The Washington Post

The Washington Post

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calculates that the drug-resistant staph bacterium MRSA is responsible for more than 94,000 serious infections in the United States each year.

Q. What is MRSA?

A. It is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that does not respond to certain antibiotics. It can colonize in the nose, throat and skin without causing infection. But if it gets into the body, typically through a cut or scrape, it can cause potentially serious infections.

Q. What are symptoms of an MRSA infection?

A. MRSA should be suspected in skin or soft-tissue infections that are swollen, inflamed and painful. In the beginning, such infections might resemble a pimple or boil; many are initially mistaken for spider bites. If an MRSA infection becomes invasive and potentially serious, symptoms can include fever, chills and shortness of breath.

An MRSA infection, confirmed through a skin or blood culture, requires treatment with several antibiotics.

Q. How is it transmitted?

A. MRSA is most often spread by skin-to-skin contact, contact with a contaminated surface or through the sharing of personal items such as towels and razors.

Q. How can MRSA be prevented?

A. Vigorous and frequent hand-washing is the most effective way to stop MRSA transmission. Cuts and scrapes should be kept clean and covered with a bandage until healed. Health experts also discourage the sharing of personal items. The response in community settings is often large-scale disinfectant efforts.

SOURCES: Children’s Hospital, Johns Hopkins Hospital

Q & A WITH FORMER ARIZONA GOV. BRUCE BABBITT

By DIANA MARRERO

Gannett News Service

WASHINGTON – Former Interior Secretary and ex-Arizona governor Bruce Babbitt has joined actor Edward Norton and other land conservationists on a campaign to protect wild and scenic lands out West.

The recently announced creation of the National Conservation System Foundation is aimed at raising awareness of the threats facing these lands and ways people can help shield them from destruction.

Babbitt, who worked to get these lands designated as conservation areas by former President Clinton, recently spoke with Gannett News Service about protecting 26 million acres of national monuments, historic trails and wilderness areas that dot the West. He also answers questions about global warming and the environment.

Question: What are some of the biggest threats to public lands today?

Answer: The reckless process by which lands are being opened up to marginal oil and gas development. The oil and gas prospecting is taking place in a lot of very inappropriate places.

Q: What about threats to lands within the National Landscape Conservation System?

A: The leasing of lands in some of the archaeologically sensitive areas. It’s just tragic to see the threats and the destruction of really fabulous cliff dwellings, Anasazi ruins.

The lands in the system generally call for management plans in which these decisions are made and evaluated. Many of the plans are very inadequate. The control of off-road vehicles is a major issue in all of these plans. They can be terribly destructive of archaeological resources, of biological resources.

Q: Why should Americans care about protecting these lands?

A: That’s like asking a Frenchman why should we protect Notre Dame Cathedral. America’s cathedrals and America’s heritage are our national landscape. That’s our heritage.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish through the foundation.

A: The really important piece now . . . is getting public support to work with local communities. The West is urbanizing so fast. People see the changes, the demands on the land. They’re really now starting to think we could wind up destroying the very values that brought us here in the first place, that make this such a distinctive area.

How we move to protect these landscapes is complex. Therefore, we really need a strong, vigorous dialogue at the local and state level.

Q: What are your favorite national monuments or wilderness areas?

A: I would say that my two favorites are the Missouri River Breaks and the Vermillion Cliffs.

The Missouri Breaks is where I made friends with Steve Ambrose. He wrote a fabulous book about Lewis and Clark, “Undaunted Courage.” We spent time together on the river. It was so awesome to be drifting through the White cliffs in a canoe with Steve Ambrose reading aloud the journals of Lewis and Clark as they floated through the breaks.

The Vermillion Cliffs are right in my own backyard. It is a true desert landscape. You can stand up there and can look for 100 miles in every direction. There’s a sense of openness and space.

Q: How would you characterize the state of the nation’s environmental protections?

A: This administration has been reckless in the way it’s gone about reducing protections for public lands, opening them up to road building, timber cutting and drilling for oil and gas. What is really interesting as this administration comes to an end . . . there’s really a flowering at the grass roots in reaction to this policy in Washington.

Q: What should be done about global warming?

A: It is the most urgent problem of our time. We must have an international treaty to reduce emissions in carbon dioxide. Once we have the next presidential election, it will happen. Washington is not responding but out in the American land, people understand this. We must have a mandatory emission control.

Q: Should the U.S. continue its effort to develop a nuclear repository in Yucca Mountain, Nev., given this renewed interest in developing nuclear energy?

A: We need a repository system irrespective of what we do with nuclear energy. We have to gather it together and store it. I think Yucca Mountain is the most obvious choice. We’ve been at it for 20 years.

BABBITT HISTORY

Bruce Babbitt is the son of a northern Arizona ranching family. His father helped found the Arizona Wildlife Federation and the Arizona Game Protective Association.

Babbitt earned degrees from Notre Dame, the University of Newcastle in England and Harvard Law School, then won his first campaign in 1975 and became Arizona’s attorney general.

He became Arizona’s youngest governor in 1978 and served nine years, expanding Arizona park lands and negotiating and implementing the Arizona Groundwater Management Act of 1980, still a national model.

He ran for president in 1988 and failed to win the Democratic nomination.

He became president instead of the League of Conservation Voters.

President Clinton tapped him in 1993 to become secretary of the Department of the Interior, and he served till 2001.

He has written “Cities in the Wilderness,” a policy tome subtitled “a new VISION of land use in America.”

Citizen Staff Writer

KEN BRAZZLE

kbrazzle@tucsoncitizen.com

For nearly 40 years, Tucson has kept up its minor league baseball affair with the Pacific Coast League.

That streak is in serious jeopardy, and there seem to be more than 40 questions about how this happened and what’s next. We try to answer some of them.

Q. Is there a chance the Sidewinders could stay?

A. It’s a long shot. Sidewinders majority owner Jay Zucker said he is selling the franchise for $15 million to SK Baseball, an affiliate of a New York-based real estate group, which intends to relocate the Triple-A team to Reno, Nev., after the 2008 season.

However, if SK is willing to keep the team at Tucson Electric Park, he would discount the price to $13.5 million.

“There is a million and a half on the table (of his own money) to keep it in Tucson,” Zucker said. “I would love to see the support Tucsonans deserve. What can Tucsonans do? Come out to the ballgames.”

Q. What will happen to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tucson’s parent club?

A. The new owners can re-sign with the D’backs or work out a new agreement with another major league franchise.

If the Sidewinders leave for Reno, there’s a chance another minor league team could relocate its Triple-A franchise here.

Most minor league contracts are renewed for two years, so other Triple-A teams could be trying to find new homes in 2008.

The county is taking a wait-and-see attitude, said Tom Moulton, its director of economic development and tourism.

