Foothills News 101922

Gabby Giffords named Rose Parade marshal

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Tucson Local Media

Former Rep. Gabby Gif fords was named the 2023 grand marshal by Tourna ment of Roses President Amy Wainscott.

Gabby’s remarkable recov ery from traumatic injuries epitomizes the 2023 theme, “Turning the Corner.”

The announcement was a

celebratory event on the front steps of Tournament House in Pasadena, 80 days before the Rose Bowl Game and Rose Pa rade presented by Honda, both on Jan. 2.

“It’s a tremendous honor to serve as the grand marshal of the 134th Rose Parade,” Gif fords said in a statement.

“I love the theme of ‘turning the corner’ — the idea that we all can make a conscious deci

sion to go in a different direc tion, toward something better. This philosophy of moving ahead is one that I’ve tried to embody both in my personal journey of recovery since being shot in 2011 and in the fight for gun violence prevention that has become my life’s work.”

Wainscott said she is looking forward to hosting Giffords.

Artist amplifies positive images of Black Americans

BY BRIDGETTE REDMAN

Tucson Local Media

As much as she loved art, Alanna Airitam felt she didn’t belong in museums.

There were few people who looked like her on the walls and those who did were often portrayed in traumatic or violent situations.

When she left a 20-year career in ad vertising to become a full-time fine art photographer, she knew her art had to be different. The photographer moved to Tuc son from San Diego in 2019, looking for larger, more affordable studio space.

Through Oct. 29, her series “The Gold en Age” is on display at the University of Arizona’s Center for Creative Photogra phy. Ten large-scale portraits depict Black Americans in a way that is designed to be uplifting, empowering and dignified.

The portraits are modeled on the golden age of the Harlem Renaissance and each portrait is dubbed with the name of a saint, names pulled from street names in Harlem.

In her artist statement about “The Gold en Age,” Airitam wrote, “Weary from ex periencing how people of color are treated, I feel called to create images of people who look like me presented with reverence and dignity. I began working on ‘The Golden

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Grand Marshal Gabby Giffords, who was unveiled last week. (Pasadena Tournament of Roses/Submitted)

Desert To-Dos

THEATER

Thursday, Oct. 20 to Sunday, Oct. 23

For one weekend only, Broadway in Tuc son presents “the record-breaking musical spectacular,” “Cats” at Centennial Hall. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s beloved musical tells the intimate story of an “extraordi nary” tribe of cats who gather for their an nual ball. The show runs for approximate ly two hours and 20 minutes, including an intermission. For a full performance schedule and how to purchase tickets, visit broadwayintucson.com. Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Boulevard.

LIVE MUSIC/COMEDY

Saturday, Oct. 22

Grammy-nominated comedian, TV host and actor George Lopez visits the AVA Amphitheater stage on Saturday, Oct. 22, for his “OMG Hi” Tour. Named one of the most influential Hispanics in America by Time, Lopez has enjoyed a multifaceted career in standup comedy, film and latenight television. Show starts at 8 p.m. For ticket information, visit casinodelsol. com. AVA Amphitheater, 5655 W. Valencia Road.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Wednesday, Oct. 19 and Thursday, Oct. 20

The Loft Cinema closes out its 12th annual Loft Film Fest on Wednesday, Oct.19, and Thursday, Oct. 20. The festival’s program ming included over 45 features and short programs, guest speakers and other eclec tic programming including the documen tary about “The New Loft,” in celebration of the Loft’s 50th anniversary. Wednesday night features, “Day for Night,” with ac claimed actress Jacqueline Bisset. There will be a Q&A with Bisset after the show ing. For a full list of the lineup and ticket pricing, visit loftcinema.org. The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Boulevard.

Thursday, Oct. 20 to Sunday, Oct. 30 Nightfall celebrates its 30th anniversary at Old Tucson Studios with a plot twist this spooky season. Its return in full throt tle offers a more immersive storyline that invites the whole family to follow clues and engage with cast members to uncover multiple mysteries, allowing themselves the opportunity to determine their night’s outcome. Visitors are encouraged to pur-

BY KATYA MENDOZA

chase tickets ahead of time, due to the park’s timed-entry approach on nightfallaz.com. Nightfall at Old Tucson Stu dios, 201 S. Kinney Road.

Friday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 22 Tohono Chul Botanical Gardens and Gal leries hosts its autumn series, Brewin’ at the Chul, from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, and Saturday, Oct. 22, through Saturday, Nov. 26. With free admission, visitors can roam the grounds after hours and partake in a rotating food menu that includes beers, brats and more from the Garden Bistro. En joy live music by guitarist Nico Barberan on Friday, or singer-songwriter Brett Dool ey on Saturday. For the menu and full list of performers, visit tohonochul.org. Tohono Chul, 7366 N. Paseo Del Norte.

Saturday, Oct. 22

The Amerind Museum presents the Am erind Autumn Fest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22. Take a day trip to Dra goon to celebrate the O’odham communi ty’s history, culture and arts with members of the community for this day-long festi val. Special guests include the No:lik Tra ditional Singers and Dancers. For a full list of scheduled talks and activities, visit amerind.org. Admission is $10 per vehicle. Amerind Museum, 2100 N. Amerind Road.

Saturday, Oct. 22

The Arizona History Museum presents Night at the Museum from 5 to 9 p.m. Sat urday, Oct. 22. The family-friendly spook tacular event features an evening of trick or treating, music, kids craft and ghost tours. Adults $10, kids (7-13) $8, children 6 and younger free. After 9 p.m., adult guests can join the museum for a lights-out experi ence and can use EVP equipment to locate paranormal activity inside of the museum. Tickets are $30. For information about tickets and activities, visit arizonahistoricalsociety.org. Arizona History Museum, 949 E. Second Street.

Saturday, Oct. 22

Join the Hellfire Club and take a trip to the Upside Down at the Flandrau Planetari um’s Laser “Stranger Things” light show at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22. Surround your

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Foothills

Opera gives dramatic insight into wounded soldiers lives

BY BRIDGETTE REDMAN Tucson Local Media

When Tess Altiveros was debat ing whether to take on a new project at the Seattle Opera, the conductor, Michael Sakir, told her, “This opera will change your life.”

She took the job — performing as the central character in a new opera, “The Falling and the Rising,” roles which she and Sakir will reprise for the Arizona Op era Saturday, Oct. 22, to Sunday, Oct. 23, in Tucson.

