Desert Times March 2023

DESERT TIMES

The Voice of Southwest Tucson

Tucson’s only wildlife rehab center hosts 11th fundraiser

BY HOPE PETERS Tucson Local Media Staff

s Tucson Wildlife Center’s development coordinator, Hubert Parker says he feels blessed.

He is grateful for the community, which covers Tucson Wildlife Center’s $900,000 annual operating costs through grants, donations and fundraisers.

“We are blessed with good support around us,” Parker said. “It says a lot about the heart of this town.”

The nonprofit will once again rely on the community to help as it hosts its 11th annual fundraiser Sunday, March 12, at the Westin LA Paloma. It begins with cocktails and a silent auction at 4:30 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m., followed by a live auction.

The live auction includes trips to the Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field Rooftop Experience; a day with a K-9 unit; a private dinner for 12 prepared by Tucson’s renowned chef Janos

A newborn javelina was triaged Jan. 20. (Hope Peters/Staff)

Wilder; two tickets and accommodations for the Country Music Awards and a personal tour of the Country Music Hall of Fame; and

the naming opportunity for the center’s or-

Local youth leader seeks to change state sex education policy

BY KATYA MENDOZA Tucson Local Media Staff

Maritza Roberts-Padilla says quality sexual health education is lacking, so the 18-year-old created Increasing Sexual Literacy Matters (ISL Matters) to bridge the sexual health gap among teenagers.

A junior at BASIS Tucson North, Padilla is one of 33 national Civic Spring Fellowship recipients.

The New Jersey-based Institute for Citizens and Scholars seeks to engage in the develop-

ment of civic learning. Audra Watson, senior program director, said that the institute’s mission is to develop young people who are knowledgeable, engaged and hopeful about democracy.

“Civic learning encompasses a number of things,” Watson said. “It includes developing civic knowledge, skills and dispositions, understanding what the systems of our government are and how to engage with one another on an individual level.”

Watson said in 2020, the institute sought to begin work with young people and called upon youth-led organizations to propose

projects and activities that were important to their communities. Most of the topics were a direct result of COVID-19, she said. The organization awarded grants to six groups to support youth’s work.

The fellowship was developed by 40 subject-matter experts with recommendations from young people and an independent evaluation was conducted by Tufts University’s Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE). The findings conveyed that the fellowship helped

FEBRUARY 2023

DESERT TIMES

e Desert Times is published the rst week of every month and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout south Tucson. To nd out where you can pick up a free copy of the Desert Times, please visit www.TucsonLocalMedia.com

STAFF

ADMINISTRATION

Steve T. Strickbine, Publisher

Michael Hiatt, Vice President

Claudine Sowards, Accounting claudine@tucsonlocalmedia.com

EDITORIAL

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski, Executive Editor christina@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Karen Scha ner, Sta Reporter kscha ner@timepublications.com

Hope Peters, Sta Reporter hpeter@timespublications.com

PRODUCTION

Shannon Mead, Production/Design Supervisor, smead@timespublications.com

Ruth Carlton, Graphic Designer rcarlton@timespublications.com

CIRCULATION

Aaron Kolodny, Circulation Director, aaron@phoenix.org

Brian Juhl, Distribution Manager, brian@timeslocalmedia.com

NATIONAL ADVERTISING

Zac Reynolds, Director of National Advertising Zac@TimesPublications.com

ADVERTISING

TLMSales@TucsonLocalMedia.com

Kristin Chester, Account Executive kristin@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Candace Murray, Account Executive candace@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Gary Tackett, Account Executive gtackett@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Tyler Vondrak, Account Executive tyler@tucsonlocalmedia.com

Leah Pittman, Account Executive lpittman@tucsonlocalmedia.com

EDITORIAL & AD CONTENT

ARTS

Through Friday, Aug. 4

The North American premiere of the Linda McCartney Retrospective comes to the University of Arizona Center for Creative Photography, now through Friday, Aug. 4. Spanning McCartney’s entire career from 1965 to 1997, this exhibition features 176 photographs and archival materials, including Polaroid images and presents three sections such as family life, photographic experimentation and artists. The exhibit will recur weekly from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. The exhibition will also feature various community events inspired by the collection. For more information, visit ccp.arizona.edu. Center for Creative Photography 1030 N. Olive Road.

Wednesday, March 1, ongoing

The African American Museum of Southern Arizona has opened its doors at the UA. Co-founded by Beverly and Bob Elliott, the museum presents a cultural and educational experience through items of significance

and intentional storytelling to preserve African American and Black life, culture and history in Southern Arizona to benefit the community. Admission is free to the museum in room 244 of the Student Union Memorial Center. Until regular hours are established, interested visitors can schedule an appointment by emailing aamuseumofsouthernaz@gmail.com. Visit aamsaz. org for more information. African American Museum of Southern Arizona, 4511 N. Campbell Avenue, Suite 255-2.

Through Saturday, May 20

Willem de Koonig’s “Woman-Ochre” was stolen in 1985 from the University of Arizona Museum of Art. It’s returned home and on display through May. Tickets for “Restored: The Return of Woman-Ochre” are $8 general admission; $6 seniors 65-plus and groups of 10 or more; and free for students with ID, museum members, UA faculty, staff, military personnel, AAM members, visitors with a SNAP card or Tribal ID, and children. For more information about other ongoing exhibits, visit artmuseum.arizona.edu. The University of Arizona Museum of Art, 1031 N. Olive Road.

Wednesday, March 1, to Saturday, April 8

The Tucson Desert Art Museum presents its “¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues/En los barrios y las grandes ligas” now through Saturday, April 8. Organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the National Museum of American History, this exhibit examines the sport and how Latinos helped shape it. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 students/children, and free for active military. For more informa-

BY KATYA MENDOZA

tion about permanent and ongoing exhibitions, visit tucsondart.org. Tucson Desert Art Museum, 7000 E. Tanque Verde Road.

THEATER

Saturday, March 4, to Saturday, March 25

The Arizona Theatre Company presents “Pru Payne,” starting Saturday, March 4. Created by Pulitzer Prize nominee Steven Drukman and directed by Sean Daniels, “Pru Payne,”’ follows the emotional story about an esteemed critic Prudence, in the face of memory loss. For information about ticket pricing and the current season, visit atc.org. The Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Avenue.

LIVE MUSIC

Friday, March 3

Oro Valley Parks & Recreation hosts the free Friday Night Concert series on the lawn of the historic Steam Pump Ranch from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, March 3. Listen to the diverse sound of the local cover band, Good Trouble. Food trucks, nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. Outside alcohol is not permitted. For more information about this free event, visit orovalleyaz.gov. Steam Pump Ranch,10901 N. Oracle Road.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Thursday, March 1, to Sunday, March, Nov. 5

The Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson present the Spring Ikebana Festival - Yume Japanese Gardens’ 10th anniversary celebration. Also known as, “the way of the flowers,” Ikebana is the meditative art of

Japanese floral arranging. This art, which dates back to the 15th century incorporates nature with an emphasis of lines, shapes and form throughout the arrangement and the hand of the arranger. Come celebrate the arrival of spring and 10 years of Ikebana Festivals at the Yume Gardens. General admission tickets $18, members $10, children under 15, $5. Tickets include entry to the gardens. For information on times and dates, visit yumegardens.org. Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson, 2130 N. Alvernon Way.

Saturday, March 4, and Sunday, March 5

The Tucson Festival of Books returns to the University of Arizona campus

Saturday, March 4, to Sunday, March 5. From 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., walk around the vibrant UA Mall and sit in on interesting book panels, meet authors, discover publishing companies and resources. The event is free, but certain events require advanced registration and tickets. For a full lineup of

guest speakers and information on how to plan your visit, check out tucsonfestivalofbooks.org. The Tucson Festival of Books, 1209 E. University Boulevard.

Saturday, March 4, to Sunday, April 2

It’s racing season at the historic Rillito Park Racetrack. Every Saturday and Sunday, check out fast horses, jockeys and big purses for nine weekends this spring. Gates open at 11 a.m. on race days. Post time is at 1 p.m. Visit rillitoracetrack.com for more information. Rillito Park Racetrack, 4502 N. First Avenue.

Wednesday, March 1, to Sunday, April 2

Huzzah! The 35th annual Arizona Renaissance Festival returns to Pinal County. The medieval amusement has a 16-stage theater, a 50-acre circus, arts and crafts fair, jousting tournament and feast. Mingle with over 2,000 characters in costume and don’t forget to eat a giant roasted turkey leg. Eat, drink and be merry, for there is so much to see and do. Tickets cost $33 for adults, $21 for children 5-12, (children 4 and younger enter free) if purchased in advance at any Bashas’ or Food City

statewide. For a full list of activities and schedule of events, visit arizona. renfestinfo.com. Arizona Renaissance Festival, 12601 E. U.S. Highway 60, Gold Canyon.

