Toole Avenue will have an extreme make-over consisting of the installation of more than 100 plants and trees and creative contributions from local artists, arts organizations, and businesses this weekend.

On Saturday, October 22, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Tucson community will come together on National Make a Difference Day to completely transform the street at the heart of the Historic Warehouse Arts District.

During the past several months, Toole Avenue between 6th and Stone avenues has been getting spruced up here and fixed up there. Now, the community will finish the transformation in a day packed full of arts activities and performances that highlight the artists, art spaces and businesses along the refurbished Toole Avenue Artwalk and throughout the Tucson Historic Warehouse Arts District.

“We have pulled together a committed group, including the City of Tucson, Warehouse Arts Management Organization, property owners and community partners, to rehabilitate this important part of the Historic Warehouse Arts District,” says Michael Keith, CEO of the Downtown Tucson Partnership, which helped organize the event. “This kind of collaborative effort can be utilized to contribute to other infrastructure projects that are key to downtown.”

When completed, Toole Avenue improvements will include decorated planters with trees and shrubs, sidewalk repairs, the addition of ADA-compliant crosswalk ramps, installation of a bus shelter and bike racks, new fencing, and patio, lighting upgrades, and public artworks on both public and private spaces.

“The Toole Avenue Streetscape Project is the culmination of years of work by many people to preserve historic warehouses as spaces for the arts,” says Elizabeth Burden, president of WAMO. “The October 22 event is an opportunity for all Tucsonans to make a difference in this part of downtown, and to learn more about all that is happening in the Warehouse Arts District.”

For more information about the Toole Avenue Streetscape Project, visit www.DowntownTucson.org, contact the Downtown Tucson Partnership at (520) 837-6504 or info@downtucson.org.  For more information about the Tucson Historic Warehouse Arts District, visit TheWarehouseArtsDistrict.com.

Note: Groups participating in the Streetscape Project include:  Downtown Tucson Partnership, Office of Mayor, Ward 1 Council Office, Ward 6 Council Office, ParkWise, Dunn Edwards, Pima County, Warehouse Arts Management Organization, Norris-Design, Peach Properties, Fenton Investments, Arizona Autoparks, Skrappys, Providence Corporation, AAA Landscape, Cox Communications, Santa Teresa Tile Works, Poster Frost Mirto, Bens Bells, BICAS, Borealis Arts, Borderlands Brewery, Citizens Artists Collective, Dinnerware Art Space, Solar Culture, Mat Bevel Institute, Siobhan Clothing, Toole Shed Art Studios, Trees for Tucson, Tucson Arts Brigade.

Participating Warehouse District Artists include:  Elizabeth Albert, Ariel Diaz, Simon Donovan, Salvador Duran, Steven Eye, Susan Gamble, Jorge Gonzalez, Susan Kay Johnson, Carolyn King, Sally Krommes, Jodi Netzer, Joe Pagac, Michael Ritzenthaler, Ned Schaper, Paul Schwam, Marvin Shaver, Charlie Spillar, Paco Velez, Wilson, and Liz Weibler.

The revolutionary new non-drug treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury, neurofeedback, has once again proven highly effective. Local Tucson resident, Ken Willingham, is a new testimonial of the benefits of neurofeedback therapy.

Picture of human brain

On December 29, 2003, while on vacation, Ken rode his Ducati motorcycle into a K-Mart parking lot when suddenly a speeding automobile crashed into his motorcycle, crushing his helmet and knocking him unconscious before speeding off. The hit and run driver has never been found.  The accident happened about 12:30 p.m. that day.

Fortunately someone saw Mr. Willingham and the wreckage of his motorcycle and called an emergency ambulance rushing him to the University Medical Center to save his life. His wife did not find out about the accident until after 6:30 p.m. that evening. He was unconscious for a long period and when able to gain consciousness he could not remember anything about the accident. He was diagnosed with moderate to severe Traumatic Brain Injury. The top-of-the-line helmet he was wearing at the time of the accident was badly damaged.

At the hospital he had zero memory for several weeks and was eventually moved to Health South for rehabilitation. He was there for three weeks and eventually after 40 days gained some memory back.  His wife Barbara Stahura has written a journal on the entire experience as it happened. Besides the TBI he was diagnosed with a stable occipital condyle of the spine and was fitted with a neck brace.  He had to wear the brace for 5 ½ months. Mr. Willingham was retired from I. B.M. as a computer programmer and had taken a job at Raytheon as a programmer at the time of the accident.  He eventually was able to go back to work for about 2 hours a day and in time worked up to 4 hours. Unfortunately even though he could work a few hours a day he suffered working memory problems. Returning to his old occupation was extremely difficult.