“I will never forget him saying that and it did change my life,” Altiveros said. “It changed my perspective. It changed my understanding and made me sit up and

pay attention to the fact that I had my own prejudices that I needed to deal with.

Mostly, it enabled a path for dialogue with a group of people that I have never been able to sit across the table with and certainly not make art with. It changed my view on myself as a citizen and my view on this world.”

“The Falling and the Rising” is a five-person opera based on the true stories of American military service members and veterans who have been wounded in the line of duty. Conceived of by Army Staff Sgt. Ben Hilget, who was an opera singer before he enlisted, it took shape

See OPERA Page 6

“We are just over the moon thrilled to have Gabby as our grand marshal,” she said.

“It all starts with our theme, ‘Turning the Corner,’ and I can’t think of anybody who is more of a hopeful, optimistic person that embodies that theme.”

There’s a second Tucson tie to this year’s parade. The Catalina Foothills High School marching band is going to participate in the parade.

“It’s a great coincidence that we have the high school and Gabby Giffords in our pa rade,” Wainscott said. “They’re under the direction of Renee Shane Boyd, who is an other incredible female.”

To choose Catalina Foothills, Wainscott traveled to Tucson in the spring. She also encourages the community to help fund the band’s trip to Pasadena.

“We visit all of our bands and bring awareness to the community that they’ll be traveling to Pasadena,” she said.

“They have to pay their way to get to Pasadena. We were there this spring and we were able to visit with the students who are amazing musicians and the boosters, the administrators at the school and the community. (Artist) Diana Madaras had a fundraiser and Gabby said she knew her. It all came full circle for us.”

Giffords was the youngest woman elect ed to the Arizona State Senate, represented the community in the Arizona legislature from 2000 to 2005, and then in Congress from 2006 to 2012.

On Jan. 8, 2011, at a “Congress on Your Corner” constituent event in Tucson, Gif fords was shot in the head by a gunman who killed six people and injured 12 oth

ers. She stepped down from Congress in January 2012 to focus on her recovery. Giffords embarked on a path to regain her ability to speak and walk.

“The idea of ‘turning the corner’ also resonates from a national perspective,” Giffords said.

“Our country has faced multiple years of a deadly pandemic and political rancor. Yet medical advances and bipartisan compro mise have helped us to take steps toward a better future, even if these steps aren’t always as quick or as sure as we would like them to be, but I’ve learned the impor tance of incremental progress — and that progress starts with having the courage to hope, and then to act on that hope.”

In 2013, after the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, Giffords co-founded the or ganization now known as Giffords.

During the past several years, the organ ization has made gun safety a kitchen ta ble issue for voters. Giffords has worked hard to pass legislation in states across the country and at the federal level. This sum mer, Giffords was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest ci vilian honor. “Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down,” a documentary from the filmmak ers behind “RBG,” premiered this year and is now available to stream at home on de mand.

“I’m extremely grateful to follow in the footsteps of the many distinguished grand marshals in the parade’s history and to blaze my own path forward,” Giffords said.

“Thank you so much to Tournament of Roses President Amy Wainscott and to the board of directors for this privilege, and I look forward to being at the parade on Jan. 2.”

The premise of the new opera, “The Falling and the Rising,” is when a female soldier is hit in a roadside bombing, she is put into a medically-induced coma. The audience follows as she wanders through her subconscious, encountering different soldiers’ stories. (Submitted photo)

In the Rose Parade, Gabby Giffords will be joined by the Catalina Foothills High School Marching Band. (Pasadena Tournament of Roses/Submitted)

self with 4K resolution laser lights, moody synths and ’80s pop hits. Based on the Net flix hit series, this show always sells out. Stick around for its newest feature, Laser Bowie, which celebrates the “musical leg acy of the enigmatic chameleon,” David Bowie, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets sold separate ly. Tickets are $9 for adults, $7 kids 4 to 17 and college students and $8 for seniors and military personnel. For more infor mation, visit flandrau.org. Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, 1601 E. University Boulevard.

Saturday, Oct. 22 and Sunday, Oct. 23 Pumpkin (spice) season is here, so grab the family and take a day trip down to Willcox for Apple Annie’s Orchards, Fall Pumpkin Celebration, throughout October. Take a hayride or get lost in the corn maze as you enjoy the fall weather at the pumpkin patch located at The Farm on 6405 W. Williams Road. Apple Annie’s Orchard is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., no charge for admission but bring money for produce purchases and hayride tickets. For more information about seasonal produce availability or Apple Annie’s Orchard, visit appleannies.com or call 520-384-2084.

LOCAL MARKETS

Saturday, Oct. 22 and Sunday, Oct. 23

The Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA) presents the La En cantada Fine Art Market from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23. The open-air market brings locally designed arts and fashion, metalwork and other hand-made artisanal goods. Admission is free. For a list of vendors and artists, visit saaca.org. La Encantada Shopping Center, 2905 E. Skyline Drive.

CLASSES PROGRAMS

Wednesday, Oct. 19 to Saturday, Oct. 29

This month, the Sonoran Glass School hosts its annual Pumpkin Fiesta. From

9 a.m. to 5 p.m., SGS offers its popular Make Your Own Pumpkin Experience during which participants can pick colors and design elements and work with SGS artists to create their own glass pumpkin. This event costs $115 per pumpkin, res ervations are required. Proceeds from the program support SGS and its youth educa tion programming. To make reservations or learn about other activities, visit so noranglass.org. Sonoran Glass School, 633 W. 19th Street.

Thursday, Oct. 20

Head over to the Brad DeSpain Stables at the scenic Marana Heritage River Park for Adult Paint Night from 6 to 8 p.m. Reg istration for the instructor-led class is $30 per resident, $37.50 for nonresidents, and includes a 16 by 20 canvas and painting supplies. No experience necessary. Partic ipants may also bring food and alcoholic beverages to enjoy responsibly. For infor mation, visit maranaaz.gov.

FAMILY FRIENDLY

Friday, Oct. 21 to Sunday, Oct. 23

The Reid Park Zoo is hosting the Boo at the Zoo for a “bewitching evening” from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, to Sunday, Oct. 23. Friends and family of the Reid Park Zoo can show off their “boo-tiful” costumes, visit the Rancho Sahuarita Fall Festival Zone to play games, and visit trick-or-treat stations and spooky scenes. Timed-entry tickets are $11 for zoo mem bers and $13 for general admission. For information, visit reidparkzoo.org. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court.