Through Sunday, May. 7

Journey into a Western Experience at Old Tucson Studios, through Sunday, May 7, and witness the spirit of the Old West come alive. Get a glimpse of a historic town in Arizona territory during the 1800s and enjoy live action cowboy gun fights, death defying stunts, rides and attractions. Tickets are $34 for adults, $17 for children (5-11), and include admission and attractions. A Western Experience will be open 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays to Sundays. Visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance at oldtucson.com. Western Experience at Old Tucson Studios, 201 S. Kinney Road.

LOCAL MARKETS

Friday, March 3, to Sunday, March 5

The Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block hosts its annual Spring Artisans Market from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday, March 3, through Sunday, March 5. Featuring over 100 local artists, artisans and vendors, the event is free and open to the public and a fundraiser for Southern Arizona’s oldest visual arts institution located Downtown. Café a la C’Art will be open throughout the weekend. Visit tucsonmuseumofart.org for more information. Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block, 140 N. Main Avenue. 

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Flowing Wells equipped with panic buttons

BY KAREN SCHAFFNER Tucson Local Media Staff

Flowing Wells Unified School District schools are being equipped with panic buttons so staff can quickly and directly connect with security.

The buttons, installed by 911Cellular, can trigger a lockdown from staff computers or smartphones. Also being in-

WILDLIFE from page 1

phaned bobcat facility.

Silent auction items include outstanding art, jewelry and gift certificates.

Tickets are $225 at tucsonwildlife.com. The benefit contributes approximately 35% to the funds needed to maintain the wildlife center.

The Tucson Wildlife Center, which rescues injured and orphaned wild animals, receives no state or federal aid and relies on grants, donations and monies raised at its fundraising events.

Most other wildlife rehabilitation centers in Southern Arizona have closed their doors, leaving the 25-yearold Tucson Wildlife Center as the area’s only full-service hospital and rehabilitation center.

“We are the only one and people believe in it,” Parker said. “We run on donations and some grants. We are financially sound.”

Lisa Bates and Peter Lininger founded Tucson Wildlife Center in 1998 on three acres of land near her home. Now it sits on 15 acres on Speedway Boulevard, about three and a half miles east of Houghton Road.

“(Lisa) didn’t have an idea she would be opening up a center like this,” said board secretary Jack Herring. “She had two injured racoons and went around to different vets, and none of the vets would take wildlife…that’s when she realized there was a real need for the larger (wildlife) mammals, for someone to take care of them when they’re injured.”

Parker said it costs about $2,000 a day to run and someone is always on call.

With 20 employees and 40 to 50 volunteers, the center has a hospital, and triage and surgery rooms. Of those work-

stalled are duress buttons that sit either on or underneath a staffer’s desk.

Flowing Wells Unified School District serves approximately 6,000 students across 10 schools. Safety software and apps will be made available to all staff and utilized in every classroom. The buttons allow staffers to notify co-workers that they need assistance.

“Our goal in using the 911Cellular alert system is to empower employees

to be able to initiate a lockdown at their site,” said Kimberley Parkinson, associate superintendent, in a statement.

“Using 911Cellular also helps us ensure that all employees on site receive a notification instantly so they may follow emergency procedures as quickly as possible.”

The project has been in the works for about six months in light of several school shootings nationwide.

ers, eight are veterinarians who donate their time and services.

“They come here, or we go to them, depending on what the situation is,”

Herring said about the vets. “We have some who come in and do surgery here, some just come in and inspect the animals, and do immediate triaging sometimes….”

The triage area is the first stop for a wild animal who has been rescued or found. One such wild animal, a baby javelina, was brought in recently to triage. Once triaged and treated, animals are placed into enclosed rooms in the hospital for observation and care. Once the animals are on the mend, they move out to the various outside buildings, pens, and cages on the grounds.

Herring, who has been with the wildlife center for eight years, said animals

“In today’s environment, Flowing Wells’ leadership recognized the value of launching these cutting-edge tools to protect their students, teachers and staff,” 911Cellular CEO Chad Salahshour said in a statement.

“The security of our students and staff is critical, and we’re proud to be partnering with 911Cellular as part of our commitment to keeping our schools as safe as possible,” Parkinson added. 

at least, for an animal to be rehabilitated and released to its natural habitat.

“It just depends. It could be like if a hawk or an owl has a wing injury,” Parker said. “You have to wait then for them to molt and get new feathers…it could be six months.”

Tucson Wildlife Center also has a foster program for animals who cannot be released back to the wild.

“We are a Global Federation of Animals Sanctuaries (facility); we are the only one of those recognized in Arizona,” Parker said.

A foster mother is caring for bobcat babies, Parker said of its current residents.

The public is asked to call the Tucson Wildlife Center if they find an animal who is sick, starving, injured or in need of rescue.

must be sick, injured or orphaned to receive care.

“But anything else in the Sonoran Desert wildlife, they pass through here,” Herring said. “From a horned toad to coyotes to bobcats to javelina.”

Tucson Wildlife Center cared for more than 5,000 animals in 2020, but it averages 4,000 to 5,000 animals a year. The most treated wildlife includes hawks, vultures and great horned and barn owls.

“But in sheer numbers, it’s probably dove and quail in the summer,” said Parker, who has been with the center for about two years. “The quails come in orphaned a lot.”

It does not take in deer, mountain lions or bears. They are treated by Arizona Game and Fish, Herring said.

Depending on the animal’s injuries, Herring said it could take several weeks,

Winter is the facility’s slow time, as not many animals are brought in for treatment. Spring and early summer are its busiest time, attracting 180-190 volunteers. Many are college students who intern or volunteer for credit.

“We are not the Desert Museum; we don’t have crowds.” Parker said. “Our whole goal is to release them back to the wild; that’s how we judge our success.” 

Tucson Wildlife Center Fundraiser

WHEN: 4:30 p.m. cocktails and silent auction; 6:30 p.m. dinner followed by live auction on Sunday, March 12

WHERE: The Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa, 3800 E. Sunrise Drive, Tucson COST: $225

INFO: 520-290-WILD (9453), tucsonwildlife.com

The once-injured raccoons will soon be released back into the wild. (Hope Peters/ Staff)

youth strengthen their voices and advocate for policy change.

Last year, through a strategic partnership with PayPal, the Civic Spring Fellowship was expanded to Maricopa County. The program’s third iteration selected fellows in Tucson, Phoenix, Austin, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York City, and includes an $1,800 stipend to help fund their projects.

“What we were most interested in were young people who understood not just what they were passionate about but what was needed for their community,” Watson said.

Padilla said she heard about the fellowship through Junior State of America (JSA), a nonpartisan political youth organization that centers activism based on discussion. She is the national vice chair.

“I’m really passionate about this,” Padilla said. “I believe that Gen Z has become one of the largest activist generations because of hyperpolarization in our government.”

Through activism-based discussion, she said that it is possible to find a common ground.

A driving factor behind Padilla’s ISL Matters project is Arizona-specific legislation in which schools are not required to teach sex nor HIV education.

“But if schools do decide to teach it, they have to stress abstinence,” Padilla said, according to Arizona Revised Statutes §15711, 15-716 and 15-102. Sex education is also an “opt-in” program that requires parents or guardians to provide written permission for their child to participate.

“I’m creating a website that will have a comprehensive sex education curriculum that can be self-taught,” Padilla said. Her project gives access to information about basic anatomy, proper hygienic practices and sexual health. She said she hopes to include a collection of Arizona-specific data as well as a youth coalition aspect, to provide an opportunity for youth ambassadors to contribute toward the website.

Padilla and the other 32 fellows will work in small groups for 10 weeks, meeting with coaches to support their work through communities of practice, Watson said. The goal is to work on their respective topics which vary from education, community health and wellness, economic opportunity and others.

“Depending on their particular project, they will gain a better sense of where change can take place,” Watson said. “I think they walk away with a sense of agency.”

With the third class, the fellows range in age from 15 to 24. As a former middle school teacher, Watson is looking forward to the program expanding to 14 year olds. “The younger that you get people started, the more that they’re going to be able to do in their lifetimes,” she said.

“My goal is to continue expanding the project and continue collaborating with organizations, initiatives, local health clinics and just spreading the awareness of the website because I want someone to have a question answered,” Padilla added.

Padilla, whose interests range from activism, policy and environmental science, is also involved in the local Unidas Teen Philanthropy Program affiliated with the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona, serves as secretary on the National Honor Society, assists with environmental chemistry research at the University of Arizona and runs an academic blog called @maritzastudies where she posts studying content for students. She said that she is interested in studying public policy or environmental studies after she graduates high school.

“That’s something that I also care about a lot, the access to education,”

said. “It’s just unfair to students who were never given the opportunity to learn to be hindered by their ignorance of sexual health, their lack of literacy.”