“The question is, what would the Diamondbacks do?” said Moulton, who added that the team likes TEP and having a minor league presence in Tucson. “We’ll certainly be talking to the Diamondbacks.

“The Diamondbacks started off (in 1997) saying, living and breathing that they want to be Arizona’s state team,” Moulton said.

Q. Could Tucson get a Double-A or Single-A team?

A. Most Single-A teams travel by bus, so that’s probably out of the question. Travel costs also could be a problem for Double-A teams, although San Antonio, a city also with a large metro area, has a Double-A squad.

Teams such as San Antonio have exciting teams because most Double-A players are rising stars. Some Triple-A teams feature aging veterans or players who have been sent down.

Q. What is SK Baseball?

A. It’s an affiliate of Manhattan Capital, which is buying the Sidewinders franchise. Jerry and Stuart Katzoff, a father and son from New York City, and major mall developer Herb Simon, a co-owner of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, are the owners of SK Baseball.

Q. What kind of stadium is Reno building?

A. The group intends to secure a site from among about four candidates in Washoe County, Nev., for a 6,500-fixed-seat stadium that would have a capacity up to 10,000. The stadium could be an indoor multiple-use arena that could also accommodate minor league hockey and basketball, concerts and other activities, such as professional bull riding.

Q. Could the deal fall through?

A. Possibly. SK Baseball is banking on $3 million in rental car tax fees to help finance it. For Reno to use the rental car funds, a franchise must be purchased, an intent to relocate to Washoe County must be secured and a stadium site acquired or leased by Oct. 1. If those requirements are not met, the money will be made available to other interests. Plus, the sale is pending PCL approval.

Q. How much did Zucker pay for the Sidewinders?

A. He forked over $8 million in 1999, buying the team from Martin Stone. He was successful in getting an unnamed minor partner who purchased 10 percent of the ballclub.

Q. Did Zucker try to find other investors or buyers to keep the team in Tucson?

A. “It was our plan to reduce our holding in the franchise by offering 29 percent,” he said. “Unfortunately, because the business hasn’t been successful, we did not attract investors. The only thing we got to the table were frequent letters of intent that were pursuing other markets.

“I am relieved from the financial stress. It was been a struggle,” Zucker added. “I am relieved to get past this point. From the day I acquired this franchise, I always knew I had to sit in front of you and share the future.

“Our intention was merely to be a 30 percent partner and consulting the franchise, not operating it,” he added. “We were the only ones standing at the plate when it was time to do the deal.

“We basically rolled all our resources into one basket to keep this team in town with hopes of turning it around and attracting investors.”

Q. Why has Tucson ranked near the bottom of the PCL in attendance (15th out of 16 teams in the PCL this year at 3,973 fans per game)?

A. High temperatures, Tucson Electric Park’s location on the South Side and competing with televised games could be some of the factors.

Tucson seems to be more of a college sports town, and it boasts a transient population with sports allegiances to other pro teams.

The team began in 1969 at Hi Corbett Field before moving to TEP in 1998. Many fans wanted the stadium to be built downtown.

Q. Will the Sidewinders’ exit leave taxpayers on the hook for TEP?

A. No, according to County Manager Chuck Huckelberry. “The Sidewinders were not a major component for the financial success of the (park) program,” he said.

Q. What would happen to TEP if the Sidewinders leave?

A. Moulton said the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau would work with the county to bring baseball tournaments to TEP.

TEP is part of the 155-acre Kino Sports Complex, which includes 12 practice fields and three practice infields. Many community groups use the complex for baseball, youth football and youth soccer, Moulton said.

Most of the money to pay off the construction of the park comes from hotel bed and rental car taxes.

Q. How long has the deal been in the works?

A. SK Baseball officials had an agreement to buy the Sidewinders last month, but they did not announce it because of a confidentiality agreement with the Tucson franchise.

Q. Was the time right for selling the Sidewinders?

A. Yes. The Sidewinders won their first PCL title since 1993 last season and went on to beat Toledo for the unofficial Triple-A championship.

Top Attendance Figures

The top 10 seasons for attendance in Tucson since minor league baseball started here in 1969:

Year – Location – Fans

1991 Hi Corbett 317,347

1994 Hi Corbett 309,623

1993 Hi Corbett 307,791

1996 Hi Corbett 307,082

1995 Hi Corbett 301,963

1992 Hi Corbett 300,134

1998 TEP 300,460

2005 TEP 287,116

2003 TEP 286,657

1997 Hi Corbett 285,817

Citizen Staff Writer

KONSTANTINOS KALAITZIDIS

kkalaitz@tucsoncitizen.com

Ned Norris Jr. has his work cut out for him.

As the new head of the Tohono O’odham Nation, he inherits a lot of problems, including a lack of economic development aside from casinos, the highest rate of diabetes of any population in the world and a problem with illegal immigrants and smuggler violence.

It’s his turn to improve the life of his people by attracting more business, increasing higher education, improving health care and combating poverty levels of 46.4 percent – along with dealing with illegal immigrant issues – all issues that affect everyone in the Old Pueblo.

He must oversee the rebuilding of one of the O’odham casinos, which will feature a hotel for the first time.

Norris outlined the priorities of his administration in an interview Wednesday with the Tucson Citizen after winning the general election on Saturday.

Question: How are you planning to work on attracting businesses to the reservation?

Answer: Before we work on attracting businesses, we need to prepare the way. There is a lot of groundwork to be done. In many cases, we don’t have the laws necessary. We have no building codes, no infrastructure codes. We also need to set aside land for industrial development. The first step we need to take is (to) invest dollars in infrastructure: water, power, sewer. We need to give them (businesses) reasons to come out to the Nation.

Q: What kinds of businesses would you like to attract?

A: Caterpillar is here now. This is good, a good example of what we want. We need to look at what is out there. If there is an opportunity to bring (in) a manufacturing plant, we will do it. But at this time, we need to keep our options open. There may be a level of competition with Tucson in attracting businesses, but I don’t believe there will be a negative impact from this competition. What we do can be complementary to Tucson businesses.

Q: Do you have a specific plan of action to address issues such as economic development?

A: We;sij T-wem is a Tohono O’odham expression that means “all of us together.” We will engage our leadership to determine the future, make plans together, agree on a path together. This is very critical. We should all be on the same page. Everyone needs to buy into the issue and the solution so it can work. Everyone should have a role. I don’t agree with top-down policies.

Q: The casinos are very popular and very lucrative. What is their future?

A: We are building a new hotel and casino near the Desert Diamond (Casino) on Nogales Highway. It is a replacement facility for the existing casino. The hotel will have 150 rooms and it will be ready to open sometime in the fall. The hotel business is new to us. We need to do other things to keep growing. We need to diversify the way the Nation is getting its revenue.

