Flag Live - December 2022

By Paul Garcia

When I was a kid, normal was both a state of being and a place. The place was easier to define It was a town, for one thing, and it could be found on one of those folded (paper!) highway maps that could be acquired at gas stations: there it was, smack dab in the middle of the great flatness of Illinois. Corn and soybeans, soybeans and corn; there wasn’t much else to see, it seemed, when my family drove south and west from the Chicago suburbs on some vacation or other, to Springfield or the Ozarks or, one warm spring break while alarms were sounding at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, down the river all the way to New Orleans.

Normal, Illinois, forever paired with its larger part ner city, Bloomington, both of them emblematic to me as the epitome of ordinariness Like another briefly memorable interstate exit, the town of Hell, Michigan, it seemed to exist more as a joke that could help lift the boredom for a few minutes than as a real place

In reality, of course, normal lay all around me, but just as the soft and humid air of the suburbs only occasionally carried a whiff of steel mills far to the south it was usually just part of the background, something so invis ible, so taken for granted, that it could not only not be named but barely rated as some thing that could even have a name. Normal was the suburban ranch house, the cul de sac, the two car garage, the trip with mom to the grocery store It was baseball on the radio in the summer night, sprinklers whir ring on the neighbors’ lawn. Normal was as simple as breathing, in and out, as reliable as winter bearing snow and August bearing another Cubs heartbreak.

I was thinking about normal just this morning as I rode the campus bus, which is the yes, normal way I often get to my office or classroom. It too is highly reliable and the furthest thing from flashy, except when the students get to decorate one of the buses with spiders and zombies for Halloween But now, in chilly November, the bus was as stark as usual, perhaps a third full.

A call came over the radio, loud enough that everyone in the bus could hear “Anyone find a phone on their bus?” a voice asked. “Someone just reported they lost theirs.”

“Not me,” our bus driver responded. But by the time we got to the next stop, another

driver had piped up: I have one! Someone turned it in.

“Can you describe it?” asked the dis patcher.

“Sure, it has a cat on the case.”

“That’s it! Let me talk to her and ask her where she wants to meet you so she can pick it up.”

I had a stressful day coming up; it is somewhat difficult, and honestly kind of embarrassing, to describe how this banal exchange lifted my spirits. I felt an almost overwhelming sense of rightness, a feeling that the system worked Normal worked! Normal was good! Normal was strangers helping one another simply because that is what people do when a society is function ing smoothly It was hardly worth noting except when it is worth noting.

I got to my office with a few minutes to spare, which gave me just time enough to once more pull up the Arizona election results. No new news. Every day I’d been checking obsessively, clicking again and again to see whether the governor candidate who appeared to be an ordinary, competent

politician and administrator was leading the candidate who was a flaming election denier The secretary of state candidate who was even more of an election denier had already lost, though by an alarmingly small margin considering the stakes.

Even without the final results of the gov ernor’s race, the nationwide trend seemed clear: in this election, normal was the win ner. Normal was the candidates who were able to persuade voters that they were not conspiracy theorists, or racing to take the country back into the 19th century. Normal was candidates whose names I had to dou ble check a few times because they simply hadn’t made that strong an impression.

I wrote a book recently that is all about how the historical moment we are living in is without precedent,how we are facing climate breakdown challenges that place us in a sit uation humans have never seen before. The book is partly about how climate used to be normal, in the fading into the background sense of that word, and how now climate is anything but normal, but even so many are unable to conceive of this disruption. And so

they look for excuses for inaction.

For many, though, especially among the young, it’s clear that normal has up and gone. Normal is over, at least when it comes to the climate. We won’t see it again, not in the lifetime of anyone alive today.

No wonder, then, that when normal shows itself even in banal ways it brings a palpable sense of relief. After all the shouting, after all the ever increased tension of the big story we have all been living with its ever increasing volume, it comes almost as a shock, and cer tainly as a relief, that we can find the ordinary still among us. Maybe that’s what’s becom ing of the vaunted American optimism that I always think of as being so thoroughly on display in those midwestern towns with their farmhouses and hyper productive fields: maybe, from a belief in eternal growth, we can instead find it sufficient that little bits of normal can still show up here and there.

Peter Friederici is a writer and a former field bi ologist and tour guide His new book is Beyond ClimateBreakdown:EnvisioningNewStoriesof RadicalHope

Peter Friederici

SLeIGH WINTeR MARKeT, SLeIGH

Winter is coming! Everybody loves strolling around a local farmer’s market, especially bundled up on a chilly day with a hot chocolate in hand, so come on down to Flagstaff City Hall to check out the Sleigh Winter Market on Saturday December, 3 from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Hosted by the folks with the Flagstaff Community Market, this outdoor holiday market features some of your favorite farmers’ and flea market vendors as well as some exciting newcomers. This event boasts goods from regional and local vendors, ranging from delicious treats like tamales to handmade jewelry, holiday decor and plenty more. Come slay your Saturday and visit the Sleigh Winter Market to fulfill your holiday gift shopping needs, to treat yourself (we don’t judge!) or to enjoy a fun Saturday activity.

THe APPLe OF MAGI

O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” is an iconic Christmas tale about sacrifice and deep love. It’s a story that’s been adapted on Sesame Street and in Mickey Mouse’s Clubhouse, but this winter season, Flag Shakes is taking on this story and telling it–like always–with a little twist. Their play titled “A Gift of the Magi” was writ ten by James DeVita and Josh Schmidt and features a stellar cast of live musicians and lots of songs that are sure to get your feet tapping and add an extra layer of depth to the story. Co-directed by Flagstaff theater favorites Leslie Baker and John Prophet, catch A Gift of the Magi at the Coconino Center for the Arts from Thursday De cember 8, to Sunday December 11 (one weekend only!). Additionally, there will be a pay-what-you-will final dress rehearsal on Wednesday December 7–donate what you can, tickets are not required. As for the performances on Dec. 8–11, a limited number of seats are available, so secure yours now at flagshakes.org and bring the whole family!

JAKe bAcON, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Chuy Proctor, 6, is all laughs while fighting to stay in his sled on a hill behind the Adult Center at Thorpe Park.

