Desert Times, May 2021 by Times Media Group

www.tucsonlocalmedia.com

May 2021

DESERT TIMES The Voice of Southwest Tucson

Volume 34 • Number 5

Specialty Spirits

Independent bottling company showcases Whiskey Del Bac in 2021 release | Page 10

INSIDE

MOVING PICTURES

Desert To-Dos DeGrazia paintings, Gaslight shows, and Art Institute exhibits

Two photo exhibits at Etherton Gallery are serving as a bridge between their new and old locations. “For the Record: Documentary Photographs from the Etherton Gallery Archive” and “Danny Lyon: Thirty Photographs, 1962-1980” capture decades of American history, both local and worldwide. See page 8.

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Elliott Erwitt, Paris, 1989 ©

Increased fire risk threatens all inhabitants of the Sonoran Desert

Courtesy Etherton Gallery

On the Menu Vietnamese Street Food

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Madison Beal

Pima JTED balances handson learning in a virtual year Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

COVID Vaccines

Moble clinics coming to west side

| Page 15

tudents in Demi Vaughn’s medical assisting class learn a variety of healthcare skills, from drawing blood to checking vitals. And at the end of a school year, they can earn multiple medical certifications that can lead to direct employment in the healthcare field. But when the pandemic hit, all of this became uncertain; how can students meaningfully

practice giving injections over the computer? For Vaughn, shifting to a virtual classroom came with its obvious difficulties—but also some lessons that she continues to utilize even now that her students are back to learning in person. “It took a lot of adjusting, because I usually taught everything hands-on right in front of them,” said Vaughn, a medical assistant instructor for the Pima Joint Technical Education District. “Now, I’ve learned so much this

year that I want to bring into my teaching going forward that I never would have known about or thought about. I’m a relatively new teacher, but I was already kind of stuck in the way I taught. I liked that I was pushed to try something new, like technology and different ways of teaching. And now I get to bring it all together and I think it will make me a stronger teacher because I have so many perspectives.” See Pima JTED, P6

Special to Tucson Local Media

he Sonoran Desert is not what it used to be. Over the past century, invasive grasses have spread across the region and transformed the landscape from the familiar diverse desert to more of an arid grassland that is highly susceptible to fires. Invasive grasses—from buffelgrass to red brome to love grass — have dramatically altered how fire can move through the desert. Places that used to burn once every 200 years may now be burning every 20 years because these grasses serve as a fuel source that can easily spread wildfires. They sprout up in places that would normally be barren, connecting otherwise separate patches of desert plants. See Fire Risk, P4

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Desert Times

The Desert Times is published the first week of every month and distributed free of charge to homes and in single-copy locations throughout south Tucson. To find 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 Jaime Hood, General Manager, Ext. 12 jaime@tucsonlocalmedia.com Claudine Sowards, Accounting, Ext. 13 claudine@tucsonlocalmedia.com Sheryl Kocher, Receptionist, Ext. 10 sheryl@tucsonlocalmedia.com EDITORIAL Jim Nintzel, Executive Editor, Ext. 38 jimn@tucsonlocalmedia.com Jeff Gardner, Associate Editor Ext. 43, jeff@tucsonlocalmedia.com Mike Truelsen, Web Editor Ext. 35, mike@tucsonlocalmedia.com Christina Duran, Staff Reporter christina@tucsonlocalmedia.com PRODUCTION David Abbott, Production Manager, Ext. 18 david@tucsonlocalmedia.com Ryan Dyson, Graphic Designer, Ext. 26, ryand@tucsonlocalmedia.com Emily Filener, Graphic Designer, Ext. 28 emilyf@tucsonlocalmedia.com CIRCULATION Alex Carrasco, Circulation, Ext. 17 alexc@tucsonlocalmedia.com ADVERTISING Kristin Chester, Account Executive, Ext. 25 kristin@tucsonlocalmedia.com Lisa Hopper, Account Executive , Ext. 39 Lisa@tucsonlocalmedia.com Candace Murray, Account Executive, Ext. 24 candace@tucsonlocalmedia.com Tyler Vondrak, Account Executive, Ext. 27 tyler@tucsonlocalmedia.com EDITORIAL & AD CONTENT The Desert Times expresses its opinion in the editorial. Opinions expressed in guest commentaries, perspectives, cartoons or letters to the editor are those of the author. The content and claims of any advertisement are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. Tucson Local Media assumes no responsibility for the claims or content of any advertisement. Publisher has the right to edit for size or refuse any advertisement at his or her discretion. 7225 N. Mona Lisa Road, Ste. 125 Tucson, Arizona 85741 Phone: (520) 797-4384

Desert To-Dos Paperworks: Forming the Effect, Affecting the Form. In all of the chaos, confusion and downright misery that 2020 brought us, it’s sometimes easy to lose sight of one of the things that would have been more noticeable any other year: We hardly got any rain. Seriously, 2020 was the Sonoran Desert’s driest year on record. This exhibit, on display at Tohono Chul, features pieces from local artists that reflect on drought and deluge, while ultimately celebrating the resilience of Mother Nature. And it’s not just a neat concept – the art really is gorgeous and varied, too. Tohono Chul, 7366 Paseo del Norte. Galleries are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. $15 GA. Tempera Paintings of Ted DeGrazia. In a crazy, unpredictable world, one thing we can rely on is tempera paintings. This techniques involves colored pigments mixed with a binder – traditionally egg yolk. And they’re super long-lasting: There are tempera paintings intact from the first century AD. Come check out DeGrazia’s unique twist on this ancient medium, which he explored in 1959 and 1960. As usual, he has a way of bringing images to life with his use of color and brushstrokes. This exhibit is on display through September 1 at the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Museum, 6300 N. Swan. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and adult admission is $8.