Q: What can be done to help your people become more self-reliant?

A: Over time we lost that (self-reliance). Now some people are, “Gimme, gimme, gimme.”

We need to rediscover our self-reliance, be self-sufficient again. But what we must do is provide some help for people to jump-start their lives. I am a very good example of that. At the age of 23, I was given an opportunity by the Nation. They hired me as a nonattorney tribal judge for juveniles.

Q: Will higher education become a more prominent part of your effort?

A: Our effort is not new. Since 1995, anyone (of the Nation) who wants to go to college has everything paid for. Some succeed and graduate; other don’t. The problem is what comes after. Some college graduates do come back, but most don’t. There is nothing for them to do here. We are not ready to receive them. We need to create 21st-century job opportunities.

Q: The Tohono O’odham land is one of the major corridors for illegal immigration to the U.S. What is your position on this issue?

A: Historically, my people have been very compassionate. They gave shelter, water and food to passing migrants for many, many years.

We have no problem with migrants. They want to come here for a better job and a better life. But Operation Gatekeeper came and then 9/11 came and with them came increased security to the east and west of our 75-mile border we share with Mexico. So there was a funnel effect to our nation. It has been estimated that 1,500 migrants come in every single day through our land. The Border Patrol says the numbers have decreased, but there is a difference of opinion.

With increased numbers, problems in our land increase, too. Our people don’t feel secure. People’s homes are broken into. Their cars are stolen. We are held captive in our own environment and our sacred sites are often desecrated by vehicle and human traffic.

Because of the increase in Border Patrol presence, there is a militarized zone on our border with Mexico, which creates sovereignty issues and cuts off about 1,500 members of our nation that live across the border. We need to work with both state and federal agencies to find a solution.

Q: What will your relationship be with the Bureau of Indian Affairs?

A: The Nation has exercised its sovereignty for some time now. It was not easy in the beginning, but the BIA is more accepting now. We work within the federal system, but much like the state of Arizona, we are sovereign. We don’t have to go to the BIA every time we blow our nose.

Q: What will you do to create closer ties with Tucson?

A: We have to understand them (people outside the Nation) and they have to understand us. Only by knowing each other can that be done. We need to bring the two together. (People outside the Nation) learn about our culture as well as how to engage ourselves when we leave the Nation’s land. Also, we have a lot to gain from existing organizations in Tucson.

We worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs. They came and showed us how to create our own clubs and we did. There are ideas in Tucson’s organizations and we should bring them here.

Why reinvent the wheel? We can also give to Tucson. Tucson has not taken advantage of our culture. An example of a city that did was Albuquerque, where the architecture reflects the local Native American culture. We can also partner with the University of Arizona. We already did that with Pima Community College.

Q: Health care has been a hot-button issue here for some time. What will your approach be?

A: For many years, health care has been a top priority. The Department of Health Care Services of the Nation is the biggest one we have. But our services are too centralized. Everything is in Sells.

We need to decentralize services, make them more accessible to the people. We should decentralize personnel, equipment and offices so we can provide better services to the more remote areas.

NED NORRIS JR. BIO

• He was born in 1955 and raised in Tucson.

• He attended elementary and junior high schools in Flagstaff and Sunnyside High School in Tucson. He received a certification in social work from Pima Community College and took classes at the University of Arizona.

• Norris started his employment with the Tohono O’odham Nation in 1978 as a nonattorney tribal judge and held the position until 1993.

• He served as a Sunnyside Unified School District board member from 1997 to 2000.

• Norris was hired as marketing and public relations director for the O’odham Gaming Authority. He resigned in 2003 following his election as vice chairman of the Nation.

• He works as assistant director of public relations for the Desert Diamond Casino.

THE TOHONO O’ODHAM NATION

The Tohono O’odham Nation is similar in size to Connecticut.

Its four noncontiguous segments total more than 2.8 million acres.

Within its land, the Nation has established an industrial park that is near Tucson. Tenants include Caterpillar, the maker of heavy equipment; the Desert Diamond Casino, an enterprise of the Nation; and a 23-acre foreign trade zone.

The largest community, Sells, (about 60 miles west of Tucson) functions as the Nation’s capital.

Of the four land segments, the largest contains more than 2.7 million acres.

Boundaries begin south of Casa Grande and encompass parts of Pinal and Pima counties before continuing south into Mexico.

San Xavier is the second largest segment and contains 71,095 acres just south of Tucson.

The smaller segments include the 10,409-acre San Lucy District near Gila Bend and the 20-acre Florence Village near Florence.

As of December 2000, the population was reported at nearly 24,000, and now it is close to 25,000.

The Nation has about 28,000 members, many of them living outside its boundaries.

The Nation is west of Tucson and shares 75 miles of border with Mexico.

Sources: Intertribal Council of Arizona and the Tucson Citizen

MAP: Tohono O’odham Nation

Source: Tucson Citizen

The musical talents of employees at Rainbow Guitars will be culled Friday night at a benefit show for the Southern Arizona Legal Aid’s Volunteer Lawyers Program at Club Congress.

The folks who do everything for area musicians – from selling picks and strings to helping with selection of the right kick drum to buying your used amp to carrying arguably the best selection of guitars in southern Arizona – also make music themselves, so here’s a chance to see what they do.

The lineup: AOG Speedwagon (8 p.m.) with Mike Hines (shipping and receiving at Rainbow) on guitar; All in Vein (8:55), Denny Seefieldt (guitar sales), guitar; The IODS (9:05), Chris Litton (sales), guitar and vocals; Queen Anne’s Revenge (10:45), with Mike Sydloski (guitar sales) and Will Merkle (mail order sales), both on guitar; Whole Lotta Zep (11:40), Pete Fine (accessories sales), guitar; and Gat Rot (12:35 a.m.), Clay Reed (drum sales), drums.

In addition, Rainbow is donating a Gibson Epiphone Les Paul guitar signed by Joe Walsh of the Eagles to be auctioned at the event.

We e-mailed Fine some questions about the event and his band.

About the VLP, he writes, “Southern Arizona Legal Aid’s Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP) seeks to ensure access to justice for low-income residents of southern Arizona. The program unites those in need of civil legal assistance with volunteer attorneys who donate their time to help them.”

Here’s what else he had to say.

POLLY HIGGINS

phiggins@tucsoncitizen.com

Q: How did Rainbow get involved with this fundraiser?

A: Last month the employees at Rainbow talked about doing a good community charity benefit concert, being that many of us have bands with our own following, and Harvey’s (Moltz, Rainbow’s owner) daughter is involved with VLP so we felt we had all the elements to pull it off. (Club) Congress graciously donated the space and sound personnel.

How and when did Whole Lotta Zep come together?