Padilla

Other local fellows include Farah Mohamed, 21, Myleigha Truitt, 22, and Sam-

The Institute for Citizens & Scholars Winter 2023 Civic Spring fellows. (Institute for Citizens & Scholars/Submitted)

EXTRA POINT WITH TOM DANEHY SPORTS &RECREATION

Tucson: Living in a basketball town

Afew years ago, I was coaching the girls’ basketball team at a nowclosed small private school.

We had a great decade-long run, reaching the state tournament every year and making multiple trips to the final four. But being from a small school (with an enrollment that was never more than mid-double digits; one year, we had 45 kids — boys and girls — in the entire school), playing at state was always a challenge. A big part of that challenge was the fact that the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) had bowed to the complaints from Spring sports coaches and had scrunched down the basketball season by a couple weeks.

Part of that scrunching involved the state tournament. To win a state championship, a 1A school (often with an enrollment of 100 or less) would have to field a team (often with a roster numbering in the single digits) capable of making a most unlikely run. In those days, the big schools would hold a state tournament that was spread out over two weeks or longer.

Meanwhile, the 1A schools would have to run a four-game gantlet (not gauntlet) in four days. You’d have games on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. (My teams played multiple games on Friday, but never made it to Saturday.)

I thought about that when I saw the dates for this year’s state tournament. Flowing Wells played its first-round game on Wednesday, Feb. 15. They played their second-round game on Monday, Feb. 21. If they won, it would be another week before their next game. The regular season ended on Feb. 1 and the championship game at state will be in March! That’s just crazy. In basketball-crazy Tucson, more is better, so few people will complain about the prep schedule being stretched out in that manner. It’s just more of a good thing. This year, in fact, it’s pretty much more of a great thing. At press time, the four teams that play basketball on a collegiate level (the women and men at the UA and the

men and women at Pima Community College) have a combined record of 81-22.

The Wildcat women have the “worst” record of the four squads and they’re 19-6 (76%). Most Tucsonans don’t remember how bad the UA women’s program used to be, mostly because it was so bad, nobody paid any attention to it.

I’ve been coaching high school girls’ basketball coming up on 20 years now. I used to take my teams to a game each year. One time we went to a game and the UA women lost by 40 or something to a mediocre team. The next day at practice, I told my players that if they didn’t work hard that day, I was going to take them to another UA game.

Of course, a couple years ago, Adia Barnes coached them to the national championship game and now everybody is like, “What?! They’re not undefeated?! What has happened?”

The UA women are going to win 20 games this year, they are ranked in the Top 20 in the country, and they have a decent (but not great) chance of hosting the first two games in the NCAAs. Not bad for being fourth best in town.

At press time, both the Pima men and the Pima women stood at 20-6. Both teams compete in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC), one of the toughest junior college conferences in the entire country. The ACCAC has a twotiered system, with the top tier (Division I) consisting of schools that have dorms. They include Eastern Arizona in Thatcher, Arizona Western in Yuma, and Cochise College in Douglas. The D-II schools, including Pima, are true community (and commuter) colleges.

A couple weeks ago, both Pima teams lost games at Cochise (the men in excruciating, basket-at-the-buzzer fashion to a team that is 18-0 in conference play and 24-2 overall). The Pima women are in third

Athlete

of the Week: Colby Price

Colby Price can’t help it. It’s the blessing/curse of an athlete who plays a specialized position in a sport and does it well. When that athlete is watching others play that sport, he/she can’t simply enjoy the contest. Instead, their eyes are focused on the person playing that position and they tend to have athletes’ tunnel vision accordingly.

He laughs at the mention. “It’s so true. I automatically watch the setter. How are his hands? Does he have good footwork? Is he setting the right player at the right time? I can’t help it.”

Price is a junior at Mountain View and he hopes to lead the Mountain Lions back to the state tournament this year. “We made it to state last year, but we lost in the first round. We lost several seniors (to graduation), but our team goal is to get back to State this year and try to go further this time.”

He had played basketball his entire life, but after playing on the freshman team his first year, he decided to focus solely on volleyball.

He made the jump from the freshman/ sophomore team to varsity in one year and is a stand-up young man all around,” coach Lindsey Spivey said.”

Price really enjoys his weight training class, but his favorite among the core classes is pre-calc, one for which he will be getting college credit at Pima. Physics and English are a bit more challenging, but he is handling the balance between academics and athletics quite well.

“I was working at a Subway before the season started, but I had to stop so that I could keep my grades up and do well in volleyball.”

He plans on going to college, but he’s not sure what he wants to major in nor exactly what he wants to do with his life. Before college, however, he will do a two-year mission for his church. Off the top of his head, he says that perhaps he would like to go to England. (I told him

about “The Book of Mormon,” where the main character wanted to do his mission in Orlando, Florida, but ended up in Africa, instead.)

“I’ll go wherever,” he said.

Getting back to his former job, I asked him if, when he was making the sandwiches, the customer is always right.

“Yeah, you just have to do whatever they say, although some people try to get more than their money’s worth by piling on lots of everything.”

I told him about a girl on one of the basketball teams I coached who had never been to a Subway before we stopped at one for a team meal one time. She asked what I would get. I said that I usually get spicy Italian or a meatball with pepperoni. So she ordered the meatball with pepperoni…and then put mayonnaise on it.

Price laughed, but then said, “I had a guy come in once and ordered a meatball and then topped it with mustard.”

You win. 

Colby Price hopes to head to England for his two-year mission. (Colby Price/Submitted)

uel Turner, 21, whose community health project MIA (Mental Health Awareness) seeks to address mental health and trauma that impact young people.

“I think one of the things that is exciting to me (is) the diversity of the group,” Watson said.

“Some of the fellows had just a kernel of an idea about what they wanted to work on and were able to put one or two action steps on paper, while others had a much clearer sense of the steps they would take over the course of the 10 weeks. It will be exciting to see how the group learns from each other.” 

BASKETBALL

from page 8

place in the 12-team ACCAC. Their roster includes players from Tucson High, Palo Verde, two kids from Amphi, as well as players from such exotic locations as Rio Rico and Nogales. By contrast, the Cochise roster included players from Spain, Portugal, Cameroon, Jamaica and Montenegro. Slight difference.

The Pima men had been averaging over 100 points a game, but a nail-biting 61-60

win at South Mountain dropped the season average below triple digits and now they’re down to a pedestrian 96.2 points per game.

Both Pima teams are in the hunt for a spot at Nationals, but only one D-II team can make it (one for women, one for men) and the competition is fierce.

As for the UA men’s basketball team, they’re 22-4 and ranked in the top five in the country. If only they could get people to show up at McKale Center for their games. 

Maritza Roberts Padilla, 18, is a BASIS Tucson North junior. (Institute for Citizens & Scholars/ Submitted)

HEALTH Optimize visits to health care providers

BY MIA SMITT Tucson Local Media Columnist

We live in an era of managed care, what some might call managed costs, and unfortunately the traditional bond and familiarity between patient and doctor (or nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant, heretofore to be dubbed PCP –primary care provider) sometimes might seem like a relic of the past.

Time constraints during the routine visits have eliminated some of the casual conversations about family and interests aside from the current health concern. Unfortunately for many, this trend has lessened the trust between patients and their PCPs. Simple dissatisfaction, nonadherence to advice, and even lawsuits, are possible consequences to be reckoned with. The biggest gripe is often starts with, “He/She just won’t listen to me.”

Not all PCP offices operate in this mode. Some exhibit true care and concern and will go the extra mile for a patient or family in need. But the key word is relationship. This relationship involves responsibility from both provider and patient.

An assurance of quality care depends on honesty and cooperation on both ends of the stethoscope. Patients need to bring medications to the visit, or at least know their current medication regimen.

There are few scenarios more frustrating to a PCP than asking Mrs. Jones what she takes for her high blood pressure and being told, “You know, the little white ones,” or “Don’t you have that written in my chart somewhere?” Be honest if you are not taking the prescribed medication or if your compliance varies from day to day. Be certain to always mention any over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and any supplements such as herbal preparations and vitamins. These can interact with prescribed medications and impact blood pressure, glucose levels, and certain blood test results.

Be honest regarding such habits as smoking, alcohol, drug use, or risky sexual practices and always remember that all such information is held in utmost confidence. A fuller understanding of lifestyle enables the PCP to better treat and collaborate with a patient for improved health outcomes.

Do not rely on television or the internet for health information. Not all medications advertised on television may be optimal choices for you. Many ads are

misleading. Remember that their goals are not always your good health but their profits. Also realize that one medication that is good for a friend or relative may not be the best choice for you.