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Tucson is under scrutiny by the national media, again. Or should I say, still?

Hours after the horrific shootings on Saturday, the media swooped down on Tucson. Our local media, on numerous occasions since then, has credited national newspapers for new information about the Tucson tragedy. The Tragedy in Tucson, so named by the media, has dominated national headlines for the last few days.

Endless speculation by the media has also dominated headlines regarding motives of the alleged shooter. Our so-called political climate has been scrutinized. Today, the headlines are asking if the “pep rally” atmosphere at the memorial service was “appropriate”. .

The Associated Press has chimed in with their perspective: “Some question pep rally atmosphere at Obama speech.”

May I point out the name of the event, according to this AP headline? “Obama speech”

CBS News headline: “Obama’s Tucson Speech: Pep Rally or Memorial Service”.

The media started calling it that, some variation of “Obama’s Speech”, soon after President Obama accepted the invitation to attend what was once billed as a memorial.

As a result, the event somehow morphed into something else. A theme for the event emerged, called: “Together We Thrive:Tucson and America.” The theme doesn’t include anything about it that evokes a memorial. There’s nothing about remembrance, either.

The theme sounds like, well, like a political rally.

The Washington Post released an article prior to the event, describing the atmosphere outside the McKale stadium, like people “camped out” prior to a rock concert. “Camped out” became a common phrase used by many members of the national media to describe those who arrived early to “hear Obama speak”.

Please read a snippet from that article from The Washington Post. (They refer to the Pima County Assessor’s Office as “Pima County tax accessor’s office” by the way.)

“At an entrance to the stadium, people waited in a packed crowd in the warm afternoon sun. Many had been camped out there since mid morning and said the mood was exciting and generous. Sandra Kimmelman, 53, said she took the day off from her job at the Pima County tax accessor’s office to come hear Obama. She said people in line had given her candy, water and shared their pizza with her.

“There’s a sense of community,” she said. “I came because I want to hear Obama say we as a nation are all mourning and that we need to fight violence with love and peace. We need to be unified. 9-11 was the most horrific thing that happened to our nation. This comes close.”

Nicole Siegel, a freshman at the University of Arizona who is from Columbia, Md., said she was excited to hear Obama speak.

“I am happy to see he’s taking this seriously and isn’t just staying in the White House,” she said, wearing a light blue T-shirt with a picture of Obama on it.”

Full article here

They came to hear Obama. Would a T-shirt with Obama on it be appropriate for a memorial service? Is that why The Washington Post pointed out what she was wearing? Is that why they pointed out the pizza and candy?

The “event” was advertised as “first-come, first-served”, by the way. Like a rock concert. The “event” that drew media coverage to be broadcast around the world, was covered extensively for “Obama’s speech”.

So, now the media speculates over “appropriateness”.

Had Obama not been in attendance, would it have been covered to such an extent, or just broadcast locally with some members of the press present?

I’m grateful that Obama did attend. I watched the coverage from home. The President’s speech is what we needed to hear.

As far as criticism from the media, I’d like to remind you that you have created a media circus atmosphere in Tucson since you arrived Saturday.

Who is being disrespectful? Tucsonans or members of the national media?

I’ll have to go with the national media.

When the news of the mass shooting in Tucson began to circulate on Saturday, a memory from two years ago emerged in my mind. Gabrielle Giffords was in attendance at the Western-themed Empire Ranch Round-Up in Sonoita, Arizona.

Giffords kept a smile on her face the entire time at that outdoor event. Her eyes scanned the crowd constantly to find  people to engage with in conversation. There was no security entourage that could be seen surrounding her. A steady stream of people approached her to say hello.

Wild horses cannot keep Gabby from an event, from engaging with the public. That’s what we expect. It is just Gabby being Gabby. She is accessible to people, just like she was on Saturday.

Saturday.

Gabrielle Giffords, a supporter of gun rights, was among the casualties shot at Safeway. Safeway, a busy neighborhood grocery store where one normally feels…safe. A stark contradiction of how things were expected to go on that day.

As I watched news coverage on Saturday morning, trying to make sense of what had happened, memories of September 11th emerged in my mind. That day started normally, too, except that many people were late to work, exercising their right to vote. They died in Shanksville, the Pentagon, and inside the World Trade Center.