A dear friend and bass player, Rick Moquin, called me last summer to see if I wanted to “come out of electric guitar retirement” and do a Zeppelin band because he had met an amazing vocalist, Dan Connolly, who could actually sing that s— – no easy feat. So I got interested. Rick, ironically, got too busy too fulfill the dream and we ended up with the current personnel, which is some of the best, and nicest, musicians I have ever known.

Obviously you four could cover pretty much whatever rock band you’d like. Why Led Zeppelin?

As for doing Zeppelin instead of some other tribute, most of us also compose and perform our own music or other covers at times, but Led Zeppelin has had an enormous resurgence lately and we all love them. I guess our timing couldn’t have been better. The audiences have been fantastic. Multigenerational, too.

What’s the biggest challenge for your stepping into the Jimmy Page role?

It is definitely more complex and arranged than when I did Hendrix some years back. The band arrangements are often very complex and Jimmy’s parts are like little orchestral parts, which I try to do about three-fourths Jimmy and one-fourth Pete, so the parts are signature yet creative – lots of room for improv, which is in the Zeppelin tradition, after all.

What kind of personal connection do you have with Zeppelin?

I grew up in the ’60s and ’70s and was obviously heavily influenced by the great British guitar innovators, including Page. I learned a lot of their stuff in my teens but never dreamed I’d be playing it – especially 35 years later!

IF YOU GO

What: Rainbow Guitars’ fundraiser for Southern Arizona Legal Aid’s Volunteer Lawyers Program

When: 7:30 p.m. doors Friday

Where: Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St.

Price: $5 donation

Info: 622-8848, 325-3376

KELLY LEWIS

calendarplus@tucsoncitizen.com

She made her mark as a conservative tell-it-like-it-is radio talk show host, who was often at the center of controversy due to her remarks on issues such as gay marriage and pre-marital sex.

With her new one-woman show, “Dr. Laura: In My Never To Be Humble Opinion,” Laura Schlessinger dishes out advice to some of America’s most relationship-challenged individuals but also incorporates more information about herself in an effort to become more personal with her viewers.

In a recent phone interview from Los Angeles, Schlessinger discusses her controversial past, the best advice she has ever received and discloses some of her little-known secrets.

Q: You are coming to Tucson for your new show, “In My Never To Be Humble Opinion.” What inspired you to create the show?

A: I enjoy being on a stage and using it as this vehicle for the preaching, teaching and nagging that I do. It’s a way for people to learn about me in a face-to-face way. I don’t spend time on my radio show talking about myself. People come in and they do their 4-by-6 cards with their personal questions, and I weave that into stories about my life, stories about my day or working on the radio. There’s a lot of drama, a lot of humor, and it’s really face-to-face, and I like that. It’s a way of connecting. I like the personal.

On your show you accept random questions. What are some of the wackiest questions you’ve ever received?

The questions are mostly things that people are struggling with in their life, so it tends not to be wacky, although some of the circumstances are . . . ‘I’m in my third marriage, I have five kids with six guys and he has three kids with two wives and we’re getting married, and we’re arguing over the dog.’

You’ve really made your mark in radio and your talk show. What keeps you wanting to do more to further your career?

I’m very content doing what I’m doing. I’m doing well with my shows. We’ve been doing it for a year and a half, and I like going from city to city and meeting folks. I love doing my radio program, because it’s a purposeful life I have, helping people. I am really happy doing what I’m doing.

What is something that people might be surprised to know about you?

I just bought a Harley Trike, three Harley jackets, two pairs of Harley boots and a Harley purse. I am a closet Harley mom, coming out of the closet (laughing).

I read somewhere that you are a huge ‘Star Trek’ fan. Is this true?

I am a huge Trekkie! (laughing). The original version, though. I have, don’t ask, how much ‘Star Trek’ memorabilia. It’s unbelievable. I don’t have it out. I have it all in storage and I don’t even know why I have it, but I will give it to my grandchildren someday.

You have been doing this for quite some time now. Is there anything that you would do differently if you could go back?

There are all kind of regrets, stupidities and things you can be embarrassed about. But ultimately, every journey goes over the ground that’s rocky, and they’ve all produced the understanding that I have about life and people that I use today to be helpful. You know the movie, ‘The Butterfly Effect,’ where you step on a butterfly and all of history will be changed? Well, gosh darnit, if I hadn’t done one or two stupid things, maybe all of history would be changed and maybe not in a good way.

With all of your years on the air, there have been many parodies made of you. Do you ever feel hurt or misrepresented?

Oh, all the time, but that’s people’s defensiveness, and I understand that. When people are mean about me, it’s because they are defensive. Because, if I’m right, then the way they are living their lives is wrong, so, the best thing to do is just attack me. You know, I’m 60 years old, and trust me, I’ve been through this for three decades. You can’t upset me anymore with that kind of crap. I laugh now, because I go, ‘Gosh darn, I’m on the air for three hours a day helping people and all they can say about me is this?’ I don’t get upset about it.

What’s the best advice that anyone has ever given to you?

To remember that the moon is not bothered by the baying of wolves.

IF YOU GO

What: “Dr. Laura: In My Never to be Humble Opinion” onstage

When: 8 p.m. Friday

Where: Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.

Price: $42 and $62

Info: 547-3040, foxtucsontheatre.org

KELLY LEWIS

calendarplus@tucsoncitizen.com

He’s a rapper. He’s an actor. He’s the head of his own record label.

He’s the multitalented Ice Cube.

The star of the recently released family film “Are We Done Yet?” is returning to his music roots with a tour and new CD (“Raw Footage”) in the works. He performs Wednesday at the Rialto.

In a recent interview from New York, the hip-hop mogul shares his views about politics, his relationship with fellow N.W.A member Dr. Dre and what he believes is his greatest accomplishment.

Q: The Iraq war seems to be a really big theme of “Cry Now, Laugh Later.” How do you think the war is affecting the hip-hop industry?

A: I don’t know if the music business knows how to deal with the war as far as talking about it. I think people are just kind of feeling it for the troops and the fact that they are just caught up in it. A lot of them are really young and a lot of them haven’t really had the chance to live their life and be independent because they are caught up in the war. I don’t think the hip-hop industry is dealing with the war. I don’t think they even want to touch it or deal with it.

You’ve been acting for the past few years. What made you feel like it was time to go back to rapping?

I love hip-hop, and hip-hop is the reason for why all of this other success has come my way. It will always be in me. It’s kind of a career and a hobby, so I always feel like I’ll do music. I did a lot of cameos between my last album and this new album, so I kind of feel like I never went away with it. We had issues with Priority Records and Capitol Records, and it was issues that kept me away for six years, but I always felt like I was down and ready to do a record.

You released your last albums on your own record label. Was that decision made to allow you more freedom?