Desert Times, May 2021

Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute? This show is a good way to get familiar! The show includes more than 50 original pieces by the Art Institute’s students, in mediums including mosaic, oil, scratchboard and photography. Each of them aims to reflect and interpret the unique beauty of the Southwest desert. The show also features portfolios from two Nature Certificate Graduates, Scott Adams and Karen Nealon. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. On display through May 16. ArizonaSonora Desert Museum Art Institute, 2021 N. Kinney Road. Entrance to exhibit included with museum admission.

Buccaneers of the Caribbean (or “Don’t Touch Me Booty!”). You can always count on the Gaslight Theatre for a good night out and a big belly laugh. In this outdoor show, follow the crew of the Esmerelda on their journey to find a hidden treasure. Of course, along the way, they battle, brawl and get into all sorts of antics. You can order pizza, popcorn and drinks when you buy your tickets, or once you’re on site (and you can also order extra goodies when you’re on site). Enjoy the show from your car, or check out the new festival seating, with sanitized chairs and tables in the first three rows. Showing at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays through Sundays through June 6. The Gaslight Theatre, Art Institute Spring 7010 E. Broadway. Student Exhibit. Are you familiar with the Arizona—By Emily Dieckman

D T, M 

Fire risk: NAU study on buffelgrass Continued from P1

“You could make a case for saying the Sonoran Desert, as most people knew it, is extinct,” said Mary Lata, a U.S. Forest Service fire ecologist. “We just can’t keep pretending to manage the desert as if it’s the same system that it was 80 years ago.” In a study published in February, researchers attempted to map social and ecological resilience to fires across the Sonoran Desert over the next 40 years to determine where land managers will need to intervene in order to protect the desert and human infrastructure. The study found that certain areas of the Sonoran Desert will have a harder

time bouncing back after fire events. Land managers will likely need to rethink how to achieve desired management outcomes in these areas. “It’s really critical that we start to better understand the dynamics that drive recovery, as we have limited resources and more and more areas that desperately need our attention,” said Dr. Clare Aslan, an associate professor at Northern Arizona University and lead author of the study. Aslan and a team of researchers from NAU and Conservation Science Partners, a nonprofit research organization that seeks to develop solutions to large-scale environmental problems,

mapped social and ecological resilience across the Sonoran Desert separately and later combined the maps to determine overall resilience—the ability of an area to return to its normal state after a disturbance. The researchers mapped ecological resilience by determining the severity of the fire risk in the area, how quickly an area can bounce back without human interference after a fire, and what that area will look like when life blooms again. If enough change occurs within an area after a fire, the system can reach a “tipping point” and transition into a new state—like when a desert transitions into a grassland after a high

intensity fire results in the death of native plants. To map social resilience across the landscape, the researchers interviewed different land managers about how likely they feel they can continue to meet their management objectives in light of the projected fire risk in their jurisdiction over the next 40 years. “If you’re a rancher, your objective is to raise cattle,” Aslan said. “If you’re a National Park Service unit, your objective is to provide recreation and conservation for a particular area. Objectives are relatively fixed. The activities you choose to meet that objective, those could change.” The researchers argued that high social resilience is defined by a manager’s ability to continue to meet their objectives, even if that means they have to use new strategies to get there. “A completely different set of objectives would indicate a really different social condition on that landscape—like you really can no longer ranch at all, so you’re going to have to pick recreation. There might be some very different use for

Photo by Madison Beal

A sign displays the perceived fire risk near Sierra Vista, Ariz. As invasive grasses have spread across Arizona’s landscapes in recent years, the risk of fire has increased dramatically. the land,” Aslan said. After mapping the combined social and ecological resilience, the researchers found that certain geographic areas in the region are likely to exhibit lower combined resilience, while other areas are likely to exhibit higher resilience. In some cases, this is driven by the social factors, like access to resources and flexibility within a given agency. In other cases, it’s driven by ecological factors, such as the abundance of fuels in a given area.

For example, in the northeastern and eastern portions of the Sonoran Desert where elevation is slightly higher, there is an increasing abundance of fuels. On top of that, people frequently use these areas for recreation, so there is a higher likelihood someone will ignite a fire. The researchers determined these areas exhibit low resilience. Conversely, there are areas in the western portion of the desert where there is relatively low human density and a small number

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Desert Times, May 2021

of fuels. In these areas, the land is more resilient. Ultimately, more than half of the land mangers interviewed for the study reported they will likely need to come up with new strategies to manage their land in order to meet their objectives due to the increased fire risk across the desert. Land managers with more resources, like the military and other federal stakeholders, feel more confident about their abilities to meet their objectives in the future. On the other hand, land mangers that seek to achieve objectives associated with conservation and the protection of cultural resources, like tribal stakeholders, acknowledged they will have a hard time achieving their objectives in the future.