Saturday, Oct. 22

Tucson Parks and Recreation hosts Hal loween Boo Bash at the Lincoln Park Soc cer Fields from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22. Join in on an evening full of “tricks and treats,” carnival rides and a costume pa rade. Food will be available for purchase.

For further information, visit tucsonaz. gov. Lincoln Park Soccer Fields, 4325 S. Pantano Road.

WARNING! PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY AND CHRONIC PAIN TREATMENTS NOT WORKING!!

Oro Valley AZ – When it comes to chronic pain and/ or neuropathy, the most common doctor-prescribed treatment is drugs like Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Neurontin. The problem with antidepressants or anti-seizure medications like these is that they offer purely symptomatic relief, as opposed to targeting and treating the root of the problem. Worse, these drugs often trigger an onset of uncomfortable, painful, and sometimes harmful side effects.

The only way to effectively treat chronic pain and/or peripheral neuropathy is by targeting the source, which is the result of nerve damage owing to inadequate blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet. This often causes weakness, numbness, tingling, pain, and balance problems. A lack of nutrients causes the nerves to degenerate – an insidious and often painful process.

cannot survive, and thus, slowly die. This leads to those painful and frustrating consequences we were talking about earlier, like weakness, numbness, tingling, balance issues, and perhaps even a burning sensation.

The drugs your doctor might prescribe will temporarily conceal the problems, putting a “BandAid” over a situation that will only continue to deteriorate without further action.

Thankfully, Oro Valley is the birthplace of a brandnew facility that sheds new light on this pressing problem of peripheral neuropathy and chronic pain. The company is trailblazing the medical industry by replacing outdated drugs and symptomatic reprieves with an advanced machine that targets the root of the problem at hand.

1. Finding the underlying cause

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3. The amount of treatment required for the patient’s unique condition

Arrowhead Physical Medicine in Oro Valley AZ uses a state-of-the-art electric cell signaling systems worth $100,000.00. Th is ground-breaking treatment is engineered to achieve the following, accompanied by advanced diagnostics and a basic skin biopsy to accurately analyze results:

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The treatment works by delivering energy to the affected area(s) at varying wavelengths, from low- to middle-frequency signals, while also using Amplitude Modulated (AM) and Frequency Modulated (FM) signaling

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The number of treatments required varies from patient to patient, and can only be determined following an in-depth neurological and vascular examination. As long as you have less than 95% nerve damage, there is hope!

Arrowhead Physical Medicine begins by analyzing the extent of the nerve damage – a complimentary service for your friends and family. Each exam comprises a detailed sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular testing, and comprehensive analysis of neuropathy findings.

Arrowhead Physical Medicine will be offering this free chronic pain and neuropathy severity evaluation will be available until October 31st, 2022. Call (520) 934 0130 to make an appointment

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Arrowhead Physical Medicine

As displayed in figure 1 above, the nerves are surrounded by diseased, withered blood vessels. A lack of sufficient nutrients means the nerves

Effective neuropathy treatment relies on the following three factors:

Depending on your coverage, your peripheral neuropathy treatment could cost almost nothing – or be absolutely free.

N. Oracle Rd., Suite 125 Oro Valley, AZ, 75757

when he, Zach Redler and Jerre Dye vis ited the Walter Reed Medical Center to interview wounded soldiers.

“The Falling and the Rising” breaks ground in its goals and its staging. Pro jections play an important role in the pro duction. It is filled with humor — there are traditional opera singing deliveries of such lines as “You’d better get your ass in gear.”

Hilget says the opera aptly captures the sacrifices that modern service mem bers make. He said he and the other opera creators were immediately floored by the stories that they heard when they started interviewing people at Walter Reed.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard, to date, more powerful stories of resilience and strength,” Hilget says.

One of the first interviewees was a spe cialist who had been in a coma after being thrown from a Humvee. He dreamt a life that he didn’t have and even six months after he woke up, he was still trying to figure out what was real and what was not.

“He gained the power of speech back

through music therapy — he actually learned to sing before he could speak,” Hilget says. “He spoke with a profound wisdom for someone of his age and still in the middle of trauma.”

They spoke to so many people in a three-day period that he said they could have written 10 operas.

Dennis Whitehead Darling had just fin ished serving as the inaugural McCleave Fellow in Directing at Opera Memphis, a fellowship designed to fostering the ca reers of directors of color, when he went to see Opera Memphis’ production of the opera.

“It’s quite beautiful and poignant and painful and emotional and rich with beau tiful themes of sacrifice and pain,” Dar ling says.

“It’s meant to help us appreciate and acknowledge the sacrifices that are made, the good parts and the bad parts about en listing and the hardships of it,” Altiveros says.

While not traditionally a subject of opera, the stories of sacrifice and injury translate well to the art form, Altiveros says.

“The stakes are so high — there is a risk of life and death and injury and things like that, but real human relationships are affected and in a very large way,” Alti veros says.

“Anytime you can tell that story of hu man relationships on stage, it lends itself to opera. Opera can heighten that sense of emotion.”

She recently spoke with art producers who were concerned about whether this opera would be too heavy and traumat ic for audiences who are stressed in a post-pandemic world. She was eager to allay those fears.

“It’s not that this does not address (traumatic) topics — the whole premise essentially is when a female soldier is hit in a roadside bombing, and they put her in a medically-induced coma. The entire ty of the rest of the opera is her wander ing through her subconscious and coming across these different soldiers’ stories,” Altiveros says.

“That is the background for these sto ries to happen, but it’s meant to leave you feeling uplifted. It’s not a downer.”

Grand

He is now directing the Arizona Opera production. As someone who contem plated going into the military and whose father, uncle, brother and stepsister all served, this opera touches on his ties. He says he feels people get a better under standing of what it takes to serve in the military and the sacrifice, duty and honor involved.

“There are no live scenes of people be ing shot at, but it does deal with injury and that sort of falling that the soldier goes through emotionally and physical ly,” Darling says.

“Then it’s about this wonderful triumph of the rising of how they somehow find this miraculous strength to overcome any sort of emotional or physical pain. It hon ors their sacrifice.”