G’S PHOTOS

LIGHT IT UP

Each year, the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce and Vora Financial come together to present a beautiful display of lights during Flagstaff’s Parade of Lights. With almost 100 entries lighting up Historic Downtown Flag staff, you won’t want to miss out on the fun and festivities that have become a holiday tradition in Flagstaff. The parade starts at Beaver and Elm and weaves from Beaver to Aspen, Aspen to San Francisco, and San Francisco back to Elm. The light show begins promptly at 6 p.m. and will end around 8 p.m., so make sure to get there early. Parking spots will fill up quickly.

» SATURDAY | 12.31

LET’S TRY THIS AGAIN

The Grinch pauses to greet the crowd gathered on Aspen Avenue during the Holiday Parade of Lights in downtown Flagstaff.

Last year, the Great Pinecone Drop was canceled due to the rising threat of omi cron, but this year, the pinecone is back–for real. More than two decades ago, the event began as a way to ring in the new millennium and honor the Weatherford Hotel’s 100-year anniversary, but since then, it has become a New Year’s Eve tradition that brings together thousands of Flagstaffians to celebrate the old year and welcome the new one. It’s a free event for all those who want to attend, and if you’re interested in a fancier celebration, the Weatherford offers VIP tickets to the show on their balcony and a delicious dinner; however, if you’ve got kids and luxury isn’t really your style, a family-friendly Noon Year’s Eve is going to be held in Heritage Square earlier that day. They will have a ton of activities including pinecone art, live music, noisemakers and a countdown to noon led by Flagstaff Mayor Coral Evans followed by lots of celebratory kisses–Hershey’s kisses, that is.

RACHEL GIBBONS, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Rediscovering the magic in life

Theatrikos rounds out its 50th season with the audience favorite “Miracle on 34th Street”

LARRY HENDRICKS

He’s got the white beard and hair. He seems jolly enough. The red suit cer tainly suits him, but there’s no such thing as Santa Claus, right?

Not if a young child, who sees the magical and the miraculous in life, has anything to say about it

Theatrikos Theatre Company closes out its 50th anniversary season with a produc tion of “Miracle on 34th Street,” an audi ence favorite throughout the years “Miracle on 34th Street” is based on the story by Valentine Davies and is a commu nity theatre staple for the holiday season. It tells the tale of an older, white haired and bearded man who calls himself Kris Kringle and gets hired by a large department store to be Santa Claus. Problem is, the old man says he really is, truly, THE Santa Clause He is in jeopardy of being locked away as delusional, but a young girl comes to his rescue. Court is in session Will the evidence bear out the old man’s claim?

The production has a total of 32 adult and child actors.

“We live in a very divided time where people their opinions their feelings the truth it’s all up in the air,” said director Joe Man iglia, a staple of the Theatrikos stage. “The show is set in 1948, so World War II has just ended people are coming back from that and are looking for something to believe in something that gives them hope something that gives them strength”

Maniglia added that he thinks it is faith, that believing in something when common sense tells you not to, that allows the show to relate well to everyone

“I’ve enjoyed having adults and children work together to put on a show that the whole family can come to,” Maniglia said. “Having the adults learn from the kids about imagination and wonder and having the kids learn from the adults how to de velop character and the process of acting has been a win win on both accounts”

Cast member Glenn Hansen said, “Every one can relate to this story one that instills the magic of the holiday season. It attempts to address the question, ‘Can such a person as Santa exist?’ And the answer fills us with peace, hope, goodwill and the motivation to help others.”

Hansen added that the story reminds us

to look past the cynical commercialization of Christmas and see family, appreciate on another, to slow down.

“Community theatre brings people from all parts of the community together to tell a story worth experiencing, worth thinking about and ultimately worth embracing,” Hansen said. “I think that’s what is happen ing with this show presenting a story to

Cast member Lisa Coe said, “I always enjoy being a part of the Christmas shows at Theatrikos Theatre Company. There’s just a positive, warm, and fun ‘magical’ atmosphere of work and fellowship among cast and crew, I think, because of the holi

If you go ...

What: Theatrikos Theatre Company production of “Miracle on 34th Street”

When: Friday, Nov 25 through Sunday Dec. 18. Friday and Saturday perfor mances are at 7:30 p m Sunday matinees are at 2 p m

Where: Theatrikos Theatre Company

Doris Harper White Playhouse, 11 W Cherry Ave., downtown Cost: $20 $26 per person

Info: Masks are strongly encouraged but not required. On Sunday matinees, both masks and proof of vaccination are required For more information, or to pur chase tickets, visit https://theatrikos com

day season and because we all want to share the happy nostalgia with each other and the community.”

The production of “Miracle on 34th Street” had to be part of the 50th anniver sary season, said Chris Verrill, executive director. In preparation for the 50th season, Theatrikos surveyed audiences on what shows from the past they’d like to see. “Mir acle” came in near the top of the list.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment for any theatre to reach 50 years,” said Chris Verrill, executive director of Theatrikos Theatre Company. “Our cast and crew from the (Tony and Linda) Suteras who’ve been with us for 30 plus years to new ones doing their first show with ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ all have made these 50 years possible. More importantly than cast and crew, it’s the community. The city of Flagstaff, our pa trons, are what have made Theatrikos a suc cess. We look forward to being here another 50 years”

Flagstaff to think about, to take that story, embrace it and use it to make changes that are important to us all.”

