….

To join us on Sunday, November 11th, 2012 for the day’s events starting from 1:45pm from the Islamic Center of Tucson at 901 E. First Street (see schedule).

Past walks have received recognition and proclamations from the Governor’s office, the Pima County Board of Supervisors, the Tucson Mayor and Council and Human Relations Commission.

More info at:www.peacewalktucson.org
or call 520-277-6990, contact@peacewalktucson.org.

Although this peace walk is entitled “Muslim-Jewish” it is open to all Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus, etc. as well. I’ve been on it in the past, and it is an uplifting, community experience.

Forum for Candidates for Corporation Commission (3 seats)
October 4, 6:30 p.m.
Temple Emanu-El
225 N. Country Club Road (north of Broadway, west side), Tucson

Topics to be covered: power lines, utility regulation, energy conversion, railway safety, investment fraud, business regulation.

Nine candidates (3 Republicans, 3 Democrats, 2 Greens, 1 Libertarian) seeking 3 seats. Kennedy, Newman and Stump are the incumbents, were elected four years ago.

Susan Bitter Smith (R), www.corpcomm2012.com
Robert “Bob” Burns (R), www.corpcomm2012.com
Marcia Busching (D), www.marciaforarizona.com
Christopher Gohl (L)
Sandra Kennedy (D), incumbent, www.kennedyacc2012.com
Thomas Meadows (G)
Paul Newman (D), incumbent, www.paulnewmanaz.com
Daniel Pout (G), http://www.facebook.com/DanielPoutForArizonaCorporationCommissioner
Bob Stump (R), incumbent, www.corpcomm2012.com

All candidates were invited to this participate, but not sure who will actually be there to speak.

Website for AZ Corporation Commission and the five current board members: www.azcc.gov.

Vote wisely on or before November 6. Early voting starts October 11.

If you want to meet & greet all Mayoral & Council candidates (Wards 1, 2, 4) plan on attending this candidate forum at Temple Emanu-El on 10/17, starting at 6 p.m. LWVGT stands for the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson and PCTWC stands for Pima County/Tucson Women’s Commission. KVOA Channel 4 reporter Lupita Murillo will be the moderator.

For Mayor of Tucson:
Mary DeCamp G)
Rick Grinnell (R)
Jonathan Rothschild (D)

Ward 1:
Beryl Baker (G)
Regina Romero (D) – incumbent

Ward 2:
Paul Cunningham (D) – incumbent
Jennifer Rawson (R)

Ward 4:
Shirley Scott (D) – incumbent
Tyler Vogt (R)

Temple Emanu-El is north of Broadway Blvd., west side of the street.

My previous blog on campaign websites for these 9 candidates (click here).

DeCamp defeated fellow activist Dave Croteau in the Green Party primary on August 30, 2011 and also ran unsuccessfully for the Ward 3 Council seat in 2009. Grinnell ran for the Ward 2 Council seat unsuccessfully in 1995 and 1999, and was a write-in candidate in the recent Republican primary. And Rothschild has never run before for any political office and faced no opposition in the August Democratic primary.

“An encore radio broadcast of this special forum will air on NPR-FM89.1/1550AM on Friday night, October 14th at 6:30 p.m. Marketplace normally scheduled at this time will be pre-empted.”

Click here for the “debate” between these 3 candidates.

Prior KUAT Interviews (separately) of each Mayoral candidate:

–DeCamp on October 6 (click here).
–Grinnell on September 9 (clck here).
–Rothschild on September 22 (click here).

If you want to meet these candidates in person (as well as all others running for Council seats in Wards 1, 2, and 4), plan on attending the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson forum on October 17 at Temple Emanu-El (225 N. Country Club), 6 p.m. The forum is co-sponsored by the Pima County Tucson Women’s Commission.

Vote-by-mail ballots will be mailed out by City of Tucson Elections next week on October 19. Vote wisely.

Running for election this year:
For Mayor of Tucson (no incumbent, as Republican Mayor Bob Walkup is stepping down after 3 terms- 12 years- in office):

Mary DeCamp (G), www.decampformayor.org
Rick Grinnell (R), www.grinnell4mayor.com
Jonathan Rothschild (D), www.jonathanformayor.com

For Ward 1:
Beryl Baker (G), www.berylbaker.comli.com
Regina Romero (D) – www.votereginaromero.com, incumbent (elected 4 years ago)

For Ward 2:
Paul Cunningham (D) – www.votepaulcunningham.com, incumbent (appointed May, 2010)
Jennifer Rawson (R), www.rawsonforcouncil.com

For Ward 4:
Shirley Scott (D) – www.shirley2011.com, incumbent (elected 16 years ago)
Tyler Vogt (R), www.vogt4tucson.com

Familiarize yourself with these candidates, the issues facing the City of Tucson, and attend upcoming forums to learn more about your choices this fall.