Altiveros says the music and score are designed to attract civilians and soldiers. She describes it as accessible and melodic.

Altiveros said she cries in almost every single rehearsal because she is so moved by the stories, and she is certain the audi ence will be moved too.

“But it’s not meant to traumatize,” Altiveros said. “It’s meant to leave you feeling really hopeful about and grateful for the work that our soldiers are doing. It’s not meant to take you to a really, real ly dark place and then leave you there. I want to make sure people know that.”

The Arizona Opera’s “The Falling and the Rising” by Zach Redler, libretto by Jerre Dye

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Age’ during the spring of 2017, during which time I came to recognize ways I’ve allowed negative projections of others to hold me back artistically. I would spend time in museums admiring the lighting in European Renaissance paintings, while feeling how far the whole experience was from my own reality. I understood how un comfortable I was in art spaces, that in so many unspoken ways I didn’t belong.”

Airitam said she learned while creating this series how important it is for people of color to use their voice. She said Black people have historically been put into po sitions where they must silence themselves for self-preservation.

“We’ve learned these ways of acclimat ing to our environment,” Airitam said.

“Sometimes that looks like taking a lot of abuse. Sometimes — a lot of times — it looks like code switching. In a lot of these situations where we’re not able to really, fully be ourselves and to be heard and to be taken seriously, we’ve learned to silence ourselves. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned working on ‘Golden Age’ is that that is not acceptable anymore. We have to use our voice and it is important for me to use my voice. That’s the only way we’re going to incite some level of change in a way that is encompassing of human rights.”

Rebecca Senf, the exhibition’s curator at the Center for Creative Photography, said she first saw Airitam’s work at the Muse um of the African Diaspora in California.

“I was just blown away,” Senf said.

“The work was so strong and hearing her talk about her process really deepened my understanding of the project. Then realiz ing she was local to Tucson made it seem like such an exciting opportunity that we might be able to share this work with the Tucson audience.”

“The Golden Age” was the first collec tion she created after committing to a ca reer as a full-time artist. It was a way to stave off the depression and the insecurity that came from switching careers.

The models were friends and friends of friends, people she reached out to as a way of making sure that she was doing the work she needed to do.

“When I left my job, I wanted to make sure I was going to pick up my camera ev ery day,” Airitam said.

“I knew that if I called people and asked them to come over and sit for me, then I didn’t have an excuse. I had a friend come

over and she sat, and we did a portrait and then I looked at it and thought, this is amazing. I’m going to go back and do an other one tomorrow with somebody else.”

The title of the collection refers to the era of portrait painting when Dutch Old Mas ters created images of the merchant class celebrating their wealth and social status. Airitam used many of the same looks and props to create her contemporary portraits — dramatic lighting, rich fabrics and sym bolic items.

As an artist, Airitam felt excluded and that her voice was silent.

“The work is gorgeous evidence to the fact that she has something to contribute to that conversation,” Senf said.

“By producing these works that offer a vision of her colleagues, her peers, her community and the way she perceives them — it brings a kind of vision into a larger conversation and enriches the kind of conversation that can be had.”

The work, Senf said, brings into focus a vision that circulates and becomes part of the language used to discuss issues of representation, race, identity and inclusion.

When it came time to display the works, Senf said that Amy Baker, the CCP’s exhi bition designer, researched the Netherland ish tradition of still life and portrait paint ing and the blossoming of the new middle and merchant class in Harlem.

“She studied that period and looked at how residences were painted and she stud ied a lot of other bodies of work in this group of paintings and listened to how Al anna talked about the project,” Senf said.

“She and Alanna just worked back and forth. It was really this great process of us producing an exhibition where the whole design underscored and supported the body of work.”

This included giving each of the por traits plenty of space, with each work near ly having its own wall.

“The environment allows for people to engage with a print individually and then together as a group,” Senf said.

Airitam said she was thrilled with the vision the staff had for how they wanted to present the work. She loved the idea of painting the walls in the sort of colors that you would see in an old colonial building — deep reds and blues. She described it as working very well in that space — in large part because of the people she worked with and their vision for the exhibit.

Airitam’s portraits celebrate the strength and beauty of each person who posed for the collection. While she uses props and costumes, she stressed she wasn’t trying to make them into characters or caricatures, rather she was capturing the way she really saw them.

“As I’m draping the fabric on them, I’m working with a really organic and sort of intuitive energy,” Airitam said.

“I allowed the feeling to sort of guide what the portrait was going to look like.”

She tried to give as much freedom to her sitters as possible, a process that she said taught her she doesn’t have to control ev erything. Sometimes she even grabbed un expected moments. In the St. Nicholas por trait, he happened to be looking off camera

and talking to his mother when Airitam shot the picture, capturing him with his hand on his hip and the grapes in his hand.

“A lot of those poses were just poses that they pop themselves into,” Airitam said. “Once the wardrobe was set into place, this other sort of energy arose out of them. It was just a beautiful collaboration between all of us.”

Airitam said the CCP has one of the larg est photo archives in the country and that it is an important place for photographers. She said she feels honored to be a part of that and part of the history.

And unlike how she felt at museums for the longest time, she now feels included.

“From my perspective as a Black female artist, it’s important to me to be in that space and inhabit that space because, in large part, it’s been a very white male-dom inated space,” she said.

“For them to open up that space for the first time (since the pandemic started) with this work is impactful. There is a lot of meaning in that, especially in the state our country is in right now. Coming out of this was this wonderful affirmation of belong ing.”

“The Golden Age” by Alanna Airitam

WHEN: Through Oct. 29

WHERE: The University of Arizona Center for Creative Photography, 1030 N. Olive Road, Tucson

COST: Free

(Left) Saint Sugar Hill, 2017, is just one of 10 large scale works by Alanna Airitram now being exhibited at the Center for Creative Photography. (Right) Artist Alanna Airitram recreates Renaissance-style portraiture in her photography. (Alanna Airitram/Submitted)

Student Chronicles

Lauren Grabell of Tucson made the dean’s list at Washington University in St. Louis’ College of Arts & Sci ences. To qualify for the dean’s list in the College of Arts & Sciences, stu dents must earn a semester grade-point average of 3.6 or above and be enrolled in at least 14 graded units.