PHOTOS BY BRIAN CORBETT

Celebrating our 21st Season! December Sedona Concerts

MAINLY BEETHOVEN

Saturday, December 3rd, 3:00 pm, Prof. Inna Faliks, Piano, Head of Piano Dept., UCLA, Prof. Liba Shacht, Roosevelt University, Chicago and John Sharp, Principal Cello, the Chicago Symphony Beethoven Archduke Trio & Sonata Appassionata, F Mendelssohn Notturno, and V Krauss’ Master and Margarita Suite, a Southwest Premiere

General Admission $28, Students with ID $15 Sedona Creative Life Center, 333 Schnebly Hill Rd

THE FOUR SEASONS BY VIVALDI & PIAZZOLLA

Saturday, December 10th, 3:00 pm, Shlomo Mintz, Solo violin

with Gabriela Olcese, violinist, Argentina, Prof. Liba Shacht, violinist, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Prof. Nancy Buck, viola, ASU, John Sharp, cello, principal, the Chicago Symphony, and Prof. Catalin Rotaru, Double Bass, ASU

Premium seating $55, General Admission $35, Students with ID $15

Sedona Performing Arts Center, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Rd

THE BRUBECK BROTHERS LIVE! A MULTI-MEDIA PRODUCTION

Saturday, December 17th, 3:00 pm

Premium seating $55, General Admission $35, Students with ID $15 Sedona Performing Arts Center,

f g , 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Rd d

Purchase tickets at www.redrocksmusicfestival.com Phone 602 402 4551

Ticket sales are final, no refunds or exchanges Programs and artists are subject to change.

Thursday, December 1, 2022 | flaglive

Schlomo Mintz, violin

Inna Faliks, piano N

Brubeck Brothers

For a good deal of my life I have been told I should be a writer of sorts. I knew I was a decent writer, and it came easily to me — which I attribute partly to my obsession with reading.

Teachers would say “Her writing is out standing for her age!” I never believed them. My own mother told me for years that she envisioned me pursuing some sort of writing career. At the time I told her, “Eh, no. I don’t think so.”

gled to pick a single career that encap sulated everything I was interested in. Every possibility felt like it cut out an other option that I would enjoy equally as much. In the end, journalism was the solution to that. I still have all of those previous interests, but now, I simply have the opportunity to write about them and help others discover their passions just as I discovered mine.

When high school began, so did the pressure to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Did I want to go to college? If so, what was I going to study? At 16 I was being asked to lay out the train tracks that would direct the rest of my life. As the indecisive person that I am, I found a new interest each year of high school.

Sipple

Freshman year Camille would have told you that she wanted to be a biology teacher. Sophomore year Camille wanted to be a geneticist.

Junior year Camille wanted to be a criminal psychologist.

Senior year Camille wanted to be a film maker in the fall and a journalist in the spring.

By the time the spring semester of my senior year of high school rolled around, I had decided on journalism. I had to ac cept that all of those teachers, alongside my own parents, might have been right in predicting what I’d do with the rest of my life.

Throughout high school I had strug

Despite making this decision in high school, I would have never guessed that I’d be where I am today. If you had told high school senior Camille — who saw marching band and swim team as life or death — that in four short years she would be Editor in Chief of the NAU newspaper as well as managing the student radio station, she would not have believed you for a second. If you had told her that she’d even be speaking live on-air at the radio station, and enjoying it, she would’ve laughed and waved you away. Joining Model UN and choosing to engage in pub lic speaking multiple times a week? High school senior Camille would have thought you were lying to her face.

It amazes me how much a person can change in just four years. Four years felt like an eternity in high school. Yet, here I am in my senior year of college, research ing journalism jobs and applying to grad uate schools.

With each year of college, I have be come more passionate about journalism and even surer that this is the path I want to follow. It may not be a solid ified train track or even a well beaten path, but it’s mine and I can’t wait to get started.

Camille

One stitch, one refugee

25 Million Stitches exhibit raises awareness of the global refugee crisis through art

Art is visual storytelling. Most artists try to capture a moment, an emotion or a message in each piece that they create. The struggle is to find a medium that adequately captures the theme or meaning of a given project. Jennifer Kim Sohn, activist and multimedia artist, found herself in such a predicament in 2019 when she began a project to visually document the number of Muslims that have been displaced throughout the world.

“Since it was making one mark and

repeating it 25 million times, I was thinking of maybe just pen marks,” Sohn said about the initial concept of the art installation. One pen mark to represent one displaced refugee. Eventually she changed her mind and decided that it would be better to use fabric with stitches to represent every refugee.

“Stitching is part of mending, and I really like that concept. When things are ripped you mend it… you mend it by stitching,” Sohn said. “[Also] I

PAUL GARCIA

PHOTOS BY SHAWN SKABELUND COURTESY OF COCONINO CENTER FOR THE ARTS

figured I would use fabric because it would travel and store so much better.”

With her choice of medium decided on Sohn began her project in earnest using a single stitched line for each refugee but she quickly encountered a problem. “I was so naive to think that I could stitch 25 million stitches, each stitch representing a single refugee. I was using a machine and com pletely destroyed the machine in three and a half days. I had to rethink [if the project] is this the best way to tell a story or maybe there’s a more compelling way to tell a story about the 25 million, which was the refugee count reported by the UN refugee agency when I started the project.” Undeterred, Sohn did something she hadn’t done before as an artist, she reached out to collaborate with others.

“I ask the public to collaborate with me, but I had never done any collaboration, not even with one other artist before.” Sohn said. “I made it a hand stitched project because I wanted to get as large a stitching pool in age groups and skill levels as possible. But it didn’t really take off. I noticed that eightmonth into the project, which was January of 2020 we only had two million stitches col lected and the show was scheduled for that March. I was so grateful for people who put in the work up to that point that I thought, okay, all I can do is just continue.”

It was then that the project gained an un expected momentum.

“We got two huge shipments from Lith uania,” Sohn recalled. “There were two college students who contacted us because they saw our call for participation on our Facebook page, and they said they would like to organize a stitching circle. They made 70 gorgeous panels. They’re large, they’re so tight they look like tapestries, like woven rugs. We were really, really fortunate. Not only because the panels were beautiful, but it somehow coincided with the momentum building that I couldn’t tell because it was happening in the background.”

Various schools, mosques, synagogues and churches volunteered their time and resources to help create the numerous tap estries that were incorporated into the pro ject. The ages of the participants also varied from kindergarteners to medical students to retirees.

“Incredibly, we were able to collect 23 million stitches in three and a half months. Actually, a little longer because then the pandemic hit.” Sohn said. Participants be gan mailing in their works to Sohn and her group of local volunteers that took on the monumental task of counting the stitches they were sent. “We may have had about

December 1, 2022

five to eight people at any time on the pro ject. There were people who were very sci ence oriented, and they were very good at counting the stitches. We went and sampled stitches in a panel of four different areas with different density of stitching, multi plied it by the size of the panel and we kept logs.”