Those of us far away from New York, Washington and Pennsylvania could only watch the coverage on television, while trying to make sense in our minds of what was happening.

The words ‘Al Qaeda’ weren’t known to us yet. We could only speculate at that point about who would do something like that. Who would kill innocent people who didn’t do anything wrong?

My thoughts turned back to the news of what was happening in Tucson on Saturday. The national media reported Gabrielle Giffords dead, contrary to what local Tucson media reported. What were we supposed to believe? National media eventually retracted their version of events and apologized that they did not have their facts correct.

Within minutes, Twitter and Facebook immediately began buzzing with speculation about who could have shot Gabrielle Giffords and her constituents. It had to be a ‘right-winger’, a ‘Tea Partier’, the messages said. Contradictory news emerged from the friends and acquaintances of the shooter, Jared Loughner. They said that Loughner was ‘a leftist’. Those on the left cried, “he’s not one of us”, “he doesn’t share our values”. It was Sarah Palin, it was Glenn Beck, it was the Tea Party, they said. Somehow, they are responsible. All of the speculation based on short, nonsensical videos on Loughner’s YouTube page, and from who they expect to be blamed.

Then, due to Sheriff Clarence Dupnik’s speculation that the ‘rhetoric of violence’ was responsible for the massacre, those words continue to circulate. Still, based on a lack of evidence. Speculation from a Sheriff, no less. At time when we are supposed to come together in a tragedy, not be ripped apart as a result of one. A glaring contradiction from the facts that a Sheriff is supposed to provide to the public in an emergency. All law enforcement has to go on is physical evidence at this point. Yet, our own Sheriff spews speculation, adding fuel to a fire that should have never started.

Loughner is not cooperating, not talking.

Now, a campaign has started against talk show host Jon Justice for speaking out against Sheriff Dupnik’s words. Isn’t it free speech that the left is now trying to silence?

All of this while the voices of the dead will never again be heard. Gabby Giffords clings to life at the center of the tragedy, unable to speak.

If Gabby could speak, what would she say? It’s not our place to speculate. Instead, we’ll have to wait – and hope that she can someday voice her own thoughts to us.

What are the facts? We now know that his massacre was planned, based on physical evidence found at the Loughner home. It was planned for a long time. Loughner is ‘mentally unstable’ and there’s no proof that Palin, Beck or others influenced his killing spree. There’s only speculation. That is a fact.

Evidence has emerged that Pima Community College thought Loughner to be potentially mentally unstable several months ago.

Loughner’s profile on YouTube is presented with words used in the past tense. We can take from that evidence that he thought he was going to die on Saturday, shot by law enforcement or die by his own hand. Loughner didn’t expect to be subdued by bystanders. Loughner didn’t expect Giffords to survive his attack. A contradiction to well-laid plans.

Among the dead that Loughner did not plan to kill, except for the fact that they just happened to be there, was Judge John Roll. Judge Roll made an unplanned stop at the Safeway. For a while, it was unknown if Roll was the intended target. We now know that he was not. Christina Taylor Green was there, and we now know that she planned to meet Gabrielle Giffords.

We also now know that Christina Taylor Green, 9, was born on September 11, 2001, only to die in another massacre. She was featured in the book, “Faces of Hope”, showcasing babies born on 9/11. This child’s death should serve as a reminder that speculation only stirs up hatred and does not reflect the facts.

As evidenced so far, the lesson has not been learned.

When Tucson-born actor Daniel Kennedy prepared to leave Tucson in 2003, bound for New York, the Arizona Daily Star newspaper reported that he was is like a “first-round draft pick in the NBA”. Kennedy was selected to study at New York’s prestigious Juilliard School. Kennedy survived an intense 13-hour round of auditions before he became 1 of only 20 students selected to study at the drama division of the school.

Daniel Kennedy with celebrated soprano Renée Fleming / Photo courtesy of Daniel Kennedy

It wasn’t his first audition, though, and he wasn’t picked the first time. The previous year, Kennedy was wait listed at number 21 at Juilliard. He was determined to try again the next year and he worked hard. The hard work paid off, but the hard work didn’t end with his acceptance at the school. He became the first student to major in both drama and vocal arts. His talent for stage acting and opera were further developed at the school.