Brook Wang of Tucson was named to the dean’s list in the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. To qualify for the dean’s list in the Olin Business School, students must earn a semester grade-point average of 3.6 or

above and be enrolled in at least 14 grad ed units. The university draws students to St. Louis from more than 100 countries and all 50 states, the District of Colum bia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The total student body is more than 15,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students.

Cat Alvarado, Zach Bates and Kerrigan Miranda, all of Tucson, were named to the spring 2022 dean’s list at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. The dean’s list recognizes undergraduate stu dents in Pacific’s colleges of arts and sci

ences, business and education who earn a grade-point average of at least 3.70 and complete 12 or more graded credit hours.

Lucia Iurino, who is studying music at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minne sota, was named to its dean’s list for the spring semester. Iurino is the daughter of John Iurino and Joni Wallace of Tucson. The dean’s list recognizes students with a semester grade point average of 3.75 or

higher on a 4-point scale.

Bella Almazan of Tucson was named to the dean’s list of academic distinction at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado. Students who re ceived this distinction earned a combined GPA of 3.75 or higher during at least two academic semesters and completed a minimum of 24 semester hours.

Know of a student doing something remarkable?

Luxury child care center to open second location

BY KATYA MENDOZA Tucson Local Media

Drop-off child care center, Timeless Play, is preparing to open a second location at the Oro Valley Market place early next year.

Nannies from the award-winning Trust ing Connections placement agency and sitter service are behind Timeless Play, which provides parents and caregivers flexible child care services by the hour.

Co-founder Rosalind Prather, said fam ilies are having a hard time finding nan nies and inflation on top of the pandemic has hit the child care industry hard.

“I genuinely think there’s a crisis right now,” Prather said. “We’re far past the point of demand.”

Referencing the pandemic, Prather said that parents have had to quit their jobs due to an inability to find child care and many day cares and preschools have about yearlong waitlists.

“People (who) previously wouldn’t have considered having a private nanny because they wanted to go the day care route are now doing just that because they

simply can’t get in and they have to pay a really high price,” Prather said.

Nanny placement on average, Prather said, can take about six to eight weeks. Parents-to-be find themselves looking for child care options before their baby is born.

“We work with all different kinds of families and they’re just looking for safe, reliable care,” Prather said.

Prather and her business partner and co-founder, Caroline Wesnitzer, were 24 years old when they launched Trust ing Connections in 2011, when Prather became pregnant with her first child. “It happened simultaneously,” she said. The two were professional nannies in college and have been best friends since 1997.

Trusting Connections has been success ful. In May 2015, they opened a second location in Southlake, Texas, and in April 2018, a third location in Phoenix, and in March 2021, came Timeless Play, the drop-off play experience for children ages 1 to 12.

This year, Trusting Connections on track to be a $2 million business.

“Less than 5% of businesses that gener ate half a million a year in sales,” Prather said. “Less than 5% of those are owned by women.

“We have a unique model, most agen cies just refer candidates to families and have that placement model. We have an entire sitter service, about 150 employees, and those centers are employed by our agency (Trusting Connections) to provide temporary part-time care for our (clients).

Timeless Play allows parents to drop off their children for up to four hours during business hours. From there, “play ex perts,” offer quality attention to children in small groups.

“Kids have really forgotten how to play,” Prather said.

Timeless Play takes an alternative ap proach toward playtime, sans batteries. From old-school wooden toys to board games and puzzles, “play experts” inter act with children using “nutrient-rich” activities.

“We want to be the place that parents think about when they are in their des perate moments and really need a break,

because we believe that parenting should come with a tribe,” Prather said.

Trusting Connections and Timeless Play aims to serve as “sanity savers,” ac cording to their social media, placing par ents’ mental health at the forefront.

The new Oro Valley Marketplace loca tion will have space for 26 kids, compared to the Campbell and River location, which hosts 17. They expect to begin hiring later this fall, interested applicants should keep a lookout on their website.

“We’re looking for people who are kids at heart, who are creative, who are fun, imaginative and just really have a passion for being with kids,” Prather said.

Trusting Connections

Trustingconnections.com

Timeless Play

4425 N. Campbell Avenue, Tucson timeless-play.com.

Registration is not required, but encouraged.

us about it!

Trendy brunch spot opens Foothills eatery

BY KATYA MENDOZA Tucson Local Media

From pineapple upside down pancakes to barbacoa chile verde benedicts, Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, is bringing its creative menu to a second Tucson location.

Snooze will open on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 7315 N. Oracle Road.

Prior to that, the restaurant was sched uled to host a soft opening for guests and employees, also known as “Snoozers,” on Oct. 15 and Oct. 16. On those days, tips benefited Interfaith Community Services (ICS) & Food Bank and Integrative Touch.

Made up of 120 faith communities, ICS is the second-largest emergency food pro vider in Southern Arizona.

“We partner with great organizations like Snooze and other corporations around town that allow us to do a lot of things in the community,” said Tim Kromer, direc

NEWS BRIEFS

BY TUCSON LOCAL MEDIA STAFF

Bustamante sentenced to 17.5 years for possession

Gabriel Joseph Bustamante, 43, of Tuc son, was sentenced on Sept. 28, by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 17.5 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Bustamante previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and felon in possession of firearms.

On April 22, 2021, federal agents served a search warrant on Bustamante’s residen tial trailer and seized 3.6 kilograms of pure methamphetamine and multiple firearms. Agents also searched two storage units be longing to Bustamante where they recov ered additional firearms.

The investigation was a collaborative effort between federal law enforcement agencies and is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDE TF) initiative in Southern Arizona that is led by the Tucson Strike Force. OCDE TF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational crim inal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelli gence-driven, multi-agency approach that

tor of outreach and partnerships at ICS. He helps lead the organization’s food distri bution programs and community partner ships.

In addition to its emergency food ser vices, the nonprofit offers emergency rent and utility assistance, transportation for homebound seniors, self-sufficiency pro grams and wraparound services for single moms obtaining higher education.

Andrea Dillenburg, director of develop ment and communications at ICS, said an employee at Snooze reached out to the or ganization about two months ago.

“Someone who works there was familiar with what ICS does, and I cannot tell you how many people we meet in the commu nity that will say (they) needed us at one time,” Dillenburg said.

Kromer said it’s a partnership that works.

Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, offers a creative twist on classic breakfast foods as well as seasonal menu options, vegan options and a willingness to accommodate food allergies and dietary restrictions. Try a flight of the vanilla cream cheese-stuffed pumpkin pecan pie pancakes, and a side of pumpkin spice bacon off of the seasonal fall menu, avail able until Jan. 1. (Submitted)

leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Culver and David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

Woman gets 18 months for smuggling illegals

Dominque Trinidad Valdez-Velasquez, 30, of Tucson, was sentenced on Sept. 29 by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 18 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Valdez-Vel asquez previously pleaded guilty to trans porting illegal aliens, placing in jeopardy the life of any person.

Valdez-Velasquez was arrested on Dec. 29, 2021, during an immigration check point traffic stop near Amado. At the check point, a U.S. Border Patrol canine alerted agents to the trunk of Valdez-Velasquez’s vehicle. When the agents asked Valdez-Ve lasquez to open the trunk, they discovered four undocumented noncitizens from Mex ico. According to court documents, after

traveling for an hour, the noncitizens were left in the trunk, unable to move or leave, for more than four hours while Valdez-Vel asquez slept in a hotel.

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, han dled the prosecution.

Willcox man sentenced for threatening judge

Jeffery Daniel Gladney, 55, of Willcox, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker to time served, amounting to over 25 months in prison. Gladney previ ously pleaded guilty on June 29, to threat ening to assault a federal employee.

During the early summer of 2020, Glad ney left several messages on the voicemail of his attorney’s office, threatening the U.S. Social Security Administration Law judge assigned to his case. In the voicemails, Gladney threatened to assault and kill the judge, demanding his benefits be approved immediately, and instructing the legal assis tant to relay the messages to the judge.

Federal Protective Service of the U.S. De partment of Homeland Security conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam D. Rossi, District of Arizo

na, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

Fentanyl trafficker sentenced to 40 months

Carlos Obed Moreno, 32, a United States citizen residing in Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins to 40 months in prison Sept. 27 for attempting to smuggle pills into the United States in exchange for payment. Moreno previously pleaded guilty to importation of fentanyl into the United States.

On Jan. 6, Moreno presented himself for entry into the United States from Mexico at the De Concini Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona. While at the port, a customs and border protection officer noticed a knife in Moreno’s waistband and conducted a pat-down for officer safety. During the patdown, the officer noticed packages stuffed in Moreno’s boots. Further inspection of the boots revealed the packages contained approximately 628.1 grams of blue fentan yl pills.

Homeland Security Investigations, No gales, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefani Hep ford, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

David Craig

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SAACA and SAAG partner to present the La Encantada Fine Art Festival. We invite you to visit the SAAG gallery at La Encantada to experience weekend-long artist demonstrations.

October 22

Tracy Ann Holmes (Watercolor Demo)

Bacon (Contemporary mixed media Japanese basketry techniques)

Fickett (Contemporary mixed media designs)

Smith

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Karen Lustrup (sculpting masks

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Veteran: Lake unqualified to command troops

BY SUE RITZ Foothills News Guest Writer

Kari Lake, a woman who spent her life reading other people’s words through a teleprompter, now wants to be the commander in chief of the Arizona National Guard. That should make every guard, soldier and airman ner vous. Why?

Just like she did as a news anchor, she’ll govern by regurgitating other people’s conspiracy theories. She’ll be a mouth piece for people who see the border as prime real estate for political stunts, turn ing our soldiers into political pawns. And she already has an example, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who in March 2021, invol untarily activated thousands of guardsmen as a political stunt.

Guardsmen are unique in the military: we serve both state and federal govern ments. On federal orders, guardsmen be come part of the regular military. As such, many guardsmen, including me, deployed

SNOOZE from Page 12

“We’re seeing a big increase in folks that we’re serving, the need is great,” Kromer said.

Last fiscal year, ICS served about 55,000 people in Tucson.

“We’re going to expect to serve even more than that,” Kromer said.

“Given the world today, the needs of ICS given inflation and the increased need we’re seeing from people, (the partnership) couldn’t have come along at a better time,” Dillenburg said. “It’s really quite a bless ing.”

What started as a dream in 2006 for two Denver-based, “breakfast-loving broth ers,” the concept cooks whatever you’re in the mood for with a conscience. With every meal served, the company donates 1% of sales back into the communities in addition to recycling and composting about 90% of

to support the global war on terror.

During my 15-month deployment, we were covered by federal law. That law pre vented us from losing our jobs, business es and houses. We collected retirement points, got access to the VA, collected housing allowance and combat pay.

We also had access to the same training as active-duty soldiers and were issued equipment to ensure we could do the job.

But under state orders, those federal benefits do not apply. That means we are not protected from being fired from our full-time jobs, we do not collect retirement points, and we are not considered “veter ans” and therefore not eligible for VA ben efits. State activation is the equivalent of a break in service. You wear the uniform, but it’s like it doesn’t count. Guardsmen on state orders get paid. But that’s it.

Abbott’s activation grew steadily with Abbott’s re-election campaign to 6,500 troops by November 2021. That state ac tivation, known as Operation Lone Star

its waste.

The revered restaurant concept opened its doors in Tucson in July 2020, amid the pandemic.

Adam Hede, general manager of the new location, was hired in January 2020 as the assistant manager. Prior to the shut down in March 2020, Hede said the Snoozers com pleted training and were in the process of opening up the restaurant before having to shut it down.

“I didn’t know if I was going to have a job because we didn’t know how long we were going to be closed down,” Hede said.

Snooze contacted him a couple of days later and offered to pay 60% of his salary to “hang tight” and wait.

“This is a testament to how much they care about their people,” Hede said.

The new Snooze location has hired about 75 applicants out of 1,200. Hede said that

continues with Abbott bragging about the 10,000 involuntarily activated personnel doing basically nothing, but costing the state nearly $1 billion.

Meanwhile, these guardsmen have lost jobs, businesses, time at college, marriag es and 10 of them have lost their lives. They did not get the time they needed to settle things at home; many were activat ed and found themselves on the border 72 hours later. They did not get reissue, they did not get assigned housing, they did not even get an area of operation with prop er toilet facilities. What they did get, and continue to get, is screwed over by their governor.

But hey, Abbott got to show Trump and the Fox News hosts how tough he is.

Now Lake wants to channel that bigshot energy here in Arizona where the National Guard can again become human pawns for the aggrandizement of politi cians. Lake, who is unlikely to understand much, but especially not guardsmen, will

not treat my fellow soldiers and airmen like human beings.