As the number of panels Sohn called flags kept coming in, she and her team began arranging the flags together. Some of the

flags are only simple stitches that Sohn had originally envisioned while images relating to the refugees displaced. Some even had messages like “seeking safety is not a crime” and quotes like “every refugee in the world is forced out like a tree pulled out of the ground by a storm.” With the installation completed Sohn has moved onto the next phase, exhibiting the installation.

going to travel around the US, it’s going from here (Flagstaff) to San Diego and

“It’s

“Stitching is part of mending, and I really like that concept. When things are ripped you mend it… you mend it by stitching. I figured I would use fabric because it would travel and store so much better.”

Kim Sohn, activist and multimedia artist

then from there to Wisconsin and to Saint Louis,” Sohn said. “I would like to bring [it] to England because we have a huge partic ipation from England. And I want to have two shows in Canada where we had a huge part of participation. There’s some interest in South Korea.”

The number of Muslim refugees that have been displaced has grown since Sohn began her project. That makes this installation even more compelling for activists that want to bring attention to the issue.

“I think the bigger mission actually is to share the work. When you walk around [the instillation] you will see the scale of how big of an issue this is. You’ll also see how many different voices there are, but it’s all about support and solidarity and commu

nity,” Sohn said “Even during the pandemic that number went up to 27 million or 26.9 million. There are also internally displaced people. The difference between internally displaced people and refugees is that… internally displaced people are still within their country of origin.”

Sohn’s installation is on display now at the Coconino Center for the Arts (CCA) un til January 21, 2023 in the main gallery. More information about the installation is available on the 25 million stitches website, 25mil lionstitches.com and other social media websites, just search for 25 million stitches. Additional exhibition programming will be featured at the CCA, for a full list visit their website at coconinoarts.org and look under the 25 million stitches exhibit.

The Last Letter to Ducey

Dear Governor Ducey, What seemed impossible has now been made fully possible by the 2022 midterm elections. As of January, 2023, you will no longer be governor, which I have been trying to make happen since 2015 by writing letters to you. True, you did get term-limited out. And true, my letters did nothing to oust you from the job. I haven’t even written you a letter in over a year But still, you will be gone and dear Katie Hobbs will be governor. I like to think that some of the things I called you out on became so unpopular to voters in this state that it would be impossible for anyone to vote for a mem ber of your political party. But it’s not so cut and dry, I guess. For some reason, people seemed to have voted against the incumbent Superintendent of Schools, Kathy Hoffman, who did such great work protecting public schools and students these past four years. She has a one-year old baby! Who votes against someone with a baby? Especially someone with a baby who has been a teacher, who loves our schools and wants education to work for all families?

This summer and fall, I spent a lot of time visiting people in Flagstaff, talking to people about my husband who was running for school board. We knocked on doors with Kathy Hoffman, asking people what they thought was important for schools, agreeing with them that supporting stu dents as they rebounded from Covid’s del eterious effects on learning, trying to protect them from dangers that we couldn’t have imagined in our own childhoods’, making sure that they were fed and safe and able to find a path in public education that worked for each student Kathy Hoff man had good support here. My husband did incredibly well in his bid for school board. They both worked so hard. It’s crushing to know that work doesn’t always translate to a win. That my husband won is such a relief as he ran against a couple of people who claimed that public schools spend too much money but it’s such a bummer that he won’t have Kathy Hoff man’s support and experience. Flagstaff is a pretty great place to campaign—the audience here is friendly even if not always

lik minded.

What I loved about my previous column, Letters to Ducey, was that although you were never my audience, I could direct my grievances toward you. I felt that if noth ing else, I was marking every instance of frustration I had against how our public schools and universities became, over the past 8 years, more strapped for cash, more

harangued to do ‘more with less,’ more belittled. Each letter I wrote (over 500 of them in the end) meant that, somewhere, your work to disembowel public education was recorded.

Sometimes I get invited into public schools to host workshops about how to

write letters to the editor, since I had a lot of practice writing those 500 letters to you. I offer a few different bits of advice: use some dialogue, include a body part, make a metaphor. I usually read to them from a particular missive I wrote you a while ago as an example. In that piece, I imagine that each letter I send you, even as you stuff them in your desk drawer, unread, starts to pile up. Like snowflakes, letter upon letter builds an unstable snowpack. Eventually, with enough letters, that wall of snow falls down. An avalanche strong enough to change the shape of the room, to change the hard minds of people bent on making the rich richer and the poor poorer, headline: Governor Ducey, persuaded, reinstates the $110 million he took away from universities! Headline: Teachers now have salaries above poverty level!

Voting is a lot like letter writing. It is slow and grueling and it doesn’t seem like one vote does a whole lot to move the mountains you know you have to move to make any meaningful change. But if you believe in accumulation, if you can be pa tient and play the long game, you might fi nally pack that snow deep enough that the wall falls down.

Dear Governor last-time-I write-thesewords Ducey, I think of the shape of your office and what it will look like without you in it—with Katie Hobbs opening and closing those desk drawers and instead of thinking how best to make public schools pay for your wealthy friends’ special projects, she’ll think, do you know what this office is for? Making the state a better place for everyone. And, because she’s not afraid of snow, she’ll leave her office and go around the state, talking to people up in these colder nether regions She’ll talk to us one on one like we are regular people. She’ll say, oh, it looks like y’all in Flagstaff know about the effectiveness of knocking on doors She’ll see what a town can do to door by door, letter by letter, vote by vote. She’ll be impressed with our patient, slow work. Maybe so much that she’ll find a way to get Kathy Hoffman’s job back.

Nicole Walker is the author of seven books, most recently Processed Meats: Essays on Food, Flesh, and Navigating Disaster She teaches at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff The words here are her own and do not necessarily reflect those of her employer

Nicole Walker

Masters of Brewtality welcome winter with a slate of toasty recommendations

Winter is in full effect, boils and ghouls, and this month, the freaks and geeks of the Masters of Brewtality crypt are bringing you the quintessential guide to staying nicely toasty and toasted through these coldest of times here in beautiful Flagstaff.