Bring your questions and concerns to the visit. Written lists are a great start but remember that to do justice to all your concerns, follow up visits may be necessary to address all the issues carefully. State the most important issues first. Another PCP frustration is to spend 15 or 20 minutes with a patient before something major is mentioned in an almost “by the way” manner. (“Oh, by the way, I have had a lot of blood in my urine lately.”) This called the “doorknob complaint” — as the PCP reaches the door, a patient brings up a major issue. Most PCPs will spend the necessary time but remember that she or he will fall further behind in the schedule!

Just as it is vitally important for the PCP to really listen, and “listen between the lines” to patients, the patient must listen to the PCP. If directions are written, please do not throw them away. If instructed to get lab tests done, please do so in a timely manner. Please keep your appointments or call in advance to reschedule if necessary. Someone else can use your time slot if you are unable to be there.

Mia Smitt is a longtime nurse practitioner. She writes a column for Tucson Local Media.

Please be patient. It is indeed very frustrating to wait an hour for your visit, but hopefully you too will get the attention and care given to those before you whose time ran longer than expected. For those on tight time schedules, aim for the first appointment time in the morning or afternoon. For those who run late, aim for the last in the day because in many offices that appointment time will be behind schedule. Do not accept substandard care, or a judgmental attitude, or a PCP who will not listen to what you have to say. Ask questions until you are satisfied with the response. Just as a PCP can “fire” a patient, so can a patient “fire” a PCP who does not meet your needs or expectations. If a patient feels the PCP doesn’t care, or thinks the patient unimportant, then there can be no cooperative effort.

The key is relationship and cooperation. PCPs should empower patients to embrace their medical problems and work through them to create the most optimal health condition possible. Remember, a good PCP will walk with you and help as much as possible, but the patient must “do the work” on a daily basis.

Old fashioned health “care” is not dead. As we continually look for health care reform, let’s not lose sight of that operative word “care”. Let’s work to keep it alive. 

Spring Arts

The UA Center for Creative Photography mounts the exhibition, “The Linda McCartney Retrospective”, the first U.S. retrospective of the late photographer's work. More information on page A-2. (Center for Creative Photography/Submitted )

Spring art exhibits paint perfect picture of talent

BY MARGARET REGAN Tucson Local Media Contributor

Tucson has been an art town for years, a haven for artists and art lovers alike. From the big museums downtown and at the University of Arizona, to the upscale galleries in the Foothills to the small edgy warehouses on Sixth Street, and the newer venues in Barrio Viejo, there’s plenty to choose no matter what your fancy.

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA CENTER FOR CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY

“The Linda McCartney Retrospective” ccp.arizona.edu/

The highlight of the season is a major exhibition of Linda McCartney’s wonderful photography. As a young woman in the 1960s, she emerged as a hot-shot photographer of rock ‘n’ roll musicians. Later, when she married Paul McCartney, she started doing many pictures of her children and of the beautiful lands around their country home in Scot-

land. She also loved to do photos on the streets of people who were not famous. Some Tucsonans have known for years that the McCartneys have had a ranch on the east side of the city. But many don’t know that the New York-born McCartney lived in Tucson long before she met Paul. She came to Tucson to study art history at the University of Arizona.

During her short time here, she met Hazel Archer, an extraordinary photographer and teacher. McCartney made her first photos under Archer’s guidance at the Tucson Arts Center, which later became the Tucson Museum of Art. McCartney would always say, “It was Hazel who made me a photographer.”

The Center for Creative Photography at the university is at long last mounting a show honoring her work, featuring 176 photos from the family archive in London. It’s McCartney’s first retrospective in North America. The show is in three sections: family and domestic life, experimental, and the popular portraits of musicians and others. Keep your eyes open for the many events that the center is planning. Runs through Saturday, Aug. 5

“WOMAN-OCHRE” artmuseum.arizona.edu

Across the way at the University Museum of Art, the dazzling “Woman-Ochre” stands in splendor. If you have not visited her then get thee to her heavily guarded perch. As everyone knows, this abstract painting by Willem de Kooning, done in 1955, was stolen from the museum in 1985 but recovered in a shop in Silver City in 2017 and restored at the Getty. It returned to its home in Tucson last fall. Closes Saturday, May 20.

The museum has built a whole show, “Abstract Perspectives in Mid-Century Art,” around de Kooning and his contemporaries, with a large collection of abstract paintings from the same period, roughly 1950 to 1970. Among the artists who are in the show are Elaine de Kooning, Lee Krasner. Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock. That show closes Saturday, March 25.

SCAN HERE

Linda by Paul. London, 1968 (Photo by: © Paul McCartney / Photographer: Linda McCartney).

The LINDA McCARTNEY Retrospective

The University of Arizona Center for Creative Photography is proud to host the North American premiere of “The Linda McCartney Retrospective,” opening Feb. 25!

Celebrate McCartney’s 30-year, barrier-breaking career, and her connection to Tucson. Free to all!

ccp.arizona.edu | Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00a-4:30p

Linda. New York, 1967. © Paul McCartney / Photographer: Linda McCartney.

Linda McCartney, Jimi Hendrix. London, 1967. © Paul McCartney / Photographer: Linda McCartney.

THE ARIZONA STATE MUSEUM statemuseum.arizona.edu

ASM, also on campus, is sparkling with Southwest native jewelry for the exhibition, “Ancient — Modern: Continuity and Innovation in Southwest Native Jewelry,” which closes Saturday, Oct. 28.

Beautifully put together by curator Diane Dittimore, more than 70 pieces are on display, created across the ages, from ancient, historic and contemporary times. Indigenous artisans created these jewels to adorn themselves and their loved ones. Their styles vary and denote different regions and practices. Many used shell, silver and turquoise.

Another show at the museum, “Sámi Dreams,” explores the history of the indigenous people of northern Europe, with photographs by Randall Heyman. It runs Saturday, March 18, to Saturday, June 17.

DOWNTOWN

ETHERTON GALLERY ethertongallery.com

Etherton Gallery shows off two excellent Tucson artists in the new exhibit

“Chris Rush and Ellen McMahon: Again with the Real.”

At one time Rush was mostly known in town for a giant baby mural. Now, in this big show of his paintings and drawings, he covers many of his styles, from remakes of 19th century documents to compassionate portraits of children. In this show, he has another baby, this one flying happily over a lake and woods.

Ellen McMahon has created two melancholy series. “Lost Language of the Desert” uses a letterpress to make letters and symbols, known and unknown, and colored in gray and red. “What Is Lost and What Remains” features moody landscapes on paper, colored in ink, chalk or pastel. Closes Saturday, April 15.

ANDREW SMITH GALLERY

andrewsmithgallery.com/

Next door, an excellent photography gallery is showing another Tucson artist: Michael Hyatt. For years, Hyatt has made images of people of all kinds; his pictures of desperate migrants in the desert led to a successful book, “Along the Migrant Trail.” The new show, “Crossroads: The Music & Streets of Los Angeles 1969 –1981” takes us to gritty Downtown

neighborhoods. He made beautiful black and white pictures of musicians and sex workers, drinkers and gospel singers and the down-and-out. Hyatt’s own grandfather was a regular on Skid Row. His new book, “Fifth and Wall Street: Skid Row, Los Angeles in the 1970s,” can be purchased at the gallery. Closes Thursday, March 30.

PHILABAUM GLASS GALLERY philabaumglass.com/

A new exhibition at Philabaum has the enticing name: “Stories Reimagined.” The four glass artists don’t disappoint. Sandy Pendleton of Cave Creek and Pinetop makes fused glass pieces that interestingly have cloth and textures inside. Phoenix artist Andrew Shultz is inspired by southwestern landscapes and colors. Look for one of his lovely pots of sky blue, desert yellows and sienna. Richard Satava of Chico, California, is a master of glass; he wields his wares with gleaming glass jellyfish and glass petroglyphs.

Jim Scheller uses kilns for bowls whose designs are somehow between paleolithic and midcentury modern. The longtime gallery, founded by glass artist Tom Philabaum, is now happily owned and directed by Alison Harvey and Dylan Harvey. Closes Saturday, June 24.

TUCSON MUSEUM OF ART.

tucsonmuseumofart.org

All winter, the museum has been showing the American West from a new point of view. In “More Than: Expand-

Chris Rush Anna and Madda, 2023 print, (Etherton Gallery/Submitted)

ARIZO NA T HEATRE COMPANY

KennedyGordon Clapp

Mimi Kennedy (Mom, Dharma & Greg, Midnight in Paris) stars as Prudence “Pru” Payne, an esteemed critic widely recognized as a wit, a scholar, and a public intellectual. But as her memory begins to fade, all her preconceived notions — about herself and, more importantly, others — also slip away. Gordon Clapp (NYPD Blue, Emmy winner) stars as Pru’s unconventional love interest Gus in this remarkable, funny, and emotional journey about the evolution of love and identity in the face of memory loss.

CAN’T LIVE WITH ‘EM, CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT ‘EM

This hilarious classic comedy starts when an explosive divorced couple and their new spouses inadvertently honeymoon in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. When combustible chemistry reignites, mayhem occurs, and strong passions and stronger personalities take over.