She already plans to make a big splash on the border, at their expense. If Abbott’s example is anything to go by, it will not be pretty. It will look more like a Russian mobilization — reminiscent of Lake’s most recent political ad featuring Russian soldiers.

But she would be the boss if you vote for her. Bear in mind, she could care less about the guard. Her only constituent lives in Florida. Her only thought is for him. If she gets elected, expect to see guardsmen involuntarily activated as a stunt.

Fellow guardsmen: Do not vote for this empty-headed tool. We signed up to be guardians of freedom, not shiny objects for self-promotion by pea-wits. Take it from an old, fat, retired master sergeant. Lake is a bad boss. If you cannot vote blue, leave it blank.

– Sue Ritz, Master sergeant, retired Arizona National Guard

they’re still receiving applications every day.

The brand was named top 10 for em ployees who would recommend their job to a friend on Glassdoor for the third year in a row and maintains a commitment to “people, planet, pancakes and profit.”

“We want to take care of the planet with our recycling and composting sustainabili ty efforts but we also want to be involved in the community and help out with schools,” Hede said.

The Grant Road and Tucson Boulevard location does work with the UA’s Compost Cats as a contributing effort toward the company’s goal of diverting waste from landfills. The Oracle location is seeking a compost company that will work with them. Hede said that the multimillion-dol lar company pays to have compost done.

“We take time out of our budget to work

toward that,” Hede said.

Sustainability matters to Snooze, Hede said, from LED lighting to low-flow toilets and recycled building materials.

“We do what we can to do our part to try to say, ‘We’re doing it here at Snooze, maybe you can make a little bit more effort on your part to do recycling or find a com post or donate wasted food.’ Somehow, some way, if we can make an impact that’s what we want to do.”

Snooze, an A.M. Eatery

7315 N. Oracle Road, Suite 161, Tucson 520-605-2350, snoozeeatery.com

6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. starting Wednesday, Oct. 19, 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends

Autumn in the Air

With

this

Dodger Stadium is a shrine in decay EXTRA POINT

Iunderstand that everything looks better in the rearview mirror, but Dodger Stadium when I was growing up was heaven. You could sit out in the leftfield bleach ers for $1.50. That was basically the min imum wage back then, so you could go to a game for hour’s pay. Try to do that today when the average ticket price at Dodger Sta dium is $260.

My friend Gary Matthews had a car that would run most of the time. We would go to Dodger Stadium and there were a couple places along Stadium Way where you could pull off and illegally park on the dirt so we wouldn’t have to pay for parking. (More on that later.) The walk to the stadium wasn’t that long and we were young. We’d get there early and try to catch fly balls during batting

practice.

My two strongest memories of Dodger Stadium during my youth include a time we went and a time we didn’t go.

We were sitting out in left field and Gary suddenly said, “Someday, I’m going to be playing on that field.” A few weeks later, we actually played on that field in the city championship game, but that’s not what he had meant.

A few years later, I sat in the bleachers and watched as Gary was playing left field for the San Francisco Giants. He went on to become NL Rookie of the Year. It sucked that he was with the much-despised Giants, but it was cool that he was on the field. I felt like the nerd sportswriter at the end of the movie “Sandlot.” Gary later played for the Braves

and Phillies, but he’s probably best known for his stint with the Cubs, where he was known as “The Sarge.”

Dodger Stadium maintained its sparkle (for me, anyway) for a few decades after that. When my son’s middle-school band was in a competition in Southern California, I flew over to watch him play, then I took him to a Dodger game that night. He had his first Dodger Dog, which used to be a semi-reli gious experience.

But then came the “steroid era” and I lost interest in baseball. Meanwhile, the Dodg ers lost their way. Instead of competing and working hard, they bought their way to championships. (It’s working; they’ve won nine straight National League West titles, but only one World Series.) They’re no longer lovable; they’re insufferable.

Worst of all is that the Dodger Stadium experience has gone to rot. An old friend of mine who lives in LA has attended three to four Dodger games a year for the past several decades. He called me during the summer to tell me that he was done.

night before and it was a complete night mare. First of all, he had paid $50 online for a parking space. Not a great parking space, just a parking space. But when he showed up at the stadium, he was told that the parking lot was full. He showed them his online receipt, but they just said, “Sorry.”

He had to park off-site and pay for a shut tle to take them to the ballpark. When he tried to file a complaint, there was no one in the customer service office. He initially thought that there might have been a computer mis take that overbooked the parking lot, but then he heard rumors that the parking attendants were allowing drive-ups to park for $20 cash, which would go into the attendant’s pocket.

They finally went to their seats, and he had to look everywhere to find an usher will ing to kick out the two people camping in them. Two ushers told him, “Just tell them to move.”

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He went to get a Dodger Dog, knowing full well that the Dodger organization had gone cheap and had broken a decades-long deal with Farmer John to save a few pen nies. My friend hadn’t had one since before the pandemic, when Farmer John was supplying them. Sure enough, he could tell the difference in taste right away.

He decided to try to kill the taste, but guess what? The mustard dispenser was empty…in the fourth inning!

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He then told me a dis gusting story about the bath rooms (which I won’t share). He’s done and I’m done.

It’s a shame. It used to be a great place, a shrine to base ball. Now it’s just a shrine to greed and to a lack of pride.

Fresh Take on Active Aging

Thefirst week of every October marks Ac tive Aging Week— an international celebration designed to call attention to positive aging, showcase the capabilities of older adults, and shine a spot light on positive role models.

You might say that every week is Active Aging Week at Splendido, a Life Plan Com munity for those 55 and bet ter in Oro Valley. “In fact, the vision statement of Mather, one of Splendido’s two parent organizations, is to transform the way that society views ag ing,” says William Wesley My ers, director of Wellness Strat egies for Mather. “That ideal has long been woven into our culture and philosophy, so it’s natural for us to look be yond traditional offerings and events for residents during Active Aging Week.”

Hiking & Holistic Health

In a week full of on-site classes, workshops, and games focused on cognitive health, skincare, balance, and more, Splendido residents—and team members, too—were in vited to try two unique expe riences that combined several aspects of “active” personal wellness, and offered multiple benefits for physical and men

tal health.