First off, style is everything. Winter craft beers have traditionally been defined as rich and malt foreword, foregoing the bright, crisp hop flavors we tend to associate with spring and summer. Down here in the crypt, we’re proud long-haul drinkers but never shy away from getting good and hammered, so we’re going to spotlight some high and low ABV styles to cover all your bases. Starting off on the lighter side, you can’t beat a good Extra Special Bitter. One of the most approachable of the win ter styles, it’s known for a solid balance of hop bitterness and rich malt flavors and runs in that sweet, seasonable 4.5% to 5.5% ABV range. It’s always nice to post up beside a roaring fire for two or ten of these on a snowy afternoon.

Next up, we’re going to swing the pen dulum all the way to the other side with the often mortifying barley wine. These have wrecked many a morning for the MOB staff, and we’re as professional of drinkers as you can find in any of the realms. These rich red or coppery colored brews usually present toffee, caramel, and fruit-forward flavors with a barbaric 8.5% to 12.2% ABV. Proceed with caution, dear reader, these are guaranteed to send the night sideways if not treated with respect!

And what winter beer column would be complete with the noble stouts and por ters? Stouts were one of the first strong beers on record, with references dating all the way back to 1677. Porters made their way into the craft vernacular shortly after 1721 when used to generally describe dark brown beer. Strengths vary widely based on brand and recipe, with most bottoming out around an impressive 7%. When por ters hit the scene, it was almost immedi ately one of the most popular styles in the entire history of drinking, thanks largely to the higher ABV allowing the beer to be kept in storage longer and thus travel

farther. Large volumes made their way to Ireland, where in 1759, Arthur Guinness started the Guinness Brewery at St. James Gate Brewery. Fun fact, the initial lease on the brewery was for 9,000 years because why not? There’s a multitude of styles from milk stout to oatmeal porter to both Irish and American stouts and each have their own special nuisances, so spend a little time this winter sampling the differ ent expressions of this historic brew!

Our last spotlighted style is going to be the iconic Dubbel. Like many of the best beers in the world, this one traces its roots back to Belgium. Rich malt flavors, dried fruit esters, and just enough alcohol bite, the Dubbel is an immaculate choice for the winter season. Dubbels are close to the beloved brown ale but higher on the ABV

scale, usually running between 6%-8%. Expect some sugary flavors as well, mak ing a perfect pairing for any dessert.

Of course, these are just a smattering of our favorites, but we’re wanting to wrap this frigid month up with a few hot cocktail suggestions to pair with some of downtown’s patios that feature out door fire pits! Our first choice for fireside cocktails is undoubtedly going to Annex. They’ve won best cocktail in Flagstaff year after year and their giant round, propane fire pits make the chill in the air seem like a distant memory. From their Warm and Cozy menu, we’re going to recommend their Queen Mother, a delicious heated cocktail combination of red wine, apple and pear brandy, aquavit, allspice dram and citrus.

Any article not spotlighting Flag’s most essential patio at Flagstaff Brewing Com pany shouldn’t be written, so here they are! This winter, FBC is featuring their take on the oh-so classic hot toddy made with Buffalo Trace. They’ve got a large propane fire pit and two mobile heaters to stave off the cold and compliment this de licious cocktail. Plus, they’ve got some of the best bar food in the town!

Racing neck and neck with FBC, our newest downtown patio at Dark Sky Brewing is also bringing out a seasonal hot toddy but being the group of eccentric weirdos they are, have flipped the original recipe on its head. Locally-sourced honey and lemon juice is a given, but they’ve kicked it up a notch with the addition of Old Barrel’s Bourbon Pecan Pie artisan tea and Colorado’s own Peach Tree fiveyear-aged whiskey. We can’t endorse this enough, it’s incredible.

While we do enjoy propane down here in the crypt, there’s nothing that beats an actual wood burning fire pit and one of our favorites would have to be located at the downtown Mother Road. While they’re not offering anything hot beyond outdoor organic flames, they are planning over a dozen different beer releases this winter, so they’re definitely a spot to keep coming back to.

Finally, for all you party animals out there, the Mayor has a whole mess of games and fire pits on their scenic rooftop patio. We called for the scoop on what hot cocktails they’ll be rolling out for the winter season, but, unfortunately, that menu was still in the works as of this arti cle’s submission. But, if the Mayor’s track record of pouring out gallons of Flagstaff’s most hedonistic drinks is any indicator of what’s coming during these cold months, they’re definitely worth checking out.

That’s all for now, happy holidays from America’s #1 occult-themed craft beer column! May the drinks never stop and that family member you hate never been seen again!

Mike Williams (your titular Master of Brewtality) is a humble tattoo artist, egotistical writer, re lentless beer drinker, unrepentant Hellraiser and connoisseur of all things Doom Metal. You can find him slinging ink at Flagstaff Tattoo Com pany or at some bar downtown.

Mike Williams

RACHEL GIBBONS, ARIZONA DAILY SUN

Jeff Fitzgerald clears an alleyway in downtown Flagstaff earlier this year.

LA and homemade

MATTHEW HAYDEN

Gray skies and snow flurries are a far cry from the sun-soaked streets of Los Angeles, but there is a pop-up taqueria just off San Francisco trying to bring the heat of LA, home.

Temporarily located in the Southside Tavern, El Tamaleroo Mann bustles with energy. The scent of birria tacos, mulitas and quesadillas cooking on the griddle treats their eager customers with a hint of what’s to come: satisfaction. Owner Valeria Alcoser experiences a similar feeling as she looks at the scene before her, but as she will tell you, the success that they have achieved today did not come easily.

“We were struggling to make ends meet,” Alcoser says as one of her employ ees prepares an order. “Before we moved out here, I was working for an environ mental company... doing accounts paya ble, and [Lalo] was doing plumbing at that time.”

The decision to move from LA to Flag staff was originally suggested by an uncle who lives in town and owns the tire shop that El Tamaleroo Mann was originally located in front of. “He told us how much potential Flagstaff has to grow a busi ness…”

Alcoser, however, was unconvinced.

“It took like five times for them to convince me to move out here,” she chuckles. “I was born and raised in LA, so it was my whole life out there.” But after some persuading, Alcoser agreed.