A BIG-HEARTED, FIERCE, MUSIC-FILLED COMEDY

When successful Elvis impersonator Casey loses his gig, a drag show moves in and “The King” transforms into an all-out queen with some help from his new friends. With snappy zingers and dance-worthy numbers, this wildly entertaining story is full of sass and good spirits.

Mimi

ing Artists Identities from the American West,” you’ll find African American cowboys on their horses captured in photography. Among other photographic works is a giant installation of six life-sized native women wearing traditional skirts and contemporary black T-shirts, each inscribed with the name of her tribal nation. Closes Sunday, March 19.

Later in the spring, fans can visit the Arizona Biennial 2023. The popular juried exhibition brings in the work of artists from all over the state. Runs Saturday, April 1, to Sunday Oct. 1.

MOCA MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

moca-tucson.org

The latest MOCA show is inspired by centuries-old Indigenous art from South America. Among the ancient peoples of the Andes, webs of knotted cords called quipus were used to record community histories. Even after the Spanish banned them in the sixteenth century, local peoples continued to make them. Now artist Cecilia Vicuña has reimagined them as an artform. Vicuña, from Chile, invited peo-

ple and organizations in Tucson to gather everything from discarded kitchen waste to alley-way junk for their own “Sonoran Quipu.” The piece is a multi-media sculpture, with videos and soundscapes. According to the gallery, the artist “invites viewers to consider the beauty and precarity of our world, and our interconnected relationships to the environment and to each other.” Closes Sunday, Sept. 10.

24 panels are not in the show, but who’s counting!

WEST SIDE

LOUIS CARLOS BERNAL GALLERY AT PIMA COLLEGE WEST

pima.edu/community/the-arts

The Bernal Gallery is bursting with 19 painted panels of the Grand Canyon. Each gorgeous painting, seven feet high, represents one hour of the day’s 24. From the pinks of sunrise to the golden shadows of sunset to the darkness of night, the colorful shadows and light move across the landscape. Five of the original

The creator of this masterpiece, Joseph DiGiorgio, painted the work in pointillism, a style that makes images with colorful dots. The Brooklyn artist (1931-2000) typically worked in the pointillist style and often showed his paintings in Tucson. DiGiorgio gave the whole of “The Grand Canyon” as a gift to the Tucson Museum of Art years ago. A portion of the work was first exhibited in New York City, but has been shown in its entirety just once, here in Tucson, at the museum in 1997. Thanks to a collaboration between TMA and the Bernal Gallery, now, at last, it is being shown again in Tucson after more than a quarter century. Closes Friday, March 10.

Pointillist fans who come to see the painting in early March can also see a student performance of “Sunday in the Park with George,” a play that honors George Seurat, a French master of the style. Runs Thursday, March 2, to Sunday, March 12.

Also, over at the Visual Arts Gallery on campus, an exhibition honors Pima

College professors the late Darla Masterson, known for innovative monotone landscapes, and Phillip Bellomo, for his ceramics. They helped found the Visual Arts Department. Closes Friday, March 24.

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT

RAICES TALLER 222 ART GALLERY

raicestaller222.com/

Raices Gallery opens the spring with two shows, jointly titled “Historias, Lugar, y Tiempo/Histories, Place, and Time.”

John Salgado, the gallery’s co-director, said he is excited to bring in nine UA undergraduates from the College of Fine Arts. When Raices started more than 25 years ago, student artists were among the first to be shown there. In the new batch, all have studied with Alejandro Macias, an exciting new member of the faculty. The second of the two shows presents the work of established members of the collective in the large room to the back. They have happily given over the front gallery to these promising young artists. Open only 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Closes Saturday, March 11.

CONTRERAS GALLERY AND JEWELRY

contrerashousefineart.com/index.html

Contreras Gallery, up the road from Raices Taller, is staging “Organic,” a three-woman show of abstract works. Sylvia Garland and Ann Tracy, regulars in the gallery, both seem to conjure the ocean. Garland’s richly colored paintings suggest tidepools and the ocean deep. Tracy also seems enamored by the sea. One of her pieces, to my eye, conjures the shoreline in Ireland. Eve McEwen is the guest artist. The highlight of her work in

the show is a southwestern church, painted all in white, with signs asking for peace and unity. Closes Saturday, March 25 Later in spring, Contreras brings in nine artists for “A Group Show, No Theme, Any Medium” from Saturday, April 8, to Saturday, May 27.

STEINFELD WAREHOUSE

steinfeldwarehouse.org

The old Downtown warehouse is filled with small galleries. They include Untitled, Seven-Legged Spider Gallery, and

Steinfeld Gallery and Studios. You never know just which ones will be open for their regular Art Walks, but give it try on the first Saturday of every month from 4 to 9 p.m.

MIDTOWN

MADARAS GALLERY

madaras.com/collections/diana-madaras-originals

Diana Madaras’ bright watercolors and acrylics are all over Tucson and fans love her saguaros, birds and desert landscapes. Besides her own work, the Madaras Gallery sells paintings, sculpture and photographs by other artists. One is sculptor Al Glann, whose metal horses can be seen along the Loop. Another is Rocky LaRose, a celebrated UA athlete who’s become an accomplished nature photographer.

EAST SIDE

TUCSON

DESERT ART MUSEUM

tucsondart.org

At the museum far east of town, a new photography show “¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues/En los

Bobb Vann, “Ranch Wrangler,” 2010, oil on canvas, 24 by 48 inches. Collection of the Tucson Museum of Art. Gift of the artist, through the Western Art Patrons.

barrios y las grandes ligas” tells the history of baseball in Latino communities across the country. This exhibition was created in collaboration with the National Museum of American history. As the curators have written, “Latino players helped to make the game what it is today.”

A second show tells the dreadful story of the incarceration of Japanese Americans in camps during World War II. Photographs by Dorothea Lange, Russell Lee and others show the agony of those who were torn from their homes. Arizona had three camps, the Gila River War Relocation Center near Phoenix, the Poston Internment Camp in Yuma, and the Federal Honor Camp nearby in the Santa Catalina mountains outside Tucson.

Housed within the museum is the Four Corners Gallery, with small works by the Tucson Barrio Painters Group as well as paintings and sculptures by other southwestern artists. Ongoing.

FOOTHILLS

TOHONO CHUL GALLERY

tohonochul.org

Two of the best artists in Tucson — or

anywhere else — take the stage at their home base in the old Pueblo with a show at Tohono Chul Gallery. In “Prescience Remains,” according to the gallery statement, both women “exalt the castaway, celebrating the wonder and beauty of nature while confidently looking forward, steadfast in the belief that beauty is found everywhere.”

Kate Breakey is a multimedia artist of photography and hand-coloring, and Barbara Rogers makes brilliantly colored large-sized paintings. Both are known nationally and internationally. Breakey is perhaps best known for her early work, “Small Deaths,” photographs of the beautiful remains of feathered birds made human-sized in hand-colored prints. She also makes gorgeous photographs of the sky, the moon and the clouds over the ocean, and gives them a shine of gold. Rogers paints large oils, with bold planes of color overlayed with images from nature, such as acorns.

JANE HAMILTON FINE ARTS GALLERY

janehamiltonfineart.com/ Hamilton’s latest show is “Canyons and Cactus,” with Greg Heil and Dawn Sutherland. Both artists paint bright, richly colored oils of familiar western landscapes,

many in Northern Arizona. Heil has an eye for architectural forms in mountain canyons, while Sutherland is known for her plein air work in the Grand Canyon. This year, the Jane Hamilton Gallery is celebrating 30 years in Tucson.

SETTLERS WEST settlerswest.com/

Settlers West has opened a huge show of tiny paintings, miniatures of the American West by 150 different artists. Closes Saturday, March 4. Starting Saturday, March 25, “Tales of the West,” will showcase six artists. Five works in oils, but Rachel Brownlee draws remarkably realistic images of cowboys and horses in charcoal. Closes Saturday, April 8. A summer show will follow, Saturday, May 6, to Saturday, May 27.

MARK SUBLETTE MEDICINE MAN GALLERY medicinemangallery.com/mark-sublette-biography

The Medicine Man Gallery carries a wide variety of high-end Western and Native American art. On any given day, you may find Louise Serpa photographs of Arizona rodeos, early twentieth century oils of cowboy life by artists

like Edward Borein, fine historic Diné blankets, or a painting of a Diné family by contemporary artist, Tony Abeyta. Sublette also is well-known for his collection of Maynard Dixon paintings, prints, and memorabilia, a kind of museum within the gallery.

TUCSON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER tucsonjcc.org

Artist Lauri Kaye has for years been making multimedia images of the people she meets in coffee shops and along the streets of Tucson. She gets their permission to make their portraits by using hand drawings, photography, digital coloring, and printing on metal.