Kennedy’s first audition after attending Juilliard wasn’t a role in the theatre or in an opera, but it was a shot at the role of Petey Cortlandt on the ABC soap opera All My Children (AMC). The daytime drama played an unusual role in the meeting and courtship of his parents. His mother watched the soap opera between classes with friends at the University of Arizona’s Media Center, where his father worked to support himself through pharmacy school. AMC played a role in the future Daniel Kennedy being born.

The character of Petey Cortlandt on AMC had been portrayed by two younger actors in the years prior. For the new storyline, the former child character was slated to return home as an adult. While his training at Juilliard helped him to land the plum role, he arrived very prepared for the audition. Kennedy presented his own interpretation of the character. He made an impression at the audition. He made a great impression on AMC fans with his debut as Petey in July 2008.

The role was a departure from the amateur dramatic roles and stage work Kennedy had previously undertaken. However, it allowed him showcase his natural flair for comedic acting, a talent that took him in a different direction for a while.

The daytime soap eventually went in a different direction, on many levels, he shared. The show moved to Los Angeles from New York, which provided cheaper production costs for the show in a bad economy. Despite his immense popularity with fans, Kennedy was not invited to move with the show. His character, as well as the active storyline was left hanging with no resolution.

This was not true for Daniel Kennedy, who did not allow himself to be left hanging, he set his sights on working in a different direction, his original direction – but better defined with additional goals. Additionally, he said that he had already fallen in love with the culturally-rich New York City. He began to create opportunities for himself there.

While simultaneously auditioning for roles, he also returned to academic studies. He is enrolled in the City University of New York’s Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies, with a full academic scholarship. Kennedy’s interview with the Tucson Citizen was slightly delayed, due to his preparation for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and other commitments. He shared that his focus paid off. He aced the examination. He is also winding up a 7-month leadership program with Landmark Education, a training and development organization.

He also focuses his attention toward his current internship as an assistant to the Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA). DCLA the largest funder of culture in the country. His internship allows him to contribute to, and play a part in behind the scenes work for the amazing cultural institutions of New York that he dearly loves.

The internship is also preparing him for his goal to participate in the New York Marathon, believe it or not. Kennedy explains that he incorporated training into his morning commute: “I run for an hour every morning from my apartment in Queens, into Brooklyn, across the Brooklyn Bridge, to City Hall, to the DCLA office.”

Daniel Kennedy (L) with Bolshoi Ballet's Ivan Vasiliev (R) / Photo courtesy of Daniel Kennedy

He also looks forward to an upcoming internship in Buenos Aires at the National Opera House before he graduates. He won an international grant to study cultural policy there. There is no doubt that Kennedy will have additional acting or singing opportunities while he is away – perhaps a role in a television novella will present itself to the handsome Kennedy. Or, he can put his singing or dance talents to use. Yes, he is also very talented in dance.

After his internship is complete, he plans to return to his apartment in New York and visit his home state of Arizona as much as he possibly can.

Kennedy’s family, his Mexican-American heritage, and his hometown of Tucson are important to him. He was extremely disappointed with Arizona’s recent legislation, SB 1070, which he vocally opposed. About this, Kennedy said, “I was relieved with the intervention of the Department of Justice and Judge Bolton’s subsequent ruling.”

He works hard support the causes that are near and dear to his heart and that allow him to make a difference. He recently became the spokesperson for La Raza’s Youth Leadership, filming a commercial spot recently for the cause. Kennedy is destined for great things. Each conscious step he takes toward his goals are driven by determination, planning, and hard work.

He is grateful for the role of Petey, as well as the opportunity he had to work with, and learn from, his fellow actors on AMC. He truly appreciates the dedication of his fans, who actually started a protest that sparked a “Bring Petey Back to AMC” campaign on Facebook. The grumblings from fans about his character’s absence continues to this very day on soap opera discussion boards. Yet, Kennedy’s fans will support him in bigger roles, which is where Kennedy has intentionally placed his focus.

It doesn’t mean that he would turn down an invitation to continue the much-loved role of Petey – if the direction for himself and the character felt right, and if the timing was right.

The timing of his unanticipated exit from AMC was perfect for Kennedy, who realizes his ability to make a bigger contribution to the world. Speaking about his education, awards and affiliation with La Raza, he emphasized, “Being laid off from AMC was the perfect opportunity to reevaluate my purpose on this earth. All these things that have happened in the past year I credit to my participation at Landmark Education, a training and development organization. In two weeks, I am completing a 7 month-long leadership course that I credit for giving me the tools to create as many possibilities as I want.”