In the beginning, El Tamaleroo Mann was a much smaller operation. It was only open on weekends and tamales, as their name suggests, were the only thing on the menu, but even the soft opening presented the young entrepreneur with problems.

“We couldn’t find the husk leaves, there were times where we couldn’t even find the meat in Sam’s Club, so we were like, ‘We have to do something else,’ because we were struggling… There was a point where the

Photos courtesy of El Tamaleroo Mann.

Birria quesotacos sizzle on the griddle at their temporary location in the Southside Tavern.

El Tamaleroo Mann brings a revitalized classic to Flagstaff

tamale system slowed down, and we weren’t selling enough to cover our expenses.”

Alcoser needed to get creative, so she decided to bring a delicious LA staple to her Flagstaff taqueria: birria.

This savory stew is a standalone classic in Mexican cuisine, but it can also be used to elevate and revitalize other classics like tacos and quesadillas. By dunking tortillas in the birria broth and stuffing them with the stew meat, a totally unique and wonderful palette of flavors is unlocked.

Alcoser knew the potential that birria had from her time in LA, but she first needed to learn how to make it.

“[My business partner] wasn’t sure exactly how to do it or how the red sauce was made,” Alcoser said. There was a lot of trial and error with the stew, and even af ter nailing the first batch, making the birria quesotacos proved even more difficult. “At first, the quesotacos came out really bad. They were burnt. Very thin. We kept re doing them until we got the right color, the right meat portion and

the right cheese.”

The effort that the team puts into perfecting their food shows in sight, sound and especially taste, but Alcoser wants El Tamaleroo Mann to be more than just a place with good food.

She says, “My goal is to make a staple, to mark history in Flagstaff. It’s not necessary to have a lot of things on the menu, and when you put passion and love into an item, it has the potential to grow.” The passion and love that Alcoser has for this business and for LA cul ture drives her mission to create a memorable yet always familiar experience. “We want to make everyone feel welcome when they come to us and eat here with us, that they feel like they’re at home.”

She is grateful for the sup port they’ve received during this strange and rewarding venture, and she is hoping to share their food with more people in the state of Arizona by expanding out side of Flagstaff and throughout Northern Arizona. But until all these exciting new changes go through, they’re introducing a variety of happy hour combos and

family packs to the menu to tide their loyal patrons over until the next big thing.

El Tamaleroo Mann is as de lightfully appetizing as their social media posts suggest, but their true success lies in their ability to make anyone feel at home, to create an environment as warm as the streets of LA and to revitalize a classic Mexican dish in a myriad of ways.

As Alcoser says, “There’s a lot of flavor, there’s a lot of love and pas sion as well… Come and try our food… You won’t regret it.”

El Tamaleroo Mann is open Wednesday through Sunday from 12—8 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and from 12—10 p.m. on Friday and Sat urday—or until sold out. Their current location is on 117 S San Francisco St. inside the Southside Tavern.

You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram at @ta cosetm19.

El Tamaleroo Mann’s November special: Asada special with cheese, cilantro mix and limes on the side.

THE PULSE

ONGOING

MONDAY

Dark Sky Brewing: Locals Monday. Every Monday from 6—8 p.m. enjoy $2 o non-barrel aged pours 10oz and higher for Flagsta locals.

Museum Club: Open Mic Night. Every Monday night from 6—9 p.m. Bands welcome. Many musicians have been asked back for paying gigs.

Oeno Wine Lounge: Hospitality Night. Every Monday, hospitality workers get 20% o their order. Proof of employment required.

Tappy Hour. Monday-Friday 12-4 p.m. All wine and beer taps are half o .

TUESDAY

Jazzercise: African Dance Class. Lessons focus on the traditional dances from Guinea, West Africa. 6:45—8:15 p.m.

Museum Club: Line Dance Lessons. Every Tuesday from 5 p.m.—8 p.m. Karaoke. Every Tuesday from 9 p.m. to close.

Oeno Wine Lounge: Teacher Tuesday. Every Tuesday educators get 15% o wines.

Tappy Hour. Monday-Friday 12-4 p.m. All wine and beer taps are half o .

WEDNESDAY

East Flagstaff Community Library: Family Storytime. Every Wednesday from 10:30—11:15 a.m. Firecreek Coffee: Singer-Songwriter Open Mic. Share your original songs between 7—10 p.m.

Gopher Hole: Karaoke & Service Industry Night. Happy Hour prices

for service industry personnel from 6 p.m. until close with the singing starting at 9:30 p.m.

Mead Hall: Trivia Night. Themed categories, including visual and sound, and prizes for the winners. 6—8 p.m.

Oeno Wine Lounge: Warrior Wednesday. All active military and first responders get 15% o .

Tappy Hour. Monday-Friday 12-4 p.m. All wine and beer taps are half o .

Weatherford Hotel: Blues Night at Charly’s. Every Wednesday night from 7—9 p.m.

Uptown Pubhouse: Team Trivia. Join them every Wednesday for what Flagsta ans are calling “the best trivia night in town!” 7:30—9:30 p.m.

THURSDAY

Dark Sky Brewing: Trivia Night. TAPP’D Trivia! Thursdays 7-9 p.m. at the DSB Beer Garden

Gopher Hole: Trivia Night. Doors open at 6 p.m. with trivia starting at 6:30 p.m.

Mead Hall: GREENLAW. Live Celtic music at the Mead Hall every Thursday at 7pm.

Museum Club: Free Line Dance Lessons from 5 p.m.—8 p.m.

Free Country Swing Lessons from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Dimes with DJ FRSH. Amazing drink specials from 8 p.m. to close.

Oeno Wine Lounge: Wine Tastings. Stop by between 5 and 7 PM to enjoy $20 wine tastings and $5 tastings for club members.

Tappy Hour. Monday-Friday 12—4 p.m. All wine and beer taps are half o .

FRIDAY

Flag Tag AZ: Family Friday Laser Tag. Get two games of laser tag for only $10 per person from 12 -11 p.m.

Jazzercise: Casino Rueda in Flagsta . Cuban-style Salsa Dancing followed by social dancing. 7:30— 10 p.m.