Now her “Tucson Portrait Stories” will be the highlight of a fun art happening. On Sunday, March 12, the JJC hosts an afternoon event, with 60 of Kaye’s portraits. Some 15 of their subjects are scheduled to be on hand for what is billed as an interactive festival. Renowned Chef María Mazón, one of those lucky to get her portrait done, will run a tasting for her salsa and chips. Another is Yaqui classical guitarist, Gabriel Ayala, who will give a concert. The fun goes from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 12. Free for all. 

Dance events aplenty this season

BY MARGARET REGAN Tucson Local Media Contributor

BALLET TUCSON

SPRING CONCERT, FRIDAY, MARCH 24, TO SUNDAY, MARCH 26

Leo Rich Theater

Ballet Tucson’s Spring Concert offers five dances, including another Balanchine piece: “Walpurgisnacht Ballet.” He originated it as a small piece for the final act of a 1925 Paris Opera production of “Faust.” In New York, in 1975, he reimagined it as a stand-alone ballet. The dance is known for its many roles for women, 24 total, as Balanchine famously said, “Ballet is woman.”

Mark Schneider, a regular guest choreographer, mixes jazz and ballet. His piece “Joplin,” is a crowd-pleaser set to the ragtime music of Scott Joplin. Imada’s piece “Bossa Nova” is a comedy for five dancers. Set in a 1950s Bossa Nova lounge, new connections lead to confusion and romance.

Suddarth’s choreography returns with the Ballet Tucson premiere of “First

Ballet Tucson will present George Ballanchine’s “Walpurgisnacht Ballet” at its spring concert. (Ballet Tucson/submitted)

Light.” This fast-paced and athletic ensemble piece is set to the piano music of Carly Comando. Each year “Footprints at the Fox” in-

vites company dancers to choreograph their own pieces. Last October, the audience got to vote for their favorite, and, in the March show, dancer

Brooke Amundrud will get to bring her winning piece to the Ballet Tucson mainstage.

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA SCHOOL OF DANCE dance.arizona.edu/news-events/events

In April, the professors and the young dancers will be hitting the stage at the Stevie Eller Dance Theater on the UA campus. In “Dance Springs Eternal,” the teachers and guest artists show off their own choreography, handing off the performance to their students. The students have the stage to themselves for “Awaking: Student Spotlight,” presenting and performing works they have choreographed themselves.

The two shows alternate on different days on consecutive weekends in April, from Wednesday, April 19, to Sunday, April 30. To conclude the spring season, on Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6, Arianna Aquino, Cat Cogliandro, Gabriel Speiller, and Halston Strange will present their MFA graduate thesis projects, Loud Undertone, in the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre. 

PRESERVATION HALL

WYNTON MARSALIS 3/31

Limited Engagement Tour

Only 5 U.S. Concerts

Listening Room - Jazz Outburst Comedy

Listening Room - Country/Americana

ROSANNE CASH & JOHN LEVENTHAL 3/24

MUSIC CITY HITMAKERS 4/15

The Nashville songwriters behind your favorite hits!

MARTY STUART & HIS FABULOUS SUPERLATIVES 4/27

JAZZ BAND: PASS IT ON 3/8 60th Anniversary Tour Cut for Cut • Note for Note FLEETWOOD MAC RUMOURS 4/7

Hilarious, Jaw-Dropping Mind Tricks as Improv Meets Hypnosis

COLIN MOCHRIE’S HYPROV 4/1

ADAPTATION 3/26

ALIZÉ CARRÈRE, Environmental Anthropologist & Filmaker

Fine Vintage Series

Ticket includes pre-show reception, post show Q & A, & a special gift!

THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS & RUTHIE FOSTER 3/14

THE CREAM OF CLAPTON 4/28

The Very Best of Eric Clapton

Tucson theaters serve up smorgasbord of stories

BY BRIDGETTE REDMAN Tucson Local Media Contributor

This spring, Tucson theater goers can choose from an eclectic mix of works, heavy on the comedies and musicals with a few dramas sprinkled in. From new works to classics, local theaters are offering a diverse selection of tales to tantalize their audiences.

ARIZONA REPERTORY THEATRE + NEXT PERFORMANCE COLLECTIVE theatre.arizona.edu

“Romeo & Juliet,” Thursdays through Sundays, to Sunday, March 19

William Shakespeare’s story of two star-crossed lovers whose feuding families force their love to happen in secret with tragic results. Matinee performances for high schoolers available.

New Directions Festival, Fridays through Sundays, Friday, April 21, to Sunday, April 30

The second festival showcasing undergraduate student-created, student-designed and student-performed content.

ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY atc.org

“Pru Payne,” Wednesdays through Sundays, Saturday, March 4, to Saturday, March 25

This world premiere by Steven Drukman explores love and identity in the face of memory loss. Critic Pru Payne, a wit, scholar and intellectual, questions her preconceived notions of identity and finds unexpected love.

“Head Over Heels,” Thursdays through Sundays, Sunday, April 9, to Sunday, April 23

The musical features songs by the Go-Go’s and follows the escapades of a royal family on a journey to save their kingdom. Based on Sir Philip Sidney’s “The Arcadia,” the musical celebrates love as the royal family learns the secret to survival is in their hearts.

“Private Lives,” Wednesdays through Sundays, Saturday, April 15, to Saturday, May 6

Noël Coward’s most popular comedy about a divorced couple having honeymoons with their new spouses in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Combustible chemistry reignites and mayhem ensues in this battle of equals.

BROADWAY IN TUCSON broadwayintucson.com

“Mean Girls,” to Sunday, April 2, the national tour.

The musical based on the movie in which a new student has to make choices about what clique she will belong to and how she will treat people. With a book by Tina Fey and music by Jeff Richmond, this coming-of-age story finds Cady adapting to life in a Chicago high school after growing up in Kenya.

Riverdance, Friday, April 28, to Sunday, April 30

The Irish dance troupe makes its 20th anniversary tour with their Irish dance, music and song.

GASLIGHT THEATRE

thegaslighttheatre.com

“The Ballad of Two-Gun McGraw: A Wacky Western Adventure,” Tuesdays through Sundays, through Sunday, March 26

Gaslight Theatre brings back its 2015 melodrama set in San Pecos, Texas, in the 1880s when corrupt businessmen

come to town and are challenged by a singing, gun-toting Texas Ranger, Two Gun McGraw.

“Robin Hood,” Tuesdays through Sundays, Thursday, March 30, to Sunday, June 4

A wacky musical adventure of Robin Hood, as he and his merry men steal from the rich, give to the poor, try to protect the throne for King Richard and defy the evil sheriff of Nottingham. Also known as, “It Sherwood be Fun.”

INVISIBLE THEATRE

invisibletheatre.com

“Billie! Backstage with Lady Day,” Saturday, March 18, to Sunday, March 19

An NAACP-award winning musical that follows the haunting journey of Billie Holiday, some of her amazing songs and the winding road of love, joy, blues and racism.

“Small Mouth Sounds,” Wednesday, April 19, to Sunday, April 30

This play tells the story of four strangers who go on a silent retreat in the woods. Bess Wohl’s humor-filled play is a compassionate look at how people

address life’s biggest questions when words fail them.

LIVE THEATRE WORKSHOP

livetheatreworkshop.org

“On the Verge, or the Geography of Yearning,” Thursdays through Sundays, to Saturday, March 25

Set in 1888, three female explorers attempt to conquer Terra Incognita, an unexplored territory where they encounter cannibals, trolls and artifacts. Eric Overmyer’s fantasy/sci-fi tale is a study of ambition and the human condition.

“Tell Me About You,” Fridays and Saturdays, Friday, March 3, to Saturday, March 11

Set on the theater’s new Etcetera Stage, this one-woman show takes place on a first date. Playwright, director and actor Ally Tanzillo plays a version of herself in this comedy about modern dating.

“Tooth Fairies in Training,” Saturdays and Sundays, Saturday, April 15, to Sunday, April 30

Richard Gremel’s children’s show takes place on the first day of tooth fairy train-

ing for Bridget Bicuspid and Marty Molar. Their miscues make Calvin McCavity threaten to end the Fairy Flight Force forever and they must save the day.

MYSTERY AND MAGIC DINNER THEATRE tucsondinnertheater.com

“Murder at the Magic Show,” Saturdays and Sundays through Saturday, April 1

This dinner theater production includes a murder mystery and a magic show. A candlelit three-course dinner is served along with a comedy three-act murder mystery. Actors serve the meals, providing clues to the audience who can win prizes by solving the mystery.