With big labels, they have so many artists that sometimes you feel like you are on a conveyor belt and nobody does the little things to make the record successful. So being independent, I’m able to put the money into a real smart, grass-roots type of straight-to-the-street promotions, and it helped me to go gold in the time when major artists on major labels are having a hard time selling gold.

You worked on a couple of tracks with Snoop Dogg recently. Do you have any plans to work with Dr. Dre again?

I always like to work with Dre. He’s one of the best producers in hip-hop, so I always look forward to working with him. We don’t really have a set schedule right now but he’s always giving me a call at the last minute anyway.

One of the common themes in your music involves commenting on politicians and their influence in perpetuating poverty in southern California. Do you think there is anything that can be done to end the cycle?

That’s basically the theme of capitalism. We capitalize off of the next man, and somebody has to lose, somebody has to win. Unfortunately, places like south central L.A., south side Phoenix, wherever, are places kind of relegated to lose so that the rest of society can win.

In that regard, many of your albums have become really controversial. Do you anticipate that your new release, “Raw Footage,” will be as well, or did you take a different route on this record?

I deal with the things that affect me and the things that I feel are appropriate to rap about. So, I will continue to do that. That’s just who I am. I don’t know if I could make a record without having some kind of political undertones and overtones. To me, it wouldn’t be an interesting record.

Are you going back in the studio in the next year and create another record?

That’s what I do. I feel like I can rap with the best of them. It’s what I do. It’s what I was put here to do, and I am never going to stop.

You have done so much, from acting to rapping. When it’s all said and done, what do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

My family. Everything else is a project – something that’s a piece of who I am that I wanted to share with the world – but nothing is real and nothing means as much to me as my family.

When you sit down to write or rap, what’s the kind of feeling that you want to portray?

I just want to be honest with what I’m saying. I want to speak for people who can’t speak for themselves and I want to have dope lyrics. To me that’s the essence of hip-hop. If you have dope lyrics, everything else falls into place no matter what you’re talking about.

Now that you have dabbled in so many different fields, where do you want to go from here?

I want to do better movies, better records and keep working hard to improve.

IF YOU GO

What: Ice Cube in concert, with WC of Westside Connection

When: 8 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Rialto Theatre, 318 W. Congress St.

Price: $35 advance, $36 day of show

Info: 740-1000, rialtotheatre.com

RANDI EICHENBAUM

calendarplus@tucsoncitizen.com

Starting to feel immune to the caffeine in your morning cup of coffee? Then seeing The Deludes play this weekend in celebration of their second full-length album, “Sedation Nation,” just might be the thing to get you going.

Known for its energetic shows, the Tucson rock band has been riling up audiences for the past five years at such hot spots as Plush and Club Congress. In a recent interview singer-songwriter Larry Warro, 28, tells us what The Deludes have been up to and what their newest album is all about.

Q: You say that this album reflects a darker, more mature side. Has there been something in particular going on in your life that supported that?

A: “I became a father almost two years ago. (It’s) not darker, but it definitely matures you, rearranges your priorities. So that was kind of a life-changing thing that happened. As far as darker, it was just a natural progression. We play really energetic live shows and I just felt that we kept going that angle.”

Did your producer, Jim Waters, have a hand in this maturing process?

He doesn’t really push you one way or another, but when he sees something cool, he’ll suggest something. Like the second song, “Sedation Nation.” We weren’t even originally going to include that on the CD. I had recorded (that song) just for prosperity’s sake in the studio and Jim was like, ‘Lets listen to a couple of the songs that we recorded in the studio we weren’t going to use.’ And when he heard the song he was like, ‘Oh, we have got to use this.’”

What was your thought process behind the “Sedation Nation” track and why did you decide to have that be the name of your album?

“We were coming up with names and we didn’t really like any of them. Then we started thinking about different song titles we liked and “Sedation Nation” was one of them. It wasn’t meant to be the big single. I just happened to like that name. As far as what it is, it’s just about people self-medicating – not the most original song idea.”

The Deludes are known for their high-energy shows. Is the live-show aspect something you have in the back of your head when you’re writing songs?

“Yeah I think it is. It really shouldn’t be but I think about it. It doesn’t stop me from writing a song but whether we play it out or not, that definitely comes into effect. We have this song “My Luck,” which I think is a really good song, but every time we squeeze it into a set, we kinda lose the audience.

Do you have any pre-show rituals that get the energy going before getting out on stage?

“Not really. It’s definitely catharsis. It’s like getting paid for therapy. Aside from that, I just try and vent everything right then from the week, but there’s not any pre-ritual, drum pounding or anything.”

The Deludes have been in the Tucson music scene for five years now, can you note any changes about it?

“We’ve probably outlasted most of the bands that we started out with. Some things don’t change that are really good. Like we have some quality clubs that have stuck around, been around as long as we have, and much longer. People had always talked about how the Tucson scene can have its peaks and valleys but I think it’s not doing that so much now. It’s more like a steady climb. When bands do go, it seems like they’re always replaced by some of the good, new bands. I’m hoping that trend continues.”

A writer once compared your voice to Mick Jagger’s. Do you think your voices are comparable, and if so, how do you feel about that?

“It’s a pretty big compliment. Sometimes I hear it and sometimes I don’t. We did a photo shoot today and the photographer wanted us to put the CD on and he was like, ‘Oh yeah, you sound like Mick Jagger, perfect.’ You can’t escape it but I don’t try and emulate him. Once I start trying to do my chicken walk, it’s all over.”

What’s next for The Deludes?

“We have licensed a song to an advertising agency that’s working for an ad campaign for Wendy’s. It’s “Blessed be, Queen of Darkness” from the first album. So I’m kinda waiting to see what that brings in. We want to get back on the road but the drummer and I are full-time students so it’s very difficult to get away from that. So, maybe next spring, hopefully, we’ll get out. At this point, just trying to make it to the 14th.

IF YOU GO

What: The Deludes CD Release Show

When: Saturday. Show starts at 9:30 p.m. with The Jons and The Solace Brothers opening, The Deludes go on at 11:30.

Where: Plush, 340 E. Sixth St.

Price: $5

Info: 798-1302

Citizen Staff Writer

PAUL SCHWALBACH

pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com

Ah, the golden age of journalism, when newspapers called the shots. We decided what was news and printed it. You read it.

Spinach journalism: Here, swallow this; it’s good for you.

Those days are over. They have been for a while.

The Tucson Citizen is responding to this inconvenient truth today with substantial changes in its print product and an expansion of its online offerings. Behind the changes: a growing realization that what our readers have to say is important, and that it behooves us to keep you in the loop. The details:

THE CITIZEN VOICES PAGES: We have moved the editorial pages, once in the back of the paper’s first section, to the front of the B section. For the first time, a Citizen Voices page will regularly have color.