The League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson is hosting a candidate forum on Monday October 17 at Temple Emanu-El, and all 9 candidates have confirmed their attendance. KVOA Channel 4 reporter Lupita Murillo will be moderating this forum, which starts at 6 p.m. This event is co-sponsored by the Pima County/Tucson Women’s Commission.

Temple Emanu-El
225 N. Country Club Rd (north of Broadway), Tucson

Monday September 12, 2011
6:30 – 8:30pm

Moderator
Bud Foster – KOLD TV

Panelists
Dr. Alberta Charney- U.A. Economist
Annette Stevens- CPA
Dr. Eric Schindler- CEO Child and Family Resources
Jim Murphy- CEO Pima Council on Aging
and more…

For more Info: www.axtheflattax.com

Senator Aboud’s op ed piece in the AZ Daily Star,
“Beware the flat-tax scheme, which rewards the rich and punishes the middle class”:

http://azstarnet.com/news/opinion/article_11116ecd-6a10-5df9-8a7f-df7ff9e77b81.html

And reporter Rhonda Bodfield’s recent article on this issue from the AZ Daily Star:

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_c5edb031-5188-53a3-a5f0-c3afe6435689.html

Here’s tonight’s program with some of my notes of the reflections/prayers:

Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon & Rabbi Jason Holtz, Temple Emanu-El – sounding of the Shofar (ram’s horn)

Davis-Monthan Color Guard (presentation of Colors)

Patricia Flores, Yoeme/Maya Nation: Ome Malintzna (Sacred Fire Woman, Mexica) – Yoeme Blessing

Most Reverend Gerald F. Kicanas, Catholic Bishop of Tucson – welcome

Reverend Raven Gaston, Catalina United Methodist Church – “Moses & the Shepherd”, from the writings of Rumi (13th-century mystic)

Reverend Allen Breckenridge, St. Mathew’s Episcopal Church, & Reverend Tom Dunham, Streams of the Desert Lutheran Church (choir) – “God We’ve Known Such Grief & Anger”

Huseyin Salim Sen, Foundation for Inter-Cultural Dialogue – recitation of Qu’ran

Reverend Lee Milligan, Casas Adobes United Church of Christ – Prayer (“for all, to all, help us to remember”)

City of Tucson Councilmember Shirley Scott (ward 4) – reflection (“We are a country of kindness, strength, courage & resolve”)

Renu Phull, Tucson Sikh Sangat – Poem “One” by Dr. Cheryl Sawyer (“We are one color, one class, one generation, one gender, one faith, one language, one body, one family, one soul, one people, We are the Power of One, We are united, We are America”.)

Tucson Sikh Sangat – “Kirtan” (Sacred Music of the Sikhs), “Too Thakur Tum Peh Ardas” from Sukhmani Sahib, “The Lagoon of Peace” by Guru Arjan (16th Century)

Chair Ramon Valadez, Pima County Board of Supervisors (District 2) – reflection (“despite grief & pain, celebrate courage, compassion, humanity, caring & sharing, & faith”)

Reverend Kate Bradsen, Vicar, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church – prayer (“thanksgiving for diversity”)

Reverend Elwood McDowell, Trinity Missionary Baptist Church – reflection (“love & hope, love your enemies”)

Nicole Best, Baha’i Community – Baha’i prayer (“unity in diversity, religion is One, friendliness, fellowship”)

Supervisor Ray Carroll, Pima County Board of Supervisors (District 4) – reflection (“for those who sacrificed their lives, a call to sainthood, and also to honor those six who died on 1/8/11″.)

Pam Simon, Community Outreach Coordinator for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords – reflection (on the “similarities of 9/11/01 and 1/8/11 when the community came together, to make a better & more peaceful world”.) She was shot twice on 1/8/11 & recovered.

Streams of the Desert Lutheran Church Joy Choir – “In Memoriam” by Susan Naus Dengler and Lee Dengler

The Most Reverend Gerald F. Kicanas – memorial words (“think of what united us, not divided us, and the need to act now, to see where love is needed, to build peace, fight prejudice, help those in suffering.”)