Lumberyard Brewery: Two Stepping Lessons and Free Dance from 9 p.m.—2 a.m.

Museum Club: Acoustic Happy Hour. Live country music from 5:30 p.m.—10 p.m. Check the schedule for shows and times.

Oeno Wine Lounge: Tappy Hour. Monday-Friday 12—4 p.m. All wine and beer taps are half o .

SATURDAY

Galaxy Diner: Swing Dancing at Galaxy Diner. All ages are welcome from 7–9 p.m.

Lumberyard Brewery: Two Stepping Lessons and Free Dance from

9 p.m.—2 a.m.

Museum Club: Live country dance bands every week from 8:30 p.m.—1 a.m.

SUNDAY

Flagstaff City Hall: Flagsta Community Farmers Market. Celebrate your community and the hard work of its regional small growers and small businesses at the farmer’s market every Sunday. 8 a.m—12 p.m.

Dark Sky Brewery: Pints and Poses: Yoga at the taproom every Sunday morning from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. $15 fee per class.

Sunday Funday. Live music every Sunday at the DSB Beer Garden 4—6 p.m.

Jazzercise: Ballroom social dancing. Dance lesson, open dancing from ballroom and swing to latin dance genres. 5:15—7 p.m.

Museum Club: Latino Night. Celebrating Latino and Spanish music every Sunday from 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Oeno Wine Lounge: Wine Education Night. A 30 minute lesson on wine topics starting at 4:30 p.m. $20 per person.

Thu/12.1

VARIOUS EVENTS

Orpheum Theater: Warren Miller’s “Daymaker”. The 73rd annual film rewrites the rules of adaptive backcountry riding. Doors: 6:30 | Show: 7:30 p.m.

Coconino Center for the Arts: Nightcap–Art Social Evenings. An intimate exhibition experience in the gallery and an opportunity to view the outdoor projection further visualizing the refugee crisis over time. 6–9 p.m.

Flagstaff Public Library: Smartphone Basics. A free Smartphone Basics Workshop. Learn how to use your phone securely, avoid scams, connect to WiFi, identify apps and more. 11:00 a.m. –12:30 p.m.

Fri/12.2

MUSIC EVENTS

Ardrey Auditorium: The Nutcracker Ballet. The FSO and Northern Arizona University’s Community Music and Dance Academy will continue their yearly collaboration to present The Nutcracker Ballet. 7:30–9 p.m.

VARIOUS EVENTS

Theatrikos Theater: Miracle on 34th Street. Come join Theatrikos for their adaption of the classic Christmas and legal comedy. 7:30 p.m.

Orpheum Theater: Holiday Bazaar. Join the Orpheum for a night of music, arts and crafts and all of the above for a sale of local and mis-

cellaneous goods. 6–9 p.m.

Northern Arizona University Studio Theatre: A Puppet Christmas Carol. Puppeted rendition of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. A talk back discussion will follow the performance. 6–8 p.m.

The Yoga Experience: Handmade Holiday Market. Local artists create a unique holiday shopping experience. 4–8 p.m.

Downtown Flagstaff: First Friday Art Walk. Join us between 5–9 p.m. for a series of special art exhibitions from local vendors, live music and more.

Sat/12.3

MUSIC EVENTS

Ardrey Auditorium: The Nutcracker Ballet. The FSO and Northern Arizona University’s Community Music and Dance Academy will continue their yearly collaboration to present The Nutcracker Ballet. 7:30–9 p.m.

VARIOUS EVENTS

Downtown Flagstaff: Tree Lighting and Winter Wonderland. Beginning at 3 p.m. there will be hot cocoa, s’mores, crafts, performances from members of the Flagsta Community Band. The Tree Lighting takes place at 5:45 p.m.

Holiday Candy Cane Lane. 49 dazzling holiday luminescent exhibits, decorated trees, giant candy canes poles and the incredible tunnel of dancing lights synchronized to your favorite holiday music. 5:30–9:30 p.m.

Weatherford Hotel: Enjoy a hot breakfast bu et, holiday crafts and Christmas tunes, and Santa, the guest of honor, will lead in a Christmas story and sing-a-long. 9–11 a.m.

NORTHERN

RACHEL GIBBONS ARIZONA DAILY SUN

City Hall: Sleigh Winter Market Features some of your favorite farm ers & flea market vendors as well as some newcomers 3 p m

Museum of Northern Arizona: Winter Open House and Market Support and celebrate the rich cul tural and artistic traditions of work ing artists on the Colorado Plateau at the Winter Market 10 a m 4 p m

Orpheum Theater: “Home Alone” The first film in the Winter Movie Series 9:30 a m 12 p m

Theatrikos Theater: Miracle on 34th Street Come join Theatrikos for their adaption of the classic Christ mas and legal comedy 7:30 p m

Shift: Bake Sale Stop by to pur chase some baked goods from one of the best restaurants in town

Sun/12.4

MUSIC EVENTS

Kitt Recital Hall: NAU Wind and Strong Chamber Ensemble Concert Admission is free 1:30 3:30 p m

NAU Cello Studio Recital Admission is free. 4:30 6:30 p.m.

NAU Saxophone Studio Recital Ad mission is free 7:30 9:30 p m

VARIOUS EVENTS

Museum of Northern Arizona: Winter Open House and Market Support and celebrate the rich cul tural and artistic traditions of work ing artists on the Colorado Plateau at the Winter Market 10 a m 4 p m

Theatrikos Theater: Miracle on 34th Street Come join Theatrikos for their adaption of the classic Christmas and legal comedy 2 p m

Mon/12.5

VARIOUS EVENTS

Flagstaff Mall: Paws and Claus

Bring your pets in for photos with Santa Everyone likes to have their pictures taken with Santa and your pets are no exception 6 8 p m

Wed/12.7

VARIOUS EVENTS

Mountain Sports: Holiday Pop Up with Christina Laufer. Stop by to purchase some jewelry and sil versmithing for the holiday season 4 8 p m

Downtown Flagstaff: Geology Rocks Tour Monthly 45 minute walking tour showcasing Flagstaff’s geological history 1 2 p m