While there is variability among land managers’ abilities to respond to fires, there is a consensus among managers that both preventative and post-fire management activities will be necessary to protect the land moving forward. “I think over the next 20 to 40 years, most people will continue to adapt and find ways to deal,” Aslan said. “But I do think that once you start to get further out than that, it’s going to get harder and harder.” Some of the Arizona hot spots that Aslan and her team identified as high risk in their modeling actually went up in flames after the models were produced, such as an area near Lake Roosevelt, roughly 11 miles north of Globe. In August of 2020, a lightning

strike ignited a wildfire that burned almost 21,000 acres of Sonoran Desert grass and brush. In recent years, the state of Arizona has experienced some of the largest fires in the state’s recorded history. In fact, Arizona’s 2020 fire season is considered one of the worst the state has ever seen with almost one million acres of federal, state and tribal lands burned. Lata, who has worked as fire ecologist for almost 20 years, explained that we are seeing such extreme changes to the Sonoran Desert’s fire regime largely due to the spread of invasive grasses. To make matters worse, climate change is exacerbating the spread of non-native grasses. Steadily increasing temperatures coupled with increasingly sporadic rainfall create the

perfect storm in the desert where fine fuels and fires can thrive. On April 5, the Pima County Board of Supervisors issued an update on their Invasive Species Management Process, stating that buffelgrass is a key threat in the Sonoran Desert. “In addition to the ecological devastation that it poses, buffelgrass also has the potential to negatively impact the almost $I billion tourism industry in our region as well as public health and safety issues associated with increased fires,” the update stated. “For this reason, Pima County’s Office of Emergency Management highlighted the threat posed by buffelgrass in the County’s mu lt i-jurisd ict iona l

hazard mitigation plan… The current status of the buffelgrass problem in our region is largely unknown given the lack of data for some areas and because of the ever-changing extent of infestations in many areas. However, it is likely that buffelgrass is now present in every section (640 acres) of land in Pima County below approximately 4,000 feet elevation.” If the fire regime of the Sonoran Desert continues on its current trajectory, many of the desert’s endemic species, including the iconic saguaro cactus, will struggle to survive. This is because Sonoran Desert plants are generally not well adapted to fire disturbances. They evolved in an environment where fires were not common, so they do not have the

defenses to survive high intensity fires. Invasive grasses, however, usually regenerate quickly after fire events. Scientists and land managers generally agree that the fire disturbance cycle in the Sonoran Desert is out of whack, but there is a lack of consensus on how to address this problem moving forward. Moreover, there is a lack of knowledge on how changes to the fire regime are going impact our social and ecological systems over the next century. “To say there’s a problem is putting it mildly,” Lata said. “Fires are spreading faster and bigger than they ever would have, and more frequently. Those grasses aren’t going back in the box, and we don’t know how to get rid of them.”

Pima JTED Continued from P1

Pima JTED is a technical education district that serves more than a dozen public school districts throughout Southern Arizona, including Amphitheater, Marana, Tucson, Nogales and Flowing Wells school districts. The high school students who enroll in Pima JTED’s extracurricular courses can earn class credit, industry certifications, and even college credit. For Pima JTED, 2020 looked similar to other schools: information about the virus came trickling in through February and early March, and by spring break the decision was made to not return to in-person classes. The hands-on learning stopped, and nursing students were pulled from their required clinical hours— many of which took place at long-term care centers. “This was probably the hardest thing our teachers and students ever had to do, but they made the best of it,” said Pima JTED superintendent Kathy Prather. “We were really impacted because

everything we do revolves around hands-on. It provided special challenges because students come to us for that kind of hands-on experience. But we immediately went into a mode of maximizing what we were doing.” The first hurdle was to make sure virtual classrooms would work. Many students and even staff did not have adequate internet at home. The district sent out a survey regarding hardware and internet needs that would allow virtual learning. In the end, Pima JTED spent roughly $250,000 on software (such as Swift K12, Remind and Big Interview) and hardware (internet hotspots) for online teaching. For the reduced school staff who continued to work in-person, the district also spent $200,000 on protective equipment (plexiglass and face shields), but that cost was lowered thanks to government reimbursements, loans and donations. Pima JTED’s classes range from aviation technology to HVAC to cosmetology and dental assisting. Prather

D T, M 

says a critical piece for these classes moving online was YouTube videos. Teachers would film themselves doing an activity, then the students would make their own videos replicating the activity. “When you go to an online environment, one of the biggest challenges is communication and engagement. With this, it was as if they were in class, but it was all through remote YouTube videos,” Prather said. “Another cool thing was when our culinary instructors would record a video like a cooking show. But then we heard that when the students were making theirs, the family would join in.” Another surprise the teachers found is how much the students could educate them about the computers they were using. Prather describes modern students as “digital natives,” those who grew up with technology in their hands nearly from birth. Vaughn says her students would help her with various tech issues, from the new software the class was based around, to simply being muted during video calls. “We kind of worked as a team through the online process. It unified us and helped us become closer by

getting through it together,” Vaughn said. Fully online learning continued through the beginning of the fall 2020 semester. Students only returned to Pima JTED’s campuses with a hybrid learning model in October 2020. Vaughn’s medical assisting classes are traditionally four hours long: roughly one hour of lecture, then three hours of lab time. But after so much online learning, she realized with a hybrid schedule she could keep all the lectures online, and save in-person time exclusively for hands-on work. “When they came to class, they knew exactly what they were supposed to do because we were able to go in such depth online,” Vaughn said. “I actually do want to bring some of that back to the classroom, because it was nice to have them look at it from that perspective and then go into the lab. I feel like they were more confident.” These complications have not stopped Pima JTED’s growth, however. Despite the pandemic, the district’s student body increased. In the 2019-2020 school year, all Pima JTED central and satellite sites constituted 16,406 students. For 2020-2021, that