“America the Beautiful” – music by Bill Kusack led by Sister Lois Paha

Rabbi Samuel M. Cohon – Closing benediction & Birkat Kohanim (priestly blessing – “let us be the next responders”)

Davis-Monthan Color Guard – retiring of the Colors

The Tucson Multi-Faith Alliance is a “multi-faith group dedicated to building mutual understanding and community across the boundary lines of religion, race, creed, orientation & ability. Its members commit themselves to an ongoing dialogue, and resolve to learn, teach, pray, and act together to bring an open religious & spiritual dimension to public life in Tucson.” For more info, contact Sat Bir Kaur Khalsa at 520-490-1165.

This memorial service tonight was in memory of the 2977 people who gave their lives on 9/11/01, 248 who were passengers on the four American Airlines or United Airlines planes, the others who died at the World Trade Center or at the Pentagon. I’ve attended probably every one of these memorial services and have been pleased to see these leaders from different religions (Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Baha’is, etc.) and political leaders all come together in common prayer & reflection upon such a tragedy.

Together we remember 9/11.

Here’s a sample of one of her poems (and there are many) on one of the boulders:

“Butterfly”

“With beauty, with beauty

the pull to be a flower is

forever strong.”

I frequently see bikers, joggers, walkers, skateboarders, families with children in strollers, dogs, etc. traversing Mountain Avenue, many stopping to read the poems on the rocks & boulders. Local artist Simon Donovan created the public art using large boulders inscribed with these poems at strategic points along the roadway.

At a recent summer event – National Night Out organized by Mountain View Neighborhood community activist Mary DeCamp – I won a lovely ceramic bowl created by Tony Celentano, husband of Dr.Zepeda. And along the rim of this lovely turquoise bowl is this poem in Tohono O’odham (translation below):

Dr. Ofelia Zepeda, from her website

“Hummingbirds moving with songs

Little wings beating in my heart”.

This poem in Tohono O’odham as well as English can be found on one of the boulders on Mountain Avenue as well. I found it on a summer sunset walk with my husband and son.

Some of the poems on Mountain Avenue have been reprinted from Dr. Zepeda’s poetry books:

“Where Clouds are Formed” (2005), “Ocean Power: Poems from the Desert” (1995) and “Jewed ‘I-hoi/Earth Movements” (1996).

Dr. Zepeda has recently been honored to be the 2010 Lawrence Clark Powell lecturer (read about it here at the Pima County Library website http://www.library.pima.gov/about/news/?id=2904). She will deliver the 10th memorial lecture –on December 2, 2010 at 7 pm. at Temple Emanu-El, 225 N. Country Club Rd.
The lecture is free and open to the public; reservations are not required. A reception and book sale will follow the event.

So this Fall and Winter, I encourage you to take a stroll along Mountain Avenue and enjoy the landscaped desert plants & trees, the flowers blooming (some with butterflies on them), and the thoughtful poems engraved in these boulders. Most of the poetry is based on nature and spirituality. Mountain Avenue has become one of Tucson’s most beautiful streets.

Jonathan Rothschild, J.D.

An attorney with the law firm of Mesch, Clark & Rothschild, Jonathan Rothschild has served as managing partner since 2001. A political newcomer, he is now exploring a run for Mayor of Tucson. Rothschild is a Tucson native, graduate of Tucson High School, Kenyon College, and the University of New Mexico Law School. He has also served as Adjunct Professor at the James E. Rogers College of Law, University of Arizona.

More information from his website www.jonathanformayor.com (“New Energy, New Perspective” is his theme):

“Jonathan has a long history of extensive service with local non-profits – as a leader and a worker. He has served in various capacities, including Board President of Casa de los Ninos, Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging, and Temple Emanu-El.

He is a member of the Tucson Parks & Recreation Commission and currently serves as Chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council. Jonathan has also served on the Boards of the Tucson Medical Center Foundation, Jewish Family & Children’s Service, Friends of the University Libraries, University of Arizona and the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona.”

Jonathan is active in the Pima County Democratic Party and has served as its Treasurer in the past. For a very long list of his early supporters (including former Mayors George Miller and Tom Volgy) go online to his website.

The other possible candidates for Mayor may be 4 term Democratic Councilmember Shirley Scott (Ward 4), or 2 term Democratic Councilmember Karin Uhlich (Ward 3). Current Republican Mayor Bob Walkup‘s 3rd term expires in December, 2011.

For more info:
Jonathan Rothschild for Mayor Exploratory Committee
P.O. Box 2463
Tucson, AZ 85702
520-370-6571
jr@jonathanformayor.com

1/24/11 UPDATE: Rothschild files for Mayor or Tucson:
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/2011/01/24/jonathan-rothschild-files-to-run-for-mayor-of-city-of-tucson-speaks-tonight-at-saguaro-eastide-democrats/

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.