Thu/12.8

MUSIC EVENTS

Orpheum Theater: Jerry Joseph Oregon musician and public ser vant who works closely with music groups in the Middle East and all across America 6:30 11:55 p m

Dark Sky Brewing Company: Jazz Night Josh Moore with the Jazz Funk Trio playing the 2nd Thursday of each month 5 7 p m

VARIOUS EVENTS

Coconino Center for the Arts: A Gift of the Magi Join Flag Shakes has they tell a tale inspired by O Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” 7 p m

Flagstaff Public Library: Email Basics Learn terminology, create an email account and practice using it 11 a m 12:30 p m

Fri/12.9

VARIOUS EVENTS

Clifford E White Theater: A Christmas Carol in Dance Canyon Movement Company is back to per form Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” in dance 7:30 9 p m

THE PULSE

Coconino Center for the Arts: A Gift of the Magi Join Flag Shakes has they tell a tale inspired by O Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” 7 p m

Theatrikos Theater: Miracle on 34th Street Come join Theatrikos for their adaption of the clas sic Christmas and legal comedy 7:30 p m

Sat/12.10

VARIOUS EVENTS

Downtown Flagstaff: Holiday Pa rade of Lights Head downtown to watch almost 100 float entries light up the streets in this annual holiday show 6 8 p m

12 Bars of Christmas This is a fun and festive bar crawl where revelers are encouraged to wear ugly holiday sweaters and other festive outfits 2 6 p m

Flagstaff Visitor’s Center: Flag staff Snowflake Festival Create hol iday memories that will last forever 12 4 p m

Flagstaff Mall: Holiday Craft Show Come find a unique gift for someone at the Flagstaff Mall’s annual craft show 10 a m 7 p m

Orpheum Theater: “Elf” The sec ond movie in the Winter Movie Se ries 9:30 a m 12 p m

Weatherford Hotel: Enjoy a hot breakfast buffet, holiday crafts and Christmas tunes, and Santa, the guest of honor, will lead in a Christ mas story and sing a long 9 11 a m

Clifford E. White Theater: A Christmas Carol in Dance Canyon Movement Company is back to per form Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” in dance 7:30 9 p m

Coconino Center for the Arts: A Gift of the Magi Join Flag Shakes has they tell a tale inspired by O

Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” 2 p m or 7 p m

Theatrikos Theater: Miracle on 34th Street Come join Theatrikos for their adaption of the clas sic Christmas and legal comedy 7:30 p m

Sun/12.11

VARIOUS EVENTS

Late for the Train: Howlidays Pawp Up Dress up your dogs and “pawp” downtown to take a family photo with Santa from 11 a m 2 p m

Flagstaff Mall: Holiday Craft Show Come find a unique gift for someone at the Flagstaff Mall’s annual craft show. 10 a.m. 7 p.m.

Coconino Center for the Arts: A Gift of the Magi Join Flag Shakes has they tell a tale inspired by O Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” 2 p m

Theatrikos Theater: Miracle on 34th Street Come join Theatrikos for their adaption of the classic Christmas and legal comedy. 2 p.m.

Mon/12.12

VARIOUS EVENTS

Flagstaff Mall: Paws and Claus Bring your pets in for photos with Santa Everyone likes to have their pictures taken with Santa and your pets are no exception 6 8 p m

Wed/12.14

MUSIC EVENTS

Orpheum Theater: Chuck Prophet & The Mission Express Genre sing er songwriters with a neo psyche delic edge 6:30 11:55 p m

VARIOUS EVENTS

Mountain Sports: Rising Sol Hol iday Pop Up Stop by to purchase some beaded jewelry for the holiday

season 4 8 p m

Fri/12.16

MUSIC EVENTS

Orpheum Theater: Rome & Duddy Rome Ramirez of Sublime with Rome and Duddy B from Dirty Heads 7 11:55 p m

VARIOUS EVENTS

Theatrikos Theater: Miracle on 34th Street Come join Theatrikos for their adaption of the clas sic Christmas and legal comedy 7:30 p m

Sat/12.17

MUSIC EVENTS

Orpheum Theater: Xtra Ticket Arizona’s longest running Grateful Dead tribute and the Orpheum’s 20th Anniversary Celebration 7 11:55 p m

VARIOUS EVENTS

Flagstaff Mall: Those Funny Little People Do some last minute shop ping while these folks from Ameri ca’s Got Talent entertain your kid dos 12 12:30 p m

Orpheum Theater: “The Polar Ex press” The third movie in the Winter Movie Series 9:30 a m 12 p m

Weatherford Hotel: Enjoy a hot breakfast buffet, holiday crafts and Christmas tunes, and Santa, the guest of honor, will lead in a Christ mas story and sing a long 9 11 a m

Theatrikos Theater: Miracle on 34th Street Come join Theatrikos for their adaption of the clas sic Christmas and legal comedy 7:30 p m

Sun/12.18

VARIOUS EVENTS

Theatrikos Theater: Miracle on

34th Street Come join Theatrikos for their adaption of the classic Christmas and legal comedy 2 p m

Wed/12.21

VARIOUS EVENTS

Buffalo Park: “Step Into Health” Walking Club Every third Wednes day of the month, join North Coun try HealthCare for a walk between 3:30 and 4:30 p m

Sun/12.25

VARIOUS EVENTS

Woodlands Restaurant: Christ mas Dinner Join guests at the Hil ton Double Tree for a lovely plated dinner at 1 p m Reservations are required: 928 773 8880

Fri/12.30

MUSIC EVENTS

Orpheum Theater: The Petty breaker The nation’s best tour ing tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Doors: 7 p m | Show: 8 p m

Sat/12.31

VARIOUS EVENTS

Weatherford Hotel: The Great Pinecone Drop Join the Weather ford Hotel in celebrating the new year

Orpheum Theater: New Year’s Eve 2022 Featuring singer songwriter and instrumentalist BARDZ along with DJ sets from your favorite SPOTLAB artists and more 8 p m 1 a m

Heritage Square: Noon Year’s Eve Celebrate the arrival of 2023 with crafts, a photo booth, noisemak ers and a special pinecone drop at noon 10 a m 12 p m

Thursday, December 1, 2022 | flaglive com | 21

they can talk.