ROGUE THEATRE theroguetheatre.org

“The Seafarer,” Thursdays through Sundays, Thursday, March 2, to Sunday, March 19

Conor McPherson’s classic play is about an alcoholic drying out and living with his blind brother. He reluctantly hosts a Christmas Eve gathering with friends and most confront a promise he made decades ago to an ambiguous fig-

page 14

ure with supernatural echoes. A dark, funny and intense play.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Thursdays through Sundays, Thursday, April 27, to Sunday, May 14

Shakespeare’s comedy comprises four lovers and forest full of fairies. Hermia and Lysander run away into the woods when she is told she must marry her father’s choice, Demetrius. He chases her along with Helena, who is in love with Demetrius. Fairies intervene and rude mechanicals rehearsing for the wedding of the prince provide additional hijinks.

SCOUNDREL AND SCAMP THEATRE

scoundrelandscamp.org

“Brontë,” Thursday through Saturday, March 5

“Brontë” is a dramatic and literary examination of the lives of the three Brontë sisters by

Polly Teale. It is 1845 and Branwell Brontë returns home in disgrace, turning the lives of his three literary sisters upside down as they live their isolated lives.

“One Twig at a Time,” Thursdays through Sundays, Thursday, April 13, to Sunday, April 30

A world premiere of Wolfe Bowart’s physical theater, the show includes found art puppets, poetic visual theater, humor, pathos, drought, flood, overabundance and the vacuum of space. Five multigenerational actors explore community through visual poems.

“Pooh,” Fridays through Sundays (with weekday matinees for schools), Friday, May 12, to Sunday, May 21

A new Scoundrel and Scamp adaptation of A.A. Milne’s beloved characters from “Winnie the Pooh” features humans and forest-dwellers romping

through the Hundred Acre Woods learning about courage, friendship, growth and acceptance.

WINDING ROAD THEATRE ENSEMBLE

windingroadtheater.org

“Tick, tick, BOOM,” to Sunday, March 5

Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical musical, written before “Rent,” is the story of a composer and the sacrifices he makes. It features 14 songs, 10 characters and three actors. It’s the story of a composer’s journey to a big Broadway blockbuster.

Eight 10s in Tucson, Friday, May 19, to Sunday, May 28

The fifth annual 10-minute play festival features eight original scripts chosen from hundreds of blind submissions, vetted and curated to create an eclectic collection of comedies and dramas. 

Explore the lives of three famous, 19th century sisters and their disgraced brother in “Brontë,” now on stage at Soundrel and Scamp Theatre. (Submitted)

Pop music strikes a chord this spring

BY LAURA LATZKO Tucson Local Media Contributor

This spring in Tucson, music fans can listen to a variety of acts this spring. Here is a cross-section of what listeners can expect.

• Post-punk’s Holy Faint, Friday, March 3, Club Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Longtime friends Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore bring blues/ folk music, Saturday, March 4, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• Artists John Pizzarelli and Catherine Russell will play homage to Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra, Saturday, March 4, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• The Queen’s Cartoonists, Saturday, March 4. Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcongress.com

• Southern Gothic’s The Legendary Shack Shakers, Wednesday, March 8, Club Congress, hotelcongress. com

• Dawson Hollow w/Nite Tides, Thursday, March 9, Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, theseaofglass. org

• Skeletal Remains, Friday, March 10, The Rock, rocktucson.com

• Liam St. John, Friday, March 10, Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, theseaofglass.org

• Los Lobos, Friday, March 10, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• Tucson Swing Festival, Friday, March 10, to Sunday, March 12, Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcongress.com

• Wisconsin-based pianist Geoffrey Keezer, Saturday, March 11, Century Room of Hotel Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Rapper Aaron Smith, also known as Shwayze, Saturday, March 11, 191 Toole, 191toole.com

• Led by Dublin-born singer Dave King, Flogging Molly is Celtic punk rock group formed in Los Angeles in the 1990s, Tuesday, March 14, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• Fabulous Thunderbirds, Tuesday,

March 14, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• Blues/Southern rock’s North Mississippi Allstars, Wednesday, March 15, 191 Toole, 191toole.com

• Tucson Symphony Orchestra: Tantalizing Tricksters, Friday, March 17, to Sunday, March 19, The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, tucsonmusichall.org

• The Southern Arizona Blues Heritage Foundation will pay tribute to Arizona Blues Hall of Fame artist Anna Warr with a special memorial concert, Sunday, March 19, Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcongress.com

• Greta Van Fleet, Monday, March 20, Tucson Arena, tucsonmusichall.org

• Black Violin, Tuesday, March 21, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• Mexican musician Oscar Alfonso Castro, otherwise known as Caloncho, Wednesday, March 22, Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcongress.com

• Tucson Symphony Orchestra: An Evening with Hilary Hahn, Wednesday, March 22, The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, tucsonmusichall.org

• “Stayin’ Alive: One Night of the Bee Gees,” Thursday, March 23, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• Country singer-songwriter and author Rosanne Cash, Friday, March 24, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• Country’s Jimmie Allen, Friday, March 24, Desert Diamond Casino, ddcaz.com

• Metalachi blends mariachi and metal, Friday, March 24, Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcongress.com

• Nashville gospel/country singer Josh Turner, Friday, March 24, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• Tucson Symphony Orchestra: The Magic of John Williams, Saturday, March 25, and Sunday, March 26, The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, tucsonmusichall.org

• Saxophonist, singer/songwriter Vanessa Collier, Sunday, March 26, Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcon-

gress.com

• TobyMac’s Hits Deep Tour, Tuesday, March 28, Tucson Arena, tucsonmusichall.com

• Formed in 1985, the Silos are a New York-based alternate country, rock and Americana group, Wednesday, March 29, 191 Toole, 191toole.com

• Postmodern artist Meow Meow, Wednesday, March 29, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• After performing during Tucson Jazz Week, Christian Sands and his trio return, Friday, March 31, Century Room of Hotel Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Tucson Symphony Orchestra: Mahler’s Resurrection, Friday, March 31, to Sunday, April 2, The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, tucsonmusichall.org

• Gabriel Ayala, Friday, March 31, Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, theseaofglass.org

• Jazz’s Wynton Marsalis, Friday, March 31, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• Over a 20-year career, funk and soul musician, composer and pro-

Van Fleet hits the Tucson Arena Monday, March 20. (Submitted)

ducer Eddie Roberts has worked with pop names in the music scene, Saturday, April 1, 191 Toole, 191toole.com

• Drummer Holly Channell, the winner of the Jazz Education Network’s 2023 Sister in Jazz honors, will pay tribute to composer Dorothy Fields, Sunday, April 2, Century Room of Hotel Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Foreigner: Greatest Hits Tour, Mon-

day, April 3, The Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, tucsonmusichall.org

• Grammy-nominated Christine Santelli, a New York-based singer, and Heather “Lil Mama” Hardy, an inductee into the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame, Tuesday, April 4, Hotel Congress Plaza, hotelcongress.com

• Grammy-Award-winning twins and Julliard graduates Peter and Will Anderson will pay tribute to the music of George Gershwin, Friday,

April 7, the Century Room of Hotel Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Indigo Social Club, Saturday, April 8, Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, theseaofglass.org

• South-Korean group SURL plays British rock music, Sunday, April 9, Club Congress, hotelcongress.com

• Third Eye Blind, Wednesday, April 12, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• A five-piece Americana group, Brothers Comatose bring high-energy bluegrass, country and rock music, Saturday, April 15, 191 Toole, 191toole.com

• Los Angeles Azules de Iztapalapa, Saturday, April 15, Casino Del Sol, casinodelsol.com

• Canadian artist Gordon Lightfoot, Thursday, April 13, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• Silverstein, Tuesday, April 18, Rialto Theatre, rialtotheatre.com

• The Cream of Clapton Band, a group of musicians with ties to Eric Clapton, Friday, April 28, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson.com

• Melissa Etheridge, Saturday, April 29, Fox Tucson Theatre, foxtucson. com 

First organized in 1948, the Arizona Biennial is a much-anticipated juried exhibition that showcases some of the most

Eli Blasko, We Choose the Moon, 2020, office paper, .5 x 7 x 7 in.

Greta

Join

Latin Fire

February 25 & 26

Tantalizing Tricksters

March 17 & 19

An Evening with Hilary Hahn

March 22

The Magic of John Williams

March 25 & 26

Mahler’s “Resurrection”

March 31 & April 2

May 12 & 13

Return of the Jedi in Concert

José Luis Gomez, Music Director

Artist donates pieces to support nonprofits

SPECIAL TO TUCSON LOCAL MEDIA

In celebration of her 81st birthday, Carolyn Eastman Cazares has commissioned The Center Gallery Fine Art in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, to sell her personal “legacy” collection.

Cazares is donating the profits from the sale of some 200 originals to her two favorite causes: The Sierra County Student Art Show (aka Tiger Art) and

TorC’s People Growing Together. When Cazares was 4 years old, she drew a tree that she notes did not look like the “lollipop trees” that her peers drew. Her nursery teacher proclaimed her an artist and her parents supported her art by buying $1 Walter Foster “how-to” books, which she “preferred to classes.”