number increased to 16,446. “We’re constantly evolving and changing, but our teachers do a fantastic job of keeping up with industry,” Prather said.“A lot of people think that JTED is only for kids that will go to work right after high school. And yes, we do have a number of students with that goal. But a majority of our students plan to go onto post-secondary, and we want to make sure we are offering a pathway approach and continue our partnerships with Pima Community College and the University of Arizona.” Pima JTED also started an Air Transportation/FAA Drone Operator program, where students can learn the principles of aircraft design and performance, aircraft flight systems and controls, and radio communication. Through this, they can earn FAA certifications for drone pilot, ground school and basic ground instruction. “With the college loan crisis that has grown in this country, a lot of people are looking for a career in technical education. Students can enter good-paying jobs. And that’s not to say they won’t go to college, but they can now afford to pay for it,” said Pima JTED director of public re-

lations Greg D’Anna. “We’ve become more and more attractive over the years. Our students are in high demand.” Following the swell of infection numbers over winter, students were forced to return to virtual-only learning once more. “They were more upset in December because they had already gotten a taste of what it was like to be back,” Vaughn said. “But they understood why it was necessary, and I kept reassuring them that no matter what it takes, I’d get them to that finish line.” Fully online learning continued through February. Then the students were able to return to hybrid learning, and finally, in April, students were able to return to class full-time. Despite the school year almost being over, Vaughn says that first full day back felt like the first day of school, with many students seeing their classmates faceto-face for the first time. “I am grateful, because I learned a lot through it: connecting with students, my teaching, the school system overall,” Vaughn said. “And if anything, we need to come out of this as a positive that we became stronger. I think it made all of us better teachers.”

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Desert Times, May 2021

Etherton shows off decades of photos in two new shows Margaret Regan

Special to Tucson Local Media

or 33 years, art lovers have been climbing the daunting staircase up to Etherton Gallery, perched high on the second floor of downtown’s historic Oddfellow Hall. It’s always been worth it. Right now, for example, if you trek up the 27 steps, you’ll see not one but two stunning exhibitions of 20th century documentary photography. “Danny Lyon: Thirty Photographs” is a tribute to the best photos of Lyon’s extraordary career. The other show, “For the Record: Documentary Photographs from the Etherton Gallery Archive,” shows off 85 blackand-white images shot by a throng of renowned photographers: Robert Frank,

Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Flor Garduño, and Garry Winogrand. These two gems will be the last Etherton exhibitions in the handsome Sixth Ave. gallery, and the first exhibition in a new space. Proprietor Terry Etherton is ending his 33 years downtown and moving to a one-story building at 341 S. Convent St. in Barrio Viejo. “The building was sold,” Etherton says of the current place. “It was time to move on. It’s a cool space. This is our 40th anniversary year. It’s a good time to make a move.” Etherton opened his first gallery in a retail space on Sixth Street near Fourth Avenue; he stayed there for seven years before setting down roots in the Odd Fellows building. “I was looking around

over the years at other spaces,” he says, especially ones that could accommodate wheelchairs. The Convent space handily fits that bill with an accessible ramp; it also provides ample parking. Etherton has never been able to show big sculptures in his current space—they’re too heavy to be hauled up the epic staircase—but he’ll be able to display 3D work with ease in the large patio out back of the Convent gallery. First up in the garden gallery will be big granite and glass works by Otto Rigan. Inside, “We’ll have a grand opening in the fall, with a big Joel-Peter Witkin show, just him,” Etherton says. Works by the renowned photographer, a gallery favorite, will likely take up much of the gallery’s ”The Cotton Pickers, Ferguson Unit, Texas Department of Corrections, 1968 from Thirty Photographs, 1962-1980,” by 3,400 square feet. Danny Lyon. ©Danny Lyon/Magnum Photo. Etherton is thrilled that

Desert Times, May 2021

For the Record: Documentary Photographs from the Etherton Gallery Archive and

Danny Lyon: Thirty Photographs, 1962-1980 Etherton Gallery Through May 22 at current gallery, 135 S. Sixth Ave. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday From June 1 and to early September at new gallery location, 341 S. Convent Ave. in Barrio Viejo. By appointment. Free

Elliott Erwitt, Paris, 1989 © Courtesy Etherton Gallery the new space was specifically built for art: it held the massive art collection of the late Bill Small. A newspaperman who owned the Tucson Citizen and, briefly, the Arizona Daily Star, Small had a passion for contemporary art; he became a patron to many Tucson artists, buying their works but insisting they never let on that he did. “I knew Bill Small and I love that the legacy is being passed on,” Etherton says. Small’s architect son William designed his father’s lair in 1987, creating soaring skylights and concrete floors that

624-7370; ethertongallery.com

somehow fit right in with the neighborhood’s 19th-century Sonoran adobes. The space has had various tenants over the years, housing an art gallery and then an architectural practice. The owners, siblings Don and Betsy Rollings, are the children of the late Kelly Rollings, once the king of barrio real estate. Kelly also ran an art gallery in the neighborhood and he and Etherton were friends. “We got along,” he says, and Kelly’s kids invited him to consider the Convent space for his gallery.