We’ll encapsulate national and world news on Page 3B, in acknowledgement of how your sources for such news have changed.

CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and myriad Web sites provide many of our readers with an hourly national and world news fix. Your reliance on the Web and TV relieves us of an obligation to be a newspaper of record for national and world news.

The Citizen is a staunchly local newspaper, and this switch gives us the opportunity to put our strength – coverage of Tucson – in as prominent a position as possible.

READER COMMENTARY: Used to be, if a newspaper article got you so riled that it demanded a response, you took pen in hand, fired off a letter to the editor and dropped it in the mailbox.

Imagine that. Ink. Envelopes. Stamps. How quaint.

This just in: It’s 2007. And while many readers still send us letters via good old U.S. mail, you no longer need a typewriter to give your 2 cents’ worth. There’s e-mail, of course. And for some time, hundreds of Citizen readers have been taking advantage of a feature that lets them append their comments – unedited and uncensored – at the bottom of each story on our Web site, www.tucsoncitizen.com.

Your comments have plenty of value, and we’ll present a daily summary of the best (and worst) of the local conversation. Look for it under the RealFAST logo on Page 1B.

TRANSPARENCY: We’re going to crack open the door to the paper’s thought processes through our Editorial Board blog. Go there each day to read about our thoughts on issues facing Tucson. You’ll find first impressions, arguments, musings, questions, requests for guidance and more. The Web site is a way for you to quickly find out what we’re thinking.

But wait; there’s more. At the bottom of our daily editorial package on Page 1B, we’ll print a list of topics for upcoming editorials. If you have an opinion on the issue, e-mail us at opinion@tucsoncitizen.com. It’s a chance to weigh in before the editorial is written.

BLOGS: Beginning today at www.tucsoncitizen.com/blogs, you’ll be able to read new online content from a variety of our reporters and editors:

• Anne’s blog: News, views and updates from our metro columnist, Anne T. Denogean

• Eat Tucson: Staffers chew over what’s new, different, exciting and bizarre on the local dining scene.

• “Is This Thing On?”: Staff Writer Blake Morlock’s take on southern Arizona politics.

• Why a Free Press? Assistant City Editor Mark Evans writes about the First Amendment, the mainstream media and the public’s right to know.

This is a start; we’ll add more.

At www.tucsoncitizen.com: Q and A’s with Gary Kamiya, executive editor of salon.com, and Citizen Editor and Publisher Michael A. Chihak about online reader commentary

(This information did not run with the story)

Gary Kamiya, executive editor at salon.com, earlier this year wrote “The readers strike back,” an essay on how mass quantities of online feedback has changed print journalism. (http://www.salon.com/opinion/kamiya/2007/01/30/writing/index.html). A quick Q and A:

Q: Can a newspaper that fancies itself a family publication (and that’s almost all of them), allow its online product to feature words and ideas that it wouldn’t allow into print? How would the newspaper justify that distinction to its critics?

A: If the paper’s concern is to maintain the same family-friendly standards online as it does in print, and it sees its Web site as inseparable from its print product, it obviously can’t allow the Web version to be unmoderated or uncensored. But every paper needs to make those decisions for itself. I think it’s legitimate for a paper to decide that its online version is going to favor democracy and openness more than it does traditional family-friendly constraints. Readers could be warned, told to use filtering software if they have kids, etc.

Q: Do you think that, in the future, more newspapers will choose to force commenters to register and use their real names when posting, or is the ability for commenters to remain anonymous the best way to ensure a lively conversation?

A: That’s one of the $64 questions of online journalism. Both responses have merits. Readers who use their real names will not engage so readily in crude smears, ad hominem hits, obscenities, misogynistic garbage, loutish pack behavior and maybe not even self-absorbed rants – i.e., all the dreck that haunts online discussions. On the other hand, some readers won’t feel free to say what they really think unless they’re anonymous, which is also understandable. I suspect that anonymity will continue to rule, hopefully with increasingly good and sophisticated moderation.

Q: Is it a newspaper’s duty to check and correct online statements of fact made by readers, or should it rely on the wisdom of the crowd to edit and fix statements that turn out to be wrong?

A: It depends on the nature of the forum and what the intent and context is. If a forum is heavily moderated by an expert, then external editorial correction may be appropriate. But in general I believe in the Wikipedia model of self-correction.

Q: And finally: Has the “democratization” of media brought about by the Internet been a net plus or minus for the culture?

A: A net plus. We’re just starting out, so there’s a lot of static, but I see ever greater refinements in moderation coming, as well as increasing choices of different kinds of public forums, allowing people who want more or less decorous, or moderated, or anonymous, discussions to find them. the problem is that moderating forums costs money, so we’ll have to see if the online reader revolution has a business model.

Tucson Citizen Editor and Publisher Michael A. Chihak also takes a crack at four quick questions regarding online reader commentary.

Q: Can a newspaper that fancies itself a family publication (and that’s almost all of them), allow its online product to feature words and ideas that it wouldn’t allow into print? How would the newspaper justify that distinction to its critics?

A: We can and should, to an extent, allow such words and ideas online. The beauty of new technologies is the opportunity they offer for extending our basic freedoms; in this instance, freedom of speech has broadened appeal and access. “Justification” has such a defensive ring to it. I prefer the notion that this gives us the opportunity to extend our and our readers’ and users’ rights and freedoms in the realm of expression.

Q: Do you think that, in the future, more newspapers will choose to force commenters to register and use their real names when posting, or is the ability for commenters to remain anonymous the best way to ensure a lively conversation?

A: Uncomfortable as I sometimes am with the tone that anonymity allows, my desire to see an open discussion outweighs my discomfort. Personally, I must say that it is difficult for me to understand people who like to shoot from behind rocks.

Q: Is it a newspaper’s duty to check and correct online statements of fact made by readers, or should it rely on the wisdom of the crowd to edit and fix statements that turn out to be wrong?

A: The wisdom of the crowd has always served our democratic society. Sometimes, of course, that wisdom is slower coming than what we may be comfortable with. At the same time, we must distinguish between an opinion (“You’re an idiot.”) and a fact (“My IQ is 135.”). The “you’re an idiot” statement can stand as constitutionally protected opinion regardless of the 135-IQ fact. My response doesn’t even touch on the idea that we could have difficulty mustering the resources to devote ourselves to checking and correcting online user commentary for factuality.

Q: And finally: Has the “democratization” of media brought about by the Internet been a net plus or minus for the culture?

A: Net plus, so far. We must maintain the notion that a free press – whatever its makeup or description – is an integral part of democratic society.