At 7, she received her first set of oil paints. At 14, she took life drawing classes taught from renowned artist Warren Hunter. She said drawing the human figure still fascinates her.

Her work broadened over the years and from her 20s to 40s, she explored fashion design and sculptures, collage, acrylics, pastels, air brush and watercolors.

In the ’60s, she painted with Alberto Mijangos, a member of San Antonio’s “angry young artists” and was the Mexican American Institute of the Arts’ director at the time. She studied sumi painting (Chinese brush and ink) in Virginia with sumi master, I-Hsiung Ju.

Cazares said sumi came to her quite naturally and has influenced almost everything she’s done since. Her sumi master calls sumi painting a performing art.

“The brush dances and the ink sings,” she said.

She has produced thousands of pieces, from large paintings to calligraphy of Hebrew

letters, as well as ink drawings as small as a postage stamp. Cazares is fond of saying “no piece of paper is safe around me.”

She summarizes her body of work as the four Fs — faces, figures, flowers and fruit. She is including her “small treasures” in this show gleaned from her years of accumulated sketchbooks, many which had never been shown.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cazares opted for quarantining at home and devoted herself to further studies in “ancient wisdom, comparative religion, conspiracy theories, historical fiction, and the relationships between humans and extraterrestrials.”

With no TV or radio, she

Tiger Art is the popular name of the Sierra County Student Art Show, sponsored annually by the Sierra County Arts Council and The Center Gallery Fine Art.

The show allows sixth- through 12thgrade students, selected by a panel of judges, to sell their art at the show and compete for scholarships and prizes.

Carolyn Eastman Cazares

found “a book a day keeps reality away.”

Cazares calls this stage of her life the fat lady’s swan song:

“If I live, I live and if I die, I live,” she said.

The second Student Art Show will be held at the TorC Civic Center from April 21 to April 22.

The nonprofit, People Growing Together, organizes community assets to maintain Sierra County food security through building an underground sustainable greenhouse for year-round production. 

Carolyn Eastman Cazares’ “Red,” watercolor on paper, framed, 13 inches by 15 inches. (Carolyn Eastman Cazares/Submitted)

Carolyn Eastman Cazares’ “Cowgirl,” watercolor on paper, framed 21 inches by 24 inches. (Carolyn Eastman Cazares/Submitted)

Ready to Volunteer?

Learn how you can put your time, knowledge and talent to use volunteering with AARP in Pima County. Help make the communities where you live, work and play the best they can be while engaging with others who share your passion for service.

Get to know us at aarp.org/volunteer or call our Tucson Information Center at 520-571-9884.

Diamond Children’s names prom king, queen

By Tucson Local Media Staff

Diamond Children’s Medical Center named two patients their prom king and queen during Feb. 2 UA men’s basketball game against Oregon.

Ronaldo Garcia, a 15-year-old from Marana, was named prom king. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma in July after discovering a lump on his neck. He recently completed his treatment plan at Diamond Children’s.

The prom queen is Alexis Duran from Tucson. Alexis is 16 and was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), a rare autoimmune disorder that caused nerve damaged in her legs, feet, fingers and hands.

Alexis is now in a wheelchair and receives plasma exchange treatment every three weeks, along with intravenous immunoglobin infusion treatments. Alexis developed this condition after the removal of a tumor in her left knee caused her body to go into stress.

From left, UA mascot Wilma, Diamond Children’s newly crowned prom queen Alexis Duran, 16, Wilbur, and newly crowned prom king Ronaldo Garcia, 15, as they were announced to the McKale Memorial Center crowd during the Arizona men’s basketball game. (Diamond Children’s Medical Center/Submitted)

um with the theme of “Let’s Glow.” Under neon lights, teens will enjoy a silent disco, arcade games, give-away prizes, kid-style food, and special guests. The crowning of the Diamond Children’s prom king and queen during the basketball game is an effort to raise awareness about childhood cancer and the special needs of these teens facing life-threatening illness.

The hospital expects more than 70 teens to attend the prom, providing an opportunity for them to experience this high school tradition that they might otherwise miss due to illness, infection concerns, or hospitalization. Most of those attending the prom are at higher risk for infection and complications, so extra care will be taken to prevent exposure.

tion’s mission is to provide the simple joys of childhood to kids and teens when they need it most, like when they are living with an illness. The Dunkin’ Joy in Foundation sponsored the first Diamond Children’s prom in 2022 and has been a generous supporter of Banner Children’s programs for several years.

The prom will be held at Arizona Stadi-

Thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation, Diamond Children’s will host a prom on Saturday, March 4, for its teen patients in Southern Arizona who are battling cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

To help ensure that Diamond Children’s can continue hosting a prom for its patients each year, the Banner Health Foundation has created the Diamond Children’s prom fund and invites the Tucson community to learn how their contributions can help: http://give.bannerhealth. com/diamondprom

The Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Founda-

Banner Children’s – Diamond Children’s Medical Center provides pediatric care for children, from newborns to teens. Services include emergency care, heart disorders, traumatic brain injury, autism and developmental disorders, cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, gastrointestinal and nutritional disorders, neurological problems, orthopedics, intensive care needs and more. It is the only pediatric medical facility in Arizona connected to an academic research facility — the University of Arizona Steele Children’s Research Center — where physician-scientists provide access to groundbreaking science and research to advance children’s health.

Info: bannerhealth.com/diamondchildrens 

2 Salamanca salutation

3 Kazakhstan ___ Sea 4 Known publicly 5 &#$!@, e.g.

6 Topical matter for the sunburned?

7 Olivia Rodrigo or Billie Eilish

8 ___ Coltrane (1961 John Coltrane album)

9 Landmass once surrounded by the superocean Panthalassa

Nest egg option, for short

Rapscallion

To a certain extent

Quench 19 TV stories sometimes have them

N.B.A’s Jazz, on scoreboards 25 TV actor who co-starred in “Rocky III” 26 Song of triumph

27 Ones colliding in the Large Hadron Collider

28 Prey for polar bears

29 Rapper ___ Sweatshirt

30 Space heaters?

31 Bank based in the U.K.

32 Pound alternative

36 Some baked entrees

37 Singer with the debut single “My Bologna” (1979)

Pound alternative

___-friendly

Charades

“Heavens!”

Turn-of-the-century financial

56 Pay attention to details ... or a hint to filling in seven of this puzzle’s squares

City of 5+ million just north of Royal National Park

General in American Chinese cuisine 48 2006 Beyoncé album released, fittingly, on Sept. 4

Oral history 50 James who sang ‚“Sunday Kind of Love” 52 Folk-rock quartet whose name derives from its members’ last initials

A year in Italy

Ooze 55 Literary alter ego 57 Music genre for Dashboard Confessional

ARIES (March 21 to April 19)

Sometimes a setback gives you a chance to get a sharper perspective on the situation at hand. Your cheerful nature will help you override this temporary disappointment. What you learn from this pays o soon.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Be careful not to charge into something you don’t fully understand. Being asked to act on trust might be all right, as long as you can trust the one who asks.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A chance for romance beckons from someone you thought was far out of reach. But Cupid can always come up with a shortcut. How you respond to the situation determines how the relationship develops.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A career move seems more likely now than when you rst considered it. Some of your plans will need readjusting as new facts emerge. Be careful that you don’t allow jealousy to create an unnecessary obstacle.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) Your love for beautiful things is part of what makes you the ne feline you are. But a little caution is advisable for a while. Resist the urge to splurge until your money signs look a little better.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22)

A co-worker could be trying to undermine you. Resist the temptation to retaliate. Instead, keep careful records of what you do so that you’ll be ready to present a strong position when the time comes.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22)

Family problems have been simmering for a while and could soon boil over. Avoid taking sides. There are many facts you don’t know

yet. Meanwhile, a business decision proves to be more complicated than you expected.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21)

Cupid’s arrow can pierce hearts, but it can’t open tight lips. Only you can do that. That special someone you’ve been silently pining for all this time would love to hear you express those feelings.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Well-meaning friends might try to persuade you to give up on that project that seems to have hit a dead end. Someone will take notice, and your persistence will pay o .

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) It’s one thing to make a di cult decision, but you also have to stick with it, despite any pressures to get you to change your mind. You need to reassure someone you care for that you can keep your commitments.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) This is a good time for you to remember to be good to yourself. A trip to a place that was once very special in your life reawakens many precious memories, and soon leads to making new ones.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20)

An old health problem ares up and needs attention. Also, a chilly reaction from a oncewarm friend needs to be confronted. Set the record straight before it’s too late to save the friendship.

BORN THIS WEEK: You enjoy helping others. You have a taste for life’s luxuries and will take risks to get what you want. In matters of amour, you love deeply, and you expect your amorous intensity to be returned in kind. 

connect@serenitybaptist.church https://serenitybaptist.church 520.822.2026