Due to his extraordinary talents and his proven determination, the next major opportunity will present itself to this determined young man from Tucson, at the right place and at the right time – and likely soon.

Learn more about Daniel Kennedy at http://www.officialdanielkennedy.com

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Cherlyn Gardner Strong is a freelance writer, who pens a popular blog about the paranormal on the Tucson Citizen. She also contributes off-topic articles, off and on the Tucson Citizen website, on topics ranging from border issues to social networking.

The Rachel Maddow Show sent a couple of scouts to the Arizona-Mexico border in Nogales on August 10th.

The scouts, Laura Conaway and Bill Wolff, arrived in Tucson in the wee hours of the morning on the 10th. They grabbed some shut eye at Bill’s dad’s house in Tucson.

At some point on the morning of the 10th, they woke up and left the Wolff house. They couldn’t know for sure if they would see some coyotes smuggling illegals at the border.

As a side note, departure time from the Wolff house was not mentioned, but they left for Nogales. The trip to Nogales takes about an hour an a half.

In her blog, Conaway stated that when they arrived to Nogales, “Lieutenant RJ Rodriguez, a deputy to Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada, took us into downtown Nogales.”

She continued:

“As Bill Wolff pointed out, we saw Border Patrol agents everywhere we went in Nogales — hanging around downtown, cruising along the border fence every five minutes, eating in the local restaurants.”

Wolff and Conaway did find some time to be taken to a section of the fence where it is interrupted by a wash. Conaway made a short blog post and took a short video about that quick stop:

http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/08/11/4868171-where-the-border-fence-ends

Then, it was off to Tucson to the Tap Room Bar at the Congress Hotel for drinks, arriving back in Tucson at 5:30ish that same day.

So, perhaps they left Nogales around 4:00 pm?

I wonder how long they were at the bar versus the border? Conaway posted many more videos to document the great time the scouts had at the bar. There was only one video posted of the border fence! Plenty of documentation, however, at the Tap Room Bar:

http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/08/11/4868469-how-we-fell-in-love-with-tucson

Based on this visit to downtown Nogales and a visit to a selected section of fence in Nogales, this trip lasted just a few hours.

Based in this “evidence”, Rachel’s scout formed an opinion for Rachel Maddow to run with. According to Conaway:

“The charge that Arizona had to pass an anti-immigration bill because the federal government isn’t enforcing the border proves patently ridiculous once you go down there and take a look.”

As evidenced from the blog posts, the scouts spent more time in downtown Nogales and on restaurant row, than checking out dangerous sections of the border – on the outskirts of Nogales.

Based on Conaway’s blog post, she was anxious to get back to Tucson for the party at the Tap Room.

Weren’t they interested in seriously researching a situation that impacts the lives of people living in dangerous border regions?

Sheriff Estrada has shared at least twice on Maddow’s show that the real problems were in the mountains and the canyons outside of town. Yet, Estrada’s tour guide took Maddow’s scouts to downtown Nogales to see the action there!

Santa Cruz County officials sure gave Maddow and her scouts a “true view” of the border.

What a way to support residents in the rural border regions of your county.

Shame on you!

CLARIFICATION at 8:42 pm: For readers who have never been to Nogales, the downtown area of Nogales is adjacent to the large Inspection Station/checkpoint (AKA, The Port of Entry), that is located between Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. Most illegal crossers will cross far away from the Port of Entry…crossing in the rural border regions, well away from downtown Nogales.

UPDATE 11:26 pm: At the Port of Entry of all places, yet ANOTHER tunnel existed under the southbound lane of the Port of Entry that Maddow’s scouts visited. Right under everyone’s noses.

There is no problem at the border?

Via the Associated Press:

(AP) – 8 hours ago

TUCSON, Ariz. — Another border tunnel has been found on Arizona’s border with Mexico.

U.S. Border Patrol agents working in cooperation with local and federal law enforcement agencies found a tunnel Friday in Nogales, under the southbound lane at the DeConcini Port of Entry.

The weight of a passenger bus caused a collapse in the road.

Border Patrol agents, with assistance from Mexican law enforcement, discovered an unfinished tunnel originating in Mexico.

From Oct. 1, 2009, to July 31, 2010, five tunnels were identified within the Tucson Sector. During the same period last year, 20 tunnels were discovered.

Authorities say smugglers mostly use tunnels to move drugs to the U.S.