“On October 3rd, we facilitated a nature- and sound-bathing hike in Hon ey Bee Canyon for interested residents and staff,” says Wil liam. “The short hike to the canyon offered an opportunity to try authentic shinrin yoku, or forest-bathing, including an experience of gratitude toward nature, followed by a guided meditation with a crystal bowl sound-bathing component. Sound bathing uses tone and vibration to res onate with the body, and may help with stress, fatigue, and depression symptoms. “Sound bathing relaxes the soul and the mind,” says Kimberly Ber berich, Splendido’s director of Repriorment Services.

Judy Effken, a Splendido resident, enjoyed the Honey Bee Canyon hike and medi tation. “It was nice to get out in nature and really hike,” she says. “We saw some birds and butterflies, and the walk itself, with all these wonderful staff people, was wonderful.”

Later in the week, William led a meditative nature walk on the grounds of Splendido, during which participants fo cused on carefully observing the weather, birds or other wildlife, and indigenous plants

and cacti. The walk ended in the outdoor courtyard of Fig urati, Splendido’s holistic well ness space. There, participants tried a guided gratitude reflec tive meditation, again with the vibrational tones of crystal singing bowls.

These events were care fully planned to incorporate

research-based techniques that support overall wellness. “For example, we incorporate the singing bowls and sound bathing because science has shown that sound has a pro found effect on our physical health, mood, mental health, and overall well-being,” ex plains William. “Much of this

has to do with how our brains respond to sound, vibration, and rhythm.” There are simi lar findings for being in nature and for mindfulness.

“Active aging encompasses so much more than you might think,” says William. “We’re exploring the benefits of hav ing an active mind, an active

spiritual side, and actively seeking the peace and calm of nature—all of which can have a profound effect on our well ness.”

Interested in learning more about Splendido? For floor plans, photos, and informa tion on upcoming events, visit splendidotucson.com.

Athlete of the Week: Dez Roebuck

By Tom Danehy

Just a few days ago, I asked Marana High School senior Makayla Roe buck a question about her brothers. A multisport athlete herself (wrestling, beach volleyball, basketball), I figured that she would have little trouble answering this question: Which of her brothers is hav ing the best football season so far?

She had just returned from North Dako ta where she got to see her older brother, Isaiah, catch the winning touchdown pass to lead his Jamestown University to a win. Only a sophomore, he is already a star on the football field and baseball diamond for the Jimmies. Yes, the Jimmies.

Her youngest brother, Little Sean, is not so little anymore. He played quarterback and safety and handled the kicking duties for the Marana Middle School team and led them to an undefeated season. But the one who may be having the greatest season so far is her sophomore brother, Dezmen, who has helped to lead his Marana Tiger team to a No. 6 spot in the Class 5A Power Points ranking at the midpoint of the reg ular season. Their only blemish was a bi zarre 59-58 loss to Mesa Westwood, a wild football game that ended in a basketball score.

Heading into an Oct. 14 game with win less Nogales, the Tigers were hoping to avoid a repeat of last year when they had a playoff spot all but sewn up only to lose their final two games and fall just outside of the Top 16. Other than an upcoming matchup with 3-2 Sunnyside, the remain ing teams on the Tigers’ schedule have a combined record of 3-17.

Dezmen makes bruising tackles while on defense and spectacular catches on offense. He is the favorite target of Tiger quarterback Elijah Joplin, who survived a brutal facial injury this past summer and has made an improbable comeback.

Meanwhile, Dezmen’s numbers jump off the page:

Seven catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-0 win at Buena.

Eight catches for 109 yards and a TD against Marana Mountain View.

Ten catches for 104 yards and a TD in the 40-37 win over previously unbeaten

Canyon Del Oro.

When asked if he prefers offense or de fense, he answers with the former. Howev er, it’s not like he doesn’t appreciate play ing defense. Last year, as a freshman on the Marana Varsity basketball team (coached by his dad, Sean), he was the 5A Region Defensive Player of the Year.

Life is good for the high-school sopho more who turned 16 on Oct. 11. So, what did he get for his birthday? A car?

“I don’t even have my permit yet. I’m too busy with sports and school.”

He does have a college scholarship — something not many high school soph omores have. In fact, he has two. UNLV offered him first and that was followed by a full scholarship offer to play wide receiver at the UA. The UA coaching staff had one of the top recruiting classes in the country this year and the Wildcat coaching staff’s recruiting acumen is unquestioned. To of fer a local (sophomore) kid a scholarship speaks volumes about Dezmen’s ability and potential.

However, before we see him in a Wildcat uniform (we hope), he has the rest of this season, then next season, and then the sea son after that to continue to put up insane numbers. At the current pace, he could be come one of the top receivers in Southern Arizona football. And then maybe get a driver’s license.

Marana High School sophomore Dezmen Roebuck is Athlete of the Week. (Submitted)

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HOROSCOPE

21 to April 19)

By SALOME’S STARS

has some

to offer regarding your new project.

might find them helpful. Remember to avoid

and to stick with just the facts, dear

(April 20 to May 20) An old friend

reappears. Whether this proves to be a boon or a bane in the Bovine’s life depends on the reason for this surprising reappearance. Be cautious.

21 to June 20) Vital information

emerges, allowing you to make that impor tant personal decision. You can now move your fo cus to an upcoming professional development.

(June 21 to July 22) You might not like seeing so many on-the-job changes. But some of them could open new opportunities for your Moon Child talents to shine to your best advantage.

(July 23 to August 22) Expect a challenge to the usual way you do things. Although you might prefer the tried-and-true, once you take a good look at this new idea, you might feel more receptive to it.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A close friend could offer advice on how to handle a diffi cult family matter. But in the end, the decision has to be made based on what is best for you and those you love.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Fami ly problems are best worked out when all those concerned contribute suggestions that will ease tensions. Stay with it until a workable solution is found.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Expect to hear more about an offer that has piqued your interest. You earn respect for insisting on solid facts, not just a fancy talk about potential opportunities.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) What seemed to be a reasonable workplace request might need to be defended. Don’t fret. You have both the facts and a surprise ally on your side.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A bit of capriciousness might be just what you need. Plan to kick up your heels in a round of fun and games with family and friends this weekend.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Al though some of your plans might have to be put on hold, things do begin to take a turn for the better by midweek. Your financial crunch also eases.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Your financial picture begins to brighten by week’s end. There are also favorable changes in your personal life. Some one you care for has good news to report.

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