“They want me there,” Terry says with a smile. “They’ve been great.” The buyer of the Odd Fellows is the controversial developer Ross Rulney, who bought the Benedictine Monastery on Country Club and more recently acquired the Rincon Market building on Sixth St. He’s lined up Delta, a new restaurant created by the owners of The Parish eatery, to take over the first floor in the space occupied for 10 years by Janos Wilder’s DOWNTOWN Kitchen + Cocktails. It closed last fall but survives as a to-go business, operated

Masks and social distancing required

“Arnold Popkin,”1985, by Allen Dutton (1922-2017). ©2021 Allen A. Dutton, courtesy Etherton Gallery. at The Carriage House near Odd Fellows. Etherton’s two current photo shows will be a bridge between the two galleries, wrapping up in the old place on May 22 and doing a soft opening in Barrio Viejo, by appointment only, on June 1. Either way, the exhibitions are a must for photography fans. In “For the Record,” you’ll see Bernice Abbott’s famous

“Flatiron Building,” New York’s beloved triangular tower, caught by Abbott in 1938, when the Depression was beginning to wane. W. Eugene Smith, who lived for a short time in Tucson, is represented by a piece from his heartbreaking Minamata series. A chemical company dumped mercury into a waterway, poisoning the fish regularly eaten in a Japanese town; thousands were stricken by disease.

Smith documented the catastrophe. In a 1972, a mother gently holds her daughter, profoundly disabled by the disaster. Graciela Iturbide’s 1979 “Mujer ángel” pictures an indigenous Mexican woman gazing down at the Sonoran Desert. Seen in hindsight in 2021, the angel seems to be awaiting the thousands of desperate migrants who would die in that desert in the years to come.

We hope to begin meeting May 15 - please check our website or Facebook to be sure all listed services are meeting at the church located 1 mile west of Kinney Road. on Ajo Hwy 5757 W. Ajo Hwy- Tucson, AZ 85735 as we are adhering to AZ 9:00 am (520) 883-1234 health requests -Lynn check outAssistant Pastor Spoon, 10:30 am Elaine Gilbert, Ministry Assistant our sermons online!

Tucson Mountain Baptist Church SUNDAY

Worship Service (blended music)

Bible Study / Sunday School (Classes for all ages from birth to senior adult)

WEDNESDAY Kids Night (2 years through 6th grade)

6:30 pm

Youth

6:30 pm

Adult Worship

6:30 pm

Visit our website: tucsonmountainchurch.org

National Day of Prayer Service May 5th at 6 pm Special Mothers Day Service May 9th at 9 am

Desert Times, May 2021

These Vietnamese sandwiches are so Independent bottling company showcases good, you may become Banhdicted Whiskey Del Bac in

Matt Russell

2021 release

Special to Tucson Local Media

t’s been described as a banh mi boom when an information technology executive partnered with a real estate professional last fall to respond to a paucity of local purveyors of Vietnam’s street food staple. But without previous restaurant experience, what could they offer to patrons who would bring certain expectations for authenticity to their door? Could it be generations of wisdom from the Southeast Asia communities where their respective families have deep roots? Yeah, that’ll do it. Kim Nguyen, whose family hails from Vietnam, and Don Vongtheung, who came to the United States from Thailand, are both first-generation Asian Americans. Their passion for the banh mi sandwich was reignited when they hammered out a deal on a new restaurant called Banhdicted. “Kim was living in San Diego around that time, and whenever she’d come to Tucson for a visit, I’d ask her to bring me 10 banh mi sandwiches from A Chau, one of our favorite Vietnamese restaurants,” said Vongtheung, co-owner of Banhdicted, 1980 W. Orange Grove Road. “There aren’t many good banh mi shops here and that started the idea for our new restaurant.” Vongtheung and Nguyen opened quietly last October but it didn’t take long for lines to start forming at the counter. Vongtheung attributes the strong response to their nod to tradition, their multiple variations on the banh mi theme, and their overall business philosophy.

Austin Counts Tucson Local Media

A Courtesy photo

“Keep it simple, keep it easy, and focus on what you do best. Our specialty is banh mi, so we’ve decided not to expand our menu beyond these six to 10 sandwiches,” said Banhdicted co-owner Don Vongtheung.

“The banh mi experience is all about the bread, and we wanted ours to be the best,” he said. After sampling breads at seven local bakeries, they gave their business exclusively to La Baguette Bakery, which they claim is “distinct from the rest of the herd.” “These baguettes, made by an amazing local family, are lighter and softer than standard banh mi breads,” he said. “Typical banh mis can be a little hard and crumbly, but ours maintain an interior softness even after they’re toasted.” Banhdicted features six versions of banh mi on its menu, each with the classic line-up of pickled carrots and daikon radishes, liver pate spread, cucumber, jalapenos, and cilantro. The protein is the pivotal element, with the AZ Special with Vietnamese ham and pork belly holding the bestseller position. “This one is the staple

banh mi, and if you’ve never had a banh mi, this is the goto,” he said. Vongtheung starts the process by brining pork belly for 24-48 hours in a secret sauce, steaming it for four hours, and chilling it for six hours. It’s then sliced before it lands on the baguette and goes into the oven. Other versions include lemongrass beef, barbecue pork, chicken, and tofu, as well as a breakfast banh mi with eggs and pork belly. Two new versions, with spicy Laotion sausage and Vietnamese meatballs, are expected to hit the menu in the next few weeks. The couple’s business philosophy is straightforward. “Keep it simple, keep it easy, and focus on what you do best,” he said. “Our specialty is banh mi, so we’ve decided not to expand our menu beyond these six to