Oscar F. Stevens, 75, is a pioneer in Spanish-language radio and television in Tucson. In the 1970s and ’80s, he and his family hosted a variety TV show that resonated with area Latinos, who knew the family members on a first-name basis. He also was a prolific concert promoter who brought pretty big names in Latin music to the Old Pueblo. In a recent e-mail interview, Stevens reflects on his nearly 65-year career.

- Rogelio Yubeta Olivas

When did you get started in the radio/TV business?

When I was 11 years old, acting in a radio soap opera in Juarez, Mexico. On TV in Tucson, in the early ’60s, co-hosting and co-sponsoring KGUN TV’s “Teatro Mexicano (Mexican Theatre).”

When did you move to Tucson?

In March 1953, when the U.S. Air Force transferred my bomb and navigation maintenance squadron for the B-47s from Denver to Tucson.

What was your first job in Tucson?

Besides my duties at D-MAFB, I became acquainted with several civic and social organizations, mainly the “Alianza Hispano-Americana.” At that time, I started collaborating with Hector Ledesma and his nightly “Página Musical” program on KCNA. Somehow the combination worked. . . . By that time, Peter Trowbridge and Dewitt Wray, founders and original owners of KEVT, called us and asked us to help them realize their dream, to organize what was going to be Tucson’s first Spanish-language radio station. Hector would be manager and I would be his assistant and program director. After some planning and discussion, I proposed that . . . if we wanted to be successful, we had to impact the airwaves with clever spots, innovative programming, a great variety of songs and music, congenial DJs, and that “great entertainment” should be our motto. We should always use proper Spanish (no slang) and be very proud of our traditions, culture and heritage. KEVT went on the air in September l953.

How was the Spanish-language station received?

To most everybody’s amazement, KEVT Radio 690 became a reality. Our Spanish-speaking community celebrated the memorable event. They received it with open arms (and ears) Our innovative programming was full of optimism, great variety of music from all the Latin nations, entertainment, public service, community information, worldwide news and the best available staff. But the big question was: “How long could KEVT last?”

What were the biggest obstacles you overcame?

Let’s face it, KEVT was a commercial radio station, and we needed sponsors to survive. Even though our people were excited, at the beginning the merchant community and the advertising agencies didn’t realize that our station was tremendously popular or (that) Latinos had major purchasing power.

What was the name of your TV variety program here and how long was it on the air?

At first we decided that my first program on KZAZ Channel 11 should properly be named “Desde La Frontera” (From the Border), being that it was produced and broadcast live (in black-and-white) in Spanish from our own studios in Nogales, Ariz., to all of southern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico, (1967-1975). When KZAZ management decided to start the show’s production in its Tucson studios – this time in full color – and in a brand new set with more cameras and microphones, I suggested it should be named “Telefiesta Mexicana 11″ (1975-1982).

How did it differ from other Spanish variety shows in town?

Our show was completely ad-libbed. There was no script – ever! . . . With our Tucson show, I almost followed the same format. But with our new facilities, we were able to air the most popular songs and music, as well as soap operas and movies provided by Televisa and the top recording labels. The whole idea was to broadcast a wholesome family-oriented program, just honest-to-goodness fun for everybody. And the formula worked for almost 16 years. It was like the “Stevens Family Fiesta Time.” My wife, Aurora, was my co-host, our son Oscar II (whose career in TV producing and directing started when he barely was 11 years old) was our director, and many times we would have either one or two or maybe three of our sons or daughters give us their point of view on what was going on in their schools or in the neighborhood. It sure was funny.

As a concert promoter, who were some of the big names, both American and Mexican, you brought to Tucson?

Agustín Lara, María Félix, Cantinflas (at Nogales Bullring), Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre and Antonio Jr. and Pepe Aguilar, Pedro Infante, Perez Prado and Band, José Alfredo Jiménez, Javier Solís, Tito Guizar, Selena and Los Dinos, Los Alegres de Terán, Los Tigres Del Norte, Bronco, Lucha Villa, El Piporro, Rocío Durcal, Juan Gabriel, Libertad LaMarque, Vicente and Alejandro Fernández, Banda el Recodo, Miguel Aceves Mejía, Angélica María, Sara García, Tin-Tan, Lorenzo de Monteclaro, Luis Arcaraz and his band and our very own Lalo Guerrero. Also, Louis Armstrong and his band at the UA in the early ’60s.

Which celebrity or band were you never able to book but had always wanted to?

It was a dream that I could never realize. Some 30 years ago I wanted to present the following event at the TCC Arena or at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds: a superfabulous U.S.-Mexico Rodeo Festival starring Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and their son Roy “Dusty” Rogers Jr., as well as Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre and their sons Antonio Jr. and Pepe Aguilar.

How would you most like to be remembered?

Just as a God-fearing, honest, fair, hardworking family man who tried his best to serve his fellow man and achieve his goals.

Recently, first-time Tucson filmmakers Edward McCain, a former Citizen photographer, and Christian Moher attended the Fylmz.com Film Festival in Nashville, Tenn., taking their short film “The Box,” which was in the festival competition. This is the first film festival to show their movie, a story of conflict over trust and respect between two people in their 20s. Citizen arts writer Chuck Graham talks to them about the experience.

How did you find out about the festival?

McCain: We have been using www.withoutabox.com for finding out about film festivals. It also allows filmmakers to more easily submit their materials to the various festivals.

How is the Fylmz.com festival different from “regular” festivals?

McCain: Most festivals select a few judges to pick the films that make it in their screenings. Fylmz puts all the short films online and allows visitors to the site to view them on their computer and then give them a rating.

Moher: The festival is designed to be centered on the audience, as opposed to traditional festivals which center on the judge’s response to the films.

What was the budget for this film?

McCain: Our film cost about $2,500 to make. We spent about another $600 on entering festivals.

What other festivals have you entered, or do you plan to enter?

McCain: We have entered 15 festivals so far, including Sundance, the Phoenix Film Festival, Santa Fe, Sedona and a bunch more. We are still waiting to hear back from many of the festivals, including the local festival, the Arizona Inter-national Film Festival, which is in April.

Moher: This was our first film, so we were not sure how aggressive to be with our festival strategy. It costs money to submit to every festival.

What was your reception like as filmmakers at the festival?

McCain: The Fylmz Festival staff and the other filmmakers were quite welcoming. “The Box” was screened in a nice theater with a good projection system. I felt good about it.

Moher: I think the festival did a great job of welcoming a very diverse group of films and filmmakers.

What was your most important lesson from this, your first film festival?

McCain: At this point, I would say it is that we need to put our hearts into whatever film we choose to make. Life is too short to do anything less.

Moher: I think the lesson for me is if you have passion for something, get out there and do it! The longer you wait the harder it is to “fit in” to your busy life.

How much did you learn about filmmaking by making “The Box”?