10 sandwiches.” When they first opened the restaurant, Vongtheung and Nguyen were kicking out 10 pounds of pickled vegetables each week. Now they’re up to 100 pounds every few days. That’s quite a spike over a six-month period of time, which suggests that their business model is working. “If you love what you do, believe in what you do, and listen to your customers, the money will come,” said Vongtheung. And come it has, as the number of Tucson’s certifiably Banhdicted continues to grow. Contact Matt Russell, whose day job is CEO of Russell Public Communications, at mrussell@ russellpublic.com. Russell is also the publisher of OnTheMenuLive.com as well as the host of the Friday Weekend Watch segment on the “Buckmaster Show” on KVOI 1030 AM.

n East Coast boutique bottling company focused on releasing unique American whiskeys produced by independent distillers has chosen three single malt spirits from Tucson’s Whiskey Del Bac to be a part of the company’s offerings this spring. Staying true to the 200-year-old Scottish bottling tradition, Lost Lantern searches the country for one-of-a-kind regional whiskeys to bottle and distribute through certain retailers and their online shop, LostLanternWhiskey.com. Co-founders Nora Ganley-Roper and whiskey journalist Adam Polonski said they added the Old Pueblo whiskey distiller due to their unique process of using mesquite smoke in production of their spirits. “When I worked for Whiskey Advocate, I got to know Whiskey Del Bac through covering a lot of American whiskeys that were starting to rise up. I thought this [Whiskey Del Bac] was one of the most interesting whiskeys I’ve encountered because it was doing something totally new,” Polonski said. “Whereas a lot of craft distilleries were doing things like making bourbon in places bourbon has never been made, they [Whiskey Del Bac] were making whiskey with smokey mesquite, which has never been done anywhere.” Polonski said he and Ganley-Roper visit every facility they work with to get a “sense of place” and a better under-

standing of the distillers’ dedication to their craft. While in Tucson, the duo tasted more than 15 different whiskeys, aged in small 15 gallon casks, before choosing the top three to be added to their five-bottle spring line up (New York Distilling Company and Balcones Distilling from Waco, Texas are also featured in this seasonal offering). “This is a unique opportunity to present a comparison of the casks coming out of Whiskey Del Bac,” Ganley-Roper said. “We think you can learn a lot about a distillery by trying several single barrels side-by-side.” When Lost Lantern chooses a whiskey to bottle, the spirit is transferred from the barrel it was aged in to a stainless steel cask so the whiskey will not continue to mature. What Lost Lantern customers get is the exact whiskey varieties Polonski and Ganley-Roper tasted when they visited the distillery in 2019. Each of the three offerings is limited to 66 bottles of very rare whiskey that can’t be reproduced due to the reactions that take place inside the wooden cask while maturing. “We knew we wanted to choose a few selections from Whiskey Del Bac because their cask format is smaller in size and we wanted to make sure there would be enough bottles to go around with the cask,” Ganley-Roper said. “We realized we had a pretty cool opportunity with selecting three different casks, in that we could specifically speak to the different See Whiskey Del Bac, P14

Desert Times, May 2021

worship guide

contact: 520-797-4384

Join us Sundays at 9:45 a.m. Sundays Join at 9:45 a.m. forfor ONLINE WORSHIP LIVE WORSHIP from home home at at from umcstmarks.org/live-worship

umcstmarks.org/live-worship

Lutheran

Catholic ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON CATHOLIC CHURCH

8650 North Shannon Rd, Tucson 85742 (520) 297-7357 church@seastucson.org † www.seastucson.org Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8am-12:30pm & 1:15pm-4:30pm Closed Saturday & Sunday Due to Covid-19, the Parish Office will be closing to the public for walk-ins until further notice. Please email or call and we will assist you.

Daily Mass - online & in person Monday - Friday: 8:15am

Watch Online

seastucson.org YouTube.com/SEASTucson FB.me/ChurchSEAS

Weekend Masses

Friday: 5pm Saturday: 5pm Sunday: 7am, 9am, 11pm, 1pm (Spanish), 5pm

Communion Distribution Sunday 8-8:30am & 12pm-12:30pm Monday-Friday: 9:15am - 9:45am

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School Daily in-person instruction Pre-K – 8th Grade www.school.seastucson.org † (520) 797 - SEAS

RESURRECTION LUTHERAN CHURCH AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER

11575 N. 1st Ave. Oro Valley, AZ 85737 (520) 575-9901 Welcome to Resurrection Lutheran! Come join us every Sunday for worship! Oro Valley Location 7:45am 9:15am 10:45am

Arise and Shine outdoor service in the Memorial Plaza In-person Sanctuary Service Contemporary In-person Sanctuary Service

SaddleBrooke Location 10:00am HOA 1 Vermilion Room Watch online, scan the QR Code or visit our website www.orovalley.org

Desert Times, May 2021

HOROSCOPE By Holiday Mathis

31 36 41

DOWN

35 39

61 66

25 29

name is Hercules 75 Food for a sea urchin 76 Company behind the first microprocessor

62 67

59 63

65 69

ACROSS

1 Becomes less important by comparison 6 Newspaper unit 10 “The Garden of Earthly Delights” painter 15 Bitcoin, e.g. 16 Hubbubs 17 Bear who sings “The Bare Necessities” in a 1967 Disney film 18 City near St. Petersburg 19 Bellyache 20 Benjamin Franklin is depicted on the first U.S. one (1847) 21 Virtuoso 22 “C’mon, open the door!” 25 1990s supermodel with a palindromic name 26 Like regular exercise and happiness, per research 28 Put one’s trust in 30 Fill to the gills 31 43rd prez 34 Mrs., on Majorca