McCain: First off, I’d say we made a really good first film. The area where I probably knew the least and thus learned the most was in editing. There is so much more I feel I have to learn in every aspect of filmmaking, but that is what makes it so exciting for me.

Moher: A lot of the art comes from taking what you actually captured on film and forming it into something that approximates what you have in your head. We can improve every aspect of our craft, from the script to the editing- and plan on doing so for our next project.

How many other short films were you competing against?

McCain: I think I heard there were something like 160 short films in the competition to start, 40 short films, including ours, made it to the festival screenings.

Citizen Staff Writer

By BRYAN LEE

brylee@tucsoncitizen.com

A nationwide audience on NBC got to see lots of Tucson sunshine over the weekend.

But the weather wasn’t the only positive aspect of The Gallery Golf Club hosting the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship for the first time, said to executive director Michael Garten.

Q. What went well the first time?

Garten: In a general sense, the PGA, the Tucson Conquistadores and the tournament committee feel we absolutely lit a fire in Tucson with the tournament. We were pleased with the competition, the operation, concessions, restrooms . . . .

Q. What improvements could be made here?

Garten: The biggest problem was transportation. With that many people with one way in and one way out, that is understandable. We hope to work something out in the future with the town of Marana and the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Q. Did Tiger Woods being eliminated Friday hurt?

Garten: We thought the gallery responded well Saturday and Sunday. I don’t think a lot of people realized we limit tickets to 7,500 on those days, and Sunday we had well in the neighborhood of 6,000.

Also, people responded well to Henrik Stenson and Geoff Ogilvy. They are players of the same level, and I think Henrik will get (a career boost) like Geoff did when he won the Tucson Open (2005).

Citizen Staff Report

Here are excerpts from Tuesday’s news conference with Tiger Woods:

Q: How do you like The Gallery?

A: The golf course is in perfect shape. The fairways are pretty wide, but the greens are probably going to be the trickiest part just because they’re new to us. We haven’t played here.

Q: Do you remember the first time you played a match play event and did you like the format right away?

A: Yeah, I played in the Southern California Junior Match Play (at age 13). We played at El Dorado and I lost in the quarterfinals. It was something that I didn’t understand because I won I think two or three matches and got to the quarters. I shot 69 that day, got to the 18th hole and lost. I didn’t quite understand that. I just came home and told Dad, “I don’t understand. I shot a better score than he (James Mohan) did, but he won the match.” He explained it to me. . . . We went out the next couple of days and played match play.

Q: J.J. (Henry), your first-round foe, is a Ryder Cup teammate. What did he show you last year?

Woods: I’ll tell you what, he had a lot of guts coming down 18. I remember that birdie putt over there on the back right pin. He hit the ball beautifully during that Ryder Cup and I thought handled himself extremely well, given that it was the first time ever in a Ryder Cup and it was over in Europe. The times he went out and played, he played great.

Q: A few years ago in San Diego, while it was raining on you, you said, “Why not play in Tucson?” What do you think now that the match play is here and you’ve played the course a couple of times?

A: Yeah, I guess it is drier. It’s nice that the greens are smooth, too. That’s one of the things we struggled with at La Costa. It always rained and they could never get the greens smooth.

It was just one of those things where I was saddened to leave such a great golf course and such a historic site on our Tour. But to come here – from what I heard the tournament is sold out, so it’s going to be exciting for all of us.

Q: What’s your history and liking of desert golf? How often did you play it as a kid? You don’t play it that much as a pro.

A: You know, I – probably not that much. We didn’t really have that many tournaments in the desert. I mean, we played Palm Springs, but that was a little different than out here where it’s lined with homes and condos.

Q: Do you generally like this type of desert courses?

5{ ust different. You know, when the wind blows here there’s nothing to stop it, so I think that’s the trickiest thing. And also when you play desert golf, generally there’s a lot of chipping areas, which is different because usually most tournaments we play in we miss the green and we’re in ankle-high rough. Here, there are so many options you can play around the greens.

Q: Do you think this is what you call a power hitter’s course? And how did you play No. 7 and No. 12 both days?

A: With the fairways this fast, short hitters can probably get to some of the par 5s here.

All I know is that – well, 7 and 12, I hit driver both times and got it on the green Monday on 7 but not quite on 12.

Q: Do you think that’s good play for the tournament?

A: Yeah, why not? It’s all about birdies anyway, match play. It’s about going out there and making a bunch of birdies and hopefully, that’s enough. Sometimes you make seven birdies and you’re going home.

Q: Is it tougher to continue your PGA Tour seven-match win streak in match play or a stroke-play event, and how much are you thinking about the streak?

A: Not (thinking) much at all about the streak. Just trying to think about getting past J.J. I think it’s always tougher to continue at match play because all it takes is one hot guy.

Citizen Staff Writer

Best thing about being a college football player?

“The best thing is the family atmosphere, especially because I’m not from here (McCall is from Honolulu). I have a real family here. To me, that’s real important.”

Who would play you in a movie?

“Brad Pitt. We have some of the same features, as you can tell.”

Favorite place to hang out on campus?

“On the couch in our locker room, sleeping. I don’t sleep much, but that is my favorite place. Every single day. At least an hour before practice.”

Favorite hobby?

“Body-boarding. Not surfing, I’m more of a body-boarder.”

Person you most admire?

“My dad. He has been through a lot. He has no discs in his back. He was a surfer and he ate it 20 years ago, but he is still pushing on. He inspires me when things are going rough to push, push, push.”

Worst thing somebody has said to you on the football field?

“Well, a lot of vulgar things, but the worst thing would have to be a sarcastic ‘nice catch, 87′, after I dropped that one last week (a potential touchdown against California).”

Favorite movie?

“It’s ‘The Notebook.’ Yeah, just put that down.”

Oldest thing in your refrigerator right now?

“Rice that’s about five months old, moldy and disgusting. It’s pretty, though. All the mold is just growing. It’s like a mold forest.”

- Anthony Gimino,

agimino@tucsoncitizen.com

Citizen Staff Writer

What’s the best thing about being a college football player?

“The experience.”

Which actor would you want to play you in a movie?

“Someone tough and handsome.”

If you were president of the United States, what would be the first thing you would do?

“That’s a tough one. I don’t know.”

What’s your favorite movie?

“It’s ‘The Butterfly Effect.’ Well, that’s not really my favorite, but that’s the first one that came to mind.”

What motivates you?

“Competition. The will to want to win.”

What’s the worst thing ever said to you on a football field?

“I can’t really remember. You can’t really remember, because the adrenaline is running.”

What’s the oldest thing in your fridge?

“Eggs from the beginning of the summer.”

What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?

“Rest.”

What’s your favorite place to eat?

“Subway.”

- Matt Messina,

sports@tucsoncitizen.com