35 Japanese salad herb 36 Pint-size 39 Something to believe in 41 Smaller parts making up a

larger whole … with a hint to the six groups of shaded squares in this puzzle 45 Brand of knives touted in classic infomercials 46 2006 Winter Olympics host 47 Diamond stat 48 Dance move that went from trendy to cringey in the 2010s 51 Heracles, to Zeus 52 Stitch’s pal, in film 56 “Two thumbs up!” 59 Key of Beethoven’s Ninth 61 Above-the-knee skirt 62 Brown loaf with an earthy taste 65 Pet rocks, once 66 They turn litmus paper red 68 Stead

Know Us, Know Your Community

1 Potpourri pieces 2 Tree that’s a favorite of giraffes 3 Bemoan 4 Paranormal power, for short 5 Thin-layered sedimentary rock 6 Covenant 7 One who raised Cain 8 Wounded by a bull, say 9 Catches sight of 10 Tiny ammo 11 Like some breakfast cereals 12 Emphatic two-pointer 13 Going places? 14 “Heaven forbid!” 23 Sidled (along) 24 “Fresh Air” broadcaster 27 French military headwear 29 Use, as dishes 32 Conflict that ended at 11:00 on 11/11 33 Crooked 37 Slip past 38 Swelled heads 40 Food-spoiling bacterium 41 Like Sodom and Gomorrah 42 Abraham Lincoln, for one 43 Modern lead-in to -grammer 44 ___ hop (swing era dance) 45 Not a happy face 49 Put two and two together? 50 Mayim who played Amy Farrah Fowler on “The Big Bang Theory” 53 “Believe it or not …” 54 Abhor 55 Herculean undertaking 57 Many a smartphone recording 58 Far from original 60 Soccer great with a statue in Buenos Aires 63 Topple (over) 64 Posterior 67 Nine-digit ID, in brief 70 Shade of brown

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Back then, you wanted to fit in and experience the popular thing, feel the comfort of belonging and the strength in numbers. Now, you’re craving something else -- an experience that’s magical and meaningful because it’s only for you. The star exchange of the week is one you’ll prize for its singularity.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’re not responsible for other people’s reactions, but it sure feels that way. The instinct to take credit for joy or assume blame for disappointment speaks to the connectedness you feel with others. Feelings will be sorted in the name of clarity and a more comprehensive understanding of your reality.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). If you want someone to blame, then you’ll have at least three strong contenders, although no good comes from that route. It’s quicker to take a breath and clean it up like it was your mess. It’s not, but that’s not the point. The point is you can still make your goal if you just keep moving forward. Let nothing stop you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Things are the way they are because someone thought they should be. You have your own opinions, and you’ll get behind them to make things happen around you. This is what believing in yourself means this week -- accepting the fact that you are no different from anyone who’s made things happen in the world.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Your wish list is filled with items particular to you. The others have no interest. Check your list often to remind yourself of your wishes and plans. This is no time to drift into the tide of commonality. There’s nothing wrong with conformity, but you can’t have what you want and be like everyone else at the same time.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You’re bold this week and in no mood to hide out. Of course, you take a risk when you tell the truth about who you are what you want. It could go over brilliantly, in which case you’ll be warmly embraced. It could be drama, in which case you find out where you don’t belong -- good information. Either way, you win.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You prize humor, though it’s not the only quality you’re after now. With this current ambitious mood, you seek the kind of company that is comfortable with, if not stellar at, giving and receiving encouragement. Sharing ideas with positive and proactive people will inspire you to new heights.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You know that you do a brilliant job looking after yourself. Therefore, you feel pretty confident that you can look after others in a nurturing way. This week, you’ll see how the relationship you have with yourself colors every other relationship, providing obvious standards and boundaries.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The main event this week is a metaphoric potluck banquet. And while the situation feels free and generous, you can bet you’re being judged for your contributions. Does it give you pause? It’s time to think seriously about what you bring to the table. Find where your talents intersect the group’s need.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The revelry begins the moment you start paying attention to the beauty in front of you. There are important matters that steer your attention, but you will also be a stickler for noticing how long they actually need to hold it. If life is a highway, then getting off at the correct exits dictates much of your experiences.

Crossword Puzzle Answers

roll call

71 Checks out, in a way 72 Thingy 73 Satirist ___ Baron Cohen 74 Singer John whose middle

B B S

69 Part of a political convention

P E T A L S

E A T O N

A L E C A S A M P C E I N K A T E P I S

O S C H A L O O T A M P E MM E N D O N U D O E N E T C K S O L I L O I N O R F A D T A T E A C H A N T E L

M E S S I

A G E D O S A R P M E I N D E P B S R E E N G B L T O R I S O N D R Y U M P

K E E L

T R I T E

S P H A A C L E T E D G W E E W L D I U D A B E D I D A L I K

S S N

V I D E O

U N I O N I S T

B I B L I C A L

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You don’t have to make yourself more lovable to please anyone else, so the fact that you want to anyway will bring up questions. Where is this desire coming from? Is it unworthiness, ambition or a wish to fulfill a particular aesthetic? What is the difference? Does it matter? What are you driven to do about it?

G R I M A C E

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You already want to do what’s best for all. So relax and don’t overthink the rest. Tap into the wisdom of nonhuman organisms -- you know, the ones who don’t bother with a preoccupation of their own importance. They do, to the best of their ability, what they were meant to do, and so will you.

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Desert Times, May 2021

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aspects of Whiskey Del Bac.” Each of the three single whiskey casks from the distiller was made with 100% malted barley, with 60% of the barley smoked with mesquite wood, and they have different flavor characteristics. All three of Lost Lantern’s offerings from Whiskey Del Bac are unique and differ from one another. Single Cask #5 is 129.2 proof and features a very savory and smokey flavor with herbal notes that balance the spirit. Single Cask #6 (130.6 proof) has more fruity notes with a slightly spicy but rich smokey flavor Whiskey Del Bac is known for. Single Cask #7 (122.2 proof) is a departure from the previous two whiskeys due to its bold oak flavor that incorporates spicy and herbal notes. Single Cask #5 and Single

Cask #6 both were aged in a second-fill American oak cask for 18 to 22 months and Single Cask #7 was aged in a new oak cask for only a year before being bottled, according to Stephen Paul, president of the board of directors for Hamilton Distillers, the makers of Whiskey Del Bac. “Whiskey #7 is darker in color because it’s new oak and has a bigger, bolder taste compared to the other two,” Paul said. “It’s more different than the other two, than the other two are different from each other.” Ganley-Roper said they view Single Cask #7 as an entry for Bourbon and rye drinkers to enjoy what Whiskey Del Bac produces. “It has more of those oak tones, caramel and spice that Bourbon and rye drinkers find in the whiskeys they love,” Ganley-Roper said.

Courtesy Photo

“We knew we wanted to choose a few selections from Whiskey Del Bac because their cask format is smaller in size and we wanted to make sure there would be enough bottles to go around with the cask,” said co-founder Nora Ganley-Roper. “It’s super fun to taste these next to each other, but it also allows people who like different styles of single malt to find something that speaks to them within the Whiskey

Del Bac portfolio.” For more information or to purchase a bottle (or all five of this season’s offerings), check out lostlanternwhiskey.com.

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READER PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Reader Eric Allen captured a vibrant shot of desert springtime with these cactus blossoms in the sunset just east of Tucson. Send your photos to readerphotos@ tucsonlocalmedia.com. Include your name, contact information and details about the photo, including who took it, where it was taken and the subject. Not all photos can be printed. See other photos online at www.tucsonlocalmedia.com.

Desert Times, May 2021

Tech Talk: OSIRIS-REx is flying home, a Tempe prof is headed to space and more Jeff Gardner Tucson Local Media

ith a major research university right in our backyard, a strong military presence and innovative companies spread throughout the metro region, there’s often a plethora of interesting science and technology news to be found in Southern Arizona. Here’s a breakdown of the most interesting recent developments from the region: See You, Space Cowboy. On Wednesday, April 7, the University of Arizona-led OSIRIS-REx spacecraft flew a “farewell tour” of the asteroid Bennu, which it has orbited since December 2018. OSIRIS-REx, which launched from Earth in September 2016, is slated to be the first American space mission to return a sample from the surface of an asteroid. The NASA spacecraft used a mechanical arm to capture bits of the

munity College, will join three other guests aboard billionaire Jared Isaacman’s SpaceX Inspiration4 flight—the first space mission to fly with only private citizens on board. The flight is scheduled for Sept. 15 and will take the crew into low-Earth orbit, more than 100 miles above the Earth’s surface. Proctor has long worked as a personality and expert in the field of science communication, working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA, among others. She has promoted her work as an “analog asPhoto courtesy UA, NASA. tronaut,” (a person who The asteroid Bennu’s rough surface as captured by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. conducts activities in simulated space conditions), but asteroid’s dusty, rocky sur- the original mission sched- ples of Bennu to the Utah will get her first taste of true face in October 2020. Since ule, but the observation run Test and Training Range on space later this year. then, it has continued to provided the team on Earth Sept. 24, 2023. orbit Bennu while ensuring an opportunity to learn how Aviary Autotune. Scienits samples are secure and the spacecraft’s contact with First Flight. A Tempe tists at the University of Arisufficient for mission crite- Bennu’s surface altered the science educator has been zona are using a tiny, wireless ria. As part of the “farewell sample site. OSIRIS-REx is selected to be on SpaceX’s device attached to a bird’s tour,” OSIRIS-REx captured scheduled to depart Ben- first-ever private flight into head to rapidly change the some final images of the nu on May 10 and begin orbit. Dr. Sian Proctor, who pitch of their songs, which sample-collection site. Ac- its two-year journey back is an author, speaker and may lead to better undercording to UA, this final fly- to Earth. The spacecraft is planetary science professor standing of speech in the human brain. Based out of the by of Bennu was not part of planned to deliver the sam- at South Mountain ComUA’s College of Engineering,

the science team is studying songbirds because they are one of the few species that “share humans’ ability to learn new vocalizations.” The devices, created in assistant professor of biomedical engineering Philipp Gutruf’s lab, can modulate neuron groups in the bird’s brain, changing song pitch. UA says the team’s next goal is to expand device capabilities to also record neuron activity. This could allow researchers to visualize brain activity during song learning and performance to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying brain mechanisms. The paper “Wireless battery free fully implantable multimodal recording and neuromodulation tools for songbirds” was published in Nature Communications last week. “Because of the small size and light weight, the birds can move freely and live permanently with the implant without affecting their behavior or health, which opens up many possibilities to study the basis for vocal communication,” said co-senior author Julie Miller, an assistant professor of neuroscience and speech, language and hearing sciences at UA.

Desert Times, May 2021